Format: eBook

The following review is based on a complimentary ARC provided by Sourcebooks Fire. The second half of Beth Revis and Sara Raasch’s Scottish-inspired historical romantasy duology, The Blood Queen is an intense assault of a YA fantasy novel. Picking up the story right where The Crimson Throne’s cliffhanger ending leaves off, this book is a fast-paced fantasy read packed with action, lore, and bringing the conflict of the invading red caps to a dramatic conclusion. Featuring likeable characters, snappy pacing, and strong Scottish folklore, The Blood Queen is a solid YA read only mildly hindered by uneven content between POV’s, pacing that can feel rushed, and a notable lack of historical fiction elements compared to its predecessor. After the dramatic cliffhanger ending of The Crimson Throne, this book resumes the story and rounds out the battle between the red cap forces and the Alyth’s fae connections with both the human and fae worlds at stake. The first book featured a wide array of narrative elements that covered fae and human portal-based worldbuilding, Scottish folklore, and historical fiction elements featuring real historical figures. Given that the villain is only just revealed at The Crimson Throne’s conclusion, this book has a lot…

This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by Entangled: Mayhem Books. Part two of Nisha J. Tuli’s Storm Breaker series, Storm Caller picks up after the first book’s high‑energy and cliffhanger ending. Featuring more overt dystopian elements, this book leans away from the typical academy setting and training arc, instead focusing on heavy world‑building that substantially expands the scope of the story far beyond New Manhattan. While this novel continues the signature storm motif and builds on the first book’s dystopian elements, it can unfortunately feel less balanced and lacking notable progression, giving it a transitional and somewhat underwhelming feel in addition to having a more juvenile tone. Following Poet’s escape through the tunnels with Rook, Storm Caller sees her outside New Manhattan and into The Wastes. While the first book largely consists of a traditional academy training arc common in YA books, this one switches up the formula and focuses on expanding the world outside the protected city. As the second book in a now‑planned trilogy, it carries much of the burden of expanding the lore: life and culture in The Wastes, the history and conflicts with New Manhattan, General Sol’s spark‑channeling ability, and exploration of…

This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by Poisoned Pen Press. A creature feature novel set in the tube, Jonathan Sims’s The Burn Line is a well‑crafted horror story that’s a quick read and something a bit different from the norms of the genre. Blending underground eldritch tension with English commentary on wealth disparity and social stigmatization, it features a multi‑POV presentation and a diverse set of characters with good representation. While some may have mild issues with the uneven pacing and the book’s slower middle section, it’s an otherwise polished and solid debut and a perfect sweltering summer read, unless cooler‑weather escapism is preferred. This book is set in the summer of 2022 during the UK’s unprecedented heatwaves that were not only historic by climate‑tracking records but also deadly. In addition to the record‑breaking weather, 2022 was still part of the Covid pandemic as well as a particular royal‑family‑related event that is included in this novel. Underground tunnels and subway systems have been used as the basis for horror novels before, but what makes The Burn Line unique is the heatwave element that gives the story a distinctive feel. Where many other books mention chilling realizations…

This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by Requited. A thief, a swordswoman, a magic caster, and a weapons forger walk into a pub only to be thwarted by an immortal being in need of their oddly specific skillset. That more or less sums up Taylor J. LaRue’s debut novel Steelborn, the first entry in a planned trilogy titled the Steelborn Saga. This book’s fantasy elements are as widespread as its main character Reya’s talents, which can make it an exciting read or a narratively muddy one based on the reader’s taste. Featuring noteworthy action and high fantasy elements coupled with typical romantasy tropes and some messy world-building, I found this book to be a decent read, though one that I personally wasn’t very invested in (on Goodreads, 2.5‑star rating rounded up). A fantasy‑romance/romantasy book with prominent fantasy‑adventure storylines, Steelborn feels like a book specifically crafted for veteran romantasy readers who want a bit more flashy swordfighting than the genre norm. A skilled thief who doubles as a mercenary for hire, the story follows Reya Connery, a scrappy young woman known as the Crimson Dagger. As expected based on its premise, the book’s best moments are when…

The following review is based on a complimentary ARC provided by Forever, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing. Marketed as a new standalone story, V.L. Bovalino’s The Thief and the Traitor Bride is a fascinating book conceptually that has multiple identities just like Nore and Caspian. Featuring new main characters, a different romance trope, new magical system rules, and more, this book is a brand‑new story in a familiar world that is expanding in scale and complexity. Despite its new tale and characters with different careers in the high fantasy setting, this book is very much spinoff sequel to The Second Death of Locke, or at least a narrative epilogue after the previous book’s open‑ended conclusion. Expertly crafted, beautifully written, and featuring perhaps even better character development compared to the previous entry, The Thief and the Traitor Bride is an ambitious slow‑burn fantasy romance epic. Before getting into the review of the book itself, I know quite a few people are desperate to know if this book gives any closure to Grey and Kier, as the first book ends on a dramatic and rather open‑ended note. I can happily report that The Thief and the Traitor Bride definitely follows up…