Bout of Books Update 12

So yeah, I've finished my next book for Bout of Books, and it was The Fireborne Blade, and I'll be reading The Bloodless Princes next!

My Reading Journey:

People Will Talk by Kieran Scott

Started On: May 13th

Finished On: May 13th, 8:43 PM

Pages Read: 320

Masquerade of the Heart by Katy Rose Pool

Started On: May 14th

Finished On: May 14th, 11:04 AM

Pages Read: 368

The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie

Started On: May 14th

Finished On: May 14th, 2:43 PM

Pages Read: 352

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang

Started On: May 14th

Finished On: May 14th, 8:28 PM

Pages Read: 367

Dead Girls Walking by Sami Ellis

Started On: May 15th

Finished On: May 15th, 10:41 AM

Pages Read: 368

Burning Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber

Started On: May 15th

Finished On: May 15th, 7:43 PM 

Pages Read: 480

Daughter of the Bone Forest by Jasmine Skye

Started On: May 16th

Finished On: May 16th, 11:13 AM

Pages Read: 432

Whispers at Dusk by Heather Graham

Started On: May 16th

Finished On: May 16th, 3:10 PM

Pages Read: 400

Secrets in the Dark by Heather Graham

Started On: May 16th

Finished On: May 16th, 8:46 PM

Pages Read: 400

Cursed at Dawn by Heather Graham

Started On: May 17th

Finished On: May 17th, 3:26 PM

Pages Read: 400

Off With Their Heads by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Started On: May 17th

Finished On: May 17th, 8:26 PM

Pages Read: 451

The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond

Started On: May 18th

Finished On: May 18th, 2:14 PM

Pages Read: 192

The Bloodless Princes by Charlotte Bond

Started On: May 18th

Currently On: Page 0 of 176

Goals: 10
Read: 12
Pages Read: 3830

Clean Sweep ARC Challenge Update 24

Ok, so I read my next book for Clean Sweep ARC Challenge, and it was The Fireborne Blade and I'll be reading The Bloodless Princes next! 

My Reading Journey:

Sheine Lende by Darcie Little Badger

Started On: May 1st 

Finished On: May 1st, 11:35 AM

Pages Read: 396

Blood and Ruin by Rumer Hale

Started On: May 2nd

Finished On: May 2nd, 10:27 AM

Pages Read: 322

Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon

Started On: May 3rd

Finished On: May 3rd, 6:52 PM

Pages Read: 400

My Salty Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows

Started On: May 4th

Finished On: May 4th, 10:25 PM

Pages Read: 512

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen

Started On: May 5th

Finished On: May 5th, 5:25 PM

Pages Read: 464

Blood and Wrath by Rumer Hale

Started On: May 6th

Finished On: May 6th, 11:17 AM

Pages Read: 384

Heiress Takes All by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka

Started On: May 6th

Finished On: May 6th, 9:01 PM

Pages Read: 368

One Killer Problem by Justine Pucella Winans

Started On: May 7th

Finished On: May 7th, 4:31 PM

Pages Read: 336

The Deer and the Dragon by Piper C.J

Started On: May 8th

Finished On: May 8th, 9:56 AM

Pages Read: 448

A Werewolf's Guide to Seducing a Vampire by Sarah Hawley

Started On: May 8th

Finished On: May 8th, 10:05 PM

Pages Read: 448

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean

Started On: May 9th

Finished On: May 9th, 2:28 PM

Pages Read: 320

The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le

Started On: May 10th

Finished On: May 10th, 10:42 AM

Pages Read: 384

I'll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong

Started On: May 10th

Finished On: May 10th, 2:15 PM

Pages Read: 336

Cursed Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber

Started On: May 10th

Finished On: May 10th, 10:09 PM

Pages Read: 512

Follow Her Down by Victoria Helen Stone

Started On: May 11th

Finished On: May 11th, 8:06 PM

Pages Read: 330

Traitor of Redwinter by Ed McDonald 

Started On: May 12th

Finished On: May 12th, 10:01 PM

Pages Read: 571

People Will Talk by Kieran Scott

Started On: May 13th

Finished On: May 13th, 8:43 PM

Pages Read: 320

Masquerade of the Heart by Katy Rose Pool

Started On: May 14th

Finished On: May 14th, 11:04 AM

Pages Read: 368

The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie

Started On: May 14th

Finished On: May 14th, 2:43 PM

Pages Read: 352

Dead Girls Walking by Sami Ellis

Started On: May 15th

Finished On: May 15th, 10:41 AM

Pages Read: 368

Burning Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber

Started On: May 15th

Finished On: May 15th, 7:43 PM 

Pages Read: 480

Daughter of the Bone Forest by Jasmine Skye

Started On: May 16th

Finished On: May 16th, 11:13 AM

Pages Read: 432

Cursed at Dawn by Heather Graham

Started On: May 17th

Finished On: May 17th, 3:26 PM

Pages Read: 400

The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond

Started On: May 18th

Finished On: May 18th, 2:14 PM

Pages Read: 192

The Bloodless Princes by Charlotte Bond

Started On: May 18th

Currently On: Page 0 of 176

Books Read: 24

Goal: 25 Books

Pages Read: 9643

Week 20 Review: Off With Their Heads

From Goodreads:

Fans of Chloe Gong and Judy I. Lin will devour this Korean-inspired Alice in Wonderland retelling about two very wicked girls, forever bonded by blood and betrayal . . .

In a world where Saints are monsters and Wonderland is the dark forest where they lurk, it's been five years since young witches and lovers Caro Rabbit and Iccadora Alice Sickle were both sentenced to that forest for a crime they didn't commit—and four years since they shattered one another's hearts, each willing to sacrifice the other for a chance at freedom.

Now, Caro is a successful royal Saint-harvester, living the high life in the glittering capital and pretending not to know of the twisted monster experiments that her beloved Red Queen hides deep in the bowels of the palace. But for Icca, the memory of Caro’s betrayal has hardened her from timid girl to ruthless hunter. A hunter who will stop at nothing to exact her On Caro. On the queen. On the throne itself.

But there's a secret about the Saints the Queen's been guarding, and a volatile magic at play even more dangerous to Icca and Caro than they are to each other…

Lush, terrifying, and uncanny, Zoe Hana Mikuta—author of Gearbreakers and Godslayers —takes a delicate knife straight through the heart of this beloved surrealist fairytale.

My Review:


Author: Zoe Hana Mikuta
Read: May 17th, 2024 
Source: Bought 
Reason Why: Love her writing, and it's a 2024 Retelling Reading Challenge, SAC 2024 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Disney Hyperion 
Published: April 23rd 2024

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 20 Reviews: Whispers at Dusk, Secrets in the Dark, Cursed at Dawn

From Goodreads:

When serial killers run rampant across Europe it's up to Blackbird , the Krewe of Hunters's international operatives, to stop them.

When darkness falls, there's nowhere to hide.

Four bodies have been discovered along Europe's riverbanks, placed with care—and completely drained of blood. Pinpricks on their throats indicate a slender murder weapon, but DNA found in the wounds suggests something far more sinister. Tasked with investigating, the FBI recruits Agents Della Hamilton and Mason Carter to Blackbird, an international offshoot of the Krewe of Hunters. If you want to catch a vampire killer, you need agents who can speak with the dead.  

The pair travel to Norway, where the shadowy forests of Lillehammer reveal a gruesome scene. The killer is thirsty for more victims, and the bloodless trail soon leads Della and Mason to a group that believes drinking blood is the key to immortality. To catch the culprit of such an intimate crime, the agents will have to get close. Mason's already lost one partner; he's not ready to risk Della as bait. But sometimes justice requires a sacrifice…

From Goodreads:

Over a century after Jack, a new Ripper is on the loose.

Following in the footsteps of notorious serial murderer Jack the Ripper, a killer is stalking the streets of London. The self-dubbed Ripper King strikes at night, leaving a trail of eviscerated bodies in his wake. Fresh off a case with potential ties to the recent rash of killings, FBI agents Della Hamilton and Mason Carter are all too familiar with a slayer set to rule with a lethal fist. And they'll stop at nothing to end his reign.

The killer's MO may be nothing new, but his desire to be infamous makes him dangerous. Della and Mason know it's only a matter of time before their investigation emboldens this new Ripper, forcing the agents to work quickly before another woman winds up dead. But now that the heat is on, their game of cat and mouse takes an unexpected turn, leading Della and Mason into a deadly trap they never saw coming…

From Goodreads:

Dracula lives—and he's hunting for his bride.

Vampires may not walk among us, but FBI agents Della Hamilton and Mason Carter know real monsters exist. They've witnessed firsthand the worst humankind has to offer. They're still catching their breaths after the apprehension of two such monstrous killers when they're met with horrific news. Stephan Dante, the self-proclaimed king of the vampires, has escaped from prison, followed only by a trail of blood.

All too familiar with Dante's cruelty, Della and Mason know the clock is ticking. But as Dante claims more victims, a chilling message arrives. The vampire killer seeks his eternal bride—Della herself. Playing into Dante's desires might be the only way to stop the carnage once and for all, assuming they can outwit him. Della is confident the agents have the upper hand, but Mason knows every gamble runs the risk of not paying off, and this time, the consequences could be deadly.

My Review:


Author: Heather Graham
Series: Blackbird Trilogy #1, 2, 3
Read: May 16th, 16th, 
Source: Bought, Edelweiss/Bought
Reason Why: Love her writing and this world, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Books! And Cursed at Dawn is a End of Series 2024 Book!
Publisher: MIRA
Published: June 27th 2023, July 25th 2023, August 22nd 2023

Whispers at Dusk:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Secrets in the Dark:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Cursed at Dawn:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 20 Review: Daughter of the Bone Forest

From Goodreads:

Two girls reluctantly bound by fate must weather a dangerous courtship as a prophesied war grows ever closer in Jasmine Skye's high-stakes, queernormative dark fantasy debut, Daughter of the Bone Forest.

Rosy is a bone familiar, gifted with the power to shift into animals marked with exposed bone. She spends most of her days in the magical Bone Forest, caring for her feral grandmother and hiding her powers to avoid conscription by the Witch King's army. Until the day that Princess Shaw, a witch known as Death's Heir, visits the Forest. When Rosy saves Shaw's life, the princess offers her the chance to attend the prestigious school, Witch Hall, as payment. Though Rosy is wary of Shaw's intentions, she cannot pass up the opportunity to find the cure for her grandmother's affliction.

But at Witch Hall, Rosy finds herself embroiled in political games she doesn't understand. Shaw wants Rosy for her entourage, a partner to help lead the coming war. All Rosy wants is to stay out of trouble until she can graduate and save her grandmother, but she can't deny her attraction to Shaw or the comfort Shaw's magic gives her. Will Rosy give in to her destiny, or will the Bone Forest call her home once and for all?

My Review:


Author: Jasmine Skye
Series: Witch Hall #1
Read: May 15th, 2024
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Sounded really good and it's a DAC Book and a Prequel & Sequel 2024 Book!
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Published: February 27th 2024

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 20 Review: Burning Crowns

From Goodreads:

The final book in the swoony and high-stakes fantasy rom-com trilogy that began with Twin Crowns, about twin princesses separated at birth—from bestselling authors Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber.

Twin queens Rose & Wren survived the Battle for Anadawn and brought back magic to their kingdom. But danger lurks in Eana's shadows.

Wren is troubled. Ever since she performed the blood spell on Prince Ansel, her magic has become unruly. Worse, the spell created a link between Wren and the very man she's trying to forget: Icy King Alarik of Gevra. A curse is eating away at both of them. To fix it they must journey to the northern mountains—under the watchful guard of Captain Tor Iversen—to consult with the Healer on High.

Rose is haunted. Waking one night to find her undead ancestor Oonagh Starcrest by her bed, she receives a warning: Surrender the throne—or face a war that will destroy Eana. With nowhere to turnand desperate to find a weapon to defeat Oonagh, Rose seeks help from Shen-Lo in the Sunkissed Kingdom, but what she finds there may break her heart.

As Oonagh threatens all Rose and Wren hold dear, it will take everything they have to save Eana—including a sacrifice they may not be prepared to make.

My Review:


Authors: Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber 
Series: Twin Crowns #3
Read: May 15th, 2024
Source: Edelweiss  
Reason Why: Love their writing and this series, and it's a End of Series 2024 Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: May 7th 2024

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 20 Review: Dead Girls Walking

From Goodreads:

Temple Baker knows that evil runs in her blood. Her father is the North Point Killer, an infamous serial killer known for how he marked each of his victims with a brand. He was convicted for murdering 20 people and was the talk of countless true crime blogs for years. Some say he was possessed by a demon. Some say that they never found all his victims. Some say that even though he's now behind bars, people are still dying in the woods. Despite everything though, Temple never believed that her dad killed her mom. But when he confesses to that crime while on death row, she has no choice but to return to his old hunting grounds to try see if she can find a body and prove it.

Turns out, the farm that was once her father's hunting grounds and her home has been turned into an overnight camp for queer, horror-obsessed girls. So Temple poses as a camp counselor to go digging in the woods. While she's not used to hanging out with girls her own age and feels ambivalent at best about these true crime enthusiasts, she tries her best to fit in and keep her true identity hidden.

But when a girl turns up dead in the woods, she fears that one of her father's "fans" might be mimicking his crimes. As Temple tries to uncover the truth and keep the campers safe, she comes to realize that there may be something stranger and more sinister at work—and that her father may not have been the only monster in these woods.

My Review:


Author: Sami Ellis 
Read: May  
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a DAC Book and a SAC 2024 Book! 
Publisher: RB Media
Published: March 26th 2024

/5 Hearts

/5 Books

/5 Stars

Week 20 Review: To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods

From Goodreads:

She has power over death. He has power over her. When two enemies strike a dangerous bargain, will they end a war . . . or ignite one?

Heroes die, cowards live. Daughter of a conquered world, Ruying hates the invaders who descended from the heavens long before she was born and defeated the magic of her people with technologies unlike anything her world had ever seen.

Blessed by Death, born with the ability to pull the life right out of mortal bodies, Ruying shouldn't have to fear these foreign invaders, but she does. Especially because she wants to keep herself and her family safe.

When Ruying's Gift is discovered by an enemy prince, he offers her an impossible deal: If she becomes his private assassin and eliminates his political rivals—whose deaths he swears would be for the good of both their worlds and would protect her people from further brutalization—her family will never starve or suffer harm again. But to accept this bargain, she must use the powers she has always feared, powers that will shave years off her own existence.

Can Ruying trust this prince, whose promises of a better world make her heart ache and whose smiles make her pulse beat faster? Are the evils of this agreement really in the service of a much greater good? Or will she betray her entire nation by protecting those she loves the most?

My Review:


Author: Molly X. Chang 
Series: Gods Beyond the Skies #1
Read: May 14th, 2024
Source: Bought 
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a DAC Book and a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book! 
Publisher: Del Rey
Published: April 16th 2024 

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 20 Review: The Forest Grimm

From Goodreads:

A spellbinding YA fantasy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathryn Purdie, where fairy tales come to life with dark, deadly twists.

"Tell me again, Grandmère, the story of how I die."

The Midnight Forest. The Fanged Creature. Two fortune-telling cards that spell an untimely death for 17-year-old Clara. Despite the ever-present warning from her fortune-teller grandmother, Clara embarks on a dangerous journey into the deadly Forest Grimm to procure a magical book—Sortes Fortunae, the Book of Fortunes—with the power to reverse the curse on her village and save her mother.

Years ago, when the villagers whispered their deepest desires to the book, its pages revealed how to obtain them. All was well until someone used the book for an evil purpose—to kill another person. Afterward, the branches of the Forest Grimm snatched the book away, the well water in Grimm's Hollow turned rancid, and the crops died from disease. The villagers tried to make amends with the forest, but every time someone crossed its border, they never returned.

Now, left with no alternative, Clara and her close friend, Axel—who is fated never to be with her—have set their minds to defying fate and daring to accomplish what no one else has been able to before. But the forest—alive with dark, deadly twists on some of our most well-known fairy tales—has a mind of its own.

My Review:



One thing that I really loved about this book was that Clara lost her shoe when they were with Ella-Cinderella. That they both had feelings for Axel, that Axel was supposed to marry Ella, yeah, that was a great twist on that story! 

This was such a great read and I can't wait for the sequel! 

Author: Kathryn Purdie 
Series: The Forest Grimm #1
Read: May 14th, 2024
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded really good, and it's a 2024 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Wednesday Books 
Published: September 19th 2023

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 20 Review: Masquerade of the Heart

From Goodreads:

Cursebreaker Marlow Briggs must deal with the aftermath of her fake romance with one of the most powerful nobles in the illustrious—and deadly—Evergarden society, all while uncovering the mystery behind her mother's disappearance. This edge-of-your-seat duology finale is perfect for fans of Veronica Mars, These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron.

Caraza sits poised on the edge of chaos. Tensions rise between the Five Families and trouble brews in the Marshes—and Marlow is at the center of it all. In the tragic aftermath of the Vale-Falcrest wedding, Adrius refuses to speak to her, publicly vowing to find a wife before the year is out. Despite her heartbreak, Marlow is still intent on breaking his curse. To do so, she'll have to play loving daughter to the man who cast it. But the closer she gets to her father, the more she starts to question if he's really the villain she's made him out to be.

Marlow has learned by now that in a city steeped in secrets and lies, not everything is as it seems. As the lines between enemy and ally blur, Marlow must decide who to trust—and how high a price she's willing to pay for the truth.

My Review:


Author: Katy Rose Pool
Series: Garden of the Cursed #2
Read: May 14th, 2024
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and the first book, and it's a End of Series 2024 Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Holt Books for Young Readers
Expected Publication: June 18th 2024

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 20 Review: People Will Talk

From Goodreads:

Kieran Scott brings her distinctive "sharp and stylish" (BookPage, starred review) prose to this breathlessly suspenseful novel that combines Glass Onion with Big Little Lies as three women are implicated in a murder after a wedding goes horribly wrong.

When the Frank family throws their annual clambake at their gorgeous beachside home on Cape May, the seafood is always delivered to white-clothed tables on fine bone china. And Peter Frank, the beloved son and perennial heartbreaker, will make the rounds, charming every woman on the guest list. 

Top of that list this year are Maya, his tennis star girlfriend just coming off the high of winning Wimbledon; Catherine, his high school sweetheart turned wildly successful wedding planner and influencer; and Leanne, the fiercely protective aunt and legal guardian of his only son. When Maya, Catherine, and Leanne arrive expecting an extravagant feast, they're instead lured into a room together by a mysterious text to find Peter and…Tilly. 

Tilly, all golden blonde hair and perfectly tan skin, explains to the three women that she and Peter plan to get married that night, that Maya and Peter are through, that Peter will no longer be investing in Catherine's company, and that Leanne must give up guardianship of her nephew. The enraged women attend the impromptu wedding, but when a chandelier falls and crushes the bride, suddenly they're three likely suspects with three perfect motives. Now they'll have to work together to figure out who really did kill Tilly, and fast—because maintaining a good reputation in this crowd can be murder.

My Review:


Author: Kieran Scott 
Read: May 13th, 2024
Source: Edelweiss 
Reason Why: Love her writing, and it's a SAC 2024 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Gallery Books
Expected Publication: July 30th 2024

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 20 Review: Traitor of Redwinter

From Goodreads:

Traitor of Redwinter is the second in Ed McDonald’s Redwinter Chronicles, full of shady politics, militant monks, ancient powers... and a young woman navigating a world in which no one is quite what they seem.

The power of the Sixth Gate grows stronger within Raine each day—to control it, she needs lessons no living Draoihn can teach her. Her fledgling friendships are tested to a breaking point as she tries to face what she has become, and her master Ulovar is struck by a mysterious sickness that slowly saps the vitality from his body, leaving Raine to face her growing darkness alone. There's only one chance to turn the tide of power surging within her—to learn the secrets the Draoihn themselves purged from the world.

The book can teach her. She doesn't know where she found it, or when exactly, but its ever changing pages whisper power that has lain untouched for centuries.

As the king’s health fails and the north suffers in the grip of famine, rebellious lords hunger for the power of the Crown, backed by powers that would see the Crowns undone. Amidst this growing threat, Raine's former friend Ovitus brings a powerful new alliance, raising his status and power of his own. He professes support for the heir to the throne even as others would see him take it for himself, and desperately craves Raine's forgiveness—or her submission.

But the grandmaster has her own plans for Raine, and the deadly training she has been given has not been conducted carelessly. In Raine she seeks to craft a weapon to launch right into her enemy's heart, as Redwinter seeks to hold onto power.

Amidst threats old and new, Raine must learn the secrets promised by the book, magic promised by a queen with a crown of feathers. A queen to whom Raine has promised more than she can afford to give…

My Review:


Author: Ed McDonald
Series: The Redwinter Chronicles #2
Read: May 12th, 2024
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Loved the first book, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2024 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Tor Books 
Published: October 24th 2023

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 20 Review: Follow Her Down

From Goodreads:

Decades of doubt, fear, and suspicion won't let a woman overcome her trauma in a riveting novel of suspense by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Jane Doe and The Hook.

The murder of Elise Rockwood's sister shattered her family. Their mother's anxiety kept her housebound. Elise's paranoid brother, Kyle, saw conspiracies everywhere. Elise numbed her grief in an aimless lifestyle that left her emotionally broken. All of them victims. A local boy eventually confessed, but the damage was already done.

Years later, Elise is reinventing herself. She's bought a mountain lodge to be close to home again and to find stability. Not even an email from her ex tempts her into revisiting the past. But Kyle won’t let it go. He still believes there's more to their sister's murder—and the confession—than meets the eye. When Elise's ex is found dead in the same forest where her sister went missing decades before, Elise is finally willing to listen.

The traumas of the past are reemerging. So is the truth. Elise's greatest fear now is who will survive it.

My Review:


Author: Victoria Helen Stone 
Read: May 11th, 2024 
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded great, and it's a SAC 2024 Book! 
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Expected Publication: June 4th 2024

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars