The Age of Blood and Magic by. Hannah Mathewson| ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: The Age of Blood and Magic

Author: Hannah Mathewson

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 432

Publication Date: 9/15/26

Publisher: William Morrow

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Paranormal, Murder Mystery

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

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

Magic built their empire. Blood will decide who rules it next. When a CEO falls, one family’s battle for control becomes a brutal game of betrayal, desire, and power in this sharp, seductive debut for fans of Succession—with fangs.

A hundred years ago, magic ran wild—belonging only to the fae, the witches, the vampires. Then the mortal Martin Maddock stole its secret. With it, he forged Mythos, a company that bottles spells for humankind. Now his descendants rule a trillion-dollar empire—and Valentina Maddock is determined to inherit its throne.

The world’s wealthiest elites descend on the Maddock estate for a lavish, ultra-exclusive weekend to unveil Mythos’s latest magical breakthrough. But when Valentina’s CEO father suddenly collapses, the race for his heir begins—and the claws come out. Valentina is pitted against her playboy brother, her brilliant scientist mother, and her father’s long-time CFO. Even the guests and staff are choosing sides—and someone intends to eliminate Valentina entirely.

Then an unexpected guest arrives: a vampire. Luc Sayle has no known ties to Mythos, yet he carries a private invitation from the CEO himself. Drawn to the enigmatic and dangerously handsome stranger, Valentina senses Luc may be her only ally. But his polished words hide a bite, forcing her to question who the true monster really is.

Set in a world of dark enchantments, glittering wealth, and cutthroat ambition, The Age of Blood and Magic blends paranormal fantasy, locked-room mystery, and romantic suspense into a razor-sharp, intoxicating tale where magic is power—and everyone’s out for blood.

Content Warning: death, drug use, toxic family

+~ This urban fantasy is about the Maddock family who is fighting for the family company and wealth, while their patriarch is on his death bed. The Maddock family have a very interesting history – they stole the secret of magic from the vampire, witches and fae and they have made an empire out of it by making it accessible and selling it. But now with Martin on his death bed and the family fighting for power, the family is vulnerable to attack. I was very invested in this story and thought the world building about the magic and tech was really interesting. Now only is there family drama between siblings, but also outside players who want to try and get a piece of the company too. There is a murder mystery in this story plus a high stakes quest to find the antidote to a poison. Would have

+ Valentina does have a trauma from her childhood, which she holds against her brother/cousin Jude. It’s a very messed up relationship but because of their past trauma, they are also always planning against one another. It’s so toxic though they don’t know who they are without one another. Valentina isn’t a likable character – but I don’t think any of the characters were – they were flawed and all had an agenda. But I was still interested to see how she was going to try to get this company from her brother and how she was going to save her life. Also there is one steamy scene but there isn’t a romance in this story.

+ There is a list of suspects and I thought a lot of the secondary characters were interesting. I was suspicious right away of the vampires. Valentina barely has any friends or allies, so it was a case of trying to find out who had something against her and I just felt like she was not doing well with trying to figure out who was trying to kill her.

~ I was very into the story but the ending is left open ended and it was unsatisfying which was a bummer. I want to know what Valentina chose to do!

Final Thoughts:

I wasn’t sure about this one with the first few chapters but then I locked in and was invested in this succession story of the Maddock family, the drama, scheming and backstabbing. There is interesting magic tech for the modern age, a murder mystery, vampires and fae so overall I was entertained but then the ending was left open ended. I was bummed about that because I really wanted to know what choice Valentina made! Still, I did enjoy this one despite how it ended.

Read if you like:

succession – family drama
vampire
murder mystery
open ending

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

WWW Wednesday | 9/16/26

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?

We are in mid-September and I feel like I’m doing good on the reading front – I don’t have a lot of arcs for the last 3 months of 2026 so I think I can fit in more non arc reads.

What are you currently reading?

The Age of Blood and Magic by. Hannah Mathewson – arc – 3%

Revived by. Bree L. Mina – arc – page 78/404

Captive Traitor King by. Brigid Kemmerer – arc – 80%

A Crown of Blood and Magick by. Amy De Le Force – arc – 23%

The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing by. Marshall J. Moore – 22%

What have you just finished reading?

Spark the Flames by. Ivy Asher (Secret of the Syphon, #1) – arc – 4.5 stars/2 🌶️

Ignite the Infernos by. Ivy Asher (Secret of the Syphon, #2) – 4 stars/2 🌶️

Stone Bound by. Jocelyn James – arc – 3 stars/1 🌶️

Captive Traitor King by. Brigid Kemmerer – 4 stars/3 🌶️

Queen of Lombard Street by. Lisa Kleypas – 4.5 stars/1🌶️

The Age of Blood and Magic by. Hannah Mathewson – arc – arc – 3.5 stars/2 🌶️

What are you going to read next?

Cursebreaker by. R.M. Gray

Firstborn by. M.J. Hastings

The Knave and the Moon by. Rachel Gillig

Steelborn by. Taylor J. LaRue

Mortal Things by. Marie Lu

What are YOU reading right now?

Stone Bound by. Jocelyn James | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Stone Bound

Author: Jocelyn James

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 350

Publication Date: 9/4/26

Publisher: Jocelyn James

Categories: Romantasy, Dark Academia, New Adult

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

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

In Anvarus, every life is divided into sectors, assigned not by choice but by the will of the Infidium. When Peyton Lancaster comes of age, she expects to follow in her father’s footsteps in the Science Sector. Instead, she is forcibly placed into Anvarus’s brutal military academy, stripped of the future she has spent her entire life preparing for and thrown into a world built on discipline, survival, and obedience.

Her situation becomes even more complicated when she discovers her commanding officer is Jude Augustine—the future prince of Anvarus, her childhood best friend, and the boy who abandoned her when she needed him most. Forced into the same chain of command, old wounds resurface alongside a tension neither of them is prepared to navigate.

Jude knows he should treat her like every other cadet, but the moment he sees her name on his roster, instinct overrides reason. He is compelled to protect her at all costs. Peyton refuses to be protected. Determined to prove she is not a liability, she throws herself into training, but her refusal to blindly comply with the academy’s rigid expectations begins to draw dangerous attention.

As the Twelfth Moon Trials approach—where cadets must fight one-on-one for the chance to earn a temper stone—Peyton finds herself walking a knife’s edge between defiance and survival. During the Trials, she nearly dies, and in that moment Jude watches his entire future fracture before his eyes. Peyton survives, but she does not leave the arena unchanged. Her temper stone awakens an ancient, forbidden power—one the Infidium would execute her for possessing.

Now Jude must balance the weight of the crown he is destined to inherit with his growing need to shield Peyton from a kingdom that would destroy her if it discovered the truth. As Peyton struggles to control a power that threatens to consume her, their loyalty to the throne, to the kingdom, and to each other is tested in ways neither of them anticipated.

In a city carved from stone and ruled by secrets, power is never freely given—and love may be the most dangerous rebellion of all.

Content Warning: violence, death

+~ I loved this book cover and title so I was intrigued about this book. It starts off with 18 year olds taking a test to determine what sector they will be in and Peyton is trying into alchemy to follow her dad’s footsteps but when that doesn’t happen and she’s thrown into the sector that basically is the military she is devastated but has to learn quick to survive. I like a story with a military academy and trials, but I didn’t understand why as new students they get thrown into sparring without being taught how to spar first. Jude is Peyton’s childhood best friend but now the leader of her unit and he does no teaching at all which was confusing. So there were moments in the book like that where there needed to be more detail or explanation about something. There were also some things mentioned at one part of the book and never touched on again so it felt disjointed in some areas.

+~ I like that there is magic but we need to learn more about the magic. So the world building is interesting but I just needed more information. I loved the found family aspect of the story but what happened with Peyton’s best friend Davina? They are close in the beginning, then get thrown into the same sector and then barely have scenes together. That was strange to me.

+ I like Peyton as a character, she has a lot of growth and is a very resilient character.

+~ For the most part I thought this was a quick read but there were grammatical errors so more editing would really be great. I had to stop and reread a phrase. Also, I enjoyed the ex-childhood friends to lovers storyline, it’s what made me keep reading but there were some awkward dialogue or moments between Peyton and Jude.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I think this one has tons of potential, especially for an indie author, it just needs some polish. I found it to be a quick read and I enjoyed the romance for the most part but would like more information on the world building and magic.

Read if you like:

military academy
trials
ex-childhood to lovers

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Audiobooks I’ve Listened to This Year | TTT | Top Ten Tuesday | 9/15/26

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: ~~Authors I’ve Met~~

Audiobooks I’ve Listened to This Year

I can’t do the topic of authors I’ve met because authors don’t come to Hawaii! 😅 So since I’m listening to an audiobook right now as I create this post – I’m just going to showcase the most recent audiobooks I’ve listened to this year.

Our Perfect Storm by. Carley Fortune

What’s on your TTT?

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

New Book Releases This Week | 9/15/26

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

Turncloak by. L.K. Steven (The Silvercloak Saga, #2)

Three rival mages race for power, vengeance, and the fate of Atherin in the epic second installment of the Silvercloak Saga, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Our Infinite Fates.

Revenge drove Saffron Killoran to go undercover in the Bloodmoon gang. But now, with any chance of retribution gone, she sees only one path forward: harnessing a long-dormant power to fix her ruinous mistakes.

Meanwhile, the new kingpin of the Bloodmoons has discovered Saffron’s true identity as a Silvercloak—and her ultimate goal of bringing his empire down. As old wounds resurface and fresh enemies close in, he finds himself torn between the cause to which he has devoted his life and the fate of the traitorous mage he loves.

Hot on their heels is an ambitious rookie detective sent to stake out the Bloodmoons’ growing rivals. She will stop at nothing to destroy both gangs—and anything or anyone who dares to stand in her way.

Caught in a cat-and-mouse game of trust and betrayal spanning continents, Saffron must choose where her loyalties lie—and determine if her quest to unmake time itself is worth becoming a villain to the whole world.

The Age of Blood and Magic by. Hannah Mathewson

Heart of Thieves by. Jessica S. Olson (The Devious, #2)

A cunning thief turns the tables on the feuding brothers who betrayed her in this thrilling conclusion to the Den of Liars Duology, perfect for fans of Powerless and Lightlark.

Lola St. James is trapped in a web of lies and deceit. But that only makes her more determined to find the truth. The truth about her past. The truth about her magic. And the truth about the curse that binds her to two warring brothers who she both hates and loves.

With the Liar’s Dice Tournament now only a painful memory, Lola dons a new alter ego, Nocturne, and creates her own elaborate game designed to lure both the Liar and the Thief into her clutches, certain this is the only way to give them a chance to break their curses.

But Lola is not the only one with plans for the brothers. When a powerful figure from their past comes back to haunt them, will Lola’s love be enough to hold them all together? Or will the lies they’ve told tear them apart forever?

Winterveil by. Ava Reid

There is no application process for Valeran Academy, but it boasts the brightest – and precociously criminal – students in the nation.

A disgraced politician from a powerful American dynasty.

A coldly brilliant strategist who will sacrifice anything to win.

A former pageant queen with a talent that could change the world.

A prodigious female soldier with an enigmatic past – and a dangerous secret.

With eerie war simulations, cutthroat competitions and foreboding new technology, Valeran trains its students to be elite assets in a Cold War that has dragged on for nearly a century. But as a sinister conspiracy takes shape and these four are drawn together for a mysterious mission, their loyalties are tested, their convictions shaken and they all begin to are they ushering in a new era of freedom, or tyranny?

A Crown of Blood of Magick by. Amy De La Force (Fated for Hael, #2)

Now Empress of Hael’stromia, Cahra is supposed to be ruling the three kingdoms. But Ozumbre is seceding, Kolyath’s nobles sow division and King Thierre of Luminaux is lost to grief. Her only solace is her magickal protector Hael, their bond deepening into something… forbidden.

When Kolyath and Luminaux are attacked by an unknown enemy, Cahra dispatches Hael, leaving her exposed. He never returns, and Wyldaern is granted a vision: Hael, beaten to within an inch of his immortality, has been captured.

Cahra must master her power if she’s to find Hael in time, but there are traitors in her midst who will do whatever it takes to strip her of her title. As friends and allies drift further out of reach, who can she rely on to save Hael – and protect the kingdoms from an enemy so mighty, it could change the fate of her world forever?

Grim Tidings by. B.K. Borison (Ghosted, #2)

Darcy Moore is tired of death. Which would be fine and good … if she wasn’t a Grim Reaper. Determined to outrun her designation as the villain, Darcy decides she won’t be dragging her next assignment to the underworld. She’ll be saving him instead.

Unfortunately for Darcy, there’s a complication in her plan. Guardian Angel Gabriel Aetos doesn’t tolerate threats to his little corner of the world, and a Grim Reaper showing up at his bar is as deadly as it gets. But when he realizes Darcy is not as she seems, Gabriel must decide if he can trust his growing feelings or hold on to his long-standing grudge.

But magic doesn’t come without consequences. And the Department of Hauntings & Spirits will eventually come calling for their missing Reaper.

A spooky yet simmering enemies-to-lovers tale to keep you warm this fall.

Tropes:
• Enemies to Lovers
• Angel x Reaper
• Grumpy x grumpy
• Guy who likes everyone except her
• Death but make it corporate
• Star-crossed lovers
• Changing your fate

The Emperor’s Enemy (Unsurvivable Love Duet, #1)

When the hunter is hunted… who becomes prey?

The Emperor’s Enemy is an addictive true enemies-to-lovers dark romantasy with a heroine who doesn’t need saving, an enemy she can’t escape, and a war neither of them plans to lose.

Welcome to the Unsurvivable Love Duet, the all-new series by Jasmine Mas, bestselling author of Blood of Hercules.

Zora Ravenal didn’t join the Crimson Army to be a hero. She joined to destroy the empire.

A skilled hunter hardened by loss with a concerning capacity for stubbornness, Zora claws her way into becoming a Knight Mage: the Commonwealth’s deadliest defense against the Empire’s storm magic and her people’s only hope.

It almost works.

Now she’s stuck in a war she can’t walk away from, hiding dangerous secrets, and shoved into very close quarters with the one man she should never be alone with.

He’s a Royal Mage with a body count, a temper, and an unsettling obsession… with her.

Now they’re partners.

Sort of.

If “partners” means being forced to train together, trust each other with their lives, and somehow not kill each other in the process.

But the Royal Mage isn’t just dangerous—he’s paying attention. And the longer they’re forced to remain in each other’s orbit, the more twisted everything becomes. Who’s hunting who?

Perfect if you love:
• True enemies-to-lovers
• Sarcastic banter
• A spicy slow burn
• Touch her and die
• Female rage
• A shocking twist you will NOT see coming

Dead Beat by. Leigh Bardugo

The highly anticipated, explosive conclusion to the Ninth House trilogy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo.

Hell is empty and all the devils are here…

Alex Stern made it to hell and back more than once, but this time she left the door open behind her. Demons are creeping through the streets of New Haven and the Yale campus, feeding on the souls of the living, terrifying the dead. Alex and her allies can hunt them, but it’s only a matter of time before the gates to the underworld open and they face a war they cannot win. To stop it, they’ll have to reach deep into the secrets of Yale and its societies, and discover the truth hidden in Alex’s own blood.

While she struggles to hold onto the dream of a future Yale once offered, Alex must contend with the machinations of a corrupt Lethe Board and a deadly vampire with his own connection to the societies. But for the first time in her life, she won’t have to face the fight alone. Dawes, Turner, Mercy, and even Tripp will have a role to play, none more so than Alex’s mentor Darlington, the golden boy who lived so long in her head, now back in the flesh and cursed with dangerous powers of his own. Hell itself is stalking the delegates of Lethe House, and they’re all about to learn that demons don’t play by human rules.

Fall Me Maybe by. Laney Hatcher

Unexpected sparks fly and a back seat gets put to good use when a small-town sweetheart falls head-first for her ride-share driver.

I’m supposed to be dating. Doing my level best to find The One™

While I try to give all the guys on my dating app a fighting chance, I might accidentally be falling in love with my ride-share driver instead.

Between disaster first dates and getting stood up and ghosted, I’ve become friends with one of the only car service drivers in my tiny hometown of Cozy Creek, Colorado.

Maybe I’m looking forward to my dating fails because it means more time with Noah, the guy I can’t stop thinking about. While guarded and cautious, he draws me in with his dry humor and reluctant smiles. But for some reason, Noah’s presence in town is a mystery–a secret he isn’t ready to tell.

You’re not supposed to fall in love with the guy driving you to your potential happily ever after. But, unfortunately, nobody told my heart that.

Fall Me Maybe is part of the Cozy Creek Collection of small-town standalones. It is a steamy, full-length romantic comedy.

Styx – The River by. Nikita Gill (Goddesses of the Underworld, #2)

Beginning a generation before Hekate , Styx sings the story of the goddess of the underworld river that bears her name…

The firstborn child of Titans, Styx is revered as the first of her kind – until she is eclipsed and forgotten amid her scores of siblings, the Oceanids and the Potamoi.

Coming of age in a world simmering with paranoia and unspoken fear of Kronos, the volatile and unchecked god-king, Styx learns to conceal the rage ignited by her growing disillusionment with her parents and her vain and unkind siblings. Instead, she finds solace and sisterhood in her cousin, Asteria. Together, they train in the arts of creation and magic. And as they seek to learn their divine purpose and their place within the Titanomachy, they discover both the joy sparked by true love and the fierce resilience birthed from motherhood.

In this lyrical and heartrending tale of sisterhood, identity, love, and war, Styx must carve her own path to womanhood – and ultimately, godhood.

Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

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The Wretched Divine by. Adalyn Grace | ARC and ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: The Wretched Divine (The Wretched Divine, #1)

Author: Adalyn Grace

Format: eBook (NetGalley) and audiobook (netgalley)

Pages: 512

Listening Hours: approx. 19 hrs 44 min

Narrator (s): Kristin Atherton; Major Curda; Marisa Calin; Shane East

Publication Date: 9/21/26

Publisher: FEIWEL & Macmillan Audio

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 FEIWEL & Macmillan Audio for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

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.

Content Warning: death, violence

+ Knights, angels and demons. The audiobook was fantastic and very entertaining. I loved all the narrators and their voices.

+~ The world-building is great and I really love how the story build and builds into the climax at the end but I did find the beginning a little slow. The pacing was a bit up and down because it starts off with a lot of action then it pulls back for when they are trying to find ingredients for the cure – which is where things slow down but we do get to know the characters more. But it finishes with twists, betrayals, and makes me want to read book two right away. There are a lot of questions in the book about who is the real villain – is it the angels or the demons? They have been locked in war for so long and everyone is tired, but revenge and hate runs deep on both sides so how can they stop killing each other?

+~ Aurelie is a knight and her life is dedicated to killing demons but when her father starts turning into a demon she does anything and everything to find a cure, even bonding with a demon. Thing is, she’s also bound to an angel, Yuriel. Some of Aurelie’s actions were questionable but I get that her motivation was to save her father after losing so many other people in her life already.

+ There are so many fascinating characters in this story like Yuriel the angel with a past, Severin – a very mischievous demon who likes to sing and make wine, Illaria – the princess who was almost Aurelie’s sister in law, and Vex the little vesper who is a big help to Aurelie and Yuriel. I was invested in everyone and some of the interactions were so funny, because Severin is such a trouble maker and Vex was funny too.

+~ This is more fantasy than romance, there are some spicy moments and even some confusing moments where Aurelie is enticed by Severin but also feels admiration for Yuriel, so I’m not sure if this will be a love triangle or a why choose or what. Or is it heading towards a throuple? I have no clue but oh the possibilities!

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one, especially the second half of the book! The audiobook was wonderful and all the narrators did a great job voicing the characters. There is action, a little spice, secrets, betrayal, knights, angels and demons. I can’t wait for book two!

Read if you like:

knights
war between angels and demons

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Wisteria by. Adalyn Grace | Book Review – 3.5 stars

Foxglove by. Adalyn Grace | Book Review – 4 stars

Belladonna by. Adalyn Grace | Book Review – 5 stars

Weekly Wrap Up | 9/13/26

Aloha friends!

+ Hi everyone, it was an interesting week – we were under a Hurricane Watch for the islands next to us. A tropical storm watch for our island and we had some damages on our coasts but wow, Kaua’i took the brunt of it all. Ni’ihau too but they are a private island and we hardly know what’s happening there. But yeah Kaua’i wasn’t a direct hit but the damage was extensive. This hurricane season has been never ending for us and it’s still not over!

+ My hubby had to fly out the day after the storm, he’s on a work trip to Japan and the kids got a “storm day” off from school – the mainland has snow days, us islanders get storm days haha…so my kids had a short week. They also had their annual appointments and flu shots. I also had to take my car in for maintenance and had to get the battery changed.

+ Then it was a tough weekend for me because now that I’m in perimenopause, my periods are not only unpredictable but after I skip a month, my flow is the heaviest I’ve ever experienced. To the point I have cold chills and get fatigue. It’s not fun at all. So I’ve been dealing with that this weekend – I just want to sleep.😴

Blog Posts:

Our Strange Duet by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review – 3 stars
Stalkers Anonymous by. Dana Leeann | Book Review – 4 stars/2🌶️
Stacking the Shelves | 9/7/26
New Book Releases This Week | 9/8/26
Indie Books I’ve Read So Far in 2026 | TTT | Top Ten Tuesday | 9/8/26
White Raven by. Stacey Marie Brown | Book Review – 4.5 stars/2🌶️
WWW Wednesday | 9/9/26
Pretty Savage by. Lexi Davis | ARC Review – 3.5 stars/2.5 🌶️
Winterveil by. Ava Reid | ARC Review – 3.5 stars
Heart of Thieves by. Jessica S. Olson | ALC Review – 3.5 stars

Books I Finished

Queen of Lombard Street by. Lisa Kleypas
Captive Traitor King by. Brigid Kemmerer
Pretty Savage by. Lexi Davis
The Museum of Modern Love by. Mariko Turn
This Shattered Tempest by. Thea Guanzon
Stone Bound by. Jocelyn James

Currently Reading:

The Age of Blood and Magic by. Hannah Mathewson
A Crown of Blood and Magick by. Amy De La Force
The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing by. Marshall J. Moore
Hide the Witches by. Miranda Lyn

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

You Seem Pretty For a Girl So In Love – Olivia Rodrigo

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!

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Heart of Thieves by. Jessica S. Olson | ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: Heart of Thieves (The Devious, #2)

Author: Jessica S. Olson

Pages: 384

Format: audiobook

Listening Hours: 12 hours (approx.)

Narrator (s): Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick; Emily Ellet

Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners

Publication Date: 9/15/26

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Audiobook, 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 Macmillan Young Listeners for giving me a chance to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review!

A cunning thief turns the tables on the feuding brothers who betrayed her in this thrilling conclusion to the Den of Liars Duology, perfect for fans of Powerless and Lightlark.

Content Warning: death, violence, loss of body autonomy

This is book two in The Devious serious and I really loved book one, Den of Liars, and wanted to see what happened next in the story. The narrators did such a great job, the female narrator was practically acting out all her scenes, especially a dramatic one at the ending! I loved the sound of the male narrator also but at times I couldn’t distinguish when it was Nic or Enzo speaking.

The world building really goes more into the magic in this sequel and conclusion. We learn about Laurel, Nic’s first love, and I totally didn’t like her. She’s controlling Nic, and making him out to be someone he is not. Lola is trying to help break the brothers’ curse but she has to accomplish this by keeping secrets and trust with Enzo is already so shaky. I honestly wish I had the ebook to read while reading because a lot of the magic and world-building kind of went over my head.

I did like Lola’s relationship with Enzo which was strictly platonic and more of a found family vibe. Whereas it was clear her relationship with Nic was a romance. But Lola is barely with Nic in this book because he is stuck in Laurel’s clutches. Speaking of relationships, the brothers never got along because of their past but it does end cordially and happily for them. The other loose end in the story was Lola’s dad, the crime lord who is looking for her. Things are complicated there but there is closure.

Overall, I’d say this was a solid conclusion.

Final Thoughts:

This one was filled with secrets, lies, betrayal, and some very interesting magic and world-building. There was only a little bit of romance. The narrators were fantastic, but story-wise I don’t think this held my attention like book one did. I think it was a pretty solid conclusion though.

Read if you like:

Den of Liars (first book)
magic
found family

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Den of Liars by. Jessica S. Olson | ARC Review -4.5 stars/1 🌶️

Winterveil by. Ava Reid | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Winterveil

Author: Ava Reid

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 9/15/26

Publisher: HarperCollins

Categories: Dystopian, Cold War, Dark Academia, Sci-Fi, Young Adult, LGBT+, 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 HarperCollins for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

There is no application process for Valeran Academy, but it boasts the brightest – and precociously criminal – students in the nation.

A disgraced politician from a powerful American dynasty.

A coldly brilliant strategist who will sacrifice anything to win.

A former pageant queen with a talent that could change the world.

A prodigious female soldier with an enigmatic past – and a dangerous secret.

Content Warning: violence, death, sexual harassment/assault, mentions of abusive parent

Set in 2037, the Cold War, with Russia (USSR) is still going on and USA is still trying find ways to win the war. Already I had to suspend my belief a lot, so I was wary about this book and didn’t think i would like it. But to my surprise, I could not put it down.

I like the different teenagers that are assembled at Valeran Academy to supposedly help end this war. They are misfits, some of them are criminals of a different variety, which made things very interesting. The main four characters are Nadiya, Giselle, Klaudia and Julian. They are all flawed which I enjoyed. I got attached to the three girls because they had fascinating backgrounds and skills. I loved Nadiya and Giselle’s growing relationship and I was drawn to Klaudia and her ice princess personality. Julian was at times detestable and I don’t know if that was on purpose but I don’t know that he can redeem himself in my eyes in the sequel. But I did like his rivalry with Klaudia.

Valeran Academy is a secret institute training the best of minds to help with the war efforts and they train students through simulations. They have other classes to round out their education but the simulations are what will ultimately help them with their missions. The kids are vying for top rankings so they can get a good job after graduation maybe with the CIA or other government sectors but the competition is fierce.

There were some instances that made me feel uncomfortable in the story, but I’ve noticed with the two books I’ve read from this author, that this is a common feeling while reading her books. It can get dark, for example there are teachers being inappropriate with the students. Or Julian and some of his thoughts about Klaudia, especially during a certain scene. It definitely gave the tone that Valeran Academy and the people that run it, though it is all for protecting the USA, have some sinister motives. Also, some of the aspects about the simulations did go over my head because we are in it with them, it seems so real, and I still don’t know how Giselle can do what she does – she doesn’t either so I’m hoping it will be explained more in book two.

Despite that, I flew through this book because of Klaudia and her intelligence, Nadiya and her protectiveness and Giselle with her rare skill or powers (not sure yet). I like the high stakes and puzzles as this team has to figure out their mission.

Final Thoughts:

This was a quick read for me, I really liked the pacing. And although I didn’t care much about the Cold War and what the government was doing to end it, I cared a lot about the characters especially Nadiya, Giselle and Klaudia. I think they are what made the book so enjoyable. They are complex and I admired their intelligence and what they brought to the table. They had different traumas, and fascinating backgrounds. Okay, I guess Julian is a part of the team with his charm, but there are things about him I just don’t like. The only part I did like about him was his rivalry with Klaudia. The story has high stakes, fierce competition, and some betrayal. I’ll definitely be reading book two to see how the story progresses!

Read if you like:

dystopian
dark academia
complex characters

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

A Theory of Dreaming by. Ava Reid | ARC Review – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A Study in Drowning by. Ava Reid | Book Review – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pretty Savage by. Lexi Davis | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️.5

Title: Pretty Savage (The Order, #2)

Author: Lexi Davis

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 389

Publication Date: 9/10/26

Categories: Dark Romance, Secret Society, Series

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

Getting sucked into a secret society was bad.
Falling for its ruthless heir was worse.

Now I’m part of a secret society preparing to brand me, bind me to him, and turn our most intimate promise into a public ritual.

Carrson will destroy anyone who threatens me. But the enemy is no longer one man. It’s the world that made him, the father he can’t escape, and the secrets buried in my own blood.

To survive, I have to learn The Order’s rules faster than they can use them against me. I must decide which truths to hide, which alliances to risk, and how far I’m willing to go to claim a future with the man I love.

Carrson thinks he’s the dangerous one.
He’s about to discover I can be savage too.

Pretty Savage is an obsessive secret society dark romance with a ruthless, morally gray hero who is only soft for her, touch-her-and-die possessiveness, dangerous rituals, forced bonding, an us-against-the-world romance, and an increasingly powerful heroine. It is the second book in The Order series and should be read after Pretty Vicious.

Want more from this world? Read the prequel Pretty Ruthless, set thirty years before the events of Pretty Vicious. She’s an outsider on the hunt for answers. He’s the cruel, reluctant ruler who will one day become Carrson’s father. When these two collide, sparks fly and blood spills.

You’re not ready for what happens next.

Content Warning: violence, voyeurism, secret society/cult, death, abuse, knife play, drug use

+ This is part two in The Order series and it continues right where book one leaves off – Laurel is taken to the enemy, Silas. And yes he’s a scary drug dealer but I kind of liked him because he didn’t harm Laurel – also I want to know his story and it definitely ties into the Order. His drug is becoming a problem for The Order, so it will be interesting to see how it plays into this civil war taking place in the group.

+ We learn more about The Order, which is a secret society but I think it’s a cult. We get a little more of a brief history of Carrson’s ancestor. The way the Order raise their kids to be powerful members in society is disgusting and horrible, but it’s all for “the cause”, they are raising politicians, presidents, etc…so they have to basically abuse them to teach them how to be tough. But I love that Laurel’s outsider presence is encouraging the girls to take a good look around them and try to rise up. The ending was an interesting cliffhanger which has me curious to see what happens next. We also learn more about Laurel’s dad which was an interesting twist.

+ Carrson and Laurel are solid. They might have a fight or two but I love how they work things out and how they love one another. They are ride or die for one another and I’m just hoping they can break free from the chains of The Order. There is a pretty spicy scene in this one that includes knife play.

~ This is dark romance and The Order is basically a cult, so there is one scene where Carrson and Laurel have to consummate their bond in from of others. It’s ritualistic, archaic, and disgusting. I felt horrible for Carrson and Laurel throughout the whole story!

Final Thoughts:

I think this sequel moves the story along nicely but it does get darker in this one, to the point of grossing me out a little with the voyeurism. But I do love Carrson and Laurel’s romance – they are there for one another, through thick or thin. I’m also very happy to see some of the girls in the Order waking up to what is going on around them and it will be interesting to see them grow more in the next book. I found this one to be a quick read and I look forward to the next book!

Read if you like: