The Ordeals by. Rachel Greenlaw | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: The Ordeals (Killmarth Trials, #1)

Author: Rachel Greenlaw

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 10/7/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Dark Academia, Magic, Alchemy, Vampires

In this lush, atmospheric romantasy, an illusionist competes in a series of deadly trials for a spot at an elite magical college—that is, if another hopeful doesn’t kill her first.

Twenty-year-old Sophia DeWinter has only known life bound to her cruel uncle, the Collector, thanks to a blood bond he exacted from her as a child. When she learns of Killmarth College, an elite academy for magic wielders outside of the Collector’s control, she knows it is her only chance to finally break free. But to gain entry, she will have to compete against other illusionists, masquiers, botanists, and alchemists in a series of brutal trials that many hopefuls don’t survive—the Ordeals.

Sophia knows her skills as an illusionist are weak; she only makes it through the first challenge by teaming up with a powerful (and insufferably sexy) botanist, Alden Locke. To make it out alive, she will have to hone her magic and learn to identify who is a rival, who could be an ally, and who is a murderer.

Because now, not only does she have to protect her heart, but her very life. Hopefuls are being viciously picked off one by one between the challenges. In her haste to escape the Collector’s trap, Sophia may have fled straight towards her own death sentence.

Content Warning: violence

+ Sophia only chance to escape her guardian, The Collector, is to enter a trials to have a chance to be admitted into a magical college institution where scholars study and work on their different powers like illusionist, arborist, alchemist, or a masquier. But first Sophia has to figure out how to get in and make sure The Collector doesn’t stop her.

+ Sophia meets her romance interest, Alden, right away. And they have an instant connection and flirtation between them ensues. I love that even though their connection was instant, they become partners in the trials first, the flirtation continues but they really do have to concentrate on keeping alive especially since there are some unsolved murders going on. There is spice eventually though. I thought they were cute together. Both of them are nice, good people with some secrets, so they had to learn to trust one another.

+ I enjoyed the twists and turns of the story. There is a murder mystery in the middle of the learning and trials. I like the enemies being vampires. I also really enjoyed seeing Sophia make friends with Tessa and Greg. Their friendship was one of my favorite parts of this story.

~ I’ve read a lot of Dark Academia stories this year so it’s becoming hard to read the same genre and try to find anything new and fresh about it. The trials in this story brought the suspense into the story, but it didn’t feel different from other trials I’ve read in books all year.

~ This book was a nice length at 384 but it took me almost two weeks to finish I think because of the pacing, which was a little slow, and the fact that I’ve read so many books in this genre this year. I maybe should have saved this for next year.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I did enjoy this one, even though the slow pacing made for a slower read. I especially loved Sophia’s friendship with Tessa and her romance with Alden. It will be interesting to see what happens in book two.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Compass and Blade by. Rachel Greenlaw | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Brimstone by. Callie Hart | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Brimstone (Fae & Alchemy, #2)

Author: Callie Hart

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 668

Publication Date: 11/18/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Romantasy

Duty. Blood. Honour. Power.

Saeris Fane doesn’t want power. The very last thing she needs is her name whispered on an entire court’s lips, but now that she’s been crowned queen of the Blood Court, she’s discovering that a queen’s life is not her own. A heavy weight rests upon her shoulders.

Her ward – and her brother – need her back in her homeland . . . but the changes that have strengthened Saeris have also made her weak. Born under blazing suns, Saeris will surely die if she makes her way home through the Quicksilver. Which means that, once again, she must send someone else in her stead . . .

‘Keep your mouth shut. Stick to the shadows. And for the love of all seven Gods, do NOT crack any jokes.’

Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate has defeated armies and survived all manner of horrors, but traveling back to Zilvaren with Carrion Swift might just be the death of him. The male just will not shut up. Hidden dangers await them down the narrow alleyways of the Silver City. Unfolding secrets pose impossible threats. Fisher must wrangle the smuggler and accomplish his goals quickly if he wants to see his mate again.

A darkness falls across Yvelia. The realm and their friends are in danger. Together, Saeris and Fisher will pass through fire and brimstone to save them.

Content Warning: violence, death

One of my most anticipated reads for 2025 has published and I just finished reading – here’s what I thought:

+ I loved Quicksilver, book one, for a few reasons: Kingfisher’s sarcasm, the romance, and Carrion Swift. And I definitely was wanting to read book two because of the cliffhanger from book one. Once more we are in this world of Quicksilver, where the Fae, humans, vampires and alchemy are thrown together but even more so in book two.

+ There is no questioning this romance between Saeris and Fisher – they are fated mates, if it wasn’t clear in book one. They are wild for one another and love each other very, very much. There is lots of spice in this one – some bite play, some blood sucking (among other things lol), but I think what I enjoyed most about them in this book is that we get Fisher’s POV. And honestly I loved when we didn’t get his POV in book one because he was so sarcastic…but with his POV, we get to know him on another level. He’s a good man, who loves his woman and his friends, and will do anything to save them. There are many times these two are apart in the book but that’s okay, because you know they can hold their own, plus she had to grow.

+ There are secondary characters I love like Carrion who surprisingly enough doesn’t spend a lot of time with Saeris in this book, but he bonds with Fisher, which was so funny to see unfold. Why was their chemistry better with one another than Fisher and Saeris? Fisher can’t stand him but Carrion’s charm wins almost everyone over. Of course I love Onyx the fox, and then there is Archer, the sprite, who was so funny.

+ A lot is going on in this book and it clocks in under 700 pages. Saeris is dealing with being Queen of vampires; Fisher is dealing with friends he left behind in Ammontreith, protecting Saeris, and his home estate Cahlish – so many things. There is a lot of action, which made the story go by fast. The ending is another cliffhanger with the story taking a new direction!

~ I don’t know why but this one didn’t engage me as much as book one. Maybe I went into with too much hype? I was excited going into it but then the more I read, it felt a lot like the usual second book syndrome that feels like filler but it’s filler that is explaining a lot of things and yes I felt explanations was needed but…it also felt like it was info-dumping in between the adventures and action. Pacing was slow, then adventure, action, then slow, and repeat. There is a lot going on, lots of character and not all of it easy to follow sometimes.

~ Some things got repetitive but this is a ME issue because whenever it is the fated mates trope, I cannot stand when they keep calling one another “my mate”, if that makes sense. I already know he’s your mate, does it need to be repeated all the time? Another thing that was repetitive and didn’t need to be? The two of them smelling like they just had sex and everyone commenting on it every time 😅.

Final Thoughts:

I think it’s a solid sequel with lots going on. There is growth for Saeris and we learn another side to Fisher. There is a lot of action, which I enjoyed a lot and weirdly enough my favorite couple (friendship) to come out of this is Fisher and Carrion! I mean, how can anyone hate Carrion? The romance is what I expected to be, Fisher and Saeris are mates. There are a lot of things that are revealed, and a cliffhanger ending. It’s all the things I expect in a romantasy, I just wish it didn’t feel like a filler book but I get it, this is a big world and it’s opening up even more. Will definitely read book three to see what happens next in the story!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Quicksilver by. Callie Hart | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A Curse of Shadows and Ice by. Catharina Maura | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: A Curse of Shadows and Ice

Author: Catharina Maura

Format: ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 312

Publication Date: 10/28/25 (first published 3/15/22)

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Beauty and the Beast Retelling

From BookTok sensation and USA Today bestselling author Catharina Maura comes a spicy and enchanting Beauty and the Beast retelling featuring a cursed emperor, a princess who possesses forbidden magic, and a marriage that could save them all.

Princess Arabella of Althea is left no choice when Felix Osiris, the Shadow Emperor, threatens to overthrow her country unless she agrees to marry him.

When she learns his empire is cursed and she’s destined to set them free, they come to an help him minimize the curse’s effect on his people, and he’ll let her go.

As Felix teaches Arabella how to control her forbidden and volatile magic, her feelings for him turn from hatred to passion … and she realizes that she must break the curse, or she’ll lose him forever.

Content Warning: violence, dubious consent

I’ve been seeing this one on Kindle Unlimited, thought the cover was really pretty and finally had some time to read it. And here’s what I think:

+ This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling and it follows the story pretty well. It did make the story a little bit predictable but it made the story easy to read. It’s also a quick read at barely over 300 pages.

+~ I did like the world-building. Arabella is forced to marry Felix who is this mysterious Shadow Emperor with a dark reputation. Felix is cursed, his lands are cursed and they need Arabella to help them break the curse. This is light fantasy though, and I wanted a little more depth, but for people who like an easy fantasy read, you would enjoy this.

~ As for the romance, there is a lot of spice in this one and it starts fairly early…and with dubious consent. Arabella actually is in love with another at the beginning of the story so, the fact that she’s hot for Felix early was fast. But I just went with it. There are a few tropes that people will like: forced marriage, shadow daddy, and forced proximity. For some reason though I wasn’t invested in them as much as I wanted to be.

