New Book Releases This Week | 12/9/25

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

Trail Rides & Starry Eyes by. Katrina Emmel

A swoony, sweet YA rural romance between a rancher and the Hollywood hotshot she’s tasked with turning into a cowboy—perfect for fans of Kasie West, Erin Hahn, and Kristy Boyce!

Sixteen-year-old Cassidy Sterling can’t imagine life beyond her family’s Wyoming ranch. Her days are filled with colt breaking, cattle rustling, and an online Intro to Astronomy class. Seventeen-year-old Wilder Nash also has his sights set on the stars—the ones on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A teen heartthrob, he’s now he’s ready for the big time. To land a lead role as a cowboy in a prime-time mini-series, he must convince the casting director he’s an experienced horseman. The problem? He’s all hat and no cowboy.

With less than a month to learn to ride, Wilder heads to Silver Stallion Ranch.

Cassidy’s quiet life is disrupted when Wilder arrives. As he mucks out stalls and grooms horses, Wilder begins to see there’s more to life than his looks. And Cassidy starts imagining a future beyond the ranch. The growing spark between them threatens to ignite into something more, but Cassidy must decide if she’s brave enough to take the reins of her own life. Meanwhile, Wilder faces a the glamorous life of a star or a simpler life under the stars.

An Archive of Romance by. Ava Reid

The enchanting world of A Study in Drowning comes to life through letters, poems, art, and more in this beautifully illustrated full-color novella from #1 New York Times bestselling author Ava Reid, featuring over forty illustrations, expanded and new text, stunning endpapers, and romantic rose gold foil for a jaw-dropping addition to the beloved dark academia series.

“I will love you to ruination,” the Fairy King said, brushing a strand of golden hair from my cheek.

“Yours or mine?” I asked.

The Fairy King did not answer.

Effy and Preston have been torn apart by the wars of men, the power of words, and the specter of magic—but it was through stories that they found each other. Relive Effy and Preston’s love story through their own pens in this immersive collection of mementos, illustrations, maps, blueprints, diary entries, and more. Read Angharad with Effy’s annotations; sneak excerpts of Preston’s diary; see the architectural sketches that brought Effy to Hiraeth; get your own ticket to Saltney; and experience the never-before-seen epilogue to Effy and Preston’s romance.

My Blade, Your Back by. K.M. Moronova

Broken. Lost. Unforgiven.

One month after surviving the Under Trials, Emery Maves finds herself in a world she doesn’t recognize―with a man whose cold eyes are haunted by secrets she can’t remember. Stripped of her memories, Emery is tormented by dreams of danger, death, and deceit. The only constant is the lure of the experimental drug that shatters her mind but leaves her almost invincible―and the dangerous pull of the man called Mori.

Cameron Mortem is fighting a battle he thought he’d already lost. He knows letting Emery in could destroy them both, but her amnesia is a curse neither of them can outrun. Forced together on a high-stakes level black mission that goes disastrously wrong, they find themselves thrust deeply into the underworld of the black market with an unexpected foe.

But as old scars are torn open and hidden plots unravel, Emery discovers she’s more tangled in this world than she ever imagined. And Cameron will have to face the one person he fears most: himself.

Loyalties will be tested. Secrets will be weaponized. Their bond―once forged in blood―may be the only thing that can save them. If they don’t lose themselves first.

Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

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Smoke and Scar by. Gretchen Powell Fox | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice:

Title: Smoke and Scar ( Shattered Crown, #1)

Author: Gretchen Powell Fox

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 466

Publication Date: 3/10/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance

Birthed in shadow. Forged in fire.

A Splintered Kingdom

An ancient grudge has kept humans and the magical races of Arcanis at odds for centuries. The Arcane Crucible, a legendary series of trials that occurs every 25 years, offers a chance for peace.

A Haunted Warrior

Elyria Lightbreaker, once a celebrated fae war hero, is a shadow of her former self. Drowning in grief after losing the man she loved to the previous Crucible, now she must rise to stop his sister from falling to the same fate.

A Vengeful Knight

Hardened by loss and fueled by hate, Cedric Thorne’s lifelong goal to conquer the Crucible on humanity’s behalf is finally within reach. The only problem? Getting through the trials alive means working with Elyria—the very fae he blames for his parents’ deaths.

An Unwinnable Challenge

With alliances fragile as spun glass and betrayal lurking at every turn, Elyria and Cedric must navigate deadly trials that test their strength, spirit, and magic… as well as their increasingly complex feelings for each other.

This is the Arcane Crucible.

Content Warning: violence, death, grief

+ This story centered fully on a group of warriors taking on a quest to undertake the Arcane Crucible which is a series of deadly trials. No one has every survived but this time Elyria is entering to help save her ex-bestfriend Kit from killing herself. Cedric, a knight, also has his own motivations for entering the trials. Humans and Fae do not get along in this world so it was interesting to see how they would make it through the crucible. There is a lot of action during the trials and even a growing found family.

+ There is a very, very slow burn romance. I’d say the romance isn’t even a focus in this story until the very end. So this story is very fantasy heavy. The romance is enemies to lovers but I’m thinking book two will have a little more of it. Cedric is a knight but he’s the “damsel in distress”! Elyria is always saving him which I thought was a nice reversal.

+ I loved the twist and turns in the second half of the book!

~ Because it’s fantasy heavy and barely had any romance (and I was looking for it), I did feel like some parts of the story for me lagged. I wanted a little more from Cedric but I think that changes in book two after what happens at the end of this one!

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was pretty good except for the parts that lagged for me, but it was really because I was looking for the “romantasy” parts of this book! There isn’t much romance so the story felt slow at some parts but if you are into deadly trials and a quest, with little romance, you will definitely enjoy this one. I enjoy the story twists and turns at the end! I’m going to read book two as an audiobook and see if I enjoy the series better that way.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Weekly Wrap Up | 12/7/25

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ I think I forgot to post a weekly recap last week! So just quick, last weekend was Thanksgiving weekend and we went over to my mom’s house for a Thanksgiving lunch. No one really loves Turkey so we did other foods, but it was fun as always and nice to be around family.

+ My hubby came back last weekend also – he got the keys to the house in Japan, met the neighbor who is a really nice older man who lives with his sister (I think they are both single?), but they took my hubby to the hardware store and to a piano recital and dinner. My hubby came home and said he would love to go back in March and take our son for spring break. We can’t all go because the price of tickets during spring break is ridiculous. Just for the two of them was a lot – so we have to plan a family trip in 2027. We have enough going on in 2026! I might have to back on the book buying ban because we have trips to plan!

+ My son’s piano recital was yesterday and that was great. He practices two months out so we’ve been hearing his Christmas piano piece since October! 😅

+ My kids have two of school until Winter Break! Yay! It’s a busy month for us.

Blog Posts:

The Ragpicker King by. Cassandra Clare | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Your Knife, My Heart by. K.M. Moronova | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Monthly Wrap Up | November 2025
Holiday Romances | TTT | Top Ten Tuesday | 12/2/25
New Book Releases This Week | 12/2/25
Top 5 Covers of 2025 | Top 5 Tuesday | 12/2/25
WWW Wednesday | 12/3/25
A Dance with Waves and Flame by. M.B. Reese| Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hollow by. Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Let’s Talk Bookish: Festive Reads | 12/5/25
Trail Rides & Starry Eyes by. Katrina Emmel | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Birthstone Book Covers: December – Tanzanite | Zircon | Tourquoise
A Vow of Shadow and Blood by. Charlene Antrobus | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Books I Finished

A Vow of Shadow and Blood by. Charlene Antrobus
We’ve Hit Turbulence by. Jessica L. Cozzi
Your Knife, My Heart by. K.M. Moronova
The Ragpicker King by. Cassandra Clare
Hollow by. Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti
A Dance with Waves and Flames by. M.B. Reese
Oxford Blood by. Rachael Davis-Featherstone
We Who Have No Gods by. Liza Anderson
We’re a Bad Idea Right? by. K.L. Walther
Smoke and Scar by. Gretchen Powell Fox

Currently Reading:

Song of the Stars by. Kaiti Mills

Mate by. Ali Hazelwood

The Swan’s Daughter by. Roshani Chokshi (audiobook)

Dawn in Ruins by. Magda Mizzi

Seven Deadly Thorns by. Amber Hamilton

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

Football
Stranger Things (Netflix) – Season 5, Part one – so good!
Sean Combs: The Reckoning (Netflix) – 😒

Christmas songs!

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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A Vow of Shadow and Blood by. Charlene Antrobus | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️

Title: A Vow of Shadow and Blood (Blood Vows, #1)

Author: Charlene Antrobus

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 512

Publication Date: 10/15/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Vampires

In the Kingdom of Kalyn, humans are good for two things. Hunting and owning.

