A Curious Kind of Magic by. Mara Rutherford | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: A Curious Kind of Magic

Author: Mara Rutherford

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 10/21/25

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Young Adult, Cozy Fantasy, 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 Wednesday Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Everyone in Ardmuir knows that Willow Stokes is a charlatan, including Willow herself. Her father’s shoppe hasn’t sold anything magical in decades, and it’s only hanging on by the skin of the fake dragon’s teeth Willow sells as charms, along with “enchanted” ostrich eggs, taxidermied chimeras, and talismans made of fools’ gold.

Until outlander Brianna Hargrave appears and turns Willow’s fakes into exactly what they’re purported to be. But try as Willow might to enlist Bri’s help, she wants nothing to do with Willow and her curiosities.

Because Brianna is harboring a secret of her own: everything she touches turns to magic, and the consequences have chased her all the way to Ardmuir. All she wants to do is find a particular missing grimoire, which contains a spell that can finally put an end to her curse.

Desperate to keep her father’s shoppe, Willow proposes a bargain that could save them both. Together with the frustratingly handsome printer’s assistant, the girls will uncover a plot that goes far deeper than either could have imagined. But when Willow is forced to participate in an ambitious collector’s quest for the rarest magical object in the world-a quest that risks almost-certain death-she learns that not all treasure is for sale, and that true magic is closer than she ever could have imagined.

Content Warning:

+ Willow is all alone and she runs a shop of magical items – or at least that is what is advertised. Willow knows nothing in that shop is magical until one day, a person comes in, Brianna, touches an object and makes it magical. From then on Willow concocts a plan to use Bri’s help to turn the stuff in her shop into magical objects so that Willow can finally turn a profit and pay her bills.

+ This is a cozy fantasy filled with magic and the possibilities it can bring. Willow is all alone with only Finlay as her best friend, but when Brianna comes along it opens her up to a new friendship and learning to trust others. Willow has this mindset of thinking she’s a charlatan and a thief but mostly because she’s had to do it to survive. I like how her world opens up when magic is part of her world. There is also a quest in this story that brings Brianna, Willow and Finlay together.

+ The romance isn’t the focus and it’s a sweet romance. Finlay is clearly in love with Willow but he let’s Willow set the pace, even when she doesn’t know what she really wants or deserves.

~ If you aren’t into cozy fantasy, you might find this a slow read especially in the beginning as all they are doing is cleaning the shop and trying to find a grimoire to help break Brianna’s curse. It picks up a little more at the halfway point where Willow takes on another quest.

Final Thoughts:

This story had magic, friendship, romance, a magic store and a quest. I think cozy fantasy lovers will enjoy this one!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

The Poison Season by. Mara Rutherford | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️

Luminous by. Mara Rutherford | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

BLOG TOUR | Kingdom of Sea and Stone by. Mara Rutherford ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Arc Review: Crown of Coral and Pearl ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

For No Mortal Creature by. Keshe Chow | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: For No Mortal Creature

Author: Keshe Chow

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 480

Publication Date: 10/7/25

Publisher: Delacorte Press

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

A teen girl with the power of resurrection must venture into the afterlife, but to survive the death realm, she’ll need the help of her two mortal enemies–both of whom she is inexplicably drawn to–in this romantic, gothic fantasy inspired by Wuthering Heights.

When Jia Yi suddenly finds herself alive again after being stabbed through the heart by an enemy’s sword, she realizes she possesses a rare power: the ability to move between the living realm and the shrouded world of ghosts. Ghosts including Lin, her ex-best friend and former love, whose betrayal she still hasn’t recovered from.

At first, Jia wants nothing to do with Lin, or any ghosts–metaphorical or otherwise. But when her beloved grandmother abruptly passes away, Jia is forced to travel into the afterlife to save her.

To survive the treacherous death realm, Jia will need to rely on both Lin and her longtime enemy, the cold and enigmatic Prince Essien Lancaster. Only, she isn’t sure whether she can trust either of them. With tensions high and new and old connections blooming, Jia must confront the ghosts of her past…or risk becoming one herself.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I really liked how this started. Jia Yi is caught trespassing on Lancaster land, but she’s there to get an herb that could help her sick grandmother. When things escalate and she dies, she realizes she can walk in both worlds, living and dead. There is also a prophecy that involves Jia Yi saying she will be the one to find this deadly and powerful sword, but to retrieve it she needs to search in the afterlife.

+ The world-building is great! I loved the world of the after-life, which has different layers. And to retrieve this infamous sword Jia Yi has to travel to the lowest level. In the afterlife she encounters ghosts, some of the ghosts are family members and also a ghost of someone who had her heart in the living world, Lin.

+ Jia Yi was is a feisty character, and I enjoyed her personality. She gets into some tense with Lin but there are things he isn’t telling her. I liked her power of being able to die and resurrect.

+~ The romance was interesting. There is so much angst and longing on Lin’s part, she is the only one he’s ever loved. She felt the same before he died but there is now another love interest in the living world, who is a Yske (her enemy) and a prince. I didn’t love the love story on either part. With Lin, we get thrown into the story right away, so there is animosity between them before he confesses everything. As for the prince, Essian – his people are her enemy. But there just wasn’t room to build their romance in this story since she was mostly in the afterlife.

~ I’ve seen the movie Inception multiple times and the ending is one of my favorite parts! But using something similar in this story just are ending feel too abrupt.

Final Thoughts:

My favorite part of this story is the world-building. I loved how Jia could jump between the land of the living and the dead. Plus the afterlife and all it’s levels were really fun. I liked the themes of family, death and life. I didn’t care for the love triangle – I think there should have been more time for things to build with the prince, but I loved how Lin loved Jia in life and the afterlife. I also didn’t love the ending which just felt too abrupt. Overall, it was still entertaining read despite my little issues with it.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Girl with No Reflection by. Keshe Chow | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Eldritch by. Keri Lake | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Eldritch (The Eating Woods, #2)

Author: Keri Lake

Format: ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 766

Publication Date: 9/9/25

Categories: Dark Romance, Dark Fantasy, Horror

In the grimly captivating sequel to Anathema, Maevyth and Zevander must navigate the perilous mortal lands to deliver Zevander from the clutches of an ancient, malevolent power that threatens to shatter both worlds.
An eldritch magic has awakened, turning the mortal world darker. Colder. Famished. With flesh-eating monsters and a sinister curse spreading like a plague, the last glimmer of humanity in Foxglove Parish has long-since faded.

For Maevyth and Zevander, the only chance of escape is through The Eating Woods. But fate has woven a new web, tangling the threads of destiny, and crossing the mystical boundary to Aethyria might not be so simple.

As the bones of Maevyth’s past are unearthed, and truths unravel with unsettling clarity, the possibility of never leaving Mortasia is becoming more of a reality. Unfortunately for Zevander, time is running out. The longer he stays in the mortal lands, deprived of essential vivicantem, the more he succumbs to the encroaching specter of madness.

Or maybe those chasing shadows are someone hunting him. A wretched evil closing in, threatening to pull him into the darkest corners of his mind.

Only, this time, Maevyth may not have the power to save him.

Eldritch is a full-length, gothic dark fantasy, the second book in The Eating Woods trilogy. Perfect for readers who enjoy a character-driven and atmospheric story with a unique magic system, a slow-burn romance and a touch of horror.

Content Warning: violence, physical-emotional-sexual abuse, slavery, torture, death, trauma

+ Anathema was the first book I read from this author and I gave it a 3.5 rating because as much as I loved the slow burn romance, it was too long of a book and a little too dark for me. I wanted to read this sequel though because I am invested in Maevyth and Zevander’s beautiful and tragic romance.

+ The atmosphere in Eldritch is continued from Anathema. It’s dark, it’s mysterious and filled with worshipping Gods, people in fear of magic and witches, a portal to a different world, scary creatures and the spiders! Ugh, the spiders are something. The story is told in two timelines, past and present and focuses mostly on Zevander’s past. There is also a different place he goes to, Caligorya – a place in his mind that he can go to escape the torture and abuses happening to him under General Loyce.

+ This is Zevander’s story and though we get hints of what happened to him while reading Anathema – in Eldritch, we see his past in full light and the torture he’s been put through by General Loyce. It’s heavy and dark and at times, my heart just broke for him. All this history fleshes him out more as a character and we get to see him in all his complicated, broken self.

+ Maevyth grows as a character in Eldritch. She is still compassionate but this time she needs to learn to fight because people she love are in grave danger. We get to see her love for her family very strongly in this one. And when it comes to Zevander, she is beautifully patient and kind to him.

+ My favorite thing about this whole story is the romance and it’s why I read Eldritch. Their love is so beautiful even though they are both broke, Zevander being the most broken of the two of them. But Maevyth is steadfast, strong and the perfect partner for him.

+ I liked the second half when there are more characters added to Maevyth and Zevander’s group – there was actually humor from Aleysia and I appreciated that a lot!

~ This book is 766 pages long. It is too long again, longer even than the first book. I love Kazhimyr and his side quest but I think having his POV chapters were unnecessary unless he plays a big part in book three. I found myself skimming some of his chapters because I wanted to get back to Zevander and Maevyth.

~ The story only really moves forward in the last part of the book, so most of the book is Zevander’s history. And the slow burn love story was beautiful but I did wish they kind of got right to working things out between them in the beginning. It takes a few chapters for them to address their sexual relationship and I know it’s because Zevander respected her wishes, but Aleysia was knocked out and healing so I think there was time for them there to move things along in their relationship.

~ There is another cliffhanger in this story.

Final Thoughts:

I think this is a solid sequel to Anathem with all the same dark elements, if not more. I was mostly in it for the romance between Zevander and Maevyth and that didn’t disappoint. I do think the book is too long with most of the story moving quicker in the second half. This sequel is mostly about getting to know Zevander and I think the story did the job. I’d like to read book three but also hope it’s not a long book again.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Anathema by. Keri Lake | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Traitor Wolf by. Leia Stone | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice:

Title: Traitor Wolf (Bonded by Fate Duet, #1)

Author: Leia Stone

Format: ebook (borrowed, KU)

Pages: 408

Publication Date: 9/19/25

Categories: Young Adult, Romantasy, Werewolves

The weapon that hasn’t chosen anyone in a thousand years has chosen me, a Dreg-born girl with no magic.

Forged by the Creator and feared across the realm, the King Killer was never meant for someone like me. But the moment I touch it, the wolves come running, snarling, fighting, and bleeding to claim me.

Only one survives.

A wolf with a traitor’s mark burned into his skin.

And now we’re bonded.

Last night, I was digging through trash in the Elite district when a dying highborn collapsed at my feet. With his final breath, he pressed his trial mark into my chest and gave me his place in a deadly competition I was never meant to enter.

If I win, my entire bloodline, all forty of us, gets magic. The Dregs will rise overnight and the Elites will never forgive it.

My bonded wolf says he doesn’t care about me, that he only wants my blade. But he guards me like I matter, trains me like I have a chance and when they try to kill me, he tears them down like I belong to him.

I didn’t ask for this, but I’m not backing down. Not even for the wolf who could break my heart.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I haven’t read a Leia Stone book in awhile but I loved the book cover of Traitor Wolf (something about that pink color!) and saw someone give a good review of this on TikTok so I wanted to try it out.

+ In this world of Elites versus Dregs, Brynn is a Dreg, she’s poor and magicless. But one night looking for food for her starving family, turns her life around. An Elite Heir gives her an invitation to the Arcane Trials – the winner gets magic for themselves and all their bloodline. This could help turn their lives around, but a Dreg has never been in the trials, and no one wants her there. As a competitor in the trials she has to bond with a wolfkin (a werewolf), who will protect her, and she bonds with Kaelric.

+ This is a fast moving story with the usual tropes found in a romantasy novel. There is secret identity, magic, magic trials, a sword that speaks into Brynn’s head, fated mates, the rich versus the poor, and a little romance.

+~ I think the romance grew too fast. One moment Brynn is very annoyed with Kaelric, but he’s handsome and helps her out with the trials and her family, so she falls in love with him. It’s also convenient that they are mates, but I just felt like all of it happened too easy. So I actually liked the ending, because there is conflict between them and I actually liked that this one isn’t spicy. Maybe in the next book? Not sure.

~ The world-building is sparse, so it makes it an easy read, but I wanted just a little more. But that’s just me – for anyone who doesn’t like heavy world-building, you will like this one.

~ The trials went by fast and felt a little weak. No one wants her there but there wasn’t really a villain, and I don’t count Corvessa because she was barely in the book. Yes, she wanted to take Brynn out but we know basically nothing about this villain. Even Cassian, who is Brynn’s sponsor, we know a little about him but everything felt a bit surface level.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was an easy read. I’d say it’s light fantasy, very surface level and the type of book you can binge in one sitting. I’ll definitely be reading book two to see some character growth and also to see where the story goes.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

House of War and Bone by. Leia Stone | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Dark Bond by. Leia Stone | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dark Bite (Vampire Hunter Society, #1) by. Leia Scott | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Weaver Bride by. Lydia Gregovic | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: The Weaver Bride

Author: Lydia Gregovic

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 480

Publication Date: 9/30/25

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Magic

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!

A sweeping fantasy about a witch who must navigate a ruthless marriage competition—and try not to fall in love along the way. Part twisting mystery, part thrilling romance, The Weaver Bride is an unputdownable romantasy steeped in a lush magical world.

Lovett Tamerlane is a silkwitch. Like all girls of her kind, she holds a rare magic—a magic that can be harnessed only through marriage to a Weaver. But finding a Weaver husband requires status, refinement, and money, all of which Lovett sadly lacks. Her one secret ability, to open any door, is her saving grace. Hidden in plain sight, Lovett spends her days using her gift to steal from wealthy families and her nights avoiding the fate imposed on all unwed silkwitches: a life confined to the cloisters.

But opening doors can be dangerous, and when Lovett steals from the wrong person, she finds herself face to face with Eliot Lear, the notorious son of a prominent Weaver. It turns out Eliot’s been watching Lovett. He knows she’s a silkwitch, and he offers her a life-altering opportunity: entrance to the Vainglory, a competition with the ultimate prize—marriage to Noé Alaire, heir to generations of Weaver wealth. The catch? Last year, the Vainglory ended in tragedy. The winner died. And the winner was Eliot’s sister.

The arrangement is simple: If Lovett solves the mystery of Ophelia Lear’s death and unmasks her killer, Eliot will ensure she has her pick of Weaver suitors, regardless of who wins the competition. Yet unraveling Ophelia’s murder proves far more complicated than either of them anticipated. And Lovett should know better than to take a Weaver at his word.

After all . . . what is love without betrayal?

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I’ve read one other book from this author and enjoyed it so I couldn’t wait to see what The Weaver Bride was about. The premise is intriguing and the world building sounded different plus the book cover is gorgeous.

+ I enjoyed the unique world-building in this story. This story has sorcerors – Weavers and silkwitches. Silkwitches hold power in their hair, and it can be woven into magical, power items. But silkwitches need to be married by their 21st birthday or they will end up in a cloister, which means, wealthier families had more of an advantage getting their daughters married and Lovett was not from one. Lovett had parents who was afraid that she was a silkwitch and a community that feared them or coveted their hair. So Lovett has been surviving on her own as a thief. But when she comes across an opportunity given to her by Eliot, a who comes from a powerful family, it’s hard to pass it up. But the opportunity involves a competition of the most worthy silkwitches in society, and Lovett has to pretend to belong for their ruse to work.

+ The tension between Eliot and Lovett was so thick, I was hoping for more scenes between the two of them. Both characters are morally gray and come into an agreement based on their own selfish reasons, Eliot wants to find out who murdered his sister, and Lovett wants to stop surviving and have wealth. It’s a dislike to like romance, they are always arguing and there is so much push and pull between them. There is also betrayal and just so much distrust between them but so much angst and longing too.

+ The mystery about Eliot’s sister was very interesting and kept me invested. I love how it ties into more information about silkwitches and the truth about their history and powers. I’m not sure if there is a sequel, but with the way this book ended, I hope there is!

~ I wanted more of Eliot and Lovett. They seemed doomed as lovers, especially since Lovett is trying to win the hand of Noé, who is Eliot’s best friend but also heir to a powerful family. This is not a love triangle, but the way this book ends has no closure for Eliot and Lovett and I want to see what happens next.

~ Would also love more growth for Lovett. I like her character a lot. She’s had a rough upbringing, had to survive on her own and she’s used to using her looks to get her out of certain situations and did hold her own again Eliot and some of the other men. But I hope after that ending, we see her grasp more power.

~ Pacing was kind of choppy, there were times where things are happening quickly – like the beginning, although the competition trials seemed kind of weak, and then times where it slowed down because there is a murder investigation taking place with Lovett doing all the investigating.

Final Thoughts:

I read this book in one sitting! I loved the unique world-building, the romance filled with tension and betrayal, the murder mystery and learning more about the silkwitches. I had some issues but it didn’t stop me from enjoy this story and I hope there is a sequel!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

The Monstrous Kind by. Lydia Gregovic | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

What Fury Brings by. Tricia Levenseller | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: What Fury Brings (Wrath and Fury, #1)

Author: Tricia Levenseller

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 9/23/25

Publisher: FEIWEL

Categories: Fantasy, Dark Romance, Revenge Fantasy

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

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

There’s a shortage of men in the kingdom of Amarra. After a failed rebellion against the matriarchy, most noblemen in the country are dead. Now the women of Amarra must obtain their husbands (should they want one) by kidnapping them from other kingdoms.

Olerra, a warrior princess vying for the throne, is determined to prove her worth by kidnapping a husband. And not just any husband. To outmaneuver her treacherous cousin, she needs the best. Fortunately, the second-born prince of their greatest enemy is widely known for both his looks and his sweet, docile temperament. He’s the perfect choice to secure her claim to the throne.

Sanos, heir to the Kingdom of Brutus, has nothing but contempt for the idea of a society run by women. Trained from birth to fight, lead, and follow in his father’s overbearing footsteps, his path has always been set. Until he takes his younger brother’s place in a drunken prank and finds himself kidnapped, carted off to the Amarran Palace, and informed that he is to become the husband of Queen Potential Olerra. Sanos needs to escape before anyone learns his real identity, but the more he gets to know his captor, the less sure he is of what he truly wants.

Content Warning: violence, physical abuse, mentions of sexual assault, kidnapping, dubious consent, auctioning/selling men/children, mentions of grooming and underage sexual partners, animal death, penis guillotine

+ I went into this arc, seeing the reviews for it online being very polarizing. People either love it or hate it and it made me very curious as to why. The world building is different – especially for a romantasy. We hear romantasy and think certain tropes, but this is most definitely a reversal of the gender roles and this is a dark romantasy. Olerra is from the kingdom of Amarra where the women are in power. And I don’t mean they just are the rulers of this place, oh no, they housebreak their men – yes, that’s what the call it. Men are the subordinate, they are the househusband, they are used for breeding, they are punished if out of line, they are the whores, and they are the ones being bought. Personally, I thought it was very eye opening and I wanted to see how this story played out.

+ Olerra, as a character, she’s powerful. She fights with men, wins against them, she’s a commander of the military, she’s a big woman and she’s ambitious. I kind of got a kick out of her husband-hunting/kidnapping and being the one to save him in the end. Is she perfect? No. Because she does punish Sanos, put him on display, plays on his lust for her – but this is a role reversal, this is how Olerra has been raised. Readers of dark romance have seen similar scenarios take place in the traditional roles of men and women. The man doing the kidnapping, displaying the woman, etc…so it was really fascinating to see Olerra do all of this to Sanos, who is not a weak man himself. He’s a warrior and fighter just like her, and she emasculates him so she can be viewed as powerful among her people.

+ I like how this book bent my brain because I’m so used to the usual gender roles in all the romantasy I read – and I read a LOT of them. So this book was so good at challenging my thoughts on what I’m used to reading, things I just readily accept about female and male characters. I thought Amarra being a mirror to the Brutes was interesting. The society in Amarra is the result of men doing what they do to women – but instead of flourishing as an open society (which they do – they accept different sexualities), they treat the men as women have been treated. They treat criminals like an eye for an eye – male rapists get their privates removed. The women don’t seem to have evolved but are carrying out revenge. Instead of Amarra’s women taking the high road and saying, this won’t happen here – they do it full force, exactly what’s been done to them, because that’s “what fury brings“. But not going to lie, I was kind of scared for these men!

+~ There is spicy scenes and one that includes bondage. So it’s spicy but might also make some readers uncomfortable because of dubious consent.

~ This is marketed as a romantasy but I felt like the romance was under-developed. It’s enemies to lovers, clearly – the enemies being very obvious, Sanos has been kidnapped and is being forced to marry Olerra. It’s definitely Stockholm Syndrome but again…I’ve read this in regular romance and didn’t mind it. He eventually has feelings for her but I felt like it was all lust. Would have loved to see some tender moments between them, that shows that feelings, more than lust, were growing.

~ Please heed the trigger warnings – this is a dark romance. Stockholm syndrome anyone? There are mentions of grooming, buying young boys and it’s gross and uncomfortable.

~ I kind of wanted to see at the end how Olerra and Sanos would rule Amarra and Brutish because they both win their crowns so would book two show progress as Sanos points out things Olerra can change in Amarra and vice versa? I’m very curious! I did feel Olerra did exactly say all the things she would change as Queen, she mentioned not being as cruel as her cousin. But that doesn’t mean much. Would also like to see Sanos change some things in Brute.

Final Thoughts:

This is a dark romance fantasy where the gender roles have swapped in Amarra and women in take their revenge on men. I like that it was like holding up a mirror to how men treat women but it doesn’t mean what they are doing in Amarra is right. Men sell young women in many dark books – well the Amarran women sell young boys in this book. It’s ugly, but I think that is the point of the mirror. Men do it…but women could do it too. Sanos basically falls for his kidnapper – but we’re not new to stories like this, are we? Nope. Just new to who does the kidnapping and who is doling out punishment in this book. Either way, it’s wrong to live like this or behave this way and I think that’s what I got out of this story. Now there were many uncomfortable moments in this story but I also found it a quick read and there were even some funny moments. So I think you have to read this one at your own risk, read some reviews on this one, and definitely check out the trigger list before going into it. Overall, I found it a fascinating read but did want more out of the romance and maybe see both main characters commit to doing more to change how their kingdoms treat people.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

The Darkness Within Us by. Tricia Levenseller | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blade of Secrets by. Tricia Levenseller | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Shadows Between Us | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Daughter of the Pirate King – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Daughter of the Siren King – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Warrior of the Wild – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fevered Star by. Rebecca Roanhorse | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Fevered Star (Between Earth and Sky, #2)

Author: Rebecca Roanhorse

Narrator(s): Christian Barillas (Narrator), Nicole Lewis (Narrator), Darrell Dennis (Narrator), Shaun Taylor-Corbett (Narrator), Cora Gee (Narrator)

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Pages: 388

Publication Date: 4/23/22

Publisher: Saga Press

Categories: Fantasy, LGBT+, Series

There are no tides more treacherous than those of the heart. —Teek saying

The great city of Tova is shattered. The sun is held within the smothering grip of the Crow God’s eclipse, but a comet that marks the death of a ruler and heralds the rise of a new order is imminent.

The Meridian: a land where magic has been codified and the worship of gods suppressed. How do you live when legends come to life, and the faith you had is rewarded?

As sea captain Xiala is swept up in the chaos and currents of change, she finds an unexpected ally in the former Priest of Knives. For the Clan Matriarchs of Tova, tense alliances form as far-flung enemies gather and the war in the heavens is reflected upon the earth.

And for Serapio and Naranpa, both now living avatars, the struggle for free will and personhood in the face of destiny rages. How will Serapio stay human when he is steeped in prophecy and surrounded by those who desire only his power? Is there a future for Naranpa in a transformed Tova without her total destruction?

Content Warning: violence, torture, death

+ This is book two in the Between Earth and Sky series and I really enjoyed book one, Black Sun. So I wanted to see what happened next in the series.

+ The world-building was great. I did enjoy the second half of this book more than the first half because I felt like the first half was world-building and setting up everything for book three. It picks up in the second half with more action.

+ I really enjoyed Naranpa’s growing relationship with her brother, Denoachi. I thought it was the one link in the story I felt emotional about.

~ I listened to this as an audiobook but the last 10% I read the book because I read faster. I felt like the beginning was slow because it was setting up a lot of things that happened at the end of the book and what will happen in book three. Although I enjoyed the narrator, there was just too many names to keep track of.

Final Thoughts:

I’m glad I finally can knock this one off my TBR list and I’m looking forward to see how it ends. I did find it slower than book one mostly because it’s building up for the conclusion but I did enjoy the second half of the story.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Black Sun by. Rebecca Roanhorse | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Land So Wide by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: A Land So Wide

Author: Erin A. Craig

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 9/2/25

Publisher: Pantheon

Categories: Historical Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, 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 Pantheon for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

From the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of House of Roots and Ruin, comes an irresistible blend of dark fairytale and romantic fantasy set in the beautiful but brutal Canadian wilderness.

Like everyone else in the settlement of Mistaken, Greer Mackenzie is trapped. Founded by an ambitious Scottish lumber merchant, the tiny town on the edge of the American continent is blessed with rich natural resources that have made its people prosperous—but at a cost. The same woods that have lined the townsfolks’ pockets harbor dangerous beasts: wolves, bears, and the Bright-Eyeds—monsters beyond description who have rained utter destruction down on nearby settlements. But Mistaken’s founders made a deal with the mysterious Benevolence: the Warding Stones that surround the town will keep the Bright-Eyeds out—and the town’s citizens in. Anyone who spends a night within Mistaken’s borders belongs to it forever.

Greer, a mapmaker and eccentric dreamer, has always ached to explore the world outside, even though she knows she and her longtime love, Ellis Beaufort, will never see it. Until, on the day she and Ellis are meant to finally begin their lives together, Greer watches in horror as her beloved disappears beyond the Warding Stones, pursued by a monstrous creature. Swiftly realizing that the stories she was raised on might be more myth than fact, Greer figures out a way to escape Mistaken for the very first time. Determined to rescue Ellis, she begins a trek through the cold and pitiless wilderness. But Greer is being hunted, not only by the ruthless Bright-Eyeds but by the secret truths behind Mistaken’s founding, as well as her own origins.

Playfully drawing from Scottish folklore, Erin A. Craig’s adult debut is both a deeply atmospheric and profoundly romantic exploration of freedom versus security: a stunning celebration of one woman’s relentless bravery on a quest to reclaim her lost love—and claim her own future.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ This was an interesting story that starts off with settlers in a land that wasn’t what they expected. They come to find out that there are creatures and animals out there that could kill them so they build their town of Mistaken but create a protection barrier. The atmosphere is eerie, mysterious and gave me M. Night Shyamalan (the movie, The Village, except without the crazy ending 😅) vibes – not sure why, I just kept thinking there was some twist in the story that was gonna jump out at me.

+ Greer is woman with an adventurous spirit – she loves making maps but she is stuck in Mistaken. It’s too dangerous to venture out of town with the Bright-Eyeds (monsters) lurking in the woods. Her dad is overprotective but a powerful man in their town so he’s trying to marry her off to someone to inherit their business. But she’s in love with Ellis, a boy her father doesn’t approve of. I thought Greer was a strong character, who did everything to fight for the guy she loved.

+ I found the lore of the monsters very mysterious and really got invested the more we learned about them, but that mostly comes in the second half of the story. The world-building of Mistaken was interesting. There are flashbacks to the founders of the town, and I like how things were revealed little by little until the whole picture of what happened in Mistaken and Greer’s past tied everything together.

+ The author does such a good job at story telling – I always feel like I’m reading a dark fairytale when it comes to her books. And her stories are always so unique, just like this one is.

~ This one did start off slow but once some scary events happen and the horror kicks in, that’s when it really caught my attention. I couldn’t quite envision these Bright-Eyeds and so I was left trying to figure that part out.

~ Once everything starts being explained about the Bright-Eyed, the story goes in a new direction, more fantastical. Greer has to cope with her new knowledge about them, but it’s challenging as she tries to find Ellis. There is also a love triangle situation that I wasn’t into.

Final Thoughts:

I think this one felt like Small Favors with that small-town feel, except here in A Land So Wide, in this town, people are trapped. The people have a false sense of safety – in their boundary of protection, they should be okay, but once that boundary is broken, bad things happen. The setting is great, and the atmosphere is creepy and mysterious. I think the beginning was a little slow, but it does pick up and goes into more fantasy. I found this world and the lore around the monsters very fascinating. Greer goes through a journey when she finds out the truth about some things, and I definitely was invested to see what happened to her. This author is an auto-read author for me, and her writing will always suck me in! This will make a great read for spooky season.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Thirteenth Child by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

House of Roots and Ruin by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Small Favors by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

House of Roots and Ruin by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review | House of Salt and Sorrows ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thorn Season by. Kiera Azar | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Thorn Season (Thorn Season, #1)

Author: Kiera Azar

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 464

Publication Date: 9/2/25

Publisher: Storytide

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Political Intrigue

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

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

In the Kingdom of Daradon, a persecuted few are Wielders – able to exert a physical power that extends beyond her visible a shimmering tendril that can pick a lock, a gentle coil that reaches out to give a loving caress, or an inexorable rope that will kill a man before he knows it is around his neck. Feared and mistrusted for this ability, Wielders have always been Hunted.

Alissa Paine – heiress of a noble lineage, daughter of a Hunter family – is also a Wielder. And as she approaches her eighteenth Season, Alissa knows she has escaped execution so far only through painful self-control, and the fragile efforts of her beloved father.

Summoned to the harsh and glittering royal court for the debutante season, Alissa finds herself trapped in a web of hidden intentions – and caught between two equally dangerous men. One is a brutal ruler with the handsome face of a fairytale prince, who would see her destroyed in an instant if the truth were known – and the other a beguiling foreign ambassador with secret agendas of his own.

It’s Rose Season at the palace, but Alissa knows that survival will depend on being the most vicious of the thorns…

Content Warning: violence, death, grief

+ I didn’t know what to expect with this one – honestly I requested the arc because I was so in love with the cover! But I love when a book cover is beautiful and the story is just as good! The political intrigue and mystery about a certain object really kept me on my toes, especially in the second half of this book.

+ Alissa is an heiress and King Erik has his eye on her. In this Kingdom of Daradon, Wielders are being hunted because they have power that isn’t allowed. Alissa’s families are renowned hunters, but they don’t know but only a select few that she’s a Wielder herself, just in hiding, except she hasn’t done a good job at that. Alissa is beautiful, cunning, has the King’s ear, plays court politics well, and she loves her father. I found her character fascinating. She’s tough, and I can’t see what happens for her next.

+ The court politics was really what kept me invested in this book. I enjoyed the mystery and plot twists. Alissa and the King seemed to be playing a cat and mouse game. The King is a real villain even though at first, it doesn’t seem like it. But his character is written so well, that I hate him so much. He is the kind of evil that comes in a pretty package.

+ There wasn’t a lot of romance in this story but I didn’t mind it at all. In the beginning I thought it would be a love triangle, but I don’t think it will be. But I could be wrong. Garrett, her ex-best friend is an interesting character with a rough childhood. And Keil, an ambassador from another kingdom where Wielders are allowed, looks like the one who will be Alissa love interest. They do a lot of flirting in this book but not much else.

~ Alissa talks about her specter a lot but I couldn’t fully grasp what it was except that it is power. I would have loved more history about it, and to learn more about what Wielders can do.

Final Thoughts:

It took my two days to read this book and the second half of the book had me hooked. I love the political intrigue and how Alissa navigates court. The politics, the magic, the complicated characters and the beginnings of a romance was melded together in an entertaining book. The power play between her and the King kept me riveted. I can’t wait to see what happens in book two!