An Arcane Education by. Lyla Andrews | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: An Arcane Education (Arcadia Academy, #1)

Author: Lyla Andrews

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 363

Publication Date: 7/20/26 (paperback)

Publisher: Lyla Andrews

Categories: Dark Academia, Romantasy, 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 Lyla Andrews for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

An Arcane Education is a dark academia romance with fantasy elements, a slow burn professor/student relationship, atmospheric gothic vibes, and found family. Perfect for fans of Nocticadia, Gothikana, and Blood & Betrayals.

Magic. Wealth. Beauty. Reputation.

Here, all of them amount to the one thing everyone Power.

Welcome to Arcadia Academy. Trust no one.

The day I’m attacked is the day I discover magic is real – and I have the power to wield it.

Two days after the incident, I receive an invitation to the graduate program at Arcadia Academy, an elite, mysterious school of magic hidden on an island somewhere off the coast of the Pacific Northwest. With the courage to finally leave behind the mundane life of responsibility I never asked for, I enroll at the prestigious institution, determined to find my place and prove myself.

Unfortunately, my goal isn’t as simple as it seems. New to the world of magic, years behind my classmates, and struggling to control my powers, I’m barely surviving – until the strict, enigmatic, and devastatingly handsome Professor Alaric Vale offers to tutor me. But the longer we spend together, the harder it becomes to deny the forbidden spark burning between us.

Furthermore, not everything is as it seems at Arcadia Academy, with its crawling ivy, ancient stone buildings, and dense forests shrouded in fog. Everyone has secrets to hide, some darker than others. Darker still are the strange plant aberrations occurring in the depths of the forest – ones seemingly related to Professor Vale’s suspicious top-secret research.

When my personal investigations lead to me becoming the talk of campus as a primary suspect in another student’s death, I’m forced to prove my innocence, all while learning to control my magic, concealing the secrets I share with Professor Vale, and uncovering a shocking mystery related to my own past.

Content Warning: death

World Building: Vivian is invited to attend Arcadia Academy where she finds out magic is real and she has it. She has plant powers. The academy is on an island and students of different species and magic attend the school, and though Vivian is a Freshman because she just learned about magic, she is a graduate student as well. Vivian has always been a caretaker of her sibling so she’s never really had time to herself but at the academy she learns to make friends, and even go to a party or two – but then she finds out her dad (who died before she could meet him) went to that academy and learns that not all is as it seems on campus. But for the first 20% of this book it is just world building and learning about the classes and academy.

Characters: I like Vivian, she’s a graduate student but has to learn the basics of magic. She has a difficult time controlling her magic so she takes the initiative to seek help for that. Living away from home is also a challenge, especially because her roommate is a grumpy vampire named Max. Vivian is a good student, a good person, and smart. She does make a few friends eventually but I would love to know more about them. Alaric is the hot professor on campus and he’s hiding a few secrets but he and Vivian are drawn to one another.

Romance: There is a student/professor romance in this one that I thought for the most part was pretty good. I wish there was a little more chemistry between them but maybe because it’s Alaric’s personality – he’s focused on academics and doesn’t display much emotion. There is spice and things are more interesting because of their status as student and professor, but there were some things I questioned about Alaric.

Story: This is a slow moving story, especially the first 25% where it’s world-building. I felt like most of the story in the was about Vivian going to school, being in class, and making friends and not much was happening. Even after finishing it I thought the mystery about what Alaric is studying and keeping secret is way too vague. He just tells Vivian he can’t tell her for sake of her safety but I wanted to know something, just even a crumb of information to keep me interested. After Vivian starts settling into campus life she does take on the mystery of her father being a student once at the academy and she tries to do an investigation but again, it really doesn’t go anywhere. This story is easy to read and it is atmospheric – it definitely gives the dark academia vibes, something sinister is happening but we just have no clue as to what – which was the frustrating part for me. Also, the names Clarissa and Callista had me confused in one scene because she talked to these girls one after the other and I had to re-read that section. 😅

Final Thoughts:

If you like dark academia you will enjoy this one, but for me, I just needed a little more from it. It’s almost got a cozy vibe to it but all the dark academia elements are there also, which I enjoyed. I wanted more information about Vivian’s dad and Alaric’s research but since this is a series, it’s probably being drawn out. Even though I found some parts of this to be too slow for me, I did like how it was easy to read, and love the new friend group for Vivian. The romance was spicy and enticing because of the forbidden aspect of student and professor but even with their relationship I wanted a little more chemistry – but maybe it’s just Alaric’s personality. Overall, a solid start to a series.

