Review: Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher

Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This is another weird one from Kingfisher, but I expect nothing less at this point. If you are not a fan of insects, I would steer clear of this one as they are mentioned quite a bit in this book.  I'm not a fan of creepy crawlies myself, but as long as they stay in their environment and out of mine, I respect their place in the circle of life.

Set in the late 1890's in North Carolina, Sonia Wilson is looking for a job.  Her father has recently passed, and there isn't much work for women in general let alone a naturalist.  Sonia is a talented painter and scientific illustrator, and while her father had made a name for himself in the scientific community, Sonia's name does not carry much weight during this time period.  She has not had much luck finding gainful employment, until the cranky, reclusive Dr. Halder offers her a position working on his unfinished book.  Halder's area of study is entomology, which is not Sonia's expertise but she needs the work and is quickly able to put her talents to good use.

During her stay at the Halder manor, Sonia begins to notice some strange things about the insects she is illustrating.  She asks scientific questions of her patron, and only more questions begin to bubble up.  She begins to question strange things she sees in the woods around the house, local stories and lore she hears from the housekeeper and the local healer.  The more answers Sonia gets the darker the truth seems to get.  Sonia isn't sure if it is her anxiety manifesting or if something truly sinister going on around her.

I enjoyed this gothic tale.  There is a slow buildup to the action, but once things start happening things start to speed up from there. This was a more atmospheric book, as I find most gothic novels to be, where you know something creepy is going to happen and things build up to that. I thought the slower pacing in the beginning worked well to help build to the reveal of what was really  happening and who the true villain was. It was an interesting mix of science, social topics, and horror.  The author does a wonderful job building out the world describing things in specific paint colors as Sonia would paint them from the eye of an artist.  I believe the author is an artist (former illustrator) as well so this was a nice touch.  This really amps up the ick factor as the horror elements are revealed in the second half of the book as things are described and the atmospheric elements really close in.  Again if you aren't into bugs and body horror, this isn't going to be for you.  Kingfisher did such a good job with the story and the descriptions.  

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Review: The Girls From Alcyone by Cary Caffrey

The Girls From Alcyone by Cary Caffrey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was gifted an audible code from the author, all opinions are my own.  

It has been over 10 years since I originally read this via ebook.  I own the entire series and have been meaning to get back to it.  I jumped on the chance to listen to the audiobook.  The audio narration is fantastic, Kristen James does different accents for all of the characters.  I enjoyed the book even more via audio the 2nd time.  I also love the new covers!

This follows Sigrid and Suko from a young age as they train to become bio-enhanced mercenaries in a dystopian world.  The girls start out as best friends, and eventually their relationship turns into something more.  As expected Sigrid and Suko must go on assignment as they have been training for, and Sigrid is the first to be sent away.  When that happens, Sigrid finds herself at the center of a power struggle she could never imagine and has to figure out who she can trust.  Suko on the other hand has remained at the school where she was raised and is training the next generation when they are attacked and kidnapped.  She isn't sure if she will ever see Sigrid again or escape her captors.

This is a fun, exciting scifi storyline with a sapphic romance element.  I'm looking forward to diving into the rest of the series.

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Review: End Game by Adriana Locke

End Game by Adriana Locke
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided the audiobook for free via the author, all opinions are my own.

I've had this on my TBR forever, since it was originally published as Lucky Number Eleven in 2017.  I love the rebrand and think the new cover is adorable.  That being said this is not my favorite of Adriana's books.  The audiobooks is well narrated, which is not a surprise as both narrators are very talented.  While I am a huge fan of the author, I'm not a fan of pregnancy tropes in books in general and I probably would have skipped this one had I realized.

I didn't really feel the chemistry between Layla and Branch, it was more insta-lust, also  not my favorite but it can be redeemed.  I prefer more development in the couple's relationship especially when you say they are End Game.  Their story stays more physical and in my opinion never gave me what I wanted from a romance.  If you are here for the spice this might be for you, but this one didn't work for me.  

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Review: Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict

Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC and ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I'm quickly becoming a big fan of Benedict's books about historical female figures in history. This is told in alternating points of view between Lady Evelyn Herbert and the mysterious Egyptian female pharaoh Hatshepsut. Eve's has grown up surrounded by Egyptian artifacts and stories of her father's adventures on digs in Egypt with his colleague Howard. As Eve is coming of age and entering London society, she is desperate to join them on a dig herself and possibly convince them to search for Hatshepsut. As we join Eve and her family in the desert on their digs and learn about the political climate of Egypt at the time in the 1920s, we also travel back in time to ancient Egypt. Hatshepsut herself tells us of her life, her family, and how she game to power over time.

I really enjoyed this. I have long time been a fan of Egyptian history and was lucky enough to visit the King Tut exhibit when it came to Pittsburgh at the Carnegie Museum many years ago. The culture is fascinating. It was nice to see a female ruler like Hatshepsut make her own rules and lead her country into prosperity and then years later someone comes along and is determined to find out what happened to her and why she was erased from history. Make sure you read the author's note about the research put into the book. We still don't really know what happened to Hatshepsut and why she was struck from Egyptian history, but we do know that both of these women did exist. I always appreciate a well researched book, and I love when an author notes what they changed about historical facts to make their novel work and what is actual fact versus what is complete fiction. I found both women's stories compelling and I want to learn more about both of them.

The audio narration was excellent. I think it was smart to have different narrators for each POV, it was nice to have a different voice for Evelyn and Hatshepsut so you knew which woman and time period you were in while listening. If possible I like to read along with the audio, but I can't always read along which is the beauty of audiobooks. Having two different voices makes the transition in a multi-POV book very easy when you are only listening. Both narrators did a wonderful job bringing the story to life with appropriate emotion and pace for the story.

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Review: Show Me by Adriana Locke

Show Me by Adriana Locke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author, all opinions are my own.

This is the third book in the series, however it can be read as a standalone.  I highly recommend reading the previous two books as you will meet Audrey's two best friends Astrid and Gianna and their significant others.  They are mentioned often and are wonderful friends you will want to get to know if you haven't already.

Audrey is in a bit of a funk.  She has always been a bit sweet and innocent, but she wants to walk on the wild side but she isn't quite sure how to tackle being unpredictable and impulsive.  Fortunately for her, Brooks knows all about being impulsive and a bit wild.  He is Gray's childhood best friend and often barges into Astrid and Gray's cabin where Audrey is staying while she is on her self-discovery journey.  He offers to help Audrey with whatever she needs with no strings attached.  They quickly find that they get along easily and they have great chemistry.  There is only one issue, Audrey's brother Drew and Brooks hate each other.  They are both MMA fighters and Drew is not a fan of Audrey's budding relationship.  

I really enjoyed this!  I really liked Audrey's whimsy list and I'm all for female empowerment.  All of her goals were achievable and reasonable.  Everyone has things that they are scared of no matter how silly they seem to other people or things that they want to do but can never bring themselves to do for one reason or another.  I thought she and Brooks had good chemistry and I'm glad that the angst didn't last very long and liked the way the conflict was handled and resolved.  I would have liked if the interaction with Audrey and Drew and her family story arc in general had been explored a bit more, it felt a bit glossed over, but they weren't key to the main romance storyline.  If you are looking for spice this has some great scenes once things heat up.  This was really fun and a great addition to the series overall.  I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, I hope its Hartley!

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Review: Otherworldly by Dwain Worrell

Otherworldly by Dwain Worrell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. In fully transparency, I picked this book as my Amazon Prime First Reads book for February so I also own the ebook version.

This started out really interesting but as the book went on I found it got more confusing. The concept is really interesting. Cleo and her crew are sent to check out a planet and determine it's terraforming capability. Cleo is a bit of a loner making her a perfect candidate for a solo mission to the planet's surface. Upon arrival she find the planet to be strange, and when another crewmate starts to experience similar things she begins to wonder if they aren't actually alone in space. The book just gets weirder from there, and I won't spoil it because it is actually pretty interesting.

I enjoyed Cleo's robot companion Shakes who is only speaks in rhyme, it added a bit of humor to some of the more serious situations, or some poetry to some of the more emotional scenes. As Cleo traverses the planet and the different sphere's the action picks up as she attempts to find the other members of her crew. She also has to deal with the dangers the planet throws at her which is where I found the story to get confusing, I may have to go back and read those parts again because I'm still not sure what was going on. There was alot going on at one point and I lost track of what was happening.

Overall I thought the worldbuilding was well done and the plot was unique. The pacing was good and while I found bit of it a little confusing I think that was more of a me issue than an issue with the writing.

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Review: Nobody's Baby by Olivia Waite

Nobody's Baby by Olivia Waite
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This is the 2nd book in the Dorothy Gentleman novella series and while I feel it would be beneficial for you to start with the first novella, it appears that the mysteries are all independent and can be read as standalones.  

This series takes place aboard the HMS Fairweather, where passengers are crossing space to eventually inhabit and populate a new planet.  Dorothy is a member of what you could equate to the ship's police squad and investigates whatever crimes come up during the ship's passage.  In this installment she has to figure out how a baby, who's existence shouldn't be possible as all the ship's inhabitants have been temporarily made infertile for the journey, came to land on her nephew's doorstep.  

This is a delightful story, solving a mystery in just under 4 hours.  The author does a great job with world-building and character development in the short time we have.  We get to see different sides of Dorothy as she is detective mode, when she is with her nephew Ruthie, and when she is flirting with her crush Violet.  We also get to see more of ship life as we see the different jobs people have and how the baby came to be.  Overall the cozy nature of the mystery stayed interesting while remining low stakes and low action.  This series is fun and has a nice balance of all the things I'm looking for.  I can't wait to see what Dorothy tackles next.

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Review: Midnight on the Celestial by Julia Alexander

Midnight on the Celestial by Julia Alexandra
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC and ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I haven't read a good YA novel in a while, and this was a great reminder of how great YA fantasy can be.  This has a unique magic system, some action, some horror, and a bit of romance to balance things out.  

In this world some people have magic, while others do not.  Those with magic, must pass a trial when they come of age to prove that they can control their power and aren't a danger to society.  Our main character Roe has a unique power to call upon spirits, which her family has long used as a party trick to gain favor with those of high society.  When her trial goes horribly wrong she finds herself serving out her time as a concierge onboard the ship Celestial in order to earn a retrial.  Having no training and having never served anyone in her life, she is terrible at her assigned job, but with the help of her crewmates she quickly learns the ropes.  She also comes to find out that the ship is not just a pleasure cruise for the wealthy and a rehab for the failed magic users.  Every day strange things happen that threated all the lives onboard and Roe is determined to figure out what is at the root of it.  She uncovers more than she anticipates and with the help of her new friends she can fight her way out and save those like her.

Like many YA books you fill find familiar tropes of the chosen one, resistance, betrayal and lies.  Some will find this unoriginal, while others will find that these are the things that they love about YA fantasy novels.  If done well with new and original characters and plotlines these familiar tropes become new and exciting again.  I really enjoyed the worldbuilding, the ship itself was well described and the magic elements created while on the ship were well done.  The character development suffered a bit because of all of the plotlines.  The characters in my opinion could have used a bit more flushing out and the relationships could have used a bit more development, things just came together too neatly for Roe and the crew.  Overall I really enjoyed the plotline and the magic.  This was fun and unique and I look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

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Review: The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan

The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was a very unique historical fantasy about the Beast of Gévaudan with some Jehanne d’Arc in the mix as well.  Set in the late 1700s in France, Sebastian Grave sets out to right the wrongs of his past.  

I found this a bit hard to follow at times as it not only follows Sebastian in the past with Antoinne his friend and lover during the initial Red Winter and during the present with Antoinne's son.  There are also a ton of characters, who are not always referred to by the same name from scene to scene.  For example, Sebastian's "guest" Sarmodel is mainly referred to as Sarmodel, but there are a few scenes especially when the archangel Michael is present when he goes by another name.  This is true for several characters, who have a religious name or alias as they are immortal or serve a religious purpose.  As this book is fairly long this can get confusing especially when you are listening to the audiobook, for books like this I prefer to have a print book handy so I can refer back to names and places to keep me from getting confused but that is a personal preference.  The interactions between the characters was great and I enjoyed Livia's POV in between the main story.  She added some humor to a darker story despite her chapters focusing more on Joan of Arc and more of the religious aspects of the book.

I was surprised to find out this was a debut novel as the writing feels like that of a seasoned fantasy novelist.  The storyline was unique, the pacing was good, and while I would have liked more information on certain things that can be true of any book or author.  I would have liked to better understand how Sebastian and Sarmodel were joined, it may have been mentioned, but I clearly missed it.  The two of them together were a great pairing and we get to see them speak to one another often.  There is plenty of action to balance out the character driven parts of the story, and I enjoyed the mix of magic and fantasy elements that were woven into the religious, political, and social aspects of the book.  If you are looking for a book that blends genres this is a good one.

I like the way the footnotes were read in the audiobook, it felt like the characters were trying to break the 4th wall, which is not often done in audio format.  From other reviews of the book I can see that these were the footnotes/endnotes.  The audiobook was fantastic the way it was narrated.  Both of the narrators were excellent and I highly recommend the audio.  I plan on listening to it again to pick up the bits I missed soon.  

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Review: A Rose of Blood and Binding: The Middlemist Trilogy, Book 3 by Claire Legrand

A Rose of Blood and Binding: The Middlemist Trilogy, Book 3 by Claire Legrand
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This is the conclusion to the Middlemist Trilogy, and while each book follows a different sister, I don't feel like you can read them as standalones.  The main plotline is interwoven between the three books and to truly understand what is going on you would need to start at the beginning.  Now if you are only interested in Mara and her part of the story you could get away with reading them individually as there is enough info to fill in the blanks about what is happening and the main storyline follows Mara and her journey.

Mara has been portrayed as a brave and strong warrior in the previous two books, but in this installment we find that she has a lot of feelings about being sent away at a young age to train with the Roses.  The Roses are a band of female warriors secluded from their families who train hard and protect the realm from the mysterious mist and the creatures that it hides.  They are ruled by the Warden who is not only their keeper, but also like a mother to them though she is harsh a ruthless at times.  We come to learn that Mara has been made to do things as Rose that she feels quite a lot of guilt about, and she uses pain and sex to ease her feelings of shame and inadequacy.  The also has a lot of thoughts of ending her own life so trigger warnings for suicide as it is mentioned quite a lot.  Mara has a lot of self hatred to work through and while Gareth her love interest tries to help her through it, it overwhelmed the storyline in my opinion.

We do reunite with Mara's family, her sisters, their partners, her parents, and many other key players we have met along the way to thwart the antagonist.  The magic and worldbuilding were as always really interesting.  Legrand always does a great job with those.  Gareth and Mara's characters eventually get together and when they do there are plenty of scenes to solidify their love, Legrand's books are always full of those as well.  I didn't always feel their chemistry, especially with Mara always pushing him away.

Overall this was a good conclusion to the series.

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Review: The Divide Series: War by Magdalene Asante

The Divide Series: War by Magdalene Asante
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author, all opinions are my own. I'm actually embarrased to admit how long this has been sitting on my TBR. The author reached out to me so long ago to read her book and give it a review. Thank you for the review copy and I'm sorry it took me so long.

I really liked the concept of this book. The curse to find your soulmate or die in angonizing pain if you choose your own path was an interesting and unique way of pitting the various kingdoms against one another. Unfortunately there were so many characters to keep track of and the abrupt jumps in time were hard for me to follow at times.

We are thrown right in to the thick of things with the politics of the various kingdoms in the world, but we don't get much detail about any of them. There are two main kingdoms at play in the book but we never really know why they are at odds or why they want to go to war, other than for power and domination. We also don't get much backstory on the characters and their motivations. For me this made the story hard to follow as I didn't understand why things were happening. I also didn't think that the curse made any sense, both of the characters that were cursed were supposed to be dying, but they were fighting and plotting like these amazing generals at peak health.

Overall this was a good debut, the concept is unique but the pieces didn't quite come together. I don't mind when the plot is slowly revealed over the course of a book or series, but it has to make sense when it all comes together. I think more explanation of the key elements, a bit more worldbuilding, and more backstory of the characters would have really been helpful for me at least.

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Review: The Gatekeeper by James Byrne

The Gatekeeper by James Byrne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received a paperback ARC of this ages ago from Minotaur books. I'm not sure if I requested it or won it in a giveaway, but I never got around to reading it, I borrowed the audiobook from the library recently because it fit a prompt for one of the annual reading challenges I do. This isn't my normal genre, which is why I never felt an urge to pick it up. I'm so glad I finally picked this up! This is the first book in series that follows a retired former special forces mercenary. This was action packed and pretty funny.

This follows Dez, who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, but fortunately he is the right guy for the situation. Dez is a former special forces mercenary who gets caught up in the politics and legal manipulations of a major military contractor. He just happens to have the skills to uncover and protect his charge, the daughter of the CEO who happens to be in line to take over the company and in charge of the legal department.

If you are a fan of The Terminal List, Jack Reacher, etc I think this would be a good one to pick up though this is a bit more light-hearted Dez is tough and protective, but he is also a musician and has a sense of humor and is always cracking jokes or makes light of situations in his inner monologues. I often lose interest in military type thrillers as they are too serious, but this was fun and funny which kept me interested. I was able to connect with the characters as they felt like real people not just unrealistic military superheroes dealing with crazy situations. Dez is a charming character, and that alone has me wanting to continue with the series. As he and Petra uncover the sinister plot surrounding her famly business, Dez also uncovers a much darker conspiracy that includes murder, politics, and so much more.

This was fun and action packed and while I'm sorry it took me so long to pick it up, I'm glad that there are more books in the series now for me to read.

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Review: I Told You So!: Scientists Who Were Ridiculed, Exiled, and Imprisoned for Being Right by Matt Kaplan

I Told You So!: Scientists Who Were Ridiculed, Exiled, and Imprisoned for Being Right by Matt Kaplan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC and ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

If you enjoy non-fiction of the medical or scientific nature give this one a read.  It is easy to follow and doesn't contain a ton of terminology a layperson like myself is unable to follow.  Kaplan, a scientist in his own right, who has turned to journalism writes about those who chose to challenge the status quo in their fields of expertise and where shunned for it only to be proven correct later on.  In some cases those brave souls were give credit for their findings, in others they never saw their ideas and findings do the good in their field.

Kaplans spends a good deal of time focusing on bias that is still present today in archeology, medicine, science, and other industry.  If you don't come from the "right" background and look like everyone else you can't possibly know what you are talking about.  Many women, and people of color (men and women), those of different religions backgrounds, or from different countries, etc, are still not respected despite how much education or expertise they possess in a field and are ridiculed and held back from making breakthroughs because it may bruise the ego of someone higher up the chain or challenge the status quo.  Kaplan points out the science and medicine have been held back for years because scientists and doctors don't like to be told that they are wrong and are slow to adapt to new methods that may produce better results.

I found this fascinating and was shocked to see that the hostility and bias that was present back in the days of Galileo is still rampant today across the world.  The scientific community hasn't learned it's lesson or grown from the many amazing discoveries that have been made from the diversity of minds and diversity of thought that have been brought forth since that time.  While marginally better the fact that any sort of racism, sexism, or -ism in any form is still occurring is unacceptable.  I think of all of the diseases that could have been cured or breakthroughs in medicine if that we could have had if humans weren't so stubborn, selfish and mean to one another.  While humanity has come along way, there is still much work to be done.

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Review: The Body by Bethany C. Morrow

The Body by Bethany C. Morrow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC and ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinion are my own.  

This was so creepy and intense, I don't usually have to take breaks from horror books, but I had to put this down and read something while I was reading this.  I'm not sure how to classify what type of horror book this is.  While this does have some paranormal/magical realism (I think), I think I would classify this more in the social horror category.  Morrow's books tend to fall in that space and this one is an unsettling commentary on religion, power dynamics, misogyny, morality, and more.

Mavis was brought what I would consider by two religious zealots.  She never could quite live up to her parents expectations, and when she didn't marry the man they wanted their judgement and guilt trips become almost unbearable.  When she finally gets married and breaks away from their church, she is still harshly judged, but Mavis is able to gain a bit of control over her life or so she thinks.  Now seven years into her marriage, she suspects that something is wrong and takes things into her own hands.  Her choices and actions lead her down a path of gruesome attacks on herself and her marriage that have her turning back to the two people she least wants advice from.  

This book was unexpected, and while Mavis seems naive at times and you are often left asking "what did you think would happen?"  Her upbringing and desire to please lead to a reckoning when she finally lets her rage out and she has to come to terms with the consequences.  The ending was equally unexpected, but it fits the story perfectly.  This felt like a fever dream the whole time where you weren't sure if Mavis was actually experiencing what was going on or if was all made up.  It had moments of "gore" but they weren't over the top, most of the horror was phycological and trauma based as Mavis comes to terms with what is going on and the things she has experienced and been told to accept.  I'm not usually one for religious or cult horror but this was dark and creepy in the best way!

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Review: After the Fall by Edward Ashton

After the Fall by Edward Ashton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC and ALC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This is the latest standalone from Ashton, which I was really looking forward to after having really enjoyed the Mickey 7 duology and The Fourth Consort.  This didn't have the action and humor of the previous books I've read.  It did have the unlikely relationships we've come to see in Aston's work

This follows John, who I would describe as an indentured servant or pet to Martok, an alien from the species that no dominates Earth after The Fall over 100 years ago.  Martok treats John like a beloved puppy than a bully.  Martok treats him well and has never harmed him, but when a great opportunity comes up he puts John's bond up as collateral for his latest investment.  Martok is not known for making good choices which has left the pair homeless and broke, so naturally John is concerned for his future.  Upon arrival at their new investment property, Martok, John and their newly acquired bond Six hope to turn the place into a retreat where the wealthy can relax.  

I enjoyed the story, but it wasn't exactly what I was expecting.  This takes a much more philosophical turn and begs the question of who is more deserving of rights in society?  I would like to reread this when I am in a different headspace, as those questions are worth pondering but I was not in the right place to think about those questions when reading this.  Sometimes its the right book at the right time.  The premise was interesting as were the characters and the concept of Earth at the time.  The concept of feral humans and aliens who conquered earth was fascinating.  Martok was also a very unique character, who added some humor to the storyline.

The narration was very well done.  The narrator did a great job with giving Martok, John, Six, and all of the other characters life in this future world.

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Review: The Marriage Bet by Olivia Hayle

The Marriage Bet by Olivia Hayle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book by the author, all opinions are my own.

This is the second book in The Billionaire Games series, however you can read it as a standalone.  This is a 4 part series of interconnected standalones following four wealthy friends who find love with unlikely partners.  This is a true enemies to lovers, where business rivals marry because it will save her business.  If they can make the media believe they are truly in love, she can save her company and make it the successful brand it once was.  Rafe is a successful business man with a track record and for helping luxury businesses succeed on the business side so they can focus on their craftsmanship and artistry.  Paige expects him to gut her company and stomp on the legacy her parents and grandparent left behind for for her to lead.  Unfortunately her uncle has already started the company down that road already, and with Rafe's help she just might be able to save the company she loves and find love herself.

I love the banter between Rafe and Paige.  They were so cold to each other in the beginning, but you could feel that tension was going to turn into attraction eventually.  I loved all of the outlandish things Paige would do to push Rafe's buttons and annoy him.  I also enjoyed watching them connect when it came to past trauma.  They realized that underneath their business deals and competitive natures, they could actually connect and support each other on a human level that no one else could understand.  Their chemistry builds slowly as does their true relationship, so when they finally admit their feelings it is no surprise as they've been getting to know one another for quite sometime while "pretending" to be a couple madly in love.

I also really enjoyed seeing the friend group again and getting to know them a bit more.  The group chats are always entertaining between the guys, and I'm looking forward to James' story later this year.

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Review: Order of Royals by Jude Deveraux

Order of Royals by Jude Deveraux
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC and ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This is the second book in the Blue Swan series, I do no recommend reading this as a standalone.  You really do need to read [book:Order of Swans: A Novel|211665659] first to understand what is going on and who all of the characters are.  

The series is set on another planet, where fairy tales are real and certain people have the power to alter them.  In this installment we mainly follow Princess Aradella as she hides in plain sight under her evil aunt's rule as queen.  Queen Olina is the quintessential evil queen from every fairy tale, she wants to be the most powerful, the smartest, the most beautiful, etc. so of course she makes up crazy proclamations to ensure that Aradella never takes the throne as the true heir.  Aradella teams up with Kaley, Tanek, and Mekos, who we met in the first book to escape an arranged marriage to a horrible prince and take back her kingdom.  She has been pretending to be plain and meek to escape the notice of her aunt, but there are many changes she would like to make once she takes the throne.  With the help of her new friends and her new found confidence she just may be able to take back what is rightfully hers.

While this follows Aradella and Mekos' journey and love story, we also can't forget about Kaley and her ability to connect with fairy tales.  As she was studying fairy tales back on Earth her knowledge of the tales gives her the ability to understand and influence situations when a tale is taking over.  Her relationship with Tanek and the other people she has met along her journey continues to develop as she learns more about her background and the planet of Bellis.

I enjoyed this series as a whole and this book wraps things up nicely.  

The audiobook was very well narrated.  The narrator does a great job distinguishing between the many characters and conveying emotion throughout the book.

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Review: The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin

The Sun and the Starmaker by Rachel Griffin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

At it's heart this is a beautiful story about grief and love.  Our female main character, Aurora is terrified to love anyone after seeing her mother fall to pieces after her father passed.  She loves her family, but when it comes to relationships she never wants to feel that kind of loss.  Our male lead, the Starmaker, has lived for a very long time and has become numb to losing people and has long learned to stop caring about those around him as while he has been gifted an immortal life with many comforts one of the curses is outliving those around him.  When Aurora discovers that she is to be the next Starmaker, she has a hard time coming to terms with what that means and why she was chosen.  As she trains with the Starmaker, they both must come to terms with mortality, immortality, loss, grief, love, and what it means to truly live.

The world building in this was fantastic.  The descriptions of the landscape, the animals, and the emotions of the characters was excellent.  I loved the story of the Sun and the Starmaker that is at the heart of the story.  The concept of the town and pulling in the light each day was really unique.  Unfortunately, I didn't feel the chemistry between our two main characters which is essential for me to connect with the romantic aspects of a story.  It did eventually click towards the end, but I didn't feel the yearning.  Aurora's insufferable attitude also turned me off to her character for much of the book, though she did redeem herself in the end.

Overall this was a unique story that starts off slow and builds to a satisfying end.  It has emotional ups and downs as it deals with some heavy topics.  This features Griffin's beautiful writing style and as always I look forward to reading whatever she writes in the future.

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Review: How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sylva

How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sylva
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. If you enjoy Travis Baldree or TJ Klune's writing I think you will enjoy this. It tackles some serious topics while also being sweet and fun at the same time. It also takes inspiration from the Lord of the Rings, which you do not have to have read to enjoy this.

I've become a huge fan of cozy fantasy, and there is a reason it has become popular. I love high fantasy as well, but sometimes you need something with a little humor and lower stakes to break up the adventure and action. This story leaves you with hope at the end and with a good message. Who doesn't want that?

This follows Pansy, a halfling who loves to cook and bake and just wants to make a place of her own in her late grandmother's cottage outside of town. To her utmost surprise she finds Ren, a goblin already living in the cottage as they have been designated caretaker when Pansy's grandmother came to town when she could no longer live on her own. Neither are willing to give up their stake on the cottage, so they strike up a deal to live together until one of them leaves and forfeits their rights. Their forced proximity causes them to learn about each others cultures and why goblins and halfings dislike each other so much. As Ren and Pansy forge a friendship that begins to turn into something more, their communities are still stuck in the past and not as easy to sway.

I really enjoyed getting to know Ren, Pansy and their two different communities. Neither one of them really fit in, but they were willing to work together once they put their differences aside to make a place of their own. They were both adorable as they tiptoed around each other to bridge the things they didn't understand about one another. It was interesting to watch them interact with their own communities as individuals and together to try to bring people together especially once they realized who the true enemy was.

I was surprise to learn that this was a debut, this was very well done and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

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Review: Hart Street Lane by Samantha Young

Hart Street Lane by Samantha Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via the author, all opinions are my own.

This is the third book in the Return to Dublin Street series, but you can read it as a standalone as all of the couples are interconnected but their stories are independent. We first met Baird and Maia in On Loverose Lane, but they were in different places in their lives. Maia was engaged at the time, but Baird knew there was something between them and was determined to get to know her. Fast forward to the future, Maia is in a pickle when her engagement is suddenly broken and she needs a fiancé fast or her job may b on the line. Fortunately for her Baird has been in love with her from day one, and just needs to convince her that his player days are in the past and he only has eyes for her.

Maia is a buyer for a posh department store in Scotland, and their marketing department has cooked up a campain to sponsor a wedding from engagement through honeymoon. The catch is that Maia is the bride to be and she and her fiance have just ended things. Baird has been acting out doing more and more reckless things since his concussion 2 years ago trying to prove that he is invincible as well as the best goalie in the league. The campaign is good for both of them for different reasons, and the best friends might just end up in love at the end of it all. Unfortunately, Maia has alot of baggage when it comes to love, trust, and relationships, which is understandable given her past. Things from her past are brought to light in the campaign that she would rather stay in the past and it threatens the life she's built and the relationship she's building with Baird.

I'm so glad Baird finally got his own book! I loved him as much as other fans of the series did when we first met him as Callan's sidekick in the first book in the series. He was such a fun character that deserved his own story and his own happy ending. Much like the other books in the series this does deal with some heavy and serious topics so make sure you take care of yourself first if you have triggers. Trigger warnings for (not inclusive) (view spoiler). I appreciated that they both had some things to deal with and were patient and kind with each other. I also appreciated that Maia had a great support group in place and were willing to tell her sternly but kindly that she needed to talk to someone about her trauma and that she was being unfair to Baird.

There was a good bit of growth from their characters as they supported each other through good and bad, and they worked through their problems.

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Review: A War of Wyverns by SF Williamson

A War of Wyverns by S.F. Williamson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC and ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This picks up shortly after the events in [book:A Language of Dragons|211096516], so I don't recommend reading this as a standalone as I feel you really need the background the first book provides.  Viv is in hiding after escaping Bletchley Park, and quietly doing what she can for the rebellion.  Her stills as a translator and polyglot are desired by both the corrupt government and the rebellion to not only understand the true intentions of the dragons but to find and harness the lost power of the Wyverns who have hidden themselves in the Hebrides Islands.

Viv's character really grows in this installment.  She has to face who she is without her dream of being a translator, and what she is worth if she stops translating.  If you've read the first book you know that much of her self worth is tied up in becoming a translator and rising the ranks in the caste system that exists.  When she realizes that translating the language unique to the dragons and wyverns will cause more harm than good, she looks inward to her own values and fights back in her own way.  This causes an uproar in the rebellion and those that are on her side continue to pressure her to translate the dragon language.  I loved the dragons and wyverns in this and how they had their own personalities and didn't require humans at all.  While they enjoyed human interaction, they didn't bond with humans and each dragon had their own personality and opinions.  

I appreciate all of the research that went into this series and that some of this was inspired by true events.  Obviously liberties were taken to turn this into a fantasy series, but I always appreciate an author's note that explains the research process and anything that was changed or any inspirations from true events.  Being as language is the center of the storyline here, the author details a several attempts to eliminate languages and dialects in favor of more "civilized norms" aka English.

I really enjoyed this sequel.  I'm not sure if there is going to be a third book, but the way that this ended I expect that there will be.  If so, I'm looking forward to see where things go next.

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2026 Netgalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge

  

This is my 4th year participating in this challenge, hosted by Socrates Book Reviews.  This is a fun way to keep myself accountable and see what others are reading and posting.

I reviewed 95 Netgalley titles in 2025 which I think is the most I've ever done in a year.  I don't know if I want to do as many this year, I started to get a bit burnt out by the end of the year.  I do want to continue clearing out my backlog of ARCs that I took when I was new to Netgalley and Edelweiss and had no idea what I was doing.

Here's to whatever 2026 holds and to reading some great books!  As always I'll link my reviews as I post them and post any approvals for upcoming ARCs as they come in. 

January - Link up to see what everyone else read and reviewed

1. A War of Wyverns by SF Williamson (1/6/26) ARC and ALC
2. How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sylva (1/6/26) ALC
3. Order of Royals by Jude Deveraux (1/6/26) ARC and ALC

February Link up to see what everyone else read and reviewed

1. The Sun and the Starmaker (2/17/26) ARC
2. After the Fall (2/24/26) ARC and ALC
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March Link up to see what everyone else read and reviewed

1. Midnight at the Celestial (3/3/24) ARC
2. Nobody's Baby by Olivia Waite (3/10/26) ALC
3. Daughter of Egypt (3/24/26) ARC and ALC
4. Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher (3/24/26) ALC

April Link up to see what everyone else read and reviewed

1. The Escape Game (4/7/26) ARC
2. Deathly Fates (4/14/26) ARC
3. Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker (4/21/26) ARC

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August Link up to see what everyone else read and reviewed

1. The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen (8/4/26) ARC

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