Tag: LGBT

Serena’s Review: “A Curious Kind of Magic”

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Book: “A Curious Kind of Magic” by Mara Rutherford

Publishing Info: Wednesday Books, October 2025

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

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

Book Description: Everyone in Ardmuir knows that Willow Stokes is a charlatan, including Willow herself. Her father’s shoppe hasn’t sold anything magical in decades, and it’s only hanging on by the skin of the fake dragon’s teeth Willow sells as charms, along with “enchanted” ostrich eggs, taxidermied chimeras, and talismans made of fools’ gold.

Until outlander Brianna Hargrave appears and turns Willow’s fakes into exactly what they’re purported to be. But try as Willow might to enlist Bri’s help, she wants nothing to do with Willow and her curiosities.

Because Brianna is harboring a secret of her own: everything she touches turns to magic, and the consequences have chased her all the way to Ardmuir. All she wants to do is find a particular missing grimoire, which contains a spell that can finally put an end to her curse.

Desperate to keep her father’s shoppe, Willow proposes a bargain that could save them both. Together with the frustratingly handsome printer’s assistant, the girls will uncover a plot that goes far deeper than either could have imagined. But when Willow is forced to participate in an ambitious collector’s quest for the rarest magical object in the world-a quest that risks almost-certain death-she learns that not all treasure is for sale, and that true magic is closer than she ever could have imagined.

Review: This is one of those books where I closed the page and my only thought was, “Well, what’s next?” Everything about this one was almost aggressively just okay. Nothing was bad enough that I wanted to get out my laptop right away and start a rant. But nothing was good enough either that I wanted to think much more about the entire experience.

Part of this comes down to the fact that nothing really stands out in this book. It’s set in some nondescript “historical” time period and setting. The magical elements are just your typical fairytale sort of thing where certain people have access to magic and others don’t. And the characters are all fairly familiar archetypes, from the prickly leading lady to the cinnamon roll romantic interest.

None of this is particularly helped by the slow pacing of the story. I’ve struggled with this aspect of Mara Rutherford’s writing in the past, and it was the same situation here. These YA books aren’t particularly long, but given the actual plot and content of the book, like her others, this one felt as if it could be 50 pages shorter at least. Some of this can be explained away by the cozy subgenre, a particular subset of genres that often rely on slower pacing and day-in-the-life motifs. But even within this category, I think this one felt particularly uneven in its pacing and plotting. However, cozy fantasy is often a struggle for me, so bigger fans of the genre may be less bothered by this aspect of the book.

I also struggled with the characters. The main character is written to be prickly and standoffish, but more often than not, this translated into me simply disliking her much of the time. Much of the spare 50–75 pages worth of content in this book is taken up by Willow’s poor decision-making and insistence on keeping everything and everyone at arm’s length. Bri, perhaps, was a bit better, but again, I never felt like I had enough to really grasp onto her as a unique and interesting character. And Finlay, for his part, was a sweet character, but too often this sweetness took a turn towards bland and left me feeling distinctly underwhelmed.

Perhaps “underwhelmed” is the best description for my feelings for this book. I’ve enjoyed Mara Rutherford’s books in the past, but I think that some of her particular writing foibles (slower and sometimes uneven pacing) were not benefitted by the cozy subgenre. Her previous books had darker themes and elements which I think elevated some of the weaker portions (characterization and pacing). Whereas here, with less plot to speak of, these flaws rose more to the forefront. However, I will say that this may appeal more to general fans of YA cozy fantasy, so if you’re a fan of that subgenre or a big Rutherford fan, this one may still be worth checking out!

Rating 7: Just okay. There was nothing bad about this read, but nothing will really stick with me either, unfortunately.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Curious Kind of Magic” can be found on these Goodreads lists: YA Cozy Fantasy and Cozy and Cold Weather Reads (YA and Children’s).

Serena’s Review: “Savage Blooms”

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Book: “Savage Blooms” by S.T. Gibson

Publishing Info: Orbit, October 2025

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

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

Book Description: Adam has been in love with his best friend Nicola since college, but the closest he can come to admitting his feelings is inviting her to travel with him to Scotland in search of a legendary cave from his grandfather’s bedtime stories. When a storm washes out the road, Adam and Nicola find themselves at the mercy of Eileen, an eccentric aristocrat, and Finley, her brooding groundskeeper. The Americans quickly get more than they bargained for as they become entangled in Eileen and Finley’s world of mind games, kink, and ancient enchantment.

Review: Oof, this book was not what I expected and not what I wanted. Yes, I did see the word “kink” snuck in there at the very end of the book description, and while kink isn’t really my thing, I’m not for writing off entire books based on one piece of it. Well, more fool me, as the percentage of this book summary that focused on plot versus erotica was WAY out of line with what the book actually had to offer.

I was led to believe that this was going to be a Gothic fantasy set in the Scottish countryside. I was promised mystery, I was promised enchantment, I was promised misty nights and shadowy doors. But no, what I got was page after page of spicy scenes with practically no plot to speak of. This book could have been set anywhere, at any time, about any random characters, and it hardly would have mattered.

Now look, there is nothing wrong with erotica in principle. That said, it needs to be incredibly clear right from the start (and this includes the book summary!!) that that is what readers are getting. When I say there was no plot here, I mean there was really no plot here. What little plot we got felt like it was there just to move characters from one sexy-times room to another sexy-times room. The erotic scenes were pages long and took up well over fifty percent of the book, I’d say.

Beyond that, when we did come up for air and have a moment to get to know these characters, I found them all to be incredibly unlikable. None of these people felt like they were in a healthy place in their own lives, let alone in various combinations of “relationships” (if we can even call what we’re seeing here “relationships”). It was incredibly toxic and messy, but not in a fun way. More in a frustrating, “get your shit together” way where I just wanted to smack everyone across the back of the head.

It’s hard to know how much to focus on editing when reviewing ARC books since they are early copies and still going through the publishing process. But this one was above average with its errors. And it was across the board: spelling errors, missing words, and inconsistencies in basic facts given in the plot. It was incredibly distracting. Of course, much of this could change in the finished book, but even for an ARC, this book was in a poor state.

I know that Gibson is a beloved author, so I’ll be curious to see how this is received. Frankly, it feels like one of those books that fans might gaslight themselves into thinking is good, just for the author’s sake. Because as it stands, this isn’t something I’d recommend to just about anyone.

Rating 5: Don’t sell me straight erotica under the guise of “Gothic fantasy” and expect it to go well.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Savage Blooms” can be found on these Goodreads lists: 2025 Gothic and Creepy Fruit.

Serena’s Review: “Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil”

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Book: “Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil” by V. E. Schwab

Publishing Info: Tor, June 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley

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

Book Description: This is a story about hunger.
1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada.
A young girl grows up wild and wily—her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. But María knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, María makes a desperate choice. She vows to have no regrets.

This is a story about love.
1827. London.
A young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family’s estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped off to London. Charlotte’s tender heart and seemingly impossible wishes are swept away by an invitation from a beautiful widow—but the price of freedom is higher than she could have imagined.

This is a story about rage.
2019. Boston.
College was supposed to be her chance to be someone new. That’s why Alice moved halfway across the world, leaving her old life behind. But after an out-of-character one-night stand leaves her questioning her past, her present, and her future, Alice throws herself into the hunt for answers . . . and revenge.

Review: I’ve had an interesting reading journey with Schwab’s works. I started off with her “Shades of Magic” which is probably in my Top 10 favorite fantasy series of all time. So that’s a high bar right there! As I continued to read her books as they’ve come out, there are many that I’ve enjoyed but they’ve never quite reached this original high. Partly, I’m starting to see that the “Shades of Magic” series might have been the exception rather than the rule as far as her fantasy writing goes. Those books were fairly classic portal fantasy. More recently, her fantasy stories have become more abstract, often blending historical fiction and a high emphasis on lyricism and philosophy. All of this is good as well, but, from a pure enjoyment point of view, nothing tops the absolute blast of “Shades of Magic.” This is all a long way of saying that her most recent book is pretty much more of the same, which will either really work for you or remain a bit of a struggle, similar to the reception of “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.”

There’s no denying Schwab’s talent as an author. The words flow from the page, beautifully depicting a variety of different settings and time periods. We travel around the world in this book, visiting places like Italy, France, London and Boston. The story also spans several centuries (as one would expect following leading characters who are immortal vampires). These lens’ gave Schwab ample time to flex her literary muscles. And while she didn’t necessarily seem to have much new to say regarding vampires and the plight of living forever (we cover many of the greatest hits re: vampires like the disconnect from their humanity, the sense of purposelessness, etc. etc.), all of what she did cover was gorgeously depicted. Even in some of the lulls in pacing I still found myself pausing over a beautiful turn of phrase.

So, in many ways, much of this felt very familiar to “Addie LaRue.” Other than the focus on vampires, we had a bit of a retread in format, with the book jumping from historical time periods to the present. There was also a bit of familiarity to be found in the themes I’ve mentioned above, in that some of these same topics (what makes a life worth living) were also covered in her previous book. I get when authors really feel called to write about certain topics, but, for me, much of this felt a bit too familiar. I will say that this is largely a subjective point. I don’t dislike this sort of literary fantasy story, but as I mentioned at the top, I’m still hankering for a return of Schwab’s epic fantasy books, so to read two books in a row that felt fairly similar…it was a bit of a let-down for me. Others who enjoy literary fantasy more will likely be thrilled by this book!

I do think the pacing was a bit off in this book. That or it needed an editor who could have paired the story down to a more manageable length. As a fantasy reader, I’m more than happy to pick up massive tomes. But this book comes in over 500 pages long, and it feels like it. There were long sections in the middle of the book where there simply wasn’t much happening. This is a slow book, intentionally so, but there were definitely portions of the story that felt unnecessary. It was a relief to get to the back half where things began to pick up more.

As for the characters, well…I struggled a bit here as well. Instead of following the three equally, there was definitely one character who read as the main character more than the others. However, I struggled to connect with all three, feeling oddly distanced from them. In some ways, they felt more like vehicles for Schwab to explore the themes she wanted to cover (very good, important themes, but themes none the less!) than as fully fleshed out characters themselves. I also really struggled to enjoy the ending and will be curious to see how it is received by other readers.

So, this was a bit of a mixed bag for me. This book definitely felt like a book that Schwab has been long wanting to write; it felt personal and important, and I’m always happy to see writers reach a point of popularity where they are more free to pursue the stories they are aching to tell rather than the ones the publishers think will sell. However, I have to come at it from the perspective of a reader, and as a reader, I didn’t love this book. I can appreciate its merits, but it wasn’t my favorite style of fantasy, and I struggled to connect fully to the story, all the worse by its lackluster ending. I do think that readers who enjoyed “Addie LaRue” will very much connect this one (I’m just one of those weirdos who liked “Addie LaRue” but didn’t necessarily want more of the same).

Rating 7: Beautifully written and covering important themes; however, as a story, I struggled to enjoy my time reading it.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Adult Queer Books and Most Anticipated New Releases of 2025.

Serena’s Review: “Six Wild Crowns”

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Book: “Six Wild Crowns” by Holly Race

Publishing Info: Orbit, June 2025

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

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

Book Description: The king has been appointed by god to marry six queens. Those six queens are all that stand between the kingdom of Elben and ruin. Or so we have been told.

Each queen vies for attention. Clever, ambitious Boleyn is determined to be Henry’s favourite. And if she must incite a war to win Henry over? So be it.

Seymour acts as spy and assassin in a court teeming with dragons, backstabbing courtiers and strange magic. But when she and Boleyn become the unlikeliest of things – allies – the balance of power begins to shift. Together they will discover an ancient, rotting magic at Elben’s heart. A magic that their king will do anything to protect.

Review: There are a handful of periods of British history that I’m much more familiar with than others. Often, it comes down to my enjoyment of specific fictional books that took place during that time period. Obviously, as a lover of Jane Austen, Regency England is one of those time periods. But I also really loved Philippa Gregory’s “The Other Boleyn Girl” which set me on a course to learn quite a bit about the reign of Henry VIII. That being the case, I was incredibly excited to check out this new historical fantasy novel that is centered around many of the major players during that period of history.

Unfortunately, I’ll say that this may be one of those situations where the more informed you are about the place/people/period of time, the less you may enjoy this book. Even for those with only passing knowledge of this time period, there were so many questions raised or pieces that were changed as to leave me wondering whether there was any point in setting this book in a specific, real-world time period in the first place! I was much more often annoyed by the failures in its historical representations than I was enamored by the creativity of blending fantasy and history in this way. There are plenty of books that have pulled it off, but this wasn’t one of them.

Instead, I think it would have read much better as a straight fantasy novel. The fantasy elements were strong throughout (part of problem here was that these elements called into question many of the events pulled from history), and, had the character not been connected to real-life individuals, I could have gotten behind Boleyn and Seymour more as well.

But they are pulling from real life people! And the more you know about these two women, the less satisfying this portrayal is! Anne Boleyn is a pretty well-known historical figure, even by those with only a basic knowledge of this time period. And there are some assumptions that one makes about her: that she was incredibly savvy and politically dexterous, charming, and able to wrap a King around her finger, at least for a period of time. The character we had here did not line up at all with that! At times, she was incredibly naive and taken in by the very obviously nefarious King. I know less about Jane Seymour, other than the fact that she was said to be more quiet and reserved. Picturing her as an assassin is also a bit difficult. I also found her incredibly fickle, which was frustrating at times.

I also felt like the themes of feminism and patriarchy fell a bit flat. There was nothing overtly wrong here, but it all felt very surface level, having very little new to say on either topic. Had this book been written 20 years ago, perhaps it would have felt more revolutionary. But as it is, there are quite a few fantasy books out there covering these themes, and this one didn’t seem to have much new to offer.

Overall, this was a rather underwhelming book. I won’t say it’s bad, but it’s definitely one of those rare examples where the more you know about the history side of things, the less you’ll enjoy it. I think I used this word above as well, but “distracting” is the term that comes to mind when I think about the incorporation of the historical elements. Instead, it would have perhaps been more successful as a straight fantasy novel. Even there, though, it didn’t seem to have much to add with regards to its themes and characters.

Rating 7: The real-world historical elements hurt it much more than they helped, unfortunately.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Six Wild Crowns” can be found on this Goodreads list: queer releases june 2025.

Serena’s Review: “Chaos King”

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

Book: “Chaos King” by Kacen Callender

Publishing Info: Tor Teen, April 2025

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

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

Book Description: Ever since he rose up against his father and saved New Anglia from destruction, Ash has been struggling to adapt to his new life. He has nightmares every night, haunted by strange black orbs and his screaming dead mother. Ash is sure she’s trying to warn him that the world is still in danger, and becomes determined to find a way to speak to her again―but communicating with the dead isn’t easy, even for an alchemist as powerful as Ash.

Previously Reviewed: “Infinity Alchemist”

Review: I didn’t love the first book in this series, but many of its problems also may have came down to all the elements a first book must tackle. Given more familiarity with the characters in this second go-around, I was interested to see where the story would go from there!

I will say, I did like this one better than the first. For one thing, I think the pacing was more balanced here. This makes sense, as it didn’t have to do nearly has much heavy lifting with regards to introducing the basic structures of this society and magic system. That being the case, the story had more free rein to dive straight into the main plot and several intense action sequences. This same benefit extended to the characters. While I still don’t love multiple love interests, the longer I’ve spent with all three of these people, the more I came to care about their various travails.

However, I still found myself struggling with the swapping pronouns for one of the characters. Inclusivity is important, but there are practical realities of reading a story via the written word that does create barriers to how this sort of character is presented. As it stands, swapping pronouns often throughout the story left me struggling to piece together who was saying/doing what. And this markedly detracted from my ability to stay connected to the plot, as I had to constantly come out of the story to piece together sentences and scour previous bits for context clues. Like I said in my original review, I’m not sure what the solution is here, but I think in light of the very real limitations of the written word, simply sticking with “they” as a pronoun would have greatly improved the writing in this book.

I did enjoy the themes explored here. This society has very real boundaries placed on its people, and we see the struggles our characters go through. Beyond that, we have the exploration of themes regarding religion and magic, and the lengths people are pushed to in their devotion to their beliefs. Revolution stories are always a good time in fantasy!

That said, the book has an odd ending. I thought this was a duology when I picked this one up, but the end definitely leaves the door open for more, with several questions left unanswered. Ultimately, I think if you enjoyed the first book, this one will definitely hold up as a good sequel. Even for those who didn’t love the first book, this was definitely an improvement!

Rating 7: While it’s an improvement on the previous book, I still struggled with the readability at times, and the ending had me scratching me head a bit.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Chaos King” can be found on this Goodreads list: 2025 Dark Academia Releases.

Serena’s Review: “Swordcrossed”

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

Book: “Swordcrossed” by Freya Marske

Publishing Info: Bramble, October 2024

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

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

Book Description: Mattinesh Jay, dutiful heir to his struggling family business, needs to hire an experienced swordsman to serve as best man for his arranged marriage. Sword-challenge at the ceremony could destroy all hope of restoring his family’s wealth, something that Matti has been trying—and failing—to do for the past ten years.

What he can afford, unfortunately, is part-time con artist and full-time charming menace Luca Piere.

Luca, for his part, is trying to reinvent himself in a new city. All he wants to do is make some easy money and try to forget the crime he committed in his hometown. He didn’t plan on being blackmailed into giving sword lessons to a chronically responsible—and inconveniently handsome—wool merchant like Matti.

However, neither Matti’s business troubles nor Luca himself are quite what they seem. As the days count down to Matti’s wedding, the two of them become entangled in the intrigue and sabotage that have brought Matti’s house to the brink of ruin. And when Luca’s secrets threaten to drive a blade through their growing alliance, both Matti and Luca will have to answer the question: how many lies are you prepared to strip away, when the truth could mean losing everything you want?

Review: Let’s be real, the adorable cover vibes of this book are doing a lot of the heavy lifting as far as its marketing goes. I definitely gave it a second look purely based on this factor! That said, I was intrigued by the summary as well. Who doesn’t love dueling and political scheming and a heavy dose of romance?

Let’s start with the dueling itself! I really liked the way it was incorporated into this magical world, with dueling serving as an important form of entertainment often seen at weddings and other important events. Given how dance-like dueling can be when done well, this concept makes a lot of sense. I do wish it had been explored even more, but the story is a romance, first and foremost, so I’m not overly surprised that the book didn’t do a deep dive into this lore. My epic-fantasy-loving soul just always wants more, it seems.

I also really liked our two main characters. They each had interesting backstories, with different weights of expectations that they had to manage. The romance was also sweet and fast-paced. Perhaps a bit too fast paced, however, as there were moments that felt a bit like insta-lust early in the book. It also doesn’t shy away from the more steamy moments, so readers should definitely keep in mind that this is a spicy romance novel! I wasn’t quite expecting this, as the cover and description had lead me a bit further into cozy fantasy territory. But ah well!

The story itself felt fairly predictable, with even some of the romantic notes feeling a bit repetitive as we hit them with first one character and then the other. The last third, in particular, felt fairly expected, with the book hitting pretty much every note that one might expect. But, again, with the romance as the primary focus, this isn’t necessarily a net negative. It all just depends on what balance a reader is looking for between plot and love story. I typically veer more towards wanting more plot, but readers who are there mostly for the romance will likely be pleased with this one!

Rating 8: Full of adventure and witty characters, this is a fun romantasy romp!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Swordcrossed” isn’t on many Goodreads lists, but it is on Can’t Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2024.

Serena’s Review: “Sorcery and Small Magics”

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

Book: “Sorcery and Small Magics” by Maiga Doocy

Publishing Info: Orbit, October 2024

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

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

Book Description: Leovander Loveage is a master of small magics.

He can summon butterflies with a song, or turn someone’s hair pink by snapping his fingers. Such minor charms don’t earn him much admiration from other sorcerers (or his father), but anything more elaborate always blows up in his face. Which is why Leo vowed years ago to never again write powerful magic.

That is, until a mix-up involving a forbidden spell binds Leo to obey the commands of his longtime nemesis, Sebastian Grimm. Grimm is Leo’s complete opposite—respected, exceptionally talented, and an absolutely insufferable curmudgeon. The only thing they agree on is that getting caught using forbidden magic would mean the end of their careers. They need a counterspell, and fast. But Grimm casts spells, he doesn’t undo them, and Leo doesn’t mess with powerful magic.

Chasing rumors of a powerful sorcerer with a knack for undoing curses, Leo and Grimm enter the Unquiet Wood, a forest infested with murderous monsters and dangerous outlaws alike. To dissolve the curse, they’ll have to uncover the true depths of Leo’s magic, set aside their long-standing rivalry, and—much to their horror—work together.

Even as an odd spark of attraction flares between them.

Review: While cozy fantasy has been more a miss than a hit this year, I ever live in optimism! Plus, it’s nice to see a romantic fantasy novel marketed as “rivals to lovers” instead of the getting-very-tired “enemies to lovers” (especially when the so-called “enemies” are nothing of the sort more often than not!). Add on top of that the promise of monsters and spooky woods, and this one sounded well-worth my time to check out!

For the most part, I very much enjoyed this one! This is definitely one of those books, however, that lives or dies with its main character. It’s told from a single POV (which I love and always wish would become more the standard), so if readers are not on board with the character, there may be challenges ahead. Beyond that, much of the book is made up of smaller moments between the two main characters, with much emphasis placed on their banter and their growth as they begin to understand and care for one another.

I also really appreciated the fact that this is a true slow-burn romance. By the end, even, very little actual “romance” has occurred. But in this way, the story feels more true and more meaningful. The author spends the time building up this love story slowly, giving the reader plenty of time to become attached to both characters together and separately. It’s also a great way to wet the palate for the sequel, since you’ll be sure to want more of what promises to be a great love story!

I also enjoyed the world-building that we got to see. There were tons of fun magical monsters, mysterious, enchanted rooms, and, of course, the curse that binds our two characters together. I also enjoyed the exploration of the magic system and the way high and low magic, essentially, worked in this world. As a lover of detailed magic systems and world-building, I could have used a bit more in both of these arenas, however. I, for one, always appreciate a map, for example! But, as I said earlier, this is a character-forward story, so this lighter touch on world-building and fantasy elements makes sense and works with the low-key vibes of the book itself.

Overall, this was a quick, fun read and a breath of fresh air for me personally, as it reminded me of the joys that can be found in cozy fantasy. Readers who enjoy slow-burn romances and whimsical fantasy stories should definitely check this one out!

Rating 8: A character-driven cozy fantasy that is full of heart and humor!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Sorcery and Small Magics” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Cozy Fantasy Readathon List and 2024 Debuts.

Kate’s Review: “All The Hearts You Eat”

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

Book: “All The Hearts You Eat” by Hailey Piper

Publishing Info: Titan Books, October 2024

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

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

Book Description: A visceral and heartbreaking work of gothic horror about small town mysteries, local folklore and the things we leave behind when we’re gone, from the Bram Stoker Award winning author of Queen of Teeth.

What really happened to Cabrina Brite?

Ivory’s life changes irrevocably when she discovers the body of Cabrina Brite on the sands of Cape Morning, along with a mysterious poem. How did she die, and why does it seem she was trying to swim to Ghost Cat Island, the centre of so many local mysteries?

Desperate to uncover the answers surrounding Cabrina’s death, and haunted by her discovery, Ivory begins to see the pale ghost of Cabrina, only to shake it off as a mere hallucination. But Ivory is not alone. Cabrina’s closest friends have also seen a similar apparition, and as they toy with occult possibilities, they begin to unravel the truth behind Cabrina’s death.

Because Cape Morning isn’t a ghost town, but a town filled with ghosts, and Ivory is about to discover just what happens when you let one in.

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

We have truly been blessed this past year or so with some great vampire horror. I feel like I’ve read, reviewed, and enjoyed more vampire horror lately than in years past, and I have another title for you to add to the collection of solid vampire lore. I hadn’t read any Hailey Piper before I picked up “All The Hearts You Eat”, though she had been on my radar for a bit with lots of horror people I like really singing her praises. And it seemed this would be the perfect moment to do so.

So first off I want to talk about the vampire mythos in this. I really liked the way that Piper takes it on a creates something super creative and haunting. I was reminded quite a bit of old school vampire legends with transmogrifying powers, but also the heavy air of melancholy and dread that was seen in “Midnight Mass”. I don’t want to give too much away, but the little snippets and glimpses of something supernatural that our characters see are creepy, as are some of the full fledged reveals of what the vampires look like and how they function is so different from what we tend to see in vampire stories as of late. Themes of transformation are abundant, and I really appreciated this take and the scary beats and moments Piper pulls from it all. And the language the Piper uses to describe not only the scary bits but also just the entire atmosphere was so vibrant and rich I was totally swept away by it, like on a wave to Ghost Cat Island.

But what really resonated most with me in this story is how Piper juxtaposes the common emotional themes we see in a vampire story, such as identity, transformation, loneliness, and isolation, with stories of multiple trans characters, whether it’s Cabrina Bright who lost her life and left behind her queer and trans friends (as well as her cold and transphobic politician mother), said friends Xi and Rex who had very different experiences than their now deceased friend when it comes to their queerness and the people who support them, and Ivory, a trans woman who finds Cabrina’s body and is suddenly and understandably obsessed with finding out what happened to the dead girl, and stumbling into some darkness that she never could have anticipated… and wonders if embracing it could possibly be a better reality than the one she is living. Piper fleshes out all of these characters, including Cabrina through her diary, and I felt like I wholly understood all of them and how their trans identities shape the story and their arcs, and how it makes the longing that so many vampires in romanticism laden stories isn’t so hard to understand for these characters because of their gender identities. I found it very bittersweet, but also hopeful in the way it depicts finding the people who make you feel loved and wanted and like you belong.

“All The Hearts You Eat” is a unique vampire story that I greatly enjoyed. It’s time for me to dig into more stories by Hailey Piper.

Rating 8: An eerie and bittersweet vampire tale that takes on identity, transformation, and loneliness in ways that moved me deeply.

Reader’s Advisory:

“All the Hearts You Eat” is included on the Goodreads lists “Queer Horror”, and “2024 Transfem Books”.

Serena’s Review: “A Dark and Drowning Tide”

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Book: “A Dark and Drowning Tide” by Allison Saft

Publishing Info: Del Rey, September 2024

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

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

Book Description: Lorelei Kaskel, a folklorist with a quick temper and an even quicker wit, is on an expedition with six eccentric nobles in search of a fabled spring. The magical spring promises untold power, which the king wants to harness to secure his reign of the embattled country of Brunnestaad. Lorelei is determined to use this opportunity to prove herself and make her wildest, most impossible dream come to become a naturalist, able to travel freely to lands she’s only ever read about.

The expedition gets off to a harrowing start when its leader—Lorelei’s beloved mentor—is murdered in her quarters aboard their ship. The suspects are her five remaining expedition mates, each with their own motive. The only person Lorelei knows must be innocent is her longtime academic rival, the insufferably gallant and maddeningly beautiful Sylvia von Wolff. Now in charge of the expedition, Lorelei must find the spring before the murderer strikes again—and a coup begins in earnest.

But there are other dangers lurking in the forests that rearrange themselves at night, rivers with slumbering dragons waiting beneath the water, and shapeshifting beasts out for blood.

As Lorelei and Sylvia grudgingly work together to uncover the truth—and resist their growing feelings for one another—they discover that their professor had secrets of her own. Secrets that make Lorelei question whether justice is worth pursuing, or if this kingdom is worth saving at all.

Review: Saft has been a “must read” author for me for a bit! While I may have quibbles with certain pacing issues in several of her books, she always delivers with solid characters, sweet romances, and lovely, fairytale-like stories. And that’s more than enough for me! This one even had the extra appeal of tropes like “academic rivals” and “gothic vibes” to add to the mix!

There was so much to enjoy about this book! As predicted, many of these elements felt as if they had been picked out especially for me! I especially enjoyed the focus on folklore and the darker themes found in these tales. Through this lens, Saft deftly explores themes of anti-Semitism, fear, and hatred, all neatly tied to our main character’s own life and experiences. This arc necessarily follows Lorelei’s slow journey to opening up and trusting those around her. This can make her read as a bit closed off when she is first introduced, but I’m also particularly prone to enjoying these sort of stand-off-ish, intellectual type characters, so I was happy to follow her on her journey.

I will say, the book was a bit of a bait and switch. While yes, I did get a focus on the folklore aspects, the story also leaned much more heavily into the realm of murder mystery than I had been anticipating (yes, it’s in the book summary, but I guess I had mentally relegated this more to a subplot, so maybe this is a me issue). As I enjoy mysteries as a genre as well, I was happy to go along with this. However, I do think it might be a bit more of a shift for many fantasy fans than they might have been expecting. And for bigger mystery fans, the actual mystery was a bit predictable at times, with a series of suspects seeming to line up for inspection and be easily dismissed in a tidy order.

One thing that Saft always delivers on is the promise of a great romance, and this one wasn’t any different! This is specific to me, but I appreciate that the fact that she still writes romantic fantasies like this as told from only one POV. While I know other readers like to see in the heads of both members of a romantic pairing, I’ve found too often that authors rely on this trick as a way to avoid showing, rather than telling, how the love story develops. Here we can experience the slow development of this relationship as it would be seen by any individual, without a neat window into the other relationship partner’s head.

Overall, this was a great read, and I very much enjoyed it. However, once again, Saft did seem to struggle a bit with ending of this book. If felt almost abrupt. I appreciate that she didn’t try to tie up every flaw of this world in a neat bow, but the pacing still felt strange. Small quibbles aside, fans of Saft’s other books are sure to enjoy this, as well as any fantasy fans looking for a new romantic fantasy to check out!

Rating 8: Saft deftly explores dark themes of anti-Sematism and hatred while also weaving together a swoon-worthy romance.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Dark and Drowning Tide” can be found on this Goodreads list: Edwardian Fantasy.

Serena’s Review: “Mistress of Lies”

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Book: “Mistress of Lies” by K. M. Enright

Publishing Info: Orbit, August 2024

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

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

Book Description: The daughter of a powerful but disgraced Blood Worker, Shan LeClaire has spent her entire life perfecting her blood magic, building her network of spies, and gathering every scrap of power she could. Now, to protect her brother, she assassinates their father and takes her place at the head of the family. And that is only the start of her revenge.

Samuel Hutchinson is a bastard with a terrible gift. When he stumbles upon the first victim of a magical serial killer, he’s drawn into the world of magic and intrigue he’s worked so hard to avoid – and is pulled deeply into the ravenous and bloodthirsty court of the vampire king.

Tasked by the Eternal King to discover the identity of the killer cutting a bloody swath through the city, Samuel, Shan and mysterious Royal Bloodworker Isaac find themselves growing ever closer to each other. But Shan’s plans are treacherous, and as she lures Samuel into her complicated web of desire, treason and vengeance, he must decide if the good of their nation is worth the cost of his soul.

Review: This is another case where I’ll admit that I was initially drawn in by the unique cover art. Even without the book description or the title, it’s pretty easy to understand the general tone of the book with one simple look! And after looking into it further, I found a lot of other elements that typically intrigue me. Morally grey heroines! Spies! Revenge tales!

To start with the pros, I did like some of the original world-building elements of this story, especially its use of vampires. Not only are vampires one of the most popular supernatural beings to pop up in fiction for centuries, but they are having a bit of a resurgence here in 2024, with numerous titles releasing this year focusing on vampires in one way or another. So to introduce a fresh-feeling take on a society in which they exist is worth noting and praising! I really enjoyed learning about this society, with the Blood Workers, blood magic, and the lowly unblooded. If anything, I’d say that the strength of these ideas was let down in the rather lackluster focus that was given to them. For having one of the main characters being unblooded himself, I felt like we were still left with very little insight into the actual lives of these people.

In a similar vein (ha!), I found myself liking the idea of many of these characters more than the characters themselves. For one thing, the story quickly fell into the trap of telling the reader a lot of facts and traits about the characters, but then proceeded to roll out a plot in which the reader never saw any of this in action. The most obvious example is Shan herself. The story opens with an action-packed bang, with Shan finally committing step one of her plan for vengeance. It’s exciting and sets Shan up as an interesting character with much more to come! But, unfortunately, that very first scene is ultimately the peak of her entire arc. We’re told repeatedly that she’s a mastermind, but as the plot bottoms out towards the middle, the reader is left to reconcile what they’ve been told to believe about the character with the reality of Shan’s very poor decision-making throughout.

This is a polyamory romance, as well, which I think requires even more skill from the author to properly set up and convey. Personally, I don’t love polyamory romances, but that’s a “me thing” as far as my own preferences for the types of love stories I enjoy and thus I didn’t factor this into my rating. That said, I do think that, again, the reader is often told that these character have chemistry, rather than showing it in any meaningful way. There seems to be insta-lust every way one looks, and I couldn’t buy any of these characters as truly having deep feelings for one another, in any combination.

Overall, this was a bit of a lackluster reader for me. There was a lot of potential in the world-building, and the entire thing started out on a high note. But as the story continued, the plot began to feel thin on the ground and the character inconsistencies became difficult to ignore. If you’re a bit fan of poplyamory romances, this may be worth checking out (again, as I don’t love this sort of romance novel, I don’t have a lot of comparison to bring in to my evaluation). But as a general fantasy title, I think there have been better vampire novels all around.

Rating 7: An exciting start and a creative world were let down by some lack-luster characterization in its protagonists.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Mistress of Lies” can be found on these Goodreads lists: The Vampire Renaissance and Queer Polyamory.