Showing posts with label Chloe Gong. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chloe Gong. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Waiting on Wednesday #754, October 22nd

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

The Moorwitch by Jessica Khoury
Expected Publication: November 1st, 2025
From Goodreads:
In this sweeping romantic fantasy from bestselling author Jessica Khoury, a young witch caught in a twisted bargain with the fae must disguise herself as a governess and uncover the gateway to the realm of faerie in order to save her dying magic and escape the clutches of her controlling fae handler—even as she finds herself falling for her new employer, an enigmatic young Scottish laird and the owner of a crumbling estate brimming with secrets.

Rose Pryor has sacrificed everything for magic. As a Weaver skilled in the craft of spinning spells with thread and needle, she’s always chosen magic over love, and it was magic that brought her to Lachlan, the fae with whom Rose once struck a sinister deal in order to escape her abusive home. After years of running from her past, Rose has finally managed to build a new life for herself as a teacher in a school for young Weavers. But Rose has a Her magic is waning, and every spell she weaves to train her students is slowly killing her.

When Lachlan returns to collect the debt Rose owes him, she finds herself on a perilous journey to the Scottish moors where she must find him an ancient gateway to the realm of the fae, lest her precious magic be forfeit. But when her quest pits her against Conrad, a young laird with a soul as lonely as her own who hires Rose to work as a governess for his rebellious young sister, Rose finds herself torn between her promise to Lachlan and her budding feelings for her new employer as her search for the gateway puts both her magic and her heart at stake.

The Same Backward as Forward by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
You’ve fallen in love with the Hawthorne brothers, now discover the love story of the lost scion of Hawthorne House. Read Hannah’s side of the story, then flip the book over to experience their love anew through Toby’s eyes in this unforgettable novel that you can read backward or forward.

Hannah Rooney knows how to be invisible. At twenty, she keeps her head down and her eyes open, and so far, she’s managed to avoid being pulled into the dealings of her notorious criminal family. Hannah lives her life in countdown mode, biding her time in nursing school as she waits for her beloved sister, Kaylie, to turn eighteen so Hannah can get them both far, far away from Rockaway Watch and start a new life.

Tobias Hawthorne II acts every inch the entitled heir that he is. As the only son of one of the country's richest men, there isn't a door that isn't open to him. Yet behind his razor sharp cheekbones and devil-may-care attitude, Toby is guarding a nest of deadly secrets and a fiery anger fierce enough to burn everything in his path.

Their lives collide in one tragic, stormy night, where an act of arson and nature leave Kaylie and two others dead and Toby just barely alive—with no memory of who he is. The fisherman who pulls him from the ocean enlists Hannah to help save the very person who she knows took away her sister. Fueled by her hatred, Hannah is determined to deny Toby's death wish by keeping him alive. He is the last person that she should ever develop feelings for, and she is the first thing he ever remembers seeing.

Some things cannot happen—and some things cannot be stopped.

*Hannah’s side of the story was previously published as a novella in Games Untold

*Reading them all? The ideal reading order The Inheritance Games , The Hawthorne Legacy , The Final Gambit , The Brothers Hawthorne , Games Untold ,  The Grandest Game ,  Glorious Rivals , and The Same Backward as Forward . 

*Looking for more unputdownable reads from Jennifer Lynn Barnes? Check out The Naturals series (The Naturals, Killer Instinct, All In, Bad Blood, and the enovella, Twelve), The Debutantes duet (Little White Lies, Deadly Little Scandals), and The Lovely and the Lost.

We're Not Safe Here by Rin Chupeco 
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Wispy Falls' town motto "You'll be safe here!" but that doesn't seem to be true. Because in Wispy Falls, monsters live in the woods, and children go missing, and the bodies are beginning to stack up. 

A seventeen year-old vlogger known as Storymancer is determined to get to the bottom of what's wrong in Wispy Falls. A few years ago his six-year-old brother went missing in the woods and no one in town seemed to care enough to find him. 

So now he's investigating why every household participates in something called the Bloodmoon Ritual, Why crpytid sightings are so common. And why everyone who goes into the woods, goes missing. If he can't fix what's wrong with the town, he just might be the next body in the woods.

Told primarily through video transcripts, message boards, and radio shows, this Welcome to Nightvale inspired horror will chill you to your core.

The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
From the #1 New York Times bestselling "Queen of Fairytale Retellings" and author of Cinder and Heartless, this is the tale of Bluebeard as it's never been told before—a thrilling romantasy and murder mystery.

Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely as useful as one would think. She and her sister have maintained the family business, eking out a paltry living by selling bogus spells to gullible buyers and conducting tours of the infamous mansion where the first of the Saphir murders took place.

Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir—otherwise known as Monsieur Le Bleu—who brutally killed three of his wives more than a century ago. But she never expected to meet Bastien's great-great grandson and heir to the Saphir estate. Armand is handsome, wealthy, and convinced that the Fontaine Sisters are as talented as they claim. The perfect mark. When he offers Mallory a large sum of money to rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu's ghost, she can’t resist. A paid vacation at Armand’s country manor? It’s practically a dream come true, never mind the ghosts of murdered wives and the monsters that are as common as household pests.

But when murder again comes to the House Saphir, Mallory finds herself at the center of the investigation—and she is almost certain the killer is mortal. If she has any hope of cashing in on the payment she was promised, she’ll have to solve the murder and banish the ghost, all while upholding the illusion of witchcraft.

But that all sounds relatively easy compared to her biggest learning to trust her heart. Especially when the person her heart wants the most might be a murderer himself.

Empire of the Dawn by Jay Kristoff
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
From New York Times bestselling author of the Empire of the Vampire and Empire of the Damned, Jay Kristoff, comes the epic conclusion to the #1 internationally bestselling series.

From holy cup comes holy light;
The faithful hands sets world aright.
And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,
Mere man shall end this endless night.

Gabriel de León has lost his family, his faith, and the last hope of ending the endless night—his surrogate daughter, Dior. With no thought left but vengeance, he and a band of loyal brothers journey into the war-torn heart of Elidaen to claim the life of the Forever King.


Unbeknownst to the Last Silversaint, the Grail still lives—speeding towards the besieged capital of Augustin in the frail hope of ending Daysdeath. But deadly treachery awaits within the halls of power, and the Forever King’s legions march ever closer. Gabriel and Dior will be drawn into a final battle that will shape the very fate of the Empire, but as the sun sets for what may the last time, there will be no one left for them to trust.