Final Thoughts:

I think this one was just okay and maybe not for me. It’s an easy read and I liked the Beauty and the Beast retelling aspects but I just wasn’t invested in the story.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Courting of Bristol Keats by. Mary E. Pearson | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️

Title: The Courting of Bristol Keats (The Courting of Bristol Keats, #1)

Author: Mary E. Pearson

Format: audiobook & hardcover (libby & owned)

Pages: 547

Publication Date: 11/12/24

Categories: Fantasy, Romance

From NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Mary E. Pearson comes a thrilling romantic fantasy full of dangerous fae, dark secrets, and addictive romance– the first book in a duology.

After losing both their parents, Bristol Keats and her sisters struggle to stay afloat in their small, quiet town of Bowskeep. When Bristol begins to receive letters from an “aunt” she’s never heard of who promises she can help, she reluctantly agrees to meet—and discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family is a lie. Even her father might still be alive, not killed but kidnapped by terrifying creatures to a whole other realm—the one he is from.

Desperate to save her father and find the truth, Bristol journeys to a land of gods and fae and monsters. Pulled into a dangerous world of magic and intrigue, she makes a deadly bargain with the fae king, Tyghan. But what she doesn’t know is that he’s the one who drove her parents to live a life on the run. And he is just as determined as she is to find her father—dead or alive.

Content Warning: violence

I borrowed the audiobook for this earlier in the year but – I was not connecting to it. So when I saw it on sale on Book Outlet, I bought the hardcover but it sat on my shelf. Now with book two just out, I wanted to finally finish this book. I borrowed the audiobook again, hoping the second try would be better but at the 23rd chapter I switched to the hardcover and glad I did.

+ The world-building is interesting. It follows Bristol Keats, who has two sisters, and their parents are gone. She’s trying to make things meet in the town they live in but it’s challenging. Now this is a portal fantasy – because on the other side of this world, is the Fae world and we learn that they need Bristol to close a door. Elphame is the world of Faerie and it has all kinds of mystical creatures. While there Bristol learns that her father could be alive and asks Tyghan, for help to find him in exchange for her helping them close this door.

+ So while Bristol is in Elphame, she goes to school and trains with other girls. The girls become a found family for her which is nice since she was missing her sisters. There is a big cast of characters in this story which is what made it hard for me to follow on audiobook.

+~ I did enjoy the romance for the most part. Tyghan is drawn to Bristol even though he knows he shouldn’t get involved with her. But spending lots of time together makes their feelings grow and they give into their desires. Their relationship is a challenge though when Bristol finds out the truth about everything – Tyghan, her dad, her mom, and that she’s half fae. I did enjoy the romance drama. But there is one thing that I couldn’t get over, and that is Tyghan and her father were friends. I get that time goes slower in Elphame than in the mortal world, but STILL…I couldn’t get over that Bristol is basically together with her dad’s ex best-friend. And there were some things Tyghan said about her to him that made me not like Tyghan.

~ Bristol is trying to find her dad, but she doesn’t know the whole story about her parents, or Tyghan – she’s being kept in the dark. And because of that, when the secrets are revealed I was kind of irritated with Tyghan’s response and his court as well. It’s understandable that they don’t trust her, but none of them could understand why she would want to save her dad? I was irritated that Tyghan felt justified in lying to her.

~ I felt like too many things were going on in this story at times. I didn’t feel like it flowed well at times because there were so many characters and at times I forgot who’s perspective we were on. Pacing was off also, sometimes it was too slow, but it does pick up in the end. There were times where I felt like it was just thrown in, like Bristol going to classes and training. I wanted more of that, but this isn’t an academia story so I felt like it was just there for her to make friends. But I would have liked to see her learning something about magic and powers because she needs it to close this door. Also wanted more of scenes with her and her sisters. There were also some parts that was more telling than showing.

Final Thoughts:

I was expecting a lot because I loved Dance of Thieves and Vow of Thieves so much, and this fell flat for me. I did like some parts, and I’m curious to see how Bristol balances her love for Tyghan and her father. But there are a lot of things that didn’t work for me. Hopefully the sequel is better, but I’ll be going in with lower expectations.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

ARC Review | Vow of Thieves ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dance of Thieves by. Mary E. Pearson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles, #1) by. Mary E. Pearson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles, #2) by. Mary E. Pearson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Beauty of Darkness (The Remnant Chronicles, #3) by. Mary E. Pearson ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spark of the Everflame by. Penn Cole | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️

Title: Spark of the Everflame (Kindred’s Curse, #1)

Author: Penn Cole

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 438

Publication Date: 6/1/25

Categories: Romantasy

When old secrets catch fire, everything will burn.

In a mortal world colonized by the gods and ruled over by the Descended, their cruel offspring, Diem Bellator yearns to escape the insular life of her poor village.

Her mother’s sudden disappearance—and the discovery of a dangerous secret about her past—offer Diem an unexpected opportunity to enter the dark world of Descended royalty and unlock the web of mysteries her mother left behind.

With the dying King’s handsome, mysterious heir watching her every move, and a ruthless mortal alliance recruiting her to join the growing civil war, Diem will have to navigate the unwritten rules of love, power, and politics in order to save her family—and all of mortalkind.

Content Warning: violence, death, wounded

So I’ve seen this on social media for awhile, but not lately. I still see it on KU so I wanted to check it out since I have more free time to read books that are not arcs. I was also looking for a light, binge-able fantasy

+~ Diem is a healer – and I love healers as main characters. The world building is interesting, there are mortals with no magic and Descended with colored eyes (mortals only have brown eyes) and powers. There is conflict between both sides and a mortal rebellion is brewing and the enlist Diem’s help to be a spy since she has access to the court. World-building sounded like it had the usual tropes for a romantasy, rebellion, a girl maybe with a secret identity, and an upper class with power. But I just wanted a little more from the world-building.

+ I did like the secondary characters like Maura, Teller (her brother, and her father. They were looking out for Diem and trying o keep her in line.

+~ I found Diem a strong character int he first half, but in the second half, yikes is she impulsive and makes mistakes. To the point where her decision causes harm. I didn’t like her after that much.

+~ Diem is a young woman who has something more going on with her best friend since childhood, Henri. But when he wants more, she can’t give him an answer. Whereas Prince Luther, the handsome, grumpy soon-to-be-heir gets under her skin. As much as I don’t think she’ll end up with Henri, Luther and her don’t have as much interactions as I wanted to warrant what happens in the end between them. It got intense too quick! But I’m sure something grows more in book two.

~ It is a little predictable for someone who reads a lot of romantasy, but the ending was interesting because it finally explains something about her missing mom.

Final Thoughts:

I’d say this was an easy romantasy to read without too much world-building. The story moved quick and I wish I enjoyed Diem’s character more. I liked getting to know her in the first half but then she becomes impulsive and makes mistakes in the second half of the book that I did not like. So I don’t think I’ll continue the series.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Alchemised by. SenLinYu | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️

Title: Alchemised

Author: SenLinYu

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 1040

Publication Date: 9/23/25

Categories: Dark Fantasy, War, Romance

In this riveting dark fantasy debut, a woman with missing memories fights to survive a war-torn world of necromancy and alchemy—and the man tasked with unearthing the deepest secrets of her past.

“What is it you think you’re protecting in that brain of yours? The war is over. Holdfast is dead. The Eternal Flame extinguished. There’s no one left for you to save.”

Once a promising alchemist, Helena Marino is now a prisoner—of war and of her own mind. Her Resistance friends and allies have been brutally murdered, her abilities suppressed, and the world she knew destroyed.

In the aftermath of a long war, Paladia’s new ruling class of corrupt guild families and depraved necromancers, whose vile undead creatures helped bring about their victory, holds Helena captive.

According to Resistance records, she was a healer of little importance within their ranks. But Helena has inexplicable memory loss of the months leading up to her capture, making her enemies wonder: Is she truly as insignificant as she appears, or are her lost memories hiding some vital piece of the Resistance’s final gambit?

To uncover the memories buried deep within her mind, Helena is sent to the High Reeve, one of the most powerful and ruthless necromancers in this new world. Trapped on his crumbling estate, Helena’s fight—to protect her lost history and to preserve the last remaining shreds of her former self—is just beginning. For her prison and captor have secrets of their own . . . secrets Helena must unearth, whatever the cost.

Content Warning: violence, war, religious trauma, gore, rape, torture, drug use, death, suicidal ideation

This book has been everywhere on my socials, and let me just say I never read Manacled – the fanfic that was written before Alchemised and I’m not that knowledgable about the Dramione fanfic world that this is inspired by. That being said, I had a chance to borrow this one and wanted to see what they hype was all about.

+ I’ll get straight to what was my favorite part of this story – the love story. And when I say love, it’s not the pretty, sweet, happy, kind of love that people think about. Yes it’s a dark fantasy and dark romance story, it’s a captor/captive romance, and not for everyone. But these characters are stuck in a war that’s gone on too long, there is so much death, so much darkness, it’s all they know now: torture, blood, guts, gore, and zombies. Helena and Kaine, fall in love with one another during this very dark time. Kaine is a very red flag, but there is one thing he cares for in this hellhole of a world – Helena. His words to her are cruel, but he takes care of her. His actions spoke way louder than his words. As for Helena, she’s naturally caring because she’s a healer and she starts to see his actions beneath the mask of his words. And she’s lonely, they both are and that’s why they fall for one another. She saw him underneath all of the growling, cruelty and coldness. And no one has taken care of him like Helena has. Their love story is messy, scary, at times unforgivable, but the love or obsession between them really conquers all. Basically they are ride or die for one another and to hell with everyone else (even us reading the book! lol). Their story is emotional, heartbreaking, and I was hoping they were either going to get their happily ever after OR die together. 😅

+~ The world building is extensive and detailed. There was a lot to learn and a glossary would have helped because I felt like I was thrown into it and I was lost or my brain was not open to receiving this education in alchemy. I was like nope, I need it at beginner level please lol. But I definitely could envision this dark world embroiled in war. There is political intrigue, betrayals, and secrets. As far as the war, none of the sides sounded good to me. The Eternal Flame was so righteous in their cause and the Necromancers were so cruel and evil. The Eternal Flame seemed like the lesser of both evils. Also I think I was confused with the world-building of the Gods and such – maybe I would need to re-read it to understand it. The depiction of all the ugliness of war is done well in this story. It’s dark, it’s tragic, it’s like there is no way out of the constant killing and death. The story shows how high the cost of war is, and even I was tired of the war at the end of book.

~ I did have some issues with this book. First, the length. It is told in three parts and I actually had to push through Part One because it felt like it was moving too slow. There was a lot of info-dumping. I understand it’s setting the stage, but it was slow and I almost DNF’ed until a friend told me it gets better. The story did get better but then there would be other spots where again, too much info-dumping so I skimmed some of it. The pacing was not the best for me. I felt like there was a lot of repetition that could have been cut out. I think this would have been better for me as a series.

~ I had QUESTIONS: why was Helena so loyal to Luc and the Eternal Flame? I get that he befriended her in school and she was lonely, but that much loyalty to him? I needed to see how that friendship built. Also, how and when did Kaine get so obsessed with Helena? I wanted to see some moments in school where Kaine interacted with her or thought about her, because there’s a moment where Helena remembers how they were rivals in school but they never talked because he was a guild student and she was a scholarship student. So when did his obsession with her begin?

~ Helena and Kaine, kept going in a circle of don’t you dare die, no don’t YOU die and/or I’m going to save you, NO I’m going to save YOU. 😅. It was dramatic and I love angst, but I think it being so repetitive took out the emotional impact for me. Speaking of circle? This book is written in a way where you will want to go back to the beginning and see what you missed.

Final Thoughts:

I’d say my thoughts on this book are mixed, maybe because of the hype? But I did go into this without expectations. I think the love story between Helena and Kaine is what kept me in the story, I needed to see if they would make it out alive! The world building is dense, sometimes confusing, many things were repetitive and the pace was too slow for me. The story is long. The story is dark (check the triggers), but I like dark stories so I didn’t mind that. I liked that in the darkness of this story, came the tiniest spark of hope – and that hope was two people who did anything and everything to save one another. Two imperfect, misunderstood, broken, used, traumatized people found love, where love was hard to find and I thought that was pretty epic. I can see how people will either love this story and be devastated by it or dislike this book because it’s dark, and it’s triggering, but I’m glad I pushed through it and got to experience it.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Death-Made Prince by. Lisette Marshall | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: The Death-Made Prince (Runewitch Saga, #1)

Author: Lisette Marshall

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 547

Publication Date: 10/21/25

Categories: Fantasy, Dark Romance, Enemies to Lovers

A runewitch on the run has only one option join forces with the sarcastic, unpleasantly gorgeous necromancer she loathes

The man Thraga loved is dead, and her future is in shambles. When she’s sentenced to the gallows for killing her lover’s murderers, it’s a relief more than anything… until, the night before her execution, a necromancer is thrown into her cell.

Escaping with him is her only chance to bring Lark back to life – and also the start of all her troubles.

Because her new almost-ally is not just any man returned from death. Fire mage, rogue prince, and son of the man who killed her mother, sharp-tongued Durlain Averre is everything Thraga hates. Worse, he won’t revive her lover unless she joins him on a mission of his own first, using her forbidden rune magic to free his sister from the dungeons of an enemy king.

But their quest turns into a deadly chase when Thraga’s violent past catches up with her. And as the net of court intrigue and old fears closes around them, she begins to find out Lark was not at all the man she thought he was…

And neither is Durlain.

The Death-Made Prince is the first book of the Runewitch Saga, an epic enemies to lovers fantasy romance featuring two morally grey leads, OCD rep, and a Norse mythology-inspired world. While it is a slow burn romance, the first book does contain spicy content intended for 18+ readers.

Content Warning: violence, death, sexual assault, torture

+ I don’t really know what I expected from this book but I could not put it down. Thraga is in a prison cell when a man is thrown into the cell and her life changes forever.

+ The world-building is great because our characters Thraga and Durlain are on the run and also searching out information so that Durlain can save his sister. He needs Thraga because she is a runewitch – but runewitches are reviled in this world, so she has to keep it secret or she will be killed or worse, taken prisoner again and used. So we get to see a whole lot of this world as Thraga and Durlain are traveling thrown different towns and terrains. I love how that gave me a better sense of the world. It is a Norse-mythology inspired world, hence the runewitch but there is also necromancy. There is political intrigue, secrets and betrayals that added a lot to the story and made the stakes higher. There is violence, battles, and mentions of torture.

+ Thraga is a powerful runewitch and she is mourning the loss of her loved one, Lark. She decides to help Durlain because he agrees he could bring him back from the dead. She was with him for four years but we learn through her memories of him that what she thought was safety and protection was actually him placing her in a cage and making her think less of herself. I was so mad on her behalf and was really rooting for her to break from the memories and grow. Thraga is neurodivergent and also has OCD, and it’s represented really well in this story where even her thoughts started making me anxious. She really is a character who is finding her strength and I love that about this story. But there is a lot we still don’t know about her, especially after that ending!

+ Durlain, the MMC, is a prince and he’s already died once. He is a firemage and he has horns! Honestly I’ve read so many romantasy books where the MMC is downright gorgeous and I have been really, really craving an MMC that isn’t gorgeous but interesting and compelling. Durlain is that guy! He’s scarred (internally and externally), and he wears an eye-patch. He is flawed, sharp edges and angles, witty, cunning and intense – not gorgeous but he’s riveting. He’s everything I’ve been craving for lately! It’s like this author read my mind 😅. He’s doing all of this to find his sister, who loves dearly. He’s morally grey. He’s been tortured and killed and back for revenge and I was all for it!

+ The romance is a slow burn and enemies to lovers. Durlain’s people hate runewitches, and vice versa, so there is a lot of animosity there, but they are companions on this crazy journey and there is a lot of forced proximity. Durlain has a sharp tongue but Thraga gave back as good as he gave, which I loved for her because she was conditioned not to fight. I loved their interactions and verbal sparring! It’s a slow burn but eventually there is spice. But their situation is a challenging one because Durlain is used to pushing people away, he’s been through hell, literally, but Thraga has gotten under his skin. But I need book two because of what happened at the end!

~ I’m not usually one to like books where the characters go on a long journey. There is a lot of hopping around from place to place but in this story I didn’t mind it too much because we got the lay of the land as they traveled plus we meet some interesting people that are important to Thraga and Durlain’s goals.

~ There are a lot of characters they meet along the way and I did get confused at times who Durlain was impersonating, especially if it was one of his family members!

Final Thoughts:

I loved this one. Loved the enemies to lovers romance, loved the characters who are complex, and that ending…I need book two asap! Also, I’ve had one of her books, Court of Blood and Bindings on my Goodreads TBR list so maybe I’ll just jump into this series while I wait for book two.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

We Fell Apart by. E. Lockhart | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating:

Title: We Fell Apart (We Were Liars, #3)

Author: E. Lockhart

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 320

Publication Date: 11/4/25

Publisher: Delacorte Press

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

The invitation arrives out of the blue.

In it, Matilda discovers a father she’s never met. Kingsley Cello is a visionary, a reclusive artist. And when he asks her to spend the summer at his seaside home, Hidden Beach, Matilda expects to find a part of herself she’s never fully understood.

Instead, she finds Meer, her long-lost, openhearted brother; Brock, a former child star battling demons; and brooding, wild Tatum, who just wants her to leave their crumbling sanctuary.

With Kingsley nowhere to be seen, Matilda must delve into the twisted heart of Hidden Beach to uncover the answers she’s desperately craving. But secrets run thicker than blood, and blood runs like seawater.

And everyone here is lying.

Content Warning: dementia, death, parental neglect

I read We Were Liars when it first published in 2014 and the tv series just came out on Amazon Prime so I did watch that and it refreshed my memory! I’m glad that show aired because jumping into We Fell Apart was easy as the Sinclair family and Beechwood was fresh in my mind.

We Fell Apart takes us back to Beechwood, just as the event of We Were Liars have concluded. Matilda gets an email from the dad she never knew and he asks her to come meet him at Hidden Beach, where he lives. Matilda has had quite a life with a mom who has basically chosen boyfriends over her – to the point after her mom decides to move away again with another guy, Matilda chooses to stay with her last boyfriend, a really nice guy who doesn’t mind having Matilda around.

Matilda goes to Hidden Beach and learns about this accident that happened with the Sinclairs. She meets her half-brother, his mom, and two other guys living at the run-down house. The summer is going by great but Matilda knows something isn’t right. Where is her dad? Why is the house so run-down? Why is June (Meer, her half-brother’s mom), not taking care of the boys and the house? What is going on at Hidden Beach.

I was sucked into this world again, and honestly love the family secrets in this world the Sinclairs built. The story moves quickly and the reveal in the end is shocking. It makes you question everyone’s motives and choices they’ve made to keep the secret they have been holding. I like Matilda and how she questions what is going on at the house. Also, there is a little romance but that’s not the focus. I thought it was also interesting how June thought she was this carefree, nonconforming wife because she didn’t want to be the Tipper Sinclair kind of housewife but in the end, was trapped in her own partnership with Kingsley. I felt like there were a lot of full circles with this book.

I did think the story moved too quickly though, it felt rushed and some moments – like when Holland (a Sinclair who befriends Matilda at the start of the book) takes her in and explains all about the Sinclairs. It was a lot of telling, and info-dumping.

Final Thoughts:

I actually enjoyed this one a lot because I had just watched the show and I was brought back to this place of summer, sun, family and most of all the secrets. Matilda knows something isn’t right at Hidden Beach and the reveal is devastating for her. I did like that there was a happy ending instead of another tragic one, though there is tragedy. Overall, a good addition to the series.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

We Were Liars by. E. Lockhart ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Terror at the Gates by. Scarlett St. Clair | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Terror at the Gates (Blood of Lilith, #1)

Author: Scarlett St. Clair

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 495

Publication Date: 7/8/25

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Romance

She is the beginning and the end.

She is peace and chaos.

She is terror knocking at the gates.

Estranged from her powerful family, Lilith Leviathan finds refuge in Nineveh, a district in the city of Eden devoted to sin. There, she uses her magic to steal for a living, attracting the attention of the five governing families as well as the church, which expects women to remain pious and silent. When Lilith comes into possession of a beautiful blade, she thinks all her worries are over…until her usual buyer dies while inspecting it.

Frantic, Lilith turns to the only man who can help her: Zahariev, head of the Zareth family and ruler of Nineveh. His currency is information, and his power is extortion, though he’s always had a soft spot for Lilith. But when the dagger appears, he isn’t sure he can protect her from what’s to come.

Together, they embark on a mission to discover the true power running their world. As their lives intertwine, Lilith realizes Zahariev is more than just a friend, but their devotion to each other is a threat—to the truth, to the church, and to those who want to tear it all down.

Content Warning: violence, grief, death, mention of sexual assault and rape

+ I found the world-building in this story to be very interesting. Eden is separated into different district and each district has a head of family – kind of like organized crime but these families have are Elohim and have the blood of God in them. I thought the biblical fantasy was pretty unique! Especially since this Eden is full of sin. There of course is a ruling church in this story that of course, abuses woman, as we learn through our FMC, Lilith.

+ Lilith is from a ruling family but escaped her fate (marriage) for a little while and is struggling to get by in Nineveh which is run by Zahariev. But he’s keeping an eye out for her and helping her when he can despite her protests and calls for independence. She grew up pampered and rich, so this life is different for her but from what I gathered she’s made her own family with new friends, people that genuinely care about her. Lilith is stubborn, but also very loving, as expressed to her closest friends.

+ The romance is a very slow burn between Lilith and Zahariev but things eventually get spicy for them. It’s a forbidden romance, since they are from different ruling families, but it seems they have a friendship or understanding between one another. And clearly Zahariev is down bad for her – I love him! She’s stubborn and fights him but he is so patient with her. He takes care of her and keeps boundaries with her even if she wants him to break them. She has a good man and I’m glad realizes it by the end.

+~ Now part of this story is a mystery. There is a dagger that Lilith has found but she’s learned that wherever someone without Elohim blood sees is, they die. So Lilith is trying to figure out what the dagger is and realizes there is something big happening that involves the church, a secret order, and maybe Gods.

~ Lilith is a good person but a flawed one because there was a part of the story where she should have been there for a friend but because of her own grief and feelings of guilt, she couldn’t show up. I thought in my head, damn, she’s not a good friend but grief affects everyone in different ways. Still…that kind of stuck with me because she was not shy with telling her friends “I love you” constantly throughout the book! But when she had to show up and be there for one of them? Sigh…that was kind of frustrating.

~ Needed more world-building. What we got was a good start, it’s interesting – Eden? Organized crime? Blood of the Gods? But I don’t feel like I got a good sense of these head families that rule Eden. They are at peace right now, but Zahariev wants Lilith and that could start a war…why? Is Zahariev’s family the lowest rank? I had a lot of questions about a few things.

~ I think pacing was okay until the middle. There is the mystery about the dagger, murders and strange globs of slime that could be demons (that felt so random), which slows down the story until it ramps up in the end again. But what is up with the demon blobs? Maybe we will find out more in book two.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I thought this was an interesting and entertaining read even though at times it felt like it was going all over the place. I love Zahariev and how he showed he cared for Lilith by trying to keep her safe and staying patient with her, even though she had no clue. I would love more details in the world-building and maybe some growth with Lilith so I’m looking forward to book two.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Starchaser by. R. M. Gray | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating:

Title: Starchaser (Nightweaver, #2)

Author: R.M. Gray

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 11/4/25

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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

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

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

I am vengeance. Fury. Power.

Seventeen-year-old pirate Aster Oberon faces a stunning new reality, gifted with magical ability that she’s struggling to master. Worse, both she and Will—the Nightweaver who has captured her heart—have been cursed. In mere weeks, they will become ferocious Underlings, creatures forced to serve the evil Queen Morana. The only way to break the curse is by procuring Morana’s blood.

To track down the cure, Aster teams up with both Will and Titus, the infuriatingly handsome prince of the Eerie who secretly aims to overthrow his royal family’s tyrannical reign. The trio’s journey takes them to Castle Grim where danger is around every corner, and no one is who they seem.

Between deadly dinners, extravagant balls, and shifting desires toward Will and Titus, Aster will have to keep her daggers at the ready and determine who she can trust before the ticking clock of her curse runs out.

Layered with devastating revelations and twisty romance, this heart-pounding sequel to Nightweaver will leave readers racing toward the truth about Aster and her destiny.

Content Warning: violence, death, torture

+ I don’t know why I thought this was a duology but I was wrong, and I didn’t realize this until 50% into the book. But, despite my own misunderstanding of which book in the series this is, I actually enjoyed this sequel.

+ Aster, Titus and Will have a plan. But it involves sussing out who Morana’s spirit has possessed. Titus has a clue, but Aster’s power to see Sylks’s is what is supposed to help him confirm it. But Aster doesn’t see it, so who could it be? Time is running out before Will turns into a beast, and Titus marries Leo, so they have to figure this out quick. I did like the mystery and trying to figure out who it could be. I had my suspects but even I was thrown off. And that’s not the only thing Aster is trying to figure out because someone is after her, and she doesn’t know who it is.

+ There is also the bigger picture of taking down the kingdom but again, plans are changed with the not knowing of who Morana has been embodying. But there is a lot revealed at the end of the story, lots of twists. I also like that we learn more about Titus in this story!

+ The ending is wild. There are reveals, betrayals, and I need book three to know what will happen to Will and Titus!

+~ The love triangle. I don’t totally love it because I’m leaning a certain way and it’s between two best friends. Why does have to be between two best friends? I don’t like it. None of these people are perfect, Titus, turns into a killer, but Will is about to turn into one too. So…I’m gonna chose the guy who remembered her favorite color. 😅. But yikes…Aster doesn’t know what she feels. I guess we’ll see what happens in book three.

~ Aster is supposedly coming into her power but I actually didn’t see much of it in this sequel. Titus even says he’ll train her but we got only one or two scenes of that and that was it. I hope her power comes through in book three.

Final Thoughts:

There is a lot that happens in this sequel. We get a lot of twists, reveals, betrayal, and time ticking down on executing the plan Aster has with her friends. But I did want more out of Aster’s character in aspects to her power, which was pretty non-existent. If you like a love-triangle, you might enjoy this one, but because I’m leaning towards one guy in particularly and still don’t know how Aster feels about both of them, I’m not really enjoying this love triangle. Overall, this is a solid sequel and can’t wait to see what happens in book three!