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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.


---
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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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).

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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!

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews

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.

View all my reviews