Not even each other.

Witchlight by Susan Dennard
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Paths converge and prophecies unfold as Safi and Iseult—the legendary Cahr Awen—fight their way across the Witchlands to heal the final Origin Well. With ancient figures rising from the past, the Raider King’s armies gathering for war, and the magic at the heart of everything dying too fast, the entire world is now on the brink of collapse.

But when Safi and Iseult reach the Air Well with the Bloodwitch Aeduan at their side, they discover too late that Eridysi's Lament is not the prophecy they thought it was—and their journeys are only just beginning.
A Fate So Cold by Amanda Foody and C.L. Herman
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
A Fate So Cold is the first of a new blockbuster duology from the New York Times bestselling authors of All of Us Villains, Amanda Foody & C. L. Herman.

For most of the year, Summer reigns peacefully over Alderland. Then, for six brutal weeks, Winter rages, obliterating towns and wreaking casualties. Magicians bond with powerful wands of Summer to defend the nation, a duty that costs many their lives.

Domenic Barrow never wanted such responsibility―but destiny hasn’t granted him a choice. The greatest Summer wand has awakened for the first time in a century, warning that an icy cataclysm looms on the horizon. And despite his reputation as the least suited of his classmates, the wand Chooses Domenic to wield it.

Ellery Caldwell spent years striving to be a perfect Summer magician―and burying her fears of her own power. But her worst suspicions are proven true when she accidentally creates the first ever Winter wand.

Now, as the unprecedented Chosen Two, Domenic and Ellery must thwart the oncoming cataclysm together. And in trying to fulfill their destinies, they wonder if they were brought together for a second fate: to fall in love.

Until they discover the unthinkable truth. The Chosen Two aren’t fated allies, but eternal rivals, and the only way to save their home is for one of them to slay the other.

This is no love story. It's a tragedy.

Coldwire by Chloe Gong
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Chloe Gong comes the start of a daring new dystopian series where humanity has moved to virtual reality to flee their deteriorating world, following two young soldiers who must depend on unlikely allies in their fight for survival.

The future is loading…

To escape rising seas and rampant epidemics, most of society lives “upcountry” in glistening virtual reality, while those who can’t afford the subscription are forced to remain in crumbling “downcountry.”

But upcountry isn’t perfect. A cold war rages between two powerful nations, Medaluo and Atahua—and no one suffers for it more than the Medan orphans in Atahua. Their enrollment at Nile Military Academy is mandatory. Either serve as a soldier or risk being labelled a spy.

Eirale graduated the academy and joined NileCorp’s private forces downcountry, exactly as she was supposed to. Then Atahua’s most wanted anarchist frames her for assassinating a government official, and she’s given a choice: cooperate with him to search for a dangerous program in Medaluo or go down for treason.

Meanwhile, Lia is finishing her last year upcountry at Nile Military Academy. Paired with her academic nemesis for their final assignment, Lia is determined to beat him for valedictorian and prove her worth. But there may be far more at stake when their task to infiltrate Medaluo and track down an Atahuan traitor goes wrong…

Though Eirale and Lia tear through Medaluo on different planes of reality, the two start to suspect they are puzzle pieces in a larger conspiracy—and the closer they get to the truth, the closer their worlds come to a shattering collision.

Eternal Ruin by Tigest Girma
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
The breathtaking sequel to the #1 New York Times bestseller, Immortal Dark !

Like all ruinous things, he came from the abyss.

Kidan Adane has finally embraced her darkness. She’s killed without remorse, lied, and broken Uxlay University’s most sacred law by inviting elusive rogue vampires, the Nefrasi, into Uxlay.

Trapped with a violently unstable vampire, and reeling from her sister’s return, Kidan wields her anger like a weapon. She vows to master her house and protect the sacred artifact hidden inside, even if it means forging an alliance with the depraved leader of the Nefrasi, Samson Sagad—and betraying Susenyos.

A dangerous new philosophical text seems to hold the answers and promises the very thing Kidan has control. Even as the dark pages consume her, Kidan knows no soul at Uxlay is trustworthy—least of all Susenyos. For Kidan and Susenyos, the lines of loathing and attraction may blur, but the quest for power rules them both. And neither is willing to surrender.

As devastating secrets resurface from the past, Kidan and her sister, June, must finally confront each other and take their rightful places in the looming war.

The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
A woman must confront the evil that has been terrorizing her street since she was a child in this gripping haunted house novel from the national bestselling author of The House That Horror Built and Good Girls Don’t Die.

On an otherwise ordinary street in Chicago, there is a house. An abandoned house where, once upon a time, terrible things happened. The children who live on this block are told by their parents to stay away from that house. But of course, children don’t listen. Children think it’s fun to be scared, to dare each other to go inside.

Jessie Campanelli did what many older sisters do and dared her little brother Paul. But unlike all the other kids who went inside that abandoned house, Paul didn’t return. His two friends, Jake and Richie, said that the house ate Paul. Of course adults didn’t believe that. Adults never believe what kids say. They thought someone kidnapped Paul, or otherwise hurt him. They thought Paul had disappeared in a way that was ordinary, explainable.

The disappearance of her little brother broke Jessie’s family apart in ways that would never be repaired. Jessie grew up, had a child of her own, kept living on the same street where the house that ate her brother sat, crouched and waiting. And darkness seemed to spread out from that house, a darkness that was alive—alive and hungry.

The Devil in Oxford by Jess Armstrong 
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Set after the Great War, Jess Armstrong’s USA Today bestselling and award-winning series is historical gothic murder mystery at its best, and Ruby Vaughn returns in The Devil in Oxford.

If someone were to ask American heiress Ruby Vaughn how exactly the occult came to play such a large role in her life, she would immediately point to her octogenarian housemate and employer, Mr. Owen. Together, the pair run a rare book shop in Exeter. Mr. Owen’s penchant for arcane, unusual—and occasionally illegal—books has been known to get Ruby into her fair share of trouble. And after the last year, she is looking forward to spending a quiet holiday in picturesque Oxford while Mr. Owen attends the annual meeting of his antiquarian society. Secretly, Ruby is also looking for a holiday from her confounding feelings for Ruan Kivell, the intriguing folk healer Pellar that she met in Cornwall.

When Mr. Owen secures two tickets to an upcoming exhibition of artifacts amassed by disgraced scholar Julius Harker, Ruby reluctantly agrees to attend. The evening turns out to be more eventful than either of them bargained for. Harker’s dead body is discovered amongst the collection, his business partner is hastily arrested, and Ruan arrives…wanting to speak with Ruby. It seems both the arcane and her Pellar have followed Ruby to Oxford.

The murder case is suspicious at best, but the last thing Ruby wants is another investigation. That is, until an old friend comes begging for Ruby’s help. It soon becomes painfully clear that there is more going on in Oxford than meets the eye. Ruby and Ruan will have to uncover the dark secrets of the competitive world of antiquities while trying to understand the peculiar force that keeps drawing them back together.

Beautiful Brutal Bodies by Linda Cheng
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Full of skin-crawling folk horror and sapphic romance, this feral fairytale and standalone follow-up to GORGEOUS GRUESOME FACES follows a reclusive songstress and her bodyguard who must unravel the occult mysteries of their past to escape from a cursed island.

Tian is a singer-songwriter with a massive online following, known for her hypnotic vocals and ethereal looks. But behind the glamorous façade is a disturbing reality: raised in an isolated mansion, Tian is a prisoner in her own life.

Liya is Tian’s childhood friend and her only close companion, tasked with protecting Tian at all costs. But hidden beneath Liya’s beautiful human exterior is a beastly secret: her teeth are far too sharp, and her appetite much too ferocious.

When several fans mysteriously suffer fatal injuries while watching her livestream, Tian, along with Liya, are sent to a spiritual healing retreat on a remote island in the South China Seas. They are joined by Tian's musical collaborator Shenyu, a troubled idol whose recent brush with the law and string of bad boyfriends has him seeking his own new start. But the trio soon discovers that the island is no peaceful getaway. There is constant surveillance, bizzare rituals, and something terrifying lurking in the forest. Something not quite human.

In order to escape with her loved ones, Tian must uncover her connection to the island’s blood-drenched legend -- and the truth behind Liya’s monstrous identity -- before the island claims them all as its final sacrifice.

Girls Who Play Dead by Joelle Wellington
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Two siblings investigate the murder of a friend only to unearth even more deadly mysteries in their small town in this page-turning young adult thriller from the acclaimed author of Their Vicious Games.

When Mikky Graves left his small, stifling hometown of Prophets Lake to live with his estranged mother, he thought nothing could ever make him return for good.

Until his sister Kyla’s best friend, Erin, is murdered.

Mikky never worried about leaving Kyla behind at their family-owned funeral home so long as she had Erin. But when Mikky heads home, determined to help Kyla grieve, the sister he encounters barely resembles the one he remembers. Mikky decides, then and there, to do the one thing that seems even more impossible than stay.

As Kyla spirals further into her rage and secrets, Mikky realizes the only thing that can help his sister is finding the truth about who killed Erin. But the more he investigates, the further he’s pulled into other ugly mysteries of Prophets Lake and the beauty brand that is its lifeblood. The town’s rot runs deep, and everyone has something to hide. Perhaps no one more than Kyla herself.

We Fell Apart by E. Lockhart
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
This gorgeous edition of We Fell Apart will feature stunning sprayed edges, unique printed endpapers, and an exclusive foil-stamped case!

#1 New York Times bestselling author E. Lockhart returns to the world of her TikTok sensation We Were Liars with all her signature beachy gothic atmosphere, family intrigue, and high-stakes romance.

The invitation arrives out of the blue.

In it, Matilda discovers a father she’s never met. Kingsley Cello is a visionary, a reclusive artist. And when he asks her to spend the summer at his seaside home, Hidden Beach, Matilda expects to find a part of herself she’s never fully understood.

Instead, she finds Meer, her long-lost, openhearted brother; Brock, a former child star battling demons; and brooding, wild Tatum, who just wants her to leave their crumbling sanctuary.

With Kingsley nowhere to be seen, Matilda must delve into the twisted heart of Hidden Beach to uncover the answers she’s desperately craving. But secrets run thicker than blood, and blood runs like seawater.

And everyone here is lying.

Fallen City by Adrienne Young
Expected Publication: November 4th, 2025
From Goodreads:
In the great walled city of Isara, political turmoil ignites a rebellion one hundred years in the making. But when a legionnaire falls in love with a Magistrate's daughter, their love will threaten the fate of the city and the will of the gods.

Luca Matius has one purpose—to carry on the family name, maintaining its presence in the Forum once his powerful and cruel uncle dies. But his noviceship with the city's Philosopher places him in the middle of a catastrophe that will alter the destiny of his people.

Maris Casoeria was raised amidst the strategic maneuvers of the Citadel's inner workings, and she knows what her future holds—a lifetime of service to a corrupt city. But her years of serving as a novice to the last Priestess who possesses the stolen magic of the Old War has made her envision a different kind of future for the city. When she meets Luca, a fated chain of events is set into motion that will divinely entangle their lives.

As a secret comes to light and throws the city into chaos, Luca and Maris hatch a plot to create a calculated alliance that could tip the scales of power. But when an execution forces Luca to become the symbol of rebellion, he and Maris are thrown onto opposite sides of a holy war. As their fates diverge, they learn they are at the center of a story the gods are writing. And even if they can find their way back to each other, there may be nothing left.

Silver & Smoke by Helen Scheuerer
Expected Publication: November 6th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Alchemist. Poisoner. Reluctant Queen.

Wren Embervale knows her duty demands a crown, even if it means a strategic betrothal to the influential Lord Darian Devereux. Their arranged marriage promises the formidable army she needs to wrestle her kingdom from the clutches of the tyrannical usurper, Silas. Yet, Wren’s heart still belongs to Torj Elderbrock, her soul-bonded Warsword.

Torn between her pragmatic alliance and the visceral pull of her bond with Torj, Wren must navigate a treacherous landscape of courtly intrigue and looming war. As Silas’s shadow alchemy tightens its grip on the midrealms and a creeping poison steals Torj’s strength, Wren’s carefully constructed facade begins to crack. Can she play the dutiful fiancée to secure her throne, while her body and soul yearns for the warrior who would lay down his life for her? Or will the tangled threads of political necessity leave her kingdom – and her heart – in ashes?

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Iron & Embers, Silver & Smoke is the blistering finale to the Ashes of Thezmarr series.

Wow, the start of November is stacked with some amazing books! I'm so excited for all of these books, I've read one of two and they were so great, and I'm looking forward to all of them so much! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Saturday, February 1, 2025

Week 5 Review: Vilest Things

From Goodreads:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Chloe Gong comes the thrilling sequel to Immortal Longings, inspired by Shakespeare's Antony & Cleopatra.

Calla Tuoleimi has succeeded in the impossible. Despite the odds, she has won San-Er's bloody games and eliminated King Kasa, her tyrant uncle and the former ruler of Talin. She serves now as royal advisor to Kasa's adopted son, August Shenzhi, who has risen to the throne.

Only Calla knows it isn't really August.

Anton Makusa is still furious about Calla's betrayal in the final round of the games. In an impossible feat, he took over August's body to survive, and has no intention of giving up this newfound power. But when his first love, the beautiful, explosive Otta Avia, awakens from a years-long coma and reveals a secret that threatens the monarchy's authority over Talin, chaos erupts. As tensions come to a boiling point, Calla and Anton must set their conflicts aside and head to the kingdom's far reaches to prevent anarchy… even if their empire might be better off burning.

My Review:


Author: Chloe Gong 
Series: Flesh and False Gods #2
Read: January 31st, 2025  
Source: Bought 
Reason Why: Love her writing and the first book, and it's a 2025 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2025 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: S&S/Saga Press
Published: September 10th 2024
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Friday, January 31, 2025

Magical Readathon: Orilium Update 7

So I read my next book for Magical Readathon: Orilium, and it was Vilest Things which was for the prompt IA, and I'll be reading my February TBR next! 

My Reading Journey:

Memories of Ash by Intisar Khanani 
Prompt Fulfilled: 1C
Started On: January 22nd
Finished On: January 22nd, 4:28 PM
Pages Read: 355

Hearts that Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou
Prompt Fulfilled: 1B
Started On: January 25th
Finished On: January 25th, 11:31 AM
Pages Read: 336

The Crimson Crown by Heather Walter
Prompt Fulfilled: 1D
Started On: January 25th
Finished On: January 25th, 3:45 PM
Pages Read: 544

The Party by Natasha Preston
Prompt Fulfilled: 1C
Started On: January 27th
Finished On: January 27th, 10:53 AM
Pages Read: 352

Return of the Vengeful Queen by C.J. Redwine 
Prompt Fulfilled: 1E
Started On: January 30th
Finished On: January 30th, 11:04 AM
Pages Read: 400

I Am the Dark that Answers When You Call by Jamison Shea
Prompt Fulfilled: 1B
Started On: January 31st
Finished On: January 31st, 2:00 PM
Pages Read: 336

Vilest Things by Chloe Gong
Prompt Fulfilled: 1A
Started On: January 31st
Finished On: January 31st, 6:36 PM
Pages Read: 416

Prompts Left: 2C South, 2B West, 2D North East, 2C South, 2E South East, 2B West, 2A North
Read: 7
Pages Read: 2739

Phase Out Your TBR Update 22 and Wrap Up

So I've read my final book for the Phase Out Your TBR, and it was Vilest Things which is for the prompt Green 7, and while it did come down to the wire, I completed my TBR! And yeah, I read some fantastic books, and I'm happy with that, and I can't wait for the next round!  

My Reading Journey:

Archangel's Ascension by Nalini Singh
Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 12
Started On: January 14th, 
Finished On: January 14th, 7:28 PM 
Pages Read: 416

The Last One by Rachel Howzell Hall
Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 7
Started On: January 15th
Finished On: January 15th, 11:38 AM
Pages Read: 496

Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou
Prompt Fulfilled: Green 4
Started On: January 16th
Finished On: January 16th, 8:41 PM
Pages Read: 368

The Warrior God by Eliza Raine and Rose Wilson
Prompt Fulfilled: Green 6
Started On: January 17th
Finished On: January 17th, 2:51 PM
Pages Read: 306

The Golden God by Eliza Raine and Rose Wilson
Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 8
Started On: January 17th
Finished On: January 17th, 9:18 PM
Pages Read: 270

Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong
Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 10
Started On: January 18th
Finished On: January 18th, 2:28 PM
Pages Read: 441

Sofi and the Bone Song by Adrienne Tooley
Prompt Fulfilled: Red 7
Started On: January 19th
Finished On: January 19th, 4:29 PM
Pages Read: 416

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
Prompt Fulfilled: Green 12
Started On: January 21st 
Finished On: January 21st, 9:41 PM
Pages Read: 554

Voice of the Ocean by Kelsey Impicciche
Prompt Fulfilled: Blue 3
Started On: January 23rd
Finished On: January 23rd, 7:37 PM
Pages Read: 432

The Secret War by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Hinako Hishinuma and Madaug Hishinuma
Prompt Fulfilled: Red 6
Started On: January 24th
Finished On: January 24th, 2:48 PM
Pages Read: 208

Don't Let Me Go by Kevin Christopher Snipes
Prompt Fulfilled: Green 5
Started On: January 24th
Finished On: January 24th, 7:25 PM
Pages Read: 400

Hearts that Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou
Prompt Fulfilled: Green Wild (Green 4)
Started On: January 25th
Finished On: January 25th, 11:31 AM
Pages Read: 336

The Crimson Crown by Heather Walter
Prompt Fulfilled: Red 12
Started On: January 25th
Finished On: January 25th, 3:45 PM
Pages Read: 544

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
Prompt Fulfilled: Red 12
Started On: January 25th
Finished On: January 25th, 7:17 PM
Pages Read: 432

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Oseman
Prompt Fulfilled: Green 2
Started On: January 25th
Finished On: January 25th, 11:31 PM
Pages Read: 412

The Dryad Storm by Laurie Forest
Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 9
Started On: January 28th
Finished On: January 28th, 9:47 PM
Pages Read: 752

The Empress by Kristin Cast
Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 3
Started On: January 29th
Finished On: January 29th, 8:45 PM 
Pages Read: 400

Return of the Vengeful Queen by C.J. Redwine 
Prompt Fulfilled: Blue 10
Started On: January 30th
Finished On: January 30th, 11:04 AM
Pages Read: 400

Bone Crier's Dawn by Kathryn Purdie
Prompt Fulfilled: Blue 11
Started On: January 30th
Finished On: January 30th, 2:24 PM
Pages Read: 448

Capitana by Cassandra James
Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 5
Started On: January 30th
Finished On: January 30th, 6:13 PM
Pages Read: 400

I Am the Dark that Answers When You Call by Jamison Shea
Prompt Fulfilled: Blue 7
Started On: January 31st
Finished On: January 31st, 2:00 PM
Pages Read: 336

Vilest Things by Chloe Gong
Prompt Fulfilled: Green 7
Started On: January 31st
Finished On: January 31st, 6:36 PM
Pages Read: 416

Prompts Left: None Left!
Books Read: 22
Pages Read: 9871

Magical Readathon: Orilium Update 6

So I read my next book for Magical Readathon: Orilium, and it was I Am the Dark that Answers When You Call which was for the prompt IB, and I'll be reading Vilest Things next! 

My Reading Journey:

Memories of Ash by Intisar Khanani 
Prompt Fulfilled: 1C
Started On: January 22nd
Finished On: January 22nd, 4:28 PM
Pages Read: 355

Hearts that Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou
Prompt Fulfilled: 1B
Started On: January 25th
Finished On: January 25th, 11:31 AM
Pages Read: 336

The Crimson Crown by Heather Walter
Prompt Fulfilled: 1D
Started On: January 25th
Finished On: January 25th, 3:45 PM
Pages Read: 544

The Party by Natasha Preston
Prompt Fulfilled: 1C
Started On: January 27th
Finished On: January 27th, 10:53 AM
Pages Read: 352

Return of the Vengeful Queen by C.J. Redwine 
Prompt Fulfilled: 1E
Started On: January 30th
Finished On: January 30th, 11:04 AM
Pages Read: 400

I Am the Dark that Answers When You Call by Jamison Shea
Prompt Fulfilled: 1B
Started On: January 31st
Finished On: January 31st, 2:00 PM
Pages Read: 336

Vilest Things by Chloe Gong
Prompt Fulfilled: 1A
Started On: January 31st
Currently On: Page 0 of 416

Prompts Left: 2C South, 2B West, 2D North East, 2C South, 2E South East, 2B West, 2A North
Read: 6
Pages Read: 2323

Phase Out Your TBR Update 21

So I've read my next book for the Phase Out Your TBR, and it was I Am the Dark that Answers When You Call which is for the prompt Blue 7 and I'll be reading Vilest Things next! 

My Reading Journey:

Archangel's Ascension by Nalini Singh
Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 12
Started On: January 14th, 
Finished On: January 14th, 7:28 PM 
Pages Read: 416

The Last One by Rachel Howzell Hall
Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 7
Started On: January 15th
Finished On: January 15th, 11:38 AM
Pages Read: 496

Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou
Prompt Fulfilled: Green 4
Started On: January 16th
Finished On: January 16th, 8:41 PM
Pages Read: 368

The Warrior God by Eliza Raine and Rose Wilson
Prompt Fulfilled: Green 6
Started On: January 17th
Finished On: January 17th, 2:51 PM
Pages Read: 306

The Golden God by Eliza Raine and Rose Wilson
Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 8
Started On: January 17th
Finished On: January 17th, 9:18 PM
Pages Read: 270

Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong
Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 10
Started On: January 18th
Finished On: January 18th, 2:28 PM
Pages Read: 441

Sofi and the Bone Song by Adrienne Tooley
Prompt Fulfilled: Red 7
Started On: January 19th
Finished On: January 19th, 4:29 PM
Pages Read: 416

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
Prompt Fulfilled: Green 12
Started On: January 21st 
Finished On: January 21st, 9:41 PM
Pages Read: 554

Voice of the Ocean by Kelsey Impicciche
Prompt Fulfilled: Blue 3
Started On: January 23rd
Finished On: January 23rd, 7:37 PM
Pages Read: 432

The Secret War by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Hinako Hishinuma and Madaug Hishinuma
Prompt Fulfilled: Red 6
Started On: January 24th
Finished On: January 24th, 2:48 PM
Pages Read: 208

Don't Let Me Go by Kevin Christopher Snipes
Prompt Fulfilled: Green 5
Started On: January 24th
Finished On: January 24th, 7:25 PM
Pages Read: 400

Hearts that Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou
Prompt Fulfilled: Green Wild (Green 4)
Started On: January 25th
Finished On: January 25th, 11:31 AM
Pages Read: 336

The Crimson Crown by Heather Walter
Prompt Fulfilled: Red 12
Started On: January 25th
Finished On: January 25th, 3:45 PM
Pages Read: 544

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
Prompt Fulfilled: Red 12
Started On: January 25th
Finished On: January 25th, 7:17 PM
Pages Read: 432

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Oseman
Prompt Fulfilled: Green 2
Started On: January 25th
Finished On: January 25th, 11:31 PM
Pages Read: 412

The Dryad Storm by Laurie Forest
Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 9
Started On: January 28th
Finished On: January 28th, 9:47 PM
Pages Read: 752

The Empress by Kristin Cast
Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 3
Started On: January 29th
Finished On: January 29th, 8:45 PM 
Pages Read: 400

Return of the Vengeful Queen by C.J. Redwine 
Prompt Fulfilled: Blue 10
Started On: January 30th
Finished On: January 30th, 11:04 AM
Pages Read: 400

Bone Crier's Dawn by Kathryn Purdie
Prompt Fulfilled: Blue 11
Started On: January 30th
Finished On: January 30th, 2:24 PM
Pages Read: 448

Capitana by Cassandra James
Prompt Fulfilled: Yellow 5
Started On: January 30th
Finished On: January 30th, 6:13 PM
Pages Read: 400

I Am the Dark that Answers When You Call by Jamison Shea
Prompt Fulfilled: Blue 7
Started On: January 31st
Finished On: January 31st, 2:00 PM
Pages Read: 336

Vilest Things by Chloe Gong
Prompt Fulfilled: Green 7
Started On: January 31st
Currently On: Page 0 of 416

Prompts Left: None Left!
Books Read: 21
Pages Read: 9455

Saturday, September 7, 2024

Week 36 Review: The White Guy Dies First

From Goodreads:
This program features multicast narration as well as an author's note and acknowledgements read by the author.

13 SCARY STORIES. 13 AUTHORS OF COLOR. 13 TIMES WE SURVIVED... THE FIRST KILL.

The White Guy Dies First includes thirteen scary stories by all-star contributors and this time, the white guy dies first.

Killer clowns, a hungry hedge maze, and rich kids who got bored. Friendly cannibals, impossible slashers, and the dead who don't stay dead....

A museum curator who despises "diasporic inaccuracies." A sweet girl and her diary of happy thoughts. An old house that just wants friends forever....

These stories are filled with ancient terrors and modern villains, but go ahead, go into the basement, step onto the old plantation, and open the magician's mystery box because this time, the white guy dies first.

Edited by Terry J. Benton-Walker, including stories from bestselling, award-winning, and up-and-coming contributors: Adiba Jaigirdar, Alexis Henderson, Chloe Gong, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, H. E. Edgmon, Kalynn Bayron, Karen Strong, Kendare Blake, Lamar Giles, Mark Oshiro, Naseem Jamnia, Tiffany D. Jackson, and Terry J. Benton-Walker.

A collection you'll be dying to talk about… if you survive it.

Full narrator list: Alejandro Antonio Ruiz, André Santana, Angel Pean, Joy Ofodu, Kausar Mohammed, Nicky Endres, Samara Naeymi, Terry J. Benton-Walker, Torian Brackett

My Review:
I had such a great time reading this anthology! That there was a bit of a story before and after, that these stories were written and associated with a filmmaker, 13 unreleased movies and 13 missing/dead male actors...yeah, that was so cool! Plus it was another horror anthology poking at the tropes of horror, this time with the white guy dying first! 

This anthology was bookended by this story that set up the premise of the anthology, that there was this filmmaker who made a bunch of movies that were never released about these storie where the white guy dies first, and then all these male actors had been found killed, and these stories are somehow related to what was going on (I had this in audio, and I think I missed if these were the written form of the movies, or related stories in the same vein.) Which was a really interesting premise for this anthology! 

One thing that this collection solidified for me, is that I like happy ending horrors, where the protagonist gets out of whatever horrifying situation that they were in ok. Because a few of the stories here weren't, they lost to the horror that they were facing. 

I support women's rights, and women's wrongs, including in this story, like All Eyes of Me, and The Golden Dragon, that the girls come out on top! Wasps, absolutely infuriated me that it came to that, but loved how it turned out! All of the stories in this anthology were entertaining and raised my emotions, good and bad, but I really enjoyed these 3!

Loved reading this collection of stories, and I'm so glad that it exists! 

Authors: Adiba Jaigirdar, Alexis Henderson, Chloe Gong, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, H.E. Edgmon, Kalynn Bayron, Karen Strong, Kendare Blake, Lamar Giles, Mark Oshiro, Naseem Jamnia, Tiffany D. Jackson, Terry J. Benton-Walker
Read: September 4th, 2024 
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Sounded really good and had authors that I love, and it's a SAC 2024 Book! 
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Published: July 16th 2024
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Waiting on Wednesday #692, August 14th

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune 
Expected Publication: September 10th, 2024
From Goodreads:
Somewhere Beyond the Sea is the hugely anticipated sequel to TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea, one of the best-loved and best-selling fantasy novels of the past decade. Featuring gorgeous orange sprayed edges!

A magical house. A secret past. A summons that could change everything.

Arthur Parnassus lives a good life built on the ashes of a bad one.

He’s the master of a strange orphanage on a distant and peculiar island, and he hopes to soon be the adoptive father to the six dangerous and magical children who live there.

Arthur works hard and loves with his whole heart so none of the children ever feel the neglect and pain that he once felt as an orphan on that very same island so long ago. He is not alone: joining him is the love of his life, Linus Baker, a former caseworker in the Department In Charge of Magical Youth. And there’s the island’s sprite, Zoe Chapelwhite, and her girlfriend, Mayor Helen Webb. Together, they will do anything to protect the children.

But when Arthur is summoned to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself at the helm of a fight for the future that his family, and all magical people, deserve.

And when a new magical child hopes to join them on their island home—one who finds power in calling himself monster, a name that Arthur worked so hard to protect his children from—Arthur knows they’re at a breaking point: their family will either grow stronger than ever or fall apart.

Welcome back to Marsyas Island. This is Arthur’s story.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a story of resistance, lovingly told, about the daunting experience of fighting for the life you want to live and doing the work to keep it.

Lucy Undying by Kiersten White
Expected Publication: September 10th, 2024
From Goodreads:
In this epic and seductive gothic fantasy, a vampire escapes the thrall of Dracula and embarks on her own search for self-discovery and true love.

Her name was written in the pages of someone else's story: Lucy Westenra was one of Dracula's first victims.

But her death was only the beginning. Lucy rose from the grave a vampire, and has spent her immortal life trying to escape from Dracula's clutches--and trying to discover who she really is and what she truly wants.

Her undead life takes an unexpected turn when, in twenty-first-century London, she meets another woman who is also yearning to break free from her past. Iris’s family has built a health empire based on a sinister secret, and they’ll do anything to stay in power.

Lucy has long believed she would never love again. But she finds herself compelled by the charming Iris, while Iris is mesmerized by the confident and glamorous Lucy. But their intense connection and blossoming love is threatened by forces from without. Iris's mother won't let go of her without a fight, and Lucy's past still has fangs: Dracula is on the prowl again.

Lucy Westenra has been a tragically murdered teen, a lonesome adventurer, and a fearsome hunter, but happiness always eluded her. Can she find the strength to destroy Dracula once and for all, or will her heart once again be her undoing?

Vilest Things by Chloe Gong
Expected Publication: September 10th, 2024
From Goodreads:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Chloe Gong comes the thrilling sequel to Immortal Longings, inspired by Shakespeare’s Antony & Cleopatra.

Calla Tuoleimi has succeeded in the impossible. Despite the odds, she has won San-Er’s bloody games and eliminated King Kasa, her tyrant uncle and the former ruler of Talin. She serves now as royal advisor to Kasa’s adopted son, August Shenzhi, who has risen to the throne.

Only Calla knows it isn’t really August.

Anton Makusa is still furious about Calla’s betrayal in the final round of the games. In an impossible feat, he took over August’s body to survive, and has no intention of giving up this newfound power. But when his first love, the beautiful, explosive Otta Avia, awakens from a years-long coma and reveals a secret that threatens the monarchy’s authority over Talin, chaos erupts. As tensions come to a boiling point, Calla and Anton must set their conflicts aside and head to the kingdom’s far reaches to prevent anarchy… even if their empire might be better off burning.

This Fatal Kiss by Alicia Jasinska
Expected Publication: September 10th, 2024
From Goodreads:
Spirit away with a whimsical fantasy filled with dark magic and flirty, polyamorous romance.

Cursed to haunt the river running through the magical spa town where she drowned, Gisela is a water nymph who dreams of returning to the living world and the family she left behind. All it takes to regain her humanity is a kiss from a mortal...but everyone sees her as a monster.

And then there’s Kazik, the brooding, interfering, spirit-hunting grandson of a local witch. He's determined to rid the world of unholy creatures like Gisela. After Kazik botches Gisela’s exorcism, she strikes up a deal. She won’t tell the other spirits that he’s losing his magic, if he agrees to play matchmaker and helps her get a kiss. But Gisela’s plan goes awry when Kazik also falls for the devilishly handsome young man that she sets her heart on—someone who could be linked to Gisela’s troubled past.

Finely crafted with a magical setting, this delectable quest through the spirit world is an enchanting read for fans of queer romantasy.

Tiger's Tale by Colleen Houck
Expected Publication: September 10th, 2024
From Goodreads:
From New York Times bestselling author Colleen Houck, Tiger‘s Tale reimagines the epic fantasy that delighted readers with romance, danger, and magic, leaving them breathless and yearning for more.

The Tiger’s Curse takes many forms …

Anastasia and Verusha Stepanov are the tsar’s only children, heirs to the prosperous and sprawling Kievian Empire. Headstrong and fierce, the twins have long scorned their father’s opulent palace and the diplomatic obligations that come with it, preferring to train with the Royal Guard and dream of a soldier’s life beyond the palace walls.

But with their father lost in the recent war and their once indomitable mother succumbing to illness, the young women know that one of them must soon ascend the throne, make a politically advantageous marriage, and begin producing heirs. Yet, the succession is far from clear as both would prefer the path of the second head the Royal Guard, travel the far reaches of the empire, and seek out a destiny of her own making.

As their beloved mother’s condition worsens, the sisters grow more desperate, seeking any healer who might give her more time. But when a stranger arrives offering another option, the sisters refuse his proposal and banish the strange man. As he departs, the stranger unleashes a devastating curse that sends Veru and Stacia fleeing their home on an adventure beyond anything they ever imagined …

The Ending Fire by Saara El-Arifi
Expected Publication: September 10th, 2024
From Goodreads:
Rebellions are like fires—something needs to burn to make a flame. Return to the Wardens’ Empire in this riveting conclusion to the visionary fantasy trilogy inspired by the mythology of Africa and Arabia.

The Wardens’ Empire is falling. A vigilante known only as the Truthsayer is raising an army against the wardens. Sylah and Hassa must navigate the politics of this new world, all the while searching for Anoor.

Across the sea, the Blood Forged prepare for war, requesting aid from other governments. Jond’s role as major general sees him training soldiers for combat, but matters of the heart will prove to be the hardest battlefield.

The Zalaam celebrate the arrival of the Child of Fire, heralding the start of the final battle. Anoor’s doubts are eclipsed by the powers of her new god. Soon the Zalaam will set off on their last voyage—and few expect to return.

Do you feel it? Cresting the horizon? The darkness drawing in, the shadows elongating . . .

The Ending Fire comes.

There's some really anticipated books in this list, that I can't wait to read! What about you guys? Happy reading! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Waiting on Wednesday #641, August 23rd

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!  

Bad Luck Vampire by Lynsay Sands 
Expected Publication: September 26th, 2023
New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands returns in this latest chapter of the Argeneau series with an immortal who is having a bit of bad luck while trying to woo his life mate...

Alasdair MacKenzie has never once considered himself unlucky in all the centuries he's been an immortal rogue enforcer. Not until he meets Sophie. Finding the beautiful, smart, and funny woman who is his life mate is great luck, actually. But meeting her at a wedding full of Argeneaus, not to mention his own busybody uncles determined to "help him claim his woman," is bad luck. And the fact that Sophie is someone else's date? Well that's just the next level of unlucky.

From the way her gaze travels over his body like a caress to the electric zing whenever they innocently touch...he has to have her! He'll keep his hands off Sophie until her date is over. After that all bets are off and he'll pull out all the stops to win her for eternity. Great plan--until he gets hit by a car. And then he's poisoned. Is his luck that bad, or is someone out to stop this immortal from claiming Sophie as his life mate?

The Scarlet Veil by Shelby Mahurin
Expected Publication: September 26th, 2023
From Goodreads:
A new darkness is rising in Belterra. This dark and thrilling vampire romance—set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Serpent & Dove series—is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas.

Six months have passed since Célie took her sacred vows and joined the ranks of the Chasseurs as their first huntswoman. With her fiancé Jean Luc as captain, she is determined to find her foothold in her new role and help protect Belterra. But whispers from her past still haunt her, and a new evil is rising—one that Célie herself must vanquish, unless she falls prey to the darkness.

Spider and Frost by Jennifer Estep
Expected Publication: September 26th, 2023
From Goodreads:
New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Estep delivers an epic team-up featuring beloved characters from her Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series and her Mythos Academy young adult series. This crossover novella, Spider and Frost, mixes magic and mythology in an action-packed adventure. Perfect for fans of Ilona Andrews, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Rick Riordan.

WHEN AN ASSASSIN . . .

My name is Gin Blanco, and I’m on vacation. Sort of. As the assassin the Spider, it’s hard for me to completely relax, but I’m determined to enjoy a scenic train ride and a nice, quiet lunch before heading back home to Ashland.

My plans change when Gwen Frost boards the train. The girl says she’s heading back to Mythos Academy, the fancy private boarding school, but I can’t shake the feeling that Gwen is hiding something—and is in far more trouble than she realizes.

. . . MEETS A CHAMPION

My name is Gwen Frost. I might have saved the world from Loki, the evil Norse god of chaos, but I’m still chasing down Reaper villains. It’s all part of being the Champion of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.

I’ve been assigned to protect some mythological artifacts that are being transported via train to Mythos Academy, but some Reapers are hot on my trail, and they’ll do anything to recover the artifacts—and kill me.

Also on the train is Gin Blanco, who claims to be the owner of the Pork Pit barbecue restaurant. My psychometry magic keeps whispering that there’s more to her than meets the eye, although I can’t tell if Gin is a friend, an enemy, or something else entirely.

Note: Spider and Frost is a 28,000-word crossover novella between the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series and the Mythos Academy young adult series. It is told from the points of view of Gin Blanco and Gwen Frost.

Spider and Frost takes place after the events of Last Strand, book 19 in the Elemental Assassin series.

A Grim and Sunken Vow by Ashley Shuttleworth
Expected Publication: September 26th, 2023
From Goodreads:
Arlo and her friends must decide how far they’re willing to go to depose a cruel ruler in this third book in the Hollow Star Saga that’s The Cruel Prince meets City of Bones.

The die is cast.
The era of Spring is over.

Riadne’s bloody coup on the Summer Solstice changed Arlo’s life forever. In one fell swoop and a fool’s bargain, she lost both her family and free will to the newly crowned High Queen. Now, with Arlo forced to use her powers as Luck’s Hollow Star to help summon the rest of the seven deadly sins, Riadne stands closer than ever to achieving her dark goals.

And Arlo isn’t the only one trapped in a frightening new role. Her ex-Fury girlfriend, Nausicaä, is determined to do whatever it takes to stay by Arlo’s side, even if that means becoming Riadne’s pet assassin. Aurelian and Vehan, torn apart, struggle to survive on their own.

Meanwhile, Celadon has been revealed as Riadne’s illegitimate son—and heir to both Spring and Summer, the ultimate offense in the faerie world. But the High Prince has secret plans of his own, plans made all the more complicated when the beautiful and deadly immortal Hunter Lethe takes an interest in him…

Five budding legacies will need more than luck if they hope to stand a chance against the greatest adversary the Courts have faced. For nothing’s more dangerous than a faerie tale… except the one who tells it, and maybe what they’re going to need is no longer that story’s hero but its villain.

Find Him Where You Left Him Dead by Kristen Simmons
Expected Publication: September 26th, 2023
From Goodreads:
AT DAWN HE’LL BE GONE AND YOU’LL BE HERE FOREVER.

Kristen Simmons's masterful breakout horror novel that's "Jumanji but Japanese-inspired" (Kendare Blake) about estranged friends playing a deadly game in a nightmarish folkloric underworld.

“A nightmare I didn’t want to end.” —Terry J. Benton-Walker • “Absorbing.” —C. L. Herman • “Bone-chilling.” —Lauren Shippen • “Unforgettable.” —Margaret Rogerson• “Twisted.” —Lish McBride • “Won't let me sleep!” —Chelsea Mueller • "Full of surprises." —C. J. Redwine • “Intense.” —Kendare Blake

Four years ago, five kids started a game. Not all of them survived.

Now, at the end of their senior year of high school, the survivors—Owen, Madeline, Emerson, and Dax—have reunited for one strange and terrible reason: they’ve been summoned by the ghost of Ian, the friend they left for dead.

Together they return to the place where their friendship ended with one goal: find Ian and bring him home. So they restart the deadly game they never finished—an innocent card-matching challenge called Meido. A game without instructions.

As soon as they begin, they're dragged out of their reality and into an eerie hellscape of Japanese underworlds, more horrifying than even the darkest folktales that Owen's grandmother told him. There, they meet Shinigami, an old wise woman who explains the rules:

They have one night to complete seven challenges or they'll all be stuck in this world forever.

Once inseparable, the survivors now can’t stand each other, but the challenges demand they work together, think quickly, and make sacrifices—blood, clothes, secrets, memories, and worse.

And once again, not everyone will make it out alive.

Foul Heart Huntsman by Chloe Gong
Expected Publication: September 26th, 2023
From Goodreads:
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends comes the second book in the captivating Foul Lady Fortune duology following an immortal assassin in 1930s Shanghai as she races to save her country and her love.

Winter is drawing thick in 1932 Shanghai, as is the ever-nearing threat of a Japanese invasion.

Rosalind Lang has suffered the worst possible fate for a national spy: she’s been exposed. With the media storm camped outside her apartment for the infamous Lady Fortune, she’s barely left her bedroom in weeks, plotting her next course of action after Orion was taken and his memories of Rosalind wiped. Though their marriage might have been a sham, his absence hurts her more than any physical wound. She won’t rest until she gets him back.

But with her identity in the open, the task is near impossible. The only way to leave the city and rescue Orion is under the guise of a national tour. It’s easy to convince her superiors that the countryside needs unity more than ever, and who better than an immortal girl to stir pride and strength into the people?

When the tour goes wrong, however, everything Rosalind once knew is thrown up in the air. Taking refuge outside Shanghai, old ghosts come into the open and adversaries turn to allies. To save Orion, they must find a cure to his mother’s traitorous invention and take this dangerous chemical weapon away from impending foreign invasion—but the clock is ticking, and if Rosalind fails, it’s not only Orion she loses, but her nation itself.

Secrets Never Die by Vincent Ralph
Expected Publication: September 26th, 2023
From Goodreads:
Secrets Never Die is a creepy thriller from New York Times bestselling author Vincent Ralph about four teens who all have secrets that are coming back to haunt...and terrorize.

We call it the Dark Place. I don’t know who built it or when but, for us, it’s special.

Every year Sam Hall and his friends hold funerals for their secrets in an abandoned hut in the woods that they call the Dark Place. But this year, their secrets are coming back from the dead...to terrorize them.

Sam is a former child star whose career went up in flames – literally. And no one, not even his best friend knows why. His friends each hold a secret pertaining to the night. A secret they would all like buried.

Now someone from the past is blackmailing them with their dangerous secrets. Sam isn’t sure who he can trust, who’s watching him – or how far he’s willing to go to bury the past once and for all.

When you’re alone in the dark, some things won’t stay hidden.

September is rounding out the month really great, and I'm so excited for all of them to be out! I think I got most of these as ARC's and I've read a fair amount and they were so good! What about you guys? Happy reading!