Read if you like:

dark academia
mystery
student/professor romance

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Prince of Swords by. Elise Kova | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Prince of Swords by. Elise Kova (Arcana Academy, #2))

Author: Elise Kova

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 560

Publication Date: 7/21/26

Publisher: Del Rey

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Tarot Magic, 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!

Welcome back to Arcana Academy. Tarot magic, forbidden desire, battle, and betrayal collide for the power to change the world in the thrilling second book of this New York Times bestselling fantasy romance series.

I am terrified. Yet my heart skips a beat. This man might be a monster, but he is my monster.

Clara Graysword is Oricalis’s most wanted. Hunted and cornered, not even her mastery of tarot can save her this time . . . until the mysterious Worldkeepers appear. This secretive order may hold the key to changing Clara’s fate. If she dares to trust them.

But the most dangerous alliance of all is one she’s already deeply ensnared Prince Kaelis.

Kaelis, second-born prince of Oricalis and headmaster of Arcana Academy, is the one man she can’t escape—maybe she doesn’t want to escape. Ruthless, dangerous, and bound to Clara by destiny and desire, Kaelis tests her heart as much as her loyalty. Together, they grow closer to the most powerful secrets of the tarot . . . and to the truths they both hide that could destroy the passion that they no longer deny.

Hidden in plain sight within Arcana Academy, Clara walks the dagger’s edge. Revelations about Oricalis threaten everything she thought she knew, and every choice she makes is the difference between salvation and ruin.

To change the world, Clara must risk everything—her power, her beliefs, and her heart.

Content Warning: violence, death

World Building: Back in the world of Arcana Academy, Clara is being hunted. We’re taken back to the prison and back to the academy, but this time Clara is trying to not get caught and she is willing to do anything to accomplish her goals of inking the World card and helping her sister Arina. Also instead of learning the tarot card magic, we see it being used more in fighting scenes and even some spicy scenes.

Characters: Clara is going through some tough things in this sequel – mostly, she’s trying to stop being super stubborn about accepting help. I do sympathize with her and understand why she didn’t trust anyone though – every someone helped her they ended up losing their lives. She goes through lots of loss in this book, and mistrust, but she does start to accept more help at the end. Kaelis is even more mysterious and dangerous in this book – there was this never ending nagging feeling inside me that I couldn’t trust him. It made me nervous for the whole plans of remaking the world! The secondary characters are great and add so much to the story but this book is a heartbreaker when it comes to some characters like Arina, Clara’s sister and others. My heart was broken more than once!

Romance: The romance is a roller coaster of emotions! There is mistrust and secrets between Clara and Kaelis, but they are forever drawn to one another. We learn more as to why that is, but oh my…the confessions between them about their feelings was making me squeal! There is spice, there is angst and so much yearning, and then there is the ending of this book which I will not spoil but made me need book three, ASAP.

Story: The story picks up right away from book one, I will say I felt like the pacing was a little up and down. It starts off with action, but when things settle and Clara has to learn who to avoid getting plus trying to figure out how to draw the World card – things do slow down. I still felt like it was a quick read despite the middle slow down and then the last half of the book? Amazing – I felt like I was racing to the end with a few plot twists revealing themselves and leaving me shocked.

Vibes: tarot magic, yearning, secrets

Final Thoughts:

What a sequel and though the middle does feel like it slows down a little, this story finishes off with a cliffhanger that has me needing to read book three asap. I love the twists and turns. There is growth in Clara – she goes through so much and though at times I didn’t agree with some of her choices, her intentions are good, and there is so much riding on her from every angle. The romance had me in my feelings – Kaelis was really something in this book, he reveals more of himself than I expected by the end of this book and it makes me so curious to see what will happen at the end of this series. I felt like this story was an emotional rollercoaster and I can’t wait to continue the series.

Read if you like:

tarot magic
secrets
found family
romance – yearning, angst

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Dragon Cursed by. Elise Kova | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Arcana Academy by. Elise Kova | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Duel with the Vampire Lord by. Elise Kova | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A Dance with the Fae Prince (Married to Magic #2) by. Elise Kova| Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A Deal with the Elf King | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

To Drown a Witch by. Lindsey Olsson | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: To Drown a Witch (#1)

Author: Lindsey Olsson

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 7/14/26

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

Categories: Upper YA, Mystery, Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Paranormal, Witches, 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!

A criminal and a royal guard are drawn into the hunt for a dangerous witch—and an unexpected romance—in this YA enemies-to-lovers romantasy, perfect for fans of Heartless Hunter.

In Orlonea, the Witch is feared above all else. Reborn into each generation, she is the only person with magic running innately through her veins, able to wield magic with a single thought.

So when guards across the city begin to drop dead, gruesomely murdered by violent and vicious magic, everyone knows the Witch has returned—and no one will be safe until she’s killed.

Toran is the Prince’s Crown, the most highly skilled fighter in the King’s Guard. Tasked with the responsibility of leading the hunt for the Witch, Toran tries to focus on his assignment to forget the ghosts of his past. And after he learns of Nes, a thief with an uncanny ability to sniff out magic, he forcibly recruits her into joining his hunt.

As the two face deadly magic and otherworldly threats, their mutual dislike soon turns to something more electric, and they find themselves drawn to each other in ways they’d never imagined. But the Witch is always a step ahead of them, and with bodies piling up, secrets threaten to come to light—secrets that could destroy everything from the fragile trust between them to the very city of Orlonea itself.

Content Warning: violence, death, drowning, alcoholism

World Building: The Witch is feared and there is a constant search for her – even though some girls and women are accused of being the witch and die because of it. Toran is the King’s Crown (the Prince’s protector and guard), and the king gives him a mission to bring the Witch to him – alive. But Toran doesn’t want to fail again so he asks Nes to help him. There are different kingdoms but this is set in Orlonea, there are royals, there is poverty, and a place called the Ditch where Nes has been living. The Ditch has someone who runs the streets named Phineas, he’s a crime lord and Nes used to work for him. There is magic in this world, and a drink that can give people powers but it is addictive and illegal.

Characters: Nes is someone from the Ditch and worked for Phineas, she also has a little bit of a mysterious past and she’s morally grey. We know her father is in the prison and her main goal is to get him out. She can also sense magic. Toran has connections to the King so he asks Nes for help to catch the Witch in exchange he will free her father. There are some other interesting characters like Genna, Suri, Quint and of course Phineas. There is mention of the Prince, but he doesn’t really appear in the story.

Romance: Well the romance was not what I expected – I was going along with it, I liked it a lot, Nes, the girl from the Ditch who got her hands dirty and Toran, the King’s Crown, who failed a mission and has a broken heart – I was rooting for these two. I thought they were cute together…and then the plot twist. And I have never loved a MMC and then hated him so fast in my life (I think 😅). One minute I was like aww…the next I was like WHAT?! But I loved the ending and cannot wait to see what happens in book two. This is promoted as young adult, but it is upper young adult because there is a spicy scene but it is not graphic.

Story: I was very surprised that the mystery part of this story kept me in it – usually I find mysteries slow. But I liked learning about this world where they hunt and fear the Witch. I like learning about Toran who has a past but that ending really messed with me. I didn’t expect the cat and mouse game that came in the second half, it hooked me. I had some suspicions about who could be the Witch, and I like how the story misdirected me a few times. Now, throughout the book we get some information, sometimes barely information (for example about the Prince who is mentioned but never seen) – I kept wondering and wanting to know more about these things to piece the puzzle together. So in book two I hope they will explain so much more about the Witch, her background, Toran and his past, the Prince and even the place where Toran failed his mission, Aeos, because all of these things factor in somehow to tie it all together, but since it’s book one we don’t have the full picture.

