#AudiobookReview: A Fortnight to Forever by @alyciaeanderson_author

Synopsis: Every hundred years, she wakes for fourteen days.

Quinnève Liogenoriggia has been cursed to aid a stranger once each century. Bound to a cruel spell woven by a jealous prince, the only way to break it is to fall in love and be loved in return. But two weeks has never been enough...and love was never the point. Until now.

Mavromichaeli Bassiano is a washed-up knight with nothing left to fight for, until Quinn crashes into a tavern brawl and binds herself to his side. Sarcastic, broken, and entirely unqualified for heroism, Mav agrees to help break her curse mostly because he doesn’t believe in love, especially not the kind that has a countdown.

Together with a meddling hedge witch, a star-born cat, and a fugitive cartographer, Quinn and Mav cross treacherous landscapes, misfire magical potions, and inch closer to something real. But as time slips away, Quinn must decide whether to risk heartbreak for the first time in centuries, and Mav must prove that love isn’t about time at all.

A romantasy full of lyrical longing, sharp banter, and soul-deep devotion, A Fortnight to Forever is for readers who know love is the truest form of magic and the cruelest kind of countdown.

#BookReview: Katabasis by R.F. Kuang

Synopsis: Dante’s Inferno meets Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi in this all-new dark academia fantasy from R. F. Kuang, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface, in which two graduate students must put aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul—perhaps at the cost of their own.

Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek:

The story of a hero’s descent to the underworld

Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality: her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world.

That is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.

Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams….

Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the very same conclusion.

With nothing but the tales of Orpheus and Dante to guide them, enough chalk to draw the Pentagrams necessary for their spells, and the burning desire to make all the academic trauma mean anything, they set off across Hell to save a man they don’t even like.

But Hell is not like the storybooks say, Magick isn’t always the answer, and there’s something in Alice and Peter’s past that could forge them into the perfect allies…or lead to their doom.

#BookReview: The Book of Heartbreak by @excusemyreading

Synopsis: A Middle Eastern legend get a magically romantic modern makeover perfect for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

A young woman must find a way to end the curse on her heart before it claims her forever in this delightfully witty fantasy romance.

Sare Silverbirch has already had her heart broken three times. A fifth heartbreak will stop her heart forever. Such is the nature of the curse she was born under, which forces her to live a life without letting anyone get too close.

When her mother dies unexpectedly and her heart breaks for the fourth time, Sare begins to urgently question the curse. Where did it come from? Why her? And rather than accept it, could there be a way to break it? 

Her questions lead her to Istanbul where she meets Leon, a seer who helps her track down the mysteries of her mother’s past. But Sare’s heart is a fragile thing and their blossoming romance poses a great risk to her survival. Especially when she discovers that her fate is in the hands of celestials beyond this earthly realm.

Now the heavens are stirring, for they have a stake in Sare’s destiny—and they don’t like their plans being overturned. 

The Book of Heartbreak is a dazzling, haunting romantasy sure to break—and mend again—the hearts of readers everywhere.

#BookReview: Vicious Princess (The Trials of Death and Honor, #1) by @karolinawilde

Synopsis: There are only three rules at Ezkai Always obey your instructor. Never leave the Castle Grounds without permission. Don’t ever screw your instructor.

I break one before orientation even begins. Can you guess which one?

When I arrive at the unforgiving fae city with the snowy mountains looming over it, I have two 

Join the legendary Order of ancient soldiers.
Climb the ranks and gain the power I need to avenge my family’s murder.
But before I can join the Order, I must survive six months of ruthless training. Failure means exile… or death.

That, I can handle despite being the only human among the brutal, beautiful fae who would love to see me bleed. I’ve survived worse–my body is riddled with a thousand scars that serve as a reminder.

What I didn’t expect?

The hot, mysterious soldier I spent one passionate night with… is now my instructor.

When he offers to mentor me—recognizing the ambition burning inside me—I know I should say no. It’s too risky.

But I want what he’s offering. I want to rise to the top. And maybe… I want him, too.

Vicious Princess is a seductive, blood-stained romantasy for fans of Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, and Kushiel’s Dart, where power, passion, and vengeance collide.

#BookReview: The Dragon Wakes with Thunder (The Dragon Spirit, #2) by @ksongwrites

Synopsis: A young woman who wields the unimaginable power of the dragon spirit must decide who to support—and who to love—in this enthralling fantasy that reimagines the legend of Mulan.

The explosive sequel to The Night Ends with Fire!

The war may be over, but Hai Meilin is still paying a heavy toll. In spite of securing victory for the kingdom of Anlai, she is imprisoned upon her return. Her crime? Wielding a sword as a woman.

In the palace, Meilin is an outcast and a social pariah. But beyond the imperial walls, the legend of the woman warrior has taken on a life of its own. To the east, a new rebel leader needs Meilin to helm his people’s revolution. In the south, a former enemy prince, now a prisoner of war, seeks Meilin’s aid in restoring balance to the Three Kingdoms. And back home in Anlai, Liu Sky, Meilin’s commander and first love, requires Meilin by his side in his bid for the throne.

Pulled in all directions by those who seek to use her for their own ends, Meilin vows that this time, she will not be so quick to trust. Yet there is one she cannot help but listen to—for he dwells within her.

Beyond any human machinations, the sea dragon Qinglong has his own plans for the spirit realm. During the last war, Meilin wielded his power to cheat death and attain victory for Anlai; now the dragon has come to collect his dues. Meilin’s mother warned her long The spirits demand blood. And Qinglong is ravenous.

#BookReview: Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

Synopsis: From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Hemlock & Silver, a dark reimagining of “Snow White” steeped in poison, intrigue, and treason of the most magical kind

Healer Anja regularly drinks poison.

Not to die, but to save—seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on.

But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her.

Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and a passion for the scientific method, Anja rushes to treat Snow, but nothing seems to work. That is, until she finds a secret world, hidden inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick.

Or it might be the thing that kills them all.

#BookReview: Voidwalker (Beasts of the Void, #1) by @authorsamaclean

Synopsis: Fionamara is a smuggler. Antal is the reason her people fear the dark.

Fi ferries contraband between worlds, stockpiling funds and stolen magic to keep her village self-sufficient - free from the blood sacrifices humans have paid to Antal's immortal species for centuries.

Only legends whispered through the pine forests recall a time when things were different, before one world shattered into many, and the flesh-devouring beasts crept from the cracks between realities, with their sable antlers and slender tails, lethal claws and gleaming fangs. Now, mortal lives are food to pacify their carnivorous overlords, exchanged for feudal protection, and the precious silver energy that fuels everything from transport to weaponry.

When Fi gets planted with a stash of smuggled energy, a long-lost flame recruits her for a reckless heist that escalates into a terrorist bombing - and a coup against the reigning immortals, with Fi's home caught in the crossfire.

She's always known the dangers of her trade - and of the power she's wielded since childhood, allowing her to see the secret doors between dimensions, to walk the Void itself. But nothing could have prepared her for crossing paths with Antal. For the deal she'll have to make with him, a forced partnership to reclaim his city that begins as a desperate bid for survival, only to grow into something far more dangerous.

A revolution.

And a temptation - for how sweet the monster's fangs might feel.

From the author of the instant Sunday Times-bestselling The Phoenix Keeper comes an era-defining new fantasy universe where spicy romantasy meets the Cosmere, unmissable for fans of the world-building scale of Sarah J. Maas and the world-shifting stakes of Rebecca Yarros.

Voidwalker will be your next romantasy obsession, a deliciously feral story that started with just two words: "bite me".

#BookReview: The Late-Night Witches by @auraleewallaceauthor

Synopsis: An enchantingly warm and funny novel about family, love lost and found, discovering who you are, and how difficult it is to slay a vampire from the beloved national bestselling author of the TikTok sensation In the Company of Witches.

Cassie Beckett’s life is anything but magical. With a wild younger sister, three unruly kids, and an absent husband, she’s really not looking forward to the witching month of October. At least the gorgeous, foggy Prince Edward Island is always quiet.

That is, until the vampires arrive.

As the creatures sink their teeth into Cassie’s tenuous grip on normalcy, she’s forced to come face-to-face with long–disregarded family secrets. The legacy gifts her with power, but also a lofty rid the island of vampires, or let them win. (Both options suck, in more ways than one.)

Armed with her family, newfound friends, and a baby in a spectacularly garlicky onesie, Cassie must learn what it is to be a witch and how to fight for what she loves before time runs out. Because on Halloween night, the stakes will be higher than ever before...and it’s up to Cassie to finish what the witches that came generations before her started.

#BookReview: Crown of the Dunes (Ballan Desert #2) by @s.c.grayson

Synopsis: War brought them together. Forging peace could tear them apart.

Back in Kelvadan after narrowly escaping death, former exile Keera is now hailed as a hero for protecting the Great City against the lord of the clans. Forced to lie low as her injuries heal, she discovers the city’s position is more precarious than ever. Now, she faces an impossible betray the city that offered her a home, or be the Champion Kelvadan needs. Worst of all, the enemy forces are led by the man to whom she has given her heart.

After spending his life running from his destiny, Erix finds himself thrust into leadership after the death of his cruel mentor. With the clans of the desert at his command and Keera ripped from his grasp, he wants nothing more than to march on the city that took her—but the desert has other plans. As the Ballan Desert continues to punish those who fractured her magic, sowing division among the clans, Erix desperately seeks to restore the dunes he swore to serve and exact revenge on those who stole Keera away.

Left to navigate ever-changing sands and even more quickly shifting alliances, Erix and Keera must fight to find their way back to each other, even when the desert seems determined to keep them apart.

#BookReview: The Unraveling of Michael Galler by Steven M. Rubin

Synopsis: For fans of nuanced, slow-build narratives, a psychological family drama about a teenager whose entanglement in an intense, complex new relationship exacerbates his obsession over his greatest fear.

After observing multiple terminal effects of varying illnesses of those close to him that he perceives as cancer, Michael Galler gains a heightened cognizance of the physical threats that can grow unknowingly inside a person. As a result, he dedicates himself to healthily fortifying his body against any comparable assault.

While growing up with his loving, widowed father and the younger brother he feels compelled to protect, Michael is able to balance the pressures of his young life—academic achievement, high school athletic competition, and even training for the Boston Marathon. But as he moves toward college life, he develops a promising relationship with a girl who too easily fills the gaps of his motherless upbringing—and his long-held fear of what he now thinks of as capital-C Cancer begins to take over. Everything he experiences, he experiences through the filter of trying to outrun a disease he thinks is pursuing him.

A dramatic coming-of-age tale with a dark psychological twist, The Unraveling of Michael Galler explores the motives of a teenage boy so overwhelmed by an obsessive fear that he loses his grip on reality.

#BookReview: The Surrogate Mother by @fmcfaddenauthor

Synopsis: Abby wants a baby more than anything.

But after years of failed infertility treatments and adoptions that have fallen through, it seems like motherhood is not in her future. That is, until her personal assistant Monica makes a generous offer that will make all of Abby's dreams come true.

Or all of her nightmares.

Because it turns out Monica isn't who she says she is. The woman now carrying Abby's child has dark, twisted secrets.

And she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

#BookReview: Toni and Addie Go Viral by @melissamarrwriting

Synopsis: Mistakes Were Made meets Delilah Green Doesn't Care in a charming lesbian romance from New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr

Hot new author and her lead actress stun fans in a secret wedding―is it all a publicity stunt? Or something more…

On a whim―and hoping to pay off the hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt her grifter father left behind―Victorian history professor Toni Darbyshire sells her lesbian detective novel in a massive deal. Suddenly thrust into the overwhelming new world of publishing, plus a television adaptation, Toni’s life gets even more complicated when her one-night stand turned pen pal (and the namesake for her main character) shows up in person for casting of the show.

Aspiring actress Addie’s had a crush on the professor ever since she watched her lectures on the Victorian era to prep for a stage role. Now, getting cast in Toni’s TV series could be her big break. But Addie’s in over her head when promo pictures of their fake Victorian wedding go viral. She could lose more than just her heart … and her historically accurate underthings.

#BookReview: In Death's Hands (The Threads of Fate #1) by Laure M. Camail

Synopsis: What if the one who was meant to take your life chose instead to save it?

When Liv was four, Death broke every sacred rule to spare her life after a tragic accident. Ever since, she's been haunted by near-death experiences and hunted by shadowy forces desperate to "correct" her fate.
Now 24 and stuck in a purposeless life, she’s thrust into a dangerous world of immortal beings, forgotten gods, and an ancient order woven into the fabric of reality. Nathan, her enigmatic and impossibly handsome rescuer, hides secrets of his own, including his connection to the godlike Origins and the Fates that weave the world's destiny.
As Liv discovers her unique and unsettling place in their fractured world, she must uncover why she exists outside the Tapestry of Life—and why it might unravel everything if she survives. With her life in the balance, Liv must decide if she can trust Nathan to protect her heart as well as her soul—or if his dark past will doom them both.
In Death’s Hands is a romantasy filled with danger, forbidden love, and the ultimate question: can we defy fate without breaking the world?

#BookReview: House of the Beast by @lokhelle

Synopsis: NATIONAL BESTSELLER!

“As darkly whimsical as the most beloved fairy tales and soaked in gothic atmosphere. The gorgeous and evocative illustrations bring to life an unforgettably lush and hypnotically romantic story.” —Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning

Step into the dark coming-of-age fantasy debut from The Legend of Korra illustrator Michelle Wong, where a young woman bound to a mysterious god seeks revenge on her aristocratic family in a story of divine rituals, brutal magic, and twisted love—featuring illustrations throughout by the author.

Born out of wedlock and shunned by society, Alma found solace in solitude—so long as her mother was by her side. But when illness strikes, Alma reaches out to the father she’s never known and uncovers a dark she’s a bastard of House Avera, one of the four noble families that serve the gods, and her father is a vessel of the Dread Beast, a harbinger of death.

To save her mother, Alma agrees to sacrifice her arm in a blood-soaked ceremony that binds her to the Beast. But the cure never comes, leaving her trapped in a hostile, gothic estate—despised by her relatives and used as a pawn in her father’s schemes.

Now vengeance drives her, guided by the god who shadows her every step. He appears only to her—a beautiful, monstrous prince—whispering that she’s destined to reshape the world. With his dark magic fueling her, Alma sets out to destroy the House that took everything from her. But as their bond deepens and their plans grow more perilous, she must decide if her god’s honeyed words—and her forbidden feelings for him—are leading her to victory, or dragging the mortal world to ruin.

“A beguiling tale of strange gods, cosmic horrors, and ruinous revenge, House of the Beast dazzled me. With compelling characters and masterful world building, Wong’s debut is sure to become a celebrated classic.”— Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Child

If you enter the House of the Beast, prepare to 

Morally grey characters with toxic, codependent relationships (M/F, M/M)Vengeful heroine and her chaotic-evil trickster godSlow-burn yearning and forbidden attractionFamily rivalries and court intrigueDeadly trials and divine bargainsNightmare realm full of monsters and secretsMagic, violence, and madnessStunning black-and-white art by the author woven through the textFor fans of One Dark Window, Blood Over Bright Haven, and A Study in Drowning

#BookReview: The Deathless One (The Gravesinger #1) by @emmahammauthor

Synopsis: A princess murdered at the altar makes a deal with the god of death for vengeance and to save her people in this first in a unique romantasy trilogy.

Jessamine was raised to be a leader for her people, but when the land is overrun by an incurable plague, she must enter a political marriage to save them all. A union that should have brought hope only brings death as her new husband murders her at the wedding altar and seizes the throne.

But her death is just the beginning. Her spirit is met by the Deathless One, a god of death yearning to return to the mortal plane, and he needs her help. The two of them make a deal—her life and the return of her kingdom in exchange for his resurrection. But the Deathless One is a known trickster, and a deal with him is one made in blood.

Jessamine knows the Deathless One is a dangerous ally, but the longer they work together, the more she wants him and the less she can stay away. As their connection deepens, soon she wonders if she even wants this contract to end. Perhaps the more appealing throne is the one by his side, but she’d have to turn her back on her people to get it.

#BookReview: In the Veins of the Drowning (The Siren Mage #1) by @kaliecassidybooks

Synopsis:  The monster is always slain…

Imogen Nel is in hiding. Hiding from a cruel kingdom that believes Sirens are monstrous, blood-hungry creatures. Hiding from a king and his captain who viciously hunt her kind. Hiding from her own alluring abilities. By keeping herself from the sea, Imogen’s bloodlust is dulled, and her black wings remain hidden beneath her skin.

When a neighboring king comes to visit, Imogen can no longer hide. He knows precisely what she is, and he believes she can save both their kingdoms from an even greater monster. But Imogen’s power threatens to violently reveal itself, and the two form a blood bond that protects them both. They flee the kingdom together, traversing waters teeming with the undead. As the lines between duty to their people and desire for each other begin to blur, Imogen worries her own ancestral powers may not be enough to kill what hunts her—the only way to defeat a monster may be to become one herself.

#BookReview: Of Flame and Fury by @mikayla_bridge

Synopsis: Fourth Wing meets Iron Widow in this enemies-to-lovers young adult romantic fantasy by debut author Mikayla Bridge. The hottest must-read of the summer!

On an island built from ash and shrouded in fire, phoenix racing is a sport just as profitable as it is deadly.

Seventeen-year-old Kel Varra and her team of underdogs, the Crimson Howlers, are desperate to win the annual races and the fortune that comes with it. But the Howlers need a new rider, which leads Kel to join forces with Warren “Coup” Coupers – an arrogant rival she can’t get out of her head.

As tensions rise on and off the track, Kel's home is mistakenly burned down, and she’s forced to take a job from a mysterious tech mogul with an unsettling interest in her phoenix, Savita. This sets in motion a conspiracy that threatens everyone Kel cares for, especially Coup, for whom her embers of resentment are quickly igniting into something dangerously new.

Heart-pounding pages full of steamy romance, fiery confessions, political scheming, and volatile magic culminate in a final twist readers will never see coming.

#BookReview: A Curse of Beasts and Magic (Beautiful and Beastly, #1) by @jfrostauthor

Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author of The Night Huntress series Jeaniene Frost returns with a brand-new series! It’s Beauty and the Beast meets The Witcher, except Beauty IS the Beast, and he’s the Warden keeping mythical beings in check in our world and beyond. 

Raine Stone is living a nightmare. Ever since she survived the attack that killed her family, she's been hiding a terrible secret--and a Beast inside her. 

It feeds on violence and chaos, but she restrains its urges by playing vigilante on the city streets. Until one night, Raine uses the Beast’s energy to heal an elderly gentleman from a seemingly random attack and discovers a new world of danger—literally.

Remington “Remy” Byrne knows the wall between a realm of deadly mythic creatures and our own world is very fragile. After all, he’s the Warden who guards the gateways between them. Raine’s Beast contains power that could tip the scales in a sinister plot against Remy’s rule—if she allies with him.

Will they be friends or foes…or will their dangerous attraction turn into something else? And can our world be saved by their explosive alliance?

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

#BookReview: A Forbidden Alchemy (The Artisan Trilogy #1) by @staceymcewanbooks

Synopsis: This stunning slow-burn romantasy follows a fated pair who uncover a world-changing secret and are thrust into a violent class war, navigating love, loss, and devastating betrayals.

Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson are twelve years old when they are whisked away from the shadows of their disenfranchised mining towns to dazzling Belavere City to discover their magical potential. Those who pass Belavere’s test will become Artisans, wielders of powerful elemental magic destined to fulfill the city’s grand ambitions. For Nina, the Artisan School symbolizes a dream and an escape from her harsh reality, while Patrick yearns to return to his Craftsman family, whose extraordinary physical strength serves the idium mines keeping the city alive.

And then they uncover a devastating truth: Artisans aren’t born, they’re chosen. They part ways on very different paths, leaving them to carry the burden of this secret alone.

In the years that follow, a Craftsman revolution ignites, thrusting Nina and Patrick into opposing factions of a brewing war. Now an elite Artisan with the very rare talent for charming earth, Nina has turned her back on the fight, haunted by the loss of her found family. But fate intervenes when she is captured by Patrick’s rebel group. Despite the years and conflict that separates them, Patrick hasn’t forgotten Nina. He desperately seeks her help for a mission that could shift the tides against Belavere City. Reluctantly, she agrees, battling the sparks flying between them. But when Nina’s first love reappears, asking her to betray Patrick for the sake of the Artisans, Nina faces an impossible choice that could alter the fate of their world.

#BookReview: Nightshade (Sorrowsong University #1) by @autumnwoods.author

Synopsis: MYSTERY. MURDER. REVENGE. WELCOME TO SORROWSONG UNIVERSITY. . .

He’d burn the world down for her . . . but she plans to burn his to the ground.

Isolated in the Scottish Highlands, Sorrowsong University only welcomes students from the most powerful families. Ophelia Winters doesn’t belong, but a rare scholarship grants her the perfect opportunity to investigate her parents’ “accidental” death near the castle grounds.

Things get off to a rocky start when she runs afoul of the mysterious Alex Corbeau-Green – son of her prime suspect. As far as she’s concerned, he is just a younger version of his billionaire father. A monster hiding beneath a beautiful façade.

When an unknown tormentor begins to stalk Ophelia, she realizes she may not be able to survive Sorrowsong on her own. Alex becomes her unexpected ally – and alibi for murder. And as she begins to fall for the soft heart that hides beneath his hard exterior, her hunger for revenge wavers for the first time.

Can she really bring herself to destroy everything he’s ever known?