Review: Indian Burial Ground

Indian Burial Ground by Nick Medina
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This one was really interesting. It's a split narrative, with one story connecting past and present, following the two perspectives of an uncle and niece, each dealing with some tragic goings-on in their own adulthood.

The story does have some paranormal twists to it, and it's a really deep commentary on the effects of colonization on native groups and how that generational trauma also inflicts personal trauma as well, extending into the present.

I don't want to say too much and end up spoiling anything, but I'd say if you're a fan of horror or horror-lite, then this book is a solid one sure to entertain.

View all my reviews

Review: The Hungry Dark

The Hungry Dark by Jen Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane for gifting me an advanced copy. Below you'll find my honest review.

Thanks to Jen Williams, now I want to read more books about "fake psychics" with actual powers, and I'm not entirely sure where to find more!

I really liked this one. It checked a lot of boxes for me - creepy old house, ghostly apparitions, mystery, powers, characters with fleshed out histories...

While I did figure out the "twist" at the end long before I got there, I still think it was well done and quite a fun book to read. There were some repetitive things and some slow paced sections for me, so coupled with figuring out the big moment, I decided to give it four stars.

I'll definitely be picking up more from Jen Williams and highly recommend this book to horror/mystery/paranormal/creepy ghost story fans.

View all my reviews

Review: The Book That Broke the World

The Book That Broke the World by Mark Lawrence
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the early copy. Below is my honest review.

Mark Lawrence is the master of plotting trilogies, and this middle book in his latest trilogy, The Library Trilogy, is no exception.

The last one ended with everyone scattered in the wind. This one documents them finding their way back together, but all the perils and pitfalls along the way.

I can't spoil anything for this one, but I will say - the twists and turns were wild, and I loved it. I can't wait for the final book, and I really hope we get more stories set in the world of the Library afterwards.

Highly recommended, but please read The Book That Wouldn't Burn first.

View all my reviews

Review: Three Kinds of Lucky

Three Kinds of Lucky by Kim Harrison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the early copy of Three Kinds of Lucky. Below you'll find my honest review.

I'm a huge fan of Kim Harrison's Hollows novels - both the original series and the recent continuation. I liked her Drafter novels and was disappointed we never got the end of the trilogy.

This one was a really good series opener. She built a cool world with an interesting take on magic, along with some great characters. I did figure out the "traitor" early on, but she did set it up to be obvious to the reader.

I had trouble putting this one down and absolutely loved it - except for one thing. I'll put it at the bottom so you can choose whether or not to read it. This will slightly spoil, so look away if you're not interested in a spoiler.

All in all, definitely recommend for Urban Fantasy fans or fans of The Hollows. 4 stars.




CONTENT WARNING

CONTENT WARNING

CONTENT WARNING

CONTENT WARNING

THE DOG DIES.

CONTENT WARNING

CONTENT WARNING

CONTENT WARNING

CONTENT WARNING


View all my reviews

Review: Murder Road

Murder Road by Simone St. James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

A wrong turn leads a newlywed couple down a back country road where they find a bloody injured woman wandering aimlessly down the middle of the road. They pick her up and take her to the local hospital, and on the way, they're chased down by pair of headlights belonging to a speeding pickup truck. When they get there, the police show up and tell the couple not to leave town... because they're now suspects. Things go sideways when legends of a local haunting creep into their own investigation, raising the stakes much higher than anticipated.

I really enjoyed this one and will definitely pick up more by Simone St. James. The twist was a little predictable if you were paying attention, but guessing it ahead of time didn't detract from the story at all. The characters were full of depth and the story was dark and twisty.

Definitely recommended for thriller/light horror fans.

View all my reviews

Review: Aftermarket Afterlife

Aftermarket Afterlife by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and DAW for the prerelease copy. Below is my honest review.

I can't. There aren't words. I am struggling to write this review. Was the book good? Of course it was. It was five stars. It's Seanan-freaking-McGuire, so of course it was good. It was great. But...

It was also devastating. I wasn't prepared for this, even a little bit. I know Seanan can be brutal, but wow. WOW.

I don't want to spoil anything, so let me give you the quick rundown: All of the series leading up to this point has been about moving pieces into place. And those pieces? They're moved. And now, there is war. And neither the Covenant nor the Price-Healy clan are going to pull their punches.

Prepare yourself before reading this.

Also, this is one of those books that you REALLY need the context of the rest of the series going in, so do yourself the HUGE favor of reading all the fantastic books leading up to this one (including the three Ghost Road novels too, please and thank you). You won't regret it... though you might regret the trauma this book is likely to cause. *breaks down weeping*

HIGHLY recommended.

View all my reviews

Review: Rift in the Soul

Rift in the Soul by Faith Hunter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

I love Nell Nicholson Ingram and her ragtag crew of strays that have formed not only her PsyLED team, but a little found family. This one throws them all into the middle of a very old vampire's machinations, which really gets complicated when the implications of Jane's Angel giving the vamps their souls back and removing the curse on weres comes into play. (This does beg the question - what happens to the grindylows? Because I love them!) In addition to that, Nell's connections to Soulwood *and* the creepy tree with a mind of its own also toss some crazy into the mix.

I really liked this one, and hope hope hope this isn't the end. With Jane ending last year, I'm not ready to lose Nell too. Fingers crossed!

Highly recommended, but please AT LEAST read the rest of the Soulwood series, but be warned that it does exist in the Jane Yellowrock world and is affected by events of that series as well.

View all my reviews

Review: A Fate Inked in Blood

A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Del Ray for the pre-release copy! Below you'll find my honest review.

I put this one off for a bit because I wasn't sure I was in the mood for fantasy. Then I realized it comes out this month and that I needed to read it before release, so I dived right on in.

I shouldn't have hesitated, even a little bit. It was so good! The magic was really cool, and I really liked so many of the characters. Did Freya have some whiny moments? Sure, but she kind of has a lot going on in her life. Is it a little unfair that Bjorn is as sexy as he is but trapped in the book and not here with me? Definitely.

Once I really got going, the pages flew by. It was hard to put down and I just wanted to read a little bit more, a little bit more, to find out what happened next.

I can't recommend this one enough for fans of mythological fantasy stories with spicy romance mixed in. Five stars.

View all my reviews

Review: A Haunting in the Arctic

A Haunting in the Arctic by C.J. Cooke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for providing me with a copy of this novel prior to release. Below you'll find my honest review.

So, this one was a hard one to review. Mostly because it was insanely compelling and hard to put down, but had one major glaring issue - the twist is sooooo obvious. Like, neon lights big enough to see from space pointing at the twist saying "HERE! LOOK!" kind of obvious.

But the two timeline stories unfolding chapter by chapter, with a third timeline woven throughout with research notes, etc, really were so interesting to read. I was invested in both of the main storylines and just couldn't fight that "okay one more chapter" feeling late into the night.

There are also some MAJOR trigger warnings for this one when it comes SA/R scenes, so be aware going in if these things are difficult for you to read.

All in all, the twist being obvious didn't take away from the compelling nature of the read or the desire to see how and when the reveal would happen, so I rated this one highly.

Definitely recommend to fans of supernatural mysteries set in cold, remote climates and hauntings.

View all my reviews

Review: Island Witch

Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

I really liked the story in this one. It was an interesting setting, an interesting cast, and a really cool way to learn about another culture through a tale involving their beliefs, mythologies, and religious practices.

But it did have some downfalls. Namely, all of the twists are predictable. I knew every reveal before it happened, and it was obvious leading up to it. In addition, the use of words specific to their language is really neat, but the constant "here's a word, here's the definition" got a little distracting. And the main character's non-stop "my dad is treating me differently, what happened to make this change, etc" got very repetitive when it was in almost every chapter for over half of the book.

It did have a strong protagonist, which I liked, and while the definitions did become tedious, I did like that the author put in actual words and historical references that were really part of history. I also loved that the story was about a part of the world and a history that we don't have a lot of published novels about. I'm really happy to see more diverse stories being published to share those things with the world of readers.

All in all, I really enjoyed it, but felt like it needed some tweaking.

View all my reviews

Review: The Atlas Maneuver

The Atlas Maneuver by Steve Berry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central for the pre-release copy. Below is my honest review.

I have a few things to praise about this one: I learned a lot about bitcoin and blockchain from this one, which was kinda cool as it's not something I knew much about. We also got more Cassiopeia Vitt, along with the return of Koger and TOO from recent previous stories. More Vitt = happy me. We also got a bit of backstory about Cotton's not-so-good history, meeting an old flame from the past, which was interesting.

I do have a few complaints as well. First, there wasn't enough Stephanie Nelle. I miss her! Second, Vitt and Cotton were separated the whole book, which sucked. Third, there were SO MANY SENTENCE FRAGMENTS, and so many of them starting with "which." Seriously, I don't recall Berry's work being this poor level of grammar before. Maybe there were lots of sentence fragments in previous books and my mind blocked them out, but this time there were so many that it took me out of the story over and over, making it hard to binge.

3.5 stars rounded up. Definitely still recommend for fans of the series.

View all my reviews

Review: The Boy Who Cried Bear

The Boy Who Cried Bear by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for gifting me an early copy of this novel. Below you'll find my honest review.

Haven's Rock is a fledgling little town, Eric and Casey's attempt to rebuild a better, stronger Rockton. This one really raises the stakes as we learn that the "neighbors" hinted at in the first book have built themselves up and are now a full-fledged mining camp, very close to Haven's Rock and threatening the safety of Haven's Rock's residents.

In addition, Haven's Rock has made some drastic changes from Rockton, including the acceptance of families with kids into the fold.

When one of those kids goes missing, Casey and Eric and the rest of the town go into full search and rescue mode, and are reminded yet again that nothing is ever as it seems in the wilderness of the north.

I absolutely loved this one. No complaints whatsoever.

Highly recommend, but please please please read the rest of the series (both Rockton and Haven's Rock).

View all my reviews

Review: The Book of Doors

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for the early copy of this novel. Below is my honest review.

As I started this one, I wasn't sure I was going to like it. There were a few repetitive phrases going on and an entire paragraph was in there twice, written two different ways. There was also some head-hopping within the same scene that was a bit distracting.

But after the first few chapters, the writing improved and the story really gripped me. The concept of the books with powers was super cool, and was really intriguing. Then you throw in the very twisty plot that could have been confusing but was well-plotted and clear.

I'm hoping we get a sequel. This one was fun.

Definitely recommended - pick it up if you like superpowers/magical artifacts and twisty plots. nd twisty plotting!

View all my reviews

Review: The Warm Hands of Ghosts

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Del Rey for the advanced copy of this one. Below is my honest review.

Katherine Arden was an instant request when I saw her newest book on Netgalley. Her series about Russian magic, starting with the Bear and the Nightingale, is absolutely divine, so I was pumped for this one.

Alas, it didn't quite live up to my expectations - which might be unfair of me to go in with them, considering this is a new book in a new world from Arden, but I couldn't help it. Really cool concept, really cool villain, a little repetitive and dragged for a large portion of the book. But it's still good - it's Katherine Arden after all! And of course, I'll still pick up her next novel.

3.5 stars rounded up.

View all my reviews

Review: Our Satyr Prince

Our Satyr Prince by Dylan Drakes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



View all my reviews

Review: 10 Hours to Go

10 Hours to Go by Keely Parrack
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for gifting me an advanced copy. Below is my honest review.

This YA suspense is an intense look into the flames of friendships and the sparks of old grudges. As these three girls start their ten hour journey home, old issues between them come cropping back up, but what starts as a potential prank is quickly swapped for a situation much more dangerous when local wildfires threaten not only their path home, but their very ability to make to through the night.

While I enjoyed the writing and think the author did a great job pushing the girls through the dangers of the night, I didn't love this one. It felt like there was a lot of hemming and hawing about past grudges, but then when it came down to it, the reveal was just meh. And while the fires definitely added a lot of tension and some great situational drama, but there was some wasted potential with the dropping of the "other people are dangerous" storyline. We got this whole situation with the scary guy and the disappearing people, but then it just got dropped completely.

All in all, if you enjoy some good character tension and environmental suspense with a YA spin, then you'll really enjoy this one. I think the author is great and will definitely try their next novel to see their growth.

View all my reviews

Review: The Tainted Cup

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and RHPG Ballantine Del Rey for gifting me an advanced copy. Below is my honest review.

Robert Jackson Bennett is an expert at creating interesting new worlds, and The Tainted Cup is no exception. I loved that Bennett stepped into a new genre - murder mystery - with his own unique spin on it.

I was going through a bit of a reading slump when I started this one, so it took me a bit to get into it, but as my reading mojo slowly returned, it got harder and harder to put this one down, and I tore through the pages like dappleglass bursting out of the victim's torsos in this one!

Definitely will be picking up book two when it releases. This one really left me wanting a sequel and to see more of Din and Ana.

Did I mention the alphabet representation? Yep. I loved it!

View all my reviews

Review: Your Shadow Half Remains

Your Shadow Half Remains by Sunny Moraine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for gifting me an early copy. Below is my honest review.

This short novel is quite powerful. What happens to us when we can't look others in the face? When we lose all true connection and contact with people? How do we define ourselves when we can't even figure out if we're sane anymore? What happens when complete isolation is the new normal? Or, even more importantly, when someone decides to break that isolation without giving you a choice?

If you're a fan of Malerman's Bird Box or Saramago's Blindness (or their visual adaptations), this book will hit you hard. Just be prepared that you might not like what you see when you have to look at yourself as deeply as Riley does.

Definitely recommended for fans of psychological thrillers/suspense/almost horror.

View all my reviews

Review: Infinity Alchemist

Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Teen for the pre-release copy of this novel. Below you'll find my honest review.

This novel had a bunch of good things:

It knocks representation out of the park - trans, non-binary, polyamory, etc are all well represented in this novel in a respectful, teen-friendly way.

It has an interesting magic system and House hierarchy.

It also had some serious downsides:

The non-binary representation gets a little confusing as the pronouns change randomly from chapter to chapter. It pulled me out of the story a bit as I would have to figure out which "he" was being referenced at the time. So it's less a problem with the non-binary and more a problem with clarity from the author.

The whole point of the novel was to chase the Book, but then the Book wasn't even a real important thing at the end, and the story's conclusion was a bit of a mess. And honestly, the magic system didn't have rules or structure enough to really understand how it all actually worked.

Overall, lots of potential, but lacking in some of the execution.

View all my reviews

Review: The House of Last Resort

The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for gifting me an early copy of The House of Last Resort. Below you'll find my honest review.

I'm actually really disappointed at this one. The first 90% of the book was amazing: slow burn, perfect pace of reveals, lingering questions, horror elements building up over the course of the book. The last 10% though? I just wasn't satisfied. I can't really say much because I want to avoid spoilers, but the ending fell flat for me. All that build-up, all that emotional carnage, and the payoff just wasn't there for me.

Like I said, I did love most of the book, so I'll only take away a star for not nailing the ending (in my opinion - others might really like it). And I'm definitely interested in reading more of Christopher Golden's works.

Four stars, recommended for fans of horror.

View all my reviews

Review: Mislaid in Parts Half-Known

Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Special thanks to Netgalley and Tor for gifting me an early copy of this book. Below you'll find my honest review.

This is one of those series that, even though each book is actually pretty dang short at around 200 pages, still hits hard with emotional depth. We continue the story of Antsy, girl from the store that holds the lost things and main character of the last book, Lost in the Moment and Found. She has found her way to Eleanor's school, and has started to settle in... so of course, people find out about her gift of being able to find almost anything, and some want to take advantage of it and use her to find their Doors. Hi-jinks ensue and it's a fantastic tale, hopping through multiple worlds, and with a twist at the end that makes me both happy *and* sad.

All in all, yet another fantastic entry into this series, that you should definitely read... but start at the beginning, please. Highly recommended for fairy tale lovers, YA lovers, and adventure lovers, and of course, for all fans of McGuire's works.

View all my reviews

Review: The Heiress

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Huge thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley who gave me an early copy of this novel. Much appreciated! Below you'll find my honest review.

I love a good mystery twisted into a story about a rich family, mysterious deaths and inheritances, and old houses passed down through the generations. I love a story about an underdog. I love a story with unreliable narrators, or at least ones that take their time revealing everything even when they're being truthful.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters were developed and realistic and easy to picture. The family history was well presented and in a manner that really held attention. The slow build to "what's going to happen, because this powder keg will have to explode at some point," from tension to denouement, was precision.

Highly recommended read.

View all my reviews