The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen

Title: The Kingdom of Sweets

Author: Erika Johansen

Publisher: Dutton 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 354

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project; Fairytale Retellings; Spooky Season - J

Where I Got It: Unread Shelf

Twin sisters, divided by envy and magic, set against one another on a fateful Christmas Eve

Light and dark—this is the cursed birthright placed upon Clara and Natasha by their godfather, Drosselmeyer, whose power and greed hold an entire city in his sway. Charming Clara, the favorite, grows into a life of beauty and ease, while ignored and unloved Natasha is relegated to her sister’s shadow.

But the opportunity for revenge announces itself one Christmas Eve, when Drosselmeyer arrives at their family gala with the Nutcracker, an enchanted gift that offers entry into an alternate world: the Kingdom of Sweets.

Following Clara into the glittering land of snow and sugar, Natasha discovers a source of power far greater than Drosselmeyer: the Sugar Plum Fairy, who offers her own wondrous gifts . . . and deadly bargains. But as Natasha unspools the truth about a dark destiny crafted long before her birth, she must reckon with forces both earthly and magical, human and diabolical, and decide to which world she truly belongs.

A bit of a mess of a book. I was very intrigued by the Nutcracker retelling and loved the first act. We set the stage and add in a mystery twin to Clara. Act 2 was even a lot of fun twisting around the idea of the Kingdom of Sweets. But then the book started to lose me. Clara and Natasha are both terrible. Their entire families are terrible. Conrad is a wet blanket. Why should I care about any of these people? The person I cared the most about was Anastasia the cook. She at least seemed like a real person. The rest were caricatures; all black and white without the gray that real people have. I was ready for the Sugar Plum Fairy to take them all. Overall, the book really lost me after the second section and the ending was downright confusing.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Demon's Guide to Wooing a Witch by Sarah Hawley

Title: A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch (Glimmer Falls #2)

Author: Sarah Hawley

Publisher: Berkley 2023

Genre: Romance

Pages: 432

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: She Reads Romance - Enemies; Spooky Reading Season - D

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Meter: 5

Calladia Cunnington knows she’s rough around the edges, despite being the heir to one of small-town Glimmer Falls’ founding witch families. While her gym obsession is a great outlet for her anxieties and anger, her hot temper still gets the best of her and manifests in bar brawls. When Calladia saves someone from a demon attack one night, though, she’s happy to put her magic and rage to good use . . . until she realizes the man she saved is none other than Astaroth, the ruthless demon who orchestrated a soul bargain on her best friend.

Astaroth is a legendary soul bargainer and one of the nine members of the demon high council—except he can’t remember any of this. Suffering from amnesia after being banished to the mortal plane, Astaroth doesn’t know why a demon named Moloch is after him, nor why the muscular, angry, hot-in-a-terrifying-way witch who saved him hates him so much.

Unable to leave anyone in such a vulnerable state—even the most despicable demon—Calladia grudgingly decides to help him. (Besides, punching an amnesiac would be in poor taste.) The two set out on an uneasy road trip to find the witch who might be able to restore Astaroth’s memory so they can learn how to defeat Moloch. Calladia vows that once Astaroth is cured, she’ll kick his ass, but the more time she spends with the snarky yet utterly charming demon, the more she realizes she likes this new, improved Astaroth . . . and maybe she doesn’t want him to recover his memories, after all.

I adored the first book in this series and liked this one. My main problem with the book is Calladia. She’s a tough one to love and I just never got over her prickly exterior. I loved seeing Astaroth in a different light and watch him grow and change throughout the book. Calladia just seemed to blindly punch her way through the storyline until the very end. It was a bit frustrating. Add in the extremely shortened timeline of this plot and it just wasn’t my favorite. I am very intrigued to read book three about Ben the werewolf.

Gimmer Falls

#1 A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon
#2 A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch
#3 A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Soul to Keep by Opal Reyne

Title: A Soul to Keep (Dustwalker Brides #1)

Author: Opal Reyne

Publisher: Opal Reyne 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 534

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 8

All Reia ever wanted was freedom.

Known as a harbinger of bad omens and blamed for Demons eating her family, Reia is shunned by her entire village. When the next offering is due and the monstrous Duskwalker is seen heading their way, her village offers her an impossible choice – be thrown into the prison cells or allow herself to be sacrificed to a faceless monster.

However, he is not what he seems. His skull face and glowing eyes are ethereal, and she finds herself unwittingly enchanted by him.

All Orpheus ever wanted was a companion.

Each decade, in exchange for a protection ward from the Demons that terrorise the world, Orpheus takes a human offering to the Veil – the place he lives and the home of Demons. The brief companionship does little to ease his loneliness, and their lives were always, unfortunately, cut short.

He'd thought it was a hopeless endeavour, until he met her. She’s not afraid of him, and his insatiable desire deepens
within every moment of her presence.

But will Orpheus be able to convince Reia to stay before she’s lost to him forever?

CW: Death, explicit sex with tentacles

This is another super explicit romance book that I stumbled upon and ultimately enjoyed. At the core, this series is clearly exploring trauma and its affects. Reia has been neglected her entire life after surviving a horrific event. Orpheus is suffering from confusion and fighting against his nature to find a companion. These two unlikely creatures are forced together and begin to peal back the layers. The book itself moves pretty slowly for the first 200 pages. We get a lot of inner monologue from Reia and a lot of world building. I do wish that some of the monologue was trimmed as it become very repetitive later on in the book. The chapters from Orpheus’s perspective were much more interesting. And then we get to the sex scenes. They are not for the faint of heart, nor are they for people who are not open to the weird. Those scenes are extremely explicit earning my highest spice meter rating of 8. Be forewarned. The ending was very rushed and somewhat confusing. There’s a lot of exposition and information dump towards the end that I don’t think I completely understood all. But, I’m willing to keep learning and keep reading this series.

Duskwalker Brides

#1 A Soul to Keep
#2 A Soul to Heal
#3 A Soul to Touch
#4 A Soul to Guide
#5 A Soul to Revive
#6 A Soul to Steal
#7 A Soul to Protect
#8 A Soul to Embrace

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Next up on the TBR pile:

The Nighthouse Keeper by Lora Senf

Title: The Nighthouse Keeper (Blight Harbor #2)

Author: Lora Senf

Publisher: Atheneum Books 2023

Genre: MG Horror

Pages: 320

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season RC

Where I Got It: Library

Evie Von Rathe has been home for only a few weeks from her adventure in the strange world of seven houses when Blight Harbor’s beloved ghosts begin to disappear. Did they leave without saying goodbye, or has something gone horribly wrong? Soon Evie is invited to a mysterious council meeting, where she learns about the Dark Sun Side and a terrible secret.

Yes, the ghosts have gone missing. And that means serious trouble.

Another fun and creepy adventure story featuring the other side and the dead and living residents of Blight Harbor. I loved seeing the addition of a new companion for Evie with Lark. But, the overall adventure wasn’t as creepy as I would have liked. The bit on the train with the ghouls was delicious, but otherwise, I wanted more creepy. Hopefully, The Clackity actually makes an appearance in the third book. I need to have more dealings with an actually interesting villain.

Blight Harbor

#1 The Clackity
#2 The Nighthouse Keeper
#3 The Loneliest Place

Next up on the TBR pile:

Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca

Title: Haunted Ever After (Boneyard Key #1)

Author: Jen DeLuca

Publisher: Berkley 2024

Genre: Romance

Pages: 326

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 5 (although not really until the end)

Small Florida coastal towns often find themselves scrambling for the tourism dollars that the Orlando theme parks leave behind. And within the town limits of Boneyard Key, the residents decided long ago to lean into its ghostliness. Nick Royer, owner of the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, embraces the ghost tourism that keeps the local economy afloat, as well as his spectral roommate. At least he doesn’t have to run air-conditioning.

Cassie Rutherford possibly overreacted to all her friends getting married and having kids by leaving Orlando and buying a flipped historic cottage in Boneyard Key. Though there’s something unusual with her new home (her laptop won’t charge in any outlets, and the poetry magnets on her fridge definitely didn’t read “WRONG” and “MY HOUSE” when she put them up), she’s charmed by the colorful history surrounding her. And she's catching a certain vibe from the grumpy coffee shop owner whenever he slips her a free slice of banana bread along with her coffee order.

As Nick takes her on a ghost tour, sharing town gossip that tourists don't get to hear, and they spend nights side-by-side looking into the former owners of her haunted cottage, their connection solidifies into something very real and enticing. But Cassie's worried she’s in too deep with this whole (haunted) home ownership thing…and Nick's afraid to get too close in case Cassie gets scared away for good.

I was excited to see a new book from Jen DeLuca. I mostly loved her Well Met series and was hoping for some more swoony romance. This series is a bit different. We get a spooky setting of the haunted Florida town of Boneyard Key and the mystery of a potentially harmful ghost. Intertwined we get the story of Cassie’s attempt to find a home and Nick’s attempt to find happiness. I enjoyed their story, but at times, it felt like not enough. I wanted more emotion, more spookiness, more mystery, and definitely more steamy scenes. I will read the next book (maybe about Theo and Sophie?), but won’t be holding my breath for this one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

Title: The Essex Serpent

Author: Sarah Perry

Publisher: Mariner Books 2016

Genre: Magical Realism

Pages: 422

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: ????

An exquisitely talented young British author makes her American debut with this rapturously acclaimed historical novel, set in late nineteenth-century England, about an intellectually minded young widow, a pious vicar, and a rumored mythical serpent that explores questions about science and religion, skepticism, and faith, independence and love.

When Cora Seaborne’s brilliant, domineering husband dies, she steps into her new life as a widow with as much relief as sadness: her marriage was not a happy one. Wed at nineteen, this woman of exceptional intelligence and curiosity was ill-suited for the role of society wife. Seeking refuge in fresh air and open space in the wake of the funeral, Cora leaves London for a visit to coastal Essex, accompanied by her inquisitive and obsessive eleven-year old son, Francis, and the boy’s nanny, Martha, her fiercely protective friend.

While admiring the sites, Cora learns of an intriguing rumor that has arisen further up the estuary, of a fearsome creature said to roam the marshes claiming human lives. After nearly 300 years, the mythical Essex Serpent is said to have returned, taking the life of a young man on New Year’s Eve. A keen amateur naturalist with no patience for religion or superstition, Cora is immediately enthralled, and certain that what the local people think is a magical sea beast may be a previously undiscovered species. Eager to investigate, she is introduced to local vicar William Ransome. Will, too, is suspicious of the rumors. But unlike Cora, this man of faith is convinced the rumors are caused by moral panic, a flight from true belief.

These seeming opposites who agree on nothing soon find themselves inexorably drawn together and torn apart—an intense relationship that will change both of their lives in ways entirely unexpected.

I finished the book and spent a lot of time thinking about how the summary of the story doesn’t really track with the story inside. I was expecting a tense story full of magical doings and some romantic tension. Instead, I got a very quiet character study of a cast of Victorian characters. Everyone acts in line with the time and place they live in giving this a much more melancholy feel instead of suspense or tension. Cora is at times a strong heroine to root for and a privileged oblivious woman bumbling around in other people’s lives. She could be very frustrating at times. On the other side, William Ransome is also extremely frustrating and yet, very much how I think a vicar in England at the time would think and act. For a page or two, I wanted them to find happiness in each other, but also realized that they were terrible for each other. The book quietly moves along with multiple subplots and character storylines. Coming to the abrupt ending, I was a bit frustrated. But in the end, I really enjoyed this quiet meandering story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Title: Assistant to the Villain (Assistant and the Villain #1)

Author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Publisher: Entangled 2023

Genre: Romance

Pages: 342

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Under the Cover, KC June 2024

ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.

With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer—naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.

But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain—and his entire nefarious empire—out.

Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.

After all, a good job is hard to find.

I got very excited when a book club member chose this slightly spooky romance that I bought while at the retreat in June. Unfortunately, I am not able to make the meeting. Such a shame, as I absolutely loved this very slow burn romance full of action and adventure. Evie stumbles into a new job working for the evil villain of the forest. Of course, we meet the Villain and realize that there’s more going on than meets the eye. As Evie settles into her job as an assistant, the Villain starts to realize just how important she is to his entire world. I loved the increasing sexual tension in the itneractions between our main characters. Beyond that, I really loved the overall mystery of who the mole is. I’m really finding a mix of romance and mystery to be my jam right now. My only issue with this book is the ending. We are faced with a pretty big cliffhanger! Ugh! I put the next one on hold from the library. I cannot wait to see what happens between Evie and Trystan.

Assistant to the Villain

#1 Assistant to the Villain
#2 Apprentice to the Villain

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley

Title: A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon (Glimmer Falls #1)

Author: Sarah Hawley

Publisher: Berkley 2023

Genre: Romance

Pages: 367

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 5

Mariel Spark is prophesied to be the most powerful witch seen in centuries of the famed Spark family, but to the displeasure of her mother, she prefers baking to brewing potions and gardening to casting hexes. When a spell to summon flour goes very wrong, Mariel finds herself staring down a demon—one she inadvertently summoned for a soul bargain.

Ozroth the Ruthless is a legend among demons. Powerful and merciless, he drives hard bargains to collect mortal souls. But his reputation has suffered ever since a bargain went awry—if he can strike a bargain with Mariel, he will earn back his deadly reputation. Ozroth can't leave Mariel's side until they complete a bargain, which she refuses to do (turns out some humans are attached to their souls).

But the witch is funny. And curvy. And disgustingly yet endearingly cheerful. Becoming awkward roommates quickly escalates when Mariel, terrified to confess the inadvertent summoning to her mother, blurts out that she's dating Ozroth. As Ozroth and Mariel struggle with their opposing goals and maintaining a fake relationship, real attraction blooms between them. But Ozroth has a limited amount of time to strike the deal, and if Mariel gives up her soul, she'll lose all her emotions—including love—which will only spell disaster for them both.

Oh another delightful spooky-lite romance featuring a very hot MMC. I do love a bit of a sunshine and grump trope mixed with forced proximity. This fun romp has both of those things. I really enjoyed the wild ride that Mariel is forced to take with Oz as they navigate her accidental summoning of a bargainer demon. We get lots of sexual tension and some fun encounters. I loved seeing these two characters eventually reach an understanding of their own relationship. Plus we get some fun mystery involving the magic in the town. I really really enjoyed this one and cannot wait to read the next one.

Gimmer Falls

#1 A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon
#2 A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch
#3 A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Clackity by Lora Senf

Title: The Clackity (Blight Harbor #1)

Author: Lora Senf

Publisher: Atheneum 2022

Genre: MG Horror

Pages: 288

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

Evie Von Rathe lives in Blight Harbor—the seventh-most haunted town in America—with her Aunt Desdemona, the local paranormal expert. Des doesn’t have many rules except one: Stay out of the abandoned slaughterhouse at the edge of town. But when her aunt disappears into the building, Evie goes searching for her.

There she meets The Clackity, a creature who lives in the shadows and seams of the slaughterhouse. The Clackity makes a deal with Evie to help get Des back in exchange for the ghost of John Jeffrey Pope, a serial killer who stalked Blight Harbor a hundred years earlier. Evie reluctantly embarks on a journey into a strange otherworld filled with hungry witches, penny-eyed ghosts, and a memory-thief, all while being pursued by a dead man whose only goal is to add Evie to his collection of lost souls. Will she ever find Des, or is The Clackity planning something far more sinister?

I have no idea where I heard about this series, but I’ve found that I really enjoy Middle Grade horror. So I dove into this series and fell in love with it. We get a fascinating setting filled with fascinating characters. I would have been perfectly content to stay in Blight Harbor. But even better, we get to travel to a fantasy world and a journey through a proper horrifying fairy tale. I loved seeing how each house presented Evie with a new challenge and horrifying aspect. I sped through this one hoping to see Evie succeed in her quest. I definitely need to read the next book in the series and read the further adventures of Evie.

Blight Harbor

#1 The Clackity
#2 The Nighthouse Keeper
#3 The Loneliest Place

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

Title: Unbury Carol

Author: Josh Malerman

Publisher: Delacorte Press 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 320

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Book of the Month October 2023

In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors.

It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere—the signs of what June always knew was coming. But June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own.

After her grandmother’s death, June discovers a series of cryptic clues regarding her mother’sdecades-old disappearance, except they only lead to more questions. But could the door she once assumed was a hallucination be the answer she’s been searching for? The next time it appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but also uncover the lingering mysteries of her small town and entangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.

I read Young’s previous book, Spells for Forgetting, and enjoyed the atmospheric slightly spooky story. We picked her newest book as our book club selection for October. I immediately fell into the Farrow family lore and wanted to know more about their history. As June’s life becomes unraveled, I really started rooting for her to get her happiness. Once we are transported back in time, the storyline really gets moving and I was desperate to figure out all the secrets. I sped through the book and let out a contented sigh at the end. This was a great slightly magical book about a woman finding her place.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Ghost Camera by Darcy Coates

Title: Ghost Camera

Author: Darcy Coates

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press 2024

Genre: Horror

Pages: 352

Rating: /5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

When Jenine finds an abandoned polaroid camera, she playfully snaps a photo without a second thought. But there's something wrong with the image: a ghostly figure stands in the background, watching her.

Fixated on her.

Moving one step closer with every picture she takes.

Desperate, Jenine shares her secret with her best friend, Bree. Together they realize the camera captures unsettling impressions of the dead. But now the ghosts seem to be following the two friends. And with each new photo taken, a terrible danger grows ever clearer…

This is actually a reimagined version of one of Coates’ first stories. Ghost Camera is the novella included in this otherwise collection of short stories. Short story collections are not usually my favorite as they tend to be very uneven. This one isn’t an exception, but I still did enjoy most of the stories included. Ghost Camera is the stand out featuring a few very creepy scenes. I loved using the camera as a device to explore the creepy otherworld. Loved it.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs

Title: Ink Blood Sister Scribe

Author: Emma Törzs

Publisher: William Morrow 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 416

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Book of the Month June 2023

For generations, the Kalotay family has guarded a collection of ancient and rare books. Books that let a person walk through walls or manipulate the elements—books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther have been raised to revere and protect.

All magic comes with a price, though, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has fled to a remote base in Antarctica to escape the fate that killed her own mother, and Joanna’s isolated herself in their family home in Vermont, devoting her life to the study of these cherished volumes. But after their father dies suddenly while reading a book Joanna has never seen before, the sisters must reunite to preserve their family legacy. In the process, they’ll uncover a world of magic far bigger and more dangerous than they ever imagined, and all the secrets their parents kept hidden; secrets that span centuries, continents, and even other libraries . . .

I was so very excited about this book when I bought it and then it just sat in my room for months… I finally cracked it open this Spooky Season and was ultimately disappointedly. The story and the reveals moved so slowly at times that I put the book down and would forget to pick it up. I wanted more. More movement, more growth, more magic. At times, the sisters were written and acted like they were teenagers instead of their actual ages. Their immaturity really got to me at times. I wanted to see two slightly lost women reconnecting with each other and finding a place. But they spend most of the book just flailing around. I think I might have reached my fill of incapable characters.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Year Zero Vol. 0

Title: Year Zero Vol. 0

Author: Daniel Kraus, Goran Sudžuka

Publisher: Artists, Writers, and Artisans 2023

Genre: Graphic Novel Horror

Pages: 128

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

In this action-packed prelude to the hit series, acclaimed horror writer Daniel Kraus (George Romero's The Living Dead, The Autumnal) unveils four globe-spanning tales from the earliest days of the zombie apocalypse when even the wildest rumors couldn't measure up to the horror to come. A streetwise Russian cop patrols the back alleys of the opportunistic black market that emerges in response to the crisis...a North Korean soldier observes strange happenings on the DMZ...An E.R. nurse in the rural South fights to protect her hospital from threats without and within...A transgender flight attendant who has observed disturbing clues as she crisscrosses the globe keeps a wary eye on the passenger in seat 23C.

I somehow completely missed this series. I absolutely love zombie stories so I definitely needed to grab this one. I didn’t even realize that this is prequel, but it was still a fun ride to see the beginnings of a zombie apocalypse. We follow a few characters as they slowly get the sense that something terrible is happening. The Korean storyline was my favorite. We get a few very introspective conversations and monologues by those characters. I really loved the reveals as the stories progressed. I most definitely need to keep reading this series.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

Title: Phantasma (Wicked Games #1)

Author: Kaylie Smith

Publisher: Forever 2024

Genre: Fantasy; Horror

Pages: 461

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Book of the Month September 2024

Spice Rating: 5

Welcome to Phantasma.

There are only two rules to the game. Stay alive. And don’t fall in love.

When Ophelia’s sister disappears, there is only one way to save her. Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a deadly contest inside a haunted mansion, and claim its prize—a single wish.

Phantasma is a maze of twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, of demons and temptations. Ophelia will face nine challenges, each more dangerous than the last. There can only be one winner, and the other contestants will stop at nothing to eliminate their rivals.

Every day the house creates new monsters. But just as Ophelia’s fears threaten to overwhelm her, a mysterious stranger offers her a bargain.

Charming, arrogant and infuriatingly attractive, Blackwell claims he can guide her through the lethal trials ahead. All he asks in return is ten years of her life.

Ophelia knows she shouldn’t trust him. Blackwell doesn’t seem dangerous, but appearances can be deceptive. Worse still, she feels a dark and irresistible attraction drawing them closer and closer.

Her life is on the line. But in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart…

Wicked Games

#1 Phantasma
#2 Enchantra

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lost Boy by Christina Henry

Title: Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook

Author: Christina Henry

Publisher: Titan Books 2017

Genre: Horror; Fantasy

Pages: 292

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairytale Retellings; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan’s first—and favorite—lost boy to his greatest enemy.

Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but Peter's idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. Because it’s never been all fun and games on the island. Our neighbors are pirates and monsters. Our toys are knife and stick and rock—the kinds of playthings that bite.

Peter promised we would all be young and happy forever. Peter lies.

This book has been on my TBR list for years now. I had previously enjoyed Henry’s brand of mixing horror and fairy tales and this one definitely hit the spot. Right away, we know that we are going dive deep into how Jamie become Captain Hook. I was hoping for a villainous portrayal of Peter Pan and I got exactly what I was hoping for. In fact, he was much more horrendous than even I imagined. (I have always very much disliked the Peter Pan character from literature and the movie/tv versions.) We quickly learn how demented Peter is and attempt to navigate his impossible situations alongside Jamie and the other Lost Boys. In a short amount of time, I really came to care for those kids. But I knew that this story was not going to end well. Overall, this one is not for squeamish people and especially not for anyone who cannot handle violence involved children.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Book of Night by Holly Black

Title: Book of Night (Book of Night #1)

Author: Holly Black

Publisher: Tor Books 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 304

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Book of the Month May 2022

Charlie Hall has never found a lock she couldn’t pick, a book she couldn’t steal, or a bad decision she wouldn’t make.

She's spent half her life working for gloamists, magicians who manipulate shadows to peer into locked rooms, strangle people in their beds, or worse. Gloamists guard their secrets greedily, creating an underground economy of grimoires. And to rob their fellow magicians, they need Charlie Hall.

Now, she’s trying to distance herself from past mistakes, but getting out isn’t easy. Bartending at a dive, she’s still entirely too close to the corrupt underbelly of the Berkshires. Not to mention that her sister Posey is desperate for magic, and that Charlie's shadowless, and possibly soulless, boyfriend has been hiding things from her. When a terrible figure from her past returns, Charlie descends into a maelstrom of murder and lies.

Determined to survive, she’s up against a cast of doppelgangers, mercurial billionaires, gloamists, and the people she loves best in the world—all trying to steal a secret that will give them vast and terrible power.

So very disappointed by this book. I was intrigued by the summary and interested in reading a dark magical story featuring a scrappy protagonist. What I got was a meandering, boring story featuring a highly unlikable main character. Charlie lies, cheats, and steals, even to and from those she loves to accomplish some very unspecified goals in life. I never found myself connecting to her. I also was very annoyed by those surrounding Charlie. Posey is terrible in her own way. And I hated that Vince keep everything important secret. I’m really sick of books where every character keeps very important information from the people who need it the most. All for a perceived gift for another character. Very annoying. As for the storyline itself, I was continuously annoyed by the interlude chapters about Charlie’s past. I really didn’t need all those long chapters detailing her past transgression. We get it. I would have cut most of those and focused more on the present.

Book of Night

#1 Book of Night
#2 Thief of Night

Next up on the TBR pile:

From Below by Darcy Coates

Title: From Below

Author: Darcy Coates

Publisher: Poisoned Press 2022

Genre: Horror

Pages: 469

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season RC

Where I Got It: Library

Years ago, the SS Arcadia vanished without a trace during a routine voyage. Though a strange, garbled emergency message was broadcast, neither the ship nor any of its crew could be found. Sixty years later, its wreck has finally been discovered more than three hundred miles from its intended course...a silent graveyard deep beneath the ocean's surface, eagerly waiting for the first sign of life.

Cove and her dive team have been granted permission to explore the Arcadia's rusting hull. Their purpose is straightforward: examine the wreck, film everything, and, if possible, uncover how and why the supposedly unsinkable ship vanished.

But the Arcadia has not yet had its fill of death, and something dark and hungry watches from below. With limited oxygen and the ship slowly closing in around them, Cove and her team will have to fight their way free of the unspeakable horror now desperate to claim them.

I also enjoy a Darcy Coates book for some spooky fun. This one involves a sunken ship and lots of creepy creepy scenes. I will say that every Coates book is a wild ride. I never know exactly where we are going and I really enjoy the journey. We dive in (haha) to this story featuring a cast of unreliable characters on a mission. I suspected every single one these characters of having nefarious intentions on the mission. With every chapter, the tension and creep factor increased. I ended up speeding through the book dreading what they were going to find inside the ship. Once the horror begin to be revealed, I was thoroughly horrified. Lovely!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Never Whistle at Night

Title: Never Whistle at Night

Author: Various

Publisher: Vintage 2023

Genre: Short Story Horror

Pages: 400

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Indigenous Culture; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Library

Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night. This belief takes many forms: for instance, Native Hawaiians believe it summons the Hukai’po, the spirits of ancient warriors, and Native Mexicans say it calls Lechuza, a witch that can transform into an owl. But what all these legends hold in common is the certainty that whistling at night can cause evil spirits to appear—and even follow you home.

These wholly original and shiver-inducing tales introduce readers to ghosts, curses, hauntings, monstrous creatures, complex family legacies, desperate deeds, and chilling acts of revenge. Introduced and contextualized by bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones, these stories are a celebration of Indigenous peoples’ survival and imagination, and a glorious reveling in all the things an ill-advised whistle might summon.

Randomly found this collection of horror filled stories at the library and knew that I needed to read it. Like every short story collection, some stories are outstanding, while some are not-so-great. Thankfully this collection erred on the better side. I found myself actually a bit creeped out by many of the stories included. I especially loved the ones that incoprotated folklore and mythology into the horror. The ones that were much more based on the horror of current life didn’t work as well for me. I’m not as much of a real-life horror fan. I like the weird, the strange, and the supernatural. Overall, this was a good collection and shared a lot about indigenous life.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Murder Road by Simone St. James

Title: Murder Road

Author: Simone St. James

Publisher: Berkley 2024

Genre: Thriller/Horror

Pages: 341

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: BOTM March 2024

July 1995. April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn. They’re looking for the small resort town where they plan to spend their honeymoon. When they spot what appears to a lone hitchhiker along the deserted road, they stop to help. But not long after the hitchiker gets into their car, they see the blood seeping from her jacket and a truck barreling down Atticus Line after them.

When the hitchhiker dies at the local hospital, April and Eddie find themselves in the crosshairs of the Coldlake Falls police. Unexplained murders have been happening along Atticus Line for years and the cops finally have two witnesses who easily become their only suspects. As April and Eddie start to dig into the history of the town and that horrible stretch of road to clear their names, they soon learn that there is something supernatural at work, something that could not only tear the town and its dark secrets apart, but take April and Eddie down with it all.

Not my favorite of St. James’s books (that’s The Book of Cold Cases), but still an enjoyable thriller/horror book. I enjoyed the random throwback to the 90s as we follow Eddie and April on their ill-fated honeymoon. They are both carrying secrets and I enjoyed seeing them be revealed throughout the story. Our book opens with a great propulsive sequence, so of course I was intrigued. Once the Carters start investigating the murder and the mystery of Atticus Lane, the book slowed down. There was a lot of circular conversations and actions in the middle that started to drag things down. Thankfully it picked up towards the end and we barreled across the last pages. I didn’t love the neat-as-a-bow wrap-up, but overall enjoyed this book with moderate ghost involvement.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Key Lime Sky by Al Hess

Title: Key Lime Sky

Author: Al Hess

Publisher: Angry Robot Books 2024

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 304

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season; Library

Where I Got It: Library

Denver Bryant’s passion for pie has sent him across Wyoming in search of the best slices. Though he dutifully posts reviews on his blog, he’s never been able to recreate his brief moment of viral popularity, and its trickling income isn’t enough to pay his rent next month.

Driving home from a roadside diner, Denver witnesses a UFO explode directly over his tiny town of Muddy Gap. When he questions his neighbors, it appears that Denver is the only person to have seen anything – or to care that the residents’ strange behavior, as well as a shower of seashell hail, might be evidence of something extraterrestrial. Being both non-binary and autistic, he’s convinced his reputation as the town eccentric is impeding his quest for answers. Frustrated, he documents the bizarre incidents on his failing pie blog, and his online popularity skyrockets. His readers want the truth, spurring him to get to the bottom of things.

The only person in town who takes him seriously is handsome bartender, Ezra. As the two investigate over pie and the possibility of romance, the alien presence does more than change the weather. People start disappearing. When Denver and Ezra make a run for it, the town refuses to let them leave. Reality is folding in on itself. It’s suddenly a race against time to find the extraterrestrial source and destroy it before it consumes not only Muddy Gap but everything beyond. Denver’s always been more outsider than hero, but he’s determined to ensure that a world with Ezra – and with pie – still exists tomorrow.

This was such a trippy novel that I truly did not know what to expect every time I turned the page. I randomly grabbed this off the library’s New Release shelf, read the back, and checked it out. I had never heard of the book, but the summary had me intrigued. Really it was the line “Reality is folding in on itself” that really peaked my interest. I love books where you end up questioning reality. It’s my catnip. In this book, we meet Denver and things quickly start taking interesting twists and turns. I loved following Denver and xir’s struggles with fitting into the small town of Muddy Gap. I was fascinated to watch xir navigate the strange happenings after seeing a light in the sky. Xir’s budding relationship with Ezra was beautiful full of tension, misunderstandings, and care. I loved seeing the two of them navigate an alien invasion while staying true to themselves. At times, this novel is very cringey, but realistic, horrifying, but funny and downright action filled. I really really enjoyed the journey. I might have to look up other books by Hess.

Next up on the TBR pile: