The Wings That Bind by. Briar Boleyn | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: The Wings That Bind (Bloodwing Academy, #3)

Author: Briar Boleyn

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 3/10/26

Publisher: MIRA

Categories: Dark Academia, Romance, Fantasy, Series

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to MIRA for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The night’s chaos left us breathless. Now the real nightmare begins.

In the wake of last winter’s tragedies, through loss and heartbreak, we somehow made it to a new year. But our fight is far from over.

A second dragon has awoken–her heart tainted, and her power commandeered by two ruthless highbloods who will stop at nothing to uncover the dangerous, bloody secrets at the borders of Sangratha. Their cruelty knows no bounds.

Florence, my dearest friend, teetered on the brink of death. A dragon saved her, but now she’s tied to him in a way I can scarcely understand. What will this new bond do to the woman I’ve come to love as a sister?

And then there’s Blake. Once my relentless tormentor, then the keeper of my heart… he betrayed me again, nearly condemning Nyxaris to a cursed, stone-cold fate. But something has shifted in him. His gray eyes hide a secret he’s desperate to protect. I saved Blake’s life, despite everything. Yet with every heartbeat, I have to question where we go from here.

With Bloodwing Academy in turmoil and a new headmaster no one saw coming, only one thing is certain: This is going to be one hell of a year.

This dark fantasy series tackles mature themes. Readers are advised to consult the trigger warnings before embarking on this intense, morally gray/black journey through the realm of Sangratha!

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I don’t have a great love for this series, but I did binge the first two books because there is so much going on and wanted to know what happens next. So I was going to wait to borrow book three, but got a chance to read the arc instead. I still enjoy the elements of this dark academia campus which has vampires, and dragons, but also secret shifters.

+~ If you love Medra and Blake’s story, I think you might not love this book as much because there are two side characters who kind of become the main characters. But for me, I liked seeing other characters grow besides Medra and Blake, because I felt like we had too much about their romance drama in book two. So this kinds of gives us a break from that and I appreciated it. Regan has a redemption arc in this one – is it deserved? I think some people might say no, because she chose power – but we also get to see she cares about her brother too and that maybe this was the only path she saw to finding him. Florence, is Medra’s friend and the studious one who now gets a dragon. So she goes from the studious to trying to believe in herself that she can be a dragon rider.

+~ Because we get a little break from Medra and Blake’s relationship drama, I actually liked the moments we get with them in this book. They have some spicy scenes but we can see their bond turn into something different, something more meaningful as Medra sees the beast in him, literally. But theirs is not the only romance happening here, there are a few new ones, very surprising ones I’d say and I’m not sure how I feel about it yet.

+~ I think the writing in this one flowed better than the first two books, but the story is still just okay for me and it could be the stye of writing that I don’t gel with. I can’t say much happens in the beginning of the book and most of the action comes at the end of this book, so pacing wise, the beginning is slow as we see Regan run the academy and Florence trying to figure out her relationship with her dragon.

Final Thoughts:

If you are a fan of the series, I think you won’t be too disappointed in this book, but Medra and Blake do take a backseat to the other characters that get more page time. I do think the first half moves a little slow, with all the action and new trouble coming at the end of the book. It will be interesting to see how Blake’s character will grow in the next book because that guy has been going through it! Talk about a transformation, and I didn’t love him in book two but I think I like him better in this one. It will be nice to see everyone united on one side trying to fight the villain now, hopefully we get to see more growth in book four and since we got to know more about Regan and Florence, maybe we will get to know more about Kage.

Read if you like:

the first two books
dragons, vampires, shifters
dark academia
romance

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Bond That Burns by. Briar Boleyn| Book Review ⭐️⭐️💫

On Wings of Blood by. Briar Boleyn| Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Let’s Talk Bookish: Portrayals of Women in Books | 3/20/26

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.

This week’s topic is:

March 20: Portrayals of Women in Books

Prompts: We’ve previously talked about underrepresented women and women in STEM in books, but let’s take a look at portrayals of women in books. Do you think portrayals of women have changed over time? Are ambitious women portrayed differently than ambitious men? Are “unlikable” female characters judged more harshly? Are girls and women written more complexly in books today? Share some of your favourite books featuring complex empowered women being unapologetically themselves!

**********

Do you think portrayals of women have changed over time?

Definitely YES. A lot of the historical romances I read back in the 90’s was all about a woman needing to find a husband (which is true of the time period they were writing in), but I noticed after decades of reading, the women have just become stronger, more independent – they still want love which is fine but now the women can love women in books (that was hard to find for years in books).

Are ambitious women portrayed differently than ambitious men?

I still think in the books I’ve read, ambitious women are portrayed as cut-throat but evil? 😅

Are “unlikable” female characters judged more harshly?

Yes…still! Maybe we are conditioned to think of them as bad because they are unlikable? I don’t know! I just read a book where the FMC started off funny but then her actions throughout the book drove me crazy because it was immature though she’s an adult. 😅 But that’s how the character is – I guess we can’t like them all. I will say though I love an unlikable character who has a good backstory, something that shaped her character into what is unlikable.

Are girls and women written more complexly in books today?

I think they are written more complex, which is refreshing! Because women are complex.

Share some of your favourite books featuring complex empowered women being unapologetically themselves!

Here are some of the latest books I read featuring complex, empowered women:

The Library of Amorlin by. Kalyn Josephson – Kasira is a con-artist who has to make hard choices but she’s motivated by self-preservation. She’s very morally grey to the point I didn’t trust her. But she uses her new powerful role to eventually do the right thing.
The Poet Empress by. Shen Tao – Wei is a peasant who becomes Empress by enduring abuse.
Keeper of Lost Children by. Sadeqa Johnson – Ethel, a Black woman who helps mixed-raced children find homes; and Sophia who endures a lot at a young age, but is determined to figure out who she is.
Wicked Onyx – Anamaya’s family is exiled from the magic community and she wants to clear her family name.
The Sun and the Starmaker by. Rachel Griffin – a young lady is chosen to be the next Starmaker but she learns that she has to sacrifice a lot.

March 2026 Topics:

March 6: Women Who’ve Shaped Your Reading Life

~~Prompts~~: March is Women’s History Month and March 8 is also International Women’s Day. In honour of this month celebrating women, let’s talk about the women who’ve shaped our reading lives. Was there (or is there) a woman in your life who sparked your love for reading? Who was the first woman author you remember loving? Do you tend to read more books by women authors and do you think that’s for a reason?

March 13: Immersive Reading (suggested by Leslie @ Books Are the New Black)

~~Prompts:~~ Immersive reading is when you simultaneously listen to an audiobook while reading the physical or digital book. Do you do any immersive reading? Do you prefer it or is it not for you? Do you think it’s a good way to get everything from a book? Is there a genre that is better to do this with? What are your recommendations for immersive reading?

March 20: Portrayals of Women in Books

March 27: Right Book, Right Time? Reading for the Season You’re In (suggested by Alli @ Alli the Book Giraffe)

Prompts: Do you prefer reading about characters who are in a similar life stage as you (age, career, relationships, etc.)? Has your preference changed as you’ve gotten older? Have you ever re-read a book and experienced it completely differently because you were in a different stage of life? Do you think books come into our lives at the ‘right time’ and are there any books you think you’d feel differently about if you were younger or older?

Burn the Kingdom Down by. Addie Thorley | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: Burn the Kingdom Down

Author: Addie Thorley

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 4/7/26

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Young Adult, Murder Mystery, Romance, Fantasy

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

An action-packed enemies-to-lovers romantasy filled with a romance that will leave you breathless, betrayals that will rip your heart out, and a princess who will stop at nothing for revenge.

One year ago, Rowenna Harrack, the crown princess of Tashir, left her homeland in a wedding dress of chains—sent away to the enemy nation of Vanzador as a captive bride.

Now, Rowenna is dead. Brought home in a coffin after an alleged fall from a cliff.

Second-born princess, Indira, knows her sister’s death was no accident. Desperate for truth and vengeance, Indira agrees to wed the prince so she can infiltrate Vanzador, find Rowenna’s murderer, and burn their kingdom to the ground.

Indira’s plan is simple, she will make nice until she can find out how to avenge her sister and free her country from the rival nation’s stranglehold. But when Indira arrives, nothing is as terrible as Rowenna described. As Indira grows closer to her new husband, Prince Alaric, and uncovers more about Vanzador, the source of its powers, and what happened during Rowenna’s final days, she’s no longer sure what—and who—to believe. Because everyone, even her sister, has secrets. Deadly ones.

Content Warning: illness, violence, murder, death, grief, sexual harassment

+ I thought this story had very interesting world-building. Vanzador offers Tashir protection from the Marauders who have terrorized Tashir in the past. Tashir pays giving them bagrava, a plant that helps Vanzador rulers harness their power. The king and his son, Alaric, has powers to move the earth. Indira has the power to make bagrava and any plants grow. Her older sister, Rowenna is married off to Alaric but then is dead a year later. So now Indira has to take her sister’s place – and while she’s there, she is determined to find out what happened to her sister.

+~ Indira is the second daughter and though she has the power to grow things, it’s her older sister who was the jewel of their family. Indira worked in the fields and gardens where she felt comfortable. So when she is the new wife to Alaric, she does all she can to find out what happened to her sister. I sympathized with Indira’s grief but this girl was so full of rage, she accused everyone of having something to do with her sister’s death. I didn’t love her character because she lead with her emotions so much and it was all over the place. Her sister’s voice was always in her head, so I did like seeing her grow and find her own voice by the end.

+ There are some secrets, suspicious characters, and betrayals that I really enjoyed. It made the mystery and the twists compelling to the point I read this book in one sitting because I was intrigued with the politics, and how everything was being revealed one by one.

+~ There is some romance, but it doesn’t feel like the main focus of the story though it plays a big part at the end. Everything is closed door when it comes to intimacy between Indira and Alaric. I did like how they started off as enemies to lovers because Indira is a hothead, but when they finally get to know one another, and Alaric opens up and is vulnerable, I thought their relationship was sweet. Until some other things happen in the story that I can’t spoil. But would have loved to see more playful interactions between them.

Final Thoughts:

I read this one pretty quick because I thought the murder mystery and politics was interesting. I also really enjoyed the twists and turns that come in the second half of the book. I didn’t love Indira but I felt for her because of her grief, but I question some of her actions. The romance wasn’t the focus but I did love when Indira and Alaric finally get close. The ending is kind of wild though, but overall I enjoyed this one.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

WWW Wednesday | 3/18/26

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

I was stuck in ths house with no power for 36 hours and just gloomy weather STILL, so I’ve been reading a lot. And a lot of the books are from Kindle Unlimited because I don’t have tons of arcs for April, so I’m actually done with my arcs! YAY. I love when I’m ahead. 😅. I think I’m doing really good with not requesting as many arcs as last year. It’s leaving my schedule open to reading non-arc books, so I feel good about my reading pace this year, there is less pressure trying to finish NetGalley arcs.

What are you currently reading?

The Summer of Second Chances by. K.L. Walther – arc – 2%

Our Vicious Oaths by. N.E. Davenport – 17%

The Wings That Bind by. Briar Boleyn – arc – 29% – just got an arc of this which is nice since I wasn’t going to buy it.

The Lies that Summon the Night by. Tessonia Odette – 21%

Storm Breaker by. Nisha J. Tuli – arc – 1% – I just got this arc and am so moving it up to the front of my reading list!

What have you just finished reading?

The Thorn Queen by. Sasha Peyton Smith – arc – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Never Ever After by. Sue Lynn Tan – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Seek the Traitor’s Son by. Veronica Roth – alc – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

While You Were Seething by. Charlotte Stein – alc – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Serpent’s Bride by. Kathryn Ann Kingsley – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Serpent’s Sin by. Kathryn Ann Kingsley – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tethered by. Elayna R. Gallea – ⭐️⭐️

What are you going to read next?

The Bloody and the Damned by. Becca Coffindaffer

Cruel Angel by. Rebecca Kenney

Japanese Gothic by. Kylie Lee Baker

The Shadows That Listen by. Louisa Carmody

Web of Vows and Vengeance by. Aria Ashbrook

What are YOU reading right now?

Green Book Covers | TTT | Top Ten Tuesday | 3/17/26

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!

This week’s topic is:

Green Book Covers

(In honor of St. Patrick’s Day today!)

Her Hidden Fire by. Clíodhna O’Sullivan
The Magic of Untamed Hearts by. Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
A Promise of Lies by. Clare Sager

Jealous Rage by. Sav R. Miller
Fallen Stars by. Imani Erriu
A Curse of Ashes by. Sariah Wilson

In Your Dreams by. Sarah Adams
Mate by. Ali Hazelwood
Poison in Their Hearts by. Laura Sebastian

Drive Me Crazy by. Lizzy Dent

What’s on your TTT?

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | TikTok | Etsy

New Book Releases This Week | 3/17/26

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

Innamorta by. Ava Reid

A visionary and atmospheric gothic fantasy about necromancy, vengeance, and soul-consuming love, the first in a duology from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning and Lady Macbeth

Once there was an island where the dead walked the earth, and seven noble houses ruled by the arcane secrets of necromancy.

A conqueror’s blade brought them low, burning their libraries, killing their lords, and extinguishing their eldritch magic.

But defiant against the new order stands the House of Teeth and its last living members: beautiful Marozia, the heiress to the House, and her cousin, the uncanny Lady Agnes.

Though she has not spoken a word in seven years, Agnes is the true carrier of the House’s legacy. And she has her orders. She must recapture the secrets of death magic and avenge her family’s fallen honor. She must arrange the betrothal of her beloved cousin Marozia to Liuprand, heir to the conqueror’s throne, for access to the forbidden library in his grotesquely grand castle.

Revenge burns in Agnes’s heart but so do stranger passions—and it is Liuprand, the golden prince, who speaks to her soul. This passion is as treasonous as it is powerful, poisoning the kingdom’s roots and threatening to tear the already shattered realm in two.

For Agnes’s final order is the gravest: She must not fall in love.

Life: A Love Story by. Elizabeth Berg

In this warm, intimate novel, a woman celebrates the joy she finds in the ordinary things in life and discovers it’s never too late to start new adventures. By the New York Times bestselling author of The Story of Arthur Truluv and Open House

Florence “Flo” Greene is nearing the end of her life, and she decides to leave her house and an account of her life for Ruthie, the younger woman who grew up next door, moved away, and still is like a surrogate daughter. As Flo writes to Ruthie about the meaning of beloved things in her home and about events in her past, she also tries new adventures of her own. She intervenes in the lives of friends in her neighborhood.

Flo’s project has been to encourage Teresa, a wise but unconfident woman, to open her heart to romance. Flo goes to the library to get advice from Mimi, a librarian. She encourages Ruthie, who is contemplating divorce, to try again with her husband, by sharing a startling secret long buried about Flo’s own seemingly perfect husband and marriage.

In her final weeks, Flo leaves an indelible mark on others, as this moving novel celebrates life, change, and ways to discover new happiness, friendship, and love.

Queen of the Night Sky by. Amalie Howard

The sequel to The Starlight Heir and the epic conclusion to the romantasy duology that Rebecca Yarros calls, “a breathtaking, sexy romantasy full of twists and adventure.”

The Kingdom of Oryndhr has been saved by the will of the Royal Stars. But King Roshan, once Sura’s best friend and chosen love, has changed. She can sense corruption growing in him, and her own magic is being twisted by his command to dangerous ends. As dreams of her strange shadow guardian return in force, she is left unsure of her path—and of her heart.

When an attempt on her life leads to her rescue on the back of an azdaha, the dragon-like creature she once thought a myth, Sura truly finds herself in uncharted territory—in a land far beyond Oryndhyr’s borders. Everlea is full of magic, ruled by the deadly and enigmatic Night King, Darrius. And to Sura’s shock, Darrius is none other than the man in her dreams…and possibly her soul fated mate.

As a prophecy unfolds, the old gods awaken, and a war between kingdoms looms, Sura has no she must fully embrace her destiny as Starkeeper and the entirety of her power before it’s too late. But all power comes at a cost…and darkness has a way of slithering into the smallest spaces.

Queen of the Night Sky is a lush, fast-paced romantasy inspired by Indian and Persian mythology,

Open door spice “Why choose” trope Yearning and heartache Magic system inspired by Vedic astrology

Love Song by. Elle Kennedy

New York Times bestselling author Elle Kennedy returns with her signature heat and humor for a Briar universe standalone romance featuring the next generation Off-Campus characters―where one unforgettable summer changes everything.

After a brutal breakup, college junior Blake Logan escapes to her family’s lake house in Tahoe, determined to shut out the world. Her plan is simple: no men, no drama. Until Wyatt Graham shows up. Four years older and far too good at getting under her skin, Wyatt is the living embodiment of a “bad idea,” and the guy who shattered her pride when she confessed her crush at sixteen.

With his music career stalled, Wyatt has come to Tahoe for inspiration. The last thing he expects is to find it with Blake. He’s spent years keeping his distance, convinced he’s all wrong for her, but she’s no longer the innocent girl he once knew. She’s confident, captivating, and impossible to ignore. And the slow-burning tension between them? It’s catching fire fast.

They both know this can’t last, but one reckless kiss turns into another, and soon they’re tangled in something that feels dangerously like more. Just as they finally give in to the pull, tragedy tears them apart, leaving their hearts in pieces.

But forgetting that one, nearly perfect summer? Not a chance. And when fate brings them together again, Blake and Wyatt must decide if this is a second chance…or the final verse.

Mayhem and the Mortal by. Shanora Williams

One mission. One curse. No escape.

Zaira doesn’t want a hero. She needs a weapon.

To save her sister from a soul-devouring curse, she has to cross The Shallows—a nightmare landscape of ruined magic, shifting paths, and vicious creatures that eat people alive.

Her guide? Thane sorcerer, assassin, walking red flag. His name clears rooms. His magic kills quietly. And whatever he’s really after, it’s not salvation.

He promises to help. He might even mean it.

But Zaira knows better than to trust a liar with a blade and ice in his veins.

She just doesn’t have a choice.

Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | TikTok (TikTok)

Never Ever After by. Sue Lynn Tan | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: Never Ever After (#1)

Author: Sue Lynn Tan

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 10/28/25

Categories: Chinese Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Young Adult, Series

Not all fairy tales end happily ever after in this Cinderella-inspired fantasy by the bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

Yining stopped believing in dreams the day her beloved uncle died. Driven to survive, she’s become a good thief and an even better liar. When she acquires an enchanted ring that could yield the key to a better life, it is stolen by her grasping stepaunt, and Yining must venture into the imperial heart of the Iron Mountains to seize it back.
Amid the grandeur of the palace, Yining catches the eye of the ruthless and ambitious Prince Zixin, who tempts her with a world she’s never imagined. But nothing is as it seems as she’s soon trapped in a tangle of power, treachery, and greed-her only ally a cunning advisor from a rival court who keeps dangerous secrets of his own. Desperate to secure her freedom, Yining embarks on a perilous quest where she must choose who to trust, unravel the mystery of her past, and fight for a future that both frightens and calls to her.

Content Warning: violence, death, animal death

+ The beginning of this fantasy book is Cinderella-inspired for sure. Yining is a young woman who is surviving as a thief under the guardianship of her step-aunt. Her Uncle was the one who took care of her but when he dies, she ends up with her step-aunt, who is always getting in trouble. But one day Yining comes across a magic carp who gives her a wooden ring, a gift, from her mom who she never knew. Yining isn’t supposed to take off the ring but an incident happens where it does come off – the thief being her aunt and she attends the Prince’s ball to find her aunt and the ring. But this Cinderella story has a big twist, where the Prince isn’t exactly charming.

+~ Though I did like how this story started, I do think the beginning moved a little slow as we try to figure out Prince Zixin’s personality and motivations. He seems like a charming prince, but then Yining finds out more about him and her mind changes. On the other hand there is Jin who is part of the envoy from Thorn Valley. Yining strikes a bargain with him to get her ring back from the prince. I did enjoy the second half of the story where there is more action, and we learn about Yining’s mysterious past. I enjoyed the political intrigue happening between the different kingdoms.

+ This looks a love triangle is brewing. Jin and Yining get close, but can she trust him? Then she finds out something about the Prince that can’t make her totally hate him, but I don’t know why at the end it felt like something could be explored between them too? I’m glad it doesn’t end with either guy because there is more to explore about Yining and her past. But it will be interesting to see which guy comes out the winner in her eyes.

~ I’m sure this will be more explored in book two but it would be nice to have more information about the magic. And I think that will all happen on Mist Island, or at least I hope. Because there are many magical elements in this story, a magic carp, a dragon, nature magic, but I don’t feel like we get to know much about it in this book, so hopefully we get it in the next one.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I thought pacing was an issue and I loved the second half more than the first off. Starting off as a Cindrerella-inspired story was intriguing but the story changes and soon it doesn’t resemble the fairy tale at all. I enjoyed the political intrigue and even the love triangle because I can’t tell who Yining will choose in the end. I’d love to learn more about the magic system so I hope we can get that in book two.

Read if you like:

Cinderella-inspired/Chinese Fairytale
love triangle
magic, magical animals

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Heart of the Sun Warrior by. Sue Lynn Tan | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by. Sue Lynn Tan | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Serpent’s Sin by. Kathryn Ann Kingsley | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: The Serpent’s Sin (Bloodlines, #2)

Author: Kathryn Ann Kingsley

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 318

Publication Date: 1/23/26

Categories: Dark Romance, Vampires, Fae

To destroy the vampires who killed her family… she must become one of them.

Nadi is trapped in a deadly alliance with Raziel Nostrom. After a honeymoon soaked in blood and desire, they make a pact—to take down his criminal family together.

Now Nadi is at the heart of the Nostrom empire, pretending to be a vampire. If her act slips even for a moment, they will tear her apart.

Raziel holds Nadi’s life in his hands. And her heart… His wicked smile sets her body aflame, drawing her closer and closer. Still, he is a born killer—alluring and utterly ruthless. He could turn on her in an instant.

But Raziel is not the only one in his family with a taste for betrayal…

When his brother and sister approach her with proposals of their own, Nadi faces a desperate choice. Will she stand by Raziel, as the world turns against him? Or seize the perfect chance to destroy his family forever?

Content Warning: violence, death, torture, abuse

+ I like how Nadi and Raziel are always circling around each other, pushing, pulling, not sure what to make of what they are together. Because Nadi has had many changes to kill Raziel, and vice versa but here they are, not dead, but still with one another, not wanting to admit that maybe their relationship has changed into something different. They can’t put the words to it yet and I’m glad because as much as I want them to fall for one another, I didn’t want it to happen quickly because he killed her family. She has to work through some of those complicated feelings of hate turning into love.

+ We learn more about Raziel in book two! He’s just a morally black sadistic killer in book one, but in this book we know more about what he endured when he was growing up, how his family treated and how the things he loves gets taken away from him. I warmed up to him and realize he is a broken vampire with lots of issues and I can see why he hates his family. I like seeing him vulnerable but I also don’t want to see him lose his killer edge – and can’t wait to see what happens in book three.

+ I like that the spice is creative! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 And it meets my expectations of how I assume Raziel would be in bed, so I’m glad he lives up to it. I love how as their relationship changes it shows in the spice also, sometimes dominating, sometimes soft, sometimes desperate. And speaking of their relationship, what a journey it goes through in this story! There are so many trust issues but that ending…I think that ending says it all about what they mean to one another and I love it. I am rooting for them.

~ This is a short book at barely over 300 pages which I love but I also wish it was 350 pages. Here I am complaining about books being too long these days and now I want this one to be longer! 😅. Again, it is light on the world-building but we did get a little more here because we are introduced to another vampire family, and we learn more about Raziel’s family. There are games afoot, and everyone is trying to entice Nadi to be on their side and she has to try and play it right. Though there is family political intrigue between the siblings, it’s never anything heavy – this is a light fantasy read, mostly all vibes, so it’s not like the cat and mouse game between any of them is super intense with surprising plot twists. At times I don’t even feel like Raziel and Nadi is staying ahead of anyone – they keep getting trapped, maybe because of their feelings for one another being their weakness? I’m not sure. Even the violence I feel could be more intense but it isn’t. But I don’t mind because this is one of those addictive reads that you can consume really quick.

Final Thoughts:

This one lived up to my expectations because I like seeing how Nadi and Raziel’s complicated relationship unfolds. I love them together and their spice is just right as much as their questions about what they feel for one another. They are becoming Bonnie and Clyde and I love it. I’m glad we learn about Raziel and his family. And that cliffhanger ending makes me eager for book three right away – I’m glad I don’t have to wait long because it comes out in July! This is an addictive series, light on the world building and easy to consume, I’m really enjoying it so far.

Read if you like:

mermaid/vampire
light world-building
kinky spice, power dynamics
to kill or not to kill
family drama/politics
complicated relationships

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Serpent’s Bride by. Kathryn Ann Kingsley | Book Review

Weekly Wrap Up | 3/15/26

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ So we had warnings of severe weather, this week starting on Tuesday, and though it did rain hard during the night, the days were okay with scattered showers here and there, from Tuesday-Thursday. Then they called off school for Friday. Kids were excited for an early Spring Break…but Friday came and it was like a Category 1 Hurricane outside! but it wasn’t…it was just a storm with severe weather. The wind was whipping, the rain was going sideways, it was all day from evening to evening. We lost power at 11:30am and as I’m typing this on Saturday at 2:14pm, we still don’t have power so it has been now…27 hours. The food in my fridge is all bad by now. I’ve been throwing out things here and there. But I’m bummed because food is so expensive right now, not to mention gas…sigh…so it was QUITE a weekend. (Update on 3/15/26: power came back on at 11:30pm last night! Thank god!)

+ But my hubby and my son got to escape our power outage yesterday because they hopped on a plane to Osaka, Japan for Spring Break. I’m hoping the sun comes back out sometime this week so we can salvage my daughter’s Spring Break.

+ The power outage left me with just one thing I could really do because scrolling on social media ate up my phone battery. So I read a lot at least! Ebooks and physical books!

Blog Posts:

The Poison Daughter by. Sheila Masterson | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
New Book Releases This Week | 3/10/26
Book Titles With Numbers | TTT | Top Ten Tuesday | 3/10/26
WWW Wednesday | 3/11/26
Eternal is the Night by. Alayna Ravenwood| ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Let’s Talk Bookish: Immersive Reading | 3/13/26
Life: A Love Story by. Elizabeth Berg | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
The Serpent’s Bride by. Kathryn Ann Kingsley | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spotlight | Dawn in Ruins by. Magda Mizzi

Books I Finished

The Serpent’s Bride by. Kathryn Ann Kingsley
The Serpent’s Sin by. Kathryn Ann Kingsley
While You Were Seething by. Charlotte Stein
Seek the Traitor’s Son by. Veronica Roth
Tethered by. Elayna R. Gallea

Currently Reading:

Never Ever After by. Sue Lynn Tan
The Thorn Queen by. Sasha Peyton Smith
The Summer of Second Chances by. K.L. Walther
Japanese Gothic by. Kylie Lee Baker

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

+ Bruno Mars, The Romantic, is on repeat!

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Instagram | Tiktok

Spotlight | Dawn in Ruins by. Magda Mizzi

I was asked to read and review this book but I tried to read it and have been struggling to get into the story. The beginning of the story feels like I missed a whole lot of information, it jumps right into the story and after some research it seems this is a spin-off of another series, called Fractured Reality. I think I will have to read that series first.

Book Details:

Title: Dawn in Ruins
Author: Madga Mizzi
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian
Pages: 293
Published: 10/5/25
Buy the Book: Amazon
Book Links: Goodreads

About the Book:

The world ended in silence. The fight for what’s left will not.

Ten months after the collapse, teenager Annie’s world has shattered, and with it, everything she once believed about monsters. They don’t always lurk in shadows. Sometimes they wear uniforms. Sometimes they wear the faces of those you love.

In the ruins of Sydney, Annie finds an unlikely ally in Jude—a half-infected boy marked by virus and twisted science. His strange, dangerous abilities make him both a threat and their best hope. But the line between abomination and saviour is thinner than either imagined.

Haunted by what was done to him, Jude carries scars deeper than flesh. Meanwhile, Annie’s younger brother, Lucas, remains a prisoner, infected and altered. If she doesn’t reach him soon, Lucas will face the same fate that nearly destroyed Jude—experiments that don’t just scar flesh but twist what it means to be human.

As secrets unravel and the origin of the virus comes to light, Jude learns a devastating his connection to the outbreak is deeper, darker, and far more personal than he ever imagined.

Together, Annie and Jude race through a city where every shadow hides a threat. When they are torn apart, survival becomes more than a mission—it becomes a to endure, to protect, and to bring each other back from whatever hell awaits.

From the shattered edges of the Fractured Reality universe comes a story of desperate hope and fierce loyalty—because in a world this ruined, some things are lost forever. But some are worth risking everything to save.