#BookReview: Fallen Academy (Fallen Academy #3) by @leiastoneauthor @Read_Bloom

The next in the thrilling Fallen Academy series, sitting at the sweet spot between romantasy and dark academia, with an apocalyptic war between angels and demons thrown in for good measure. Get ready for your new obsession. 

For Brielle, survival isn't just a fight―it's a promise she's made to herself, to find her way back to Lincoln. Taken by the prince of darkness, Brielle faces an existence in the depths of his dominion that is meant to crush all hope. But hope is the one thing she refuses to lose. With every grueling day, she discovers new strength and finds an unlikely ally who reminds her that surrender isn't an option.

Meanwhile, Lincoln fights his own battle, haunted by the loss of Brielle and the possibility that she may never return. Yet, in the face of despair, he clings to the hope of a reunion, knowing that their love is the only light in the darkness closing in on them both.

Will they find a way to reunite against impossible odds, or has the darkness claimed their love forever?

Fallen Academy: Year Three contains both Brielle's story as well as a novella previously published as Fallen Academy: Year Three and a Half, which is from Lincoln's point of view, covering his year without Brielle and his search for her.

This title will be released on May 13, 2025.

#BookReview: The Fragile Threads of Power (Threads of Power, #1) by Victoria E. Schwab @veschwab

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and set in the world of A Darker Shade of Magic, V. E. Schwab opens a new door into perilous adventure and tangled schemes with The Fragile Threads of Power.

Once, there were four worlds, nestled like pages in a book, each pulsing with fantastical power, and connected by a single city: London. Until the magic grew too fast, and forced the worlds to seal the doors between them in a desperate gamble to protect their own. The few magicians who could still open the doors grew more rare as time passed and now, only three Antari are known in recent memory―Kell Maresh of Red London, Delilah Bard of Grey London, and Holland Vosijk, of White London.

But barely a glimpse of them have been seen in the last seven years―and a new Antari named Kosika has appeared in White London, taking the throne in Holland's absence. The young queen is willing to feed her city with blood, including her own―but her growing religious fervor has the potential to drown them instead.

And back in Red London, King Rhy Maresh is threatened by a rising rebellion, one determined to correct the balance of power by razing the throne entirely.

Amidst this tapestry of old friends and new enemies, a girl with an unusual magical ability comes into possession of a device that could change the fate of all four worlds.

Her name is Tes, and she's the only one who can bring them together―or unravel it all.

#BookReview: Heart of the Sun Warrior (The Celestial Kingdom, #2) by @suelynntan

After her perilous quest to free her mother, Xingyin thrives once more in the tranquility of her home. But her fragile peace is threatened by the discovery of a strange magic on the moon and the unsettling changes in the Celestial Kingdom as the emperor tightens his grip on power. While Xingyin is determined to keep clear of the rising danger, the discovery of a shocking truth spurs her into a treacherous confrontation.

Forced to flee her home once more, Xingyin and her companions venture to unexplored lands of the Immortal Realm, encountering legendary creatures and shrewd monarchs, beloved friends and bitter adversaries. With alliances shifting quicker than the tides, Xingyin has to overcome past grudges and enmities to forge a new path forward, seeking aid where she never imagined she would. As an unspeakable terror sweeps across the realm, Xingyin must uncover the truth of her heart and claw her way through devastation--to rise against this evil before it destroys everything she holds dear, and the worlds she has grown to love... even if doing so demands the greatest price of all.

The stunning sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess delves deeper into beloved Chinese mythology, concluding the epic story of Xingyin--the daughter of Chang'e and the mortal archer, Houyi--as she battles a grave new threat to the realm, in this powerful tale of love, sacrifice, and hope.

#BookReview: Fallen Academy (Fallen Academy #2) by @leiastoneauthor @Read_Bloom

From USA Today bestselling author Leia Stone comes the second book in the thrilling Fallen Academy series: home to a breathtaking apocalyptic war between angels and demons that sits at the sweet spot between romantasy and dark academia. 

***

Family is everything to Brielle, so when she learns about an opportunity to free her mother from Demon City, she takes it. No matter how dangerous, Brielle will do anything to unite her family in Angel City. 

All is going according to plan – until her brother''s awakening ceremony. What he is… It shocks everyone, and he''s sent away until he can get his powers under control. 

Then Brielle loses someone precious to her and goes to great lengths to get them back – lengths that Lincoln doesn''t agree with. He thinks Brielle is too much of a risk-taker, too wild, and all he can do is try his best to protect her. 

But with untold powers rising inside of her, Brielle might go to a place that no one can bring her back from…not even Lincoln. Brielle needs to learn to fight the darkness that threatens to take her over, because little by little, she''s losing her light.

Fallen Academy: Year Two continues this exciting urban romantasy series full of breathtaking excitement and compelling characters, perfect for fans of young adult fantasy and romance.

Tropes
Dark Academia
Post-Apocalyptic
Fantasy Romance
Angels & Demons
Urban Fantasy

#BookReview: The Jasad Heir (The Scorched Throne, #1) by Sara Hashem @shashemwrites

Ten years ago, the kingdom of Jasad burned. Its magic outlawed; its royal family murdered down to the last child. At least, that’s what Sylvia wants people to believe. 

The lost Heir of Jasad, Sylvia never wants to be found. She can’t think about how Nizahl’s armies laid waste to her kingdom and continue to hunt its people—not if she wants to stay alive. But when Arin, the Nizahl Heir, tracks a group of Jasadi rebels to her village, staying one step ahead of death gets trickier.

In a moment of anger Sylvia’s magic is exposed, capturing Arin’s attention. Now, to save her life, Sylvia will have to make a deal with her greatest enemy. If she helps him lure the rebels, she’ll escape persecution. 

A deadly game begins. Sylvia can’t let Arin discover her identity even as hatred shifts into something more. Soon, Sylvia will have to choose between the life she wants and the one she left behind. The scorched kingdom is rising, and it needs a queen.

In this Egyptian-inspired debut fantasy, a fugitive queen strikes a deadly bargain with her greatest enemy and finds herself embroiled in a complex game that could resurrect her scorched kingdom or leave it in ashes forever.

#BookReview: The Rain by Joseph A. Turkot @josephturkot

Perfect for fans of the hit TV series The Last of Us and novels like Camp Zero , this riveting novel set in a postapocalyptic America brings us a chilling look at survival in the face of a catastrophic climate disaster and the collapse of civilization as we know it. The rain began nineteen years ago, and it never more than a foot of rain per day until almost the whole of North America was underwater. Those who survived the first year were forced to take drastic measures, and those who held to the veneer of civilization were few and very far between. Seventeen-year-old Tanner grew up after the rain began. She and her adoptive caretaker, Russell, have long sought a fabled Colorado refuge, a dream that has kept them going through years of brutal trials as they try to stay one step ahead of the “face eaters”—people addicted to a mysterious drug that drives them to murder and cannibalism. When the rain began, Rook Wallace was a meteorologist who joined a company called Yasper that, years after its emergency funding dried up, continues its stated mission to help survivors by maintaining a trade network among isolated island communities. But when Rook learns the insidious truth of what keeps the Yasper mission going, he is forced to risk everything that remains of his former life to try to stop it. As Tanner’s and Rook’s stories converge in time and geography, readers will be thrilled by this postapocalyptic tale for fans of Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven and Josh Malerman’s Bird Box .

#BookReview: The Deathly Grimm (The Forest Grimm duology, #2) by @kathrynpurdie

The spellbinding sequel to Kathryn Purdie's bestselling dark fairytale, where our main characters must return to the forest—and its monsters.

The story hasn't ended yet.

After surviving the Forest Grimm and defeating the Wolf, Clara and Axel have made it back to their village, the one place they can be safe behind the forest's borders. But when the forest itself begins luring in more villagers, it's clear that Clara and Axel have only treated the symptoms of the forest's curse, not the cause—and it's getting worse.

