Review: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for the pre-release copy of Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab. Below is my honest review.

I absolutely loved this one. The intertwining narratives following three female leads and all the different time periods was so entertaining. I especially loved the development of each character, and really enjoyed seeing the effects that such a long, long existence can have on the mind.

I've never been disappointed by a Schwab book, and this one was no exception to that rule. I've been trying to go slowly through her back catalogue so I don't run out too quickly, but I'm almost done with them all, which is devastating. I'll have to start *gasp* WAITING for the new releases.

Anywho, highly recommended. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.

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Review: Badlands

Badlands by Douglas Preston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central for the pre-release copy of Badlands by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Below is my honest review.

I'm a huge Preston & Child fan, and I really love Nora and Corrie. This one did NOT disappoint. In fact, it might be one of my favorites in the Pendergast world so far.

This one follows Corrie and Nora as they work together to investigate a five year old corpse found in the heat of the Badlands - the naked corpse of an adult woman, her clothes casually dropped one piece at a time as she wandered into the desert sands until she collapsed and cooked to death, leaving only a pair of Gallina tribal lightning stones in her hands.

As the two leads delve deeper into this odd almost ritualistic suicide, they find out that there is much, much more going on, and they are thrust into dangerous territory - both physically (the worst parts of the barren desert areas of New Mexico) and case-wise.

Highly recommend this one. Absolutely fantastic. One of their best!

This one could totally be read as a standalone, though it does connect back to the Pendergast series and the previous entries in this Corrie/Nora spinoff series. You'll enjoy it either way, but definitely suggest getting the most of out by reading ALL THE BOOKS! :)

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Review: Death at a Highland Wedding

Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's for the pre-release copy of Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong. Below is my honest review.

Yet another fantastic entry in A Rip Through Time, this time following Mallory and Gray and company to the highlands of Scotland for the wedding of McCreadie's sister. Of course, there have to be complications - including a history between McCreadie and the groom. Turns out, the groom is a man from the social circle that Gray and McCreadie were a part of in their youths, and McCreadie's family had an arranged engagement between him and the now-groom's sister, which McCreadie effectively ended, causing massive rifts. Things are further complicated by things at the estate, and eventually there's a murder.

Luckily for everyone involved (except the killer, and well, the victim), the crackpot team of Mallory, Gray, and McCreadie are there to solve the case.

This one was really good, but I will give you a warning - there are some potential triggers revolving around grooming, sexual assault, etc.

Highly recommended. But you'd be wise to read the previous books in the series first for all the backstory. Though if you choose to, it's still a great novel on its own merits... you'll just miss some of the depth.

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Review: The Language of the Birds

The Language of the Birds by K.A. Merson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and RHPG Ballantine for the pre-release copy of The Language of the Birds by K.A. Merson. Below you'll find my honest review.

I'm gonna be honest - I love a good treasure hunt story. National Treasure? Yeah, saw it in theaters multiple times. Most of Dan Brown's novels, like Angels & Demons or The Da Vinci Code? Love. Indiana Jones? My favorite is the Last Crusade.

I absolutely adore the whole "let's solve puzzles and ciphers and riddles as we move along the hunt for a treasure or a place" trope. And this one did it so well!

Firmly in the YA genre, this one has the young MC follow a trail of ciphers and clues at the demand of some baddies who have kidnapped her mom. She's definitely a unique heroine, as she falls on the spectrum of autism/neurodivergence. As someone who is also neurodivergent, it was refreshing to see a character written so genuinely, who struggles with their differences as both a strength in some situations and a hindrance in others, but begins to learn the ways she can interact with the world on her own terms.

As far as the puzzles go, they were so much fun! The ciphers were interesting to read about, and we get to see Arizona's process documented as she thinks through and solves them. There are also plenty of visual references, which were amazingly helpful. And all the history of alchemy and Herbert Hoover was very cool to read about.

All in all, I absolutely adored this book. I will warn you - there's a bit of a scare with the dog, for those of you who need trigger warnings.

Highly recommended for fans of treasure hunts, YA, fun puzzle adventures with historical references, and neurodivergent representation. Five stars.

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Review: Archangel's Ascension

Archangel's Ascension by Nalini Singh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for providing me with a pre-release copy of Archangel's Ascension by Nalini Singh. Below you'll find my honest review.

More Bluebell! More Sparkle! Murder! Intrigue! Overly lovey-dovey swooning! Ascension! This book has it all.

I'm really interested in seeing where the series goes now, as there are some serious waves being made in the world of Guild Hunter, and a LOT has changed because of this book.

I don't want to spoil much, but this one has multiple timelines running through it, and it jumps around to tell different parts of different storylines.

I'm a little disappointed that yet again, the steamy parts are left out of the Illium/Aodhan books, whereas all the heterosexual couples get... details.. and the two Illium/Aodhan books get allusions to things happening. But I guess I understand it.

Anywho, this one has a lot of built up information culminating from a book series in the double digits, so you're doing yourself a disservice if you jump right in with this one.

Definitely recommended for paranormal romance, fantasy romance, angels/vampires, etc.

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Review: Mapping the Interior

Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for my pre-release copy of Mapping the Interior. Below is my honest review.

I am really enjoying getting to know the works of Stephen Graham Jones, and this novella was a gem. It built the horror up easily, tore it down, and built it back up again - over and over until the end came. It provided depth of both character and plot, and the setting was absolutely spot on.

Honestly, I'm very impressed with a novella with this much power and worldbuilding.

Definitely recommend this one for horror fans, but be warned there's some serious trigger warnings for family trauma.

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Review: The Staircase in the Woods

The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey for the pre-release copy of Chuck Wendig's latest horror novel, The Staircase in the Woods. Below you'll find my honest review.

Have you ever seen those really cool pictures people take and put on the internet of old, run down, abandoned houses? Or random parts of houses still standing when the rest is gone? This is kinda like that, but just a staircase. A staircase in the woods, leading up from the ground, leading up into nowhere, is waiting to be found. I've seen photos of random things like this found in the woods, and always thought there had to be good stories around them.

This takes that concept and give it the Wendig version of the Stephen King treatment. A group of friends, in their high school years of course, go camping in the woods one weekend. Five go in, but only four leave. One decides to go up the staircase they found in the woods, standing all on its own, and disappears, just as the staircase does a moment later, never to be seen again. Years later, they're all drawn back into the crazy when one of them leads them straight to another staircase in another forest, and this time, the hunt for their long-lost friend is on. What awaits them at the top of the staircase? Well, I have to leave that for you to read and find out. But what I can say is that this is a horror novel that lives up to the word.

I absolutely loved this one and highly recommend it to horror fans, especially if you like King-esque stories. Top notch, five stars.

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Review: The Ghost Woods

The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the pre-release copy of CJ Cooke's The Ghost Woods. Below you'll find my honest review.

The Ghost Woods was pure excellence. I loved every second of it, and had a hard time putting it down even when I was exhausted and needed to go to sleep. The "haunted" nature of things, the science, the character depth, the setting... all added up to a fantastic mysterious horror-adjacent read.

Highly recommended for horror, mystery, and natural science fans, but please note it's not really scary horror, just tension building gothic mystery style horror.

Also, trigger warnings for any and all things surrounding pregnancy and childbirth, including stillbirth, miscarriage, adoption loss, and becoming pregnant due to very bad circumstances (trying to avoid a specific word here to prevent my review from being flagged or denied, but I hope I made it very clear.

Five stars, more if I could.

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Review: The Ashfire King

The Ashfire King by Chelsea Abdullah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for the early copy of The Ashfire King. Below is my honest review.

I've been trying to wait patiently for the sequel to The Stardust Thief for a few years now. It was one of my favorite reads of 2022, and it was smashingly good. I know Chelsea Abdullah had some issues arise, not sure whether those were personal or publishing related, that delayed the book a little. But it was TOTALLY worth the wait.

This one picks up where the other left off, and finds our cast of protagonists splintered into a handful of smaller groups. As each of those groups push towards a reconciliation, the obstacles in their way begin to reveal much more important paths that they must follow that override their main goal of reuniting.

We meet some new goods, some new evils, some new villains, and some new heroes.

All in all, this one was a whirlwind (get it? Nabila and whirlwinds? Aww, read the book and you'll get it) of fun and adventure.

I am so glad she's working hard on the final book in the trilogy. I can't wait for it!

Five stars, highly recommended, but please read The Stardust Thief first. This is book two of a trilogy, and you kinda need book one's story first.

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Review: The Book That Held Her Heart

The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the advanced copy of The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence. Below is my honest review.

I've read quite a few of Lawrence's trilogies over the last few years, and let me tell you this: he's a master of trilogy plotting. This one is no exception, and might honestly be the best one he's written so far.

The characters are great, the settings are random and varied and could be any time and anywhere, and the twists just keep coming.

I don't want to spoil anything, but this one ties up the trilogy in a way that seems to fit the story, but not really what the reader expects. Not gonna lie, one thing definitely added some heartbreak for me.

All in all, 4.5 stars (because of that heartbreak, jeez Mark don't do this to me), rounded up.

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Review: The Last Session

The Last Session by Julia Bartz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for the pre-release copy of The Last Session. Below is my honest review.

This one was a wild ride! After The Writing Retreat, I had high expectations of Julia Bartz's second novel, and she delivered.

It did everything well - world building? Check. Really deep and developed characters? Check. Top notch plot twists? Check. Awesome locale? Check. Perfect build of foreboding atmosphere? Check.

Highly recommend this one to fans of culty stuff, mysteries, and working through personal traumas through the written word.

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Review: The Other People

The Other People by C.B. Everett
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Thanks to Atria and Netgalley for the pre-release copy of The Other People. Below is my honest review.

I very much enjoyed this locked room weird-as-heck mystery, as it definitely takes inspiration from Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None - and anyone who follows my reviews know I'm a huge Christie fan.

The characters were decently fleshed out, and the setting was sufficiently intriguing.

But - and that's a huge but - I was worried as the book went along that it would end up stealing bits and pieces from the ending of a movie I loved when it came out back in 2003, Identity. Unfortunately, it wasn't just bits and pieces that ended up in the climax and denouement, but an extremely similar story - to the point that I'm left wondering if there's even the slightest chance it wasn't pulled straight from that movie.


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Review to come upon release.

I really enjoyed this one up until the reveal. The whole time I was hoping it would not be a ripoff of the 2003 movie Identity, but alas, it was. Can’t believe that snuck past editors to get published…. Pretty sure Michael Cooney wouldn’t be happy the movie he wrote’s twist ending was taken.

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Review: Serial Killer Support Group

Serial Killer Support Group by Saratoga Schaefer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the pre-release copy of Serial Killer Support Group. Below is my honest review.

What a rollercoaster ride this one was. Cyra is grieving the murder of her sister and feeling the guilt of the huge argument they had right before Mira died. So she hounds the police until a friend with access tells her about a dark web link that leads to an in-person NYC support group... for serial killers. Next step? She fakes her way into the group, posing as a serial killer, to investigate and find Mira's killer on her own.

Of course, things don't work out just the way she expects, and soon she finds herself caught in one of her fellow group member's web of deceit.

This one was a twisty rollercoaster of murdery entertainment. Was the end results a little predictable? Yeah, but I read a lot of mysteries and was raised on trying to figure out Christie twists. If you don't read a ton of mysteries (especially ones with huge twists like Christie), then you might be fooled in the best ways possible.

Highly recommend.

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Review: She Waits for You Beyond the Dark

She Waits for You Beyond the Dark by Kristen Simmons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Teen for the pre-release copy of She Waits for You Beyond the Dark. Below is my honest review.

This is the direct sequel to Find Him Where You Left Him Dead, and you *need* to read that one before picking this one up. It picks up almost immediately after the events of that book, so this one will spoil it drastically and continues the story.

I requested this one not realizing it was a sequel, and once I added it to my Goodreads shelf, I saw it was marked as #2, so I bought and read book #1 to be ready. And I loved BOTH of them.

This one finds our little group up one and down one, basically a wash. But that doesn't stop Meido from creeping its way back into their lives and sucking them into a new game, one that holds the fate of the friend group AND the entire living world by a thread.

The fictional take on Japanese mythology and lore and horror is absolutely wild fun, and I highly recommend this duology for fans of YA horror with a cultural take.

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Review: Installment Immortality

Installment Immortality by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for the early copy of Installment Immortality. Below is my honest review.

The second Incryptid novel from Mary's POV and the first to be released with new publisher Tor, Installment Immortality continues the excellent urban fantasy hijinks we've all come to know and love from the Price family universe. This one brings Mary's (after)life full circle and ties up a loose end or two with some minor players in the Covenant. I have a feeling there are some more big battles coming in the long run.

Highly recommended, but please remember this is well into the series, and you'll do yourself a disservice to jump right in without context. So read them all, as soon as possible.

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Review: Cold Iron Task

Cold Iron Task by James J. Butcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the pre-release copy of Cold Iron Task. Below is my honest review.

If you haven't read the famous Jim Butcher's son James' urban fantasy series, you should pick it up. This is book three in the Unorthodox Chronicles, and it's worth the read. He definitely inherited a bit of his dad's talent in regards to creativity and worldbuilding. I can see a lot of Jim's earlier books in James', and can see an upwards trajectory for his skill.

This installment shows us a new side of Grimsby's relationships - mutual trust, respect, and Grimsby truly feeling like he has friends. Mayflower's going through the wringer, and this time Grimsby gets to be true support for Mayflower, Rayne, and even Wudge.

I really enjoyed the way this one shakes out, and the amount of growth Grimsby has shown.

Definitely recommend this series for Urban Fantasy fans.

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Review: Cold as Hell

Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the pre-release copy of Cold as Hell. Below is my honest review.

I absolutely love this series. So much that I don't even know if I have words to express just how much I love it. The setting, the characters, the atmosphere, the mysteries... Armstrong is a master class author.

Highly recommend picking up this series (though be warned, this one is a few books into a followup series to the first series, Rockton, and as such, certain aspects of character/setting history are spoiled for those who haven't read the rest).

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Review: The Medici Return

The Medici Return by Steve Berry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for a pre-release copy of The Medici Return by Steve Berry. Below is my honest review.

It's wild how active Cotton Malone is for a man his age. Oh wait, I can't recall his exact age because he seems to be stuck in his late 40s/early 50s! lol

Anyways, on to the good stuff. The Medici Return was one of those "gotta prove there is a legitimate heir" kind of treasure hunt book, and I enjoyed that aspect of it. I also really enjoyed learning more about the Medicis and the history of a lot of regions of Italy.

I do think one or two of the twists were pretty predictable, sadly, and I wasn't a fan of the bad guy. He felt very... stock villain-adjacent? Either way, the journey itself was a romp through Italy and even included a horse race!

Overall, four stars. Still a great series, just not my favorite of the bunch. Recommended for fans of history and thrillers, Dan Brown fans, etc... but be warned, this is book 19. There's some character history here that you're missing if you start here.

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Review: All Better Now

All Better Now by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the early copy of All Better Now. Below is my honest review.

Every time I pick up a Neal Shusterman novel and tear through it, my first thought is "why haven't I gone back and finished reading his entire catalogue yet?" This one was no exception.

It was a lot of fun (for us, the readers, at least) and had a lot to say in the way of social commentary regarding public health, and also carried an interesting message about how we've allowed pure unfettered capitalism to use negativity and hate and pessimism to drive us to a consume consume consume mindset.

Definitely recommended for Shusterman fans and YA readers.

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Review: The Bones Beneath My Skin

The Bones Beneath My Skin by T.J. Klune
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Tor and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of The Bones Beneath My Skin. Below is my honest review.

While this book has been released previously, Tor is rereleasing it as part of its contract with TJ Klune, and I'm here for it. The new cover is great, and the book itself is absolutely fantastic.

It's sort of a discussion on what it means to be human and what the connections between us really mean, a story of found family and a story of love and forgiveness, both for others and for yourself.

Highly recommended read.

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Review: The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King

The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King by Harry Trevaldwyn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the pre-release copy. Below you'll find my honest review:

Not gonna lie, for the first 40% of this book or so, I found the main character absolutely insufferable. It dragged for me because I didn't like him enough to want to keep going. But the premise was intriguing enough, and the side characters/love interests were pretty good, so I pushed through. I'm glad I did, because eventually, the main character actually starts to GROW as a person and it was a joy to "watch" the process.

It was also really cute, and wasn't smutty at all. Just adorable high school nerdy gay kid finding himself and his first "love" while learning about life and relationships of all kinds. Quite a chaste book, but perfect for YA readers.

Definitely recommend. I'd read something else by the author in the future, for sure.

Four stars!

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Review: At the Bottom of the Garden

At the Bottom of the Garden by Camilla Bruce
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and RHPG- Ballantine Del Rey for the pre-release copy of At the Bottom of the Garden. Below you'll find my honest review.

I've never read Camilla Bruce before, but the description for this one jumped out at me as a good Halloween-season read, so I requested an ARC. I'm so glad I did!

I loved the characters, all of whom had some interesting depths to plumb and all of the POVs had a distinctly different voice, which isn't always the case in books with rotating POVs.

I absolutely loved the strange powers and the ghosty things in this one too! I really don't want to spoil much, but I'd definitely recommend this to fans of the supernatural, magic powers, and people getting what they deserve.

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Review: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the pre-release copy of Witchcraft for Wayward Girls. Below you'll find my honest review.

A witchy book was a perfect "get in the Halloween mood" read! Hendrix is one of my go-to authors for great horror books, and this one was absolutely one of his best ones yet.

The characters developed really well, and the witchy bits were so much fun (for us, the reader, but not always for the MCs!)

I think the best part for me was the setting. He really built up the world perfectly - from the Home, to the staff, to the witchy lady, to the other girls, to the atmosphere of the time - it just all felt so immersive and on point.

And just as importantly, he nailed the connection from actual horror elements with the horrors of reality, per usual, this time in how women, especially girls, are treated in the real world and in the case of pregnancy outside of marriage.

Top notch read, highly HIGHLY recommended.

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Review: Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear

Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for the pre-release copy of Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear. Below is my honest review.

I hated knowing what was coming (thanks, Beneath the Sugar Sky) because I really loved Nadya and the turtles in her true home world. I really would have liked a little more depth (pun) of plot for this one, as it kind of felt incomplete to me. But I really really really really loved the turtle Drowned Girl world!

Highly recommended, especially if you keep up with the series. It's a fantastic series.

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Review: No Place Left to Hide

No Place Left to Hide by Megan Lally
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the pre-release copy of No Place to Hide by Megan Lally. Below is my honest review.

I really enjoyed Megan Lally's last book, That's Not My Name, and so I knew when I saw this one that I had to get my grubby little hands on it.

This one is similar to That's Not My Name in that it's about teenagers, involves some dark situations, and has some major twists. While That's Not My Name took place over time, this one takes place over the course of an evening, with some flashbacks to build suspense, context, and the origin of the mystery.

Honestly, it's rare nowadays for a twist to really get me, so I was pleasantly surprised that while I guessed one of the twists, I got slammed head-on with a bigger twist that I did NOT see coming.

Highly recommended for fans of twisty YA mysteries. Definitely worth the read.

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Review: Velveteen vs. The Early Adventures

Velveteen vs. The Early Adventures by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Subterranean Press for the advanced copy of this serial collection. Below is my honest review.

Finally, a chance to catch up on Velveteen's adventures! I have hardcover copies of the first three collections, but they're rare and limited print, so they're packed up in protective covering with all of my special books. I didn't want to mess them up! So when I saw this on Netgalley, I knew I MUST have a copy to read. It's one of the few Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant works I haven't touched before now.

I really liked Velveteen, but some of the side characters really caught my fancy - especially Tag, Victory Anna, and the Princess. I really like the concepts behind so many of the power sets, and they were a lot of fun to read.

Looking forward to more!!

Recommended for fans of McGuire/Grant, superpowers, comic books, and serial stories.

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