

Review of Spellslinger (Spellslinger #1) by Sebastian de Castell
Kellen begins as a principled, headstrong young man lacking in the magic crucial for power, familial stability and social standing in his...
Jan 29


Review of Death at the Sign of the Rook (Jackson Brodie #6) by Kate Atkinson
Atkinson's cozy, Agatha Christie-style novel features former lawman Jackson Brodie, a mystery within a mystery, a real-life killer who...
Jan 16


Review of The Shadow of the Gods (The Bloodsworn #1) by John Gwynne
Gwynne's epic, Norse-inspired saga tracks three fascinating main protagonists through battles, shifting alliances, strengthened resolve,...
Dec 17, 2024


Review of Pines (Wayward Pines #1) by Blake Crouch
In the first book of Blake Crouch's haunting mystery trilogy, secret agent Ethan Burke tries to grasp the shifts in time, widespread...
Nov 21, 2024


Review of His Majesty's Dragon: Temeraire #1 by Naomi Novik
ICYMI: This series by Naomi Novik introduces vain, strong-willed, talking dragons, their complex, wonderfully faulted handlers, and...
Nov 6, 2024


Review of Hell for Hire (Tear Down Heaven #1) by Rachel Aaron
I felt like the story started off slowly, but once the world was built and the background established, I was hooked on the interpersonal...
Oct 17, 2024


Review of A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated #1) by Danielle L. Jensen
The first in Jensen's fantasy series ticked many of my boxes--strong female main character, a tension-filled Chosen One premise, a fight...
Oct 2, 2024


Review of Long Live Evil (Time of Iron #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan
Sarah Rees Brennan offers a funny, dark, clever story within a story in which the heroes and villains are redefined, redemption is always...
Sep 26, 2024


Review of The Trap (Alias Emma #3) by Ava Glass
In the third Emma Makepeace novel, British spy Emma goes rogue in order to save world leaders and prevent an assassination at the hands...
Sep 19, 2024


Review of The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan #1) by Robert Jackson Bennett
A leviathan lurks in the ocean, threatening destruction on a grand scale, while an unorthodox, brilliant investigator and her stalwart...
Aug 22, 2024


Review of The Spy Coast (The Martini Club #1) by Tess Gerritsen
A former CIA operative retires to small-town Maine--along with other former agents--to live out a quiet existence, until figures from the...
Feb 28, 2024


Review of Maisie Dobbs (Maisie Dobbs #1) by Jacqueline Winspear
Maisie Dobbs is a formidable, dogged, whip-smart investigator working to ferret out the truth in the aftermath of World War I in this...
Feb 20, 2024


Review of System Collapse (Murderbot #7) by Martha Wells
System Collapse provides more of SecUnit's emotional coping with PTSD than action, and I missed the faster pacing of other books, but I...
Feb 8, 2024


Review of To Shape a Dragon's Breath (Nampeshiweisit #1) by Moniquill Blackgoose
Blackgoose offers a fascinating, layered story about a strong-willed, whip-smart young Indigenous woman in a steampunk 1800s Nordic...
Jan 18, 2024


Review of The Stolen Heir (Stolen Heir #1) by Holly Black
In this return to the world of Elfhame (Folk of the Air trilogy), Holly Black takes us deeper into the story of characters Wren and Oak...
Jan 4, 2024


Review of Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment #1) by Rebecca Ross
I liked Divine Rivals and the gutsy characters facing wartime struggles and challenges, but I was surprised that the book's fantasy...
Dec 22, 2023


Review of The Running Grave (Cormoran Strike #7) by Robert Galbraith
In what's possibly my favorite book yet of the seven in the Cormoran Strike series, we see some emotional growth, potentially...
Dec 19, 2023


Review of Iron Flame (Empyrian #2) by Rebecca Yarros
Yarros's experience as a romance author remains showcased in book two through teen-angst-dramaaatic, romaaantic dialogue. My favorite...
Nov 29, 2023


The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi (Amina al-Sirafi #1) by Shannon Chakraborty
I loved every bit of the story of willful, sometimes grumpy pirate Amina al-Sirafi and her quest, her strategic swearing, her strength,...
Nov 15, 2023


Review of A Murderous Relation (Veronica Speedwell #5) by Deanna Raybourn
The fifth book in the Veronica Speedwell series offers more of Raybourn's magic: witty dialogue, an unorthodox partnership,...
Sep 28, 2023