Burdened with visions of the past and learning to navigate her fragile new relationship with Axel, Clara finds herself entering the forest with Axel yet again to discover the truth once and for all: the identity of the murderer who caused the curse. As they fight murderous woodsmen with incomprehensible riddles, ladies who will drag you into an eternal dance, and ghosts with the power to wield the forest against them, Clara and Axel realize the stakes are higher than ever. If they don't survive the dark, deadly twists of the forest once more, not only will they never escape, they may also no longer have a home to escape to.

Romantic, eerie, and beautiful, The Deathly Grimm is the triumphant conclusion to Kathryn Purdie's bestselling Forest Grimm duology.

#BookReview: Fallen Academy: Year One (Fallen Academy, #1) by @leiastoneauthor

Brielle Atwater isn't sure of much, but she knows a few things: 

1. Having black wings is not normal. 
2. Selling her soul to the demons was a mistake. 
3. Lincoln Grey is the biggest *** she's ever met … but not falling in love with him might prove impossible. 

When angels fell from the sky to war with the demons that ravaged Earth, their combined powers infected humanity. Now, the humans are assigned one of two fates, being either demon gifted or angel blessed.

After wings sprout from Brielle's back at her awakening ceremony, she's sure she's an angel blessed celestial. It's not until she sees black wings that she realizes something is terribly wrong. 

Having sold her contract at a young age to save her father's life means she should be bound for Tainted Academy. That is, until a fallen angel unexpectedly fights for her to be accepted into Fallen Academy, the elite school for those that inhabit Angel City. 

She's immediately matched with her impossibly handsome celestial teacher, Lincoln Grey. Laying eyes on him, her first thought is that her time at the academy might actually be fun, but this theory quickly fades when she and Lincoln clash on day one. To further prove her admission into Fallen Academy is cursed, the entire school is thrown into chaos when an Abrus demon reveals that he knows Brielle's secret. Now, above all else, Lincoln must fight to protect her. 

To his surprise, the only thing more difficult than trying to save her … is trying not to fall for her.

#BookReview: Heir (Heir Duology #1) by @sabaatahir

An orphan.
An outcast.
A prince.

And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.

Growing up in the Kegari slums, AIZ has seen her share of suffering. An old tragedy fuels her need for vengeance, but it is love of her people that propels her. Until one hotheaded mistake lands her in an inescapable prison, where the embers of her wrath ignite.

Banished from her people for an unforgivable crime, SIRSHA is a down-on-her-luck tracker who uses magic to trace her marks. Destitute, she agrees to hunt down a killer who has murdered children across the Martial Empire. All she has to do is carry out the job and get paid. But when a chance encounter leads to an unexpected attraction, Sirsha learns her mission might cost her far more than she's willing to give up. 

QUIL is the crown prince of the Empire and nephew of a venerated empress, but he’s loath to take the throne when his aunt steps down. As the son of a reviled emperor, he, better than anyone, understands that power corrupts. When a vicious new enemy threatens the survival of the Empire, Quil must ask himself if he can rise above his tragic lineage and be the heir his people need. 

Beloved storyteller Sabaa Tahir interweaves the lives of three young people as they grapple with power, treachery, love, and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed, on a journey that may cost them their lives―and their hearts. Literally.

#BookReview: Mated Girl (Wolf Girl, #4) by @leiastoneauthor @Read_Bloom

I finally made it out of the Dark Woods only to learn that Sawyer is in prison, our people are still at war, and the wolves are hiding underground. It will take every ounce of strength I have in order to save our people, get my man back, and bring down the queen.

I can't do this alone, and calling on an old friend proves to be the best decision I could ever make. Nothing will keep me from my mate, not even the magical world's most high security prison.

You will love the twists and turns in this epic conclusion to the bestselling Wolf Girl series!

#BookReview: Alpha Girl (Wolf Girl, #3) by @leiastoneauthor @Read_Bloom

Leaving him was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I have to put our people first. Werewolf City is at war and I’ll do whatever it takes to turn the tides in the wolves' favor, even if it means stepping up in my new role. 

The Paladins are a secretive people that I know nothing about. What I thought would be a quick trip into their lands turns into a fight for my life. The future Sawyer and I have dreamed of together threatens to crumble. 

