The Tarot Trials by. Katee Robert | ARC and ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: The Tarot Trials (The Tarot Trials, #1)

Author: Katee Robert

Format: eBook (NetGalley) and audiobook (netgalley)

Pages: 400

Listening Hours: approx. 14 hrs

Narrator: Lindsey Dorcus

Publication Date: 10/20/26

Publisher: Tor Books & 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 Tor Books & Macmillan Audio for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The deck has always been stacked against her.

Kestrel has trained her whole life to compete in the Tarot Trials. Her mother won once, earning a place among the five ruling Cinque—then paid for it with her life, executed for alleged treason against the Minor Court.

But fortune favors the bold.

Now it falls to Kestrel to take up her mother’s mantle as Champion of the Moon, enter the Trials, and face her fate. If she can master her new powers of shadow and illusion, navigate the poisonous game of alliances and lies, and corner the fellow Champion who dealt the killing blow to her mother years ago, she may uncover the truth she’s seeking without losing her head… or her heart. But in the Trials, betrayal is a question of when, not if. And winning the game isn’t about what she must do to win, but who she needs to survive.

Content Warning: death, violence

+ I think the narrator did pretty good with giving voice to the characters.

+~ The Tarot Trials is basically what the title indicates. People fight first to become a tarot card champion, and then they fight each other to the death. Five winners become Cinque, the ruling body of the city, voices of the Gods. During these trials there are alliances, betrayal, and mistrust. The first half of this story moved too slow for me. The second half is way much better with much more action.

~ I didn’t love the FMC, Kestrel. I understand she has had a tough life, she hates the wealthy, she wants to win the trials for her family but she complained from beginning to end and it got frustrating and tiring. She’s angry and bitter, though I did admire her fight but with all her talk of training and learning about the trials, she seemed so naive and inexperienced.

+~ Kestrel is bisexual but she is attracted to almost everyone she meets in the competition, which is fine but I just didn’t believe her. So I didn’t feel invested in her romantic connection with one of the competitors. There is one spicy scene but the romance didn’t do it for me.

Final Thoughts:

I think if you like deadly trials with a tarot theme, you might enjoy this one. I think this was okay – the first half was slow, the second half is better because there is more action. The trials have action, violence, alliances and betrayal. I do wish I cared more about the FMC, but I just didn’t connect to her.

Read if you like:

tarot
deadly trials
low spice

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Deathbringer by. Sonia Tagliareni | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Deathbringer (#1)

Author: Sonia Tagliareni

Pages: 432

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Categories: Dark Academia, Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Murder Mystery, Series

Born with the ability to speak with the dead, Viola hates her magic. It killed her sister, Olivia, and if she doesn’t learn why, it will kill her too. Her only hope lies within the perilous walls of Gorhail Institute of Magic, where Olivia spent her final days.

There, Viola clashes with Sylas, a poison mage whose magic stems from three magical snakes. Immortal, tormented, and reckless, Sylas is tethered to a life he never asked for and haunted by guilt for his father’s death. His hatred for death mages runs deep, and he’s determined to keep Viola at a distance. But when an attack forces him to heal her, their fates become intertwined by a magical bond that threatens to upend his loyalties—and his common sense.

As more students start turning up dead, Viola and Sylas are drawn into an uneasy alliance that pulls them deeper into Gorhail’s treacherous passageways, where secrets fester beneath the stone and the dead do not rest. And as enemy lines begin to blur and their undeniable attraction grows, Viola and Sylas uncover a chilling someone is hunting mages for their magical relics, and if they can’t uncover the killer in time, Viola will be next.

Content Warning: death, violence

+~ Viola hates her magic, but when her sister is killed and she is brought to Gorhail – she learns even more about her family, and her magic. There is a murder mystery going on because her sister is not the only one killed, and though mysteries move a little too slow for me, the dark academia aspects sucked me into the story. I also liked the magic and different houses ~ especially the asperi (snakes), I just wish we got to see use Viola use more of hers.

+~ Though Viola hates her magic and wants nothing to do with it, she does what she can to help with figuring out who is killing people at the academy. I definitely see growth in her but it would have been nice to see her learn how to use her magic. I did enjoy the found family in the story, especially Sylas’s family that kind become Viola’s friends. His sister Lyria and his adopted brother Beau are great.

+~ I liked the enemies to lovers romance at first, though it is a very slow burn. Their families have bad blood, but Viola is really innocent to it – she doesn’t know the past of their family like Sylas does. He holds a grudge against Viola because of it but then falls for her. But he lets doubts in his mind about her which really turned me off. Viola doesn’t do anything to earn his distrust and yet, his prejudice against her family line hurts her. So…although he confesses his love and apologizes, I was not moved by him. Also, I do think they needed more interactions to solidify their relationship, it did come off a little bit like insta-love.

+~ The story is a murder mystery which means it does move at a slow pace. There is a lot of info to process but I do think there needs to be a little more world building so we could learn more about the academy.

Final Thoughts:

This was going to be a 4 star read…but then Sylas left me wanting. His behavior annoyed me, but I did like the romance until he annoyed me. I did enjoy Viola, Lyria and Beau. The murder mystery means this was slow paced but I like the magic and dark academia. I think it needs a little more world building but this was a solid first book in a series.

Read if you like:

found family
forbidden romance, slow burn
dark academia
murder mystery

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Hunt the Dragons by. Miranda Lyn | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Hunt the Dragons (Hide the Witches, #2)

Author: Miranda Lyn

Pages: 608

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Publication Date: 9/21/26

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Dragons, Demons, Witches

Some debts are paid in blood. Others in love.

Syneca Black should be dead. But with her last breath, the Phoenix witch makes a desperate bargain with a mysterious stranger for a price she still doesn’t understand. She wakes in the Underworld alive, bound, and hunted. To repay the bargain that spared her life, Syneca must find a missing dragon before her debt comes due. Only Silas stands between her and the demon princes who want the stolen fire in her veins.

The more she lets herself trust the man who carried her into the Underworld, the harder it gets to tell where her distrust of him ends and everything else begins.

She isn’t the only one running out of time. Lucette Varrow answers to the moon now, and whatever she becomes when it rises, she doesn’t remember it. The only thing that ever breaks through is a dragon she shouldn’t recognize, and can’t stop needing.

Two women descended into different kinds of darkness. Only one may find her way back.

Content Warning: violence, grief

+ I love how this world opens up! We go to the Underworld and learn about the demon princes who are also hunting for the Phoenix because it’s their power she has, and they want it back. There are three POVs in this story: Syneca, Silas and Lucy. Lucy is separated from everyone so her character development and arc is huge. In the end the storylines converge and we learn even more about Furies, and dragons. The cast of characters get bigger, and the world expands which is great.

+ The found family trope in this series is really amazing. I love Pip – she is the glue between them! I also love how we get new characters, Dez, Lore and Ramiel who are demons. I feel like that it a big appeal of this series – the lovable characters, characters you get invested in.

+ There are two romances happening in this book. One for Lucy with someone I wasn’t expecting. That romance storyline has spice. But Syneca and Silas – wow, it’s a slow burn, or I’d say slow yearn since there is no spice between them – just a tiny bit of steam but so, so much yearning especially from Silas! They have such an epic romance, which I’m happy and I can’t wait to see what happens in book three.

+ This book is what fantasy is all about. There is magic, romance, friendship, lore, teleporting (they jump into books – I LOVE it), different species living among one another (somewhat peacefully) and cute creatures like grimmies! It’s got adventure, intrigue, and action.

Final Thoughts:

I love this series and I’m just sad I went through books one and two so fast and now I have to wait for book three. That was totally my fault but it was all worth it. I cannot wait for book three and see what happens to all these characters that I love.

Read if you like:

found family
good world building
epic romance

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Hide the Witches by. Miranda Lyn | Book Review – 4 stars/2 🌶️

Bloodbound by. J.A. Good | ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Bloodbound (The Scrolls of the Eshani, #1)

Author: J.A. Good

Pages: 465

Format: audiobook

Listening Hours: 16 hours (approx.)

Narrator (s): Ri Paige

Publisher: Tantor Media

Publication Date: 10/6/26

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy

Six strangers. One soul-bound Ring. No way out.

Isara Virelle has spent her entire life avoiding people. Unfortunately, becoming Eshani means binding your soul to five of them.

When the Binding Ceremony assigns her to Ring Six—the most elite fighting unit in Veryuun—Isa is forced into the last place she wants to surrounded by strangers who can hear her thoughts, feel her emotions, and know her secrets. Worst of all, their commander is Niko Veyshar.

Feared across the continent as Rathvenorn’s deadliest weapon, Niko is everything Isa has been taught to hate. Cold. Dangerous. Untouchable. And now they’re bound together.

As political tensions rise between nations and whispers of forgotten gods begin to spread, cracks appear within Ring Six. Ancient powers stir beneath the surface, forbidden magic awakens in Isa’s blood, and the bond tying her to her team may be unraveling before it has a chance to hold.

To survive, Isa must learn who she can trust. Because in Veryuun, loyalty is sacred. And betrayal can cost far more than your life.

Content Warning: violence

+ I thought this narrator did a really good job with the big cast of characters in this book. She brought the story to life, and I got a really good sense of the FMC, Isara, because of how she was narrated.

+ This story follows Isara who is curse-born. Her dad was killed by his wife (her mom) and everyone knows her story. It makes Isara a very distrustful, sarcastic and snarky character. She builds walls to not let people in but she’s forced to bind to 5 other people to make Ring Six – a fighting unit who need to rely on one another to survive. Most of the story is about training to be Eshani and in this Ring Six, and controlling her powers. Even though the story was mostly training and missions, I think it moved quickly enough because of the found family element which was my favorite thing about this book. Isa’s ring/her found family grew on me as they grew on her. She went from not having a family to getting a new one and it changes her.

+ The romance between Isa and her unit leader and enemy, Niko, is not the typical enemies to lovers where they hate one another openly. Isa is taught to hate him because her mother was Rathvenorn like he is. But the more time he spends training her, she can’t help the attraction. Plus he’s always in a mask that covers the bottom of his face which adds to the appeal. They get close through training and missions, there are some spicy scenes but then something happens at the end which makes me curious how their relationship will continue. So it’s a forbidden romance that they try to keep hidden,

+~ In the beginning I did think nothing much was happening in the story except for the training but I think there was something happening – the building of the found family, which is very important to Isa in the end. The second half picks up more as they go on missions. I liked seeing Isara grow throughout the story. There is political intrigue, Eshani lore, magic, betrayal and a twist at the end.

Final Thoughts:

I thought the narrator did a great job with bringing this audiobook to life. I love Isara because of her sarcastic personality and it was nice seeing the walls come down as she let friends into her life. I enjoyed the romance too but the twist in the end makes me wonder what will happen in book two. I’ll be looking forward to the next book!

Read if you like:

fighting unit/training/missions
forbidden romance
found family
betrayal

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Hide the Witches by. Miranda Lyn | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Hide the Witches (#1)

Author: Miranda Lyn

Pages: 558

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Publication Date: 4/20/26

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Enemies to Lovers

Some bonds are forged in blood. Others burn everything to ash.

In Grimora, secrets burn faster than witches, and Syneca Black is both. Forbidden fire magic courses through her veins, hidden behind a lifetime of lies because Hunters don’t spare phoenix blood.

When her best friend vanishes and resurfaces on execution scrolls, accused of crimes that she couldn’t have possibly committed, Syn risks everything and volunteers for a hunt that could see both of them killed. It’s the only way to protect the woman who is like a sister to her. But taking that oath means binding herself to Wickett, the legendary Hunter whose sharp eyes and lethal grace have ended countless witches’ lives.

Every moment beside him threatens to shatter her carefully built lies. Every stolen glance fans flames she can’t afford to kindle. He’s sworn to his cause. She’s everything he’s trained to destroy. But in a city where Sprites carry desperate messages and ancient Furies keep secrets, the most dangerous discovery isn’t the growing fire between them. It’s realizing that both hunter and hunted are dancing to someone else’s deadly design.

When the blood debts come due, Syneca must save the woman who stood with her in shadows or trust the man whose touch feels like salvation.

Will the world burn or will she?

Content Warning: violence, death, grief, abuse

+ Syneca Black is the Phoenix that the Magistrate and everyone else is hunting down because there is a prophecy that her power would burn down the world. Thing is, she’s been hiding her identity well but then one of her roommates and best friend, Vitoria, gets accused of being the Phoenix. Vitoria goes missing and the Magistrate puts together a group to hunt her down. Syn and her other friend Calder join the group so they can find her and help her, but also the Magistrate’s son who is a notorious hunter, Wickett is part of the group. I enjoyed the world building and the different species like sprites, shifters, witches, dragons, etc…

+ I love the found family in this story, especially the one between Syneca and Calder, but more people are added to the group. Syneca has a familiar that’s a grumpy griffin, and there is an Oracle, and Furies. It’s such an interesting cast of characters.

+ The romance is a slow burn and enemies to lovers between Syneca and Wickett, but I can’t say he was easy to get to know. He’s a hunter, he kills easily, and he marked Syneca as a person he will kill after their mission. So when the attraction grows between them, it does give us a spicy scene but also a twist in the story.

+~ I enjoyed this one and read it kind of slow, but it is almost 600 pages, so it was a bit long. But I was invested in the characters and the search for Vitoria. The twist in the story is very interesting and that cliffhanger ending has me downloading book two asap.

Final Thoughts:

I really enjoy the world building, characters, the slow burn romance and the twist and turns at the end of this book! I’ve already downloaded book two so stay tuned for that review.

Read if you like:

hunter x witch, enemies to lovers
found family
good world building

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Tallow and Bone by. Rhiannon Hargadon | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Tallow and Bone

Author: Rhiannon Hargadon

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages:

Publication Date: 10/6/26

Publisher: HRS Books

Categories: Dark Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Historical Fantasy

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

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

If Salem would rather kill witches than let them exist, how much will one witch sacrifice to save it?

After her family flees allegations of treason in Europe, Amity Merriweather hopes Salem will be a fresh start. Instead, she finds a land poisoned: Toxic relationships. Crop failures. Sick children. Deep-seated superstition and irrational fear. With every death, the curse buried beneath Salem’s cobblestone streets grows stronger.

Gifted with rare earth magic, Amity has spent her entire life hiding, suppressing her magic. She has a chance to heal the town before hysteria turns neighbor against neighbor. But Salem doesn’t want saving. Every acre of poison she clears will risk discovery, and she’ll get no thanks from its citizens.

Meanwhile, Amity must choose between two very different men:

A male witch hardened by abuse, who would gladly burn Salem to its poisoned roots… Or a scarred shoemaker with a heart too generous for its own good. Knowing which path to take requires knowing both men, but more importantly, it requires knowing herself.

Amity has worn as mask for so long, she no longer can be sure of who she truly is.

As accusations mount and innocents are dragged to the gallows, Amity faces an impossible choice. Keep sacrificing herself for people who would rather see her burn—or abandon Salem to the curse consuming it.

Tropes and Triggers:

Love Triangle with a masked MMC
Surprise (unwanted) pregnancy
Elemental magic
Generational curse
Witch Trials
Religious Trauma
Morally gray characters

TALLOW AND BONE is a dark paranormal romance. It is a retelling of the Salem Witch Trials with a healer witch, a cursed village, and the choice between mercy or retribution.

Content Warning: violence, death, abuse, whipping, sexual harassment, hanging

+ Amity and her family are always on the run because she and her mother are witches. They’ve fled England, where they lived comfortably at court and now are barely thriving in the colonies, surviving with her father’s skill at lying, and her and her siblings talent at thieving. And when they reach Salem, they decide they want to stop running, but at what cost. The townspeople of Salem are Puritans and are run by a pastor who holds a lot of power and turns that power into a witch hunt because of the failing crops.

+ Amity is someone who’s been told to hide her power since she was a child, so she’s used to lying and being someone else – but in Salem she actually finds other witches and she learns a little more about her powers and magic. I kind of like that her magic wasn’t all powerful, yes she used it to help herself when she was in danger, but her magic was for growing things, it wasn’t anything malicious at all. I would have loved more magic in the story actually. But Amity has her flaws, she can’t be herself and tell the truth of who she is, so she’s never been real to other people only with her family. She can’t want the things she wants if she wants to survive in this world. Also she goes through some dark mentally challenging times in this book that I think women can relate to.

+ I loved Amity’s siblings, even Elizabeth at first, who was a bit more strict than most, until I hated her later. I love her big family, but their dad is an awful man. Amity’s siblings know she’s a witch and that is why they are on the run, Elizabeth is who resents her the most. This family is very complicated – their dad is abusive, yet he provides as best he can – he loves their mother (a witch) with a passion, but when she is gone there is no one to protect them from him. The sibling closeness was heartwarming. Some other characters I found fascinating in the story were the women of Salem. I love that the characters are complicated and flawed.

+ Amity is 23 and single and that’s a problem during that day and age. She’s beautiful and the men in Salem notice her. But she’s obsessed with a masked man who is also a witch, who isn’t very friendly towards her but there is a wild attraction between them. I suspected who it was fairly early in the book. But this witch isn’t the only man who is in Amity’s life. There is George, the hero of the town, who has burn scars because an event that happened in the past – he’s so good, kind, patient and protective. He gave Amity protection when the other man couldn’t step up to do it himself and I loved him for Amity. He deserved better. I don’t mind love triangles but this one broke my heart – devastated me at the end, and even though there is a resolution at the end…I wasn’t happy with it. Whenever I think about this book I’ll always remember George. I would have been happy as them in a throuple or a Why Choose situation, but this is that type of book where you don’t get what you wish for. 💔

+ There was a strong sense of foreboding from start to finish in this book. The setting and atmosphere of Salem really came through in the writing. The story is dark, the women aren’t safe, the people were hungry because of failed crops, there is violence, death, and family turning on family. There are deaths in this story that broke my heart, it seemed never ending that Amity was going to lose people and I hated that for her and hated how her big family fell apart. I wanted to scream in anger and pain for Amity and the women in Salem. There is a sort of happy ever after in the end, but it is so bittersweet that whenever I think of this story I’m just heartbroken.

Final Thoughts:

If I wanted a book to rip my heart out then this would be five stars, but my heart was so broken at the end of this one, which I wasn’t expecting. I was so shocked at the culmination of events at the end, I had no time to cry but my heart felt hurt and then hollow. I don’t think I’ll ever be happy thinking about what happened to George. This story sucked me in even though I knew something bad was coming, since I know the gist of the Salem witch trials. I couldn’t put it down. I understood Amity’s feelings of wanting to be free and not hiding herself but that wasn’t possible in a town like Salem, and I just wish they had all left and ran. To see everything fall apart around Amity, and her lose people she loved – oh this story is devastating. The ending is bittersweet and I felt emotionally exhausted. Though it didn’t end the way I wanted, I have to say I won’t be forgetting this book for awhile.

Read if you like:

dark fantasy
family
love triangle

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Bloody Black by. Rhiannon Hargadon| Book Review – 4 stars/2 🌶️

This Shattered Tempest by. Thea Guanzon| ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: This Shattered Tempest (The Hurricane Wars, #3)

Author: Thea Guanzon

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 496

Publication Date: 10/6/26

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Categories: Fantasy/Sci-Fi, 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 Harper Voyager for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

When the storm swallows the world, who will be left standing?

Throughout their political marriage, Alaric and Talasyn struggled to resist the undeniable pull between them, even as rising tensions forced them on opposite sides of a looming war. Hand in hand, they vanquished the cataclysmic threat of the Moonless Dark—and started to hope for a future together.

That hope is shattered when a devastating attack sets off a chain of events that tears them apart once more. Now, as two rival nations prepare for a final, decisive clash, the Master of the Shadowforged Legion and the last Lightweaver fight to find their way back to each other. But the odds are stacked against them, and time is running out…

Is love enough to rewrite destiny? Can a new beginning rise from the ruins of the past? Or are Alaric and Talasyn doomed to meet as enemies on one last battlefield? This explosive third and final book brings the beloved Hurricane Wars series to a stunning conclusion—where passion and power collide, and the fate of a divided world hangs in the balance.

Content Warning: violence, death

+~ It’s been 2 years since the second book came out so I did go into this without doing a recent re-read of that book and there were times I had to wait for things to click because it’s a big cast of characters. The world-building includes a few different regions, so it took me a little while to remember people and places. Of course Tala and Alaric stand out the most to me, but because there is a lot of political intrigue taking place, it’s important to know who is on who’s side – and yes I did get lost at times.

+ Tala grows so much in this book! She has to make hard choices about her ruler, her people, her husband (who is the enemy) and which side to chose. I don’t blame her for choosing her people because that is how she was raised, familial duty is strong in her. But I felt bad for her because she loved Alaric too. There is a moment in the book where she has to break away from him and find strength within herself to do the right thing. Alaric was frustrating me though because he couldn’t break free from his father soon enough, he eventually learns and does the right thing in the end.

+ The romance is so filled with challenge, strife, and betrayal. I almost had no hope for them! I didn’t know how they would forgive each other. Their relationship comes with costs, but eventually they get things right and I didn’t know it would make me emotional. I love their ending. I will say I think Tala bent more than Alaric did – it took him awhile to see the light, and I know that’s trauma on his part because of his relationship with his father. He really was lucky that Tala fought to have him in her life. But someone had to fight for their love and of course it would be Tala because she overcomes a lot and by the end she’s not afraid to be vulnerable and fearless. There are a few spicy scenes between them though which absolutely matched their enemies to lovers vibe.

+ I enjoyed the political intrigue when I could follow who was betraying who, but I also loved the aether magic and the dragons that protect Tala’s people! The story touches on the cost of war on all sides involved and the tension that grew inside me while reading this was almost off the charts near the end. I wanted it to work out for everyone so badly but there was a moment of hopelessness before everything is resolved. There were some emotional parts to this story especially at the ending. I also love that this is by a Filipino author and there is a word in the story that pulled at my heart strings because it’s a word in the Filipino culture for mother or grandmother. Just having that in there was everything to me and connected me more to Tala.

Final Thoughts:

This conclusion to The Hurricane Wars series is tense, heartbreaking but also healing at the end. Tala grows to become the Empress she is destined to be, by making hard choices, confronting the past and even people considered family who is trying to hurt her. She loses a lot in order to become stronger and bring about the hope for the future she and Alaric had. There were times I was a little lost because of so much going on and all the names I had forgotten but I couldn’t put this down. I was rooting for Tala and Alaric and their dream of a future with no war. The story was filled with political intrigue, betrayal, darkness but also hope. I loved it!

Read if you like:

political intrigue
character development
secrets, betrayals
enemies to lovers
tension

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Tusk Love by. Thea Guanzon | Audiobook – 5 ⭐️/ 2🌶️

A Monsoon Rising by. Thea Guazon | ARC Review – 4 ⭐️

The Hurricane Wars by. Thea Guanzon | ARC Review – 3.5 ⭐️

The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing by. Marshall J. Moore | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing

Author: Marshall J. Moore

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 9/22/26

Publisher: Bantam

Categories: Horror, Humor, Fantasy, Paranormal

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

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

A mad scientist’s apprentice, a witch’s cat, and a vampire’s wife walk into a haunted mansion…

Humor meets horror in this heartwarming tale of friendship, solidarity, and stolen body parts.

As the laboratory assistant to the brilliant but demanding Doctor, Igor spends his nights robbing graves, stitching together body parts, and ensuring that his master doesn’t electrocute himself (too badly). It’s thankless work, but Igor knows it’ll all be worth it once they finally succeed in the Doctor’s all-encompassing quest to create new life from dead flesh.

When a mob of peasants wielding torches and pitchforks drives them out of town (again), Igor and the Doctor relocate to the isolated Ravenwald Manor to resume their experiments. But Igor and the Doctor are not the only ones seeking refuge within the walls of Ravenwald. The manor is already home to a vampiric Count and his highly dissatisfied bride, Cornelia—and an enigmatic witch and her feline familiar, Grimalkin, intend to use it as the site of a magical ritual.

At Igor’s suggestion, the three pairs come to an uneasy agreement to cohabitate in Ravenwald, lest they attract the suspicion of the nearby village. In the wake of this truce, Igor, Cornelia, and Grimalkin soon begin to realize that they might have more common with one another than their respective masters. When the trio discovers that they’ve been unwitting participants in a horrible plan to destroy the world as they know it, they must work together to stop their masters from bringing on armageddon… and stop the increasingly suspicious villagers from reaching for their pitchforks and torches.

Igor, Grim, and Cornelia must unite to cast off the chains of their masters and embrace life on their own terms in the hilarious, heartwarming, and just-spooky-enough The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing.

Content Warning: grave robbing, body horror

This was gifted to me by the publisher and it is not usually the type of book I would pick up or read but I was curious. The writing is great and it kind of gave me The Nightmare Before Christmas vibes in that it’s horror but kind of cozy. Like I adored Igor and Grim. Igor is the Doctor (mad scientist) assistant and he is not being treated well by his master so it was nice to see him Igor grow and come into his own at the end.

There’s a bunch of interesting characters from all walks of the paranormal world in this one, and it was fun getting to know them.

But because it’s not the type of book I usually read and I needed to be in the right mood to read this I found myself taking awhile to read this one.

Final Thoughts:

If you love horror with humor and a little bit of cozy vibes I think you will enjoy this one. For me, it was outside of the genres I usually read so it took me awhile to get into the mood to read this but the writing is great and the characters were charming.

Read if you like:

cozy horror
paranormal
humor

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A Crown of Blood and Magick by. Amy De La Force | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: A Crown of Blood and Magick (Fated for Hael, #2)

Author: Amy De La Force

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 9/15/26

Publisher: Canelo Romance

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 Canelo Romance for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

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?

Content Warning: violence

Book two in this series follows Cahra on her rise as an Empress, with Hael backing her and protecting her. There is a lot more political intrigue in this sequel but I felt like it took me a little longer to get into this book than book one. There is a large cast of characters and it took me awhile to remember who was who.

I didn’t really feel connected to Cahra in this one, and I’m not sure why. It could be that I didn’t believe she was ready to be an Empress over three kingdoms but there was enough to show her struggles and challenges. I did enjoy her relationship with Wyldaern though, I was invested in that.

The romance between Cahra and Hael finally go somewhere after so much yearning between them, and they even get a spicy scene.

Though it does start slow, the story picks up in the second half.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I think I liked book one better than this one. It took me awhile to get into this sequel. The world-building is still interesting and I did enjoy the friendship between Cahra and Wyldaern. I was happy to see the romance move along with Hael, but for some reason I had a hard time connecting to this one. If you liked book one, I do think you will enjoy this one.

Read if you like:

romantasy

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

A Kiss of Hammer and Flame by. Amy De La Force | ARC Review – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The False Vow by. Lydia Gregovic | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️ (fade to black)

Title: The False Vow (The Weaver Bride, #2)

Author: Lydia Gregovic

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 528

Publication Date: 9/29/26

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Mystery, 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 Delacorte Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Love will be tested in this high-stakes, spellbinding sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller The Weaver Bride—the perfect read for fans of The Rose Bargain and Thorn Season.

The gorgeous first edition of The False Vow will feature stunning, stenciled edges and printed endpapers!

Lovett Tamerlane is engaged.

A silkwitch whose magic can only be harnessed through marriage to a Weaver, Lovett was facing life in the cloisters when Eliot Lear offered the deal of a an invitation to the Vainglory to compete for wealthy Weaver heir Noé Allaire’s hand in marriage, in exchange for her solving his sister’s murder.

While they both got what they wanted, the competition was full of surprises. Lovett never expected to fall in love . . . and Eliot never anticipated that she’d betray him.

Now Lovett has one to take down Bastian Alaire and end his corrupt Weaver reign at any cost. But though the Vainglory may be over, danger still lurks at Fortblanche. And when Bastian presents Lovett with one last challenge—solve a murder that occurred within his walls, before the day of her wedding—she realizes the tests aren’t over. To pass this one, she’ll have to partner with the only person she hates more than her father-in-law his son, Noé.

But as Lovett will learn . . . sometimes love and hate are two sides of the same coin.

Content Warning: violence, death

This is book two in The Weaver Bride series and I was looking forward to see what happened to Lovett and Eliot. Well, a lot happens in this book, some very unexpected things. Lovett and Eliot are trying to figure out the murder of Sybil, so they can best Noé’s dad, the weaver king, Bastian. Lovett and Noé are engaged but she still loves Eliot which makes this a love triangle. And the silkwitches who competed for Noé’s hand are trying to kill Lovett.

My favorite part of this story was actually the romance even though it’s a love triangle and I actually wasn’t sure who Lovett was going to end up with. I was a little disappointed with Eliot’s character because it wasn’t what I expected after how close he was to Lovett in book one. But I guess people change. Noé is filled with so much yearning that his confessions at the end really melted my heart. I love seeing their relationship grow. And there is a fade to black steamy scene.

As for the story, I felt like the beginning was half was slow. I only really got into the story at probably the 40% mark. I liked the first book because of the trials but now that is missing, so what takes it’s place is people trying to kill Lovett. Lovett’s competition, now bridesmaids, are all trying to kill her under Bastian’s request and Lovett is trying to figure out Sybil’s murder. I liked getting to know some of the bridesmaids more like Anais and Manon. There was never a warm relationship between Lovett and the girls because it was a competition and Lovett is not someone who allows people to get close to her and vice versa (which is why I loved her with Noé).

Final Thoughts:

I feel like I was more attracted to the romance story in this one than the mystery because the murder mystery felt slow. But if you like mysteries I think you will enjoy this one. The romance is a love triangle, and I wasn’t expecting the direction it went but at the end I wasn’t mad at it and actually loved getting to know Noé more. That guy is filled with so much yearning. Overall, I think this is a solid sequel to The Weaver Bride.

Read if you like: