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Certain Dark Things takes readers into the battle between warring vampire families in the heart of Mexico City. Think Sin City, but with a vampiric spin.

Now, this was a book I absolutely loved. The Great Texas Dragon Race is perfect for anyone who loves dragons, adventure, and great storytelling.

A gothic tale, The Last Heir to Blackwood Library brings the magic of reading alive with unforeseen side effects.

The Byways takes a stab at retelling Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in a more contemporary sense, delving deeper into the darkness of what it means to be lost.

Ida in the Middle is a thoughtful novel about a girl who feels lost and out of place being judged by her skin color and race. A powerful story that literally transports Ida back to Palestine, in a world where her family never left.

A dark and delicious fantasy, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein is a “retelling” Mary Shelley would applaud.

An unfortunate DNF, Follow the Shadows, failed to hold my attention, making dragons and wicca dull.

Zhara is everything it promises, capturing those magical girl vibes and making this a perfect read for Sailor Moon fans.

Follow Fanny Price in Manslaughter Park, the third novel in the thrilling Jane Austen Murder Mystery, with a queer spin and a thrilling mystery.

Jennifer Saint makes Ariadne more than a mother, a sister, or a wife; she makes her a woman with power and heart.

This Delicious Death is a brilliant sapphic horror novel that brings a new uniqueness to the zombie trope.

Queen’s Catacombs continues to highlight the strength and fortitude of women while following Jacs fend off enemies from every corner.

A thrilling horror from beginning to end, Find Him Where You Left Him Dead is perfect for fans of Japanese folklore, Jumanji, and I Know What You Did Last Summer.

I picked up Cruel Prince, wondering if this book would be worth the hype. After reading Book of Night, I was somewhat deterred from reading anything by Holly Black again. Let me just say I absolutely loved this book, and it was worth it.

The Lightstruck brings Vesper back to the kingdom she sacrificed so much to save and to the prince she loved and hated.

Within These Wicked Walls is both chilling and romantic, bringing together two people as they battle off a cursed house.

A Norse-inspired fantasy, A Fate Inked in Blood gives readers a fierce shield maiden who must challenge her destiny or be the doom of all.

A twist on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Bright Ruined Things takes one night and turns into a fight for survival against magic and schemes.

Addictive and unputdownable, When the Moon Hatched is a high fantasy rich with fierce characters and a slow-burn romance that will grip you to near death.

Addictive and sworn-worthy, The Dangerous Ones has one irresistible vampire and a kick-ass warrior as they fight through the civil war.

A thrilling gothic tale about six girls shipwrecked on an island determined to change them.

A laugh-out-loud cozy fantasy, Dreadful has a charming (if not idiotic) wizard with amnesia and a princess who puts him to shame.

The epitome of “cozy fantasy,” Legends & Lattes is a book that will make you want to curl up with a cup of coffee and a Cinnabon.

The Wren in the Holly Library takes readers to a dystopic New York filled with vampires, monsters, magic, and steamy romance.

A dark romance edged with mystery, Everything We Never Said hooks the reader in with a forbidden romance and a diary worth killing over.

The thrilling conclusion to the Fireborne series, Furysong, brings the characters clashing into a battle to save the nation.

Renegade offers readers an exciting premise but fails to capture the readers’ attention with poor pacing, lackluster characters, and poor storytelling.

Ace of Shades begins with a girl and her travel guide, eager to find her mother, only to be thrown to the wolves and becomes a key player in the game of shadows.

Kingfisher does it again with A House with Good Bones, using their gift for masterful storytelling to creep out the reader and make them laugh simultaneously.

Definitely a genre jump for Kyrie McCauleys, whose previous works (If These Wings Could Fly & We Can Be Heroes) were more contemporary and focused on magical realism to tell emotional stories, All the Dead Lie Down does not pale in comparison.

I love Jane Eyre, the classic is one of my favorites, right next to Wuthering Heights, so when I saw this, I had to have it. After reading it, I’m a little angry at myself for letting it sit on my shelf for many years.

Fall of the School for Good and Evil is a masterful addition to the series, both heartbreaking and mesmerizing; despite knowing the ending, the how is what catches the reader off guard.

I wanted to like this book. I know the author; I am friends with them on social media, so I was elated when they gave me the book for free.

In Vietnam, She is a Haunting follows Jade, who is bribed into spending time with her father at an old French colonial house. But for Jade, the trip brings out more than her anxiety. It awakens a ghost determined to destroy them.

The Three-Body Problem seemed to be an intimidating read, not in the length but in the context. However, Cixin Liu’s storytelling is thoughtful and engaging from beginning to end.

Unseelie Written by: Ivelisse Housman Inkyard Press 2022 Unseelie gives neurodivergent and autistic readers Iselia, a heroine who embarks on a quest that allows herself to accept her… Continue reading

A new take on Greek Mythology, Daughter of Sparta follows Daphne, a warrior who must team with the Gods and her brother while she avoids falling in love with Apollo.

As you all may or may not know, I love dragons, which means that I will read anything and anything related to Dragons. But that also means I will be incredibly critical of the novel.

I love Louise. Being Asian-American, when she was young and mortal, she struggled to live up to her parents’ expectations, losing herself to punk rock music but keeping it hidden from her parents. Just think of Kim from Gilmore Girls.

Twin Crowns is a delightful read that surprised me, offering laughs and sisterly love amongst the romance and adventure.

Entwined by A. J. Rosen is a pleasant surprise. This novel is a reimagining of Greek mythology following the descendants of the Greek gods. While an exciting premise, parts of it are poorly executed.

I am so sad this series is over, but I am glad because McGuire did such a good job building up to this point.

The sequel to These Feathered Flames, This Cursed Crown balances between two sisters finding each other as they deal with trials of the heart amidst magical and political turmoil.

A haunting and chilling tale, Delicious Monsters takes readers into a chilling haunted house filled with ghosts, both alive and dead.

One girl finds herself caught in the battle between death, dreams, and love in this fantasy-infused ballet within the pages of Nocturne.

Winterkeep follows Bitterblue on a journey into politics, mystery, and betrayal.

I’m a huge fan of Leverage, but I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t sure when I received Thieves’ Gambit that I would love it as much as I did. This isn’t a book I would typically pick up for myself.

Return of the Evening Star follows Chloe, a twelve-year-old girl, to save her mother and her home from a corrupt hospital.

From Fire and Shadows has much potential. Unfortunately, the two perspectives that are supposed to drive the story lack cohesion while the story lacks world-building.

Relatable and angsty, Love & Resistance pulls readers into high school drama, dealing with mean girls, racism, and what it means to be the new girl in town.

Once childhood friends, Roz and Damien have the perfect enemies-to-lovers dynamic that drives the mystery behind the murders and their tie to the gods.