WWW Wednesday | 9/16/26

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?

We are in mid-September and I feel like I’m doing good on the reading front – I don’t have a lot of arcs for the last 3 months of 2026 so I think I can fit in more non arc reads.

What are you currently reading?

The Age of Blood and Magic by. Hannah Mathewson – arc – 3%

Revived by. Bree L. Mina – arc – page 78/404

Captive Traitor King by. Brigid Kemmerer – arc – 80%

A Crown of Blood and Magick by. Amy De Le Force – arc – 23%

The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing by. Marshall J. Moore – 22%

What have you just finished reading?

Spark the Flames by. Ivy Asher (Secret of the Syphon, #1) – arc – 4.5 stars/2 🌶️

Ignite the Infernos by. Ivy Asher (Secret of the Syphon, #2) – 4 stars/2 🌶️

Stone Bound by. Jocelyn James – arc – 3 stars/1 🌶️

Captive Traitor King by. Brigid Kemmerer – 4 stars/3 🌶️

Queen of Lombard Street by. Lisa Kleypas – 4.5 stars/1🌶️

The Age of Blood and Magic by. Hannah Mathewson – arc – arc – 3.5 stars/2 🌶️

What are you going to read next?

Cursebreaker by. R.M. Gray

Firstborn by. M.J. Hastings

The Knave and the Moon by. Rachel Gillig

Steelborn by. Taylor J. LaRue

Mortal Things by. Marie Lu

What are YOU reading right now?

The Wretched Divine by. Adalyn Grace | ARC and ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: The Wretched Divine (The Wretched Divine, #1)

Author: Adalyn Grace

Format: eBook (NetGalley) and audiobook (netgalley)

Pages: 512

Listening Hours: approx. 19 hrs 44 min

Narrator (s): Kristin Atherton; Major Curda; Marisa Calin; Shane East

Publication Date: 9/21/26

Publisher: FEIWEL & Macmillan Audio

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series

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

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

Aurelie Chantelune was born to serve. Raised as a knight in a kingdom ravaged by demons, she’s spent her life honing her blade, driven by the memory of the monsters who tore her family apart and by the knowledge that she’s one of the few who can stop them.

If Aurelie can claim her first kill, she’ll inherit a legacy passed down through the Chantelune a soulbond with Yuriel, an angel whose power is vital to her kingdom’s survival. But when those she loves begin turning into the very monsters she’s sworn to destroy, Aurelie is forced to seek help from the last place she ever imagined. Desperate, she forges a second and far more dangerous bond with Severin, a demon she can hardly trust, but who claims to know how to end the war for good.

With their lives and fates entwined, Aurelie, Yuriel, and Severin must team up to hunt down a cure capable of turning demons back into humans. But the more they learn about one another and the deeper their relationships grow, the more Aurelie begins to question the war and her place in it. With both of her bonded on opposing sides, she’ll have to make a continue to stand with the angels, or risk everything by trusting a demon.

Content Warning: death, violence

+ Knights, angels and demons. The audiobook was fantastic and very entertaining. I loved all the narrators and their voices.

+~ The world-building is great and I really love how the story build and builds into the climax at the end but I did find the beginning a little slow. The pacing was a bit up and down because it starts off with a lot of action then it pulls back for when they are trying to find ingredients for the cure – which is where things slow down but we do get to know the characters more. But it finishes with twists, betrayals, and makes me want to read book two right away. There are a lot of questions in the book about who is the real villain – is it the angels or the demons? They have been locked in war for so long and everyone is tired, but revenge and hate runs deep on both sides so how can they stop killing each other?

+~ Aurelie is a knight and her life is dedicated to killing demons but when her father starts turning into a demon she does anything and everything to find a cure, even bonding with a demon. Thing is, she’s also bound to an angel, Yuriel. Some of Aurelie’s actions were questionable but I get that her motivation was to save her father after losing so many other people in her life already.

+ There are so many fascinating characters in this story like Yuriel the angel with a past, Severin – a very mischievous demon who likes to sing and make wine, Illaria – the princess who was almost Aurelie’s sister in law, and Vex the little vesper who is a big help to Aurelie and Yuriel. I was invested in everyone and some of the interactions were so funny, because Severin is such a trouble maker and Vex was funny too.

+~ This is more fantasy than romance, there are some spicy moments and even some confusing moments where Aurelie is enticed by Severin but also feels admiration for Yuriel, so I’m not sure if this will be a love triangle or a why choose or what. Or is it heading towards a throuple? I have no clue but oh the possibilities!

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one, especially the second half of the book! The audiobook was wonderful and all the narrators did a great job voicing the characters. There is action, a little spice, secrets, betrayal, knights, angels and demons. I can’t wait for book two!

Read if you like:

knights
war between angels and demons

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Wisteria by. Adalyn Grace | Book Review – 3.5 stars

Foxglove by. Adalyn Grace | Book Review – 4 stars

Belladonna by. Adalyn Grace | Book Review – 5 stars

Heart of Thieves by. Jessica S. Olson | ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: Heart of Thieves (The Devious, #2)

Author: Jessica S. Olson

Pages: 384

Format: audiobook

Listening Hours: 12 hours (approx.)

Narrator (s): Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick; Emily Ellet

Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners

Publication Date: 9/15/26

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Audiobook, Romance, Series

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

Thank you to Macmillan Young Listeners for giving me a chance to listen to this book in exchange for an honest review!

A cunning thief turns the tables on the feuding brothers who betrayed her in this thrilling conclusion to the Den of Liars Duology, perfect for fans of Powerless and Lightlark.

Lola St. James is trapped in a web of lies and deceit. But that only makes her more determined to find the truth. The truth about her past. The truth about her magic. And the truth about the curse that binds her to two warring brothers who she both hates and loves.

With the Liar’s Dice Tournament now only a painful memory, Lola dons a new alter ego, Nocturne, and creates her own elaborate game designed to lure both the Liar and the Thief into her clutches, certain this is the only way to give them a chance to break their curses.

But Lola is not the only one with plans for the brothers. When a powerful figure from their past comes back to haunt them, will Lola’s love be enough to hold them all together? Or will the lies they’ve told tear them apart forever?

Content Warning: death, violence, loss of body autonomy

This is book two in The Devious serious and I really loved book one, Den of Liars, and wanted to see what happened next in the story. The narrators did such a great job, the female narrator was practically acting out all her scenes, especially a dramatic one at the ending! I loved the sound of the male narrator also but at times I couldn’t distinguish when it was Nic or Enzo speaking.

The world building really goes more into the magic in this sequel and conclusion. We learn about Laurel, Nic’s first love, and I totally didn’t like her. She’s controlling Nic, and making him out to be someone he is not. Lola is trying to help break the brothers’ curse but she has to accomplish this by keeping secrets and trust with Enzo is already so shaky. I honestly wish I had the ebook to read while reading because a lot of the magic and world-building kind of went over my head.

I did like Lola’s relationship with Enzo which was strictly platonic and more of a found family vibe. Whereas it was clear her relationship with Nic was a romance. But Lola is barely with Nic in this book because he is stuck in Laurel’s clutches. Speaking of relationships, the brothers never got along because of their past but it does end cordially and happily for them. The other loose end in the story was Lola’s dad, the crime lord who is looking for her. Things are complicated there but there is closure.

Overall, I’d say this was a solid conclusion.

Final Thoughts:

This one was filled with secrets, lies, betrayal, and some very interesting magic and world-building. There was only a little bit of romance. The narrators were fantastic, but story-wise I don’t think this held my attention like book one did. I think it was a pretty solid conclusion though.

Read if you like:

Den of Liars (first book)
magic
found family

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Den of Liars by. Jessica S. Olson | ARC Review -4.5 stars/1 🌶️

WWW Wednesday | 9/9/26

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?

Another weekend, another hurricane, but a tropical storm warning for us on Oahu. Kauai and Ni’ihau got hit bad, Oahu had some coastal areas with big storm surge and damage. Around my neighborhood it was mostly downed flower petals, and tree branches – glad it was not anything like Kauai but man are our islands tired of this year with all the storms we’ve had so far. 😔. I know the mainland have “snow days” for school but this is the most “storm days” we’ve ever had in Hawaii since my kids have been going to school. Let’s hope hurricane season chills as we go into fall season!

What are you currently reading?

The Age of Blood and Magic by. Hannah Mathewson – arc – 3%

Revived by. Bree L. Mina – arc – page 78/404

Captive Traitor King by. Brigid Kemmerer – arc – 80%

A Crown of Blood and Magick by. Amy De Le Force – arc – 23%

The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing by. Marshall J. Moore – 22%

What have you just finished reading?

Our Strange Duet by. Erin A. Craig – arc – 3 stars

The Heart Trials by. J. Elle – arc – 4 stars

The Tarot Trials by. Katee Robert – arc/alc – 3 stars/1 🌶️

Stalkers Anonymous by. Dana Leeann – 4 stars/2 🌶️

Pretty Savage by. Lexi Davis – arc – 3.5 stars/2.5 🌶️

This Shattered Tempest by. Thea Guanzon – arc – 4.5 stars/2 🌶️

The Museum of Modern Love by. Mariko Turk – alc – 4 stars

White Raven by. Stacey Marie Brown – 4.5 stars/2 🌶️

Who Needs Mistletoe? by. Sarah Estep – arc – 5 stars/2 🌶️

What are you going to read next?

Cursebreaker by. R.M. Gray

Firstborn by. M.J. Hastings

The Knave and the Moon by. Rachel Gillig

Steelborn by. Taylor J. LaRue

Mortal Things by. Marie Lu

What are YOU reading right now?

Our Strange Duet by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Our Strange Duet

Author: Erin A. Craig

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 9/1/26

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Phantom of the Opera Retelling, Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Gothic, Thriller

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 reimagining of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, spotlighting Christine Daaé as she rises to fame while torn between love, ambition, and the haunting secrets of the opera house from #1 New York Times bestselling author Erin A. Craig.

She was never just the voice he shaped . . .

A rising soprano with a gift she is only just learning to embrace, Christine Daaé has moved through the glittering world of the Opera Populaire longing to find her purpose. Instead, she finds herself caught between two men who refuse to let her slip quietly into the chorus.

One is Raoul, her childhood friend turned devoted admirer, offering her a future filled with warmth, safety, and a love that feels like sunlight. The other is a mysterious masked figure who lurks beneath the Opera House: The Phantom. His brilliance, obsession, and dangerous devotion to nurturing Christine’s talents ignites a dark and complicated passion in her heart.

As Christine’s star ascends, so does the tension between Raoul and the Phantom. She must decide who she is when the curtain falls—and what she’s willing to risk for the life she wants.

Content Warning: violence, stalker, obsession

+~ I love The Phantom of the Opera – it was the first musical I ever saw and so I will always love it. This reimagining follows the story very closely but it’s told through Christine Daaé’s perspective. It had all the things I love about the musical, the dark gothic atmosphere of the Opera house, and the things that happen behind the scenes with the singers and performers. With that said, I felt like nothing new was introduced into the story.

+ In the musical I feel like the phantom, Erik, and his obsession with Christine is very much romanticized. I thought it started to feel like that in this book version also, but through Christine’s voice, his obsession gets frightening.

+ I did enjoy the moments when I saw some of the lyrics of the songs used in the musical in the story. I would find myself singing the songs.

Final Thoughts:

I think if you are a huge fan of The Phantom of the Opera you will enjoy this story told by Christine’s POV. I was curious to see how it would be reimagined, but I felt like nothing new was really introduced, so maybe I was expecting too much. I felt like the phantom/Erik was much scarier in his obsession with this version. I did like seeing things play out though I knew how it goes and I loved the gothic atmosphere. I also loved when lyrics from the songs in the musical would appear.

Read if you like:

Phantom of the Opera
gothic atmosphere

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

A Land So Wide by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review – 3.5 ⭐️

The Thirteenth Child by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review – 5 ⭐️

House of Roots and Ruin by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review – 4.5 ⭐️

Small Favors by. Erin A. Craig | ARC Review – 3.5 ⭐️

Book Review | House of Salt and Sorrows – 5 ⭐️

The Heart Trials by. J. Elle | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Heart Trials (#1)

Author: J. Elle

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 9/1/26

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Categories: Dystopian, Fantasy, Young Adult, Series

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

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Welcome to The Heart Trials.
The prize is love.
The cost is everything.

In Ethyria the highborn may love; the lowborn may only feel what the Benevolent allows.

Saltblood lowborn Axira Merreri survives the decaying districts by keeping her heart locked tight, couriering goods by day — and smuggling the ruler’s euphoric Heartfillers to the highborn by night. Until a drop goes wrong and her execution looms.

When she strikes a dangerous bargain to steal something from the Tournament of Hearts, a ruthless dating competition for highborn citizenship, she enters. Not for love. For freedom. But as the twisted allure of the competition turns deadly, an unexpected connection cracks her defenses, forcing her to confront a truth she In a regime built on engineered happiness, the most dangerous weapon she has is her heart.

Content Warning: violence, death, drug use

+ The Heart Trials has some really unique world building. People are named after districts they are from for example Saltborn (place with water), Grainborn, Skyborn (wealthy), etc…so trying to learn about this world took some time to get used to. Also, low borns are prevented from falling in love, meaning they have to wear a chain across their mouth to avoid kissing, they have to wear gloves to not be able to touch, and these lower born citizens are monitored heavily by Mercyenforcers. People are also given drugs to stay compliant – can’t have people sad or angry, so the Benevolent (the ruler) can stay in power comfortably. Now the Heart Trials is a competition held by the Benevolent, contestant have to show they have fallen in love at the end of the trials. The winner gets to become a Skyborn, also there is some magic released in the kiss between two people who are truly in love that helps the Benevolent.

+ Axira is a smuggler of heartfillers, the drugs that keep people happy, but one meeting with a client ends up in disaster and she ends up joining the Heart Trials in agreement with the prince. Their goal is to steal the magic of the last kiss in order to take power away from the prince’s father. I thought Axira was an interesting mix of naive but also being savvy. The thing she has no experience in is the falling in love part, which was interesting to see. She’s new to touch, to a kiss, to feelings that involve love for another person that isn’t family or a friend. But I did think she kept herself aware of who was plotting against her.

+~ The romance is young adult and very clean. Axira spends a lot of time with Caelus, the prince, because they have a plan together. But she does start to feel things for him by the end except there is a twist in the story. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

+~ I do think the first half of the story moved slow even though there were deadly rials that helped show a lot of mistrust among the contestants. It was giving Hunger Games vibes throughout the trials, but I thought it was so funny to have a deadly trial and then they had to get to know a potential lover in the next moment. It wasn’t exactly the environment for romance to bloom! I was thinking this was a 3 star read until that ending. There was good tension that built from the slow start all the way to the cliffhanger ending, which I enjoyed a lot. The second half was my favorite part, especially with the twist in the end.

Final Thoughts:

I think the first half of this story moved a little slowly but there is some world building to acclimate to because it was so unique. I love the creativity. The trials gave Hunger Games with speed dating vibes at times, which was strange but refreshing also. I did like the tension! I also liked the romance and that the twist in the end led to a cliffhanger and now I need book two! Can’t wait to see what happens next.

Read if you like:

young adult dystopian
deadly trials
cliffhanger ending

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

House of Marionne by. J. Elle | ARC Review – 3.5 ⭐️

Shadow of Perl by. J. Elle | ARC Review – 3 ⭐️

Sorrow and Strangers by. Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Sorrow and Strangers (Avalon University, #2))

Author: Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune

Format: eBook (Simon Maverick) and paperback (Simon Maverick)

Pages: 754

Publication Date: 9/8/26

Publisher: Simon Maverick

Categories: Dark Academia, Dark Romance, Fantasy, Series

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

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

Fear. Fury. And Fire.

To Know is Never Enough.

Summer Tuatha De Daanan reluctantly returns to Avalon University for her second year after spending the summer with her vampire best friend in Draculea. She’s a shell of her former self, and the peace promised to her has never felt further from her reach. All Summer wants is to keep her head down and get through the year cloaked in her depression, but looming threats linger, and she quickly finds herself thrust into a dangerous position once again; entangled with a friend turned enemy, the protector of her beloved family, and the target of two very powerful kings.

Unwilling to suffer any further loss, Summer must push through her emotions to prepare herself for the enemies who threaten everything she holds dear. Through runic training with the revered and brooding Headmaster Emrys, combat with the aloof and strong-willed Max, and improving her mental walls with the dark and mysterious stranger, each step pulls her further from the edge of despair. Yet, nothing will be simple for Summer, and the more she trains, the more she discovers who she truly is, forcing her to confront her inner darkness. The beast within that purrs for her enigmatic stalker.

A darkness that is waiting to be explored. A darkness that will not be denied.

Content Warning: grief, violence, *read the trigger warnings at the start of the book*

+~ I think this sequel is more character driven than plot driven, which was a little frustrating because I needed more plot. It’s a long book and if constant spice is not your thing, you might want to skip this one because there is a lot of it. We are back at the school but we hardly see these characters go to school, it’s everything to do with outside school hours like partying and training at the gym. I wanted more plot, but it happens at the end of the book. It’s one of those addictive reads that don’t require much brain power though, I even guessed who Stranger was earlier in the book.

+ The portrayal of grief in this book is so real. A little too real that I was missing Connor so much in this book. He really was the character I loved the most in book one and I can’t even believe he’s gone. Summer is grieving in the beginning of the book and she goes through it. She’s wasting away before Alice’s eyes and goes through all the stages of grief.

+~ Summer as a character was never one who I totally loved, not even in book one. So there are a lot of moments in this book she was testing my patience especially with the back and forth with Stranger. Again, her mental state was going through some trauma, but it was whiplash. I would really love to know more about Summer. I need more about her history, being Seelie, what makes her powerful and I’m sure that’s coming in book three but I need more.

+ My favorite characters in this book are Alice and Rafe, the secondary characters who I feel deserves books of their own. Alice is an amazing best friend who is there for Summer thick and thin, through the grief, through the boy drama (she’s the no-judgment best friend), I love her. Rafe is Connor’s brother and I love the Morningside family, they are just good people including Rafe even though he’s going through a hard transition in his life. I also loved Mira, a new character. Stranger is also very intriguing and we get to know him a bit more in this one, he’s still a major stalker though but he has a lot of patience with Summer.

+~ The romance between Summer and Stranger, it’s inevitable, and it’s tumultuous. It’s toxic. There is a lot of spice in this one, and it felt like it was half the story. The spice with Max, it was exciting at first and then got stale because it was repetitive. At least the ones with Stranger were different but it was hard seeing Summer go back and forth between them, putting boundaries and then breaking them without putting up any real fight. My favorite romance in the story was actually Rafe and Mira’s! Sure it was insta-lust and love but those two had the romance I was waiting for between Summer and Stranger.

Final Thoughts:

After reading two books in the series, I think it’s safe to say, the books will always be long. I miss Connor and the book did accomplish relaying the “sorrow” and grief Summer was experiencing after losing him. I would love more world building and a plot that isn’t overshadowed by the spice. The highlights of the book for me were Alice, Rafe and Mira. I also find Stranger fascinating and I can’t wait to learn more about Uncle Luc and Hell.

But if you loved book one, you will love this one too because you will get more of Summer and her boy drama, and lots of spice. For me I just needed a little more world building and a little less spice and hope I get that in book three.

Read if you like:

relationship drama, dark romance
lots of spicy scenes
found family

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Blood & Betrayals by. Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune | Book Review – 2.5 stars/3 🌶️

Turncloak by. L.K. Steven | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Turncloak (The Silvercloak Saga, #2)

Author: L.K. Steven

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 544

Publication Date: 9/15/26

Publisher: Del Rey

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series

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

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

Revenge drove Saffron Killoran to go undercover in the Bloodmoon gang. But now, with any chance of retribution gone, she sees only one path forward: harnessing a long-dormant power to fix her ruinous mistakes.

Meanwhile, the new kingpin of the Bloodmoons has discovered Saffron’s true identity as a Silvercloak—and her ultimate goal of bringing his empire down. As old wounds resurface and fresh enemies close in, he finds himself torn between the cause to which he has devoted his life and the fate of the traitorous mage he loves.

Hot on their heels is an ambitious rookie detective sent to stake out the Bloodmoons’ growing rivals. She will stop at nothing to destroy both gangs—and anything or anyone who dares to stand in her way.

Caught in a cat-and-mouse game of trust and betrayal spanning continents, Saffron must choose where her loyalties lie—and determine if her quest to unmake time itself is worth becoming a villain to the whole world.

Content Warning: violence, death, drug addiction symptoms

World Building: The world of Silvercloak is really interesting. It’s a society of mages, with organized crime – the Bloodmoons – who’s leader’s goal is to resurrect his mom’s body so she can get the throne; the Whitewings – a rival gang who is trying to produce a drug that rivals or is better than what the Bloodmoons pedal in the streets. And Silvercloaks are the police force trying to take all of them down. There is a king that rules this world, who has heard of the Bloodmoons thirst for the throne, so he is trying to thwart them too. With all these things at play, it is a place of violence, spying, betrayal, going undercover and trading information – not knowing who you can really trust. I enjoy that political intrigue a lot. I also enjoy the mages and their magic wands, especially when they are battling one another.

Characters: Saffron is trying to rebuild the trust she broke with Levan. Yet she’s still lying, still has cards up her sleeve. As for Levan, though he was made to be a ruthless killer, he is very vulnerable, a recovering drug addict who still craves a hit, someone who trusts too easily, and just someone in a lot of pain. He’s lost so many people. I was really rooting for the two of them – even though their shared goal of turning back time and bringing their parents back, would upend everything. I just kept thinking, it’s a bad idea and wish they gave up their plans and let the dead stay dead. A character that we get to know better is Auria and honestly…I didn’t totally love her. I know she’s law-abiding, but I wanted her to bend a little. We also get to know more about Levan’s past and the brother he once had.

Romance: There is barely any spice, just some steam and honestly, I wanted some spice. But I also respect that Saffron and Levan’s relationship is not so easy to repair. Their relationship is very complicated. I just wish by the end of the book things turned a corner for them and in a way it did, but it will not get any easier for them.

Story: I really enjoyed Saffron and Levan’s story and loved when the focus was on them. I was taken out of the story a bit when Auria came into the picture. I do think this sequel moves the story forward a lot, especially when it comes to Saffron’s powers as a Timeweaver and the search for the Fifth prophecy. We get to learn so much about Levan’s upbringing and his obsession with bringing his mother back. It does start off a little slow because Saffron is trying to earn Levan’s trust but it picks up a lot in the second half and ends with a bang.

Vibes: cat and mouse game

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a pretty good sequel to Silvercloak. I kind of miss the growing tension between Saffron and Levan from book one, but their relationship has turned in another direction, and one day I hope they can find themselves back to what they had. The cat and mouse game gets even more involved in book two because of the addition of the Whitewings who is causing havoc for the Bloodmoons and there is always the Silvercloaks in the background, I really enjoy the political intrigue of this series so far. I’ll definitely be reading book three to see what happens next with Saffron and Levan.

Read if you like:

political intrigue
magic wands
enemies to lovers

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Silvercloak by. L.K. Steven | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

WWW Wednesday | 9/2/26

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?

It was a crazy weekend with my flying out Friday night to go to a music festival on Saturday and flying back home on Sunday. 😩. The Daisy Chain Fields Festival was HOT, but thank goodness I’ve been traveling to hot places all year – I think I did well because I knew to sacrifice some activities, stay in the shade until the main acts I wanted to see came out. My son and my bestie got to see Mitski, and Doechii – Doechii sounded so good from where my daughter and I were waiting that I asked if we could go watch it and at least sun was kind of going down. We enjoyed her set. Then we ended up trying to find son and my friend before Chappell Roan’s set – I briefly saw my son to give him some water but my daughter and I ended up in the back so she could see the back screen. We still had fun singing and dancing. Then we moved up and reunited with our group for Olivia Rodrigo. I felt bad my daughter couldn’t see the stage or screen and I couldn’t carry her 😅. We still sang out hearts out but now I really want to take her to Olivia’s tour just so she can “see” her perform.

That was my tiring weekend, so I didn’t read anything but I have arcs to finish!

What are you currently reading?

A Forsaken Prophecy by. Stacey McEwan – 2% – I might wait to get this on audiobook later because I’m busy with arcs.

Our Strange Duet by. Erin A. Craig – arc –

The Heart Trials by. J. Elle – arc – 28%

The Tarot Trials by. Katee Robert – alc – 29%

The Age of Blood and Magic by. Hannah Mathewson – arc – 1%

Stalkers Anonymous by. Dana Leeann

What have you just finished reading?

Heart of Thieves by. Jessica S. Olson – alc – 3.5 stars

Hawk & Sparrow by. Ayana Gray – arc – 3.5 stars

In the Veins of the Drowning by. Kalie Cassidy – 4 stars/2 🌶️

Storm Caller by. Nisha J. Tuli – arc – 3.5 stars/1 🌶️

Trust Fall by. Lynn Painter – arc – 4 stars

What are you going to read next?

White Raven by. Stacey Marie Brown

Cursebreaker by. R.M. Gray

Firstborn by. M.J. Hastings

The Knave and the Moon by. Rachel Gillig

The Crown of Blood and Magick by. Amy De La Force

What are YOU reading right now?

In the Veins of the Drowning by. Kalie Cassidy | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: In the Veins of the Drowning (The Siren Mage, #1)

Author: Kalie Cassidy

Pages: 377

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Publication Date: 7/15/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series

The monster is always slain…

Imogen Nel is in hiding. Hiding from a cruel kingdom that believes Sirens are monstrous, blood-hungry creatures. Hiding from a king and his captain who viciously hunt her kind. Hiding from her own alluring abilities. By keeping herself from the sea, Imogen’s bloodlust is dulled, and her black wings remain hidden beneath her skin.

When a neighboring king comes to visit, Imogen can no longer hide. He knows precisely what she is, and he believes she can save both their kingdoms from an even greater monster. But Imogen’s power threatens to violently reveal itself, and the two form a blood bond that protects them both. They flee the kingdom together, traversing waters teeming with the undead. As the lines between duty to their people and desire for each other begin to blur, Imogen worries her own ancestral powers may not be enough to kill what hunts her—the only way to defeat a monster may be to become one herself.

Content Warning: self harm, violence, death, gore

I finally read this book and I don’t know why it took me so long to get to it. It starts off like most romantasy books, an FMC who is trapped and needs help fleeing the king that oppresses her. There are the usual tropes in this book that are found in romantasy but what stood out to me was how the Imogen and Theodore bicker! It was so much fun. I like how they are honest and tell each other off, to their faces. It’s kind of refreshing! So I loved the enemies to lovers romance in this one, or is it dislike to like? Whatever it is, I loved it even though Theo is reserved and dutiful at first, he very much so reminded me of Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice so it was fun to see Imogen getting under his skin. It was my favorite part of the whole story.

But there is also a lot going on in this story – Imogen is a Siren and bound to multiple people and she needs to break free of them, but doing so has it’s own consequences. I was very invested to see what path Imogen would choose and what choices she would make. There is political intrigue, travel, some action, romance, and secrets. I loved learning about the Sirens and the world building was good.

Final Thoughts:

I’m so glad I finally finished this one and I’m not sure why it took me so long to finally read it. It has a lot of things I enjoy in a romantasy like political intrigue, and romance of course, but what I really loved was Imogen and Theo. Seeing them interact and eventually fall for one another was very, funny and entertaining. I also want to see how this story plays out so I’m eager to read book two.

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