Blood & Betrayals by. Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Blood & Betrayals (Avalon University, #1)

Author: Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 1026

Publication Date: 3/23/25

Categories: Romantasy, Dark Academia, Series

Fear, Fury and Fire.

To Know is Not Enough.

Power flows through the ancient halls of Avalon University like a neverending flood. Admission to the elite institution enables students to hone their magic under the watchful eye of their icy headmaster.

Summer Tuatha De Daanan planned to slide through her tenure at Avalon, unnoticed and inconspicuous. She has no interest in learning more about her past or why someone applied to the school on her behalf. Her emotional walls keep everyone at bay, and her sharp tongue makes people give her a wide berth. Yet, despite her best attempts, her emotional armor begins to melt from her feral vampire roommate to the angelic senior who is never dissuaded by her feigning disinterest. Maybe this could be good for her, a new life. Yet, dark secrets lurk in the halls of Avalon, and soon those same halls are drenched in blood.

Summer finds herself as the obsession of the sadistic stalker with the Seven lessons to learn. With the help of her new friends, she races against the clock to solve the mystery, hoping to save lives and catch the killer before it’s too late.

Content Warning: violence, death

I saw this on Kindle Unlimited and saw it was dark academia and took a chance on it. Here are my thoughts:

~ Right off the bat, I will say this book did not have to be 1026 pages – although on my ipad where I was reading it, it said 703 pages. This book didn’t have to be anything above 350 pages, or less. I really wish someone took a scalpel to this story and I don’t mean that in a bad way. There was a story but it was hard to find it with all the extra fluff.

+ The things I did like? Summer is a Freshman at Avalon University – lots of different species go there: fae, angels, vampires, shifters, sorcerers, etc…they are there to hone their magic. So I expected the typical dark academia story and we do get that: there is sex, there is romance, there is drama and also a serial killer? I liked Summer’s (a fae) new friendship with Alice (a vampire), and seeing them grow into best-friends. I liked the Morningstar brothers, especially Connor who becomes Summer’s boyfriend – he’s good and a he’s a golden retriever. I even liked some of the silly relationship drama. A lot of this story made me laugh because some things were getting ridiculous!

~ But why are these characters 27-30 years old and act like teenagers? Why didn’t they just make them 18-21? There was no need to make them older unless it’s because of the spicy scenes? 🤷🏻‍♀️. Speaking of characters – there is a mystery character that I hope will be revealed in book two.

+~ Summer, the FMC, has a secret past. It’s so secret and troubling for her, she doesn’t even want to talk about being a Fae. Apparently their realm has been wiped off the face of the planet or realm world. So we basically learn nothing about her. I know she loves sex with Connor, because they have it every other chapter and there is….almost 80+ chapters?! She loves when men think she is hot, even though she loves Connor. She does love Alice, and that was a relationship I did like seeing grow. She has power she hasn’t tapped into yet. But yeah…I was fine that she was needy and needed attention, but…I wish their relationship didn’t drag out for 700 pages.

~ The romance started out cute. Connor is a good guy, and I think he’s why I kept reading because a good guy like him is hard to find in books. He’s a unicorn – he doesn’t get jealous? Like…what? And look I like my MMC’s bad, and filled with trauma…so Connor was actually refreshing. Maybe boring, but I thought it was cute how much he loved Summer. And okay so she’s never been loved and he has the perfect family full of love, but what was up with her flirting with other guys? If that’s the case, then make it a reverse-harem! Let her explore, let Connor be open to it …but that’s not how this story goes and this girl is making emotional connections with someone online she calls Stranger? Just…NO. Even though he sounds intriguing. I was ready to be all in on Connor and Summer’s love story if she just didn’t search for more, in other guys. Connor was done dirty and he didn’t deserve it. But the romance was 95% of this book! It’s about Connor and Summer dating, having lots of sex, and moving on to talking about marriage. Also, Summer’s nickname for Connor is “Big Guy” and she says it a lot. I didn’t mind him calling her Babe all the time, but the Big Guy was said way too much. Another issue I had…the spicy scenes, it was quantity over quality. This story made me wish for a good quality, creative, steamy scene instead of all the ones we got.

~ So there is a mystery serial killer on the loose? Nothing much happens with that storyline except halfway into the book, and a little more at the end. There is no urgency and Summer is always leaving the safety of her dorm, to venture out for a jog alone even though she knows someone is out there killing girls that look like her. The story could have been tighter and maybe the threat of a killer more thrilling if a lot of the fluff was cut out.

+ Speaking of Connor – the ending is emotional, and I was surprised how much I felt about him, since I almost DNF’d the book a few times. Why didn’t I DNF? I actually wanted to see if something would happen in the story, other than the romance portion of the story. 😅 And the story is so easy to consume since it’s light on the world-building. Also maybe I wanted to torture myself and couldn’t believe how many times this couple had spicy scenes or how many times Summer said Big Guy so I had to see it through to the end. 😂

Final Thoughts:

This story needed major editing, because it didn’t need to be as long as it is. I also needed more depth from the characters and it would be nice if they acted their age (which is supposed to be late 20’s/early thirties). I kept reading because I wanted to see if something would actually happen with the serial killer, but most of this book was about Summer and Connor’s romance which moved fast and had spicy scenes every other chapter. Yet, I was bored with the spice. And then Summer talking to other guys and flirting with them even though she is so in love with Connor? Yeah….poor Connor. My 2.5 stars goes to Connor, the friendship with Alice and the ending where we finally get some action. It does end with a cliffhanger though…so am I reading book two? Most likely – but will I DNF it if it is as long as this one and she’s trying to figure out how she feels about three guys, then maybe! 😅.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Birthstone Book Covers: March – Aquamarine |2026

The original creator of this book tag is **Leslie @ Books Are The New Black** so go check out her blog!

THE RULES

Mention the creator (Leslie @ Books Are The New Black ) and link back to me so I can see your post!
Pick 5+ book covers that match the current month’s Birthstone.
HAVE FUN!
Nominate people if you want!

Let’s find some book covers in this color:

King of Beasts by. Catherine Doyle

*****

Catch Her if You Can by. Tessa Bailey

*****

King of Ravens by. Clare Sager

*****

Hollow by. Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti

*****

A Curse of Shadows and Ice by. Catharina Maura

I nominate everyone! It’s a fun and easy tag to do so try it out. ☺️

Half City by. Kate Golden | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Half City (Harker Academy, #1)

Author: Kate Golden

Format: hardcover and ebook

Pages: 496

Publication Date: 2/17/26

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Dark Academia, Series, Romance, Paranormal, Mystery

Welcome to Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. Keep your daggers sharp, and your wits even sharper.

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

She also happens to be a demon hunter.

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

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

Content Warning: violence, death

+ Set in an alternate Earth, Harker Academy is a place for demon hunters to learn and train to hone their skills. Viv trained since she was a child with her father, who was a hunter – but he never told her about this school. So when Viv gets an invitation to attend, she goes for the sole purpose of finding out more about her father. Being at Harker Academy open Viv to a whole new world and some secrets revealed leads to betrayal. I loved all the paranormal elements and the fights with different species and monsters. I also was invested in the mystery aspect of the story.

+ I like Viv but she definitely has her stubborn moments. She’s dealing with grief and guilt, but she also is the black sheep in the family. Her mom is running for mayor and it’s all about being proper and keeping up with appearances in her family but Viv is a hunter. And aeon hunter at that so the desire to hunt and kill is strong in her blood, not politics. At first she is someone who doesn’t want to get close to people, she has a best friend she loves dearly in the mortal plane, but at Harker she meets hunters like her and I loved how she grows. She is at times impulsively because of her aeon blood that is hyper-focused on stalking her prey, but she learns the longer she’s at Harker that maybe getting help is a good thing.

+ I loved the secondary characters like Sophia (her roommate), and her other new friends Peter and Eliot. I thought there was a good balance of academia and action in the book. I liked both the scenes of Viv learning in her classes and also being out in the streets hunting.

+ The romance is a slow burn between student and teacher but I really liked how it progressed. Reid is a demon but allowed to teach at Harker, even though he is the enemy. But throughout the story we get to know a little more about him each time and I love how eventually their attraction grows and they learn they work better together than separate – since Viv is stubborn enough to not listen to him. And the spice between them was nice!

~ There is a very abrupt cliffhanger ending! I’m so happy book two comes out this year as well.

~ Viv is leading a double life, she spends all her time at Harker, which is on another plane, and she’s lying to her family and best friend of where she is living. But I didn’t know how she could pull off not showing up to work for 3 weeks – it works out too conveniently for her.

Final Thoughts:

I loved this book, and can’t wait for book two which comes out this year. I’m so glad we don’t have to wait too long!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Toe to Toe by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Toe to Toe

Author: Falon Ballard

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 3/10/26

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Ballet and Dance, Sports Romance

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

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

It takes two to tango.

Allegra Hart has been working her whole life to achieve one goal: become a principal ballerina. When her director starts holding auditions for the lead role in the company’s latest production, Allegra sees this as her chance—maybe her last chance.

The catch? The director wants someone with sex appeal, and he doesn’t think she’s up to the task. Determined to prove him wrong, Allegra enlists the help of the lead dancer of an all-male revue, Cord Donovan, a classically trained dancer who is also the sexiest man she’s ever met. In exchange for lessons on how to ramp up her sex appeal, she promises to help Cord choreograph a new partner piece for his show.

As they practice their moves on and off the stage, Allegra and Cord find themselves battling a growing attraction, all the more illicit because Cord has sworn to never partner with a ballerina. Allegra is determined not to let a man derail her career, but what if she could have both love and success? Or will her involvement with Cord jeopardize everything she’s worked for?

Content Warning: sexual harassment, mental health

+ This book has Center Stage x Magic Mike vibes which I thought was really fun. Allegra is a ballerina who is trying so hard to become a principal dancer in her company – but the next show calls for a leading lady who is sexy and her technique is perfect but the director doesn’t feel she has sex appeal. When she sees Cord Donovan dance in a male-revue show, she knows what she has to do – ask him for help so she can learn how to be sexy.

+ I loved the whole ballerina falling for a male-revue dancer. Now, Cord is not a stripper – he has a whole male revue show that includes handsome men removing some of their clothing and doing lap dances but it’s all about dance too. Cord has a history with ballet he doesn’t want to ever remember again, but Allegra being a ballerina makes him face his conflicting feelings about ballet. I loved everything about the dances in both genres, and how Allegra finally learns to appreciate herself and her body. The story does touch on issues that people in the dance world deal with like eating habits, discipline, drive, pushing their bodies, being treated abusively by the director of a company, and sexual harassment.

+ The romance was full of chemistry between Cord and Allegra. We have two dancers doing different kinds of dance and Cord pushes Allegra in many ways to help her be sexy so there are some very tense moments between them and some spicy ones too but I was surprised how there wasn’t more spice – but I think the dances and training between them was the teasing and foreplay.

~ The conflict between Allegra and Cord was tough. Cord cannot support ballet because of what he and his sister went through when they were younger in the world of ballet. He saw the sexual harassment and knew how toxic the ballet world could be – he even sees it in Allegra who is very focused on getting the role and being principal. I could totally understand why he didn’t support ballet. But I could also understand Allegra who worked all her life since she was 3 years old and gave her life to this career path. She had to choose between Cord and ballet, because he wouldn’t support ballet. I just wanted her to do something about the sexual harassment she was receiving from her director though – but that’s just me, I know realistically many people don’t report it because they are afraid of repercussions with their job, so I had to let it go, and wish the best for her.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one, I just didn’t enjoy how Allegra couldn’t do much about the sexual harassment she was enduring to get the role of her life. But outside of that, I love the Center Stage x Magic Mike vibes, since I’m a big fan of Center Stage and I could see the different elements from the movie. I love the chemistry and tension between Cord and Allegra from start to finish and I was rooting hard for their happily ever after. They had to work through some things but eventually get there.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Something Wicked by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Just My Type by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Lease on Love by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Let’s Talk Bookish: Women Who’ve Shaped Your Reading Life | 3/6/26

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 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?

**********

Was there (or is there) a woman in your life who sparked your love for reading?

A few! I grew up in a house with many people, there were like 5 families, it was a multigenerational household. The matriarch of the house was my Aunt Linda, my dad’s sister-in-law, had historical romance paperbacks on a shelf in the living room. I would look at them but was too young to read them, but I was already fascinated with the covers, a woman in a gown, guy with long hair (Fabio?! lol). It definitely made me curious. But I have an older cousin named Vicky, 10 years older than me, and she was from the Philippines, moved to the Big Island, then moved to Oahu and lived with us so she could go to school to become a medical assistant. She had Sweet Valley High books, and Sweet Dreams books!

She passed down all her books to my sister and I since she felt like she outgrew them. But while she wasn’t reading teen romances anymore…she moved on to historical romances and one of them was Judith McNaught. I don’t know if I just went into her room and borrowed it or how it ended up in my hands but as a teenager, I was hooked on historically romances along with young adult books. So a big thank you to my cousin Vicky!

Who was the first woman author you remember loving?

Judith McNaught. My sister and I were obsessed! We read all the books my cousin had and then fell into a rabbit hole of historical romance authors!

Do you tend to read more books by women authors and do you think that’s for a reason?

Yes, I do. I feel like so many books in high school, the classics, were mostly male authors. And honestly…it was fine but I felt like I didn’t relate much to them. But when I read female authors…wow…the connection. When I read all the romance I could find at my high school library I did read male authors like Stephen King, Nelson Demille, Dan Brown, but I always went back to women authors because I just relate more.

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

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!

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?

Heart of Mischief by. Emma Noyes | ALC and ARC Review | Audiobook and Ebook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: Heart of Mischief (Soul of Shadow, #2)

Author: Emma Noyes

Narrator(s): Emily Pike Stewart

Format: audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400 Listening Time: Approximately 12 hours

Publication Date: 3/10/26

Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Norse Mythology

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

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

The thrilling sequel to Soul of Shadow, a contemporary romantasy for fans of Twilight, and Teen Wolf, where love, magic, gods, and monsters collide with devastating consequences – featuring beautiful color, designed endpapers and a foil case stamp for a stunning package.

I will make myself strong.
I will find Elias.
I will kill Elias.
I will never trust a boy with my heart again.

These are the vows Charlie Hudson made the day after Elias Everhart betrayed her, nearly killing everyone she loves most. One month later, revenge is still her priority, even as she navigates a harsh new reality: one where her brother and friends can now see Asgard, making them just as susceptible to its dazzling delights – and deadly dangers – as she is.

But when two bodies turn up in the forest outside town, and Elias waltzes back into her life with an offer to help find out what’s happening, Charlie finds herself accepting his offer—but only because feigning an alliance is her best chance to figure out how to kill him. And if it feels like the more time she spends with him, the more her heart softens, it must be a trick of the unusually warm fall air. Because there’s no way she would make the grave mistake of falling for Elias Everhart twice… right?

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I had an immersive experience with this book – I listened to it as an audiobook and also read parts of it as an ebook. The audiobook is so good, 5 stars goes to the narrator who really had me invested in this story! I’m glad I had the ebook as well because the Norse names for places and creatures was helpful seeing in written form.

+ I love this series because it’s a young adult contemporary fantasy but with Norse Mythology which is different from what’s out there right now. I get to learn more about the mythology and it’s full of monsters, and action. In this story we also get to see Helheim, Loki’s domain.

+ Though this is young adult, I feel like as an older adult reading it and listening to it, it’s a fun book! I really enjoy the family themes of the book, which lends a lot of emotion to the story. Charlie and Mason’s relationship, which is strained from the ending of book one, is something Charlie tries to fix in this book. Also, they both have conflicted feelings about learning that they are Loki’s children – why did he not want them? We don’t get more answers in this one, but I hope it will all be explained in book three. I also enjoy the teenage friendships in this story – Charlie has a good group of friends behind her but she is trying to work through a lot of guilt after events in book one.

+ I know Elias tried to kill her and her friends in book one but this boy is so flirtatious, I don’t blame Charlie for falling for him again. I love them together and he seems changed plus we get to know more of his backstory. I’m definitely rooting for them!

+ Henry, the gnome, how can you not love him?

+~ I think with this sequel, because it’s more about Charlie training with Elias, and her friend Abigail trying to decode the riddle, most of the action comes at the end of the book. I didn’t mind it though because I liked seeing Elias hanging out with Charlie and her friends. Plus there are a lot of complicated feelings there that Charlie has to work through. Also, as a sequel, I didn’t feel like this was filler, the story actually does move along.

Final Thoughts:

This series has been so enjoyable so far! I love the characters, the family and friendship themes, all the Norse mythology and the romance. I’m excited to see what comes next in book three!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Soul of Shadow by. Emma Noyes | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A Vow in Vengeance by. Jaclyn Rodriguez | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: A Vow in Vengeance (Immortal Desires, #1)

Author: Jaclyn Rodriguez

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 471

Publication Date: 1/13/26

Categories: Romantasy, Dark Academia, Romance, Series

Deadly tarot, wicked schemes, dangerous alliances . . . can you survive the Forge?

Sexy, action-packed, and brimming with magic, A Vow in Vengeance is an unputdownable romantasy debut.

Rune Ryker has nothing left to lose. Everything’s been stolen by the Immortals—her family, her home, her freedom. But she’s done playing by their rules.

Each year, humans are forced to journey into the Immortal Realms, but twenty-year-old Rune orchestrates her own selection, determined to find her family and destroy anyone who stands in her way. Rune is used to doing whatever it takes to survive, and now she must endure the Forge, a cutthroat college for the Immortal druids’ elusive tarot magic. When Rune’s magic reveals itself to be the rarest and most powerful, she must live with its only other wielder—Prince Draven. As arrogant as he is ruthlessly ambitious, he’s the last person she can trust.

Rune’s abilities also draw the eyes of the most dangerous druids in the realms. Some want to use her. More want her dead. Draven offers to train her . . . for a price. As Rune becomes ensnared in Draven’s dangerous games, she learns there are secrets at the heart of the kingdom that some will kill to protect.

And Rune and Draven’s growing attraction may be the spark to ignite a brewing war.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I’m always fascinated to see how an author will use tarot magic in a story and I thought the way it was done in this book was interesting. This world comprises of druids, changelings, seraphs, and elves. There is a lot of history between each kingdom, and politics between them kept me invested. The story takes place at the Forge Academy where the chosen ones are sent to learn about the magic tied to their cards. Like with most dark academia books, the characters are there to learn, train for battle and learn to get along. There’s also some drama.

+ Rune is a Wraith on the run with a secretive background. She needs to be chosen in the selection because she it will bring her one step closer into looking for her family. I liked Rune because she’s sassy and strong. Prince Draven and Rune catch each other’s eye right away, and they get into a dislike to like relationship that is full with fun bickering.

+ I enjoyed Rune getting to know the other students at the academy and I thought her growing friendship with Ember was cute. She is definitely finding her found family at this academy.

+~ The attraction between Rune and Draven is obvious but they are always fighting and then they get into a fake fated mates situation tied with the politics going between the different kingdoms. The fake situation helps Draven get himself out of an engagement and he promises to help Rune find her parents. I actually enjoyed the way their romance progresses. Clearly they are attracted to one another. The romance has some drama and angst. And I’m not sure why I was expecting a lot of spice in this, but I was wrong – there is a lot of flirting but it’s low on the spice meter.

+ I loved the ending where the twists happen! I wasn’t expecting it at all. It was a little unexpected violence, but it really made an emotional impact in the story. There are a few secrets, twists and betrayals in this one.

Final Thoughts:

Tarot magic will always fascinate me I think. I would have liked to learn more about the magic, because tarot magic seems always so complicated. I liked the world building with the different Immortals, Rune’s story about finding her family, and her romance with Draven. I really like the twist at the end where a lot of the action shows up. I thought this was pretty good debut and we’ll see what happens in book two.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

WWW Wednesday | 3/3/26

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?

It’s March, which is crazy…I have a feeling the months are going to fly from here on out. Kind of looking forward to it and not. But let’s see what I’m reading!

What are you currently reading?

The Poison Daughter by. Sheila Masterson – 5%

Eternal is the Night by. Alayna Ravenwood – arc – 17%

The Shippers by. Katherine Centers – alc – 20%

Daggermouth by. H.M. Wolfe – I’m doing a re-read because I miss being in this world and have to pass the time before book two comes out lol.

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

What have you just finished reading?

The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by. Takuya Asakura – arc – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Life: A Love Story by. Elizabeth Berg – arc – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Deathly Fates by. Tesia Tsai- audiobook – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Half City by. Kate Golden – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What are you going to read next?

Never Ever After by. Sue Lynn Tan

The Bloody and the Damned by. Becca Coffindaffer

Cruel Angel by. Rebecca Kenney

Japanese Gothic by. Kylie Lee Baker

The Thorn Queen by. Sasha Peyton Smith

What are YOU reading right now?

The Library of Amorlin by. Kalyn Josephson| ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: The Library of Amorlin (The Age of Beasts, #1)

Author: Kalyn Josephson

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 3/3/26

Publisher: Erewhon Books

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, 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 Erewhon Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A brilliant con artist and a secretive librarian collide in New York Times bestselling author Kalyn Josephson’s enchanting new adult fantasy debut packed with twists, tricks, and magical creatures, perfect for fans of S.A. MacLean’s The Phoenix Keeper and The Book that Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence.

Kasira used to be a masterful con choosing her target, building trust, judging the precise moment to make her move. Now, she’s working off a lengthy prison sentence by hunting dangerous magical creatures on behalf of the fanatical kingdom of Kalthos.

But Kasira’s past catches up to her when the ambassador from Kalthos arrives at her camp with a her freedom in exchange for infiltrating and destabilizing the magical institution meant to protect all six kingdoms—the Library of Amorlin.

When Kasira assumes the role of the new Assistant Librarian, she enters an enchanting world brimming with books and beasts, tempting her with a life she can never have. But Kasira’s real future depends on her long con to bring down the Librarian. Unfortunately, Allaster is as prickly as he is handsome, and his monstrous secrets are about to catch up with them both . . .

Content Warning: death, violence

+ First off, I love this book cover and might have to get the book trophy for my shelf. It’s one of the reasons why I requested this book on NetGalley. Also, it’s about a library? So I had to read it.

+ The world building is great. The Library of Amorlin is a neutral, and independent body of the 6 kingdoms surrounding it. There is a political battle going on – a religion that deems beasts to be monsters and sympathizing with them a sin, is sweeping the kingdoms. The Library is a place of study, and sanctuary to some of these wild beasts in the land. It’s not a library in the common sense, but a place to research and study the beasts and other things about all the kingdoms. The Librarian in this space is powerful and almost it’s own ruler of the Library, it’s Assistant, the second in command. But an Ambassador from one of these kingdoms will do anything and everything to infiltrate the Library, and take it for it’s own uses and power. There is magic in the Library, which makes this story very magical and the beasts adds to the fantasy.

+ Kasira, is our morally grey con-artist. Love her or hate her, she kept me on my toes and I was wary of her. As a kid she was taunted for being a beast sympathizer, as an adult she turned into a beast killer. But she grew up an orphan and joined a crew of con-artists to survive until a con went wrong and killed her friend. Kasira will do anything to survive. Allaster can sense something isn’t right with her and he’s right about her motives but she worms her way into everything at the Library to make them believe her con. I sympathized with her rough upbringing but oh did she frustrate me the longer she was at the Library. Her character couldn’t stop conning and lying and my patience was wearing so thin with her! But I pushed through the story because I had to see what she would choose in the end and I wasn’t disappointed.

+ I also loved the secondary characters, like the spirit leopard, Iylis! May, who is First Mage, and others.

+ There are so many twist, turns, political intrigue and moments I was surprised. But I loved it all – it kept me on my toes and I could not put the book down. I love how the con-woman was being conned and I wanted to see who was going to win out at the end! The way it ends felt satisfying but there are some things left open since this is a series.

+~ There is barely any romance in this story and maybe it’s coming in book two but this is light on the romance, with no spice at all. There are some moments of closeness. But Kasira is a liar and Allaster is distrustful (rightly so), so it all comes down to the end but I’m rooting for these two and hope Kasira can help Allaster out!

Final Thoughts:

I could not put this book down! If you like fantasy that is detailed on the world-building, but easy to read and light on the romance – definitely try this one out. I loved the magical Library and all the beasts they are protecting. I loved the politics, twist and turns that kept me on my toes and the morally-grey FMC who I didn’t trust but like Allaster, hoping I could trust by the end. I even enjoyed the very little romance between Kasira and Allaster, she with her schemes, and he with his love for the Library and everything in it. I’m looking forward to book two!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

Book Review: The Storm Crow ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

ARC Review | The Crow Rider (The Storm Crow, #2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Dark Academia Books | TTT | Top Ten Tuesday | 3/3/26

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: Genre Freebie