New Book Releases This Week | 12/30/25

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

An Arcane Inheritance by. Kamilah Cole

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.


We Who Will Die by. Stacia Stark

Life in the perilous Thorn district is a constant battle for Arvelle and her younger brothers. And the vampire standing on her doorstep is about to turn their world upside down.

Faced with an unthinkable choice, Arvelle makes a magically binding vow to do the impossible: kill the emperor, an ancient vampire created by the god Umbros. But first, she must enter the Sundering—an arena where only the fastest, strongest, and deadliest survive long enough to be selected for the emperor’s elite guard.

She quickly draws the ire of the Primus, the powerful figure charged with protecting the emperor. But the vampire under the armor is the last person Arvelle expects to encounter in the emperor’s court.

With her brothers’ lives in the balance, Arvelle has no choice but to ally with the man who once shattered her heart… and with the emperor’s sadistic son, Rorrik—two vampires whose motives are impossible to pin down. Rorrik holds the key to understanding the powers Arvelle is developing—abilities that would put a price on her head if discovered by the emperor.

To survive the arena and complete her mission, Arvelle must get to the bottom of a conspiracy that will change everything she thought she knew about herself—and the two vampires who are deeply entwined with her destiny…


In Your Dreams by. Sarah Adams

A homecoming to Rome, Kentucky, sparks a new romance—and lots of drama—between two old family friends, from the New York Times bestselling author of When in Rome, Practice Makes Perfect, and Beg, Borrow, or Steal

Madison Walker left Rome, Kentucky, determined to prove she could make it in the culinary world. But after years of chasing success in New York, all she has to show for it is a shattered confidence and a desperate need for a fresh start. Coming home isn’t part of the plan—until an unexpected job offer lands in her lap, giving her a chance to rebuild everything she’s lost: the head chef position at a new farm-to-table restaurant in her hometown. The only catch? It comes from James Huxley, owner of Huxley Farm, her brother’s best friend . . . and the last person she wants to work for.

James has always played it safe, keeping his head down and doing what’s expected of him in the family business and never contemplating anything different—until now when Madison’s happiness is on the line. He’s loved her quietly for years, knowing she’s never seen him as more than an annoyance. Now that she’s back, he’s determined to change that–even if it means he can only ever be her friend. The one problem? His charming, wildly successful younger brother, Tommy, seems determined to win her over first.

Then Tommy is called away on business and Madison and James are tasked with launching the dreamy farm-to-table restaurant on their own. But as the town starts meddling in their relationship, Tommy’s pursuit of Madison grows more relentless, and Madison’s fears threaten to hold her back, keeping things strictly professional becomes impossible. And when an unexpected disaster on opening night collides with a long-simmering sibling feud, both Madison and James will have to face their biggest insecurities—and decide if love is worth the risk or if some dreams are safer left untouched.


Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

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Heavenly Bodies by. Imani Erriu | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Heavenly Bodies (#1)

Author: Imani Erriu

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 496

Publication Date: 1/13/26 (First published 2/13/22)

Publisher: Random House Canada

Categories: Romantasy

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 Random House Canada for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!


“You know the most dangerous kind of villain? A woman with nothing left to lose.”

In a world ruled by the cruel and merciless Stars, Elara has been cursed by fate. A prophecy promises she will fall for a Star, but that it will kill them both.

So when Ariete, Star of Wrath, War and Chaos, descends to wreak havoc on Elara’s kingdom, she flees her home—the Kingdom of Night—for the neighbouring Helios, Kingdom of Light.

And strides straight into the arms of an enemy prince.

Fearing that Ariete might turn his sights to Helios next, Prince Lorenzo is forced to train Elara as a weapon—one worthy of battling against the tyrannical reign of the Stars. But there are shadows even within the Kingdom of Light—and they threaten to reveal the darkness in Lorenzo’s past and the ancient magic that slumbers in Elara’s veins.

And with it all comes an undeniable, star-crossed pull between Elara and Lorenzo that neither can seem to resist…

Content Warning: violence, death, grief

I saw this book around on Amazon and on social media for awhile, but never got around to reading it though I was very interested in it. I know it was first published a few years ago but it seems like it’s going through another republish, maybe with a new cover? Not sure but the publisher reached out to me to ask if I would be willing to read this book and the sequel and of course I was excited about it!

Heavenly Bodies has really interesting world building. It is inspired by the zodiac. Each kingdom is ruled by a zodiac sign with a royal family, but there is also a ruling Star over that family and the people, almost like a God/Goddess.

Elara’s life is in turmoil. She is from Asteria (Piscea-Pisces), her parents have been killed by the King of Stars, Ariete, because of a prophecy that connects the two of them together – apparently Elara’s is supposed to be with him and it will kill them both.

Kidnapped, Elara, finds refuge in Helios (Leyon-Leo), where the king wants her to train to be able to kill Stars. Prince Lorenzo is tasked to train her and they have a rocky start, but eventually a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance grows between them. This story centers around Elara and Lorenzo no matter what the prophecy says and I loved watching their romance grow!

I enjoyed the found family that Elara has found in Helios despite the king being an enemy of her kingdom. I liked a lot of the secondary characters also. We do learn some things about Elara’s kingdom, Asteria and her past later on in the book. She is a political pawn in the first half of the book and is mostly training to use her skills, and learning more about the prophecy but things change in the second half. As a character I thought she was strong and brave and seemed to stand on her own against Ariete.

I think the beginning throws us into the story pretty fast, and right into Helios, without knowing much about Elara and where she is from, so I had to just assume a bunch of things about her kingdom. We do learn more as she compares things but I thought it was a jarring start to the story.

There are a few twists in the end of the story which I thought was fascinating and am eager to see how the story moves forward in book two.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was an engaging read and I was really invested in the world building but the romance is the main focus of this story and what a romance it is. I loved the slow burn between Elara and Lorenzo and the reveals at the end of the book was really unexpected. There are secrets, prophecies, betrayals, found family, action and everything I look for in a romantasy. I’m excited to read book two to see where the story goes after that surprise ending.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The End of the Year Book Tag – 2025 Edition

It’s that time again Friends, where we look back on the year with The End of the Year Book Tag!

Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

Our Vicious Oaths by. N.E. Davenport – don’t know why I haven’t finished this one. I think because it was when I was reading too many romantasy and needed a switch up.

Neverthorn by. Shannon Mayer – a similar problem with the above title, but I was reading too many dark academia and needed a switch up! I think I was hoping to get an audiobook version of this so I could finish but never saw it on Libby.

Reckoning by. Gillian Eliza West – I think I started this one on a plane ride and never finished it!

Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

Good Spirits by. B.K. Borison was a cute book to transition into the holidays.

Is there a new release that you’re still waiting for?

Nope, I think all the new releases for 2025 I’ve read as an arc. There are some pre-orders of books that I will be waiting for though, like for We Who Will Die.

What are three books you want to read before the year ends?

  • I, Medusa by. Ayana Gray
  • A Winter of White Ash by. Lucia Damisa
  • A Language of Dragons by. S.F. Williamson

Is there a book that you think could still shock you and become your favourite of the year?

Fallen Stars by. Imani Erriu which is book two in the Heavenly Bodies series, I’m listening to the audiobook right now so maybe it will be a favorite? We’ll see!

Have you already started to make reading plans for 2025?

Here are some plans:

  • read more indie authors – I’ve been finding a few on tiktok that reach out to me so I’m excited to share their work.
  • request less on NetGalley (this is a plan for EVERY new year)
  • read less than 200….I went overboard this year and am at maybe 230 now? But I think 175 is a nice number.

And speaking of planning, here is the new Reading Planner I got from The Book Sisters! I loved the 2025 planner I used this year and wanted to get their newest planner. I love it!

Weekly Wrap Up | 12/28/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ Christmas knocked me out! I was busy days before Christmas and then when that day hit, I had no energy because we went to a lively Xmas Eve party, then had to get up and do Christmas morning and get to Christmas lunch at my parent’s house. I was on the verge of sleeping during lunch but I at least made it to the car ride home to shut my eyes and then I got home and I knocked out. I had a headache, I had to get some electrolytes in me and just SLEEP.

+ Now I gotta figure out what to buy my daughter for her birthday. 🫠

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished

  • The Sins of Silas (The Otacian Chronicles, #2) by. Kylie Snow
  • The Lies of Lena (The Otacian Chronicles, #1) by. Kylie Snow (audiobook)
  • King of Ravens by. Clare Sager (arc)
  • The Book of Blood & Roses by. Annie Summerlee (arc)
  • Good Spirits by. B.K. Borison
  • Heavenly Bodies by. Imani Erriu (arc)

Currently Reading:

A Language of Dragons by. S.F. Willamson

Heart’s Gambit by. J.D. Myall

The Night Ship by. Alex Woodroe

The Wicked and the Damned by. Rebecca Robinson

Fallen Stars by. Imani Erriu (audiobook)

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Football
  • Stranger Things Season 5 Part 2 (Netflix) – I cannot believe the final episodes is on 12/31/25! Why they draw this out so long? 🤦🏻‍♀️

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

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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

Looking Back on 2025: New to Me Authors

These are always fun to do at the end of the year. This year I’ve read the most books ever in a year, so this list might be huge!

New to Me Authors in 2025

  • Ruin by. Gillian Eliza West
  • Yes No Maybe by. Jessica Sherry
  • The Lotus Shoes by. Jane Yang
  • Nature of Frost by. Jus Accardo
  • Anathema by. Keri Lake **
  • Amid Clouds and Bones by. Ella Fields
  • Everything I Promised You by. Katy Upperman **
  • The Rose Bargain by. Sasha Peyton Smith
  • The Serpent and the Wolf by. Rebecca Robinson
  • A Court Bright and Broken by. Amy Patrick
  • One in a Million by. Beverley Kendall
  • Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things by. Breanna Randall
  • A Journey to Us by. Lady B
  • OF Earthly Delights by.. Goldy Moldavsky
  • Five Broken Blades by. Mai Corland**
  • All the Stars Align by. Gretchen Schreiber
  • Their’s Vicious Games by. Joelle Wellington
  • Lovely Dark and Deep by. Elisa A. Bonnin
  • A Desert of Bleeding Sand by. Lucia Damisa
  • Booked For Summer by. Kathryn Freeman
  • Their Monstrous Hearts by. Yiğit Turman
  • The Frozen River by. Ariel Lawhon
  • Love Spells Trouble by. Nia Davenport
  • Pride of Die by. C.L. Montblanc
  • Phantasma by. Kaylie Smith**
  • Silvercloak by. L.K. Steven
  • The Never List by. Jade Presley
  • A Fate Forged in Fire by. Hazel McBride
  • Embrace the Serpent by. Sunya Mara
  • Silver Elite by. Dani Francis
  • Shield of Sparrows by. Devney Perry
  • Predatory Natures by. Amy Goldsmith
  • Pigeon-Blood Red by. Ed Duncan
  • Bound By Inked Flame by. Ava Larksen
  • Love Unmasked by. Becky Dean
  • Thorn Season by. Kiera Azar
  • Mayra by. Nicky Gonzalez
  • Love at Full Tilt by. Jenny L. Howe
  • On Wings of Blood by. Briar Boleyn**
  • Enigma by. RuNyx
  • You Between the Lines by. Katie Naymon
  • Of Flame and Fury by. Mikayla Bridge
  • The Homemade God by. Rachel Joyce
  • Soul of Shadow by. Emma Noyes
  • Game On by. Ki Stephens
  • The Wolf King by. Lauren Palphreyman**
  • Metal Slinger by. Rachel Schneider
  • Dire Bound by. Sable Sorensen
  • Before I Let Go by. Kennedy Ryan
  • Dream By the Shadows by. Logan Karlie
  • The Nightblood Prince by. Molly X. Chang
  • Girl, Goddess, Queen by. Bea Fitzgerald
  • Witch You Would by. Lia Amador
  • While the Dark Remains by. Joanna Ruth Meyer
  • Coffin Moon by. Keith Rosson
  • Heir of Storms by. Lauryn Hamilton Murray
  • Sweet Heat by. Bolu Babalola
  • Dead of Summer by. Ryan La Sala
  • Blood Moon by. Britney S. Lewis
  • Witch of the Wolves by. Kaylee Archer
  • Endless Anger by. Sav R. Miller
  • The Austen Affair by. Madeline Bell
  • Hekate: The Witch by. Nikita Gill
  • And the River Drags Her Down by. Jihyun Yun
  • Moth Dark by. Kika Hatzpoulou
  • Heartsick by. Kristina Forest
  • My Favorite Holidate by. Lauren Blakely
  • Immortal Consequences by. I. V. Marie
  • Bitten by. Jordan Stephanie Gray
  • To Cage a Wild Bird by. Brooke Fast
  • With Thoughts of Jason by. Caleb A. Mertz
  • Blackthorn by. J.T. Geissinger
  • Middle of the Night by. Riley Sager
  • Burning Daylight by. Emily McIntire
  • Ship of Spells by. H. Leighton Dickson
  • Terror at the Gates by. Scarlett St. Clair
  • Alchemised by. SenLinYu
  • The Death-Made Prince by. Lisette Marshall
  • A Kiss of Hammer and Flame by. Amy De La Force
  • Persephone’s Curse by. Katrina Leno
  • Trail Rides & Starry Eyes by. Katrina Emmel
  • The Uninvited by. Nancy Banks
  • Spark of the Everflame by. Penn Cole
  • Dead Fake by. Vincent Ralph**
  • A Curse of Shadows and Ice by. Catharina Maura
  • Smoke and Scar by. Gretchen Powell Fox
  • Drive Me Crazy by. Lizzy Dent
  • We Who Have No Gods by. Liza Anderson
  • Your Knife, My Heart by. K.M. Moronova**
  • A Dance with Waves and Flames by. M. B. Reese
  • We’ve Hit Turbulence by. Jessica L. Cozzi
  • A Vow of Shadow Blood by. Charlene Atrobus
  • Song of the Stars by. Kaiti Mills
  • Oxford Blood by. Rachael Davis Featherstone
  • Seven Deadly Trials by. Amber Hamilton
  • Wings of Ash & Flame by. Jocelyn Bleu
  • Not in My Book by. Katie Holt
  • Daggermouth by. H.M. Wolfe
  • Good Spirits by. B.K. Borison
  • The Book of Blood & Roses by. Annie Summerlee

Any title with a (**) means I read two books from this author this year!

I read 101 new-to-me authors this year! 👏🏽 WOW. Last year I only read from 45 new authors, but this year was a crazy year.

How many new to you authors did you read in 2025? Or who is your new favorite?

Let me know in the comments!

Let’s Talk Bookish:  How do you decide your yearly reading goals? | 12/26/25

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.


This week’s topic is:

December 26: How do you decide your yearly reading goals? (Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly)

Prompts: Do you set annual reading and/or blogging goals? Have you decided on any bookish/blogging resolutions for 2026? How do you decide what goals you want to pursue for the year ahead?

**********

Do you set annual reading and/or blogging goals?

Sometimes? 😅. Depends on how I’m feeling, but I usually stick to the same number for reading.

Have you decided on any bookish/blogging resolutions for 2026?

  • Request LESS books on NetGalley. I went overboard in 2025.
  • Remind myself I don’t have to read every arc that is offered to me when the publisher emails me. I am SO grateful, but sometimes the books aren’t even genres I read and I’m getting more emails. I think I’ll do a highlight post of the book.
  • And just keep on top of posting.

How do you decide what goals you want to pursue for the year ahead?

Doing the end of the year post helps me evaluate how my blogging and reading year was and it helps me to figure out what I want to change, what I want to cut or add, etc…also I’m not strict about changing things. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work – this is a hobby and I want to keep it fun.

December Topics:

December 5: Festive Reads

Prompts: Do you read holiday/winter-themed reads? Do you have any on your TBR this December? What have been favorites from past years? Are there any festive books you like to re-read during the holidays?


December 12: Goodreads Choice Awards

Prompts: The 2025 Goodreads Choice Award winners were announced on December 4th! Do you vote for or keep up with the awards? Have you read any of this year’s winners or nominees? The categories have also changed in recent years, creating some controversy: the Romantasy category was added in 2024, and the Children’s and Middle Grade category was removed. What do you think about these changes? What categories would you like to see go away or come back? Are there any other changes to the awards that you’d like to see?


December 19: 2026 Anticipated Releases (Leyre @ Read You Leyre)

Prompts: What 2026 releases are you most excited for? Are there any sequels you’re looking forward to reading? Are there any debut authors you’re excited to see release their first books? Any favorite authors coming out with something new?


December 26: How do you decide your yearly reading goals? (Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly)

Prompts: Do you set annual reading and/or blogging goals? Have you decided on any bookish/blogging resolutions for 2026? How do you decide what goals you want to pursue for the year ahead?


Merry Christmas! | Books in Christmas Colors | 12/25/25

Merry Christmas to all that celebrate, may you have a wonderful day. Happy Holidays to everyone! Here’s a post to go with the vibes of the day.

  • Good Spirits by. B.K. Borison
  • The Mating Game by. Lana Ferguson
  • A Wallflower Christmas by. Lisa Kleypas
  • How My Neighbor Stole Christmas by. Meghan Quinn
  • A Merry Little Lie by. Sarah Morgan
  • Holiday Ever After by. Hannah Grace
  • Yours For The Season by. Emily Stone
  • You Make it Feel Like Christmas by. Sophie Sullivan
  • Merry Little Kissmas by. Lauren Blakely

What’s on your TTT?

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Song of the Stars by. Kaiti Mills | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️

Title: Song of the Stars (#1)

Author: Kaiti Mills

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 608

Publication Date: 12/2/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance



Kit Rivermoor has always been the overlooked fae, living in the shadow of her gifted sister and warrior brother. She never expected her quiet life to change, until a forgotten prophecy stirs unrest in the Seelie courts and pulls her into a journey across the fae lands of Andarnia.

As she travels through glittering cities full of secrets and rivalries, Kit begins to sense a star-bound magic awakening inside her. With it comes a connection that feels fated, a bond that could shape not only her future but the fate of the realm itself.

Kit steps into the unknown, where every choice could change the fate of the fae and the bond that calls to her heart.

Content Warning: kidnapping

I came across this indie author on TikTok, I saw her promoting her book and it was the book cover that caught my eye. It published earlier this month (December) and was available on kindle unlimited so I decided to read it.

It starts off promising and I think if you are the type of reader who likes quests, a prophecy, a girl with special powers without knowing what it is, and who is the chosen one to save the world, then you will enjoy this. I do enjoy these tropes but I also like to see a little hardship for the FMC and outside of feeling overlooked, I didn’t feel like Kit has gone through much to make her be the chosen one, but I guess the stars know what they want. Kit being told she was special without knowing why was very repetitive throughout the book so it took me out of the story. It’s a long book so I did pause reading this halfway through because of it being repetitive.

I did read it again after a week and I’m happy to say it picks up at the halfway mark.

Kit as a character is a spitfire and she definitely could hold her own with her brother and his friends. It was nice to see her grow into her power and confidence. But I felt at times she was inexperienced and not battle tested but thrust into a leadership role. Of course she won’t be able to rule alone, but throughout the story it just feels like it’s all on her. She travels with a group of people but I feel like outside of Bastian, we don’t get to really know everyone else very well. I wanted to see her bond more with her brother since he left his bride’s side right away to help Kit.

There are some twists and betrayals in the story and I thought the gemstone/stars magic was interesting and would like to learn more about it.

As for the romance, let’s just say I’m glad it ended up the way it did by the end of the book. It’s a sweet, growing romance and I love Bastian, who is supportive and protective but allows her space to grow.

Final Thoughts:

For a debut, indie novel, I thought this was well written. It was a little too long for me and repetitive at times but I did enjoy the second half of the book. The romance was sweet and even if I didn’t feel like I connected with Kit at times, I think Bastian was amazing. There is adventure, prophecy, and a girl who is chosen to save the world.


Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble


WWW Wednesday | 12/24/25

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

Merry Christmas Eve (to those who celebrate)! We have a potluck with family tonight, so that should be fun. Tomorrow we have Christmas lunch at my mom’s house, and then on Friday we will go to Shabbat service because it’s my father-in-law’s anniversary of his passing. So it’s a busy few days but this is it – the rush will be over. And then I have to get gifts for my daughter’s birthday which is on the first weekend of January. 😅

I was so busy the past week that I forgot to do a WWW Wednesday post for 12/17 and a Weekly Wrap up on 12/21!

What are you currently reading?

Stolen Midnights by. Katherine Quinn – 8% no progress

A Language Dragons by. S.F. Williamson – page 43/432

Heart’s Gambit by. J.D. Myall – (ALC- audio) – 44%

The Night Ship by. Alex Woodroe


What have you just finished reading?

The Sins of Silas by. Kylie Snow (The Otacian Chronicles, #2) – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Lies of Lena by. Kylie Snow (The Otacian Chronicles, #1) – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (ALC-audio)

King of Ravens by. Clare Sager – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (arc)

The Book of Blood and Roses by. Annie Summerlee – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (arc)

Good Spirits by. B.K. Borison – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (audiobook)

Graceless Heart by. Isabel Ibañez – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (arc)


What are you going to read next?

Fallen Gods by. Rachel Van Dyken

Songbird of the Sorrows by. Braidee Otto

Dawn of the North by. Demi Winter

A Winter of White Ash by. Lucia Damisa

I, Medusa by. Ayana Gray

A War of Wyverns by. S.F. Williamson

A Whisper of Winds and Leaves by. M.B. Reese

What are YOU reading right now?