Showing posts with label Mary E. Pearson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mary E. Pearson. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Waiting on Wednesday #755, October 29th

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

Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop
Expected Publication: November 11th, 2025
From Goodreads:
A young detective investigating crimes of the uncanny will learn that bargains can change your fate—for good or ill—in this darkly enthralling fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Others and the Black Jewels series.

Words have power. Intentions matter.

Most people come to Destiny Park for entertainment. They come to have their cards read to tell them a bit about their future. They come to walk through a beautiful park and to eat at the hotel’s restaurant. They come in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Arcana, the paranormal beings who rule the Isle of Wyrd.

But some people come to make a bargain with the Arcana—to change their fate. And some people come for dark purposes.

When Detective Beth Fahey is sent to Destiny Park to inquire about a “ghost gun,” she will begin a strange journey on which she must learn to navigate the Arcana’s unforgiving laws and dangerous attractions. Her search will draw her into seemingly impossible cases and the secrets of her own past as tensions rise between the Arcana and their human neighbors across the river.

For the Isle of Wyrd is a place where the dead ride trains to their final destinations, predators literally become prey, and seekers’ true natures are revealed in the ripples of destiny unknowingly stirred in their wakes.

Who will live? Who will die? And who will be lost in between?

Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree
Expected Publication: November 11th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Return to the cozy fantasy world of the #1 New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes series with a new adventure featuring fan-favorite, foul-mouthed bookseller, Fern.

Fern has weathered the stillness and storms of a bookseller’s life for decades, but now, in the face of crippling ennui, transplants herself to the city of Thune to hang out her shingle beside a long-absent friend’s coffee shop. What could be a better pairing? Surely a charming renovation montage will cure what ails her!

If only things were so simple…

It turns out that fixing your life isn’t a one-time prospect, nor as easy as a change of scenery and a lick of paint.

A drunken and desperate night sees the rattkin waking far from home in the company of a legendary warrior surviving on inertia, an imprisoned chaos-goblin with a fondness for silverware, and an absolutely thumping hangover.

As together they fend off a rogue’s gallery of ne’er-do-wells trying to claim the bounty the goblin represents, Fern may finally reconnect with the person she actually is when there isn’t a job to get in the way.

The Strength of the Few by James Islington
Expected Publication: November 11th, 2025
From Goodreads:
This highly anticipated follow-up to The Will of the Many—one of 2023’s most lauded and bestselling fantasy novels—follows Vis as he grapples with a dangerous secret that could change the course of history across alternate dimensions.


OMNE TRIUM PERFECTUM.

The Hierarchy still call me Vis Telimus. Still hail me as Catenicus. They still, as one, believe they know who I am.

But with all that has happened—with what I fear is coming—I am not sure it matters anymore.

I am no longer one. I won the Iudicium, and lost everything—and now, impossibly, the ancient device beyond the Labyrinth has replicated me across three separate worlds. A different version of myself in each of Obiteum, Luceum, and Res. Three different bodies, three different lives. I have to hide; fight; play politics. I have to train; trust; lie. I have to kill; heal; prove myself again, and again, and again.

I am loved, and hated, and entirely alone.

Above all, though, I need to find answers before it’s too late. To understand the nature of what has happened to me, and why.

I need to find a way to stop the coming Cataclysm, because if all I have learned is true, I may be the only one who can.

This Gilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne
Expected Publication: November 11th, 2025
From Goodreads:
From USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Thorne comes This Gilded Abyss, a thrilling lesbian fantasy where Arcane meets Titanic

Sergeant Nix Marr is a damn good soldier, but she's desperate to leave her haunted past in the bioluminescent ocean, buried alongside old friends...and old flames. Unfortunately, even the icy ocean can't extinguish some fires. When Kessandra, everyone's favorite princess—and Nix's loathed ex—requests Nix's help investigating a massacre in the abyssal city of Fall, Nix refuses. Vehemently.

But Kessandra always gets what she wants.

Consigned as Kessandra's bodyguard, Nix grudgingly boards a luxurious submersible that offers the only transportation to Fall. It's frustrating, irritating, how quickly Nix and Kess fall back in sync—much as she tries to fight, Nix can't deny their spark. But Kessandra wasn't truthful—surprise, surprise—and Nix quickly realizes their "investigation" isn't about the massacre, but rather what caused an illness that incites its victims into a violent craze.

When another royal is brutally murdered, it becomes apparent the disease has spread—and no one on the submersible is safe. Suddenly, survival hinges on trusting each other, which would be a hell of a lot easier if Kessandra didn't keep lying. Injured, fighting for their lives, Nix has to decide if she can trust Kessandra again...and what she'll lose this time.

The Last Wish of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson
Expected Publication: November 11th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Be wary of the legends you hear. Who knows, one day you may be a legend yourself.

After Bristol Keats nearly loses her beloved King Tyghan to the monsters her mother had unleashed, their love deepens to a whole new level. Together, Bristol and Tyghan work to understand and reconcile their differences, moving forward with their common goal of saving Elphame. But when a daring rescue attempt turns into a disaster, and a beloved knight dies, Bristol is forced to confront the fact that her mother is more powerful than she could have ever imagined―and more dangerous. Meanwhile, Tyghan’s heart is laid bare when he encounters his former best friend and betrayer again, Bristol's own father, and must wrestle with a new secret that throws everything he thought he knew about his past into question.

Bristol is Elphame’s last chance for survival, but where do her loyalties truly lie? If she fully embraces the magic that has always been her birthright, she could become a different kind of monster from her mother. Is she willing to risk losing the people she loves most, if it means keeping them safe?

Brimming with dark secrets, lush world-building, and addictive romance, The Last Wish of Bristol Keats is the unforgettable conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Mary E. Pearson's first adult series.

Break Wide the Sea by Sara Holland
Expected Publication: November 11th, 2025
From Goodreads:
A young woman cursed with a fatal heartbreak-induced sickness must race against time to find a cure and protect her family legacy from the ancient finfolk that would destroy it, the fiancé that would kill her for it, and the boy who would love her if she forsook it.

The seafaring humans of Kirkrell have always been plagued by finfolk—bloodthirsty fae who haunt the seas, sinking ships and cursing bloodlines. Yet it’s only by hunting magical whales that Kirkrell can prosper. Nineteen-year-old Annie is heir to the Fairfax Whaling Company, but their family's success came at a cost: a curse by which heartbreak turns Fairfaxes slowly into monsters. And six years ago, the shipwreck that killed Annie’s parents left her with scales spreading up her arms, claws sprouting from her fingertips.

The love of her fiancé, August, salved her heart for a while—but when she learns August is maneuvering to take over the company, the curse worsens. Fearing her time is running out, she strikes a bargain with a disreputable young captain, half-finfolk and half-human Silas Price: on a voyage to hunt whales in the far north, Silas will take Annie to the finfolk queen, who can lift the curse in return for a promise to end whaling forever.

As Annie, August and Silas sail north, she is determined to uphold her family’s legacy, but the threat of the finfolk tests her resolve. Lies corrupt her relationship with August; meanwhile a dangerous connection with Silas blooms—but he’s keeping secrets too, and his might be the most dangerous of all.

As heiress, it’s Annie’s responsibility to deliver whale magic to her city. But as heartbreak looms, she must choose between saving herself and her family’s legacy—and hope it doesn’t cost her everyone she loves.

A Matter of Murder by Tirzah Price
Expected Publication: November 11th, 2025
From Goodreads:
The thrilling conclusion to the Lizzie & Darcy Mysteries duology, following Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy from the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries series!

A Bingley family curse looms over Lizzie's sister and Darcy's best friend—but are the dark forces at work supernatural or human?

Lizzie Bennet’s beloved sister Jane has just married Darcy’s best friend, Bingley, and the Bennet family and Darcy are paying the newlyweds a visit at Bingley’s family home, Netherfield Park. It doesn’t take long for their country retreat to turn into an investigation, though, when a long-dead body is discovered stuffed up the parlor chimney.

The locals are convinced that Netherfield is cursed, but Lizzie and Darcy know better than to believe in such nonsense and are determined to uncover the truth about what happened to the mysterious man in the chimney. But as they dig deeper into the history of Netherfield Park, they find that danger is waiting for them around every corner. Soon enough, they’re forced to consider if the curse might have some merit to it, or if there’s something—or someone—far more sinister behind their near brushes with death….

This duology closer is a daring and delightful conclusion to the chronicles of supersleuths Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy!


Revenge, Served Royal by Celeste Connally
Expected Publication: November 11th, 2025
From Goodreads:
Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie in this dazzling third instalment to the captivating Regency-era Lady Petra Inquires mystery series.

September, 1815. Autumn is in the air as Lady Petra Forsyth and some of the most illustrious members of the ton descend upon Windsor Castle for a week of royal celebrations, with the highlight being Queen Charlotte’s inaugural patisserie contest for the best bakers employed by England’s finest houses. Not only is Lady Petra’s own cook one of the contestants, but Her Majesty has requested that Petra herself serve as one of the judges.

Petra’s happiness at tasting delicious cakes and biscuits only increases at finding her beloved Aunt Ophelia in attendance at Windsor, as well as Sir Rufus Pomeroy. As England’s most famous former royal chef-turned-cookbook author, Sir Rufus is slated to present his best recipes to the Queen during the festivities, with Petra being granted an early viewing in the royal library.

Yet upon arrival, Petra instead encounters a frantic housemaid pointing to a body of one of Her Majesty’s guests—and to the valet still tugging at the silk ribbon used to strangle the victim. What’s more, the valet turns out to be Oliver Beecham, the ne’er-do-well brother of Petra’s own lady’s maid, Annie. But as Oliver is hauled away to the dungeons, he protests his innocence, claiming the late guest argued with several aristocrats, including the Prince Regent and Petra’s Aunt Ophelia, and boasted about hiding a potentially scandalous document within the vastness of Windsor Castle.

When some poisoned tea meant for Petra is consumed by one of her fellow judges, it’s clear the real killer is still walking the castle’s halls. Indeed, in order to prove the innocence of Annie’s brother and find the incriminating document, Petra will need to act like a lady, eat like a chef, and think like one of Her Majesty’s best spies before a murderer can turn the celebrations from sweet to royally deadly.

Much fewer books than last week, but all from authors that I love, and I've read a few, and they were so great, and I can't wait to see them all released! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Monday, September 15, 2025

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #745, September 15th

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!
What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #744
Teaser Tuesday #752
WWW Wednesday #752
WOW #748
Will the Time Come #745
Third Sentence Thursday #735
Random Reads #721
First Lines Friday #748
Book Blogger Hop #414
Monthly ARC's Update 131
The Reward Challenge Update #730
Wheel of TBR #277
How Well I Stuck to It #582
Wrote that Review Update #579

Week 37 Reviews:

Random:

OK, so I got 46 posts in 7 days, it was a pretty quiet month. I've been reading a lot, and playing my mobile game, and blogging has fallen behind about 2 weeks, so I'm trying to catch up, but it's going to take a minute. What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read whatever I want! 

Saturday, September 13, 2025

Week 37 Review: The Courting of Bristol Keats

From Goodreads:
From New York Times bestselling author Mary E. Pearson comes a thrilling romantic fantasy full of dangerous fae, dark secrets, and addictive romance

After losing both their parents, Bristol Keats and her sisters struggle to stay afloat in their small, quiet town of Bowskeep. When Bristol begins to receive letters from an "aunt" she's never heard of who promises she can help, she reluctantly agrees to meet—and discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family is a lie. Even her father might still be alive, not killed but kidnapped by terrifying creatures to a whole other realm—the one he is from.

Desperate to save her father and find the truth, Bristol journeys to a land of gods and fae and monsters. Pulled into a dangerous world of magic and intrigue, she makes a deadly bargain with the fae leader, Tyghan. But what she doesn't know is that he's the one who drove her parents to live a life on the run. And he is just as determined as she is to find her father—dead or alive.

My Review:
I had a fantastic time reading this book! I love Mary E. Pearson's writing, and this latest book sounded really good! Fae stories are always so interesting to see what take the author will do, there's so many options! I really enjoyed Bristol's story, as she gets plunged into this world! 

Bristol doesn't know about the secrets her parents were keeping. When she finds out about the fae, it's a shock. Watching as she took in this world, learned about the history and how the magic worked, and the politics, I really enjoyed seeing her catch her footing.

That he knows the past of her parents, and that her father was Tyghan's best friend before he betrayed him for her mom, and now he's who Tyghan has a huge vendetta against...yeah it was complicated, and I knew secrets wouldn't keep, it was just how they were going to come out, and how she was going to react to them.

I'm gad that I read this when I did, because the wait for book2 isn't going to be as long as if it would be if I'd read this one closer to it's release date. I need to know what's going to happen next, with Bristol and Tyghan, with her parents, with the fae realm! 

Loved reading this book and I can't wait for book 2! 

Author: Mary E. Pearson
Series: The Courting of Bristol Keats #1
Read: September 12th, 2025
Source: Bought/Library
Reason Why: Sounded really good and I love her writing, and it's a Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2025 Book and a WoW Book! 
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Published: November 12th 2024
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Friday, September 12, 2025

Magical Readathon: Orilium Update 30

So I read my next book for Magical Readathon: Orilium, and it was The Courting of Bristol Keats which was for the prompt Shapeshifting D, and I'll be reading Souls and Sorrows next!

My Reading Journey:

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Prompt Fulfilled: Conjuration Q
Started On: September 1st 
Finished On: September 1st, 10:04 AM
Pages Read: 329

A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim
Prompt Fulfilled: Demonology Q
Started On: September 1st
Finished On: September 1st, 12:04 PM
Pages Read: 480

The Last Dragon of the East by Katrina Kwan 
Prompt Fulfilled: Restoration Q
Started On: September 1st
Finished On: September 1st, 4:48 PM
Pages Read: 320

The Unruly Heart of Miss Darcy by Erin Edwards
Prompt Fulfilled: Spells & Incantations D
Started On: September 1st
Finished On: September 1st, 10:03 PM
Pages Read: 336

Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross
Prompt Fulfilled: Inscription O
Started On: September 2nd
Finished On: September 2nd, 3:27 PM
Pages Read: 544

Out of Air by Rachel Reiss
Prompt Fulfilled: Elemental Studies O
Started On: September 2nd
Finished On: September 2nd, 8:01 PM
Pages Read: 304

Vipers and Virtuosos by Sav R. Miller
Prompt Fulfilled: Astronomy Q
Started On: September 3rd
Finished On: September 3rd, 1:03 PM
Pages Read: 416

Oaths and Omissions by Sav R. Miller
Prompt Fulfilled: Inscription O
Started On: September 3rd
Finished On: September 3rd, 5:38 PM
Pages Read: 404

Arrows and Apologies by Sav R. Miller
Prompt Fulfilled: Shapeshifting Q
Started On: September 3rd
Finished On: September 3rd, 9:41 PM
Pages Read: 400

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
Prompt Fulfilled: Conjuration O
Started On: September 4th
Finished On: September 4th, 12:36 PM
Pages Read: 321

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
Prompt Fulfilled: Conjuration O
Started On: September 4th
Finished On: September 4th, 4:28 PM
Pages Read: 391

The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik
Prompt Fulfilled: Lore Q
Started On: September 4th
Finished On: September 4th, 9:47 PM
Pages Read: 416

Quicksilver by Callie Hart
Prompt Fulfilled: Spells & Incantations O
Started On: September 5th
Finished On: September 5th, 12:32 PM
Pages Read: 640

Imaginary Numbers by Seanan McGuire
Prompt Fulfilled: Alchemy D
Started On: September 5th
Finished On: September 5th, 2:18 PM
Pages Read: 400

Calculated Risks by Seanan McGuire
Prompt Fulfilled: Art of Illusion D
Started On: September 5th
Finished On: September 5th, 7:35 PM
Pages Read: 400

The Stars Are Dying by Chloe C. Peñaranda
Prompt Fulfilled: Shapeshifting O
Started On: September 6th
Finished On: September 6th, 4:03 PM
Pages Read: 412

The Night is Defying by Chloe C. Peñaranda
Prompt Fulfilled: Shapeshifting O
Started On: September 6th
Finished On: September 6th, 10:48 PM
Pages Read: 432

Scorched Earth by Danielle L. Jensen
Prompt Fulfilled: Alchemy D
Started On: September 7th
Finished On: September 7th, 8:36 PM
Pages Read: 752

The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden
Prompt Fulfilled: Artificery Q
Started On: September 8th
Finished On: September 8th, 10:41 AM
Pages Read: 327

Spelunking Through Hell: A Visitor's Guide to the Underworld by Seanan McGuire
Prompt Fulfilled: Alchemy D
Started On: September 8th
Finished On: September 8th, 2:07 PM
Pages Read: 300

Backpacking Through Bedlam by Seanan McGuire
Prompt Fulfilled: Restoration O
Started On: September 8th
Finished On: September 8th, 7:43 PM
Pages Read: 400

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
Prompt Fulfilled: Animal Studies O
Started On: September 9th
Finished On: September 9th, 11:04 AM
Pages Read: 416

Never a Hero by Vanessa Len
Prompt Fulfilled: Spells & Incantations O
Started On: September 9th
Finished On: September 9th, 3:52 PM
Pages Read: 528

Once a Villain by Vanessa Len
Prompt Fulfilled: Spells & Incantations Q
Started On: September 9th
Finished On: September 9th, 7:47 PM
Pages Read: 416

Origins of an Academy Bully by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
Prompt Fulfilled: Astronomy D
Started On: September 9th
Finished On: September 9th, 8:58 PM
Pages Read: 94

The Awakening by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
Prompt Fulfilled: Astronomy Q
Started On: September 10th
Finished On: September 10th, 1:38 PM
Pages Read: 436

Ruthless Fae by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
Prompt Fulfilled: Animal Studies Q
Started On: September 10th
Finished On: September 10th, 5:24 PM
Pages Read: 475

The Reckoning by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
Prompt Fulfilled: Spells & Incantations O
Started On: September 11th
Finished On: September 11th, 4:04 PM
Pages Read: 624

A Fate So Cold by Amanda Foody and C.L. Herman
Prompt Fulfilled: Elemental Studies D
Started On: September 11th
Finished On: September 11th, 9:37 PM
Page's Read: 432

The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson
Prompt Fulfilled: Shapeshifting D
Started On: September 12th
Finished On: September 12th, 12:23 PM
Pages Read: 560

Souls and Sorrows by Sav R. Miller
Prompt Fulfilled: Alchemy Q
Started On: September 12th
Currently On: Page 0 of 386

Prompts Left: Alchemy O, Alchemy Q, Inscription Q, Inscription D, Artificery O, Artificery Q, Artificery D, Art of Illusion O, Lore O, Astronomy O, Elemental Studies Q, Astronomy O, Astronomy D, Restoration D, Spells & Incantations O, Alchemy O, Restoration O, Restoration Q, Restoration D, Conjuration D, Demonology O, Lore O, Lore D, Animal Studies O, Animal Studies Q, Animal Studies D, Demonology O, Demonology D, Restoration O, Restoration Q, Restoration D, Conjuration Q, Alchemy O, Art of Illusion O, Art of Illusion Q, Spells & Incantations O, Psionics & Divination O, Psionics & Divination Q, Psionics & Divination D, Lore O, Alchemy O, Alchemy Q, Restoration O, Restoration Q, Shapeshifting O, Art of Illusion O, Art of Illusion Q, Psionics & Divination O, Artificery O, Artificery D 
Read: 30
Pages Read: 12851

Thursday, September 11, 2025

Magical Readathon: Orilium Update 29

So I read my next book for Magical Readathon: Orilium, and it was A Fate So Cold which was for the prompt Elemental Studies D, and I'll be reading The Courting of Bristol Keats next!

My Reading Journey:

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Prompt Fulfilled: Conjuration Q
Started On: September 1st 
Finished On: September 1st, 10:04 AM
Pages Read: 329

A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim
Prompt Fulfilled: Demonology Q
Started On: September 1st
Finished On: September 1st, 12:04 PM
Pages Read: 480

The Last Dragon of the East by Katrina Kwan 
Prompt Fulfilled: Restoration Q
Started On: September 1st
Finished On: September 1st, 4:48 PM
Pages Read: 320

The Unruly Heart of Miss Darcy by Erin Edwards
Prompt Fulfilled: Spells & Incantations D
Started On: September 1st
Finished On: September 1st, 10:03 PM
Pages Read: 336

Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross
Prompt Fulfilled: Inscription O
Started On: September 2nd
Finished On: September 2nd, 3:27 PM
Pages Read: 544

Out of Air by Rachel Reiss
Prompt Fulfilled: Elemental Studies O
Started On: September 2nd
Finished On: September 2nd, 8:01 PM
Pages Read: 304

Vipers and Virtuosos by Sav R. Miller
Prompt Fulfilled: Astronomy Q
Started On: September 3rd
Finished On: September 3rd, 1:03 PM
Pages Read: 416

Oaths and Omissions by Sav R. Miller
Prompt Fulfilled: Inscription O
Started On: September 3rd
Finished On: September 3rd, 5:38 PM
Pages Read: 404

Arrows and Apologies by Sav R. Miller
Prompt Fulfilled: Shapeshifting Q
Started On: September 3rd
Finished On: September 3rd, 9:41 PM
Pages Read: 400

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
Prompt Fulfilled: Conjuration O
Started On: September 4th
Finished On: September 4th, 12:36 PM
Pages Read: 321

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
Prompt Fulfilled: Conjuration O
Started On: September 4th
Finished On: September 4th, 4:28 PM
Pages Read: 391

The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik
Prompt Fulfilled: Lore Q
Started On: September 4th
Finished On: September 4th, 9:47 PM
Pages Read: 416

Quicksilver by Callie Hart
Prompt Fulfilled: Spells & Incantations O
Started On: September 5th
Finished On: September 5th, 12:32 PM
Pages Read: 640

Imaginary Numbers by Seanan McGuire
Prompt Fulfilled: Alchemy D
Started On: September 5th
Finished On: September 5th, 2:18 PM
Pages Read: 400

Calculated Risks by Seanan McGuire
Prompt Fulfilled: Art of Illusion D
Started On: September 5th
Finished On: September 5th, 7:35 PM
Pages Read: 400

The Stars Are Dying by Chloe C. Peñaranda
Prompt Fulfilled: Shapeshifting O
Started On: September 6th
Finished On: September 6th, 4:03 PM
Pages Read: 412

The Night is Defying by Chloe C. Peñaranda
Prompt Fulfilled: Shapeshifting O
Started On: September 6th
Finished On: September 6th, 10:48 PM
Pages Read: 432

Scorched Earth by Danielle L. Jensen
Prompt Fulfilled: Alchemy D
Started On: September 7th
Finished On: September 7th, 8:36 PM
Pages Read: 752

The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden
Prompt Fulfilled: Artificery Q
Started On: September 8th
Finished On: September 8th, 10:41 AM
Pages Read: 327

Spelunking Through Hell: A Visitor's Guide to the Underworld by Seanan McGuire
Prompt Fulfilled: Alchemy D
Started On: September 8th
Finished On: September 8th, 2:07 PM
Pages Read: 300

Backpacking Through Bedlam by Seanan McGuire
Prompt Fulfilled: Restoration O
Started On: September 8th
Finished On: September 8th, 7:43 PM
Pages Read: 400

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
Prompt Fulfilled: Animal Studies O
Started On: September 9th
Finished On: September 9th, 11:04 AM
Pages Read: 416

Never a Hero by Vanessa Len
Prompt Fulfilled: Spells & Incantations O
Started On: September 9th
Finished On: September 9th, 3:52 PM
Pages Read: 528

Once a Villain by Vanessa Len
Prompt Fulfilled: Spells & Incantations Q
Started On: September 9th
Finished On: September 9th, 7:47 PM
Pages Read: 416

Origins of an Academy Bully by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
Prompt Fulfilled: Astronomy D
Started On: September 9th
Finished On: September 9th, 8:58 PM
Pages Read: 94

The Awakening by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
Prompt Fulfilled: Astronomy Q
Started On: September 10th
Finished On: September 10th, 1:38 PM
Pages Read: 436

Ruthless Fae by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
Prompt Fulfilled: Animal Studies Q
Started On: September 10th
Finished On: September 10th, 5:24 PM
Pages Read: 475

The Reckoning by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
Prompt Fulfilled: Spells & Incantations O
Started On: September 11th
Finished On: September 11th, 4:04 PM
Pages Read: 624

A Fate So Cold by Amanda Foody and C.L. Herman
Prompt Fulfilled: Elemental Studies D
Started On: September 11th
Finished On: September 11th, 9:37 PM
Page's Read: 432

The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson
Prompt Fulfilled: Shapeshifting D
Started On: September 12th
Currently On: Page 0 of 560

Prompts Left: Alchemy O, Alchemy Q, Inscription Q, Inscription D, Artificery O, Artificery Q, Artificery D, Art of Illusion O, Lore O, Astronomy O, Elemental Studies Q, Astronomy O, Astronomy D, Restoration D, Spells & Incantations O, Alchemy O, Restoration O, Restoration Q, Restoration D, Conjuration D, Demonology O, Lore O, Lore D, Animal Studies O, Animal Studies Q, Animal Studies D, Demonology O, Demonology D, Restoration O, Restoration Q, Restoration D, Conjuration Q, Alchemy O, Alchemy Q, Art of Illusion O, Art of Illusion Q, Spells & Incantations O, Psionics & Divination O, Psionics & Divination Q, Psionics & Divination D, Lore O, Alchemy O, Alchemy Q, Restoration O, Restoration Q, Shapeshifting O, Art of Illusion O, Art of Illusion Q, Psionics & Divination O, Artificery O, Artificery D 
Read: 29
Pages Read: 12291

Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Waiting on Wednesday #702, October 23rd

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

Games Untold by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Expected Publication: November 12th, 2024
From Goodreads:
Romance, luxury, and secrets abound in this thrilling new collection that take readers deeper into the world of the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games series
 
There is nothing frivolous about the way a Hawthorne man loves.
 
An amnesiac playboy and the woman with every reason to hate him. A daredevil, his favorite heiress, and three nights in Prague. An unlikely pairing between a cowboy and a goth. Four brothers with an inescapable bond, strengthened by the family they chose, in a house of wonders that promises to always deliver one more secret. 
 
Discover their stories of love and loss, power, puzzles, and life-and-death secrets in this mind-blowingly romantic collection that proves that when you love the way Hawthornes love, there is no going back.
 
This collection That Night in Prague (novella) The Same Backward as Forward (novella) The Cowboy and the Goth Five Times Xander Tackled Someone (and One Time He Didn’t) One Hawthorne Night* What Happens in the Treehouse*  $3CR3T $@NT@ Pain at the Right Gun *previously published in limited released

The Shadows Rule All by Abigail Owen
Expected Publication: November 12th, 2024
From Goodreads:
Darkness ascends the throne in this electrifying conclusion to the Domionions trilogy, all wrapped up in a gorgeous cover package! Preorder coming soon!

The hidden princess, must find a way to stop the ageless king—and the Shadowraith she’s fallen for—in the upcoming final installment of Abigail Owen’s sprawling, sexy upper YA fantasy.
The Possessed by Marjorie M. Liu, Illustrated by Sana Takeda
Expected Publication: November 12th, 2024
From Goodreads:
The ninth volume of the multiple Eisner, Harvey, Hugo, and British Fantasy Award-winning series.

Maika, Kippa, and Ren return to their own world to discover a full year has passed in their absence--and Zinn is back in the clutches of Maika's father, the megalomaniacal Lord Doctor. From the relative safety of the pirate-controlled Spice Islands, Maika and her friends must regroup, recover, and find a way stop the Lord Doctor's murderous rampage before he destroys the Known World. Can loyalty and love transcend a history of betrayal and blood?
Witch Queen of Redwinter by Ed McDonald
Expected Publication: November 12th, 2024
From Goodreads:
Having been saved from execution at the hands of the Draoihn – powerful magic users Raine used to count as allies – Raine finds herself in the Fault, a vast magical wasteland, which is falling apart before her eyes.

Alongside her two closest companions, they are searching for the only person Raine believes can help them get back home: the enigmatic and infuriatingly elusive Queen of Feathers.

But what home are they trying to get back to? Ovitus LacNaithe, power-hungry traitor that he is, has taken control of the Draoihn and is unwittingly doing the bidding of a darker master. He is soon to take control of the Crown of Harranir and plunge the land into unending darkness.

The fate of two worlds hangs in the balance. The stakes have never been higher. It's going to take Raine's dark, terrible powers, as well as the unbreakable bond of three friends, to ensure everyone lives to see the dawn.

The epic conclusion to Ed McDonald's Redwinter Chronicles, Witch Queen of Redwinter brings together breathtaking magic, unflinching fellowship and the gruesome spectacle of war in the most thrilling of fantasy adventures.

The Ghost of a Chance by Heather Graham
Expected Publication: November 12th, 2024
From Goodreads:
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Heather Graham comes a new story in her Krewe of Hunters series…

Having run into the bank to take out cash for her son’s school fair, Angela Hawkins Crow is surprised to find herself in the middle of a hostage situation. The hostage-taker is none other than Billy Mendelson, a young man suffering after a violent armed robbery attack at his home.

Angela read about the crime but is mystified by his behavior, even as he hustles her into a vault with several others. Billy was a stellar student and so much more before the events of that fateful day. How can he subject others to such violence?

Thankfully, Angela realizes someone else in the bank might be able to help her bring it all to an end—without any injuries. It’s a ghost of a chance, but one she must cling to if she wishes to save the hostages and the young man so damaged by what has befallen him.

Only a ghost of a chance…

But one she is grateful to have. And one that just might work.

A Wild and Ruined Song by Ashley Shuttleworth
Expected Publication: November 12th, 2024
From Goodreads:
Arlo and her friends struggle to rally against an overwhelming foe before time runs out in this gripping final book in the Hollow Star Saga, the urban fantasy series about fae in Toronto.

Arlo Jarsdel has lost everything. Her family. Her freedom. Her name. And now that she’s sharing her body with Ruin, the formidable titan of devastation, she’s even beginning to lose herself.

In their most dangerous game of deception yet, Arlo has just one goal: destroy the three Bone Crowns corrupting the mortal and immortal realms before her time runs out and Ruin takes permanent control of her being.

With Celadon fighting on the political front against the ruthless High Queen Riadne—now armed with the cataclysmic power of her Crown, the Sins, and Ruin—Vehan and Aurelian are scrambling in secret to build an army to rival Riadne’s infernal forces. Meanwhile, Nausicaä will do whatever it takes to save her girlfriend from obliteration, despite knowing the odds of survival are nearly nonexistent.

When the line between hero and villain becomes blurred, and bonds are put to the ultimate test, it has never been more imperative—or more difficult—to stand united. For this is not the first lifetime that these five friends have faced the evil behind this impending war, but if they can’t find their way back to each other, it might just be their last.

In Want of a Suspect by Tirzah Price
Expected Publication: November 12th, 2024
From Goodreads:
The first book in a thrilling mystery duology that follows Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy from the acclaimed Jane Austen Murder Mystery series!

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that London’s first female solicitor in possession of the details of a deadly crime, must be in want of a suspect.

The tenacious Lizzie Bennet has earned her place at Longbourn, her father’s law firm. Her work keeps her busy, but luckily it gives her plenty of reasons to consult (and steal occasional kisses) with Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, a stern but secretly softhearted solicitor at Pemberley.

Lizzie is hired to investigate a deadly warehouse fire and to find the mysterious woman who was spotted at the scene moments before the flames took hold. But when the case leads to the sitting room of a woman Darcy once proposed marriage to, the delicate balance between personal and professional in their relationship is threatened.

Questions of the future are cast aside when the prime suspect is murdered and Lizzie’s own life is threatened. As the body count rises and their suspicions about what was really going on in the warehouse grow, the pressure is on for Lizzie and Darcy to uncover the truth.

Classic characters with an enthralling twist—Lizzie and Darcy, as introduced in the hit novel Pride and Premeditation, are back for more suspense, danger, and romance!

Skyshade by Alex Aster
Expected Publication: November 12th, 2024
From Goodreads:
The pulse-pounding third novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, The Lightlark Saga, by acclaimed author and #BookTok sensation Alex Aster

Love kills kingdoms…

Back in Grim’s castle on Nightshade, Isla is reeling in the wake of a brutal battle and the devastating truths it exposed. Her future—and the fate of the world—now hinge on a heart split in two.

Past Isla, who fell in love with the ruler of Nightshade, fights to resist feelings she considers treasonous. The Isla of the present, who has seen the ruin her powers can cause, will do anything to save Lightlark and its king.

As the line between enemy and friend is tested, Isla is more desperate than ever to understand the oracle’s final prophecy and change her heartrending fate. But a storm is coming. And with it, a long-buried evil greater than anything the realms have faced before.

With the clock ticking on her destiny and the survival of two warring kingdoms hinging on her own shattered heart, Isla Crown will either save the world—or destroy it.

All's Fair in Love and Treachery by Celeste Connally 
Expected Publication: November 12th, 2024
From Goodreads:
Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie in this dazzling next installment in a captivating Regency-era mystery series with a feminist spin.

21 June, 1815. London may be cheering the news of Napoleon’s surrender at Waterloo, but Lady Petra Forsyth has little to celebrate after discovering that the death of her viscount fiancé three years earlier was no accident. Instead, it was murder, and the man responsible is her handsome, half-Scottish secret paramour Duncan Shawcross—yet the scoundrel has disappeared, leaving only a confusing riddle about long-forgotten memories in his wake.

So what’s a lady to do when she can’t hunt down her traitorous lover? She concentrates on a royal assignment instead. Queen Charlotte has tasked Petra with attending an event at the Asylum for Female Orphans and making inquiries surrounding the death of the orphanage’s matron. What’s more, the there may be a link between the matron’s death and a group of radicals with ties to the aristocracy, as evidenced by an intercepted letter.

Then, Petra overhears a nefarious conversation with two other men about a plot to topple the monarchy, set to take place during three days of celebrations currently gripping London.

As the clock counts down and London’s streets teem with revelers, Petra’s nerves are fraying as her past and present collide. Yet while all’s fair in love and war, she can never surrender, especially when more orphaned girls may be in trouble. And to save their lives, the monarchy itself, and even her own heart, Lady Petra must face her fears with the strength of an army of soldiers and fight with the heart of a queen.

The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson
Expected Publication: November 12th, 2024
From Goodreads:
From New York Times bestselling author Mary E. Pearson comes a thrilling romantic fantasy full of dangerous fae, dark secrets, and addictive romance

After losing both their parents, Bristol Keats and her sisters struggle to stay afloat in their small, quiet town of Bowskeep. When Bristol begins to receive letters from an “aunt” she’s never heard of who promises she can help, she reluctantly agrees to meet—and discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family is a lie. Even her father might still be alive, not killed but kidnapped by terrifying creatures to a whole other realm—the one he is from.

Desperate to save her father and find the truth, Bristol journeys to a land of gods and fae and monsters. Pulled into a dangerous world of magic and intrigue, she makes a deadly bargain with the fae leader, Tyghan. But what she doesn't know is that he's the one who drove her parents to live a life on the run. And he is just as determined as she is to find her father—dead or alive.

I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call by Jamison Shea
Expected Publication: November 12th, 2024
From Goodreads:
Monsters and mortals, rejoice! Acheron is back . . .Though Laure has tried to close the lid on her ballet shoes and the feelings she once held for dance since the Palais Garnier incident two months ago, Laure is spinning out. Between partying, drinking, and avoiding anything and, well, everyone, she has no time to be anything but a monster. 

But when Laure stumbles across a mysterious dead body during one of her nights out, she’s forced to notice the cracks stretching beyond herself.Below the streets of Paris, Elysium is dying, and Acheron and Lethe’s influence is spilling into the streets like a blight. Laure isn’t the only of Elysium’s beasts to rise from the ruins of Palais Garnier, and someone is mobilizing an army of monsters with plans greater than Laure, Andor, and Keturah could have ever guessed. 

While Laure is warring between her wants and Acheron’s ever-demanding appetite, she and her circle of monsters are left to reckon with a not-so-simple how do you save yourself from oblivion?Jamison Shea's sharp and unflinching voice will bring readers to terrifying new heights in this vicious sequel to the "relentlessly gory and almost euphoric in its embrace of the horrific" (NPR) I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me.

Our Deadly Designs by Kalyn Josephson
Expected Publication: November 12th, 2024
From Goodreads:
The Shadows Between Us meets The Scorpio Races in the epic conclusion to NYT bestselling Kalyn Josephson's This Dark Descent, called "a fierce and darkly magical thrill ride" by acclaimed author Ava Reid.

The Illinir may be over, but the race for Enderlain’s future has just begun. The hunt for the old king’s lost heir is on, and the first to find them will win the throne.

Mikira has allied herself with the rebels in pursuit of the lost heir, but the deeper her search takes her, the closer she gets to the royal family's wicked past.

Ari is struggling to control her own growing power as she grapples with a dark secret that may be her undoing — and the truth behind Damien's greatest foe.

Damien, the new head of House Adair, joins the race to find the heir and secure the crown. But as his influence at court grows, so does his paranoia and hunger for power.

Reid is trying his best to stay true to the friend who's always had his loyalty — and the flame who has his heart — while trapped in a web of chaos and lies.

But a darker force is festering in Enderlain’s underbelly, and Mikira, Ari, Damien, and Reid will need to find a way back to each other — and themselves — before the kingdom is torn apart. Hearts will be broken and new bonds will be forged in this explosive finale to This Dark Descent, where spellbinding fantasy meets Jewish mythology in a cut-throat race for the throne — and Enderlain’s survival.

Oh, there's a bunch of fantastic releases coming out on the 12th, I'm so excited for, I love these authors and these series, I need to read these books! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Monday, February 27, 2023

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #612, February 27th

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!
What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #611
Teaser Tuesday #619
WWW Wednesday #619
WOW #615
Will the Time Come #612
Third Sentence Thursday #602
Random Reads #588
First Lines Friday #615
Book Blogger Hop #281
Monthly ARC's Update 31
The Reward Challenge Update #597
Wheel of TBR #144
How Well I Stuck to It #449
Wrote that Review Update #446

Tours:

Magical Readathon: Orilium: 

Random:

OK, so I got 31 posts in 7 days, it was a quiet week, but we were dealing with really cold temperatures, I think we were under a warning for most of the week. Plus it snowed on Monday, the first day that I came back to work, so that was fun! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Dead Letter Days

Dead Letter Days sees Eric, Casey and the others living in a lodge in northern British Columbia, where a message in a bottle leads to a cold case that will have Eric finally grappling with his past and preparing to move into his future with Casey.

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Week 8 Reviews: Morrighan, The Kiss of Deception


Before borders were drawn, before treaties were signed, before wars were waged anew, before the great kingdoms of the Remnant were even born and the world of old was only a hazy slate of memory told in story and legend, a girl and her family fought to survive. 

And that girl's name was Morrighan.

In this prequel novella to the Remnant Chronicles, a girl and a boy from enemy camps meet, fall in love--and set history in motion.

From Goodreads:
In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia's life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn't—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.

On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.

The Kiss of Deception is the first book in Mary E. Pearson's Remnant Chronicles.

My first review of Morrighan, The Kiss of Deception
My Review:
I loved reading these books again! It's been so long since I first read them, and after reading Dance of Thieves, I was just a little bit too confused, so I had to go back and read these! And I'm so glad that I did, because they were fantastic!

Morrighan was a really great story, getting to see that time after everything has gone wrong, and has been for at least 2 generations, where the 3rd, if they're still alive, were children when it happened. It's the start of what things are like by the time Lia's story comes around! 

The Kiss of Deception, it was really great to meet Lia, Rafe, and Kaden at the beginning again. This first book is the lightest of the bunch, because Lia abandoned her life, she doesn't have any responsibilities. It was the time that showed her what the common people live like, and it's what gives her something to fight for.

Knowing how things are going to play out, I watched closer to her and Rafe's interactions. I mean, it's pretty hilarious, because she doesn't know he's the guy she ran away from marrying, and the fact that they do end up together, I love it! 

Absolutely loved reading these books, and I can't wait to continue on again! 

Author: Mary E. Pearson
Series: The Remnant Chronicles #0.5, 1
First Read: February 22nd, 2016, February 9th, 2016
Read: February 18th, 19th, 2023
Source: Ebook.bike, Own
Reason Why: Enjoyed her other books, and it's a 2023 Dystopia Books and Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2023 Books!
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), Square Fish
Published: January 12th 2016, July 8th 2014

Morrighan:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars








The Kiss of Deception:
5/5 Hearts
5/5 Books
5/5 Stars

Monday, January 9, 2023

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #605, January 9th

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!
What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #604
Teaser Tuesday #612
WWW Wednesday #612
WOW #608
Will the Time Come #605
Third Sentence Thursday #595
Random Reads #581
First Lines Friday #608
Book Blogger Hop #274
21 Books to Read in 2021 Update 31
22 Books to Read in 2022 Update 10
The Reward Challenge Update #590
Wheel of TBR #137
How Well I Stuck to It #442
Wrote that Review Update #439

Bout of Books: 

Magical Readathon: Orilium: 

OK, so I got 47 posts in 7 days, and it was a pretty great week, I read a good amount of really great books, and I can't wait for this coming week! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Hell Bent!

Wealth. Power. Murder. Magic. Alex Stern is back and the Ivy League is going straight to hell.

Find a gateway to the underworld. Steal a soul out of hell. A simple plan, except people who make this particular journey rarely come back. But Galaxy “Alex” Stern is determined to break Darlington out of purgatory—even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale.

Forbidden from attempting a rescue, Alex and Dawes can’t call on the Ninth House for help, so they assemble a team of dubious allies to save the gentleman of Lethe. Together, they will have to navigate a maze of arcane texts and bizarre artifacts to uncover the societies’ most closely guarded secrets, and break every rule doing it. But when faculty members begin to die off, Alex knows these aren’t just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if she is going to survive, she’ll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university’s very walls.

Thick with history and packed with Bardugo’s signature twists, Hell Bent brings to life an intricate world full of magic, magic, violence, and all too real monsters.