I’m torn. Do I choose love and a sure future with the man of my dreams, or do I follow my heart and save a dying people I know nothing about, no matter the cost? 

Either way I have to make it back to him; I can’t imagine a life in which we don’t exist together.

#BookReview: See How They Fall by @rachelparisauthor

In this compulsive debut thriller set in Sydney’s wealthiest suburbs, one detective’s investigation into a family tragedy threatens to collapse a powerful dynasty. . . .


When Skye married into the wealthy Campbell family, she thought she was entering paradise. But lately, she’s been unhappy in her marriage to Duncan and hiding a few secrets of her own as she tries to maintain a normal, happy life for their six-year-old daughter, Tilly.



Now the family patriarch, Sir Campbell Turner, has died and his three sons are set to inherit the luxury goods empire upon which he built their fortune. But plans for a seamless handover are complicated when a fourth, hitherto unknown, heir named Cody comes forward. The Turners gather for an intimate weekend retreat at an opulent seaside estate in order to meet this newcomer and figure out their next steps. With so much at stake, tempers flare and egos clash within their first few hours together. But even as the tensions rise no one could predict that their very first night would end with a shocking poisoning that leaves one family member dead and another fighting for her life.



Sergeant Mei O’Connor is assigned to investigate the incident and though her superiors are keen to close the case as swiftly as possible, the evidence just isn’t lining up. Mei already has enough on her mind as she struggles to care for her terminally ill mother and recover from her broken engagement, but she can’t help poking around the Turners, convinced that there’s more to the suspicious poisoning than a simple accident. As Mei continues to push for answers, she may just send the carefully laid dominoes of the Turner empire crashing down.

#BookTour: A Code of Knights and Deception (Swords of Time #1) by @authorelizahampstead @rrbooktours

A Code of Knights and Deception (Swords of Time Book 1) Release Date: April 14, 2025 Genre: Dark Historical Romantasy

Dark Time Travel Romance

Historical Romance

Forbidden Love

Dual POV

Steamy Romance

Sword-Wielding Heroine

Found Family

Sci-Fi Romance.

She thought it was real. She was wrong. When Sophia wakes up in 15th-century England, she expects hardship—but nothing prepares her for this brutal, unforgiving world. Lost, alone, and desperate to return to her husband and son, she vows to find a way home. But as weeks pass, Sophia finds kinship and purpose in this strange land. After a violent attack, she takes fate into her own hands, disguising herself as a man to train under Henry, the castle’s enigmatic master-at-arms. As steel clashes and their connection deepens, forbidden desire ignites. Yet Henry is not the knight he claims to be. His real name is Ethan, and this is the least of the lies he tells her. Falling for Sophia was never part of the plan—but the closer they become, the more he realises how wrong it is to keep her in the dark. As danger closes in and the lines between reality and deception blur, Sophia must uncover the truth about Henry—and herself—before she runs out of time. Outlander meets Black Mirror in this sizzling dark Historical Romantasy with time travel, forbidden love, found family, a morally grey knight, and a fierce heroine—both hiding secret identities, deceiving each other in a game of survival and passion. *Warning: strong language, steamy scenes, and graphic violence inside. Mention/Description of, but not limited to, abduction, blood, death, amputation, childbirth, death, sexual assault, suicide, violence against children, rape, and torture.* The book is the first in a duology and ends with a cliffhanger. 

#BookReview: Sentinel (Covenant, #5) by @jennifer_l_armentrout @Read_Bloom

It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear… or the end of herself.

#BookReview: Lost Girl (Wolf Girl, #2) by @leiastoneauthor @Read_Bloom

I've been kidnapped by vampires and Sawyer is under some love spell. 

Now I’ve got to traipse through the entire Magic Lands without getting killed to make it back to Werewolf City… hopefully in one piece.

Everything would have worked out as planned if Sawyer hadn’t gone on another revenge killing spree in my honor. 
Now the entire magical world is at war, and my True Mate and I are stuck in the middle of it. 

It's just another Monday.

#BookReview: Seasons of Flesh and Flame (Shades of Rust and Ruin #2) by @aghoward_writes @bloomsburybooksus

New York Times bestselling author A.G. Howard concludes her dark, compelling YA fantasy series about twins separated by a family curse.

Nix Loring stepped into Mystiquel to face the Goblin King and break her family’s curse. When she found her twin, Lark, held captive for three years and forced to power the magical realm with her imagination, Nix offered herself up in her sister’s place.

Now, Nix wants nothing more than to be home with the people she loves. Instead, she's tasked to create beauty from a world fallen to desolation. She finds herself drawn to the faerie creatures under her care—and even reluctantly drawn to the Goblin King himself. But how can she rebuild the very realm that tore her family apart?

Back home, her uncle and boyfriend desperately plan a rescue. But Lark, having learned Nix was meant to be the Goblin King’s captive in the first place, resents how her twin stole everything belonging to her during her absence. Worse yet, Lark harbors an unspeakable secret that could destroy what little she has left. 

As time draws closer to the rescue, Lark grapples with the darkness growing inside: should she help save her sister, or finally get her revenge?

Set in a gritty, atmospheric world filled with magical creatures, New York Times bestselling author A.G. Howard concludes her thrilling fantasy duology full of romance, twists, and betrayals.

#BookReview: Wolf Girl (Wolf Girl, #1) by @leiastoneauthor @Read_Bloom

When my parents were banished from Wolf City before I was born, I thought there was no way I would ever live in a pack again. Cuffed, with my shifter magic bound, I was forced to go to school with witches in order to keep my true nature from coming out.

Then I met him.

Sawyer Hudson.

The Alpha's son was visiting Delphi Witches' College and spotted me. He took one look at me, and an hour later, I was being pulled out of school, taken into Wolf City and leaving my parents and everything I knew behind.

It's the Alpha's son's selection year, the year he must pick a mate, and every female aged 18-22 must be in attendance.

I've landed myself in the middle of Werewolf Bachelor, and just when I think I've got a handle on things, Sawyer releases my cuffs, unbinds my magic, and sees what I really am.

The problem is, I don't know what this creature is that I transform into. It's not an ordinary werewolf, that's for damn sure.

#BookReview: Deity (Covenant, #3) by @jennifer_l_armentrout @Read_Bloom

History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time.Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome. But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...

#BookReview: Catch the Sun by Jennifer Hartmann

"Kissing you feels like catching the sun…"

At seven years old, Ella Sunbury and Max Manning were inseparable—until life scattered them in different directions, forcing Ella to abruptly leave town. A decade later, she returns for their senior year of high school, moving in across the street from her childhood best friend. 

But she's not the same girl Max once knew. 

She now lives in the shadow of her brother: a notorious felon on death row, convicted of a crime that shook the nation. Reeling from the fallout and shunned by her peers, all Ella wants is to fade into the background. 

Max has little room for distractions, juggling responsibilities for a disabled father and a distant twin brother. But Ella's return reignites something within him. He wants to be close to her again, to understand her…and to turn their friendship into more. 

But as their relationship blossoms, new tragedy strikes, and darkness threatens to tip their delicate balance. In order to find the light, they'll have to navigate the shadows. 

And to catch the sun…they must first endure the flames.

#BookReview: Pure (Covenant #2) by @jennifer_l_armentrout

You must stay away from the one who brings nothing but heartache and death. Know the difference between need and love, fate and future.

Alex would give anything to be a normal half-blood, but she can't escape her destiny: On her eighteenth birthday, she will Awaken to become the second Apollyon, which has only ever happened once before. And it didn't end well.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if her "other half" Seth weren't so infuriating…and somehow always around. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it doesn't stop Alex from becoming a target for daimons, half-bloods, and pures who don't want her to make it to her eighteenth birthday at all.

As if fighting for her life weren't bad enough, she also battles her heart as she tries to bury her feelings for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. But as daimons infiltrate the Covenants and a mysterious threat looms over Alex at every turn, it is clear Aiden will do and sacrifice anything for her. When even the gods get involved, Alex can't help but wonder―how many people need to get hurt in order for her to survive?