Tag: 7 Rating

Kate’s Review: “The Darkness Greeted Her”

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Book: “The Darkness Greeted Her” by Christina Ferko

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Fire, February 2026

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Penny’s abusive father is dead…but she still hears his voice in her head, encouraging her to hurt those around her. She can’t go to school or be around her friends or even draw with a sharp pencil without her intrusive thoughts urging her toward violence. Desperate to get a handle on her OCD, she agrees to spend the summer at Camp Whitewood—an exclusive therapy retreat in the woods.

She feels optimistic when she arrives. The other girls all have their reasons for being there, which makes Penny feel a little less alone. But then she starts seeing things that can’t possibly be there: the gold watch her father was buried with, his favorite whiskey spilled on her cabin floor…a terrifying figure she calls the Shadow Man looming at the foot of her bed. Penny thinks she is losing her mind, but when a girl goes missing, and is later found dead, it’s clear that whatever is happening at Camp Whitewood isn’t all in her head.

As the hallucinations become increasingly intense and more girls wind up dead, Penny must work with whoever is left standing to figure out what is real before the Shadow Man uses their traumas against them and claims their lives.

Review: Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an ARC of this novel!

I had a LOT of emotional issues when I was a teenager. I had three separate therapists addressing different parts of my mental health, was on medication for a couple of years, and have been in therapy throughout most of my life (and I am incredibly grateful to have had all that access to these things over the years). I never got to the point where I was in need of intensive in patient therapy, and I certainly never found myself shipped off to a wilderness therapy camp that has secrets and perhaps a roving monster in the woods. So while THAT aspect of “The Darkness Greeted Her” by Christina Ferko wasn’t super relatable, the mental health aspects were (at least to some degree, it was NEVER as all encompassing for me as it was for main character Penny).

The biggest theme of his horror novel, as so many horror tales have done in recent years (and I’m not mad about it!), is how people who have gone through traumatizing childhoods are shaped and haunted by said trauma. For Penny and her camp mates, they all come to Camp Whitewood with the hopes of finding peace and psychological help, but instead are being tormented and in some cases eaten by a monstrous entity in the woods that takes the shape of their fears and pain. Old hat? Sure. But for me it’s still effective, and I think that it’s always something to be talked about for YA readers and a message I probably could have used as a depressed teenager back in the day. But not only did we get insight into our first person protagonist’s trauma, I also liked getting some chapters that would lay out the formative moments that brought that other girls to this therapy camp. So we do have a shadow creature living in the woods that is a threat, but at the same time we have a number of teenagers who have dealt with all too real horrors, like abusive alcoholic fathers, guilt over horrible mistakes that have become internalized to a dangerous degree, and other traumas that have festered and caused these girls to be susceptible to the monster’s appetites.

In terms of the suspense and dread, I will say that some of the pacing felt a bit off, and perhaps at times a bit too drawn out. It wasn’t a particularly scary story to me, but that is almost assuredly a ‘your mileage may vary’ situation because there are definitely some creepy and suspenseful aspects, especially with the worries about whether or not Penny was going to be overcome by her Harm OCD tendencies and hurt someone else or herself. The monster was interesting in that it shifts its form to reflect the different campers fears, mixing in folk horror with “Nightmare on Elm Street” to a degree (it also got a little close to Wendigo mythology, but didn’t use the term or the specific background so I feel like it wasn’t fully treading into appropriative territory, correct me if I’m wrong though!). The metaphors of trauma and mental illness bolstered it up quite a bit.

So all in all, “The Darkness Greeted Her” is another solid horror story that makes monsters out of real life horror stories. I think that teenage horror fans will probably enjoy it.

Rating 7: A creepy story about trauma and monsters, of the supernatural and all too human kind, though it felt a bit laggy at times.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Darkness Greeted Her” is included on the Goodreads list “Queer Fiction Set at Camp”.

Kate’s Review: “A Botanist’s Guide to Society and Secrets”

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Book: “A Botanist’s Guide to Society and Secrets” (Saffron Everleigh Mysteries #3) by Kate Khavari

Publishing Info: Crooked Lane Books, June 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: The library!

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: London, 1923. Returning from Paris, botanical researcher Saffron Everleigh finds that her former love interest Alexander Ashton’s brother, Adrian, is being investigated for murder. A Russian scientist working for the English government has been poisoned, and expired in Adrian’s train compartment. Alexander asks Saffron to put in a good word for Adrian with Inspector Green. Despite her unresolved feelings for Alexander, Saffron begins to unravel mysteries surrounding the dead scientist.

As if a murder case weren’t enough, her best friend Elizabeth’s war-hero brother, Nick, arrives in town and takes an immediate interest in Saffron. Saffron learns Alexander has been keeping secrets from her, including a connection to Nick, who Saffron and Elizabeth begin to suspect is more than he seems.

When another scientist is found dead, Saffron agrees to go undercover at the government laboratory. Risking her career and her safety, she learns there are many more interested parties and dangerous secrets to uncover than she’d realized. But some secrets, Saffron will find, are better left undiscovered.

Review: I took a bit of a break from the Saffron Everleigh Mysteries after reading “A Botanist’s Guide to Flowers and Fatality”. I didn’t really do it deliberately (I mean not totally…), as I think it was more a matter of lots of other books coming out and just getting lost in the shuffle. But now that Kate Khavari’s fifth book in the series is coming out this summer (and after being asked to read it… stay tuned!), I decided that it was time to get back on the horse. And so I picked up “A Botanist’s Guide to Society and Secrets”, another botany STEMinist mystery with botanist Saffron Everleigh at the forefront in post WW1 London! And it was fun picking it back up, I’m happy to report.

Saffron gets pulled into another plant/poison based mystery when her old beau Alexander reaches out, saying his brother Adrian is suspected of murder after a man he’s traveling in a train car with drops dead of poisoning. Alexander hopes that Saffron will be able to help clear Adrian, and even though she is still a bit stung by Alexander she agrees to help. I admit that I missed Saffron and her flatmate/best friend Elizabeth. I felt right back into their banter again, and liked how they support each other not only in the mystery at hand but also in their day to day lives. Given that the second storyline of this book involves the sudden reappearance of Elizabeth’s brother Nick and how suspicious Elizabeth is of it, it was interesting seeing how these two friends deal with the mystery at hand as unexpected details come together (also it was a real hoot seeing Elizabeth and Saffron and Michael Lee from the previous book go to a night club of sketchy repute in hopes of finding information. Yes we’ll talk about Lee in a bit). And it does all tie in with Alexander’s worries fairly well. In fact, the mystery itself with dead scientists and a lab with unknown research was entertaining.

And the setting is still so perfect for me. We are now in 1923 London, and while WWI is behind them we are still seeing how it affected not only Saffron and Elizabeth and those around them, what with Elizabeth’s brother Nick cropping up unexpectedly and stirring up the grief of losing Wesley, Elizabeth’s brother and Saffron’s sweetheart, we also see the way that scientific research was affected post-War. Specifically in how the lab Saffron joins on the down low and the kinds of research it is doing with the memory of mass death still fresh. It’s fun how Khavari took a science thriller premise, that so much in the present focuses on scary new tech and the dangers of it running amok, and translates that kind of fear to a fear of tech one hundred years prior. That is what made this particular mystery stand out for me.

I will say that my big quibble that kind of marked down the experience for me is a petty one, and it’s one that plays a huge part in the story that kind of spoils some lingering questions from the previous book (and honestly, it’s also probably why I put off reading this one for as long as I did because I just knew it was going to happen). I want to talk about it but know that it’s a big ol’

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Recall in my last review, I talked about Saffron finding herself in a bit of a potential love triangle, with the two points being old love interest Alexander (who had been away on a scientific excursion and came back super bitter about her for some reason) and Michael Lee, her forensic partner in poisonings last book. I thought that Saffron had much more chemistry with Lee, as the work together well and he always bolstered her intelligence while also trusting her judgement. Plus he was just more fun and less of an ass than Alexander, who was being a total jerk to her in the last book. Well, this book quashed it pretty fast and it’s made clear that Alexander is the one for her, and I was PRETTY irritated by that, mostly because HE WAS STILL BEING SUCH A WHINEY BABY TO HER IN THIS BOOK. He asks for her help with his brother, refuses to tell her why, and leaves out SO MANY DETAILS that she would need to know to be able to help him and gets all sour when she calls him out on it. WHY is this the guy that she is destined to be with? He’s such a drip. I do hope that Lee continues to show up because he’s a hoot, and maybe he and Elizabeth will start something up (honestly? That would be iconic).

So irritating romance nonsense aside, overall I enjoyed “A Botanist’s Guide to Society and Secrets”. It had some interesting stakes, set up a clear path forward, and had some more science-y shenanigans with an unique historical lens.

Rating 7: A compelling mystery that still has a unique hook, “A Botanist’s Guide to Society and Secrets” is another fun thriller with Saffron Everleigh and her friends buoying the story.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Botanist’s Guide to Society and Secrets” is included on the Goodreads list “Best Fiction Books About Plants”.

Previously Reviewed:

Serena’s Review: “Across the Vanishing Sky”

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Book: “Across the Vanishing Sky” by Catherine Cowles

Publishing Info: Bloom Books, March 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Braedyn Winslow never expected to return to Starlight Grove—the town that took everything from her. Not after her best friend, the one who’d sacrificed so much for her, vanished without a trace. But with a young son to raise and a past that won’t stay buried, Brae is back…and determined to uncover the truth.

She just didn’t count on the brooding, reclusive mountain man living next door.

Dex Archer is the stuff of local legend—silent, rugged, and surrounded by whispers of his and his brothers’ violent father. But Brae sees through the scowl and his parentage to the man beneath: fiercely loyal, unexpectedly kind…and just dangerous enough to protect her when someone starts warning her off her search.

The closer she gets to the truth, the harder it is to stay away from Dex. And as things get more perilous, Brae realizes the only person she can rely on is the one man who swore never to trust again.

Only someone isn’t happy that Brae has been digging, and they’ll do anything to stop her. But Dex? He’ll do anything to save her, even slip back into the dark…

Review: I went into this not having read the previous series that it’s a spinoff of (I think?) or anything by this author at all. But since reading Devney Perry’s Shield of Sparrows last year, I went back and read some of her contemporary romance novels and really enjoyed them. Thus, with my interest in this genre restoked, I was happy to check this one out when the publisher sent an ARC my way.

First off, I can tell why this author is popular. Her writing is the kind that I would call supremely “readable.” Everything flows easily, and she quickly sets up the characters, stakes, and a steady pace that is maintained throughout. Even when there isn’t a ton of actual action on the page, the story still felt like it was constantly progressing, and I made my way through this entire book fairly quickly and easily. There were, perhaps, a few too many modern slang terms/modes of speaking that did throw me off a bit. But I know that this is purely a subjective dislike on my part, and as the book is a contemporary work, I guess I can’t complain, objectively, about using language like this—even if it does throw me out of a book to some extent.

Oddly, I ended up enjoying the mystery/thriller portions of this book more than the romance. As I was reading, I kept flipping pages mostly to find out what had happened to her best friend and to find out how the current thriller situation would resolve. That being the case, I was less invested in the romance itself. Partly, I think this has to do with the strength of the mystery, but I also think it speaks to some weakness in the romance itself. Neither of these characters is bad or anything, but it felt like their connection happened incredibly quickly, especially given the tense circumstances that would, rightly, direct most people’s attention elsewhere from romantic entanglements.

Overall, this was a fun read, but just an okay romance novel. I’m definitely curious to check out other books by this author to see if the love stories might work better in those. But if you enjoy this author and you want to check out a contemporary romance with a solid mystery/thriller subplot, then this one might be for you!

Rating 7: While I enjoyed the mystery aspects of this book, the romance developed too quickly for me to feel truly invested in it.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Across the Vanishing Sky” can be found on these Goodreads lists: 2026 Adult Romance Releases and 2026 – Contemporary Romance (1st in Series).

Serena’s Review: “Half City”

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Book: “Half City” by Kate Golden

Publishing Info: Ace, February 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: copy from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Viv Abbot is an average twenty-one-year-old girl. She lives in an expensive city where the rent is too high, works long hours at a thankless job, and is dating a guy she doesn’t even like in the hopes of winning her prickly mother’s approval.

She just also happens to be a demon hunter.

Ever since her father’s murder, she’s been forced to hunt deviants alone, meaning everyone, including her family, sees her as an outsider. . . . Until the day she crosses paths with a dangerously alluring demon, Reid Graveheart. The reformed deviant tells her of a school for people just like her: Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. If she enrolls, she’ll learn to hone her craft, work with other hunters, and never be alone again.

But Viv has a deadly secret. One that not even her new friends at Harker can know about. Not when the school might hold the answers to untangling the mystery surrounding Viv’s father’s death. When strange occurrences begin to plague the students, Viv will have to figure out who she can trust, and fast. All while trying to ace her classes, not fall for a demon, and make it through her first year at Harker in one piece. How hard could that be?

Review: So, part of the problem with my experience of this book was the disconnect between what I expected based on the cover art and what the book was. It’s hard to even put my finger on exactly what that disconnect was. Perhaps something to do with its atmosphere and overall tone? The cover looks dark, grim, slightly Victorian, perhaps, and promising a strong female lead and romantic interest. But instead, this book leaned hard into urban fantasy conventions in the worst way, with an overly quippy “pick me” main character and a deluge of unnecessary scenes and events.

For the pros, I think readers who enjoy urban fantasy first and foremost are most likely to enjoy this one. While I do enjoy this subgenre at times, it’s not necessarily a go-to for me. I often seem to bounce off the sorts of main characters that dominate this genre, finding them abrasive more than sympathetic more often than not.

I also thought the general idea of the book was interesting—not hugely original, perhaps, but interesting nonetheless. Unfortunately, the author didn’t seem to have a good handle on what made up the actual story itself. Far too often, I would find myself mired in scenes that, after finishing them, felt pointless and repetitive. These scenes dragged down the pacing of the story and, too often, left me disliking the main character more and more.

As I said above, she had strong “pick me” energy from the very start, and this was only worsened once she reached the school, where we were then treated to an endless recitation of her numerous judgments passed freely on those around her. She’s meant to come across as a badass character, but instead I found her whiny and unlikable much of the time.

As for the romantic interest, at least he didn’t actively frustrate me the same way that Viv did. But, on the other hand, he read the same as every other demon romantic lead you’ve ever read, falling prey to the same insta-lust tendencies that we’ve seen before and that have become increasingly tired.

Overall, this was a pretty disappointing read. Quality-wise, it’s not badly written, and I do think it will connect with readers who are looking for an urban fantasy romance novel. But I was held back by the slow pacing and my dislike for the main character.

Rating 7: Meh in pretty much every sense of the word, unfortunately.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Half City” can be found on these Goodreads lists: 2026 Fantasy Romance/Romantasy books to look forward to and All the New Fantasy Books Arriving in February 2026.

Kate’s Review: “Nowhere Burning”

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Book: “Nowhere Burning” by Catriona Ward

Publishing Info: Tor Nightfire, February 2026

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Set in the unforgiving maw of the Rocky Mountains, Nowhere Burning is the latest harrowing novel from bestselling author Catriona Ward, perfect for fans of Riley Sager and the hit series Yellowjackets.

A refuge for lost children may also be their prison.

In the middle of the night, Riley pulls her younger brother Oliver out of bed, and the two run away from home. Riley is intent on joining a group of teenagers squatting in the abandoned ruins of an infamous movie star’s ranch, Nowhere. For actor Leaf Winham, Nowhere was a place to hide from his fame, and to hide his crimes―until a fire ravaged his home and exposed him as a murderer.

It is rumored that the ranch nestled in the peaks of the Rocky Mountains is now home to group of feral children, a place where adults cannot enter, and Riley hopes to find a new family there. But the Nowhere Kids are fierce in defending their turf and their clan, and Riley quickly realizes that while she and Oliver may have left the devil they knew, this group is a new type of diabolical.

For something dark lives in the burned shell of Nowhere, something which asks a terrible price for sanctuary…

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel!

I haven’t every been super into “Peter Pan”. I watched the Disney movie as a kid (though I’m not sure I’d show it to my own kid these days), and enjoyed the Mary Martin version that we had on video cassette and has apparently been kind of forgotten by post-Millennial generations (when I saw a random video about how NOVEL and UNKNOWN this movie was I felt my bones turn to dust), but it was never a favorite of mine. But I do like the idea of reimagining classic tales as horror stories. “Nowhere Burning” by Catriona Ward is a horror story that takes some “Peter Pan” themes and changes it into something weird, unique, and unnerving.

I always love the vibes of a cult themed horror novel, and this one feels like it mixes some Branch Davidian lore with a “Children of the Corn” feel to it to make something weird and creepy as hell. I also enjoyed the “Peter Pan” allusions, with children fending for themselves feeling like they will never grow up after following vague ‘second star to the right’ directions into the Rockies. We follow a few different threads and narratives, which are unclear in how they line up at first. The most prominent one is Riley, a desperate teenage girl who escapes with her younger brother from an abusive situation, looking for solitude and thinking she’s found it with the kids at Nowhere. We also have a documentarian who is hoping to get some answers about Nowhere and the history and notoriety, as well as an architect who was hired on by Leaf Winham, the original owner of Nowhere who went on to commit the unspeakable, and who falls into a complex and obsessive web. Riley’s was, for me, the most interesting, seeing her slowly realize that perhaps she and Oliver aren’t super safe with the Nowhere Kids as things become weirder and weirder and more and more danger becomes apparent, though I will say that once we do figure out where the timeline falls for all the narratives it made them all pretty interesting.

And the “Peter Pan” references were pretty enjoyable. It’s not like The Rockies are what I imagine when I think of ‘Neverland’, but the way that Ward creates a symbol of freedom and feralness within the mountains that is very in line with the idea of The Lost Boys wasn’t lost on me. From alligators named Tinkerbell to many exits out of windows to ‘flying’ thanks to ziplines in the wilderness. There are even more meta references to Peter Pan adjacent mythos, specifically how much notorious filmmaker Leaf Williams mirrors Michael Jackson, with his eccentricities, his isolated and sprawling ranch, and some of the details within the ranch (such as a ferris wheel) clearly making reference to the now deceased and controversial King of Pop. I love a reference, and seeing the details sprinkled throughout the narratives was very, very fun for me.

“Nowhere Burning” is a solid horror novel that will surely satisfy horror fans who like a “Peter Pan” homage.

Rating 7: A strange and unnerving homage to “Peter Pan” that brings Neverland to an unforgiving Rockies, “Nowhere” is a weird and entertaining cult horror tale.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Nowhere Burning” is included on the Goodreads list “2026 Women in Horror”.

Kate’s Review: “Maria the Wanted”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Maria the Wanted” by V. Castro

Publishing Info: Titan Books, February 2026

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from NetGalley

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Newly turned Mexican vampire, Maria, is not just out for blood, she wants answers.

From the twice Bram Stoker-nominated author of The Haunting of Alejandra and Immortal Pleasures, a gripping tale of empowerment, desire and belonging, perfect for readers of A Dowry of Blood and Certain Dark Things.

Maria is a wanted woman. She’s wanted by an Aztec trafficker, a cartel boss, the people she fights for, and now the Devil she can’t resist. Her journey begins as a would-be immigrant turned vampire in Juarez, Mexico until the injustices of the world turn her into something else.

Forced to leave her home and family, she embarks on a journey across Mexico seeking those answers. She learns a new language and how to survive as a vampire. To ease her restlessness she finds work with an ex-boxer and learns to fight, becoming an unlikely bad ass enforcer of justice for the community that has embraced her. Is she a saint or an old God from a forgotten past?

An encounter with a violent, ruthless vampire boss leads her to finally find her creator, and he is nothing like she imagined. Drawn into a world of ancient vampires, deadly conspiracies and a dangerously seductive devil, Maria must find a way to fight for herself and all humankind.

A fierce and seductive vampire thriller, pulsing with rage, fear and desire, that explores the dark back streets of Mexico and a vampire woman’s determination to find her place in the world.

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel!

After being a bit let down by V. Castro’s previous vampire novel, I was pretty pleased to see that her newest book, “Maria the Wanted”, was another vampire story! Researching it further I found out that this new novel is actually a re-release, which will hopefully allow it to find new readers now that Castro has gained a bit more attention in the past few years. I had pretty high hopes for “Maria the Wanted”, and I’m happy to report that, for the most part, it was a pretty solid read! For the most part.

But first the good, and the good news is that there is a lot of good to be had! I really enjoyed our vampire protagonist Maria, whose story starts as a worker in a maquiladora in Juarez, but whose life is forever changed when some cartel vampire thugs break in to cause havoc. Maria is turned into a vampire by the most mysterious of the attackers, who disappears and leaves her to pick up the pieces of her old life and to adjust to her new one. I really liked seeing her not only have to find strength within herself to keep going, but also liked her growth journey from fledgling vampire to an avenging force not only looking for her maker, but also someone who helps the helpless, many of whom are women and girls, in a world of violence and corruption. Castro very effectively utilizes Maria’s backstory and culture to make for an interesting arc, and I was pretty damn invested in her from the jump as the moves around Mexico and beyond. I also enjoyed the vampire mythology, as Castro has some interesting twists on what her vampires are like compared to vampires in other tales.

I will say though, I feel like this book had a weird shift between the first two thirds into the final third that felt like a whole new book, but with no proper time or pages to explore it fully. I don’t really want to spoil too much of it here, but I will have to say SOME things to explain what my gripes were, so perhaps proceed with some caution. The first two thirds I greatly enjoyed, as Maria is trying to find her maker, get some justice for those who rarely get justice, and figure out what her place in the world is now that she is a vampire. All of this was solid and I enjoyed watching her go on her journey, meeting up with cartels, other women, and some fun characters be they vampires or not. But then we get to the last arc of the book, and suddenly there are prophecies, a potential armageddon at hand, and maybe even the Devil himself that she has to square up against. And that aspect felt like it needed a lot more breathing room to really flesh out a fairly significant plot point like the literal end of the world. I just felt to me like it was a wild swerve that wasn’t super well explored. It probably should have been a book in and of itself, to be honest, as it took away from the rest of the novel by confusing me as we headed into the climax.

But overall I enjoyed “Maria the Wanted”! I’m glad that they decided to re-release it for new audiences to find!

Rating 7: A really solid and entertaining first two thirds was muddled by a confusing final third, but overall an enjoyable vampire thriller.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Maria the Wanted” is included on the Goodreads list “2026 Women in Horror”.

Serena’s Review: “A Rose of Blood and Binding”

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Book: “A Rose of Blood and Binding” by Claire Legrand

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Casablanca, February 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: The battered Middlemist can barely hold itself together. Olden monsters terrorize the land. The gods are awakening from their ancient slumber, but if the vengeful Kilraith destroys them, all will be lost. And it’s up to the Ashbourne sisters—demigods, daughters of the goddess Kerezen—to stop him.

But the sisters are spread thin. Gemma and Talan travel the world in a desperate search for the gods. In the capital, Farrin and Ryder shelter countless refugees amid roiling unrest. And Mara Ashbourne, bound to the Middlemist and longing for a home she can never return to, is just trying to survive.

Every day is chaos as Mara battles invaders and fights to protect her fellow Roses. The presence of librarian Gareth Fontaine—assigned to aid the Roses’ war efforts—doesn’t help. Charming, brilliant, far too confident, and annoyingly reverent of the Roses—Mara most of all—he’s a distraction Mara can’t avoid or afford. Especially since she can see the shadows of Mhorghast brimming underneath his dazzling smile. Shadows of violence and shame that she knows all too well. Shadows that terrify her more than any monster.

As Mara and Gareth search the Old Country for Kilraith’s final three curse-anchors, a slow-burning passion born of sorrow and solace sparks between them, one that could finally bring Mara to the very home she longs for…or drive her toward the dark fate she secretly craves, and bring both worlds crashing down alongside her.

Previously Reviewed: “A Crown of Ivy and Glass” and “A Song of Ash and Moonlight”

Review: I’ve had a bit of a bumpy ride with this trilogy. Overall, I kept wanting to really love it, but finding myself struggling more often than not. My biggest stumbling block was the main characters in both of the first two books, each seeming to merge into the same self-loathing, fairly whiny person when all was said and done. And here, in the last book, we finally got to follow Mara, the brave warrior daughter who has been an absolute hit during her cameos in the other books. The thought of her getting the same treatment…oof.

But before I get into all of my feelings there, let’s go over other parts of this book and how it holds up as a novel itself and as a conclusion to this trilogy. First of all, I want to again go back to the often-visited trough of writing quality with regards to this trilogy. Like the first two books, this one was tightly written, balancing both detailed world-building and some truly poetic quieter moments of inner reflection. For a series that has dealt so strongly with mental health issues, I want to commend the author for exploring some truly complicated subjects without getting caught up in purple prose or simply telling readers about these struggles, rather than showing them on the page.

Further, I enjoyed the epic nature of much of the plot. As the trilogy has progressed, the world and lore have greatly expanded, so much so that by this book, we are dealing with gods and their fallout so often that it makes the political dramas of the first book seem a bit trite in comparison. Just remember, the first book was likened to “Bridgerton”…. And then here, by the end, we’re fully in epic fantasy with massive, galactic conflict taking up the majority of the plot. It’s truly a wild swing, but one that I think Legrand pulls off well. I’d definitely read more epic fantasy from her!

Unfortunately, I once again struggled with the main character and the romance. At this point, I think these books just aren’t for me as far as my own preferences go with character reading and romance. Critically, however, I do think that the manner in which Legrand explored important mental themes ultimately resulted in her writing three characters who not only sounded very similar, but all dealt with (or didn’t deal with) their individual mental health struggles in exactly the same way. All three: pushing away those they love, incredible levels of self-loathing, an unfortunate tendency to come across as whiny in their own narratives. It was incredibly frustrating each and every time, and all the more so here.

Mara’s story is clearly tragic, being taken away from her family so young and the scars this would leave on her psyche. Further, I loved the exploration of her relationship with the Warden, a deeply unhealthy bond of manipulation and dependence. But for all of these unique factors, and the fact that we’ve had two other books in which to see Mara presented as a strong, brave warrior character, Mara’s narration sounded almost exactly the same as the previous two characters. I can’t speak to every aspect of mental health that has been covered in these books, but from a writing level, it’s frustrating to see these topics covered in a way that now only seems repetitive. Mara’s experiences of her struggles are almost identical to her sisters’, and her arc through the story thus feels incredibly familiar and tired. What’s more, people are more than their mental health struggles, and I have to imagine that different people will respond differently to different challenges. But here we had essentially a bait-and-switch where everything we saw about Mara before was wiped away beneath the burdens of yet more self-loathing and self-isolation, just like the other two.

As for the romance, I was a bit lukewarm on this as well. There was nothing wrong with this relationship, but I do think it suffered a bit in comparison to the more deep and intricately complicated relationship we saw between Mara and the Warden.

Overall, this book was only fine, and I’m truly sad to say it. I was very nervous going in and, unfortunately, that now feels well warranted. Like I said, I do think Legrand is a strong writer, and I enjoyed her character work with pretty much any character whose head we were NOT in at the moment. I’ll definitely consider giving her books another chance, but if there is another strong focus on mental health (for all that it’s a worthy topic!), I might have to pass. I’ve already read that book three times now.

Rating 7: As an epic fantasy, I think this succeeds. But on a character level, I struggled in the same way I did with the first two.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Rose of Blood and Binding” can be found on these Goodreads lists: All the New Romantasy Books Arriving in February 2026 and “Bind” Titles.

Serena’s Review: “Crown of War and Shadow”

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Book: “Crown of War and Shadow” by J.R. Ward

Publishing Info: Bramble, February 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: The Fulcrum is failing, and demons are slipping into the mortal world, stalking the night. No one is safe. Especially not Sorrel. An orphan and an outcast, she’s spent her whole life within the walls of her small village, ostracized for her mystical abilities. She wants to survive…and maybe find somewhere she can call her true home. But Fate has other plans.

Sorrel has been chosen. Cursed. She must cross the Badlands to return the Queen’s crown and convince the fearsome female to save their world from destruction. Well aware she’s no brave hero, Sorrel makes a dangerous deal with Merc, a brooding, commanding mercenary known only by his unscrupulous profession. The deal? A night in his bed that she will never forget, in exchange for her safe passage. But Merc has secrets of his own, and even though passion runs hot between them, enemies are around every corner, and danger and betrayal threaten at every turn.

Review: One of my fellow book club librarians is a big fan of this author, so I’ve been wanting to check out her books for a while. That said, her primary series is, uh, long. So I was excited to see she was releasing the first book in a brand new series this spring, an excellent place to jump in!

Overall, this book didn’t quite live up to my expectations. That said, I can definitely see the author’s strengths, so without having read her other books, I can’t say whether this was a diversion from quality or not. But to start, her writing is incredibly “readable” right from the start. Readers are quickly brought into this world and given enough information about it, its history, and our main character to quickly become invested in what was going on. So much so that there was one side character who, I believe, only appears in one brief scene who later brought me to tears, all in the first quarter of the book!

I also liked the broad strokes of Sorrel’s character. Unlike many romantasy heroines, she didn’t actively annoy me much of the time. That said, she also fell into a few too many silly tropes. We have her repeatedly denying her own beauty, impulsively throwing herself into dangerous situations where she is actively unskilled, and then miraculously discovering previously unknown abilities, etc., etc. You get the gist. It was all quite familiar and predictable, if still well executed overall.

I did enjoy the slow reveals of her history, even if it felt like these were too easily telegraphed at times. Naturally, it doesn’t make sense for Sorrel to put things together as quickly as the reader, but it was still frustrating to watch her stumble around for as long as she did. Part of this speaks to the pacing issues I had, however. This is a long book, and by the middle portion, I was definitely feeling it. The mysteries that had been hinted at were still only the barest brushes, even if the reader was already a mile ahead of things. And instead of making progress, the book became bogged down in tedious traveling adventures. Sure, there were action-packed scenes happening on the page, but the actual plot itself felt mired in tedium.

This was then contrasted by the breakneck speed of the romance, which jumped immediately into insta-lust on both sides. I liked the general idea of the MMC; he even had some interesting backstory that I enjoyed learning about. But the story opened with a truly ridiculous misunderstanding between these two characters and proceeded to just…go with it. The entire thing could have been cleared up so easily, and it was just such a stupid element that was thrown in as a wrench between these two understanding each other. Honestly, I rolled my eyes so many times at both of these characters.

Overall, I didn’t love this book. The author is clearly talented, and I think there are the bones of a good story to be found here. Unfortunately, this was badly in need of an editor to trim down the fat and focus the story on the plot that actually mattered. With some adjustments to pacing, both of the romance and the actual plot, this could have been a much more fun read. That said, I’d guess that this will still hit well for fans of this author, so if you’ve enjoyed her other books, this is probably for you!

Rating 7: At least a hundred pages longer than it needed to be, this book is a key example of failing to follow the mantra “sometimes you get more with less.”

Reader’s Advisory:

“Crown of War and Shadow” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Epic High Fantasy/Romance/Mythology in 2026 and 2026 Most Anticipated Romance Releases.

Serena’s Review: “Nightshade and Oak”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Nightshade and Oak” by Molly O’Neill

Publishing Info: Orbit, February 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: When Malt, the goddess of death, is accidentally turned into a human by a wayward spell, she finds she’s ill-equipped to deal with the trials of a mortal life.

After all, why would a goddess need to know how to gather food or light a fire?

Trapped in a body that’s frustratingly feeble, she’s forced to team up with Bellis, warrior daughter of Boudicca on a perilous journey across Roman-occupied Britain to the afterlife to try to restore her powers. As animosity turns to attraction, these two very different women must learn to work together if they are to have any hope of surviving their quest.

Review:I had read and enjoyed (for the most part) the first book I read from this author. But I’ll be honest, it was the mention of Boudicca and the promise of more Welsh/British folklore that really drew me in. And while I did struggle with some tone, pacing, and character work, I was very pleased with this aspect of the story! In many ways, the story reads as historical fantasy, with the author drawing from a real-world person (Boudicca) but then extrapolating from that into a wholly imagined story revolving around her daughter.

Of course, given that Boudicca’s story is one of rebellion and warfare, the themes of this book heavily focus on the violence, loss, and tragedy of war. One of the strongest scenes in the book was actually the first chapter, where we see the remains of a battlefield through the eyes of the goddess. This was a very poignant scene and definitely set up the story well.

That said, it did lead into one of my struggle points for this read: inconsistency with regards to tone and themes. After this amazing first scene, the book takes a sharp turn towards a more cozy, travelogue sort of story, following our two characters as they traverse the land. Much of this next forty percent or so of the story was made up of these smaller, more “slice of life”-like scenes. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed the version of the book we had here. Much of this time was devoted to Mallt’s struggles to understand the ins and outs of existing as a mortal.

But then, about halfway through the book, the story took a massive shift back to the darker, more grim tones that the first chapter established. And again, I did not enjoy this portion of the book. Indeed, I think it had a lot of good things to say with these themes. However, the end result was that the pacing and tone of the story shifted entirely halfway through, which made for an awkward reading experience. Further, the very last portion of the book was made up of chapters that bounced back and forth between these cozy and darker tones, with the story feeling like it never really settled into what it wanted.

I also struggled a bit with the characters. For the most part, I really enjoyed Mallt. I thought her struggles with mortality were interesting and provided her with an excellent arc for the story. However, she also could be frustrating and annoying as she dealt with the limitations put upon her. I was also disappointed by Belis. Mostly this was because she was the sort of character I really enjoy! I love warrior woman characters, and Belis had a lot of potential. But as the story progressed, she was kind of just…there. Especially in comparison to Mallt’s more complicated character arc, Belis was unchanged and unchallenged throughout most of the book.

Overall, this was a mixed bag. I really wanted to like it more than I did. The uneven pacing and tone really threw me off, and I often found myself wanting more from the characters. However, fans of historical fantasy might still really enjoy this one!

Rating 7: While I enjoyed both the more serious historical fantasy elements as well as the cozy quest, I wasn’t sure that these two mixed particularly well here.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Nightshade and Oak” can be found on this Goodreads list: Adult Queer Romantasy 2026.

Serena’s Review: “Silver & Bloood”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Silver & Blood” by Jessie Mihalik

Publishing Info: Avon, January 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: There’s something in the woods…

Untrained and barely armed, Riela reluctantly agrees to enter the forest and kill the deadly beast that has been attacking her fellow villagers as she’s the only mage available—or so she thought. When one beast turns into two, she fears her death is at hand, but unexpected aid from a scarred, strikingly handsome man with dangerous moonlit magic means a second chance at life—and an opportunity to learn more about her own fickle power.

After being rescued and healed from her fight in the forest, Riela awakens in a magical castle complete with a gorgeous library, a strange wolf, and the surly man who saved her life. Riela soon learns Garrick is not a mortal mage at all—he’s a powerful Etheri sovereign who has been locked out of his kingdom in Lohka for nearly a century, and his powers are weakening.

Trapped in his castle and surrounded by the treacherous woods, the spark of attraction between Riela and Garrick slowly ignites into fiery desire. But the more they discover about Riela’s magic, the more suspicious Garrick grows of her identity. As they unravel the secrets connecting Riela’s past to Lohka, the tenuous threads of trust between them begin to fray because Riela’s life—or her death—might be the key to regaining everything Garrick has lost.

Review: I’ll be honest, I was sucked in on this one by the cover art. I don’t often love character art on covers, but something about this one was working for me! The book itself, while not terrible, didn’t hit quite as strongly.

I will say, it started off well. The plot takes off as if its life depends upon it, leaving the reader feeling swept along in a story that has already begun. There were numerous action scenes in the first few pages, and Riela’s POV added an intriguing element. She came across as competent, while also not slotting into the played-out “snarky badass” category. Indeed, I was pleased to see that she recognized that she was out of her depth several times early on.

Unfortunately, after the blistering pace of the first few chapters, once Riela reaches the enchanted castle and meets the MMC, the book seems to run smack-dab into a brick wall. Any pacing or tension that was built up immediately drained away, and the plot began circling the same few beats, chapter after chapter. Riela would explore the castle, look for food, have a brief interaction with the overly mysterious and withdrawn MMC, and then rinse and repeat. This took up the majority of the book, ultimately, with things only picking up again towards the final quarter of the story.

Further, once the pace slowed down and the plot became repetitive, I was left with too much time to think through the ins and outs of this world. And very quickly, much of it began to feel slightly derivative and unimaginative. I enjoyed the “Beauty and the Beast” vibes that made up the basic premise, but I was left wanting a bit more from almost every part of the book by the time we got to the end.

That said, I think the writing itself was fairly strong. Like I said, the book starts off strong, and the main character was written in a compelling manner. I didn’t hate my reading experience by any means, and I’ll definitely check out another book by this author. This just missed the mark a bit, unfortunately. That said, if you’re looking for a romantasy book that checks some familiar fairytale boxes and includes solid writing, this one might be for you!

Rating 7: While the writing and characterization were strong, there simply wasn’t enough plot or pacing to hold the story together through the lagging middle portion.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Silver & Blood” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Romantasy TBR 2026 and 2026 Fantasy Romance Releases.