Genre: New Adult

A modern dark academia urban fantasy story with mysterious hauntings evoked by unsettling moments of déjà vu, Kamilah Cole’s An Arcane Inheritance is a high-concept book that pulls an impressive sleight of hand with its ambitious ideas. A perfect example of a slow burn mystery that is as twisty as it is intelligent, this is a fascinating fantasy book that reads and feels quite different from what its listed genres would suggest. Creative, immersive, and beautifully written, the purposely slow pacing isn’t for everyone nor is its sometimes directionless narrative, but the payoff for those that stick with Cole’s strong storytelling are in for a unique experience and one whose ending suggests a quick re-read on details and clues easily missed. An Arcane Inheritance is a tricky book to talk about and review due to how crucial its major plot twist developments near the end of the story are, requiring the reader to almost fall into its intended sense of familiarity. In a sense, about three quarters of the book is that of its main character Ellory Morgan’s on-campus collegiate school life mixed with mysterious and foreboding paranormal-like occurrences involving familiarity, unknown visions, or conversations that may or may not…

This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by Harper Voyager. In a tense and snow-covered world where academic studies are punishable by death, Max Francis’s Honor & Heresy follows a pair of scholars tasked with discovering the identity and motivations of a mysterious invading force threatening the city of Northgard. Accustomed to a life of persecution and suffering by political leaders that detest scholarly pursuits, Roy Dawnseve is recruited by the Governor to explore the mysterious and vast archive of the Orphic Basilica in the company of the standoffish and opposing philosophical scholar Percival Atherton. A highly atmospheric and immersive dark academia tale featuring a rivals-to-lovers M/M romance, this book is a slow burn story that’s haunting and a very promising debut novel despite a somewhat weak ending. Marketed as a story set around the concept of scholastic inquiry and a mysterious library, Honor & Heresy mostly delivers on its promise of a dark academia tale crossed with M/M romantic interests. Dark academia is a very popular genre buzzword that can relate to a variety of narrative topics and styles depending on who you ask, this book’s take on it is one of literary interest and analysis…

This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. An intriguing blend of fantasy and science fiction elements, Naomi Ishiguro’s The Rainshadow Orphans is a unique crossover novel full of Japanese cultural and folklore inspirations. Mixing a variety of concepts across the SFF genre umbrella, this book is an appealing and accessible read that feels like a throwback to YA fantasy novels of the mid 2000’s modernized for current tastes. The start of a planned high fantasy trilogy, though the Rainshadow Orphans is quite lengthy and occasionally drags in places, it’s an appealing start to a series full of great potential. Set in a fictional island archipelago and primarily taking place in the affluent Rainshadow City and the impoverished Keeper’s Crescent, the Rainshadow Orphans tells the story of young adult characters (plus Haru) caught amid the Royal Emperor Asayo’s revisioning of the island and the illegal gang activities of the Lucky Crows. Presented through multiple POV’s, the story is one that is part fantasy magical object and creature-based, and part futuristic technology-based with light hints of dystopian turmoil. The book covers the events of 48 hours that put the futures…

Featuring a genius title that fits the story both literally and metaphorically, Seeing Other People by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka is a wholesome and cute contemporary romance novel with trace elements of magical realism and speculative fiction elements. While clearly intended to be an opposites-attract romance story haunted by the literal ghosts of their exes, Seeing Other People is also a heartwarming story about grief and unexpected friendships that’s simple, easy to read, and tackles an emotional premise without being depressing or difficult for sensitive readers to get through. Though this book didn’t have the strongest introspective and reflective writing chops I was hoping for, it’s still a cute book that has a lot of mass appeal, perfectly suited for light-hearted romance readers looking for something with a bit more weight than their usual. “Maybe no one ever really leaves. They just…change. From souls to soil, shattered pieces to loving completion, dreams to dust to memory. They live on, the ghosts of past lives made new forever.” As a reader that loves ghost stories, I was intrigued by Seeing Other People’s premise that’s genius on paper. Presented in a dual-perspective presentation, the book follows landscape and gardening enthusiast Morgan…

Pitched as an enemies-to-lovers, cursed prince story with a dark academia flavor, on paper Seven Deadly Thorns has a lot going for it. Capitalizing on many popular romantasy tropes and hooks, the story has all the right elements in addition to having some pretty snappy action and great ambiance at times. However, the execution leaves much to be desired and by trying to cram so many different storylines into the book, the result is that nothing is done particularly well. Great ideas brought down by whiplash storytelling and nonsensical plotting, unfortunately this one was a bit of a mess for me, though at least it is a mildly entertaining mess. (On Goodreads 1.5 star rating rounded down) When I started reading Seven Deadly Thorns, I wasn’t entirely sure if it was Harry Potter-esque Dramione fanfic that was reworked to be an original story or coincidentally ended up this way given the similarity of its setting, characters, and general feel. Whether it was an intentional choice or not, the book’s best feature for me was its setting, atmosphere, and mysterious intrigue (in the first half of the book only). Starting in a commons courtyard, dark academia classes, prefects, and iconic castles,…