Random Reads #708, June 12th

Random Reads is a monthly meme (that I'm going to do weekly) hosted by I'm Loving Books to read some books that have been on our TBR piles for a long time. Using Random.org, I got 5300 which turned out to be The Traitor's Ruin by Erin Beaty! It's been on my TBR pile since September 14th, 2017, and I added it because I loved book 1 and it sounded really good! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Week 39 Review: Silence and Shadow

From Goodreads:

The sequel to Erin Beaty's buzzworthy YA medieval fantasy-thriller Blood and Moonlight, Silence and Shadow is full of swoony romance, dangerous magick, and murder—perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Mary E. Pearson.

After confronting a killer and fleeing her home to be with each other, Cat and Simon arrive in the sprawling city of Londunium pretending to be a newly married couple, but don't expect to keep up the ruse for long. Cat looks forward to honing her healing magick at the local Selanae university, but instead finds a council of ruthless leaders threatening to erase her non-Selanae "husband's" memories to protect their secrets.

Terrified to lose him, Cat takes desperate steps to keep him safe. But when a string of mutilated bodies turns up in the woods outside the city, and Simon is recruited to profile the killer, Cat is pulled back into a world of murder, mayhem, and magick—one that threatens to swallow her, and everything she loves, whole.

My Review:
This was such a fantastic read! I loved the first one, and I loved watching things go down in this one, as they deal with another serial killer, as she learns more about her magic, and has to deal with the threat of erasing Simon's memories, there was a lot going on and I loved it! 

Cat only learned about her abilities recently. So living in the Sealanae quarter, taking classes, immersing herself in the culture, she learns a lot. Which she's going to need for this latest case, which kept getting bigger and bigger. The supporting characters were so great, from acting suspicious, to helping with the case, to being connected in unforeseen ways, it all worked together so well!

Besides the magic and the mystery, there was also her and Simon's relationship. Before, he was in the position of power but here, its the opposite, and he's having trouble finding his place. What with the threats against them, and the building pressures, I loved seeing how things developed between them! 

If we get more of this series, I will absolutely read it, I love this world and the magic and these characters and watching them investigate. Things were left off in a place where this could be the end, things are settled, but I would love to spend more time with them! 

I absolutely loved reading this book, it was utterly fantastic! 

Author: Erin Beaty
Series: Blood and Moonlight #2
Read: September 29th, 2023
Source: NetGalley 
Reason Why: Loved the first book, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Expected Publication: October 3rd 2023

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Week 37 Review: Blood and Moonlight

From Goodreads:

In Erin Beaty's fantasy mystery-thriller, Blood and Moonlight, an orphan with a secret, magical sight gets caught between a mysterious genius and the serial killer he's hunting.

Rising above the city of Collis is the holy Sanctum. And watching over its spires is Catrin, an orphan girl with unique skills—for she alone can spot the building's flaws in construction before they turn deadly.

But when Catrin witnesses a murderer escaping the scene of his crime, she's pulled into a dangerous chain of events where the only certainty is that the killer will strike again. Assigned to investigate is the mysterious and brilliant Simon, whose insights into the mind of a predator are frighteningly accurate.

As the grisly crimes continue, Catrin finds herself caught between killer and detective while hiding her own secret—a supernatural sight granted by the moon, destined to make her an outcast, and the only thing that might save her and those she loves from becoming the next victims...

My Review:
This book was so fantastic! I haven't read her other series yet, but I want to! I just loved this world, it was so interesting, these characters were fantastic, and the atmosphere was on point, and oh, yeah, the mystery! There were so many wonderful elements that came together to make this fantastic book!

I really enjoyed getting to know these character, Catrin was so great, she was loyal, and she was smart and determined, and when she gets pulled into this investigation, she does her best to help the case, as well as keep those that she loves protected because it looked bad for them. 

This was a really fantastic mystery! Simon really knows investigation in a way that's familiar to a modern day reader, but without the DNA science side of things, but the understanding of the criminal mind. And this book had me questioning everybody until the very end! It was so good and so intense! 

With all that going on, Catrin is also dealing with these powers, and a past, that she knows nothing about. I really enjoyed learning about it, and I'm so excited to see her learn more in the sequel! I'm so excited to read it!

Loved reading this book and I can't wait to read the sequel! 

Author: Erin Beaty 
Series: Blood and Moonlight #1
Read: September 15th, 2023
Source: Ebook.bike 
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a Prequel & Sequel 2023 Book! 
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Published: June 28th 2022

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Becca's Spookoplathon Update 7

So I read my next book for Becca's Spookoplathon, and it was Blood and Moonlight which was for the prompt Spooky, and I'll be reading I don't know next! 

My Reading Journey:

Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani

Prompt Fulfilled: Community Shelf 2

Started On: September 11th

Finished On: September 11th, 10:39 AM

Pages Read: 256

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Prompt Fulfilled: Purple

Started On: September 11th

Finished On: September 11th, 9:00 PM

Pages Read: 578

A Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Prompt Fulfilled: Pumpkin Spice

Started On: September 12th

Finished On: September 12th, 8:35 PM

Pages Read: 432

The Boy Who Cried Bear by Kelley Armstrong

Prompt Fulfilled: Mood Read 1

Started On: September 13th

Finished On: September 13th, 7:57 PM

Pages Read: 352

What the Spell by Brittany Geragotelis

Prompt Fulfilled: They're Burning The Witches Even If You Aren't One

Started On: September 14th

Finished On: September 14th, 9:41 AM

Pages Read: 352

Demons of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison

Prompt Fulfilled: Dice Roll Roulette

Started On: September 14th

Finished On: September 14th, 3:23 PM

Pages Read: 464

Blood and Moonlight by Erin Beaty

Prompt Fulfilled: Spooky

Started On: September 15th

Finished On: September 15th, 7:15 PM

Pages Read: 448

Prompts Left: Stephen King, Candy Corn, There Is Nothing I Do Better Than Revenge, Community Shelf 1, Mary Shelley, Most Recent Purchase, Green, Mood Read 2, What A Ghostly Scene, Jigsaw

Read: 7

Pages Read: 2882

Becca's Spookoplathon Update 6

So I read my next book for Becca's Spookoplathon, and it was Demons of Good and Evil which was for the prompt Dice Roll Roulette, and I'll be reading Blood and Moonlight next! 

My Reading Journey:

Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani

Prompt Fulfilled: Community Shelf 2

Started On: September 11th

Finished On: September 11th, 10:39 AM

Pages Read: 256

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Prompt Fulfilled: Purple

Started On: September 11th

Finished On: September 11th, 9:00 PM

Pages Read: 578

A Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Prompt Fulfilled: Pumpkin Spice

Started On: September 12th

Finished On: September 12th, 8:35 PM

Pages Read: 432

The Boy Who Cried Bear by Kelley Armstrong

Prompt Fulfilled: Mood Read 1

Started On: September 13th

Finished On: September 13th, 7:57 PM

Pages Read: 352

What the Spell by Brittany Geragotelis

Prompt Fulfilled: They're Burning The Witches Even If You Aren't One

Started On: September 14th

Finished On: September 14th, 9:41 AM

Pages Read: 352

Demons of Good and Evil by Kim Harrison

Prompt Fulfilled: Dice Roll Roulette

Started On: September 14th

Finished On: September 14th, 3:23 PM

Pages Read: 464

Blood and Moonlight by Erin Beaty

Prompt Fulfilled: Spooky

Started On: September 15th

Currently On: Page 0 of 448

Prompts Left: Stephen King, Candy Corn, There Is Nothing I Do Better Than Revenge, Community Shelf 1, Mary Shelley, Most Recent Purchase, Green, Mood Read 2, What A Ghostly Scene, Jigsaw

Read: 6

Pages Read: 2434

WWW Wednesday #648, September 13th

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

Thanks to MizB of Should Be Writing now A Daily Rhythm for starting this meme! And thanks now to Taking on a World of Words for reviving it! 

I'm currently listening to The Hunting Moon in audio, and it's such a great book and sequel! 

I'm reading The Boy Who Cried Bear, and I'm loving it! 

I read Fall of Ruin and Wrath, and it was such a great book, I can't wait for more! 

I'm going to be reading Blood and Moonlight, and I can't wait, it sounds really great! 

What about you guys? Happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday #642, August 30th

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

Rhomiko and the Confirmed Bachelor by Forthright

Expected Publication: October 1st, 2023
From Goodreads:

One bachelor is love-shy. One is unrequited. One is much-loved. One is blindsided.

Argent Mettlebright knows how to keep a secret safe, but it’s only a matter of time before someone notices that Hisoka Twineshaft has disappeared from the political arena. With tensions on the rise, the world needs his leadership more than ever.

Nobody wants to help Sensei more than Isla Ward, but his door is barred against her. Right, then. She has a plan, and she has a co-writer. Maybe with their next book, her hopes will finally reach her mentor.

With spring’s arrival, Stately House’s enclave stands ready to welcome a Scattering. The estate has never been more secure, but Tsumiko wouldn’t call the resulting sanctuary peaceful. Too many battered souls. Too many wistful glances. But with the help of a dragon bard’s lullabies and an impish crosser’s confidence, she leads her ever-growing family.

Seeds to plant. Imps to hatch. Winds to change. Rogues to lure. Hearts to win. Vows to keep. Lives to share.

Dark Memory by Christine Feehan

Expected Publication: October 3rd, 2023
From Goodreads:

Safia Meziane has trained since birth to protect her tribe, the family she holds so dear. All along she told herself the legends she was raised with were simply that. But now, she must call upon all of her skills to fight what lies ahead. Evil has come to their small town on the cost of Algeria, evil that Safia can feel but cannot see.

She is terrified she will not be able to protect the ones she loves. As her family’s “chosen one,” she has always believed she would face this task alone—until her family reveals she has been promised to a warrior who will join her. An outsider. A Carpathian. . . .

Petru Cioban is one of the oldest Carpathians in existence, and he has spent all that time without the soothing presence of his lifemate. For two thousand years he has waited for this woman to be reborn, only to find her in the sights of a monster he has fought before, a vampire risen again to finish a battle started centuries ago.

Now, Petru must face his greatest enemy and his greatest shame. He has no hope that Safia will forgive his betrayal once the memories of her past life return to her. But he will not make the same mistake again, even if he has to sacrifice everything for the woman who has claimed his immortal soul.

Outcasts by Josephine Angelini

Expected Publication: October 3rd, 2023
From Goodreads:

The much-anticipated continuation to Scions, the prequel to the Starcrossed series, the #1 international bestseller.

Presumed dead, Daphne and Ajax try to steal away what happiness they can living as Outcasts, when they discover that the Fates aren’t done with them yet. Ajax may have escaped death, but his fate is sealed, and it’s only a matter of time before it catches up with him.

Like mice in a maze, they are led back to New York City where Daphne must find a way to keep the Fates from killing Ajax. But returning to the city puts them both in grave danger, and they must seek the help in the unlikeliest of places. Daedelus, the reluctant Heir to the House of Athens, and Adonis, a prince of the House of Rome, both of whom are their mortal enemies.

But their biggest challenge will come from someone who loves them both. Tantalus, who has been busy plotting to start the war he knows he is destined to win, but who tragically finds himself caught between his devotion to his brother, and his obsession with Daphne.

Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle

Expected Publication: October 3rd, 2023
From Goodreads:

Ninth House meets A Deadly Education in this gorgeously dark academia fantasy following a teen mage who must unravel the truth behind the secret society that may have been involved in her classmates’ deaths.

Emory might be a student at the prestigious Aldryn College for Lunar Magics, but her healing abilities have always been mediocre at best—until a treacherous night in the Dovermere sea caves leaves a group of her classmates dead and her as the only survivor. Now Emory is plagued by strange, impossible powers that no healer should possess.

Powers that would ruin her life if the wrong person were to discover them.

To gain control of these new abilities, Emory enlists the help of the school’s most reclusive student, Baz—a boy already well-versed in the deadly nature of darker magic, whose sister happened to be one of the drowned students and Emory’s best friend. Determined to find the truth behind the drownings and the cult-like secret society she’s convinced her classmates were involved in, Emory is faced with even more questions when the supposedly drowned students start washing ashore—alive—only for them each immediately to die horrible, magical deaths.

And Emory is not the only one seeking answers. When her new magic captures the society’s attention, she finds herself drawn into their world of privilege and power, all while wondering if the truth she’s searching for might lead her right back to Dovermere…to face the fate she was never meant to escape.

Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis

Expected Publication: October 3rd, 2023
From Goodreads:

A witch and a hunter. Vengeance is their mission. Love is their destiny.

Fritzi is a witch. A survivor of a brutal attack on her coven, she's determined to find her only surviving family member and bring the hexenjägers—zealot witch hunters—to justice for the lives they ended. To do this, she will need to take down their leader—Kommandant Dieter Kirch.

Otto is a hexenjäger and a captain, the second in command to Dieter Kirch—but that's just his cover. Years ago, the hexenjagers burned his innocent mother alive and since then, he has been planning a move against the witch hunters that tore his family apart. And now the time has come for them to pay for what they've done.

When Fritzi and Otto are unexpectedly thrown together, neither is sure they can trust the other, despite their common enemy. But all they have is one another, and they both crave revenge. As truths come to light and trust shifts, Fritzi and Otto uncover a far more horrifying plot at the center of the hexenjäger attacks . . . but their own growing feelings for each other may be the most powerful magic of all.

The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker

Expected Publication: October 3rd, 2023
From Goodreads:

New from the author of  The Keeper of Night  comes a YA fantasy duology set in an alternate Tang Dynasty China, where a poor biracial girl with the ability to raise the dead gets caught up in the dangerous political games of the royal family.

Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, of providing for her family by making alchemical gold and gems for the wealthy to eat in order to stay young forever. But for now, she’s trapped in her impoverished village in southern China, practicing an illegal form of alchemy to keep food on the table—resurrecting the dead, for a price.

When Zilan finally has the chance to complete her imperial exams, she ventures to the capital to compete against the best alchemists in the country in tasks she’ll be lucky to survive, let alone pass. On top of that, her reputation for raising the dead has followed her to the capital, and the Crown Prince himself seeks out her help, suspecting a coming assassination attempt.

The more Zilan succeeds in her alchemy, the more she gets caught in the dangerous political games of the royal family. There are monsters lurking within the palace walls, and it’s only a matter of time before they—and secrets of Zilan’s past—catch up with her.

Lore Olympus: Volume Five by Rachel Smythe

Expected Publication: October 3rd, 2023
From Goodreads:

Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love--the Greek tale of Hades and Persephone gets a romantic modern update in the gorgeously illustrated, Eisner Award-winning Lore Olympus, including behind-the-scenes content!

An ingenious take on the Greek Pantheon, Lore Olympus is a modern update on the story of Hades and Persephone. Follow the propulsive love story of two Greek gods, told with lavish artwork and contemporary sensibilities.

This full-color edition of Smythe's original Eisner Award-winning webcomic Lore Olympus features exclusive behind-the-scenes content and brings Greek mythology into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

The Voice Upstairs by Laura E. Weymouth

Expected Publication: October 3rd, 2023
From Goodreads:

In 1920s England, a working-class girl who can see spirits works with a lord’s son to solve mysterious deaths at the local manor home in this eerie historical mystery perfect for fans of The Haunting of Bly Manor and Downton Abbey.

Wilhelmina Price has a dubious reputation in the village of Thrush’s Green. Ever since her mother’s untimely death, she has been able to see a person’s spirit leaving their body days or hours before they die. Wil has never been able to prevent these deaths, so her unusual skill has made her an outsider to most except her lifelong friend, Edison, the youngest son of Lord Summerfield. But when a maid at the Summerfield’s estate dies in the same mysterious way as Wil’s own mother, Wil takes on a housemaid’s position to investigate whether these women might, in fact, have been murdered.

There is nothing Ed Summerfield values more than his friendship with Wil, which is why he’s desperate to disguise how hopelessly in love with her he’s become—and his belief that he may be haunted by the ghost of his older brother, Peter. Because if Wil, with her supernatural powers, can’t see the same evidence of hauntings that Ed does, he worries he may actually be losing his mind.

Together, Wil and Ed must dig deeper into the Summerfields’ hoard of secrets, though the truth won’t give itself up without a fight that could prove deadly to the both of them, as they face cunning adversaries among the living and the dead.

Silence and Shadow by Erin Beaty

Expected Publication: October 3rd, 2023
From Goodreads:

The sequel to Erin Beaty’s buzzworthy YA medieval fantasy-thriller Blood and Moonlight, Silence and Shadow is full of swoony romance, dangerous magick, and murder—perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Mary E. Pearson.

After confronting a killer and fleeing her home to be with each other, Cat and Simon arrive in the sprawling city of Londunium pretending to be a newly married couple, but don’t expect to keep up the ruse for long. Cat looks forward to honing her healing magick at the local Selanae university, but instead finds a council of ruthless leaders threatening to erase her non-Selanae "husband’s" memories to protect their secrets.

Terrified to lose him, Cat takes desperate steps to keep him safe. But when a string of mutilated bodies turns up in the woods outside the city, and Simon is recruited to profile the killer, Cat is pulled back into a world of murder, mayhem, and magick—one that threatens to swallow her, and everything she loves, whole.

Caught on the Book by Laura Gail Black

Expected Publication: October 3rd, 2023
From Goodreads:

For fans of Ellery Adams and Paige Shelton, in Laura Gail Black’s fourth novel in the Antique Bookshop mysteries, Jenna Quinn is going to have to go all out—hook, line, and sinker—in order to catch the killer.

The annual festival and fishing festival in Hokes Folly, North Carolina, is the high watermark event of the year. Antiquarian bookseller Jenna Quinn, owner of the Twice Upon a Time bookstore, is ready to catch some new customers with her fishing-themed book display. That is, until a local author is found dead in his booth.

All fingers point to Frank Sutter, a former detective with the police department. His soon-to-be ex-wife had been dating the victim and Frank had been seen having an argument with him earlier that day. When Keith Logan, Jenna’s boyfriend and detective with the local police, asks Jenna for help to solve the case, she’s shocked. Frank was Keith’s former partner, and someone who had been determined to pin more than one murder on Jenna. Frank doesn’t want Jenna’s help any more than Jenna wants to help him, but the two will have to put aside their animosity for each other if they want to reel in the killer.

This bookselling sleuth knows she will have to cast a wide net in order to catch the killer, even if means dangerously luring them in. Will her novel idea help her catch the killer, or is she bound for a more deadly ending?

Oh yeah, the start of the month has a lot of fantastic books coming out, I love these authors, and these series, and of the ones that I've read, they've been so good, and I can't wait for these books to be out! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Waiting on Wednesday #418, May 15th

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

The Traitor's Kingdom by Erin Beaty
Expected Publication: July 9th, 2019
From Goodreads:
Unlikely alliances are forged and trust is shattered in the stunning conclusion to The Traitor’s Trilogy.

A new queen under threat. 
An ambassador with a desperate scheme. 
Two kingdoms with everything to lose.

Once a spy and counselor to the throne, Sage Fowler has secured victory for her kingdom at a terrible cost. Now an ambassador representing Demora, Sage is about to face her greatest challenge to avoid a war with a rival kingdom.

After an assassination attempt destroys the chance for peace, Sage and her fiancé Major Alex Quinn risk a dangerous plot to reveal the culprit. But the stakes are higher than ever, and in the game of traitors, betrayal is the only certainty.

I haven't read any of this series, but yeah, it sounds good and I can't wait to read it! What about you guys? Happy reading!