Tag: Romantasy

Serena’s Review: “The Wretched Divine”

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Book: “The Wretched Divine” by Adalyn Grace

Publishing Info: Feiwel, September 2026

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

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

Book Description: Aurelie Chantelune was born to serve. Raised as a knight in a kingdom ravaged by demons, she’s spent her life honing her blade, driven by the memory of the monsters who tore her family apart and by the knowledge that she’s one of the few who can stop them.

If Aurelie can claim her first kill, she’ll inherit a legacy passed down through the Chantelune a soulbond with Yuriel, an angel whose power is vital to her kingdom’s survival. But when those she loves begin turning into the very monsters she’s sworn to destroy, Aurelie is forced to seek help from the last place she ever imagined. Desperate, she forges a second and far more dangerous bond with Severin, a demon she can hardly trust, but who claims to know how to end the war for good.

With their lives and fates entwined, Aurelie, Yuriel, and Severin must team up to hunt down a cure capable of turning demons back into humans. But the more they learn about one another and the deeper their relationships grow, the more Aurelie begins to question the war and her place in it. With both of her bonded on opposing sides, she’ll have to make a continue to stand with the angels, or risk everything by trusting a demon.

Review: I promise I won’t go on another rant about love triangles in this review. For one thing, the book summary does a great job of making it pretty clear that that’s where things are going. And for another, while I still didn’t love the love triangle, I actually didn’t hate this one as much as others. Mostly this was because there wasn’t an obviously preferred choice right from the start.

Just to jump right in from there, I actually really appreciated the fact that both love interests were given a decent amount of page time, and even by the end, it wasn’t super clear which direction things were going to go. I was a bit nervous when I read the original setup that we’d get the typical romantasy character types here: the goody, blond angel character who is clearly not a real candidate, and then the dark, mysterious demon character who’s the obvious endgame from the very first moment. But, if anything, I found my actual interest in these two going the opposite way. Yuriel seemed to have a lot more depth and character to him, in many ways making him my favorite character even above Aurelie herself. Severin, on the other hand, was rather bland and predictable. So while the book didn’t make it incredibly clear which direction the romance was going, I definitely had a preference, and it was refreshing to see the “dark bad boy” archetype shucked a bit, with the angel character ending up with more depth between the two.

I also found Severin and Aurelie’s chapters and scenes together to be some of the weakest, writing-wise. Here, we had the stereotypical “enemies to lovers” banter, and it all just felt so tired. It wasn’t bad, necessarily, but it was so familiar that you will feel like you’ve read these exact same exchanges many times in the past.

Aurelie’s chapters in particular were a challenge. While the book is marketed as new adult, Aurelie very much reads like the worst examples of YA heroines: impulsive and lacking any true depth to her emotions or motivations. At best, I didn’t care what was going on with her, and at worst, she would actively annoy me with the nonsensical approach she would take to situations.

All of this said, I still enjoy this author’s writing style. It’s very approachable and free-flowing. For all my frustrations with some of the character beats and the romance, I still sailed through this book at a steady clip. So, while this wasn’t my favorite book by this author, I definitely think it’s one worth checking out if you’ve enjoyed her books in the past and don’t mind love triangles as much as I do.

Rating 7: While I didn’t love the love triangle, it was nice to find that the angel love interest was actually more compelling than the demon. Dear lord, spare me from another dark, mysterious love option who’s immediately the obvious endgame.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Wretched Divine” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Romantasy TBR 2026 and Most Anticipated Adult Fantasy & Sci-fi of 2026.

Serena’s Review: “Daughter of the Dark”

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

Book: “Daughter of the Dark” by R.J. Vallderperas

Publishing Info: Bramble, September 2026

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

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

Book Description: For Solana, survival has always meant staying sharp—and staying alone. With a blood-forged dagger as her only inheritance, she’s made herself Supay’s fiercest demon slayer, hunting muki—monsters born from human death—through the kingdom’s streets.

But the work comes with a curse of its every body she leaves behind swells the muki’s ranks. The city that raised her has been her cage for so long she’s stopped believing freedom is real.

Then a twist of fate drags her into the palace and crowns her Royal Demon Slayer, a title wrapped in silk and sharpened like a blade. The magic is dazzling. The secrets are darker. And whatever is poisoning Supay didn’t start in the alleys. It started behind gilded doors.

Worst of all is Reyes, the king’s right-hand man, a captain of the Masters, and her personal torturer turned mentor who’s dangerously hard to resist. Wanting him is a mistake. Trusting him could be fatal. Because if Solana walks away, the kingdom falls. And if she stays, she may have to become the monster Supay needs.

Review: I don’t typically look at other reviews before writing up my own so as to preserve a more uninfluenced opinion, but this book had me stumped for a bit. There was something about it that was both familiar and not particularly to my taste, and when I went to the reviews, someone had the perfect comparison: this book’s heroine is almost an exact replica of Celaena from “Throne of Glass!” And suddenly my feelings were clear. I wasn’t loving this, but some part of me was also recognizing that I was likely going to be the outlier. After all, “Throne of Glass” is incredibly popular, and I’m definitely an outlier for my dislike of it and of Celaena.

So yes, our main character was one of my main struggles with this book. She’s your typical badass assassin with oh, so many secrets. But, of course, we don’t really see much of this and instead are repeatedly simply told that she’s the best at what she does. Similarly, the love interest feels like some jumble of all the love interests from the “Throne of Glass” series combined. He wasn’t terrible or anything on his own, but he was also so familiar as a type that I was immediately bored by him.

I think that was my main problem with this book. It’s competently written, the characters are all the sort that often appeal to romantasy fans, and the pacing was fast-moving. And I’m sure there are a bunch of readers out there who will gobble this one up. But I’m getting so tired of reading the same characters and love interests time after time. And the style of writing that is popular now, which relies heavily on simply telling readers traits about the main characters, is so dull that I’m getting to the point where it’s a struggle to finish books where this pops up in the first few chapters. Which I hate. Because there have definitely been examples of books that didn’t immediately enthrall me, but then, after a few chapters, successfully drew me in.

I will say that I think the world-building here was its strongest aspect. The exploration of the underworld and the demon-like creatures was fascinating. I also really liked the overall Peruvian culture that carried through in some of the descriptions of food and architecture. That said, I could have used even more of this. I especially thought that the magic system was a bit underdeveloped and didn’t take full advantage of its interesting origins.

Overall, this was a bit of a disappointment. The cover is fantastic, and I know there are a lot of readers who will enjoy this. If you like “Throne of Glass,” for example, and that heroine in particular, this will definitely be up your alley! So subjectively, as I didn’t like that book or its lead, this wasn’t my favorite and would probably be a “6” for me personally. But I’m bumping it up a notch since that’s such a “me thing” problem.

Rating 7: The Peruvian influences were the most interesting part. And from there, it may come down to how much you’d like to re-read “Throne of Glass.” Which…not so much for me.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Daughter of the Dark” can be found on this Goodreads list: Can’t Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2026.

Serena’s Review: “Reign”

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

Book: “Reign” by Bethan Croome

Publishing Info: Cosmo Reads, September 2026

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

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

Book Description: The Kingdom of Lyonesse is absent of magic but not of rain.

In the rain-soaked Kingdom of Lyonesse, magic is outlawed―punishable by death. So when Niamh’s forbidden witchcraft is exposed, she flees her rainy village disguised as a man. She never meant to end up on a battlefield.

Mistakenly conscripted into a brutal war engineered by a paranoid king against a vengeful sorceress determined to reclaim the throne, Niamh now hides another secret―her womanhood. Between fighting terrifying beasts and confronting arcane powers she once believed were merely folklore, Niamh is thrust into a world where survival relies on more than luck―it demands alliances.

In battle, Niamh must obey Prince Fitzroy, the king’s infuriatingly handsome illegitimate son and sharp-tongued commander tasked with eradicating magic. He is everything she despises…and everything she struggles to resist. Back at camp, she forges a complicated friendship with Bash, a fellow soldier who sees her like no one else does and stirs forbidden feelings that could shatter her disguise.

As war tightens its grip on the kingdom, Niamh is forced to choose: obey the prince who could expose her, trust the soldier who could love her, or embrace the forbidden magic that could save them all.

But war is merciless, and not everyone will live to see which side prevails.

Review: I’ve seen a lot of reviewers mentioning Mulan when referencing this book. And while I get it, that’s one of the most well-known examples of a “woman dressing as a man” story we really have, it’s also a very specific tale, and mentioning it every time a book features a female character dressing as a man just messes with people’s expectations. We might as well reference the “Alanna” series by Tamora Pierce or, heck, Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” while we’re at it! Anyways, I’ll get off this weird soapbox and get on with the review.

By the time I finished this book, my primary feeling was that I really wished I had liked it more than I did. There were some good ideas here, and I’ll be honest that some of my struggles came down to my own preferences (we all know my feelings on love triangles by this point). But the book also struggled in too many basic ways to truly be thought of as a successful read or one that I would recommend generally to other fantasy readers.

For one thing, the writing itself was a tough read. It felt wooden and lacked any sense of a unique tone or voice. The structure felt very rigid, and the entire affair left me feeling cold and unable to connect to anything that was happening on the page. In the most basic sense, there was way too much telling throughout the entire book and not enough showing. From character development, to plotting, to world-building: it all felt like a slow progression of checklists just being tacked one upon the other.

The characterization was equally bland. This wasn’t helped by the fact that the dialogue was incredibly choppy-feeling and didn’t read in a way that felt like believable interaction. And while I could appreciate some of the basic components of these characters, they also quickly began to feel overly familiar, without much new to be added or experienced while following their stories. And, of course, this didn’t help the romance. Setting aside the multiple love interests thing, which is very much just a “me issue,” I also simply didn’t buy any of these relationships. It never felt like any true connection was built between these characters. Instead, like everything else, the reader was simply informed that a connection was there.

Overall, this was a very lackluster read. I really enjoy fantasy stories that follow a woman dressing up as a man, as I think this can explore some really interesting concepts of misogyny and the different dynamics between the sexes. But this one didn’t really do anything with all of this. Instead, the wooden and choppy writing took me out of it almost immediately, and the flat characterization prevented me from ever connecting to the story. Readers who enjoy romances with multiple love interests and who want to experience another “woman undercover as a man” story may still want to check it out, however!

Rating 6: I wanted to like this one, but everything fell just a bit short, from the characterization, to the choppy dialogue, to the flat prose.

“Reign” can be found on this Goodreads list: 2026 Most Anticipated Romantasy & Fantasy Romance Releases

Serena’s Review: “The Shadows That Listen”

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

Book: “The Shadows That Listen” by Louisa Carmody

Publishing Info: Orbit, August 2026

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

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

Book Description: It’s been five years since the world was brought to its knees by an immortal war. Daemons crawled from the depths of hell and the sky bled gold as the angels arrived. Humanity thought it was saved, but the angels did not come to protect us.

Amara is a human warrior working for the Angel Intelligence Agency. She spends her days searching for those who don’t make it home after curfew. But when her boyfriend Jeremy goes missing, she decides to venture into the shadows to bring him back. Even if it means death.

Nathaniel is an archangel tasked with leading the destruction of humanity, for which he cares little. He doesn’t have time to protect little humans running around in the dark, especially those who stab him in the stomach.

But Nathaniel and Amara will soon realise they share a foe, one that lurks in the shadows and stalks them from the skies. She might long to kill him, but Amara knows that having an angel at her side is the only way to find the man she loves.

The shadows lengthen. They listen. Who will survive the night?

Review: I’ve always felt like fantasy books have been sleeping on angels. We have a bunch of demon stuff, but, as “Supernatural” proved, you can make angels just as badass as demons, if not more so! I also missed the train on “Angelfall,” which is one of the more popular angel series that currently exists. But I heard some comparisons being thrown around between these two books, so I thought I might get another chance at this sort of book with this series. Well, let’s just say the comparisons aren’t warranted, because this was a pretty big disappointment for me.

Honestly, there wasn’t much I liked about this one. I would say that the general idea was interesting, but, like I said, angels seem to be an untapped paranormal being in the current fantasy landscape, so their inclusion was always going to make this one stand out from the crowd. I’ll also say that this is one of those easily digestible romantasy reads that I know clicks with a lot of readers out there. The distinction between romantasy and fantasy romance is a big one, and I know that I fall more into the latter category. So this one, playing more toward romantasy (romance is the primary focus, fantasy secondary), was always going to be a bit of a tougher sell for me. However, readers with a strong preference for romantasy books and their current trends will likely connect with this one better.

But even still, this book was simply not well written. No other way to put it, really. From a technical standpoint, I’ve seen worse. But even on a line-by-line basis, it lacked any sense of voice or style, feeling flat and mechanical more often than not.

The worst sins of the writing came with the characterization, however. And, since characterization is king for me, this was a true enjoyment killer. The characters simply didn’t make sense. The world is set up in a very specific way, with a very specific dynamic between angels and humans. And yet, from the start, our main leads do not behave as if this is the case whatsoever. It’s one thing to have an almost all-powerful being come to appreciate those they have seen as beneath them and reflect on their own errors, eventually coming to a place where they are capable of forming a true connection with someone they would have historically seen as beneath them. But this wasn’t that. This was a being whom we were told saw humans as insects who immediately treats the heroine as anything but that, flirting away and in every way behaving as if she is not only worthy of any attention, but extra attention. Beyond that, this main romantic lead was simply boring. You know everything you need to know about him from the first introduction.

The same can be said of Amara. She’s exactly the sort of fantasy lead you’ve seen a million times before, especially in urban fantasy: feisty, seemingly competent, and the dreaded “not like other girls.” For all of her spunk, we’re never really given any reason that she should stand out to a being like Afriel. If anything, more often than not, Amara’s actions and choices don’t make a lick of sense.

The entire thing was boring, predictable, and, believe it or not, pretty cheesy. The dialogue was clunky, with characters randomly dropping tons of lore into responses in a context that makes no sense (the character to whom they’re speaking would already know this information, for example). And there were so many clichés it was almost a joke. Look, I’ve read some great paranormal romances. In fact, I’m right in the middle of reading Ilona Andrews’ “Burn for Me” trilogy and am absolutely loving it. Spunky heroines and overpowered love interests can work. But here, the author didn’t seem to have anything new to say and relied too heavily on tropes and clunky delivery to get her story across. Even for romantasy fans, I think there are better options out there that deliver on this same concept.

Rating 5: Not for me. Too many tropes, clichés, and poor characterization to really make any sort of impact other than an eye roll.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Shadows That Listen” can be found on this Goodreads list: Dystopias I Would Like To Make An Exception For.

Serena’s Review: “Immortal Rose”

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

Book: “Immortal Rose” by Alexandra Bracken

Publishing Info: Avon, August 2026

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

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

Book Description: Members of the ancient House Rosebourne have a strange gift born of a fairy ancestor: the ability to infuse fragrance with magic capable of manipulating mind, body, and emotion.

When a shocking murder leaves the kingdom of Albion vulnerable to a coup, royal spymaster Hugh Thornton seeks the one person who can help: Viola Lockwood, the last living Rosebourne and secret heir to a fraught legacy.

Livid at the silver-eyed aristocrat who had her thrown in jail to force her compliance, Viola nevertheless comes to an agreement with him. In exchange for crafting Immortal Rose, the singular perfume capable of saving Albion, illegitimate Viola can seize the life—and fortune—that should have been hers.

As Hugh and Viola race to find the perfume’s lost fairy ingredient, hidden deep in Albion’s dark underbelly, neither can deny the scorching attraction building between them—especially as the attempts on Viola’s life grow increasingly brazen.

But a terrible truth lurks in the heart notes of their kingdom—and while every bargain has a cost, Immortal Rose may demand more than Hugh and Viola can ever pay.

Review: Often when I talk about pacing, it’s in a negative light. But this book was one of those nice examples of pacing done right. What’s more, it was pacing done right across many aspects of the book, including individual character arcs, the romantic arc, as well as the world-building and storytelling itself.

To speak to the pacing in regard to the story and the world-building, I enjoyed the way the author introduced this world. Through some very clever early scenes, the reader is fed a boatload of world-building information, from how the magic of this world works, to the hierarchies at play within it, all the way down to some basic logistics about the sort of fantasy world this is (seems obvious, but I’ve read fantasy novels where I go in assuming it’s a high fantasy world and then am surprised around the 25% mark by some random mention of jeans!).

But all of this information is doled out carefully through a mix of dialogue, inner thought, and description, avoiding long info dumps. What’s more, the author does a good job of sprinkling in action throughout, so even while the reader is being inundated with new information, the story still feels lively and that things are happening at a steady pace.

I also really enjoyed the pacing of the character development. We aren’t told everything that drives the characters from the start, and instead must peel back layers as the story continues to discover what depths they contain. Notably, neither character is a perfect individual, and we see them grow and change over the course of the story.

This is particularly the case with the development of the romance. These two do not meet under the best of circumstances, and the story doesn’t rush the slowly changing feelings between them. It’s a true slow-burn romance, and part of it hinges on the characters reevaluating both themselves and their actions, as well as the other person. It made the payoff when things come together toward the end all the better.

That said, there were a few moments where I struggled a bit with the way plot points played out. There were times where characters behaved in ways that only made sense because the story needed to hit some particular beat. These were always frustrating to see, as so much of the rest of the book felt tightly written.

Overall, however, I enjoyed this read! I thought it was a refreshing example of a true slow-burn romance, and I appreciated the time and thought that the author put into the development of these characters and this world. Nothing felt like cardboard cutouts (either characters or plotlines) that are simply there to get the story to check off certain trope lists. Definitely give it a go if you’re looking for a more polished romantasy read!

Rating 8: A great example of a romantasy novel that commits to a true slow-burn love story!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Immortal Rose” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Regency Romantasy and whimsical romantasy books.

Serena’s Review: “The Lion and the Deathless Dark”

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

Book: “The Lion and the Deathless Dark” by Carissa Broadbent

Publishing Info: Bramble, August 2026

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

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

Book Description: Under an eternal night, the world has been ravaged by ten years of war between humans and vampires. Kyrene scrapes by as a bounty hunter, bearing a blessed sword from the goddess of justice. But in the wake of a devastating loss, Kyrene commits a crime that makes her a target for mortals and gods alike – and she is still desperate for vengeance.

Her only chance at survival – and revenge – is making a deal with her enemy, the silver-tongue vampire prince, Septimus, who offers her one final to slay the gods themselves.

Together, Kyrene and Septimus must hunt the ultimate marks, all while navigating a web of prophecies and curses. Septimus is calculating and mysterious, masking secrets bloodthirsty enough to consume them both. Yet, most dangerous of all, Kyrene finds an unexpected kinship in him.

But their growing attraction is deadly in a world where the only currency is blood. And Kyrene will stop at nothing to fulfill her ultimate to kill the goddess of vampires, even if it means sacrificing love for revenge.

Review: It’s always great picking up books like this, ones that come from authors who have never let you down in the past. In the case of Broadbent specifically, the first book in a new duology has historically been the best, in my opinion, which made this book all the more exciting! And so it continues; I loved this book!

There was a lot to love about this one, but what stood out the most for me was the main character. I’ve enjoyed all the main characters in this series to different extents. Oraya was probably the more stereotypical stabby, sassy romantasy heroine, but her conflicts with her father gave her an extra edge to stand out from a crowded pack. And I enjoyed the change to a quieter, more optimistic heroine, Mische. But in that duology, it was the hero who really ticked the box for my favorite sort of romantic interest more than a particular attachment to Mische.

But Kyrene, oh Kyrene. Ever since I was a child whose favorite character was Rachel from the “Animorphs” series, I’ve always loved the warriors, especially the brave, blunt, impulsive sort who hide deeper layers within, often some sort of self-hatred or self-fear. And Kyrene ticked all of the right boxes. Every moment in her head was a joy, from watching her bullishly barge into any situation with a “hit first, ask questions later” mentality, to seeing her struggle with the concept of heroism and whether it could ever apply to a person like her.

By this point in the series, the general stakes have been set for this world: everything is awful, and it’s mostly the gods’ fault. So Kyrene’s arrival to the series with her single-minded focus on revenge fits perfectly to drive these final books forward. What’s more, we finally get to see more of Septimus, a character who has popped in and out of the series for several books now and who has always had something brewing under the lid. His focus on cool, meticulously laid plans, juxtaposed by Kyrene’s single-minded approach to vengeance, led to a really excellent pairing.

By this point in the series, we can always expect some major twists to come by the end of the first book in a new duology, and this one delivered on that promise. While I could see at least one of these reveals coming, there were also several that took me completely by surprise. There was even one that came around the 75% mark that totally blindsided me and completely reset the stage of what had come before and what was possible going forward.

And, of course, the romance was great. After Mische’s more romantic duology, it was a change of pace to follow Kyrene, a woman who has as few inhibitions around sex as she does violence. What’s more, the unavoidable tragedy that lies before them both set a different sort of tone for their developing relationship. The tension that was built was much less focused on the physical than it was on the emotional. Both Septimus and Kyrene have their own reasons for not wanting to become emotionally attached.

By this point in the series, it also shouldn’t surprise anyone that this book ends on a pretty big cliffhanger. But Broadbent has always been an efficient writer, so hopefully the wait for the last book in the duology (and the series as a whole!!) shouldn’t be long in coming. If you’ve enjoyed the series so far, this is a must-read. And it will be especially pleasing for any readers who enjoy the warrior woman archetype and who have been desperately longing for Septimus’s book for some time now!

Rating 9: Kyrene has my whole heart! Septimus was great, too, but I do love me a warrior woman protagonist!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Lion and the Deathless Dark” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Can’t Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2026.

Serena’s Review: “Among the Thorns”

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

Book: “Among the Thorns” by Jennifer K. Lambert

Publishing Info: Bramble, July 2026

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

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

Book Description: Ambitious young sorceress Rose of Northbrooke is about to graduate. She’s the only known dream sorcerer of her generation and she’s a remarkable one—formidably powerful, strikingly beautiful, and destined for greatness. No wonder she has a prince of the realm trailing her skirts.

But when rumors of dream magic gone awry reach her ear, Rose discovers she’s not the only oneiromancer of her generation. And she might not be the most powerful.

In a faraway cottage, Thorn has lived a simple and isolated life. She’s kept hidden by magic that prevents her from wandering past the cottage fence. Thorn longs to be a part of the world, to learn more about her magic, to be rescued by a prince who could love her with his whole heart.

When she discovers there’s another dream sorceress out there who has everything Thorn has ever wanted—freedom, education, prince and all—her acceptance of her isolation transforms into a hunger for everything she has been denied. Everything Rose has.

When Rose and Thorn meet, they realize their lives have been a lie and their fates have been carefully planned by political schemers. The outcome is only one sorceress can live in the open, reap all the glory of her kingdom, and claim the prince’s loving hand… condemning the other to a life of perpetual non-existence.

Previously Reviewed: “Never the Roses”

Review: This one didn’t quite hit the highs of “Never the Roses,” but I still think it was an enjoyable, quieter fantasy read all the same. This quieter approach is one of the things that made both the first book and now the second stand out in the romantasy genre. We often see books in this genre rely on either spunkier heroines, quippy dialogue, or snappy action. But here, the pacing takes its time introducing the three characters, and much of the plot revolves around the dynamics formed between them.

I did enjoy all three of the characters, for the most part. Rose could come across as harsh at times, especially in the beginning chapters, but as she came into her own and understood the true circumstances of her life and Thorn’s, I loved her arc. Thorn was a great character from the start, much more reserved and needing to deal with the trauma inflicted upon her throughout her life. Hers is a story of discovering the strength within and the bravery of finally reaching out to take what is yours. Sebastian had his moments (I enjoyed his relationship with his half-sisters), but he was also the least interesting of the three. As this is very much Rose and Thorn’s story, I was ultimately fine with this, but it did leave me feeling a bit less interested in his particular parts of the story.

I did struggle a bit more with the writing here. There was nothing overtly bad about any of it, but for whatever reason, I continuously felt a bit removed from the action. It was one of those books where I never felt drawn into the story and was always very aware of the process of reading. I’m not sure exactly where the change came from, however, between this one and the first. Perhaps the writing here simply felt a bit more simplistic and didn’t flow as nicely. Perhaps the pacing was just a bit too slow in this one to really grab my attention like the first book did.

It was an enjoyable read, however, and I liked how things were wrapped up in the end. I’m still waiting on some sort of resolution for our main characters from the first book, though, so I hope a third book is on the horizon! But if you’re a fan of slower-paced, quiet romantasy, this is definitely one that might be of interest to you!

Rating 7: I struggled to fully connect with this one as much as the first book, and I’m not sure why. But it was still a lovely romantasy with a heavy focus on two strong women, each demonstrating that there are different ways to have strength.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Among the Thorns” can be found on this Goodreads list: July 2026 Most Anticipated Romance Releases.

Serena’s Review: “Rites of the Starling”

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

Book: “Rites of the Starling” by Devney Perry

Publishing Info: Red Tower Books, April 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: from the library!

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

Book Description: Calandra’s five kingdoms are on the verge of destruction. The crux migration is coming. And in the wake of a devastating attack, I’ve been separated from the man who owns my heart.

I’m lost. Terrified. Homesick. Hunted by monsters, driven to exhaustion, and kidnapped by a powerful priest, the only thing keeping me going is the little girl counting on me to keep her safe. It’s my turn to become the Guardian.

Our lives change one fateful night. A night of death. A night of monsters. A night of truths. That night, I learn the real meaning of fear—and the depth of my own strength. Everyone wants me to be something I’m not—a queen, a spy, a sacrifice. But what if I embrace my crown? What if the secrets I uncover save our realm?

What if my sacrifice means salvation for the man I love? For too long, I’ve feared the monsters we make. It’s time to discover the monster within.

Previously Reviewed: “Shield of Sparrows”

Review: I’m a bit late to the game, but I finally managed to get my hands on this sequel! “Shield of Sparrows” was kind of a sleeper hit for me last year; on its face, it sounded much like every other romantasy title coming out that I often struggle to get through. But it surprised me with its detailed world-building, fast-moving plot, and a romance that felt properly balanced with the rest of the plot. It also ended on a fairly substantial cliffhanger, so I was excited to see how that was all resolved here!

While this one didn’t quite live up to the high of the first book, it still stands miles ahead of other titles of its sort, in my opinion. In this book’s case, much of what makes it stand out comes down to the world-building and the effective use of twists. Like I said, the first book’s world-building was surprisingly robust. But here, the book introduces an entirely new main character and, through her, an entirely new perspective on this world. I can’t go into many details without getting into spoilers, but suffice it to say, this world is much larger than was known and its history much longer. What makes this so great is the fact that this is presented as not only new information to the reader, but is also woven into the story itself, with explanations for why none of this was referenced in the first book.

The second point is the effective use of twists. It was already a fairly ballsy move to introduce a new POV character who isn’t just the romantic interest, but Devney carefully weaves this story in and out of the continuation of Odessa and Ransom’s story. Through her chapters, we get little pieces doled out, just enough to allow the reader to form their own theories about what is going on. But often, those theories only last until the next chapter, where some new puzzle piece is laid out, shifting all of the theories in a new direction. By the end, I had put most of it together, but every turn along the way felt fresh, and there were definitely guesses that I started with that turned out to be completely off base. There was one particular twist that I had wrong the entire time!

I also continued to enjoy the balance between romance and plot in this series. Our new character has her own developing romance, which works nicely as Odessa and Ransom are separated for a large chunk of this book. While this delay may frustrate some readers, I think it effectively built the tension and nicely prioritized the actual life-and-death stakes of the ongoing situation in this world. Too often, romantasy sequels have to either introduce contrived conflict into the romance to keep up interest or simply begin to sound repetitive, as the two characters tread familiar ground throughout the story. Here, we get a nice payoff from Ransom and Odessa’s eventual reunion, and by the end, they have an entirely new host of challenges ahead of them.

The story also continued its trend of tragedy and violence. Things do not go well for all of the characters here. The stakes were high throughout, and this was reflected in the fact that not everything works out the way we may wish.

Overall, I really enjoyed this read. The pacing was perhaps a bit more uneven, simply due to jumping back and forth between two POVs and two very different stories, but the incredible world-building really makes it stand out in the crowded romantasy field. If you enjoyed the first book, particularly if you loved it for its main plot and the fantasy elements, definitely continue on with this one!

Rating 8: Devney has really cracked the romantasy nut with this one, managing to weave a complicated, expansive world while also not skimping on the romance!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Rites of the Starling” is on these Goodreads lists: 2026 Most Anticipated Romantasy & Fantasy Romance Releases and Adult Romantasy.

Serena’s Review: “Nobody’s Quest”

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Book: “Nobody’s Quest” by Alyssa Day

Publishing Info: Entangled: Red Tower Books, June 2026

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

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

Book Description: Soli has spent most of her life being invisible—an indentured servant, a library mold-scrubber, the girl no one sees unless she’s in the way. So, when the king’s guards show up with swords drawn, she assumes it’s a mistake.

It’s not.

Moments later, she’s standing in the throne room while the king tells her she’s been chosen to retrieve a set of ancient keys—only the keys can save the goddess and stop the chaos beyond the palace walls. Because the world isn’t waiting to be saved.

It’s already burning.

And beside him stands Prince Kaelen: devastatingly beautiful, mercilessly cold, and certain Soli won’t survive the hard journey ahead.

He’s probably right.

But Soli’s survived a lifetime of hard everything. She may be a nobody—no training, no real power, and no idea why she was chosen—but she refuses to be expendable. Even if the quest ahead is anything but simple. When assassins, monsters, and impossible choices fracture the fragile alliance slowly building with the Prince, Soli realizes she can’t hide in the shadows anymore.

Because, for the first time in her life, she has something to lose…

Review: I ended up enjoying this one for the most part. It did read as a bit juvenile in the style of writing, and don’t think too hard about some of the plot developments or familiar character archetypes. But the writing was the definition of approachable, and the pacing was fast enough that even during moments where I came up for air to think critically about it, I was drawn forward fast enough to not get too bogged down.

While much of the fantasy elements will read as familiar to readers of the genre, there were a few aspects that stood out. I appreciated this author’s version of and depiction of depression. It was a nice touch to the story, and the author’s note further dives into her own experiences, acknowledging the fact that the slow recovery time often experienced in reality wouldn’t work in a fantasy novel; thus, we see our main character only truly mired down for a few days at a time.

I did like the main character as well. Her voice was steady throughout, and I appreciated that she didn’t come across as the typical “stabby” leading lady that we often see in books like this. Yes, there were moments that had me raising my eyebrow (she was quick to talk back to royalty, given that she’s spent her whole life as a lowly servant), but again, there was more to enjoy about her than there was to criticize.

I also really liked the found-family aspect of the story. The book starts out fast and throws characters at you at a mile-a-minute speed, it feels like. But once the quest aspect actually gets started, there is more time to settle into these characters and develop the various relationships between them.

I will say, the book blurb hypes this one as a “slow burn” and, um, that’s not this at all. Literally in the first scene we meet him, we see the prince immediately form a connection to Soli. The entire setup of this scene involves the search to find a “nobody” who can touch a cursed item. If you’re not the right “nobody,” you burn to death on the spot, as we see with another character early in the scene. And it’s clear that this is not the first time they’ve gone through this process. The prince is even described as looking “bored” by the proceedings (though there are plenty of hints given early that there is more to this character than meets the eye).

But then he exchanges, what, two sentences with Soli and goes on to have a massive reaction to her undergoing this process. It is pretty wild, honestly, to have this scene within the first 50 pages and then label it “slow burn.” This is insta-love if ever I’ve seen it! So I didn’t love the romance. I liked both characters well enough individually, however, which did manage to save it.

Overall, this book is exactly what you’d expect after reading the book description and other books from Red Tower. I will say that I’d put it on the higher side of my opinions on books from this publisher, so do with that what you will. The fantasy elements were fun, the pacing was fast with good writing, it was only let down by the unfortunate insta-love romance.

Rating 8: A fun, fast romantasy read! Though this is by no means a “slow burn,” so don’t fall for the marketing ploy on that one!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Nobody’s Quest” can be found on these Goodreads lists: All the New Romantasy Books Arriving in June 2026 and Romantasy TBR 2026.

Serena’s Review: “The Winged Game”

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

Book: “The Winged Game” by Sophie Kim

Publishing Info: Del Rey, June 2026

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

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

Book Description: Carriwitchet, the violent, rugby-esque game played atop winged beasts, was once Taissa Cho’s whole life, and she was once the United Kingdom’s most promising player. Until her nemesis, rival player Kion Locke, destroyed her career in a single moment. Expelled from the sport in disgrace, Taissa has spent the last two years dreaming of nothing but revenge and relishing watching Kion’s team plummet to the bottom of the league.

So when Taissa is offered the chance to redeem herself and her career, she can’t refuse—even if the offer is coming from the very man who ruined everything in the first place. It’s close to a dream come true . . . except for that pesky clause in her contract that demands she and Kion enter a fake relationship in order to garner some much-needed positive PR for the team. This could not be a worse match. Taissa and Kion only have two things in their love of the game, and their undying hatred for each other.

Yet as a mysterious illness befalls the winged creatures of the entire league—putting both the beasts’ lives and the very sport itself at stake—the athletes find themselves partnering up in other ways, determined to crack the case of the eerie sickness. As their investigation takes them on a whirlwind adventure, Kion and Taissa are prepared for anything . . .

Anything, that is, but their fake-for-the-cameras relationship to maybe, just maybe, become something real after all.

Review: I know that sports romances have been having a bit of a moment recently, but as a romance reader who almost always avoids contemporary romance, I’ve missed most, if not all, of the big hits. That being the case, I was excited to see that Sophie Kim was coming out with her own fantasy twist on the subgenre!

Ultimately, this wasn’t my favorite read ever, but I think much of that comes down to my own preferences and the fact that I think this will sit much more comfortably alongside the “sports” romances than the “fantasy” romances. Kim’s writing is still quite approachable and fun, and I largely enjoy her style, which reads quickly but isn’t dumbed down in any way. The banter and dialogue were by far the best parts of the book and had me chuckling out loud at times. I also think that the enemies-to-lovers aspects, most exemplified in said banter, were done quite well. Due to the lower stakes of the book (they aren’t mortal enemies or anything), this sort of progression from “enemies/rivals” to eventual lovers makes more sense. And the snappy, quirky banter also fits better than it does in some of the enemy-to-lovers romantasies we see, where the love interests are quipping away in the middle of a life-or-death situation.

Oddly, the book had both too much sport and not enough, I think. For readers who really enjoy sports romances, there isn’t as much of that here as I think they’d expect. Aside from a few scenes, we don’t see a lot of it. But, again, I’m not a reader of that subgenre, so maybe that’s the convention there too, and I just assumed more actual sports-playing happened on the page.

On the other side, the sports scenes we did get didn’t really work for me, mostly because I was way too caught up on exactly how this whole sport/league worked. Call me a fantasy snob, but I do need something to hold my wild fantasy concepts together. Other than this being a sort of Quidditch spinoff where the players ride mythical beasts rather than brooms, I’d be hard-pressed to explain the rules. I also thought the general setup was rather odd. The riders form a deep connection with their steeds, and each team only plays on one sort of creature. So if you start with one team/steed, that’s what you’re stuck with forever. Even though there were only a few sports scenes, these persistent questions about rules and practicalities did distract me from the book itself.

I also didn’t love the romance. The MMC was your typical grumpy hero and really didn’t have anything new to offer to the standard version of this character you’ve probably read a million times before. The fake dating also felt rather silly at times. Again, this is probably more of a me issue, as fake dating isn’t my favorite trope. There were moments that I thought worked, but then others that had me rolling my eyes a bit. A certain marketing photo shoot comes to mind.

Overall, this was just ok. I got through it quickly and did genuinely find it funny at times. However, the sports aspect didn’t work for me, as I felt it was too underdeveloped for me to become invested. And while I enjoyed the “enemies to lovers” aspect, the fake dating trope didn’t work as well. Fans of Kim and sports romances, however, are much more likely to enjoy this and should definitely give it a shot!

Rating 7: For a sports romance where the players ride mystical beasts, I found the actual “sports” of it all rather underwhelming.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Winged Game” can be found on this Goodreads list: 2026 Most Anticipated Romantasy & Fantasy Romance Releases