We Who Have No Gods by. Liza Anderson | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: We Who Have No Gods

Author: Liza Anderson

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 1/27/26

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Dark Academia, Witches, Horror

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

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

In a world of witches, a human woman must hunt or be hunted in this explosive gothic dark academia fantasy filled with war-bent rivals, guarded secrets, and simmering chemistry.

Vic Wood knows her priorities: scrape by on her restaurant wages, take care of her younger brother Henry, and forget their mother ever existed. But Vic’s careful life crumbles when Henry reveals that their long-missing mother belonged to the Acheron Order—a secret society of witches tasked with keeping the dead at bay. What’s worse, Henry inherited their mother’s magical abilities while Vic did not, and Henry has been chosen as the Order’s newest recruit.

Determined to keep him safe, Vic accompanies Henry to the isolated woods in upstate New York that play host to the sprawling and eerie Avalon Castle. When she joins the academy despite lacking powers of her own, she risks not only the Order’s wrath, but also her brother’s. And then there is Xan, the head Sentinel—imposing, ruthless, and frustrating—in charge of protecting Avalon. He makes no secret that he wants Vic to leave.

As she makes both enemies and allies in this mysterious realm, Vic becomes caught between the dark forces at play, with her mother at the heart of it all. What’s stranger is that Vic begins to be affected by the academy—and Xan—in ways she can’t quite understand. But with war between witches threatening the fabric of reality, Vic must decide whether to risk her heart and life for a world where power is everything.

Content Warning: death, gore, violence

+ This story hooked me right away! Vic and Henry has been on the run since their mother, a powerful witch, was murdered. But now The Order have found them and want Henry to study at Avalon Castle, where other witches are admitted there for training and learning. But while Henry has found his place there, Vic, has to figure out where she belongs. I like the dark academia and the witches learning about their powers, and how to fight different monsters. I also like the friendships Vic make at the school.

+ My favorite part of this story I think are the monsters! The monsters are creepy, scary and brought so much suspense and even a little horror. I loved it.

+ I also like the secrets and betrayals in this story. The Order has an enemy, The Brotherhood, and the leaders of both used to be friend’s with Vic’s mother. Now tensions have ramped up ever since Vic has come to the castle so I thought it was interesting to see how she tied into everything.

+~ There is romance but not much spice, and I think the romance took a backseat, which was fine. But I would love to see more between Xan and Vic. I wanted more banter and chemistry.

~ Vic and Henry are siblings and there are times we see their relationship but it’s clear that they are drifting apart. Henry wants her to leave to castle for safety, but Vic wants to be there to protect him. But from the beginning I didn’t feel a strong bond between them.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one, especially the action filled parts where Vic encounters these scary monsters around the castle! I wasn’t expecting the creepy, horror and suspenseful vibes, but I loved it. I liked seeing Vic grow as a character and the ending makes me definitely want to find out what will happen in book two!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Night Ship by. Alex Woodroe | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: The Night Ship

Author: Alex Woodroe

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 224

Publication Date: 1/20/26

Publisher: Flame Tree Press

Categories: Horror, Thriller, Apocalyptic

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

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

An apocalyptic world turned into a pitch-black sea of nothingness, but smuggler Rosi and her crew of survivors aren’t alone. Something hungry lurks below…

Driving a logging truck through the Romanian mountains, smuggler Rosi and her crew come across a radio signal that hints at impending doom. As the world goes completely dark, their truck becomes a vessel sailing across a sea of nothingness.

But they’re not transmissions trickle in through the radio from similar isolated islands across the country, from amateur radio hobbyists and police cars and customs facilities.

Attempting to rescue survivors and find a way out, the group save more lives, but soon discover that something hungry lurks below, and it’s sending up agents – and transmissions – of its own.

Content Warning: death

I was asked to read and review this book and I took a chance on it even though it’s out of my comfort zone. I do read dystopia but not so much ones like this one.

It’s the end of the world, Rosi is with a few people and they are in a truck getting transmission radio signals and hearing people all over talk about being alone, that this is the end and they just want people to know they are out there.

How is the world ending? I’m not sure – something with vines? I was confused most of the time. They were running from something, but even they didn’t know what it was. I felt like this world-building was very vague. But I did feel the tension from beginning to the end of the story.

It’s also a short story, way under 300 pages, but I just felt like there wasn’t much there for me to feel invested in the characters or what was happening since I was confused. I did get that this took place in Eastern Europe, and I got a hit of some politics in the story, but again, not enough that I knew anything concrete.

Final Thoughts:

I think this was a well-written story but not something the kinds of stories I usually read, so I felt it was an okay read for me. But if you like apocalyptic stories, where you don’t get the answers right away – you might like this one.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Oxford Blood by. Rachael Davis-Featherstone | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: Oxford Blood

Author:Rachael Davis Feathersone

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 1/13/26

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Dark Academia

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

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

Love, Lies, Legacy…High-achieving state-school pupil Eva has one dream – reading English at Oxford. If she gets in, not only will she receive a world-class education at an elite university, but she will be fulfilling the dreams of her mother and gain some independence from her father, the overprotective Inspector Dawkins.

At the same school, Eva’s best-friend George is also hoping to go to Oxford. The attraction between him and Eva is undeniable, but they’ve agreed to put any romance on hold until their places at Oxford are secured. Eva cannot be distracted from her goal – although when they are both invited for interview week, their future together feels oh-so close.

Until George shows up dead.

The police rule his death an accident, but the behaviour of some of the other interview candidates has Eva suspecting foul play. When a shocking secret about George is revealed, Eva finds suspicion falling on her. What was meant to be one of the most important weeks of her life is fast turning into a nightmare.

All eyes are now on Eva, including the anonymous posters behind OxSlay, a gossipy social media forum exclusively for Oxford students. But amongst the conspiracy theories, lurk hidden clues. Could they help Eva clear her name – and catch the killer?

Content Warning: bullying, death, grief, murder

Set at Oxford this story has a murder mystery, secrets about bloodlines and a very determined FMC in Eva. Eva has a chance to get into Oxford but she needs to go through the daunting process of interviewing. There are a few kids who are there with her, along with her boyfriend, George, but the spots are coveted and very limited.

As the story goes on we learn more about secret societies, classism, racism, colorism, and sexism that takes place at this prestigious learning institution. Also, someone is killing people, and trying to frame Eva for it. But with her infamous detective father, and her new found friends, the clock is ticking to found out who is committing these murders.

I don’t think I was the right audience for this book even though I did enjoy the murder mystery. I do think young adults and teens would like this one though. But everything happens really fast, and I didn’t see how Eva could just jump right in trying to investigate these murders, one of them being someone close to her, plus try to focus on her interview without processing anything. I think things just happened way too fast that it didn’t feel believable. Also, because it’s happening so fast, she’s so stubborn in thinking she knows all the answers, even defying her dad’s advice. I wanted her to stop and breathe a little!

Final Thoughts:

I liked the setting of Oxford and learning so much about students trying to get into a place like that. There was great discussion about racism, and colorism, which is important for any reader. Also the murder mystery did move along quickly. This one was a quick read, and teens and young adults will probably enjoy it more than I did (the older adult).

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

An Arcane Inheritance by. Kamilah Cole | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: An Arcane Inheritance

Author: Kamilah Cole

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 432

Publication Date: 12/30/25

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Categories: New Adult, Dark Academia, Horror, Mystery, Thriller, Magical Realism, LGBT+, 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 Sourcebooks for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A modern-day dark academia fantasy with a twist, perfect for fans of Babel and A Deadly Education.

Warren University has stood amongst the ivy elite for centuries, built on the bones―and forbidden magic―of its most prized BIPOC students…hiding the rot of a secret society that will do anything to keep their own powers burning bright. No matter who they must sacrifice along the way.

Ellory Morgan is determined to prove that she belongs at Warren University, an ivy league school whose history is deeply linked to occult rumors and dark secrets. But as she settles into her Freshman year, something about the ornate buildings and shadowy paths feels strangely…familiar. And, with every passing day, that sense of déjà vu grows increasingly sinister.

Despite all logic, despite all reason, despite all the rules of reality, Ellory knows one thing to be true: she has been here before. And if she can’t convince brooding legacy student Hudson Graves to help her remember a past that seems determined to slip through her fingers as if by some insidious magic…this time, she may lose herself for good.d

Content Warning: violence, racism, classism

+ I was intrigued with this story right away. Ellory is a Jamaican immigrant, who’s parents sent her to America to live with her Aunt, so she could get a better life and education. She’s studied so hard but even with good grades, money was never easy to come by so she worked – saved and now is a 21 year old freshman at Warren University. Ellory wants to be a lawyer to make her family proud. I found Ellory so relatable. Her immigrant story is like many in this country and her trying to get a good education is her ticket to success.

+ There are many issues that are brought up throughout the story from colonialism, elitism, racism, and classism. It’s interesting to see how Ellory tries to uncover secrets of Warren University’s past to expose how the wealthy and privilege get away with atrocities. A few elements are woven together in this story and I think it worked, at least for me! I loved the dark academia, and the creepy atmosphere of the library and some other parts of campus. There is a sinister feel that is there throughout the story as Ellory tries to figure out what is going on with missing memories she is experiencing and feelings of being in another space/time. There are mentions of magic and alchemy and maybe a secret society at work. It gave me Legendborn and Inception vibes.

+ I loved how realistic Ellory’s life as a college student was from the studying, going to parties, living off of coffee and trying to make new friends. Now as strange things happen to her on campus and she does more digging though, she comes off as an unreliable narrator – because what are these memories, or missing memories and dejavu she has been experiencing?

+ I did like the slow burn love story between Ellory and Hudson. Clearly there is something there, a sense of dejavu and we don’t know why until the end. But they are rivals in their constitutional law class and I thought their interactions, the bickering and arguing was fun. Also, the reveal at the end was devastating but made me love their romance more.

~ As much as I was hooked onto this book, I did have some issues. This story leads up to a very unexpected and surprising plot twist but I would have liked more information on the secret society, and the magic leading up to it. Things felt vague, maybe on purpose, but I wish we got a just a little more information just so when the plot twist happens it doesn’t feel confusing or weak. I had to sit with it for a moment just to make sure it made sense in my head.

~ I wanted more between Ellory and Hudson. I loved that they were rivals, and then he starts helping her with trying to find out what’s going but I wanted a few more kisses in there! But that’s a personal preference. They are rivals, but except for their first meeting and a few descriptions about why they are rivals, we don’t see it in action. I just wanted more interactions between them since it is very important to the twist.

Final Thoughts:

I could not put this book down because I needed to find out what was going on. I liked Ellory and Hudson and the whole atmosphere of Warren University with the gothic library, and dark secret past. I do wish we had more information about the magic since there is a huge plot twist in this story that involves magic. Also would have loved more interaction with Ellory and Hudson because their love story is wonderful, and one of the main reasons everything devastating happens in this story. Overall, even with the issues I had with it I was very entertained.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Last Vampire by. Romina Garber | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: The Last Vampire

Author: Romina Garber

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 12/2/25

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Mystery, Dark Academia, Vampires

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

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

Pride comes before the fall.

When a boarding school opens in a once-condemned Victorian manor buried in the woods of New Hampshire, Austen-loving Lorena Navarro enrolls in hopes of finding her own Mr. Darcy. Instead, she stumbles across a coffin and accidentally awakens the world’s last vampire.

After hibernating for nearly three centuries, William Pride is desperate to find his family—and clueless about the modern world. Relying on Lorena for more than just blood, he enrolls at the school to catch up on all he’s missed.

Soon, William uncovers a chilling truth: He is the last hope for his kind’s return to power. Torn between protecting the humans around him and fulfilling his fate, William must make a choice that could change everything. Will he sacrifice his species for love . . . or will he embrace his dark destiny at last?

Content Warning: violence

+ There were many things about the synopsis of the books I was intrigued by: vampires, a boarding school, an FMC looking for her Mr. Darcy, and for the beginning of this book I was enjoying it. I loved Lorena and Salma’s relationship as best friends. They are very tight and have gone through a few hard times especially with Salma losing her mother.

+ I like that the cast is diverse. I thought the setting of the boarding school was fun and broad the mysterious and academic vibes to the story.

~ I thought when William came along, I would be more invested in the story but I did not like him and also, it made me not care about his romance with Lorena. He was threatening her (which I expect a vampire to do), but he annoyed me.

~ I also thought the found family-friend group would appeal to me, but I didn’t care for them either, especially Tiffany, who was a snobby rich girl but tagged along with the group.

~ I felt this would appeal more to the younger young adults, because it read like that at times. The beginning started strong but then I got bored and lost interest. And then the ending felt rushed.

Final Thoughts:

This book was not for me even though it had all the things I thought I would love in a YA Dark Academia story with vampires. Not sure if I was in a mood reading funk or what but I still think young adults on the younger end would enjoy this one if you are into YA vampire stories.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

Castle of the Cursed by. Romina Garber | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Ordeals by. Rachel Greenlaw | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: The Ordeals (Killmarth Trials, #1)

Author: Rachel Greenlaw

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 10/7/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Dark Academia, Magic, Alchemy, Vampires

In this lush, atmospheric romantasy, an illusionist competes in a series of deadly trials for a spot at an elite magical college—that is, if another hopeful doesn’t kill her first.

Twenty-year-old Sophia DeWinter has only known life bound to her cruel uncle, the Collector, thanks to a blood bond he exacted from her as a child. When she learns of Killmarth College, an elite academy for magic wielders outside of the Collector’s control, she knows it is her only chance to finally break free. But to gain entry, she will have to compete against other illusionists, masquiers, botanists, and alchemists in a series of brutal trials that many hopefuls don’t survive—the Ordeals.

Sophia knows her skills as an illusionist are weak; she only makes it through the first challenge by teaming up with a powerful (and insufferably sexy) botanist, Alden Locke. To make it out alive, she will have to hone her magic and learn to identify who is a rival, who could be an ally, and who is a murderer.

Because now, not only does she have to protect her heart, but her very life. Hopefuls are being viciously picked off one by one between the challenges. In her haste to escape the Collector’s trap, Sophia may have fled straight towards her own death sentence.

Content Warning: violence

+ Sophia only chance to escape her guardian, The Collector, is to enter a trials to have a chance to be admitted into a magical college institution where scholars study and work on their different powers like illusionist, arborist, alchemist, or a masquier. But first Sophia has to figure out how to get in and make sure The Collector doesn’t stop her.

+ Sophia meets her romance interest, Alden, right away. And they have an instant connection and flirtation between them ensues. I love that even though their connection was instant, they become partners in the trials first, the flirtation continues but they really do have to concentrate on keeping alive especially since there are some unsolved murders going on. There is spice eventually though. I thought they were cute together. Both of them are nice, good people with some secrets, so they had to learn to trust one another.

+ I enjoyed the twists and turns of the story. There is a murder mystery in the middle of the learning and trials. I like the enemies being vampires. I also really enjoyed seeing Sophia make friends with Tessa and Greg. Their friendship was one of my favorite parts of this story.

~ I’ve read a lot of Dark Academia stories this year so it’s becoming hard to read the same genre and try to find anything new and fresh about it. The trials in this story brought the suspense into the story, but it didn’t feel different from other trials I’ve read in books all year.

~ This book was a nice length at 384 but it took me almost two weeks to finish I think because of the pacing, which was a little slow, and the fact that I’ve read so many books in this genre this year. I maybe should have saved this for next year.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I did enjoy this one, even though the slow pacing made for a slower read. I especially loved Sophia’s friendship with Tessa and her romance with Alden. It will be interesting to see what happens in book two.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Compass and Blade by. Rachel Greenlaw | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Immortal Consequences by. I.V. Marie | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️

Title: Immortal Consequences (The Souls of Blackwood Academy, #2)

Author: I.V. Marie

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 512

Publication Date: 7/29/25

Categories: Dark Academia, Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, LGBT+

Six students at Blackwood Academy, an enigmatic boarding school located at the edge of the afterlife, must compete for the once-in-eternity chance to change their fate—or risk remaining stuck in purgatory forever. An unputdownable debut full of hairpin twists, shock betrayals and world-defying love, for fans of The Atlas Six.

Welcome to Blackwood Academy: the legendary school located at the fringes of the afterlife, where students are fated to spend the rest of eternity shepherding lost souls. Once a pupil enters the school’s arched gates, there is no way out…except for the Decennial, a once-in-a-decade celebration that rewards nominees who pass its trials with a choice: formally graduate and join Blackwood’s magical elite, or venture into the unknown and cross over to the mysterious Other Side.

Wren Loughty is certain that this Decennial, she has what it takes to earn the nomination—unless, that is, her academic archrival Augustine Hughes steals her spot.

Irene Manette Bamford has never cared about playing by the rules. She’s willing to break whatever (and whoever) stands between her and getting the hell out of Blackwood, including her best and only friend, Masika Sallow.

Olivier Dupont gave up on securing the nomination ages ago. But after he meets Blackwood’s newest student, Emilio Córdova, he’ll do anything to keep Emilio from leaving him and crossing over to the Other Side—even if it means claiming the victory for himself.

All of them are determined to be Blackwood’s chosen candidate–and all of them would do anything to win. But none of them are prepared for what’s to come. Because this Decennial will be different. This time, the Decennial isn’t a celebration…it’s a competition. And there can only be one victor.

Six nominees. Four trials. Untold danger. Wren, August, Irene, Masika, Olivier and Emilio are about to learn: there are some fates worse than death.

Content Warning: violence, grief, death, trauma

+ I thought the world-building was very interesting. It’s an academy in the afterlife! So all these characters are deceased, which I thought was unique.

+ There are 6 POVs and the chapters for each are short, which moved the story quickly. These students are all competing in a Decennial trial where the rules have changed. So there is a lot of action in the middle of the book which was nice, and we see these character who aren’t friends in the beginning start to form some bonds with one another.

+~ There is romance! One is a rivals to lovers romance between Wren and August – I thought I would be into this one but I didn’t feel like I connected to either of them, not sure why. There is a closed door scene between them. Then there is Emilio and Olivier and I thought their romance was sweet. But it is young adult so there is teen drama, and angst.

~ Although I enjoyed the short chapters and the action helped moved the story, I think there were too many things going on because there are so many POVs to follow. And not only those POVs, there were other kids in the trial, not main characters, but sometimes a name was mentioned and I would be like…wait who is that? Some characters got on my nerves like Irene and Wren.

~ As unique as I thought the setting and the world-building was, I had questions – like how did these students get their unique set of powers in the afterlife? I also thought it was kind of crazy that these dead people could still die (even more? lol).

Final Thoughts:

I thought this story had interesting world-building but would love to know more about it. I don’t feel like I had a good grasp of some of it. There are a few characters to follow but the chapters are short and the story moves quickly. I think because there is a lot going on I couldn’t connect to the characters fully. But I did like the action that came during the trials. It’s a maybe for me on if I’ll end up continuing this series, definitely will be dependent on my mood.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Katabasis by. R.F. Kuang | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice:

Title: Katabasis

Author: R.F. Kuang

Format: ebook (Libby) /hardcover (owned)

Pages: 560

Publication Date: 8/26/25

Categories: Dark Academia, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy

Two graduate students must set aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul, perhaps at the cost of their own.

Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality—her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world—that is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.

Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands, and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams. Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the same conclusion.

Content Warning: violence, death, sexual harassment, gore, suicidal ideation, depression

+ I dove into this book without seeing many reviews for it. I just knew there was hype because it is R.F. Kuang and I loved The Poppy War series, but those are the only books I have read from her. I still have Babel on my TBR list but have never gotten around to it. I was pleasantly surprised with Katabasis!

+ Alice Law is a grad student who needs to go to Hell to get her professor back. Peter Murdoch her classmate/colleague/competition, goes with her. There are a lot of philosophers, academics, mythology mentioned in here, and I have heard of some of them and studied some of it in school, but I loved how we are taken on this journey to Hell with this students who have studied so much about magick and Hell. I didn’t know have the things they were talking about. These two are brilliant minds and it shows, because it hurt my brain to hear them go on and on about this philosophy or paradox, or equations of something or other. But I thought it was also fun, even though it was a lot to process, because I could have never been like Alice and Peter.

+ Hell was a fascinating place and in this book, it’s a campus. Which I actually thought was funny. There were lots of humorous parts in this book actually! I really loved how there was action with the Kripkes, strange bone-like creatures that were out for blood! I find so many of the characters they met along the way, whether they be mythological personas or former people from their college, very fascinating. They all stood out in their own ways with their own motivations while in Hell.

+ Alice is an amazing, flawed character, probably some readers will find unlikable but she is who she is! She’s obsessed with succeeding, to the point of it being unhealthy but has to learn, while in Hell that it’s all futile when the man she admired is really a monster who pitted her and Peter against one another. She has been basically been abused by this professor but her admiration of him was clouding out all the bad things happening with him. She also faces that she is depressed. Her journey through Hell was actually her salvation where she realized so many things about life above, finding her voice and power and about love. I also thought Peter’s backstory was tragic.

+ Although this is a dark academia book taking place in Hell, there is room for love. And Alice and Peter are just two people who didn’t have time to even consider love while they were so consumed with their higher learning endeavors. But their time in Hell helps them work through some of the misunderstandings, lack of communication, and distrust. It’s kind of sad that it took this for them to see that love was there between them.

+ I loved all the questions, themes and messages in this story. It explored women in academia, pursuit of higher education and how toxic it can be. I also love how it explores Alice’s descent into a person who is filled with bitterness, anger, revenge, but also hopelessness and how she evolves through her journey in Hell.

~ This is dark academia – emphasis on academia. Now because there was so much academia name dropping and so many I never heard of since I’m not and will never be pursuing knowledge to that degree. I did have to read a little of this day by day to process it better. At times it did get bogged down with too many mentions of philosophers and their philosophies that I needed a mental break. Honestly, I can see how Alice lost herself when her whole world was surrounding academia and nothing else.

~ This is dark – there are mentions of suicidal ideation, sexual harassment, even some parts that I considered horror. But also, I thought this book had humor as well, still there are dark themes explored by Alive and Peter.

~ Though I loved the people we came across in Hell, the landscape and world building of Hell at times felt lacking. Maybe Hell is lacking? I mean, yes it gave me gloomy, stark vibes, but I felt like we were just moving through these levels quickly and not really getting a feel for what they look like.

Quotes From The Book:

“To learn is the most godlike thing we do”
Katabasis by. R.F. Kuang

“She had not realized, until that day, how humans needed to forget to function.”
Katabasis by. R.F. Kuang

“Professor Grimes had instilled in her a deep horror of ever being made an idiot.”
Katabasis by. R.F. Kuang

“This was a paradox her mind could not accept, that someone could be in the world one moment and simply be gone in the next.”
Katabasis by. R.F. Kuang

“It was all so unfair, she thought. You thought people were giants, and they devastated you by being so human.”
Katabasis by. R.F. Kuang

Final Thoughts:

I was going back and forth between a 4 and a 4.5 star for this book but I enjoyed so much of Alice’s journey within herself and I liked the combination of academia, fantasy, horror even, and romance. I wasn’t expecting the humor but I loved that. Did I have to read it little by little because there was a lot to process? Was some of the info-dumping a little clinical? Yes, but I felt like my brain got a workout – but in a good way. Because once upon a time when I was in college I did love learning about Dante, philosophy, and logic…but come on, it’s been so long I’ve been in school! 😅 I’ve been reading a lot to escape and not think so that this book forced me to think – I actually totally appreciate it! I was highly entertained by this book! I still need to read Babel, but I look forward to reading more books from R.F. Kuang.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Poppy War by. R.F. Kuang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Dragon Republic by. R.F. Kuang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Burning God by. R. F. Kuang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Endless Anger by. Sav R. Miller | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Endless Anger (Monsters Within, #1)

Author: Sav R. Miller

Format: ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 452

Publication Date: 8/19/25

Categories: New Adult, Dark Romance, Dark Academia, Childhood Friends to Lovers

Sometimes the pomegranate doesn’t fall far from the tree…

Asher Anderson is angry―at the world, at himself, at the way his best friend Lucy Wolfe seems determined to tune out this buzzing connection between them. He doesn’t mean to solve all his problems with violence, but maybe he has too much of his father in him. That’s why the faculty at Avernia College hates him, right? Because of the “evil” blood in his veins?

He should know better than to darken the old, ivy-covered university’s door, but it’s practically a law of the universe: wherever Lucy goes, Asher follows. Even if that means entering a twisting labyrinth of secret societies, human sacrifices, and a very personal history soaked in blood.

Lucy is used to being an outcast. She’s even used to Asher being her dark, brooding shadow. What she isn’t used to is him shattering her resolve by taking her up against library bookshelves as she desperately pretends her heart hasn’t always been his. She should know better than to play with fire, but with unexplained deaths and pointed threats ripping apart the university’s fabric, Asher and Lucy soon find themselves at the center of the turmoil…where they’ll have to confront their feelings or die trying.

Content Warning: violence, death, sexual assault, torture

+ I think the book started off strong and intriguing. Asher is in love with Lucy and I love how they knew each other since kids. He’s protective of her and they know the best and worst of each other. There’s a lot of no communication between them which was a bit frustrating, lots of angst but everyone knows they want each other and basically waiting for them to get together.

+ Their parents all know each other and I also liked the other characters in their friend/family group like Foxe and Aurora. Overall, I could tell this was a tight knit group.

+ If you want smut, it’s there but it comes in the second half of this book. So it’s a bit of a slow burn until then, but it is spicy! There is a lot of pent up longing and desire between these two.

+~ The premise of this one caught my eye and I saw it on booktok. I do wish I knew that this was a spinoff because I could tell while reading this I was missing something that regarded the parents of these kids in the book.

~ I was lost. Probably because I didn’t read the previous series that came before this book. I was missing the connection between the parents who all know one another. I didn’t know what was up with this college and what was so bad about it, even though everyone kept saying it was bad. It took so long for the story about the “bad things” at the college to develop. Like what was this curse? While the relationship between Lucy and Asher kept me invested, the plot was lacking and made me lose interest.

~ Book was too long for a story where not a lot was explained or happening.

Final Thoughts:

Read the series, Monsters & Muses before reading this book or else you might be as lost as I was. My favorite thing about this story was the childhood romance between Lucy and Asher – it’s full of longing and desire but also my least favorite trope -no communication, which was their only downfall really but still frustrating. There’s a lot of spice between them once they cave into their feelings for one another. The rest of the story has potential but I just needed more. Overall, just an okay read for me.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

House of Hearts by. Skyla Arndt | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: House of Hearts

Author: Skyla Arndt

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 288

Publication Date: 9/2/25

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Paranormal, Family Curse, Romance, Gothic

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

Thank you to Viking Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Solving her best friend’s murder means infiltrating a secret society, resisting a forbidden love, and running from a vengeful ghost in this sophomore novel by the author of Together We Rot.

Violet Harper knows her best friend was murdered. Even if everyone else has labeled her death a “freak accident,” Vi is sure she’d been trying to tell her something right before she died. Cryptic messages about her friend’s elite boarding school, her whirlwind romance, and the mysterious secret society she was entangled in all point to a more sinister fate.

So, Violet does what no one else seems willing to do: She transfers to the same fancy school to dig into the society’s murky history and find out what really happened to her friend. She knows the truth might not be pretty, but what she doesn’t bargain for is the handsome boy at the center of it all—Calvin Lockwell, the brother of her prime suspect and descendant of the school’s founder. He’s obnoxious and privileged, and Violet can’t deny their haunting attraction. It soon becomes clear his family is hiding a dark secret that may not be of this world, and suddenly Violet’s following her friend’s doomed footsteps down the rabbit hole. Even as details emerge of a deadly curse plaguing the school, she can’t escape her true feelings for Calvin. But loving him may be the last thing she ever does.

Content Warning: violence, murder, death

+ This is a dark academia story with horror and paranormal events. The setting is a gothic academy for wealthy kids, and Violet is enrolled there through scholarship because she wants answers to her best-friend’s death. She thinks she has it figured out and blames Percy Lockwell, the Headmistress’ son, for her death but while she is at the school she finds out there is more to the story.

+ There is a family curse on the Lockwell family, and the remaining siblings Calvin and Sadie are trying to break it and also find their older brother Percy, who disappeared. They create a secret society at school to gather kids who aren’t afraid of the paranormal so that they can solve this mystery about the curse and find their brother. I enjoyed the paranormal and horror aspects of the story a lot! It just added the right amount of creepiness and especially one part gave me chills.

+ The romance between Violet and Calvin is doomed because of the curse but from the start it was dislike mostly on Violet’s part and secret insta-love on Calvin’s though he hid it well. I loved their interactions and was rooting for them!

~ This is an arc but there was a lot of typos that I hope will be fixed by the time of publication. Also I don’t know if it was because the way it was formatted as an e-book but some sections blended into the next and I had to re-read because I was afraid I missed a scene or didn’t understand where I was in the story.

~ This is a quick read, just under 300 pages so I would have like a little more pages focused on the romance to draw out the tension more between them. I did love their romance journey, I just wanted more.

Final Thoughts:

I’ve been reading a lot of dark academia this year but I did love how this one stands out a little bit because of the paranormal and horror elements in the story. I loved the setting, the secret society, the dislike to lovers romance between Violet and Cal, and the family love curse. I had a few issues with typos (but this is an arc) and I did wish it was a tad bit longer just so there was more tension and yearning between Violet and Cal but overall, I enjoyed this one and will make for a thrilling, creepy fall read!