Adina Barron was bred to serve the ruling-class vampires. Owned from birth by Blackwood House, her only desire has been to keep herself and her sister safe. But Adina harbors a dark secret. She possesses the power to turn her blood into a deadly poison that kills vampires. An ability she swore never to use until she learned that her sister was dying. After discovering that vampire venom can extend life, Adina has spent the last year risking exposure and execution to hunt and kill the creatures she was born to obey.

But desperation leads to foolish mistakes, and when she accidentally reveals her power to a mysterious stranger, she is forced to make a difficult choice. Use her ability to assassinate the Crown Prince or watch her sister die.

The decision is easy, and it’s not long before Adina manages to use her wits and cunning to embed herself into the prince’s life. But making the kill is not as simple as she anticipates, especially when fate seems hell-bent on drawing the pair together. And when whispers of a war start to arise, Adina realizes that there may be bigger issues than just saving her sister.

But time is closing in, and soon she will be forced to make a choice. Her sister? Her kingdom? Or her heart? Because one thing is clear, she cannot save them all.

Content Warning: violence, death

I saw this on Kindle Unlimited, saw it had good reviews and that it was a vampire book so I downloaded and I was not disappointed!

+ I love a good Vampire romantasy, but I would say this was more fantasy with a little bit of romance. In this world, vampires are in charge and humans are enslaved. Adina, belongs to Blackwood House and is a blood donor. But when she can, she’s killing vampires, so she can take their fangs because their venom has magic that can help her sister, Willow, who is sick. Adina will do anything to help her sister, which was one thing I admired about her. But when Adina’s ownership changes hands and the vampire Prince, Karius, wants her, her life changes drastically.

+ World-building is easy to consume, humans and vampires were in a war a long time ago. Vampires won and ruled and there are some humans that accept their fate, some who want to try to escape to a settlement where they can be safe, or are like Adina and trying to survive their rule. I did want a little more world-building though. There is also a new element to the story, which brought a little horror, which I found really fun. But what I really loved about the story was the twist and turns, there are so many things that happen and it kept me on my toes. The more I read, the more I could not put the book down! I like all the fighting scenes and I did predict some of what happened in the end, but it was still fun getting there. The ending was devastating!

+~ Adina is a strong character but one of those FMC’s that make so many mistakes and is so stubborn that it makes you want to shake her. Her mistakes put people in danger! I love that she loves her sister, it’s her only motivation in this world to save her. She has to train with some of the vampires when she is bonded to Karius because if she dies, he dies, so she eventually creates a found family with them. I was so invested in so many of the side characters! Karius is the typical gorgeous, powerful, shadow daddy vampire prince but I like that he has a lot of restraint where it comes to Adina and her stubbornness.

+ The romance is a slow burn, there is one spicy scene and I really was hoping for more, but that’s all we get and it was good! I do feel like Karius and Adina don’t seem to have many scenes together, which is actually fine because she’s growing on her own as a character. Plus fated mate books can sometimes be hit or miss for me but I like how this is slow, and the word “mate” isn’t thrown all over the story. They are reluctant mates but the bond is strong and the attraction was growing but I wanted more! Because Karius seems to fall fast for her but we don’t see them together enough for all the things he wants to do for her – he will burn the world down for her. I still ate it up, but I just wanted more.

Final Thoughts:

In the next book I want to see Adina grow, and maybe learn how to give up some of her stubbornness. I don’t know what is going to happen with the romance but I found this to be a fun, binge-able, addictive vampire fantasy. I can’t wait for book two!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Trail Rides & Starry Eyes by. Katrina Emmel | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: Trail Rides & Starry Eyes

Author: Katrina Emmel

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 288

Publication Date: 12/9/25

Publisher: Delacorte Romance

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

A swoony, sweet YA rural romance between a rancher and the Hollywood hotshot she’s tasked with turning into a cowboy—perfect for fans of Kasie West, Erin Hahn, and Kristy Boyce!

With less than a month to learn to ride, Wilder heads to Silver Stallion Ranch.

Content Warning:

+ Cassidy has always lived life on the family ranch in Wyoming and she’s always wonder if this was it for her life? Just ranching – or is there something more out there for her? Wilder Nash needs to learn how to ride a horse for a role he just got chosen for – so his agent, Alex (Cassidy’s uncle) sends him to a ranch in Wyoming to learn how to ride. I think it’s easy to predict what happens in this story. I liked the ranch in Wyoming setting – it was definitely different from Los Angeles, where Wilder is from.

+~ The romance is sweet, an actor falls in love with a cowgirl. The only challenge they deal with is what to do after his training session is up. But I can say this doesn’t have a major conflict, it’s easily fixed at the end. Would have wanted a little more chemistry between them.

~ I think I wanted more from Cassidy’s character. She’s capable, a nice person and a hard worker, but I think because she’s trapped on the ranch, she doesn’t met many people and we don’t see much of her personality open up.

Final Thoughts:

This is a very quick read. It has a sweet romance without a lot of conflict. I just wanted a little more from the characters but overall, an easy young adult romance read.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Let’s Talk Bookish: Festive Reads | 12/5/25

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 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?

**********

Do you read holiday/winter-themed reads?

I read holiday/winter-themes arcs and they are published in October usually so I’m reading them in September, which kind of defeats the purpose for me lol. Because I’m probably reading horror in September also since it’s Fall.

But if I don’t have arcs, I sometimes don’t seek out holiday reads. It’s also very hot right now still in Hawaii and I’m not feeling wintery at all. So I think I’m skipping them this year unless I see something on Kindle Unlimited that catches my eye.

Do you have any on your TBR this December?

I do not.

What have been favorites from past years?

When I was into historical romances, years ago, decades ago 😅 I used to love anything by Lisa Kleypas. But the most current holiday romance I read and enjoyed is My Favorite Holidate by. Lauren Blakely.

Are there any festive books you like to re-read during the holidays?

No, I don’t.

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?

Hollow by. Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Hollow (Crown of Hearts and Chaos, #1)

Author: Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 560

Publication Date: 11/25/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance

Don’t listen to the whispers of the woods.
Don’t trust the man cloaked in shadow.
Don’t earn the wrath of the scattered spirits.
Don’t go out after dark.

The Great Hunt begins once every fifty years and only the Champions willing to face death to shatter the curse dare to enter.

The Champions…and me.

I’m no warrior, no swordsmith, and certainly no Fae, but the forest is my only hope. To enter those trees is to walk willingly to my demise. But I need the boon the forest will grant the winner and I’m willing to risk it all for a chance at claiming it.

I just never expected to face him beneath those trees. The beast who strikes fear into the desperate people of all lands. The monster who commands the legion of Hollows and makes our plight a thousand times worse.

The Hollows are empty of all things but none are so heartless as him.

Prince Bane intends to be the death of me. But I have an oath to fulfil before I’ll let him have me. And I’ll do whatever it takes to achieve it.

I am Ferris Creed and I’m going to unite the lost spirits who once bound the wandering trees in place, return the scattered amulets to the core of its corruption, and use the winner’s boon to change my fate. Come wretchedness or torment, through trickery and deception, I will get what I came here for. And no one will stand in my way. Not even Prince Bane.

*** Hollow is a dark Romantasy from the bestselling authors of Zodiac Academy, Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti. It is a heady cocktail of Summoners, seduction and spirits, set to get your heart racing and feet kicking. There will be a ruinous, black hearted love interest, a rebellious, ruthless FMC, plot twists, cliff hangers, dark humour and a healthy seasoning of make-you-blush spice. It is not for the faint of heart. All those who enter the forest are bound by its terms – will you walk willingly into the dark? ***

Content Warning: violence, grief

This is the first book I’ve actually finished from the Twisted Sisters (this author duo). I did try to read Zodiac Academy but I didn’t get past chapter one. But Hollow, I did actually finish.

The world in Hollow is filled with humans, Fae, and magical spirits in a deadly forest. Ferris decides to partake in the Great Hunt. The person who can collect all spirt amulets in the forest can ask a boon and she wants to help save her sister, Rissa, who was taken into the forest as a sacrifice. Ferris isn’t a warrior, which I thought was interesting. What she had going for her was pure determination and I admired her for that.

But spirits aren’t the only ones lurking in the woods – Hendrix is too. He is a disgraced Fae prince, who is a a mission of revenge. I thought his story was very interesting and tragic.

When Ferris and Hendrix/Bane meet, she basically becomes his prey. But he realizes he can use her as bait for the spirits they are hunting. Ferris hates the Fae and Hendrix looks down on humans so they didn’t get along at first but an attraction grows. It’s enemies to lovers and things get spicy between them! I did enjoy the bickering between them but I wanted to see more of an emotional connection and some banter but for some reason it fell flat for me.

As much as I enjoyed the scary adventures in the woods, and the quest of collecting these amulets, I did want a little more out of our main characters because they didn’t captivate me. I don’t know if it’s the writing, but I wasn’t connecting to them.

There is a lot of action at the end and some unexpected things happen.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I’m not sure if the writing style is for me or maybe I just didn’t feel like there was anything new about the story. I enjoyed the cursed forest, the spirit animals and the Great Hunt. I also enjoyed the bickering between Ferris and Hendrix and even the spice, but I don’t know if I’m interested in continuing the series. But this a binge-able romantasy with no heavy world building so it was an easy read.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

WWW Wednesday | 12/3/25

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?

Happy December! I’m trying to catch up as much reading as I can and trying to stay ahead of my arcs, woohoo! So far, I’ve been doing good and almost finished with January arcs and will be starting on February arcs. I can’t believe I’ve been on top of it!😅.

I think because I’m ahead of my arcs, I have been reaching for anything and everything on Kindle Unlimited that I’ve been wanting to read. Or just new titles I’ve been seeing here and there on socials or just looking on Amazon. I like that I have this “free” time to read. I really should also tackle my hardcover books but I only have 2 that I haven’t read yet.

What are YOU reading right now?

A Dance with Waves and Flame by. M.B. Reese| Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️

Title: A Dance with Waves and Flame ( The Circle of Stars, #1)

Author: M.B. Reese

Format: ebook (gifted)

Pages: 450

Publication Date: 10/29/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance

In a world where the power of the zodiac signs shapes one’s destiny, Amanda is named Princess of the Water Realm.

As the supreme Cancer, she must prove her abilities and earn her place among the Circle of Twelve. But when her latent powers fail to manifest, she becomes a liability. Secrets, intrigue, and dangerous rivals threaten to shatter her fragile new world.

The rulers of the Fire Realm seize the opportunity, publicly questioning Amanda’s right to the throne.

Forced to navigate a maze of political tension and betrayal, Amanda must embark on a perilous journey to uncover her true identity. She will discover that courage isn’t just facing your destiny; it’s finding friends and love where she least expects them.

A Dance with Waves and Flames is the first volume in The Circle of Stars series, a thrilling new Fantasy adventure filled with elemental magic, thrilling secrets, and a central quest for truth and belonging.

Content Warning: violence

Thank you to the author for gifting me this ebook and here are my thoughts on it:

+ I really liked the world-building about the Zodiac signs. Each sign has a leader. Cassandra, is a Scorpio (my sign), and she kind of comes off as the villain – which is understandable! Her sister, Amanda, is a Cancer, or that is what Cassy is hoping for so she can rule beside her. But Amanda doesn’t feel any powers yet.

+ The story revolves around Amanda, who is trying to make her sister happy by lying about receiving Cancer powers, but in essence she doesn’t know what she feels. She feels like a Cancer but there are other powers that are emerging in her. There is political intrigue because everyone wants to find out what powers she has, and her sister insists she go with her plan and say she’s a Cancer.

+ There is a little bit of romance between Amanda and the Leo, Kilian. She goes to his land to spend time with him and there is an attraction between them, mostly coming from Kilian. Amanda eventually develops feelings for him. He’s a Leo, basically like a lion, and kind of possessive.

+ I also loved all the character profiles at the back of the book! It helps because there is such a big cast.

~ Though I like the Zodiac signs, I kind of didn’t understand the role of the Jurors. Also there are a lot of characters in this book, a few for each sign that Amanda meets and it was a little hard to keep up with who was who and why they were important. There is a lot of repetition also maybe because Amanda is trying to find her place, but she just doesn’t know what she is.

~ I didn’t connect to the characters as I would have liked. I think I just want more depth from Amanda and some of the other characters as well. I think Cassandra feels very true to herself. For me, the story didn’t flow well, but the second half did have much more action than the first half.

Final Thoughts:

I really like how this story is built around the Zodiac signs. This is a story about Amanda and how she’s trying to find where she belongs and what sign she rules. It has political intrigue, romance and an action filled ending but for some reason I couldn’t quite connect to the story as I would have liked. Overall, I think this story has a lot of potential though especially because of the unique world-building.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Top 5 Covers of 2025 | Top 5 Tuesday | 12/2/25

Top 5 Tuesday was created by Shanah at Bionic Book Worm, and now being hosted at Meeghan reads.

This Week’s Topic is:

Top 5 Covers of 2025

Hekate – The Witch by. Nikita Gill

A propulsive, electrifying and enraging retelling of the life ofGreek goddess Hekate, child of war turned all-powerful goddess of witchcraft and necromancy, by internationally bestselling poet Nikita Gill.

Born into a world on fire, Godling Hekate has never known safety. After her parents are on the losing side of the war between the ruling Titans and new Olympian Gods, Hekate is taken by her mother Asteria to the Underworld, where Styx and Hades agree to raise her. Meanwhile, Asteria is pursued across the world by Zeus and Poseidon and, to escape their clutches, transforms herself into an island in a stormy sea.

Orphaned and alone, Hekate grows up amongst the horrors and beauties of the Underworld, desperate to find her divine purpose and a sense of belonging in the land of the dead.

When Hekate finally uncovers her powers and ascends to Goddess status, she realises that even the most powerful Olympians are terrified of her. But when immortal war breaks out again, threatening to destroy everything from Mount Olympus to the Underworld itself, the Goddess of witchcraft and necromancy is the only one who can bring the deadly conflict to an end. . .

~~ I love the muted color palette for this book cover but also love all the details!~~

********

The Nightblood Prince by. Molly X. Chang

Two kingdoms on the brink of battle. One prophesied empress to unite them, who finds herself caught between two princes, and the fact that love alone may not stop the coming war. A thrilling romantasy from the bestselling author of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods.

Two princes. One prophecy. A fate she cannot outrun.

The night Fei was born, a prophecy was made: she would one day become the Empress of All Empresses.

Torn from her family as a child and raised in the palace to one day marry the Crown Prince of the most powerful empire in the land, Fei has only ever known loneliness. When the opportunity arises to seize her own destiny for the first time in her life, Fei sets out to hunt a legendary tiger, knowing it might cost her everything. What she doesn’t expect is to fall under the mercy of Yexue, the beautiful runaway prince from a rival kingdom. Blessed by the night, harboring a dangerous magic, and capable of commanding an army of deadly vampires, Yexue could be the key to Fei gaining more than just her freedom.

But to outrun destiny, Fei must spark a wave of events that will change the world as she knows it. Torn between two princes and plagued by nightmares of bloodshed, she finds that the stars might be more inescapable—and more irresistible—than she ever considered before. . . .

~~I love the colors and the artwork is amazing.~~

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Rebel Witch by. Kristen Ciccarelli

The stakes are even higher in this epic, romantic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Crimson Moth duology.

A WITCH…
Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who’s planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches—something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.

A WITCH HUNTER…
Apparently it wasn’t enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she’s now betrayed him by allying herself with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won’t allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die—especially Rune Winters.

AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE…
When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they’re forced into each other’s company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren’t as dead and buried as he thought. Now he’s faced with a terrible choice: sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.

In Kristen Ciccarelli’s Rebel Witch, the exciting conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology, love has never been so deadly.

~~ I love the dark, bold red color of this cover!~~

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The Knight and the Moth by. Rachel Gillig

Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum’s windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams.

Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical, and devilishly handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil’s visions. But when Sybil’s fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral’s cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she’d rather avoid Rodrick’s dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god.

~~ Gorgeous, dark, and it fits the story! ~~

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A Forgery of Fate by. Elizabeth Lim

Truyan Saigas didn’t choose to become a con artist, but after her father is lost at sea, it’s up to her to support her mother and two younger sisters. A gifted art forger, Tru has the unique ability to paint the future, but even such magic is not enough to put her family back together again, or stave off the gangsters demanding payment in blood for her mother’s gambling debts.

Left with few options, Tru agrees to a marriage contract with a mysterious dragon lord. He offers a fresh start for her mother and sisters and elusive answers about her father’s disappearance, but in exchange, she must join him in his desolate undersea palace. And she must assist him in a plot to infiltrate the tyrannical Dragon King’s inner circle, painting a future so treasonous, it could upend both the mortal and immortal realms…

A breathtaking romantic fantasy inspired by Beauty and the Beast about a girl who paints the future and a cursed dragon lord, bound by love and deception in a plot to bring down the gods.

~~I really love artwork for Asian Fantasy books – they are always so gorgeous! I love the color blue on this book cover. ~~