Winterveil by. Ava Reid | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Winterveil

Author: Ava Reid

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 9/15/26

Publisher: HarperCollins

Categories: Dystopian, Cold War, Dark Academia, Sci-Fi, Young Adult, LGBT+, 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 HarperCollins for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

There is no application process for Valeran Academy, but it boasts the brightest – and precociously criminal – students in the nation.

A disgraced politician from a powerful American dynasty.

A coldly brilliant strategist who will sacrifice anything to win.

A former pageant queen with a talent that could change the world.

A prodigious female soldier with an enigmatic past – and a dangerous secret.

With eerie war simulations, cutthroat competitions and foreboding new technology, Valeran trains its students to be elite assets in a Cold War that has dragged on for nearly a century. But as a sinister conspiracy takes shape and these four are drawn together for a mysterious mission, their loyalties are tested, their convictions shaken and they all begin to are they ushering in a new era of freedom, or tyranny?

Content Warning: violence, death, sexual harassment/assault, mentions of abusive parent

Set in 2037, the Cold War, with Russia (USSR) is still going on and USA is still trying find ways to win the war. Already I had to suspend my belief a lot, so I was wary about this book and didn’t think i would like it. But to my surprise, I could not put it down.

I like the different teenagers that are assembled at Valeran Academy to supposedly help end this war. They are misfits, some of them are criminals of a different variety, which made things very interesting. The main four characters are Nadiya, Giselle, Klaudia and Julian. They are all flawed which I enjoyed. I got attached to the three girls because they had fascinating backgrounds and skills. I loved Nadiya and Giselle’s growing relationship and I was drawn to Klaudia and her ice princess personality. Julian was at times detestable and I don’t know if that was on purpose but I don’t know that he can redeem himself in my eyes in the sequel. But I did like his rivalry with Klaudia.

Valeran Academy is a secret institute training the best of minds to help with the war efforts and they train students through simulations. They have other classes to round out their education but the simulations are what will ultimately help them with their missions. The kids are vying for top rankings so they can get a good job after graduation maybe with the CIA or other government sectors but the competition is fierce.

There were some instances that made me feel uncomfortable in the story, but I’ve noticed with the two books I’ve read from this author, that this is a common feeling while reading her books. It can get dark, for example there are teachers being inappropriate with the students. Or Julian and some of his thoughts about Klaudia, especially during a certain scene. It definitely gave the tone that Valeran Academy and the people that run it, though it is all for protecting the USA, have some sinister motives. Also, some of the aspects about the simulations did go over my head because we are in it with them, it seems so real, and I still don’t know how Giselle can do what she does – she doesn’t either so I’m hoping it will be explained more in book two.

Despite that, I flew through this book because of Klaudia and her intelligence, Nadiya and her protectiveness and Giselle with her rare skill or powers (not sure yet). I like the high stakes and puzzles as this team has to figure out their mission.

Final Thoughts:

This was a quick read for me, I really liked the pacing. And although I didn’t care much about the Cold War and what the government was doing to end it, I cared a lot about the characters especially Nadiya, Giselle and Klaudia. I think they are what made the book so enjoyable. They are complex and I admired their intelligence and what they brought to the table. They had different traumas, and fascinating backgrounds. Okay, I guess Julian is a part of the team with his charm, but there are things about him I just don’t like. The only part I did like about him was his rivalry with Klaudia. The story has high stakes, fierce competition, and some betrayal. I’ll definitely be reading book two to see how the story progresses!

Read if you like:

dystopian
dark academia
complex characters

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

A Theory of Dreaming by. Ava Reid | ARC Review – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A Study in Drowning by. Ava Reid | Book Review – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Merry Life by. Sarah Branson | Audiobook

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: A Merry Life (Pirates of New Earth, #1)

Author: Sarah Branson

Narrator(s): Helen Laser

Format: audiobook (audible)

Pages: 328 Listening Time: approximately 8 hours 13 min

Publication Date: 4/9/22

Publisher: Sarah Branson

Categories: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Dystopian, Series

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

Thank you to Sarah Branson for giving me a chance to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

Kat Wallace is on a mission. After escaping tortuous enslavement, she sets her sights on ending the human trafficking that has flourished in 24th century Earth.

Adopted by the leader of the pirate nation of Bosch, Kat Wallace is determined to prove herself as a member of the Bosch Pirate Force and use her skills to avenge her enslavement and free other thralls.

But unexpected love and a test of loyalty threaten to rob her of what she wants a home.

Content Warning: mention of -grooming, sexual assault, rape, abuse; slavery, violence, death

I was asked to read and review this book and was gifted the audiobook on Audible. The narrator’s voice was great and really drew me into the story! I don’t usually read sci-fi/fantasy, and I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this one but I was interested in the FMC, Kat Wallace, right away. Just from the beginning chapters alone you know she’s a survivor and she’s going to have one amazing story – and I was right. The world building about this futuristic Earth is very fascinating.

Kat is a thrall, a slave, and she’s trying to escape when Teddy, the leader of the pirate nation of Bosch, saves her and takes her home. She basically becomes his adopted daughter and what a relationship they have from start to the emotional finish.

I was really invested in Kat’s life from being new in Bosch, getting to know Teddy’s family, becoming strong and knowledgable with the goal of taking down the man who owned her and assaulted her. With Teddy’s guidance, his family (her new family), new friends and even a new love life – Kat becomes an amazing woman. Though she doesn’t quite carry out her revenge, I think that’s why this is a series and hopefully I can get around to reading the other books to see what happens next.

Now there were some time jumps that felt kind of quick in the story. Like one day she’s a trainee and next she’s on a mission and it’s almost a year later and these time jumps were jarring. The romance in her life happens fast too – despite her having trauma in her past. Also…maybe this gets brought up more in the next books but Teddy’s operation of selling glitter (a drug), is concerning and Kat brings it up – it’s not okay and she wants to change that but later on seems to accept it as is – but I hope in the next books, she ends this glitter trade. Another thing I would have loved was more pirating in the story.

Final Thoughts:

If you like sci-fi, fantasy and dystopian stories, I think this would appeal to you. I loved the narrator and though it feels like the book just follows Kat’s very interesting life, it glosses over some things that I wish we had more time with like the romance, and the pirating. The world building is great and I didn’t expect the emotional ending. I’m hoping in the next books in the series, Kat gets her revenge though!

Read if you like:

sci-fi/dystopian
space pirates
strong FMC

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Bloody and the Damned by. Becca Coffindaffer| ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Bloody and the Damned

Author: Becca Coffindaffer

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 4/7/26

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Categories: Young Adult, Dystopian, Sci-Fi, 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 Roaring Brook Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

An assassin with outlawed, magical abilities will do anything to get their kidnapped sisters back in this dystopic-fantasy standalone, perfect for fans of Arcane and Iron Widow.

Mercy has no place here.

On Trinity, a metal world where the privileged live in the skies and the rest fight for water below, you do what you can to survive.

18-year-old Val knows this better than anyone. They’ve sacrificed everything to provide for their younger sisters. Using their outlawed teleportation powers, they’ve become the most infamous assassin-for-hire on Trinity, known as the Butcher.

No one should be able to trace the Butcher to Val. But when things go horribly wrong on a routine mission and Val’s sisters are kidnapped by a gang in retaliation, it means that someone has to know the truth.

Desperate and friendless, Val has no one to turn to but their ex-childhood best friend turned vigilante thief. He broke their heart, but he owes them.

But as Val fights for the return of their sisters, they start to realize there might be something much bigger at play… something that could upend everything they’ve ever known about Trinity.

Val’s journey will take them from a maximum security prison transport to the headquarters of the most powerful gang on Trinity, and all the way to the Gate of Heaven. Each more heavily guarded than the last.

Good thing the Butcher has never blinked at an extra casualty.

Content Warning: violence, death, kidnapping

World Building: The world in this story is very interesting, it’s called Trinity and it’s a metal world, very dry as people fight for water. A lot of the characters rep LGBT+ which was nice. Would have loved more world building to get a better sense of the world.

Characters: Val is the Butcher. They have the power to phase, which is move very fast – it makes their job as a killer, really easy. But when their sister’s are kidnapped, they need help to get them back. Val reunites with their ex-best friend, Orion, who deals in information. Other people round out their crew like Dani, who was their friend that betrayed them. There is also Atlas and Liren and I think this was my favorite part of the story, the found family between these people – who help Val get their sisters back.

Story: I don’t think I was the right audience for a book. For some reason, though I was invested in Val as a character because they are pretty bad-ass, I think maybe I needed more world-building. It goes straight into Val’s job as the Butcher and then their sister’s being kidnapped, so the story is taken up by the mission. There is a lot of action. Val needs to learn how not to do everything by themself and accept the help from the friends around them. But they are a tough character, so it takes them a while to let others in.

Final Thoughts:

Even though I wasn’t the target audience for this book, I think YA dystopian/sci-fi fans will find this one intriguing. I loved Val as a character, even though they were a tough person to crack. The world is very fascinating, but my favorite part was the found family.

Read if you like:

dystopian/sci-fi world
found family

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends by. Kylie Lee Baker | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends

Author: Kylie Lee Baker

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 304

Publication Date: 11/18/25

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Time Travel, Dragon Descendants

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

A teen descendant of a Japanese dragon god must team up with a cute rogue agent to subvert a corrupt time travel organization and find out the truth of what happened to her missing sister in acclaimed author Kylie Lee Baker’s magical new YA romance, I’ll Find You Where the Timeline Ends.

When you’re ready, come find me. I will keep you safe. -Hana

Descended from a Japanese dragon god, Yang Mina was born with the power to travel through time, and has spent her life training to take her place in the Descendants, a secret organization whose purpose is to protect the timeline. Then Mina’s world is uprooted when she moves to Seoul and finds a note from her sister–a sister who no one remembers, as if she had been erased. The only people who could have made her sister vanish so completely are part of the very agency that she’s been working so hard to join. So now Mina has a new mission, infiltrate the agency as quickly as possible to find her lost sister.

And, as if things weren’t complicated enough, a strikingly handsome rogue agent has determined that Mina is the only person who can help him put an end to the Descendants’ corruption. Placed in an impossible situation, Mina must decide how much she’s willing to risk to find the truth.

Content Warning: violence

+ I am a big fan of this author and this is very different than the fantasy and horror stories I’ve read from her. I loved how this story was set in South Korea and but also tied in Japanese mythology.

~ It was very hard to get into this book. I was confused because it is set in a contemporary time period but there is time travel and I got confused, a lot. Mina is descended from a dragon and she’s training to be an agent that fixes the timeline. I felt like I understood more as the story went on but for the first half of the story, I was just confused about what they do as timeline fixers.

+ I thought the romance was cute! It definitely felt like a teen k-drama. Mina meets another “agent” and they spend some together, which I thought was fun. There is a twist at the end of the story that I did enjoy. The romance was my favorite part of this story, but would have loved a lot more time for it to develop though.

~ Mina’s assignment is to get close to a guy named Jihoon and he was such a nice guy. I just wish she didn’t have to fake things to accomplish her assignment. He was innocent but it showed how devious parts of her job. I do wish there was more explanation about why this agency was created to fix the timeline and why it needed fixing.

Final Thoughts:

If my head could follow the time travel and the timeline situation better then I might have enjoyed this way more. I did push through the beginning and did enjoy the romance and the twist. I loved the K-drama vibes of the whole book and honestly love to see how this author is branching out into other genres.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by. Kylie Lee Baker | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Blood Orchid by. Kylie Lee Baker | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Scarlet Alchemist by. Kylie Lee Baker | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

BLOG TOUR} The Empress of Time by. Kylie Lee Baker | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

BLOG TOUR } The Keeper of Night by. Kylie Lee Baker | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Moth Dark by. Kika Hatzopoulou | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: Moth Dark

Author: Kika Hatzopoulou

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 10/28/25

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

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Dystopian, Sci-fi, Romance, Young Adult, 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 G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

From the bestselling author of Threads that Bind and Hearts that Cut comes a brand-new compulsive romantasy about a girl obsessed with the dark and the shadowy magical prince she falls in love with, perfect for fans of Holly Black and Laini Taylor.

The dark has come alive . . .

Six years ago, vicious creatures began to crawl out of the dark crevices of the world, and with it Sascia’s fascination with the darkness was born. Now eighteen, that fascination has become an obsession, and while exploring an area known for its connection to the Darkworld, Sascia sees a person climb out of the darkness. But Nugau is no ordinary person, they’re a genderfluid elf prince with one mission . . . to kill Sascia.

Except, the second time they meet, Nugau is younger and doesn’t recognise Sascia. And the third time, Nugau stumbles out of the darkness with poison running through their veins, expressing their undying love for her.

Piecing together the puzzle, Sascia makes two shocking the timelines of her world and Nugau’s are not linear, and she is inexplicably enmeshed in a war between humanity and elves. But with their worlds at battle, is it worth fighting for each other . . . ?

Content Warning: violence

+ I was captivated by this book cover and the premise sounded good so I requested it . I’m glad I did because this was such a fascinating story set in a dystopian world who has seen a phenomenon of dark spots growing. Scacia is from New York City and has an internship working with a company that is studying all things from the Dark. But clearly Scacia has a connection to it more so than other people and even she is curious as to why that is. I loved the secondary characters who were the other kids she was doing research him and her cousin Danny who is her bestie. And also Mooch – a creature that is always helping her!

+ The story is told in present time but flashbacks to moments in Scacia’s past where she encountered the Dark. I don’t usually like flashbacks, but I think it worked in this one because it’s a fast-moving story.

+ I found the Dark so fascinating. I love the world building. We learn about the types of plants, animals and creatures that live in the Dark. These creatures come through these Dark spots or portals and now a war is brewing between them and the humans. Scacia’s job is to stop this war. There are a few trials she has to get through in the Dark though and that’s where all the action comes in.

+ The romance is supposed to be enemies to lovers but we find out there has been different timelines where Scacia’s has met the elf prince, and in different forms too. The Dark is home to a people that are gender fluid and I loved how Nugau changed on a whim, according to how they were feeling. The romance between them, even though it started with some animosity on Nugau’s part, was lovely.

~ It is a fast moving story and a standalone but at times I wish there was more time spent in the Dark. I felt like the trials happened so quick, I wanted more suspense.

~ Also, I’m bad at following jumping timelines. And in this story it explores a knotted timeline.

Final Thoughts:

I loved the creativity of this story and the gender fluidity of the humanoid creatures (or elves). This story had a combination of dystopian, fantasy, and sci-fi which worked so well together! It has action, romance, family themes, and I enjoyed it a lot.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A Monsoon Rising by. Thea Guazon | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Monsoon Rising (The Hurricane Wars, #2)

Author: Thea Guanzon

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 12/10/24

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Categories: New Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, 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 Harper Voyager for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Two hearts circle each other in the eye of the storm in this highly-anticipated follow-up to The Hurricane Wars—prepare for more enemies-to-lovers romance, magical adventures, and political schemes in this Southeast Asian-inspired world.

After a lifetime of war, Alaric and Talasyn were thrust into an alliance between their homelands that was supposed to end the fighting; however, being married to their sworn foe feels far from peaceful. Now Talasyn must play the part of Alaric’s willing empress while her allies secretly plot to overthrow his reign. But the longer the couple are forced together, the harder it becomes to deny the feelings crackling like lightning between them. When the time comes to act, can she trust him, or must she ignore her heart for the sake of so many others?

As the master of the Shadowforged Legion, Alaric has trained for battle all his life, but marrying a Lightweaver might be his most dangerous challenge yet. With tensions between nations churning, he needs to focus on the greater threat—the Moonless Dark, a cataclysmic magical event that could devour everything. Only he and Talasyn can stop it, with a powerful merging of light and shadow that they alone can create together. But saving their world from this disaster is a mere preface to his father’s more sinister schemes, and his wife is a burning flame in the darkness, tempting both his loyalties and his desires.

The Hurricane Wars aren’t over. It’s time to choose what—and who—to fight for. The world holds its breath amidst a whirlwind of new magic and old secrets that could change everything.

Content Warning: death, violence, war

I enjoyed the first book in this series called The Hurricane Wars. I wasn’t sure what would happen in book two but here are my thoughts:

Likes:

All my stars for this book is for the romance. Oh my, their marriage of convenience has them bickering, and then the slow burn turns into an actual inferno that ignites between them. It’s my favorite part of the whole book, Talasyn and Alaric and their spicy scenes! I think I love them so much because even when their in the throes of passion, Talasyn tries to still take the upper-hand and I think it’s so funny to see how Alaric reacts. They are definitely falling for one another but fighting it so hard.
As for the story around the romance, it is such a tricky situation for both. It’s truly an enemies to lovers romance because they both are in it for their own country but they will have to make a choice – they can’t always be enemies, can they? This fighting can’t keep going on especially since what’s happening to Talasyn and Alaric is going to complicate things.
It’s such a mix of fantasy and sci-fi but so far I think it works to make it a very unique world.
We get to see more of Alaric’s relationship with his evil father. His father is a horrible man so it will be interesting to see how Alaric breaks free of him.

Dislikes:

Honestly, I was so invested in Talasyn and Alaric’s romance that I felt like everything else took a back seat, which I didn’t mind but I can’t tell you much about what’s happening plot-wise to the story. I was always rushing a chapter to see if Talasyn and Alaric were in it. But there is a choice the both of them have to make.

My Thoughts:

I didn’t expect all the spice in this book but I loved it! Talasyn and Alaric together are so fun because she’s a spitfire and he calls her on it but adores that about her. They are such opposites. Now we just have to see them accept that they are falling for one another. As for the story, it will be interesting to see how Alaric deals with his father’s influence on his life. I’m so looking forward to book three!

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Book Links:

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The Hurricane Wars by. Thea Guanzon | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A Magic Fierce & Bright by. Hemant Nayak | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: A Magic Fierce & Bright

Author: Hemant Nayak

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 7/9/24

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Magic, Dystopian

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

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

A young technomancer teams up with a handsome thief to save her sister in this propulsive, magic-filled young adult fantasy that is perfect for fans of Gearbreakers and Iron Widow .

Adya wants nothing more than to be left alone. Content to be loyal to no one but herself in the isolated jungles of South India, she dreams only of finding her lost sister, Priya, and making enough money to take care of their family. It’s too bad that her rare ability to wake electric machines—using the magic that wiped them out five centuries ago—also makes her a coveted political pawn. Everyone seems to believe that her technomancy can help them win the endless war for control over the magic’s supernatural source.

These senseless power struggles mean little to Adya. But when her enemies dangle news of her sister before her, she’s all too quick to leap at the chance to bring Priya home—even if it means teaming up with a rakish, disreputable thief in order to do it. With the threat of invasion looming ever larger on the horizon, Adya must reconcile the kind of person she is with the kind of person she wants to be and untangle the web of intrigue, conspiracy, and deceit that threatens to take all of India down with it.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ The world building in this one is very unique. It’s a mixture of sci-fi and fantasy, in India. There is technomancy which is about magic and machines, which I thought was neat but maybe a better explanation of how this world came to be would have been helpful.

+ Adya is the main character and she’s gifted with technomancy. And she’s really connected to her sentient Yamaha motorbike, it’s like a friend to her which I thought was cool. I’d say she is very brave and loves her family. Her family is gone, except for her brother and maybe a sister, who she hasn’t given up hope on finding. Dsouza is her rival but we learn he’s more than a thief or renegade or whatever dangerous guy he’s portraying. I’d say there is some rivalry flirting going on between them but it’s not a focus at all. I think the two of them were fun together.

+ This story has a lot of action and violence that I wasn’t expecting. I think it made the story move fast. There was mention of Indian mythological creatures like the naga, drongo and yaksha.

~ The reader gets thrown into the story which made it hard to get my bearings at first. I would have liked more history about this world and what happened. I could grasp that Britain was trying to invade India but I don’t know why and at first I thought this was taking place in the past but then realized it was in the future since they had modern things.

~ Would have loved to connect more to the characters.

My Thoughts:

I thought this was an interesting and unique story because of the technomancy and sentient motorbike. Adya is an interesting character who can make machines magical. The Indian mythology added a lot to the story to make it more fascinating. I do feel like I didn’t quite connect to the characters but the story did move fast because it had so much action, sometimes very brutal. I think if you are into India, rebellion, sci-fi, magic and dystopia, this one may interest you.

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Book Links:

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Immortal Longings by. Chloe Gong | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Immortal Longings (Flesh and False Gods, #1)

Author: Chloe Gong

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 7/18/23

Publisher: Gallery/Saga Press

Categories: Adult Fiction, Shakespeare Retelling, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance

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

Thank you to Gallery/Saga Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

#1 New York Times bestselling YA author Chloe Gong’s adult epic fantasy debut, inspired by Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra , is a fiery collision of power plays, spilled blood, and romance amidst a set of deadly games.

Every year, thousands in the kingdom of Talin will flock to its capital twin cities, San-Er, where the palace hosts a set of games. For those confident enough in their ability to jump between bodies, competitors across San-Er fight to the death to win unimaginable riches.

Princess Calla Tuoleimi lurks in hiding. Five years ago, a massacre killed her parents and left the palace of Er empty…and she was the one who did it. Before King Kasa’s forces in San can catch her, she plans to finish the job and bring down the monarchy. Her reclusive uncle always greets the victor of the games, so if she wins, she gets her opportunity at last to kill him.

Enter Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat. His childhood love has lain in a coma since they were both ousted from the palace, and he’s deep in debt trying to keep her alive. Thankfully, he’s one of the best jumpers in the kingdom, flitting from body to body at will. His last chance at saving her is entering the games and winning.

Calla finds both an unexpected alliance with Anton and help from King Kasa’s adopted son, August, who wants to mend Talin’s ills. But the three of them have very different goals, even as Calla and Anton’s partnership spirals into something all-consuming. Before the games close, Calla must decide what she’s playing for—her lover or her kingdom.

Content Warning: violence, death

I almost DNF’ed this book but I pushed through because it’s Chloe Gong and once our two main characters met, I became invested. But let me tell you that the first 20% of this book was a struggle for me to get into. I couldn’t quite get my bearings on this world the author created. It’s two cities San-Er in the kingdom of Talin, and there is a power imbalance with lots poverty among the people and the king flourishing and turning a blind eye. So August, the prince wants to take the throne but he needs someone to kill the king. The plan is to get a player into the annual games, the winner can get close to the king at the end and kill him. But there are other players in these ruthless games who want to win for their own agendas.

The power play is intriguing. Do we really know August? He says he will be a different king from his father but others say he will be just the same. He does everything in his power though to make sure his plan comes to fruition.

Then there is Calla, my favorite morally grey, ass-kicking character who is fearsome and fierce. She has history with August, but so does Anton Makusa, the fastest body jumper around. And yes this society of people can jump bodies, which makes the action quite exhilarating and fast-paced.

I was hooked on Calla and Anton. I love them fighting, even if it meant drawing blood. I liked their chemistry and obsession with one another – I am now obsessed with them! This was my favorite part of the book and probably the only reason it’s getting 4 stars and that I want to read the next book. Oh yeah, it ends on a cliffhanger.

Speaking of blood, there is a lot of it. Calla and Anton are fighting to the death in these games and it is bloody with lots of rolling heads and slit throats. It’s violent but I enjoyed it. I do think the games could have been explained more -it’s sort of like the Hunger Games but those games were the focus. The games here isn’t quite the focus. There are a few things going with August needing his plan to take place, talks of rebels coming into the city, and issues with a religious sect. My struggle in the beginning was the info dumping and trying to figure out this world of San-Er. It’s kind of dystopian? It’s inspired by historical Hong Kong. But the beginning of this book did not hook me, maybe because we are thrown in with many characters being introduced. Also, I wasn’t into the body jumping. Once I got my bearings, and Calla meets Anton, I was intrigued. Also I can’t comment on it being a retelling of Antony & Cleopatra because I don’t remember reading it.

From their meeting to the end it’s a wild ride. Calla and Anton is what saves this book for me. I can’t wait to read book two but I hope for more character development and less info-dumping.

Tropes: enemies to allies to lovers

Why you should read it:

Calla and Anton
political intrigue

Why you might not want to read it:

the beginning of this story is a lot of info-dumping and I almost dnf’ed this book

My Thoughts:

I’m so happy I pushed through with this one and didn’t give up! The beginning was really a struggle for me and I wish there wasn’t so much info dumping. It’s a fascinating world the author has created with people who can jump bodies which I’m still not sure how I feel about because it’s not regulated and just seems so violating and cheating almost. It makes for an interesting story though! I fell in love with Calla and Anton and I’ll be looking forward to reading book two after that cliffhanger ending.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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A Wilderness of Stars by. Shea Ernshaw | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: A Wilderness of Stars

Author: Shea Ernshaw

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 11/29/22

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Dystopian, Sci-fi, Romance, Young Adult

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

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

An illness cursing the land forces a teen girl astronomer to venture across the wilderness in search of the stars’ message that will, hopefully, save them all.

If magic lives anywhere, it’s in the stars…

Vega has lived in the valley her whole life—forbidden by her mother to leave the safety of its borders because of the unknown threats waiting for her in the wilds beyond. But after her mother dies, and Vega sees the fabled twin stars in the sky, it’s an omen she can no longer ignore, forcing her to leave the protective boundaries of the valley. But the outside world turns out to be much more terrifying than Vega could have imagined. People are gravely sick—they lose their eyesight and their hearing, just before they lose their lives.

What Vega keeps to herself is that she is the Last Astronomer—a title carried from generation to generation—and she is the only one who carries the knowledge of the stars. Knowledge that could hold the key to the cure. And so when locals spot the tattoo on Vega’s neck in the shape of a constellation—the mark of an astronomer—chaos erupts as the threats her mother warned her about become all too real.

Fearing for her life, Vega is rescued by a girl named Cricket who leads her to Noah, a boy marked by his own mysterious tattoos. On the run from the men who are hunting her, Vega, Cricket, and Noah set out across the plains in search of the cure the stars speak of. But as the lines between friend and protector begin to blur, Vega must decide whether to safeguard the sacred knowledge of the astronomer. Or if she will risk everything to try to save them all.

Content Warning: death or a parent, death, sickness, violence

I’ve read two other books by this author and always loved her atmospheric writing. This book is way different than those books I read and here’s what I thought:

+ Atmospheric writing and mysterious world building. For some reason I thought this took place in the past…far into the past when settlers came to America. Think dirt roads, saloons, tonics, etc…I thought this story was set in the wild west! The story is raw and gritty, the people are sick with consumption and dying and it seems like a tough place to live. So this is a western, dystopian, sci-fi book and I loved the whole mix of it!

+ I say this is sci-fi but only at the ending and I can’t say much without revealing things about the story.

+~ Vega is the chosen one. She holds a secret and she needs to get to her final destination to do something (no one knows what, even the reader). She’s very mysterious and determined to get to where she is going. But because she has been so sheltered and only taught astronomy – she doesn’t know much about surviving in the wild until it’s time for her to go and find the Architect. She frustrated me at times – especially because she was rash in her decisions and because she’s the chosen one, everyone around her dies because of her. I was getting annoyed with that by the ending.

+~ The romance is pretty passionate and insta-love. Vega and Noah are like a fated romance which works for me because they are living in the end of days and desperate times – why not fall in love and kiss a boy before you die, right? I was all for it…but that ending! It saddened me.

~+ I’m all for mystery but 3/4ths into the book I just wanted to know what the heck the Astronomer and Architect needed to do to save everyone. I was over the mystery and wanted information. Everything is so vague until the end. I will say I read this book quick though because I was curious to know what was causing the people to be sick and why Vega was so special. I did like the reveal at the end, I thought that was a cool reveal. I just didn’t like how things ended between Vega and Noah.

Tropes: chosen one, insta-love

Why you should read it:

the story is atmospheric and mysterious with a good reveal
Vega and Noah falling in love before the world ends

Why you might not want to read it:

the mystery takes too long and you might be bored and tired by the time everything is explained
Vega is the chosen one and everyone dies around her

My Thoughts:

I had to process my thoughts on this book a lot because when I realized it was a western/dystopian story and the big reveal at the end, the feeling I had was I really enjoyed the book. Then my mind picked apart the things I could have done without like how long the mystery and vague information went on in the book and how Vega got on my nerves because she is the chosen one and protected and everyone is going to die and sacrifice themselves around her. I also loved the ending because of the reveal but I was so sad about Noah…so my feelings are all over the place about this book but I’m glad I read it. Overall, I’m going to say I did enjoy it more than disliked especially the ending when things started to make sense.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by. Silvia Moreno-Garcia | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Daughter of Doctor Moreau

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 7/19/22

Publisher: Del Rey

Categories: Coming of Age, Sci-Fi, Lite Horror, Historical Fiction

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!

Carlota Moreau: a young woman, growing up in a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of either a genius, or a madman.

Montgomery Laughton: a melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his scientific experiments, which are financed by the Lizaldes, owners of magnificent haciendas and plentiful coffers.

The hybrids: the fruits of the Doctor’s labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows. A motley group of part human, part animal monstrosities.

All of them living in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Doctor Moreau’s patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain reaction.

For Moreau keeps secrets, Carlota has questions, and in the sweltering heat of the jungle, passions may ignite.

THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU is both a dazzling historical novel and a daring science fiction journey.

Content Warning: Addiction, Abuse, Lite Horror Scenes, Colorism, Colonization, Prejudice

This is only the second book I’ve read from this author and though it is completely different from the first one I’ve read, the luscious, beautiful writing seems to be this author’s signature. So yes the author’s name was a big factor in making me request this book and also the gorgeous, colorful book cover attracted me as well. I’m only vaguely familiar with the classic The Island of Doctor Moreau but I get the gist of what the story is about.

I loved the setting of this story. It is set in the Yucatán peninsula and the author even delves into some history and strife occurring in the area in the 19th century between the Maya people and the Mexican people, and those of European descent. I found those parts very fascinating and made me want to learn more about it. It is a part of history I don’t know much about.

The characters are perfectly cast in this story. Doctor Moreau is creating hybrids of people – he thinks he can provide cheap labor by fusing human and animal genes together. These hybrids are supposed to benefit his benefactor, a very rich man by the name of Hernando Lizalde. Like anyone who think he can play at being God, Doctor Moreau has succeeded so far in his experiments except for the fact the hybrids are imperfect and die young. He is a slave to science. His daughter Carlota is gorgeous, sweet, obedient and afflicted with an illness but she loves the hybrids as if they are her own siblings because she’s grown up with them at Yaxaktun. All she wants is a happy, perfect life in Yaxaktun but she learns quickly that thoughts like that are but a dream. Montgomery is Moreau’s hired hand – he is troubled, running from his past by drinking it and gambling it away. Then there are Lupe and Cachito, two hybrids who have grown up with Carlota.

The writing is as gorgeous as ever and pulled me into the story so that I felt like I was at Yaxaktun. I could feel the humidity and imagine the lush surroundings. I could picture Carlota’s beauty. The mysteriousness and solitude of Yaxaktun lent the story an eerie feeling but one that didn’t creep me out too much – it just made me more curious about the hybrids. I was more creeped out and angry at Carlota’s father for all his ego and lies. I say lite horror because of the description of the science lab but this book was not scary or anything. I thought the real horror was how the hybrids were treated and created and the plight of the Maya people. The beginning was a little slow, but it is told like a mystery so I let it unfold and really enjoyed how the tension was built.

Why you should read it:

the beautiful writing
Carlota’s character arc – from obedient sweet girl, to a fighter
the historical information, deep issues about colonialism and the questions about playing God

Why you might not want to read it:

sci-fi/horror not your thing

My Thoughts:

This might have taken me a bit longer to get into but I am always drawn in by this author’s words. Her writing just flows so well and I like that the characters were imperfect and made me question their actions. The story unfolds slowly but I love how the tension builds until the end. I love how Carlota went from a docile young lady to one who faces the truth about her life and herself. I found the history aspects of the story quite fascinating and opened my eyes to some of the issues taking place in 19th century Mexico and it made me want to learn more. Will absolutely be reading more of this author’s work!

📚 ~ Yolanda