Book Review: The Wicked and the Damned (Dark Inheritance Trilogy #2) by Rebecca Robinson

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 416 pages
Author: Rebecca Robinson
Publisher: Saga Press
Release Date: February 24th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In the exhilarating second romantasy novel in Rebecca Robinson’s Dark Inheritance Trilogy, a fiery couple forced apart must navigate a deadly maze of politics and power to reunite across a continent at war.
Torn from her husband Reid’s arms and dragged back to her homeland in chains, Vaasa is no longer a ruler, but a political pawn. Now under the control of Ozik—a cunning Zetyr witch with a stranglehold on her magic—she faces annulment, forced betrothal, and a kingdom that no longer feels like her own. As Ozik’s machinations aim to install himself as the true power behind the Asteryan throne, Vaasa is forced to take part in his game.

Meanwhile, across the continent, Reid is done playing politics. But waging war is never simple, and a soldier’s fury cannot stand up against Icruria’s bureaucracy. With allies fading and time slipping away, Reid may have no choice but to infiltrate Asterya on his own to find the woman he loves and bring her home.

As Vaasa’s magic begins to flare, she desperately seeks control, even if Ozik is the only one who can offer it. She then finds a cryptic final message from her mother about a precious missing necklace that might just be the answer to finally freeing her magic from Ozik. Yet when a ghost from Vaasa’s past reemerges among the suitors vying for her hand, escape might be within reach—but will it demand a betrayal that real love may not survive?

Thank you Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook.

ALMOST LOST ME.

To be honest, I was worried in the first half. I am just not a fan of keeping a couple apart for so long after they’ve pretty much claimed end game. And then with the addition of a not-an-actual-love-triangle I was almost throwing my phone.

But hey, things picked up and it ended up being a good sequel where I’m absolutely looking forward to the conclusion. I appreciated that this kept of plot > spice element and the politics and world were intense. This whole book was intense. I loved the moments between Reid and Vaasa because the chemistry is still off the charts.

🎧 I liked the audiobook narrator but my only wish was that this had a second narrator for Reid’s chapters. I know he didn’t have as many as Vaasa, yet I think it would have added a bonus element to the story.

A really solid and [currently] underrated series. Y’all check it out!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 2-3ish open door
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadlist Infection by John Green

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Nonfiction
Length: 208 pages
Author: John Green
Publisher: Crash Course Books
Release Date: March 18th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

John Green, the #1 bestselling author of The Anthropocene Reviewed and a passionate advocate for global healthcare reform, tells a deeply human story illuminating the fight against the world’s deadliest disease.

Tuberculosis has been entwined with humanity for millennia. Once romanticized as a malady of poets, today tuberculosis is a disease of poverty that walks the trails of injustice and inequity we blazed for it.

In 2019, John Green met Henry, a young tuberculosis patient at Lakka Government Hospital in Sierra Leone while traveling with Partners in Health. John became fast friends with Henry, a boy with spindly legs and a big, goofy smile. In the years since that first visit to Lakka, Green has become a vocal and dynamic advocate for increased access to treatment and wider awareness of the healthcare inequities that allow this curable, treatable infectious disease to also be the deadliest, killing 1.5 million people every year.

In Everything is Tuberculosis, John tells Henry’s story, woven through with the scientific and social histories of how tuberculosis has shaped our world and how our choices will shape the future of tuberculosis.

FASCINATING.

I loved listening to this. I binged the book in an evening because John Green writes in such an easy and understandable way when trying to process a lot of science based information. I thought the way the history was covered provided digestible pieces to understand the multi-faceted way the world has approached this long standing illness.

Combining this with the first hand accounts had me glued to my headphones. There were so many moments of learning and knowledge gained from this read. Highly recommend even if you’re not usually a nonfiction reader (like myself)!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Nonfiction
  • Language: low

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Book Review: Seven Deadly Thorns by Amber Hamilton

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Amber Hamilton
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Release Date: November 4th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Deluxe limited edition will include stenciled edges, patterned endpapers, and a designed case cover!

The Cruel Prince meets Powerless in this dark academia romantasy that will tattoo itself onto your heart.

In the cursed Kingdom of Aragoa, the punishment for magic is death.

Even the students at Vandenberghe Academy aren’t spared. When Viola Sinclair’s deadly shadow magic is discovered, the queen gives her assassin a new assignment and a new cursed tattoo: seven-thorned rose on his arm for the seven days he has to hunt Viola down and kill her. If he doesn’t, he will be the one to die.

The assassin is Roze Roquelart–entitled prince, arrogant fellow student, and the one person Viola hates more than anyone. Roze should revel in the chance to end her life, but he desperately needs something from Viola and her magic. And he’s willing to spare her life–and fake their engagement–to get it.

Forced to work together, Viola and Roze must contend with deadly threats, dangerous secrets, and an impossible attraction. Will they give in to their deepest desires, even if it means destroying Aragoa–and risking both their lives?

HER WORST ENEMY. HIS ONLY CHANCE.

Be swept away by the sizzling, irresistible enemies-to-lovers romantasy with magic more destructive than your darkest nightmares.

WELL I LOVED IT.

This has an low Goodreads average I usually stay away from, y’all. I just had a good time okay?? I loved the audiobook and the Snow White vibes and the atmosphere was stunnin’.

I think the comments about there being a few plot holes and things that weren’t totally cleared up are valid, but that’s okay. This didn’t bug me this time because I was too entranced by everything else.

I loved that the enemies to lovers felt like actual enemies. For a standalone I was grateful to see that at least half the book was dedicated to the fact that they hate each other. The tension from it was delicious and I loved the angst between them.

The story is pretty well rounded (even with my minor quibble mentioned prior). It covers what it needs too and I enjoyed all of the characters and the little plot points woven in. Highly recommend the audiobook too! I look forward to the author’s next book.

My other thing to note is that this is another case of should be NEW adult not YOUNG adult in regards to sexual content.

Overall audience notes:

  • Upper YA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: one vague open door
  • Violence: moderate

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Book Review: Her Hidden Fire (Her Hidden Fire #1) by Cliodhna O’Sullivan

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 440 pages
Author: Cliodhna O’Sullivan
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Release Date: March 3rd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Perfect for fans of Powerless, Lightlark, and Red Queen, this heart-pounding romantasy forces a girl to make an impossible watch the boy she loves get exiled for lack of magic, or pass her formidable powers off as his own.

In a world where dragons soar through the skies and magical abilities are an elite privilege, the ruling family of Ailm’s Keep is on a Can their son Ionáin prove that he can channel magic, or will his entire family be cast out in disgrace?

Éadha, a servant girl who loves Ionáin, is shocked to discover shortly before the test that she can wield magic herself. It’s extremely rare for a girl to have this talent, especially outside the few great Families. At Ionáin’s moment of truth, when it’s clear he is about to fail, Éadha makes a desperate gamble to save him from humiliation by pretending her magic is his, forfeiting her own claim to power.

Her decision sends them both to an academy of magic, where she must shield her secret from every grim Master and scheming apprentice—especially the handsome but enigmatic Gry. As Éadha enters this whirlwind of patriarchy, class, heartache, and jealousy, she also learns about magic’s terrible cost—the human price that Channellers willingly pay to maintain their power.

How far would you go to empower the one you love?

NOT SO MUCH.

This was only on my radar because I get the YA book-only sub from Fairyloot. And well, this one was a bit of a miss for me. I think the general idea is there but it lacked in the execution spheres.

Mostly I was really tired of Eadha defending, interacting with, trying to save Ionain. He wasn’t worth her breathe and showed that over and over, meanwhile she keeps going back, they keep making out and thus created a cycle of torture for me. I don’t mind different love interests or a love triangle but I feel like this didn’t work for the situation. It caused plot drag and lack of attention. Combining that with the repetitive prose and I am grateful this wasn’t a super long audiobook.

I do enjoy a dark academia setting and of course, dragons. Maybe that plays out better in the next book? I’m kind of tempted to try but might have to wait to see some reviews first. I did like the audiobook narrator a lot so that was a plus too. I’m intrigued by the ending and a few things here and there. The FMC has a great opportunity for an awesome character arc, we’ll see!

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: very low
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: sexaul assault

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