Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Entangled: Amara for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Clara Wagner has always known that monsters are real, and the worst of them is Prince Raleigh of Rostenburg. But when he decides itโs time to marry, Clara inadvertently finds herself at the center of his attention.
Forced to accept Raleighโs proposal, Clara would do anything to escape her fate. So when the prince provides an ultimatumโlift his vampiric curse before the end of the year, or become his bride for eternityโClara knows what she must do.
Heal the prince. Stay alive. Try not to fall in love.
Content Warning: death, grief, violence
Set in world (I think in Austria) where vampires and other monsters are real, Clara is forced to be engaged to Prince Raleigh of Rostenburg. But they have a bargain, if Clara can figure out how to cure Raleigh from his vampirism, he will let her go.
This is a slow burn, low spice vampire romance with lots of gothic vibes. I actually loved Clara and Raleigh’s interactions – they are both grumpy characters which made things entertaining. She is not afraid of him and adjusts to her situation of captivity pretty well I think. Raleigh is not a very aggressive and alpha male type of vampire but yet at times can still be scary because he is what he is. He left her alone a lot, which was one of my issues. I would have loved to see them getting to know each other better and have more of a build up to the romance. It has one spice scene and though I loved their bickering at times, I wanted more. The story gave Beauty and Beast vibes, which I enjoyed and is told like a fairytale.
There is found family, secrets, betrayals and I was really interested to see how this would all play out and if Clara could break Raleigh’s curse. There is also action and some vampire fights which I thought were fun. I’m a sucker for relics like silver crosses being a weapon against vampires!
Final Thoughts:
I thought this was a fun retelling of Beauty & the Beast, but with a vampire twist. It has a great gothic and fairytale atmosphere and the main characters were entertaining in the interactions. I just wanted a little more from the romance and maybe it was a bit predictable but I still had fun reading it, especially because of the action scenes. This is a pretty solid debut!
Categories: Young Adult, Horror, Survival, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Paranormal
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.ย All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Entangled: Mayhem Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
They’re being huntedโฆ
When sixteen-year-old Georgie and her troublemaking brother are shipped off to the wilderness for their stepmotherโs newest reality show, Georgie is convinced itโll be the worst experience of her life. Two weeks. No phones. Hiking. Camping. Cameras catching every humiliating second.
Then she meets Mack Gray. Tattooed, unreadable, andโamong a cast of kids already branded as troubleโheโs the one sheโs sure is dangerous.
One night, the counselors are chanting affirmations around the fire. By morning, theyโre gone.
But the kids are not alone.
Georgie can feel it, stalking them from the shadowsโwatching, waiting, picking them off one by one. Whatever it is, it isnโt just hunting.
Itโs playing.
And in this game, there seems to be only one ending: no one gets out alive.
Content Warning: violence, death, injuries, mention of murder and different crimes, gore
Gingerbread Bones is a young adult horror that definitely brought on the thrills and chills. It starts off a little slow with the world building – a group of delinquent teens are sent to the wilderness to be filmed for a reality show. The messed up part is the person who sent Georgie and Hamish (siblings) is their own step-mother who is some popular parenting influencer. That’s already messed up but things get worse and then the story really picks up.
The group is split up and then they realize someone or something is hunting them in these dark woods. There is a Hansel and Gretel twist to the story and it does not shy away from paranormal activity and horror. But even with those elements I found this to be a fun read because of the characters! Yes, they are teenagers and act like it but I didn’t find it annoying, I found it entertaining. They are all there for some petty and/or big crimes they have committed or their parents just want them to learn a lesson, but when they are put together there are some crazy interactions, some of them making me laugh out loud because they are all kind of losing it (I don’t blame them). Things get crazier when we realize what is hunting them and the ending is wild and climactic, exactly what I wanted from a young adult thriller.
I liked that this had a combination of mystery, thriller, suspense, even a tiny bit of romance, plus a close bond between two siblings. I enjoyed this one despite the slow start and this one has supernatural/paranormal elements so just go with it and try to suspend your belief.
Final Thoughts:
This one gave me some thrills and chills with the setting and the situation that the kids are put in. I enjoyed the drama between the characters and the wild ending was entertaining. It had a slow start but it does pick up nicely. This is a good one to read for fall when you are in a spooky book kind of mood!
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Bloom Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Beyond the mortal world lies the Skein, a realm of mythic beauty and savage desire ruled by creatures of legend. Here, vampires, witches, demons, and wolves wage warโand hunt their pleasures just as fiercely.
Now, the Accession has begun, an ancient cycle of chaos and destiny that reignites old hostilities and forges fated bonds too hot to resist.
A witch queen on the rise defies the brutal wolf king who stands in her way. But when fate twists their battlefield into a bed of temptation, sworn enemies become something far more perilous. Lovers.
A vampire princess trades her crown for freedom, only to be bound to a scarred Berserker, a man whose possessive touch both terrifies and tempts her.
An incubus spy and a cunning vampiress strike a dangerous bargain for survival, and profit, but lust becomes the one gamble neither expected.
And when a wolf and an enchantress from opposing clans dare to make peace, their forbidden attraction could doom the Skeinโฆor spark a love that defies the gods.
Brimming with intrigue, bloody mayhem, and scorching heat,โฏRavenousโฏplunges readers into the world ofโฏImmortals Untoldโwhere magic kills, surrender triumphs, and immortal hungers can never be satedโฆ
Content Warning: violence, death, someone wanting to commit incest
This author has been around a long time and she used to write paranormal romance – the one series I was hooked on was The Arcana Chronicles though I have yet to read the last book. So I was going into this story with hope the series would be like that one…but here are my thoughts.
World Building: This world has everything: berserkers, witches, valkyries, vampires, shifters, demons…I don’t remember if the fae appeared in the book but they were mentioned. The Accession has started which means everyone is at one another’s throats, or being bound to one another. I think the Skein – this world, is fascinating but things moved on too quickly because there are so many POVs that I felt like I didn’t get a good feel of each place.
Characters: There are 15 POVs. Yes…15…and I almost DNF’d this book because of it but it is in third person so it helped a little. I actually couldn’t listen to the audiobook because of this. There is one narrator and he had to do all 15 and I just wasn’t feeling it. I didn’t DNF but I skimmed to the characters that I was interested in, which were Lia and Arctos – a vampire and a berserker which made for such a strange combination but they respected one another’s space and was the only one not doing anything sexual. Inkletter (I could not get over his name, he went by Ink thank goodness) and Nadje (Incubus and vampire) had a spicy start that actually made me laugh out loud because of how his body part was described. Thane and Ditch are a wild pair (werewolf and witch)…anyway there are too many POVs so connecting with some characters was difficult. Also Lia’s brother is awful, he is trying to mate with her, I was wondering if we were in the Game of Thrones! I almost couldn’t read this book because of it but I pushed on to see if there was someone who would finish him! ๐
Romance: With such a large cast, there was lots of spice in this one, lots of insta-lust situations. I think that’s why I gravitated towards Lia and Arctos who are just trying to get past being enemies to being friends since they were forced to marry. I’d like to see how their relationship grows. The one couple that did love each other was already married, Torben and Dagny – I did love them! Lowell and Meera’s story though infuriated me by the end. Thane and Ditch are the wild ones, wild for one another which was amusing with how they tease one another.
Story: This was chaotic. Did I almost DNF? Yes. But did I also skim and push through? Yes! I’ve only read one series from this author and yes it also had a big cast, but for some reason that felt more streamlined than this was. Also, I don’t remember the writing being like this where it made me cringe a lot – just some of the sexual situations and descriptions made me cackle out loud. Now did I find a spot in this chaotic story that kind of drew me in? Yes, with Lia and Arctos story because they were the only ones not in a sexual haze. With them I could focus on world building and the politics. So even in the chaos, I was slightly entertained, I just had to find the characters that I connected to.
Final Thoughts:
This wasn’t quite what I expected and I couldn’t finish the book as an audiobook because there were so many POVs to follow, so having the ebook helped a lot. I think there are some good concepts in this book, especially with the political intrigue happening with each of the species and having them bond outside of their species makes things even more complicated but also interesting. I just wish there wasn’t so much going and POVs to follow. Also some of the writing and language just didn’t work for me. This is one of the series where I’m not sure if I will pick up the next book, it will probably depend on my mood and reviews from other readers. If you like all of this author’s body of work, I think you will like this because you are used to her writing. It was just different from what I read from her so for me it was a mess, but a sometimes entertaining mess.
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to 37 Ink for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Min Jin Leeโs Pachinko meets Yaa Gyasiโs Homegoing in this powerful story of family separation and reunion, as well as love and war from a Reeseโs Book Club LitUp fellow.
When news hits that the Americans have entered the war between North and South Korea, everyone believes the war is all but over. Surely it is only a matter of time before Oksoonโs dad and brother will return from the south where they have gone to look for opportunities. As they wait, they are surprised to see the Chinese have also now entered the war, bombing their capital city Pyeongyang. They must quickly decide if they too should flee south toward Seoul or wait for their family. With winter closing in and very few resources left, the trek wonโt be easyโand their father is the head of the family, after all. But neither will it be easy living under a communist regime.
Meanwhile, far to the south near Jinju, Oksoonโs cousin Junho flees the war to find refuge at the Lordโs Beloved Home for Children. As the orphanage struggles to keep its doors open, Junho is put in charge of drafting letters to rich American benefactors, convincing them to send money to Korea. But when the enigmatic orphanage director brings her aristocratic niece to stay at the Home, Junho finds himself caught between his impulse for survival and his growing affections, which put him at risk of being expelled from the only safe place he knows.
Movingly rendered,ย Songย forย Another Homeย highlights the tension between personal dreams and duty to family, the power of resilience, and how choices made in a brief moment have consequences that reverberate for lifetimes.
Content Warning: death, sexual harassment, violence, starvation, suicidal ideation
World Building: Set in Korea during the Korean war between North and South. There are two POVs told in 3rd person. Oksoon and her family flee Pyongyang because of the war but also they are in search of her father and older brother. Junho is Oksoon’s cousin who ended up helping at at orphanage because who fled to avoid going into the military. Both characters have different stories to tell, each dealing with the effects of the war on the people, and their situations but their stories merge by the end.
Characters: I was drawn most to Oksoon because she’s a young woman desperately hoping to find her father and brother while helping her mom and other brother survive their trek from Pyongyang. They meet people along the way, others who are suffering but trying to make the best of things until again they are torn from their safe place. I felt for Oksoon and her family, but mostly for her from beginning to end. Her mom is a strong lady who is trying to keep her kids close and help them survive. Her brother also is trying to help where he can. Junho had an interesting situation at the orphanage which had it’s own dramas with the director trying to find funding for the place and her niece, who comes to help at the orphanage but hiding a secret. The Boatman was an interesting character, as well as Dolly who was a prostitute.
Story: I did find the story riveting but also the ending left me so empty because I was just super sad for Oksoon and the circumstances that led to the decision at the end. I was also mostly drawn to her story. Junho story at the orphanage was important too but for some reason I kept looking forward to Oksoon’s story. The story explores so many themes like family, duty and even women’s roles back then. Overall the story captures the realities of living in a war very well – the strength and determination to survive, families split apart, death, dying, prostitution, lack of food and resources…just everyone trying their best to survive such a harsh reality. It didn’t go into the explanation of the war, it’s more about what happens to the victims of war.
Final Thoughts:
This story captures the ugly side of war, where it comes down to the people caught in the crossfire. Oksoon and her family makes a harrowing journey south to find her father and brother. Junho is pretty much safe at an orphanage but it still isn’t easy when everyone is starving and desperate to keep the place open. I was mostly drawn to Oksoon’s story but overall, I thought this was a riveting read.
Format: eBook (NetGalley) and audiobook (netgalley)
Pages: 480
Listening Hours: approx. 16 hrs
Publication Date: 7/21/26
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Series, LGBT+
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Roaring Brook Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Return to the spellbinding world ofย Heir of Storms in the explosive second installment to the Storm Weaver trilogy, perfect for fans ofย Red Queen,ย Throne of Glass,ย andย The Rose Bargain.
Having survived three treacherous trials to win her crown, Blaze is now Queen of the Aquatori. But before she can take the throne, she must set out to find the Eye of the Soul, one of the realmโs most powerful weapons, before another claims its power for themself.
Her journey will take her deep into the forests of Ostacre and into a temporary alliance with the infuriating but undeniably compelling Fox. She canโt help but feel drawn to him. . . but can she trust him? Fortune favors the brave, but will it protect the Storm Weaver on her most dangerous mission yet?
Narrated by not just Blaze, but her brother, Flint, and the newly-discovered Shadow Magi, Elva, the epic journey that began in Heir of Storms continues in the sweeping adventure of Tides of Fortune.
Content Warning: violence
World Building: There are 3 POVs in this sequel – Blaze, Flint and Elva. Elva’s POV gives us insight into what is happening with Hal and the kingdom he is ruling, but his grip on his power is fragile. Blaze and Fox are together and antagonizing one another, and Flint finds himself with Spinner and Sheen. There is a lot of traveling in this story which is very different than book one.
Characters: I think there is a lot of growth in these characters in this sequel because they are split up and dealing with their own situations. Flint is hilarious, and dealing with Sheen and Spinner makes things interesting. Blaze is trying to trust Fox, and I feel like they learn so much more about one another. As for Elva and Hal, Elva has to make some hard choices, but their story was sad.
Romance: There are three romances taking place. Of course my favorite is Blaze and Fox, who have a very enemies to lovers type of relationship. I was always looking forward to Blaze’s POV because of their banter. Flint has an interesting development in his love life. And there is Elva and Hal, and they have their own challenges.
Story: This is definitely different from book one, and I found it a little harder to get into. I think because there was a lot of travel and I didn’t feel like much was happening. But there was a lot of character development, which is fine, but it just felt slower and took me longer to read. I still love Blaze and Fox the best, whenever I read her POV, I felt like the story moved faster because I cared about them so much more.
Narrator(s): Loved the narrators voices, and their accents were great.
Final Thoughts:
I think this is a solid sequel and there is more character development. It did go a bit more slowly for me, compared to when I was reading the first book. The narrators did a great job and I loved their voices.
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Lyla Andrews for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
An Arcane Education is a dark academia romance with fantasy elements, a slow burn professor/student relationship, atmospheric gothic vibes, and found family. Perfect for fans of Nocticadia, Gothikana, and Blood & Betrayals.
Magic. Wealth. Beauty. Reputation.
Here, all of them amount to the one thing everyone Power.
Welcome to Arcadia Academy. Trust no one.
The day Iโm attacked is the day I discover magic is real โ and I have the power to wield it.
Two days after the incident, I receive an invitation to the graduate program at Arcadia Academy, an elite, mysterious school of magic hidden on an island somewhere off the coast of the Pacific Northwest. With the courage to finally leave behind the mundane life of responsibility I never asked for, I enroll at the prestigious institution, determined to find my place and prove myself.
Unfortunately, my goal isnโt as simple as it seems. New to the world of magic, years behind my classmates, and struggling to control my powers, Iโm barely surviving โ until the strict, enigmatic, and devastatingly handsome Professor Alaric Vale offers to tutor me. But the longer we spend together, the harder it becomes to deny the forbidden spark burning between us.
Furthermore, not everything is as it seems at Arcadia Academy, with its crawling ivy, ancient stone buildings, and dense forests shrouded in fog. Everyone has secrets to hide, some darker than others. Darker still are the strange plant aberrations occurring in the depths of the forest โ ones seemingly related to Professor Valeโs suspicious top-secret research.
When my personal investigations lead to me becoming the talk of campus as a primary suspect in another studentโs death, Iโm forced to prove my innocence, all while learning to control my magic, concealing the secrets I share with Professor Vale, and uncovering a shocking mystery related to my own past.
Content Warning: death
World Building: Vivian is invited to attend Arcadia Academy where she finds out magic is real and she has it. She has plant powers. The academy is on an island and students of different species and magic attend the school, and though Vivian is a Freshman because she just learned about magic, she is a graduate student as well. Vivian has always been a caretaker of her sibling so she’s never really had time to herself but at the academy she learns to make friends, and even go to a party or two – but then she finds out her dad (who died before she could meet him) went to that academy and learns that not all is as it seems on campus. But for the first 20% of this book it is just world building and learning about the classes and academy.
Characters: I like Vivian, she’s a graduate student but has to learn the basics of magic. She has a difficult time controlling her magic so she takes the initiative to seek help for that. Living away from home is also a challenge, especially because her roommate is a grumpy vampire named Max. Vivian is a good student, a good person, and smart. She does make a few friends eventually but I would love to know more about them. Alaric is the hot professor on campus and he’s hiding a few secrets but he and Vivian are drawn to one another.
Romance: There is a student/professor romance in this one that I thought for the most part was pretty good. I wish there was a little more chemistry between them but maybe because it’s Alaric’s personality – he’s focused on academics and doesn’t display much emotion. There is spice and things are more interesting because of their status as student and professor, but there were some things I questioned about Alaric.
Story: This is a slow moving story, especially the first 25% where it’s world-building. I felt like most of the story in the was about Vivian going to school, being in class, and making friends and not much was happening. Even after finishing it I thought the mystery about what Alaric is studying and keeping secret is way too vague. He just tells Vivian he can’t tell her for sake of her safety but I wanted to know something, just even a crumb of information to keep me interested. After Vivian starts settling into campus life she does take on the mystery of her father being a student once at the academy and she tries to do an investigation but again, it really doesn’t go anywhere. This story is easy to read and it is atmospheric – it definitely gives the dark academia vibes, something sinister is happening but we just have no clue as to what – which was the frustrating part for me. Also, the names Clarissa and Callista had me confused in one scene because she talked to these girls one after the other and I had to re-read that section. ๐
Final Thoughts:
If you like dark academia you will enjoy this one, but for me, I just needed a little more from it. It’s almost got a cozy vibe to it but all the dark academia elements are there also, which I enjoyed. I wanted more information about Vivian’s dad and Alaric’s research but since this is a series, it’s probably being drawn out. Even though I found some parts of this to be too slow for me, I did like how it was easy to read, and love the new friend group for Vivian. The romance was spicy and enticing because of the forbidden aspect of student and professor but even with their relationship I wanted a little more chemistry – but maybe it’s just Alaric’s personality. Overall, a solid start to a series.
Title: Prince of Swords by. Elise Kova (Arcana Academy, #2))
Author: Elise Kova
Format: eBook (NetGalley)
Pages: 560
Publication Date: 7/21/26
Publisher: Del Rey
Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Tarot Magic, 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 Del Rey for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Welcome back to Arcana Academy. Tarot magic, forbidden desire, battle, and betrayal collide for the power to change the world in the thrilling second book of this New York Times bestselling fantasy romance series.
I am terrified. Yet my heart skips a beat. This man might be a monster, but he is my monster.
Clara Graysword is Oricalisโs most wanted. Hunted and cornered, not even her mastery of tarot can save her this time . . . until the mysterious Worldkeepers appear. This secretive order may hold the key to changing Claraโs fate. If she dares to trust them.
But the most dangerous alliance of all is one sheโs already deeply ensnared Prince Kaelis.
Kaelis, second-born prince of Oricalis and headmaster of Arcana Academy, is the one man she canโt escapeโmaybe she doesnโt want to escape. Ruthless, dangerous, and bound to Clara by destiny and desire, Kaelis tests her heart as much as her loyalty. Together, they grow closer to the most powerful secrets of the tarot . . . and to the truths they both hide that could destroy the passion that they no longer deny.
Hidden in plain sight within Arcana Academy, Clara walks the daggerโs edge. Revelations about Oricalis threaten everything she thought she knew, and every choice she makes is the difference between salvation and ruin.
To change the world, Clara must risk everythingโher power, her beliefs, and her heart.
Content Warning: violence, death
World Building: Back in the world of Arcana Academy, Clara is being hunted. We’re taken back to the prison and back to the academy, but this time Clara is trying to not get caught and she is willing to do anything to accomplish her goals of inking the World card and helping her sister Arina. Also instead of learning the tarot card magic, we see it being used more in fighting scenes and even some spicy scenes.
Characters: Clara is going through some tough things in this sequel – mostly, she’s trying to stop being super stubborn about accepting help. I do sympathize with her and understand why she didn’t trust anyone though – every someone helped her they ended up losing their lives. She goes through lots of loss in this book, and mistrust, but she does start to accept more help at the end. Kaelis is even more mysterious and dangerous in this book – there was this never ending nagging feeling inside me that I couldn’t trust him. It made me nervous for the whole plans of remaking the world! The secondary characters are great and add so much to the story but this book is a heartbreaker when it comes to some characters like Arina, Clara’s sister and others. My heart was broken more than once!
Romance: The romance is a roller coaster of emotions! There is mistrust and secrets between Clara and Kaelis, but they are forever drawn to one another. We learn more as to why that is, but oh my…the confessions between them about their feelings was making me squeal! There is spice, there is angst and so much yearning, and then there is the ending of this book which I will not spoil but made me need book three, ASAP.
Story: The story picks up right away from book one, I will say I felt like the pacing was a little up and down. It starts off with action, but when things settle and Clara has to learn who to avoid getting plus trying to figure out how to draw the World card – things do slow down. I still felt like it was a quick read despite the middle slow down and then the last half of the book? Amazing – I felt like I was racing to the end with a few plot twists revealing themselves and leaving me shocked.
Vibes: tarot magic, yearning, secrets
Final Thoughts:
What a sequel and though the middle does feel like it slows down a little, this story finishes off with a cliffhanger that has me needing to read book three asap. I love the twists and turns. There is growth in Clara – she goes through so much and though at times I didn’t agree with some of her choices, her intentions are good, and there is so much riding on her from every angle. The romance had me in my feelings – Kaelis was really something in this book, he reveals more of himself than I expected by the end of this book and it makes me so curious to see what will happen at the end of this series. I felt like this story was an emotional rollercoaster and I can’t wait to continue the series.
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Categories: Upper YA, Mystery, Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Paranormal, Witches, 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 G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
A criminal and a royal guard are drawn into the hunt for a dangerous witchโand an unexpected romanceโin this YA enemies-to-lovers romantasy, perfect for fans of Heartless Hunter.
In Orlonea, the Witch is feared above all else. Reborn into each generation, she is the only person with magic running innately through her veins, able to wield magic with a single thought.
So when guards across the city begin to drop dead, gruesomely murdered by violent and vicious magic, everyone knows the Witch has returnedโand no one will be safe until sheโs killed.
Toran is the Princeโs Crown, the most highly skilled fighter in the Kingโs Guard. Tasked with the responsibility of leading the hunt for the Witch, Toran tries to focus on his assignment to forget the ghosts of his past. And after he learns of Nes, a thief with an uncanny ability to sniff out magic, he forcibly recruits her into joining his hunt.
As the two face deadly magic and otherworldly threats, their mutual dislike soon turns to something more electric, and they find themselves drawn to each other in ways theyโd never imagined. But the Witch is always a step ahead of them, and with bodies piling up, secrets threaten to come to lightโsecrets that could destroy everything from the fragile trust between them to the very city of Orlonea itself.
World Building: The Witch is feared and there is a constant search for her – even though some girls and women are accused of being the witch and die because of it. Toran is the King’s Crown (the Prince’s protector and guard), and the king gives him a mission to bring the Witch to him – alive. But Toran doesn’t want to fail again so he asks Nes to help him. There are different kingdoms but this is set in Orlonea, there are royals, there is poverty, and a place called the Ditch where Nes has been living. The Ditch has someone who runs the streets named Phineas, he’s a crime lord and Nes used to work for him. There is magic in this world, and a drink that can give people powers but it is addictive and illegal.
Characters: Nes is someone from the Ditch and worked for Phineas, she also has a little bit of a mysterious past and she’s morally grey. We know her father is in the prison and her main goal is to get him out. She can also sense magic. Toran has connections to the King so he asks Nes for help to catch the Witch in exchange he will free her father. There are some other interesting characters like Genna, Suri, Quint and of course Phineas. There is mention of the Prince, but he doesn’t really appear in the story.
Romance: Well the romance was not what I expected – I was going along with it, I liked it a lot, Nes, the girl from the Ditch who got her hands dirty and Toran, the King’s Crown, who failed a mission and has a broken heart – I was rooting for these two. I thought they were cute together…and then the plot twist. And I have never loved a MMC and then hated him so fast in my life (I think ๐ ). One minute I was like aww…the next I was like WHAT?! But I loved the ending and cannot wait to see what happens in book two. This is promoted as young adult, but it is upper young adult because there is a spicy scene but it is not graphic.
Story: I was very surprised that the mystery part of this story kept me in it – usually I find mysteries slow. But I liked learning about this world where they hunt and fear the Witch. I like learning about Toran who has a past but that ending really messed with me. I didn’t expect the cat and mouse game that came in the second half, it hooked me. I had some suspicions about who could be the Witch, and I like how the story misdirected me a few times. Now, throughout the book we get some information, sometimes barely information (for example about the Prince who is mentioned but never seen) – I kept wondering and wanting to know more about these things to piece the puzzle together. So in book two I hope they will explain so much more about the Witch, her background, Toran and his past, the Prince and even the place where Toran failed his mission, Aeos, because all of these things factor in somehow to tie it all together, but since it’s book one we don’t have the full picture.
Final Thoughts:
I went into this enjoying the mystery of the first half, which is surprising since mysteries for me can feel slow but I was really getting invested into Nes and Toran’s story. Then the second half of this book had twists and turns, that had me rushing to the cliffhanger ending. There is so much more to learn about this world, and a lot of be explained, so I will be eagerly waiting for book two!
Categories: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Academia, 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 Forever for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Nineteen-year-old Nessa Thorne expects death when she volunteers for Empire’s selection. Instead, she’s thrust into Confluence Academy, where students harness elemental magic and bond powerful beastsโfrom wolves to ancient dragonsโforging themselves into the Empire’s most lethal weapons.
Students are branded by water, air, earth, or fire. But Nessaโs mark is different. A silver spiralโthe mark of an unbound. Itโs a power so dangerous her kind were hunted to extinction centuries agoโor so the Empire claims.
To survive, she must hide what she is in a castle that reeks of blood, where students kill each other for advantage and failing to tether an elemental means death.
Nessaโs greatest threat may be the only other volunteerโRaith Hollow, a powerful fire affinity whose scorching gaze follows her every move and whose secrets could topple kingdoms.
Alliances are forged in blood, enemies circle like vultures, and forbidden desires close in. Death once seemed like release from her tragic past. Now it’s not an option. She’ll embrace her terrible potential or watch everything she’s fought for burn.
At Confluence Academy, students leave as weapons… or they don’t leave at all.
Content Warning: violence, death
World Building: Set at Confluence Academy, this story had all the usual elements found in fantasy academia stories lately. There is a young woman, Nessa, with more powers than others but she has to keep it secret. An enemies to lovers develops between her and a guy who has fire elemental powers and secrets. But a lot of the story revolves around their training at the school plus people trying to team up and take Nessa out. There are also trials to pass, which involved a lot of dangerous situations.
Characters: Nessa is the girl with a tragic past and powers she needs to keep secret because people would want to get rid of her or use her. Raith is the hot, tough guy at the school who she has an enemies to lovers relationship with. He ends up being protective of her but he also has a secret. The secondary characters, Nessa’s new friends, were a fun group. I also Bastian, an air elemental, is a mystery – I can’t tell if he is there as a friend to Nessa or if he will be an enemy later on. I kind of needed more from his character. I did enjoy the beasts that people were tethered too, like Nessa’s beast is a dragon and he is sassy which I thought was funny.
Romance: The romance is a slow burn and it does lead to some steamy scenes but I did appreciate Nessa and Raith getting to know each other before acting on their desires. I feel like their bond grew stronger and stronger as the story moved along.
Story: First off, this story is too long. There were so many parts that could have been cut out because it was repetitive. I think the story has too many elements that are found in other romantasy stories set in an academy and not enough to make it stand out from the rest. It was predictable and I found myself skimming. It’s not anything new I’ve read before but even if it wasn’t new, I just wanted something a little different so it kept me interested. I was in and out of this story, wishing something more was happening and I did enjoy when there was action, or even more steam in the relationship – something to get me excited about what was happening. More of the plot reveals itself in the second half but I wish it hooked me from the beginning.
Final Thoughts:
I wanted more from some of the characters, and wish the story was shorter. I just couldn’t stay fully invested and found myself skimming some pages that felt repetitive. I did like the slow burn romance and the creatures that students were tethered to but overall this was just an okay read for me.
Title: Ruinous Ends (The Souls of Blackwood Academy, #2)
Author: I.V. Marie
Format: eBook (NetGalley)
Pages: 480
Publication Date: 7/14/26
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dark Academia, Romance, Paranormal, Series, LGBT+
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thank you to Delacorte Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
The Decennial is over, but for the students of Blackwood Academy, the fight for the afterlife has just begun.
The infamous school was hiding more secretsโand liesโthan any of the Decennialโs participants could have imagined. And thereโs still so much that remains buried beneath its ancient foundations. Now the future of the academy, and all the souls within it, rests in the hands of six former pupils: The charmer and the golden boy . . . The traitor and the girl desperate to save her . . . The Chosen One and the one who would choose her over and over again . . .
Any of them could be the hero the afterlife needs . . . or the villain who will destroy it for good. Because the truth is, Blackwoodโs biggest secret has yet to come to lightโand when it does, it will shake the institution to its core.
Content Warning: violence, death
This is the conclusion to The Souls of Blackwood Academy duology and we are back with the crew from book one, but this time they are separated. With them separated I didn’t feel like the found family trope was as strong as it was in book one. I think that’s why I wasn’t as into this book as I was into book one, I missed them all together. Also, because there are multiple POVs, I did find it hard to reconnect to these characters except for my favorites like Olivier and Emilio. But I did like how each little group was doing what they needed to do to save the afterlife.
There are a few romances going on – I love Olivier and Emilio still, they are sweet together. August and Wren have the romance that is full of angst and yearning, August will do anything for Wren which was admirable. Masika is still pining for Catherine, but they can’t work that out until near the end.
I felt like the beginning was a bit slow but things in the second half of the book really picks up with some twists and turns.
Final Thoughts:
For me, I thought it was a solid ending, but the first half was slower than the second half. I enjoyed the romances especially Olivier and Emilio’s. Overall, I think if you loved book one, you will love this conclusion.
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