Final Thoughts:

I went into this enjoying the mystery of the first half, which is surprising since mysteries for me can feel slow but I was really getting invested into Nes and Toran’s story. Then the second half of this book had twists and turns, that had me rushing to the cliffhanger ending. There is so much more to learn about this world, and a lot of be explained, so I will be eagerly waiting for book two!

Read if you like:

mystery
twist and turns
witches

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

WWW Wednesday | 7/15/26

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?

I had the busiest week and weekend because of my son’s bar mitzvah and yay it’s done! My in laws are still here, they leave Friday so we are still spending time with them. But my kids go back to school in 3 weeks so I need to get things in order! It just never ends does it? 😅 I am finally getting back to reading, reviewing and posting!

What are you currently reading?

The False Vow by. Lydia Gregovic – (arc) 20% – finally back to reading this one and have more progress

Because I Killed Him by. Erin Birde – 5% – no progress

The Anatomy of Magic by. Alexis L. Menard – 5%

The Serpent’s Throne by. Kathryn Ann Kingsley – 54%

An Arcane Education by. Lyla Andrews – arc – 20%

Song For Another Home by. Bora Lee Reed – arc – 3%

Night Witch by. Jaymin Eve

What have you just finished reading?

Ravenous by. Kresley Cole – alc & arc – 2.5 stars/ 3 🌶️

Forsaking Midnight by. Emily McIntire – alc – 3.5 stars/ 2 🌶️

Vows of Blood and Deception by. Aria Ashbrook – 3.5 stars/ 2 🌶️

To Drown a Witch by. Lindsey Olsson – arc – 4 stars/ 2 🌶️

What are you going to read next?

Prophecy & Power by. Amy Yorke

Nest of Tongues by. Randy Ribay

Want Me, Take Me, Haunt Me, Make Me by. Isabel Crowley

These Vile Hearts by. Melody Robinette

Bonfire & Bliss Bookstore by. Brittanee Nicole

Prince of the Sun by. Emma Noyes

What are YOU reading right now?

Unbound by. Penelope Bloom | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Unbound (Confluence Academy, #1)

Author: Penelope Bloom

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 592

Publication Date: 7/21/26 (first published: 5/27/26)

Publisher: Forever

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

Nineteen-year-old Nessa Thorne expects death when she volunteers for Empire’s selection. Instead, she’s thrust into Confluence Academy, where students harness elemental magic and bond powerful beasts—from wolves to ancient dragons—forging themselves into the Empire’s most lethal weapons.

Students are branded by water, air, earth, or fire. But Nessa’s mark is different. A silver spiral—the mark of an unbound. It’s a power so dangerous her kind were hunted to extinction centuries ago—or so the Empire claims.

To survive, she must hide what she is in a castle that reeks of blood, where students kill each other for advantage and failing to tether an elemental means death.

Nessa’s greatest threat may be the only other volunteer—Raith Hollow, a powerful fire affinity whose scorching gaze follows her every move and whose secrets could topple kingdoms.

Alliances are forged in blood, enemies circle like vultures, and forbidden desires close in. Death once seemed like release from her tragic past. Now it’s not an option. She’ll embrace her terrible potential or watch everything she’s fought for burn.

At Confluence Academy, students leave as weapons… or they don’t leave at all.

Content Warning: violence, death

World Building: Set at Confluence Academy, this story had all the usual elements found in fantasy academia stories lately. There is a young woman, Nessa, with more powers than others but she has to keep it secret. An enemies to lovers develops between her and a guy who has fire elemental powers and secrets. But a lot of the story revolves around their training at the school plus people trying to team up and take Nessa out. There are also trials to pass, which involved a lot of dangerous situations.

Characters: Nessa is the girl with a tragic past and powers she needs to keep secret because people would want to get rid of her or use her. Raith is the hot, tough guy at the school who she has an enemies to lovers relationship with. He ends up being protective of her but he also has a secret. The secondary characters, Nessa’s new friends, were a fun group. I also Bastian, an air elemental, is a mystery – I can’t tell if he is there as a friend to Nessa or if he will be an enemy later on. I kind of needed more from his character. I did enjoy the beasts that people were tethered too, like Nessa’s beast is a dragon and he is sassy which I thought was funny.

Romance: The romance is a slow burn and it does lead to some steamy scenes but I did appreciate Nessa and Raith getting to know each other before acting on their desires. I feel like their bond grew stronger and stronger as the story moved along.

Story: First off, this story is too long. There were so many parts that could have been cut out because it was repetitive. I think the story has too many elements that are found in other romantasy stories set in an academy and not enough to make it stand out from the rest. It was predictable and I found myself skimming. It’s not anything new I’ve read before but even if it wasn’t new, I just wanted something a little different so it kept me interested. I was in and out of this story, wishing something more was happening and I did enjoy when there was action, or even more steam in the relationship – something to get me excited about what was happening. More of the plot reveals itself in the second half but I wish it hooked me from the beginning.

Final Thoughts:

I wanted more from some of the characters, and wish the story was shorter. I just couldn’t stay fully invested and found myself skimming some pages that felt repetitive. I did like the slow burn romance and the creatures that students were tethered to but overall this was just an okay read for me.

Read if you like:

war academy
trials
enemies to lovers romance

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Ruinous Ends by. I.V. Marie | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: Ruinous Ends (The Souls of Blackwood Academy, #2)

Author: I.V. Marie

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 480

Publication Date: 7/14/26

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dark Academia, Romance, Paranormal, Series, LGBT+

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!

The Decennial is over, but for the students of Blackwood Academy, the fight for the afterlife has just begun.

The infamous school was hiding more secrets—and lies—than any of the Decennial’s participants could have imagined. And there’s still so much that remains buried beneath its ancient foundations. Now the future of the academy, and all the souls within it, rests in the hands of six former pupils:
The charmer and the golden boy . . .
The traitor and the girl desperate to save her . . .
The Chosen One and the one who would choose her over and over again . . .

Any of them could be the hero the afterlife needs . . . or the villain who will destroy it for good. Because the truth is, Blackwood’s biggest secret has yet to come to light—and when it does, it will shake the institution to its core.

Content Warning: violence, death

This is the conclusion to The Souls of Blackwood Academy duology and we are back with the crew from book one, but this time they are separated. With them separated I didn’t feel like the found family trope was as strong as it was in book one. I think that’s why I wasn’t as into this book as I was into book one, I missed them all together. Also, because there are multiple POVs, I did find it hard to reconnect to these characters except for my favorites like Olivier and Emilio. But I did like how each little group was doing what they needed to do to save the afterlife.

There are a few romances going on – I love Olivier and Emilio still, they are sweet together. August and Wren have the romance that is full of angst and yearning, August will do anything for Wren which was admirable. Masika is still pining for Catherine, but they can’t work that out until near the end.

I felt like the beginning was a bit slow but things in the second half of the book really picks up with some twists and turns.

Final Thoughts:

For me, I thought it was a solid ending, but the first half was slower than the second half. I enjoyed the romances especially Olivier and Emilio’s. Overall, I think if you loved book one, you will love this conclusion.

Read if you like:

mulitiple POVs
multiple romances

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Immortal Consequences by. I.V. Marie | Book Review – 3.5 stars/1 🌶️

Dominion by. Jean Kwok | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Dominion (The Silk and Iron Trilogy, #1)

Author: Jean Kwok

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 7/14/26

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Categories: Romantasy, Series, Chinese Mythology

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

In a world divided into four rival Dominions, power is everything—and Rubi Morningtail has almost none. Three years after the Annihilation destroyed her homeland and shattered her memories, she lives as an Azure refugee in the Dominion of the Silver Tyger, scraping by as a ribbon dancer and hiding her little bit of singing magic. When she wounds a massive battle tyger on her doorstep, she draws the notice of Blake Axefire—supreme metal mage, leader of the royal tyger warriors, and the last man an Azure should trust. His sentence? Cast her into the Bonding, a brutal trial where tygers choose their riders and slaughter the rest. Surviving is unthinkable.

But survive she does. Now she’s stuck on Blake’s elite team racing to reseal the Anchors to the demon realm. With rebels striking, demons rising, and the Dominions at each other’s throats, Rubi must unlock the truth of her magic and her past…while resisting her dangerous attraction to the ruthless warrior who could be her redemption—or her ruin.

Content Warning: violence, death

World Building: I like a lot of things about this world. It is based on Chinese mythology, it has magic, and dominions with different elemental magic. Each dominion has lore and their own rulers. There is a traumatic event in the past that destroys one dominion and now everything is in chaos as the Serpent Lord is trying to surface and take over the world. There is also a prophecy – so yes there came a point in my reading where I thought there was a lot going on.

Characters: Rubi is a dancer, with amnesia. She loves her close friends like Edith and Quinn. But when a tyger from Silver Dominion comes into her life, her whole world changes. I did like her skill as a dancer and singer (that’s where her magic is) but her past is a mystery until the end. I did like that she had some fight in her. Blake is the Silver king’s Twin Blade, basically his second in command and soon to be heir. But Blake is put into the worst of positions when it comes to everything in his life, poor guy. For the most part I liked every character I met in this book, and I was suspicious of some, including Blake. I love Flame, who is Rubi’s tyger.

Romance: The romance was predictable, but I was still enjoying how Rubi and Blake fall for one another until things take an unexpected turn at the end. Which makes me curious about what will happen in book two! I loved their interactions and loved them together, even if it seemed they fell in love too fast – I had a theory about it, but the ending disproved my theory. I’m interested to see what the author does with this romance! I am conflicted because of what happened at the end of this book.

Story: I think this story starts off really strong. It’s easy to read, even though there is a lot of world-building but it’s written in a way it’s not hard to grasp. But things start to get out of control when too many things start happening and some things felt rushed. There is a big to do about an event called the Culling, where warriors will be selected to help repair the dominions to keep the Serpent Lord out – but the Culling wasn’t much of an event. It was anticlimactic, which was disappointing. I did love the ending where there was more action and reveals and twists. But I did read this book in two sittings, it was hard to put down. It’s fast paced, and I thought it was a fun read because of the tygers. The synopsis compares it to Fourth Wing and The Hunger Games, but I think it’s more comparable to Dire Bound.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a fun read and exactly what my brain needed at the moment – something easy to read and consume, not bogged down with heavy world-building. It has magic, interesting kingdoms (dominions), romance, spice and some secret reveals. It has found family and tygers that mind speak. I especially loved all the action at the end. But there were some things that felt rushed in the story, especially big events, which I wished was more focused on. I still liked it even with all the issues, because I kind of went into it not wanting to think so hard so I just went with whatever was happening. The ending kind of blind-sided me but that makes me just more eager to read book two and find out what will happen with Rubi.

Read if you like:

magic, tygers, demons
bonding, trials, pairing (mates)
romantasy

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

WWW Wednesday | 7/8/26

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?

I don’t know why I ended up reading everything else except the ones on my TBR. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I do blame Libby for making all my audiobooks available to borrow at the same time. 😅 Also for some reason, I was doing a 1000 piece puzzle to do something else with my brain and I got through 3 audiobooks while finishing the puzzle! So I did get through a lot of books because of it. I need to do more puzzles. 😂

This week is filled with family and my son’s Bar Mitzvah on Saturday so I am going to be busy and then…back to school shopping. 🫤

What are you currently reading?

The False Vow by. Lydia Gregovic – (arc) 20% – finally back to reading this one and have more progress

Because I Killed Him by. Erin Birde – 5%

To Drown a Witch by. Lindsey Olsson – arc – 3%

Forsaking Midnight by. Emily McIntire – alc – 10%

The Anatomy of Magic by. Alexis L. Menard – 5%

What have you just finished reading?

Queen of the Night Sky by. Amalie Howard – audiobook – 3.5 stars/ 4 🌶️

The Raven at the Ash Door by. K.A. Linde – audiobook – 3.5 stars/ 3 🌶️

Tides of Fortune by. Lauyn Hamilton Murray – arc – 3.5 stars

Dominion by. Jean Kwok – arc – 4 stars/ 2 🌶️

Us Deadly Few by. Alexis Patton – 3.5 stars/1.5 🌶️

The Someday Garden by. Ashley Poston – audiobook – 4 stars/1🌶️

A Bargain So Bloody by. Vasilia Drake – 3 stars

A Magic So Deadly by. Vasilia Drake – 4 stars/1 🌶️

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Prophecy & Power by. Amy Yorke

Night Witch by. Jaymin Eve

Vows of Blood and Deception by. Aria Ashbrook

Song For Another Home by. Bora Lee Reed

What are YOU reading right now?

Our Wicked Gifts by. Kathryn Foxfield | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Our Wicked Gifts

Author: Kathryn Foxfield

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 422

Publication Date: 7/7/26

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

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

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

Thank you to Random House Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The daughter of a sinister magical family who made a deal with the devil must stop the man killing them off, one by one, in this deliciously dark fantasy thriller that’s House of Hollow meets Succession, laced with a kiss-or-kill romance.

Cicely is the black sheep daughter of the powerful Winter family, who made a deal with the devil in exchange for riches and ruthless magic. Soren is the boy her family banished to the underworld. Their fates intertwine when Cicely’s loathsome Uncle Dorian winds up dead at a masquerade ball.

Once overlooked for her lowly gift of discovering secrets, Cicely is now her family’s only chance at survival, tasked with finding the killer before he takes out every last Winter. With time running out, Cicely narrows her sights on Soren, who she suspects is back for vengeance.

Yet the more Cicely investigates Soren–and gets to know him–the more she begins to question how much family loyalty is worth. After all, when it comes to being a Winter, one can have love or power, but rarely both…

Content Warning: violence, death

World Building: The story is set in a contemporary world but with some fantasy because of the magic and deal with the devil the Winter Family has made. There is also a place called the Ruin which is where their magic comes from or something to that effect and I likened it to hell or the underworld. The Winters are wealthy and powerful and they are trying to hold onto that power, no matter the cost.

Characters: I love the complicated characters in the Winter Family. Told through Cecily, we see every aspect of her flawed family. Her mother who is like the queen of their family, her siblings who are more favored in their mother’s eyes. Her uncle Dorian and his family add to the dysfunction as well – and all of them have some kind of magical power because of the deal with the devil their ancestor made. Then there is Soren, a boy that the family killed to keep a secret, but he isn’t quite dead yet and has come back to cause havoc to the Winter family. Cecily herself is someone who loves her family, wants badly for her mom to love her as much as she loves her siblings, but also realizes how wrong her family is for wielding their power the way they do – yet Cecily will do the same if need be. It made for a lot of drama – fun drama though!

Romance: Cecily is the only one who can go into the Ruin and come back out, so it’s not a surprise that the boy she is falling for is dead and part of the Ruin. Soren wants revenge on her family, and Cecily knows her family isn’t good and she’s trying to uncover all the secrets but there are some hard choices that have to be made where Soren is concerned. I feel like the ending left it open for a book two and I hope there is one so I can see if Cecily and Soren’s romance progresses.

Story: I was very into this story. The Winters are trying to stay the top dog but lately it hasn’t been easy with so many scandals brewing. Most of them are not good people, and when their power starts to crack and someone starts murdering members of the family, it leads to a search for who is trying to kill them. I enjoyed the different magic each family member had, I thought it was unique. I enjoyed the complicated relationship between all of them, how they kind of despise one another but it’s family over everything and everyone. I liked the mystery and the suspense! There were some moments in the middle where it slowed down a little but it does pick up again. There are a few twists and the ending feels like it’s setting up for a book two, which I hope is the case.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a fun young adult story with magic, so much family secrets and drama, a murder mystery and even a little romance. I hope there is a book two!

Read if you like:

rich family drama
magic

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Of Venom and Vengeance by. Mikayla Bridge | ARC and ALC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: Of Venom and Vengeance

Author: Mikayla Bridge

Format: eBook (NetGalley) and audiobook (NetGalley)

Pages: 432

Narrator: Safiyya Ingar

Listening Hours: approx. 11 hrs 54 min

Publication Date: 7/7/26

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) / Macmillan Young Listeners

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, LGBT+

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

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) / Macmillan Young Listeners for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A deliciously dark standalone set in the same world as the YA romantic fantasy Of Flame and Fury, where star-crossed enemies gamble with their hearts, empires, and the fate of a lost god.

On an island marred by pageantry and pain, power comes at an impossible price.

Inna is the perfect heiress to the Pallo crime poised, cunning, untouchable. Behind this glamorous facade, she hunts for the sinister truth of her sister’s death. Despite the cover-up she’s been led to believe, Inna can feel an enemy lurking in the shadows.

Rylan has sculpted himself into a talented thief for one retribution for his family, who were murdered by Inna’s mother. Armed with illusion magic, Rylan plans to steal an ancient riddle from the Pallo vault, one that leads to a sleeping god. Whoever wakes the Serpent King will be granted any wish they desire. Rylan means to claim this power, and with it, Inna’s ruin.

But when Inna catches Rylan sneaking past her family’s security, they enter into a perilous alliance that neither intends to keep —even as bitter attraction unravels into something more.

Though some hearts aren’t meant to be stolen, and love knows nothing of blood-red revenge.

Content Warning: violence

World Building: So I want to say when I picked this up – I actually thought this was book two of Of Flame and Fury which I loved! And so I was very confused when all this book was talking about was sprites, and harnessing their magic and the legend of the Serpent King. It was only when I looked at the synopsis again and this said it was a standalone in the same “world” as Of Flame and Fury that I had to stop my mind from searching and connecting to anything from that book. Honestly, this didn’t even feel like it was in the same world as the first book. Inna is a Pallo, a notorious crime family who is using the magic of sprites to conduct their business. Ryland, wants revenge on the Pallo’s for killing his. Eventually I thought the sprite magic was interesting (once I realized this was nothing like book one).

Characters: Inna is the daughter of a powerful woman, and went through something traumatic, and she lost her sister Erika. Now she is determined to find out more about who killed her. Celesse is her guard/best-friend/and ex-girlfriend. The two of them have a very complicated relationship which gets even worse when Ryland enters the picture. Ryland wants to take down Inna’s family but first he needs her help to find information on how to find the Serpent King. Another important character is, Fernan, Inna’s uncle who might be conducting some shady business.

Romance: Inna and Celesse used to be lovers and now things are complicated but Celesse is very much still in her life – so I felt like it took some time to really believe Inna had feelings for Ryland. I don’t think I was focused as much on the romance though than I was in Inna’s family dynamics and everything else going on in the story.

Story: Once I realized this was a whole different story than what I was expecting, I had to resettle and get into this story about Inna and her family, sprite magic, and Ryland wanting revenge. And I did get into it during the second half of the book. I enjoyed the complicated relationships, the heist and the betrayals. I know the synopsis said this was a standalone, but I feel like that ending is left open to more adventure? I guess we will see.

Narrator(s): The narrator did a great job voicing all the characters.

Final Thoughts:

My reading experience would have been better if I realized this was a totally separate story from Of Flame and Fury. But once I realized my mistake I started to enjoy the story much more. It does mean though that if you haven’t read Of Flame and Fury, you won’t feel lost picking this up, which is a good thing! I did enjoy Inna and Ryland and how they were enemies then reluctant allies. I liked all the family drama and betrayals too. The sprite magic was very interesting too so I look forward to see what this author writes next.

Read if you like: