The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen

Title: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy

Author: Megan Bannen

Publisher: Orbit 2022

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Pages: 416

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; She Reads Romance - Historical (sorta)

Where I Got It: Rainy Day Books, Kansas City, MO June 2023

Spice Rating: 5

Hart is a marshal, tasked with patrolling the strange and magical wilds of Tanria. It’s an unforgiving job, and Hart’s got nothing but time to ponder his loneliness.  

Mercy never has a moment to herself. She’s been single-handedly keeping Birdsall & Son Undertakers afloat in defiance of sullen jerks like Hart, who seems to have a gift for showing up right when her patience is thinnest. 

After yet another exasperating run-in with Mercy, Hart finds himself penning a letter addressed simply to “A Friend”. Much to his surprise, an anonymous letter comes back in return, and a tentative friendship is born.  

If only Hart knew he’s been baring his soul to the person who infuriates him most—Mercy. As the dangers from Tanria grow closer, so do the unlikely correspondents. But can their blossoming romance survive the fated discovery that their pen pals are their worst nightmares—each other?

This is a very loose retelling of You’ve Got Mail, which honestly did not encourage me to read this book. I was not a fan of the movie and hesitated with this one. Thankfully the book is a very loose retelling with a lot more fantasy plot. I wasn’t quite sure about our main characters at first, but they quickly grew on me. I loved Mercy and her take charge attitude and drive. I loved her care for her family and the business. Hart was a little less likable, but he really started to warm up after being paired with Pen for work. And boy does this book have some great side characters. Zeddie and Pen were definitely my favorites, but there’s also something to be said for the nimkillin. Loved them! And throughout the interpersonal relationships and a bit of romance, we get a big mystery of the increase in drudges. I loved finding out all the threads were interconnected. After the success of this volume, I may just have to pick up the other two in the series.

Hart and Mercy

• #1 The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy

• #2 The Undermining of Twyla and Frank

• #3 The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lore Olympus Vol. 9 by Rachel Smythe

Title: Lore Olympus Volume 9

Author: Rachel Smythe

Publisher: Inklore 2025

Genre: Fantasy Comic

Pages: 432

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Where I Got It: Library

“The Underworld has a queen!”

Persephone and Hades are finally reunited when the banished goddess of spring returns to the Underworld to claim her rightful place as queen. Now that Hades and Persephone have defeated and imprisoned the power-hungry Kronos once more, nothing can keep them apart, and years of being separated have only made their desire for each other grow. But the other Olympians can’t help but meddle, pushing the pair to make things official with a coronation—and a wedding.

Ignoring the others who try to define their relationship, Hades and Persephone choose to take things at their own pace and focus on rebuilding the Underworld. They begin by investigating how Kronos was first able to escape, and they learn the horrifying truth that he has captured a powerful young god whose abilities help Kronos project his thoughts outside of Tartarus—thoughts he uses to plague Hera’s every waking moment. Though Kronos’s physical form is locked away, Olympus will never be free until they can rescue the child from the furious Titan’s grasp.

To save the realms, Persephone must figure out her fertility goddess powers and embrace her role as Queen of the Underworld—even as it takes her further from her mother’s expectations and her former place in the Mortal Realm.

This edition of Smythe’s original Eisner Award–winning webcomic Lore Olympus features a brand-new, exclusive short story from creator Rachel Smythe and brings the Greek pantheon into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 207–233 of the #1 WEBTOON comic Lore Olympus.

Still really enjoying this series. I loved seeing Persephone start to come into her power and role as Queen of the Underworld. I loved seeing her take confident steps towards a full relationship with Hades. I loved seeing her stand up to some of the other characters, especially her mother. My biggest complaint is the seemingly confusing timeline. Some of the chapters are definitely not in linear order and it was a jarring transition to follow. I wish they had been labeled better. But I will keep reading this interpretation of the Greek myths. Only one more volume to go!

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Haunting of H.G. Wells by Robert Masello

Title: The Haunting of H.G. Wells

Author: Robert Masello

Publisher: 47North 2020

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Pages: 393

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: COYER; Cover Lover - Outdated technology (typewriter, film camera, rotary telephone, etc.)

Where I Got It: Kindle Account

It’s 1914. The Great War grips the world—and from the Western Front a strange story emerges…a story of St. George and a brigade of angels descending from heaven to fight beside the beleaguered British troops. But can there be any truth to it?

H. G. Wells, the most celebrated writer of his day—author of The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man—is dispatched to find out. There, he finds an eerie wasteland inhabited by the living, the dead, and those forever stranded somewhere in between…a no-man’s-land whose unhappy souls trail him home to London, where a deadly plot, one that could turn the tide of war, is rapidly unfolding.

In league with his young love, the reporter and suffragette Rebecca West, Wells must do battle with diabolical forces—secret agents and depraved occultists—to save his sanity, his country, and ultimately the world.

I picked this up thinking that it would be a good spooky read set in a time that I don’t often see. Unfortunately, this just really fell so flat for me. The promised spooky content never really materialized. We got a great spooky prologue, but then it’s revealed later that the prologue was completely made up. Instead the spooky content was vague conspiracies and secret societies. It never really delivered on its promise. But my big problem with the book had to do with the character of H.G. Wells and his relationship with Rebecca West. I am not a fan of surprise Jesus and I am really not a fan of surprise infidelity. They were both pretty terrible characters. I just couldn’t get behind either one. I know that the book was trying to play off of the real people behind the characters, but it was still very off-putting. Such a disappointment.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Heartless by H.G. Parry

Title: Heartless

Author: H.G. Parry

Publisher: Subterranean Press 2024

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 141

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Fairytale Retellings - Villain

Where I Got It: Library

At the age of seven, in a London workhouse, newly-orphaned James meets ten-year-old Peter. Mysterious, mercurial, thoughtless to the point of cruelty, Peter nonetheless takes a liking to James. The two forge a strange friendship, bound together by theirshared love of stories...But one fateful night, Peter vanishes from his bed, and in the morning James is found lying alone and broken in the courtyard outside...Over twenty years later, on the deck of a whaling ship in the frozen wastes of the Arctic...James's obsession with finding his childhood friend will lead him to mutiny and murder, beyond the edges of the world, and finally to an island that shouldn't exist.

I always enjoy a villain retelling usually because the villains of fairy tales are much more interesting than the heroes. In this slim novella, we get the story of Peter Pan told from the point of view of James who becomes Hook. We see the creation of Neverland and the birth of the story we know while understanding the sacrifices James made to survive. I really enjoyed this one. The overall tone of this book is very emotional and sad but it was a good fit for my mood this week.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

Title: Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked #1)

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Publisher: Jimmy Patterson Books 2020

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 372

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Spooky Season

Where I Got It: Flagship Books, Kansas City, MO, June 2025

Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe - witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family's renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin...desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister's killer and to seek vengeance at any cost--even if it means using dark magic that's been long forbidden.

Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked--princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia's side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women's murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems...

I had such high hopes for this book. It’s starts off strong with a very creepy prologue and then dives into world of Princes of Hell and witches. I was hoping for some high-paced tension filled romance and suspense. I was hoping for a strong female character attempting to avenge her sister’s death. And a dark, sexy male character forced into helping her. Instead, we get a whiny teenager who constantly questions everything, but lets other people make decisions for her. And a practically nonexistent male lead who randomly shows up to save Emilia from time to time. I was just so bored and annoyed. Definitely will not be continuing on with this series.

Kingdom of the Wicked

• #1 Kingdom of the Wicked

• #2 Kingdom of the Cursed

• #3 Kingdom of the Feared

Next up on the TBR pile:

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

Title: Heartless Hunter (Crimson Moth #1)

Author: Kristen Ciccarelli

Publisher: Wednesday Books 2024

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 406

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season; Retreat Recommendation

Where I Got It: Library

On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe - a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution - who she can't help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Multiple people at the retreat in June told me that I needed to read this book and the sequel that came out this year. I finally picked this up and flew through it quickly. It’s a very fast paced story with lots of action scenes and suspense. I enjoyed the plot even if the few “twists” were telegraphed very early on. I mean this is a young adult novel. I was expecting a fast moving plot. I was very interested in the magic system and wished that we could have learned a bit more about it. But my biggest issue with this book I the love triangle and romance. It just doesn’t land like a swoony romance. Alex is too much of a wet blanket. Gideon is too full o hate. And then Rune is just a girl who doesn’t quite inspire the great romantic feelings from two brothers. But I did enjoy story and world enough to want to read the sequel.

Crimson Moth

• #1 Heartless Hunter

• #2 Rebel Witch

Next up on the TBR pile:

Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove

Title: Of Monsters and Mainframes

Author: Barbara Truelove

Publisher: Bindery Books 2025

Genre: Sci-fantasy Horror

Pages: 411

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spooky Season; Unread Shelf

Where I Got It: Afterword Books and Tavern, Kansas City MO - Bookish Retreat June 2025

Demeter just wants to do her job: shuttling humans between Earth and Alpha Centauri. Unfortunately, her passengers keep dying—and not from equipment failures, as her AI medical system, Steward, would have her believe. These are paranormal murders, and they began when one nasty, ancient vampire decided to board Demeter and kill all her humans.

To keep from getting decommissioned, Demeter must join forces with her own team of monsters: A werewolf. An engineer built from the dead. A pharaoh with otherworldly powers. A vampire with a grudge. A fleet of cheerful spider drones. Together, this motley crew will face down the ultimate evil—Dracula.

On a whim, I picked this one up during this year’s Bookish Retreat. Something about the vibes of the summary gave me pause. I wanted to understand exactly what type of book this was. Thankfully it was an utter delight and a wild ride. I loved every single page of it. We get a cross between the Universal Monsters and the Murderbot series with a mash-up I didn’t realize I needed. Demeter and Steward are great narrators as we span time, space, and realities. We get a beautiful found family story wrapped up in horror and blood. Every chapter felt like a surprising new adventure for me. I kept turning the pages with glee. Ultimately I sped through the book desperate to find out what would happen next. Definitely going to be going onto my year’s Top 10.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Lore Olympus Vol. 8 by Rachel Smythe

Title: Lore Olympus Volume 8

Author: Rachel Smythe

Publisher: Inklore 2025

Genre: Fantasy Comic

Pages: 416

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Where I Got It: Library

“You have no authority here.”

Revelations rock Olympus as Persephone’s trial ends, threatening to throw the gods into a new war.

Though Persephone and Hades become closer than ever after she opens up to him about all she has endured, their peace is shattered when another truth is revealed: Apollo is Zeus’s son. The announcement shocks the pantheon, and the king of the gods realizes that the would-be usurper wants Persephone’s power to take the throne.

Zeus banishes Persephone to the Mortal Realm and, out of fear, cuts it off entirely from the rest of the gods. This decree succeeds in undercutting Apollo’s plan, but also inadvertently begins a decade-long divine cold war when Hades strikes back by shuttering the Underworld. With the gods scattered and weakened, Kronos uses the ensuing bedlam to finally escape his imprisonment and begin staging his own coup.

Persephone has only one choice when she discovers all the realms on the verge of collapse: Descend into the Underworld to try to defeat the power-hungry Titan, claim her rightful place as queen, and reunite with her one true love.

Finally! We get to see Persephone as the Queen of the Underworld. I’ve been waiting for eight volumes to see her come into her power. After a terrible trial and a forced separation, we finally get some major movement in the larger storyline. And we get to see true communication between our main characters. I really despise when characters purposely keep important information from each other “for their own good.” It’s so incredibly annoying and drags out the drama. Thankfully we get to see characters talk and share the important information. And now we’ve set up everything for the last act of the story.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Vol. 4

Title: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Vol. 4

Author: singNsong

Publisher: Ize Press 2022

Genre: Manwha

Pages: 264

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Books to Movies

Where I Got It: Library

At this rate... Junghyeok Yu will die today. Dokja has his hands full dealing with relentless monster attacks, as well as the Landlord Coalition’s tyranny. But when Junghyeok disappears amid the chaos, Dokja is faced with a chilling question―when the main character of this universe dies, what happens to the rest of the world? Not wanting to find out, he ventures into the Cinema Dungeon to find the missing Regressor!

We finally get to see what happens with the Landlord Coalition and the monster scenario. I loved how the story has really started to pick up and movement is being made. I loved the addition of Jihye to the group and the move to the Cinema Dungeon. I cannot wait to see how this new scenario evolves and involves Junghyeok Yu.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Vol. 3

Title: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Vol. 3

Author: singNsong

Publisher: Ize Press 2021

Genre: Manwha

Pages: 248

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Books to Movies

Where I Got It: Library

IF YOU HAVE A SHRED OF PRIDE LEFT, STAND UP AND FIGHT!Inside the ruthless scenarios of TWSA, something as simple as getting a meal is a life-or-death struggle. With all the food destroyed by the goblin, Dokja’s group is forced to venture into the dark tunnels full of vicious creatures. But in the cruel new world, monsters are not the most dangerous enemies...Fear and desperation among the survivors cause Geumho Station to erupt into wanton bloodshed. And amid the chaos, Huiwon’s true power awakens―the Time of Judgment is here!

I’m still really enjoying this series. We get to see the conclusion of a scenario involving a Death Warden. Also, we get to see characters level up and evolve in pretty interesting ways. I’m very interested to see how the group around Dokja changes as the scenarios get deadlier and more complicated.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Letter from the Lonesome Shore by Sylvie Cathrall

Title: A Letter from the Lonesome Shore (The Sunken Archive #2)

Author: Sylvie Cathrall

Publisher: Orbit 2025

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 384

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Former correspondents E. and Henerey, accustomed to loving each other from afar, did not anticipate continuing their courtship in an enigmatic underwater city. When their journey through the Structure in E.'s garden strands them in a peculiar society preoccupied with the pleasures and perils of knowledge, E. and Henerey come to accept—and, more surprisingly still, embrace—the fact that they may never return home.

A year and a half later, Sophy and Vyerin finally discover one of the elusive Entries that will help them seek their siblings. As the group's efforts bring them closer to E. and Henerey, an ancient, cosmic threat also draws near...

I absolutely adored the first book in this duology. I loved how quiet the mystery was. I loved how atmospheric the writing was. I love the epistolary nature to the structure. I had such high hopes going into the second book. And for the most part, I really loved it. We get pick up right where we left off and dive into the mysteries. We catch up with E and Henerey in their new world. We see Sophy and Vyerin attempt to understand what happened their siblings. We get the same structure and atmospheric writing. But about halfway through the book, the revelations of the “mysteries” of the larger world starts getting a bit muddled. It became harder and harder to follow exactly what the universe was and the characters’ place in it. The book wraps up well, but I will admit to not loving parts in the middle.

The Sunken Archive

• #1 A Letter to the Luminous Deep

• #2 A Letter from the Lonesome Shore

Next up on the TBR pile:

Feathers So Vicious by Liv Zander

Title: Feathers So Vicious (Court of Ravens #1)

Author: Liv Zander

Publisher: Ink Heart Publishing 2023

Genre: Romantasy

Pages: 412

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: She Reads Romance - Fantasy

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 8

Perched between branches and shadows, We watch, we scheme, Fighting for a kingdom forgotten and forlorn.

Until we rip her away with our claws, Our prisoner, our pawn, our plaything.

She’s innocent and pure, Fragile and helpless… …but oh so guilty by blood.

She calls us beasts, Wicked and evil, Vicious and cruel.

We are all that and worse.

One of us offers her shelter beneath his wings, Whispering promises of pleasure, Seeking redemption.

The other longs to shatter her into a million pieces, Whispering promises of pain, Seeking revenge.

Caught between our feathers, She endures our deranged desires, Our secrets, our lies, Our twisted plans.

Will she surrender to our darkness, or fight for a destiny growing ever elusive?

Welcome to the Court of Ravens, little white dove.

While I loved the magic system and some of the world building in here, I just could not get behind the romance. The literal torture the FMC received from the two men was too much for me to suspend my disbelief and go with it. I guess I found my limit for dark romance.

Court of Ravens

• #1 Feathers So Vicious

• #2 Shadows So Cruel

Next up on the TBR pile:

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Vol. 2

Title: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Vol. 2

Author: singNsong

Publisher: Ize Press 2020

Genre: Manwha

Pages: 240

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Books to Movies

Where I Got It: Library

THE ENDLESS TRAGEDIES OF THIS WORLD ALL BEGIN WITH THIS CHARACTER.Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse is Dokja’s favorite novel, or it was...until it became reality. Thanks to his knowledge of the story, he managed to survive the first chaotic moments of the new world. But the relentless scenario waits for no one, and Dokja finds himself in yet another life-or-death struggle. Isolated from his group and surrounded by horrific creatures, his story seems all but doomed to a premature ending...That’s when an unmistakable presence makes an entrance. It’s time for Dokja, the only reader of TWSA, to meet its main character―the Regressor Junghyeok Yu!

We get to learn more! We get a fun situation in a sea serpent and the introduction of some new characters. I loved piecing together the folklore and mythology references (with the help from some notes at the end) along with speculating about the larger mystery of the worlds and especially the constellations. My son was reluctant to tell me spoilers (not that I necessarily want them), but he did give me some interesting teasers. I am excited to keep reading and see where Dokja goes next.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint Vol. 1

Title: Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint Vol. 1

Author: singNsong

Publisher: Ize Press 2020

Genre: Manga

Pages: 248

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Books to Movies

Where I Got It: Library

AT THAT MOMENT, MY LIFE TOOK ON A DIFFERENT GENRE. As a struggling office worker, Dokja Kim’s sole joy in life is an online novel so obscure that he’s its only reader. Then one day the story comes to an end…and so does the world. People all around the globe suddenly find themselves being massacred by horrific monsters or pitted against each other in sadistic scenarios straight out of the novel. However, only Dokja is aware that this is merely the first chapter of what is to come. Knowing that devastating plot twists are on the horizon, he can no longer afford to sit back as a reader―it’s time for Dokja to step up and write his own destiny!

After chatting with one of my sons during our travel back to Nebraska, he mentioned this series as one that I should read. I finally slotted it into my short list TBR and read the first volume. I immediately fell into the story and found myself hanging on each page. I loved falling Dokja’s growing realization of his new reality. And we get to have some fun cultural moments embedded into the story. I am definitely hooked on the series and will continue reading.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

Title: A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan #2)

Author: Robert Jackson Bennett

Publisher: Del Rey 2025

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 465

Rating: /5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Where I Got It: Library

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, a Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—vanishing from a room within a heavily guarded tower, its door and windows locked from the inside.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial detective, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Ana soon discovers that they are investigating not a disappearance but a murder—and one of surpassing cunning, carried out by an opponent who can pass through warded doors like a ghost.

Worse still, the killer may be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud, where the Empire harvests fallen titans for the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.

Din has seen his superior solve impossible cases before. But as the death toll grows and their quarry predicts each of Ana’s moves with uncanny foresight, he fears that she has at last met an enemy she can’t defeat.

Another fascinating mystery involving Din and Ana! I thoroughly enjoyed this intricately plotted murder mystery set in a fascinating world. We get to learn more about Ana and Din as well as explore a new-to-us part of the Empire. We get more info on the Leviathans and how all of these alterations come to be. I loved unraveling the murder mystery with our main characters. I loved seeing Din make a new friend and feel more secure in his place in the world. I loved the weird trippy nature to the murder and the lingering threat of the leviathans. This was exactly the type of mystery I have been craving. I cannot wait to see if Bennett writes another in this series. I really really really hope he does!

Shadow of the Leviathan

• #1 The Tainted Cup

• #2 A Drop of Corruption

Next up on the TBR pile:

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

Title: Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles #2)

Author: TJ Klune

Publisher: Tor Books 2024

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 416

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Quarter of a Century - 2024; Cover Lover - A Lighted Window

Where I Got It: Library

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Honestly, I think that my expectations for this book were too high. The House in the Cerulean Sea was an absolutely amazing book. I loved every page. And then we waited years for the sequel. I think I was too excited and built this one up too much to truly enjoy it. In this book, we focus on Arthur’s history. I was intrigued about his mysterious past while reading the first book. This one just doesn’t seem to have enough content to actually fill out a 400 page book. I found the pacing to be very frustrating. Long stretches of the book could have been edited out as they do nothing to development characters or the plot. Really I wanted more and more from the relationships between Arthur, Linus, and the kiddos. A pretty big disappointment for me.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

Title: The Familiar

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Flatiron Books 2024

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 379

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf

Where I Got It: Book of the Month May 2024

In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to improve the family's social position.

What begins as simple amusement for the nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain's king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England's heretic queen—and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king's favor.

Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the lines between magic, science, and fraud are never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition's wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santángel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.

So incredibly boring. That’s my review…

I was so very excited to get this from BOTM last year. I was hoping for a magical fantasy mystery with great characters. Instead, I got a very very very slow moving story with just a little bit of magic and no interesting characters. Luzia wasn’t going to be that interesting, but I hoped that she would be the entry point for the readers to get involved in a great expansive mystery. Most of the book is so incredibly slow and and boring. I kept wanting the plot to actually pick up. When it finally does, it includes a romance that I really never bought at all. Why include that part? No need. I finished this reluctantly.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

Title: Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games #0.5)

Author: Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic 2025

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 387

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Where I Got It: Borrowed from a friend

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch's name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He's torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who's nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he's been set up to fail. But there's something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena..

Multiple people from co-op have read this one and passed a copy around the group. They wanted me to read it so we could discuss, so I did. I was not interested in Snow’s story, but will admit that Haymitch’s story had me intrigued. He’s such an interesting character in the original trilogy. Of course, we know where he ends up and in what state. His book really dives into his experience during the Second Quarter Quell and how it set him up to be the Haymitch that Katniss knows. Of course the story was going to tragic. No happy endings here. The beginning of the book was a little dull. And I truly never really cared about Lenore Dove at all. I just kept reading so we could get to the game and encounter the characters involved there. Once the characters arrive in the Capitol, the story really started picking up for me. I loved seeing Haymitch make connections with characters known to us (Mags, Wiress, Beetee, Effie, and Plutarch) and characters new to us but important to this story. I especially loved seeing a ton of parallels between Haymitch and Katniss’s experiences the games. My biggest quibble with the story is the amount of repeated song lyrics woven through the prose. I started skipping them at some point when I realized that we were just repeating the same things over and over. I am certainly we will have some good discussion at co-op about the book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao

Title: Water Moon

Author: Samantha Sotto Yambao

Publisher: Del Rey 2025

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 384

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Cover Lover - Frame Worthy Design

Where I Got It: Bought it

On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cozy ramen restaurant. And only the chosen ones—those who are lost—will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.

Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop’s new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen, and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike its other customers, for he offers help instead of seeking it.

Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice—by way of rain puddles, rides on paper cranes, the bridge between midnight and morning, and a night market in the clouds.

But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own—and risk making a choice that she will never be able to take back.

Everyone once in a while, I really want to fall into a super atmospheric fantasy book. I was something that moves a bit slow and feels like you are in a dream. I don’t want it to be action packed, but have a plot that moves somewhere. And I want it to be a book that I keep thinking about interactions and passages days and weeks and months later. This is that book for me this year! Ultimately this is a story about choices. Hana, Kei, and everyone else in this book wrestle with choices made and choices given up throughout this quest story. I have written down so many quotes from this book. I cannot wait to really dive into some of these quotes and questions at the retreat in two weeks.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Enchantra by Kaylie Smith

Title: Enchantra (Wicked Games #2)

Author: Kaylie Smith

Publisher: Forever 2025

Genre: Fantasy; Horror

Pages: 448

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Wedding Season

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 5

Welcome to Enchantra. There’s only one rule: Never, ever trust your heart.

When Genevieve Grimm’s mother is killed, Genevieve wants answers nobody can give… until she receives an invitation to Enchantra, a cursed palace filled with temptations and illusions.

Arrogant and dangerously handsome, Rowin Silver meets her at the door and refuses to let her inside. But Genevieve finds her own way in… And soon realizes her mistake.

Enchantra is a twisted labyrinth of marble and thorns, where Rowin’s family are trapped forever in a deadly game. Now, Genevieve must win or die.

Rowin offers her a deal. They can compete together… if they convince everyone watching that they’re desperately in love.

Genevieve knows she can’t trust Rowin, but she’ll do whatever it takes to survive. As they hunt and hide together, Genevieve tries to ignore the desire burning between them. She absolutely cannot fall for this man. Cannot forget that she’s only pretending to be in love.

The sequel to Phantasma and we get to see Genevieve navigate a horrifying situation. Thankfully we have moved beyond Phantasma to focus on another “game” within the same world. I dislike Genevieve in the first book, but she grew on me during this one. Her pretty exterior hid a spine of steel and a stubborn streak a mile long. It was nice to really dive into her character and see her navigate an unknowable game. Rowin was a great foil for Genevieve and an even better foil for Knox. I loved how immediately the two of them teamed up to win the games and help the Silver family. We also get all the wonderful new characters within the Silver family. I cannot wait to see it Smith writes a book focused on Sevin. He’s definitely a favorite of mine. The plot was fast paced. The romance was sufficiently angsty and full of sexual tension. The games were bloody and scary. And the sex scenes were very open door and lots of fun. Loved this one!

Next up on the TBR pile: