Week 1 Reviews: The Queen Will Betray You, The King Will Kill You

From Goodreads:

The breathtaking sequel to Sarah Henning's The Princess Will Save You—a brilliantly-executed YA fantasy homage to The Princess Bride

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE CROWN…

After a thousand years of political stability, the realm of The Sand and Sky is up for grabs. Four kingdoms, four rulers vying for the ultimate prize, sovereignty over the entire continent: A ruthless old king spinning webs, whose schemes encompass generations. A widowed queen whose only credo is all kings must die. A runaway queen whose unexpected return upends everyone's plans. And a prince-in-waiting determined to wait no more.

Standing against them are a dispossessed princess and her stable boy love with a surprising claim of his own. Their only hope in the face of unspeakable betrayals, enemies hidden in the shadows, and insurmountable odds is the power of true love...

From Goodreads:

Princess Amarande is finally on the verge of having everything she wants. To be with her true love Luca, no one nor law standing in the way. To rule Ardenia as queen outright, no marriage necessary, as Luca does the same with the reformed Torrence. To rebuild the continent of The Sand and Sky into a place not defined by archaic, patriarchal laws, but by the will of its people.

However, threats await in the shadows of Amarande's hoped-for happily ever after. One expected and deadly to both her love and every one of her objectives. The other, unexpected, and arising with a vicious aim: revenge at any cost. Against the princess who killed him, the boy whose love made her do it, and the continent cruel enough to deserve his rage.

The King Will Kill You is the epic, pulse-pounding conclusion to Sarah Henning's Kingdoms of Sand and Sky trilogy.

My Review:


Author: Sarah Henning 
Series: Kingdoms of Sand and Sky #2, 3 
Read: December 30th, 30th, 2025
Source: Own
Reason Why: Love her writing and this series, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2025 Books and WoW Books, and The King Will Kill You is a End of Series 2025 Book!
Publisher: Tor Teen
Published: July 6th 2021, August 2nd 2022

The Queen Will Betray You:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

The King Will Kill You:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 1 Reviews: Monster, Villain, Hero

From Goodreads:
Acclaimed author Michael Grant delivers a stunning follow-up to the globally bestselling Gone series—perfect for fans of Stephen King's suspenseful writing.

It's been four years since a meteor hit Perdido Beach and everyone disappeared. Everyone, except the kids trapped in the FAYZ—an invisible dome that was created by an alien virus. Inside the FAYZ, animals began to mutate and teens developed dangerous powers. The terrifying new world was plagued with hunger, lies, and fear of the unknown.

Now the dome is gone and meteors are hitting earth with an even deadlier virus. Humans will mutate into monsters and the whole world will be exposed. As some teens begin to morph into heroes, they will find that others have become dangerously out of control…and that the world is on the brink of a monstrous battle between good and evil.

From Goodreads:

Acclaimed author Michael Grant's globally bestselling Gone series continues with Villain, where old foes return and new ones rise, with action-packed scenes, gory battles, and plot twists that will leave readers scrambling for more.

It's been four years since the events of GONE. The Perdido Beach dome is down, but the horrors within have spread. The alien virus-infested rock that created the FAYZ is creating monsters—monsters that walk the cities and countryside, terrorizing all.

There are tanks in the street and predator drones in the sky, doomed efforts to stop the disintegration of civilization. Into this chaos comes a villain with the power to control anyone with just the sound of his voice. Dillon Poe wanted to be a comedian once…but everyone made fun of him. Dillon the loser. Dillon the freak. Now he's sending thousands to their death. Who's laughing now?

The only people who can stop a superpowered villain are superpowered heroes. Dekka, Shade, Cruz, Malik, Armo, and a new mutant with unmatched powers, are all that stand in Dillon's way. But when the lines begin to blur between hero and villain—some begin to wonder who's really the monster.

From Goodreads:

Monster. Villain. Hero.

Four years after the Perdido Beach dome went down, the alien virus that created it is still wreaking havoc, and virus-infested rock has created a new set of humans with mutant powers.

Rockborn gang members Dekka, Shade, Cruz, Malik, Armo, and Francis are fresh off their defeat of Dillion Poe and in need of answers to some very pressing questions about their own powers: who are the Dark Watchers? And what is this Fourth Dimension that only Francis can access?

But heroes don't get down time. When the alien-virus infested rock hits New York, a new foe, Bob Markovic, rises amongst the newly rockborn. Markovic's arrogance and lack of a moral compass already made him unbearable. With his newfound power to inflict a deadly disease, he could send all of humanity into a living hell. As they try to find their footing on morally gray grounds, the Rockborn Gang will have to make some tough decisions if they want to save the world.

Michael Grant bids farewell to the globally bestselling Gone universe with the finale to the Monster trilogy. Old friends and new foes come together in this battle for humanity. The mind-blowing and existential ending will make you rethink: What does it take to be a hero?

My Review:


Author: Michael Grant
Series: Gone #7, 8, 9, Monster #1, 2, 3
Read: December 29th, 29th, 29th, 2025
Source: Edelweiss/Own, Own
Reason Why: Love his books and this series, and they're a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2025 Books and Monster and Villain are WoW Books, and Villain and Hero are RR Books, Hero is a End of Series 2025 Book!
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Published: October 17th 2017, October 16th 2018, November 5th 2019

Monster:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Villain:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Hero:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 1 Reviews: Landry Park, Jubilee Manor

From Goodreads:
Sixteen-year-old Madeline Landry is practically Gentry royalty. Her ancestor developed the nuclear energy that has replaced electricity, and her parents exemplify the glamour of the upper class. As for Madeline, she would much rather read a book than attend yet another debutante ball. But when she learns about the devastating impact the Gentry lifestyle—her lifestyle—is having on those less fortunate, her whole world is turned upside down.  As Madeline begins to question everything she has been told, she finds herself increasingly drawn to handsome, beguiling David Dana, who seems to be hiding secrets of his own. Soon, rumors of war and rebellion start to spread, and Madeline finds herself at the center of it all. Ultimately, she must make a choice between duty—her family and the estate she loves dearly—and desire.

Fans of Ally Condie, Kiera Cass, Veronica Roth, and even Jane Austen will be enthralled by this breathtaking read. 

From Goodreads:
The thrilling conclusion to Landry Park is full of love, betrayal, and murder--perfect for fans of Divergent, The Selection, and Pride and Prejudice.

In Landry Park, Madeline turned her back on her elite family, friends, and estate to help the Rootless. Now, in Jubilee Manor, she struggles to bring the Gentry and the Rootless together. But when Gentry heirs—Madeline's old friends—are murdered, even she begins to think a Rootless is behind it, putting her at odds with the boy she loves and the very people she is trying to lead. If she can't figure out who is killing her friends and bring them to justice, a violent war will erupt and even more will die—and Madeline's name, her estate, and all the bonds she's forged won't make any difference.

My Review:


Author: Bethany Hagen
Series: Landry Park #1, 2
Read: December 28th, 28th, 2025
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and they're 2025 Dystopia Books and Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2025 Books! And Landry Park is a DAC Book and a RR Book, and Jubilee Manor is a End of Series 2025 Book and Sophomore Challenge Book!
Publisher: Dial
Published: February 4th 2014, August 11th 2015

Landry Park:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Jubilee Manor:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 1 Reviews: Trapper Road, Darkwater Lane

From Goodreads:

Sometimes danger comes from the most unexpected places.

Gwen Proctor has always been willing to do anything it takes to protect her kids. But there are some things even she can't protect them from. When a violent incident at Connor's school brings the press to Gwen's doorstep, she agrees to take a case out of town hoping to keep her family out of the crushing media spotlight.

The case is that of a missing girl, last seen getting into a truck with a stranger before disappearing. Gwen has a reputation for finding those who are lost, but this time something is wrong. Her instincts are off, and every clue she uncovers only raises more doubts, not just about the missing girl and the circumstances of her disappearance, but also about the fragile safety Gwen's created for her family.

The closer she comes to uncovering the truth, the more she unwittingly puts those she loves at risk. Someone from Gwen's past doesn't appreciate the new life she's built for herself and is willing to do anything it takes to tear it apart. Except this time it isn't Gwen in the crosshairs, but her partner Sam. Without her instincts to rely on, how can Gwen protect those she loves against an enemy she never sees coming?

From Goodreads:

It's time for Gwen Proctor to bury her past—before it buries her.

For years, the Lost Angels have hunted Gwen, blaming her for the murders committed by her ex-husband, Melvin Royal. Now, they've found a new a viral true-crime podcast that drags Gwen and her family back into the spotlight—and into the path of a deadly new danger.

Then the FBI arrives with a chilling someone is killing Gwen's enemies, leaving behind a twisted signature that links the crimes to Melvin. The evidence points to the last person Gwen ever expected—Sam Cade, the man she's come to trust with her heart.

With her family's safety at stake, Gwen returns to Stillhouse Lake for a final confrontation. But as the bodies pile up and the doubts about Sam grow, Gwen must face the one question she's been running She trusted the wrong man once before…

What if she's about to do it again?

My Review:


Authors: Rachel Caine and Carrie Ryan 
Series: Stillhouse Lake #6, 7 
Read: December 27th, 28th, 2025 
Source: Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: Love their writing and this series, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2025 Books, and Darkwater Lane is a End of Series 2025 Book!
Publisher: Rachel Caine, LLC
Published: August 2nd 2022, June 26th 2025

Trapper Road:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Darkwater Lane:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 52 Reviews: Plague, Fear, Light

From Goodreads:
It's been eight months since all the adults disappeared. GONE.

They've survived hunger. They've survived lies. But the stakes keep rising, and the dystopian horror keeps building. Yet despite the simmering unrest left behind by so many battles, power struggles, and angry divides, there is a momentary calm in Perdido Beach.

But enemies in the FAYZ don't just fade away, and in the quiet, deadly things are stirring, mutating, and finding their way free. The Darkness has found its way into the mind of its Nemesis at last and is controlling it through a haze of delirium and confusion. A highly contagious, fatal illness spreads at an alarming rate. Sinister, predatory insects terrorize Perdido Beach. And Sam, Astrid, Diana, and Caine are plagued by a growing doubt that they'll escape - or even survive - life in the FAYZ. With so much turmoil surrounding them, what desperate choices will they make when it comes to saving themselves and those they love?

Plague, Michael Grant's fourth book in the bestselling Gone series, will satisfy dystopian fans of all ages.
 

From Goodreads:
It's been one year since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

Despite the hunger and the lies, even despite the plague, the kids of Perdido Beach are determined to survive. Creeping into the tenuous new world they've built, though, is perhaps the worst incarnation yet of the enemy known as the Darkness: fear.

Within the FAYZ, life breaks down while the Darkness takes over, literally—turning the dome-world of the FAYZ entirely black. In darkness, the worst fears of all emerge, and the cruelest of intentions are carried out. But even in their darkest moments, the inhabitants of the FAYZ maintain a will to survive and a desire to take care of the others in their ravaged band that endures, no matter what the cost.

Fear, Michael Grant's fifth book in the bestselling dystopian Gone series, will thrill readers . . . even as it terrifies them.

From Goodreads:
It's been over a year since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

In the time since every person over the age of fourteen disappeared from the town of Perdido Beach, California, countless battles have been fought: battles against hunger and lies and plague, and epic battles of good against evil. And now, the gaiaphage has been reborn as Diana's malicious mutant daughter, Gaia. Gaia is endlessly hungry for destruction. She yearns to conquer her Nemesis, Little Pete, and then bend the entire world to her warped will. As long-standing enemies become allies, secrets are revealed and unexpected sacrifices are made. Will their attempts to save themselves and one another matter in the end, or will the kids of Perdido Beach perish in this final power struggle?

Light, the sixth and final book in the New York Times bestselling Gone series by Michael Grant, creates a masterful, arresting conclusion to life in the FAYZ.

My first review of Plague, Fear, Light
My Review:


Author: Michael Grant
Series: Gone #4, 5, 6
First Read: July 7th, 2011, June 19th, 2012, April 2nd, 2013

Read: December 23rd, 23rd, 24th, 2025
Source: Own
Reason Why: Rereading, and they're 2025 Dystopia Books and Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2025 Books, and Light is a End of Series 2025 Book!
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Published: July 7th 2011, March 1st 2012, April 1st 2013

Plague:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Fear:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Light:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 51 Reviews: A Tempest of Tea, A Tempest of Tea Bonus Epilogue, A Steeping of Blood

From Goodreads:

From Hafsah Faizal, New York Times–bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame, comes the first book in a hotly-anticipated new fantasy duology about an orphan girl and her crew who get tangled in a heist with vampires, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows.

On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can't do the job alone.

Calling upon a band of misfits, Arthie formulates a plan to infiltrate the dark and glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not every member of her crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.

From Goodreads:

The bonus epilogue is a preorder gift to A Tempest of Tea (campaign available to US and Canada residents only).

From Goodreads:

Arthie Casimir's had her tea. Now she's out for blood.

White Roaring is sharpening its fangs after the deadly night that left the city in shambles. The press are dead, the public is calling for justice, vampires are in danger, and amid the turmoil, the Ram announces a celebration.

Still reeling from the bloodshed, Arthie Casimir has no time to mourn anyone's death, let alone her own. She has no time for love, either, even though it saved her life. As Arthie navigates new emotions and new allies, she must reassemble her scrambled crew and scrape together what little they have left to fight one last time—and she will need to face the ghosts of her past to do it.

In Ceylan.

After the jaw-dropping ending of #1 New York Times bestseller A Tempest of Tea, Hafsah Faizal crafts a deliciously twisty and seductive sequel that will leave readers breathless until the very last page.

My first review of A Tempest of Tea
My Review:

Author: Hafsah Faizal
Series: Blood and Tea #1, 2
First Read: February 7th, 2024

Read: December 17th, 17th, 18th, 2025
Source: Own, Online, Bought
Reason Why: Rereading, and they're Historical Fiction 2025 Books and Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2025 Books, and A Steeping of Blood is a End of Series 2025 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), Hafsah Faizal
Published: February 20th 2024, February 20th 2024, September 23rd 2025

A Tempest of Tea:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

A Tempest of Tea Bonus Epilogue:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

A Steeping of Blood:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars