ARC/ALC Book Review: Fire to the Stars by Morgan J. Watchorn

August 6, 2026July 21, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 416 pages
Author: Morgan J. Watchorn
Publisher: Knopf Books
Release Date: August 4th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In a kingdom cursed to turn people into dragons, two teens from opposite worlds, each with nothing left to lose, form an uneasy alliance. Told in dual perspectives, this sweeping debut follows their search for redemption and the slow-burning bond that could save them both.

Every month, the kingdom of Florent braces for the Ignition: a solar event that turns ordinary humans into vicious dragon shifters. And anyone can be a dragon’s next victim.

Claire knows this all too well because the Ignition consumed her and her father, her town, and the life she thought she’d have. Now, she’s scraping by on her wits as part of a sisterhood of thieves—lying, stealing, her heart locked tight—until she tracks down a disgraced dragon slayer who may be the one person who can give her back the life she once had.

Abel has been shunned by the prestigious Slayers Guild for conducting research that’s too…unorthodox to condone. But there’s no one Claire trusts more than a rulebreaker, and that research might be the one thing that could help her. So when Abel reveals he is hunting again, Claire tries to hire him under false pretenses. Abel, however, is reluctant to accept a job from a criminal, no matter how charming she is. And yet…he really needs the money.

Together, Claire and Abel will race through Florent and uncover dangerous secrets in their quests for forgiveness—and survival. But that knowledge may cost them the very thing they’ve grown desperate to protect: each other.

Thank you to Get Underlined for the gifted copy and PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook.

GREAT READ.

🎧: I loved the audiobook! The dual narrators were amazing and did a fantastic job. Highly recommend this format!

I also did eyeball read a chunk of this and enjoyed that format too. You really can’t go wrong with your formatting decisions.

Now to the book! I thought this was a great upper young adult fantasy romance standalone. There is some content I would advise for younger teens so older teens are more the right audience (but as always, do your own research!).

I loved that from the get go Abel and Claire are stuck with each other. I love a reluctant allies x forced proximity moment. Especially for a standalone this helped the progression of their relationship and getting to actually see it on page. Some good banter and care taking moments too.

Also this book has DRAGONS. And I thought a very interesting dynamic surrounding them too. The major plot reveals at the end made everything click together and I thought it was an interesting world and magic system (with only a few holes). I enjoyed the side characters and the traveling journey didn’t bug me all that much. I felt like things were still progressing well enough that it kind of fades into the background.

With characters I liked seeing grow and change from past mistakes and a mystery worth solving, I definitely recommend this book to others!

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy Romance
Language: low
Romance: very light innuendo; quick fade to black scene
Violence: moderate – high
Content warnings: loss of life, mentions of torture (recounted), physical/weapon altercations, mild blood/gore

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Book Review: To Dance the Moon and Stars by Tasia M.S. and Barbara Perez Marquez

July 31, 2026July 15, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★.75
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance Graphic Novel
Length: 256 pages
Author: Tasia M.S. and Barbara Perez Marquez
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Release Date: July 14th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In a kingdom where dance is forbidden, a future high priestess must bend the rules to stop an ancient evil from destroying everything and everyone she loves, including the crown prince, in this sweeping romantasy graphic novel.

Eighteen-year-old Myra has spent her entire life training to replace her grandmother as High Priestess. But with the day of her ascension rapidly approaching, she’s not sure if she’s meant for this path. How can she become the herald of the god Alrun when he forbids the thing she loves most: dancing?

Her kingdom can’t afford her hesitation though. Not only is the emperor looking for Alrun’s wisdom ahead of a peace treaty, but forces of darkness are seeping through the barrier between worlds. The only source of light Myra has is her childhood best friend, the crown prince. Without his support and…love, she may not be able to stop what’s coming.

To save her people, Myra must delve into her kingdom’s forgotten history, even if it means defying the laws of the land. But the key to salvation may just require her to make the biggest sacrifice of all.

Thank you Get Underlined for the gifted copy.

SIMPLE AND SWEET.

I have been craving a graphic novel and was very excited when this book showed up on my doorstep! It’s a fast paced read that I do think is appropriate for the young adult audience.

I loved the art work. It was gorgeously colored and blocked throughout. I think it fit the story too. But for the story I wish there had been more. It felt like there was a lack of dialogue or narrator squares to help set up the world a little bit more. Everything moved SO FAST that it was hard to keep up with the pacing.

The romance is sweet and I did like the FMC, Myra. I loved the dancing content and how that fit into the world. Not a bad read by any means, just missing that deeper sense of connection from the characters/story.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy Romance Graphic Novel
Lanugage: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: low

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ARC/ALC Book Review: Armor for Liars by S.E. Grove

July 21, 2026July 18, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Historical Fantasy
Length: 432 pages
Author: S.E. Grove
Publisher: Simon Teen
Release Date: July 21st, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A brilliant girl risking it all to infiltrate a secret society of enchanters gets unexpected help from one of their victims—now a vengeful spirit—in this historical dark academia novel by New York Times bestselling author S. E. Grove.

In a world where magic is drawn from the realm of the dead, enchanters—always men—go to great lengths to steal it. Voyaging to the spirit realm, an enchanter will claim a dead woman’s spirit as his own and make her a servant, a tool for his own magical ends. Enchanters maintain great secrecy around their practices, so only a wealthy elite have access to this members of a secret society shrouded within Commonwealth University, the nation’s premiere institution for the study of enchantment.

When Sam—the son of islander immigrants of modest means—dared to use magic to blend into the blueblood world of Commonwealth, it cost him his life. Now a spirit, he’s determined to avenge his murder and uncover the secrets of the Cisneros Society from beyond the grave.

When Sam encounters Clementine Quinn, a young woman disguised as a male student at Commonwealth, he quickly sees that Clem is putting herself in grave danger at the school. But as he tries to warn her of the peril, it becomes clear that his past and her fate are inextricably entwined. To avenge his murder and prevent hers, they’ll need to help one another and thereby prove, ultimately, that friendship and love can transcend everything, even death.

Thank you to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook and Simon Teen for the gifted ARC.

NOT FOR ME.

I kept trying to get into this and nothing ever GRABBED me.

I think the point of view was an intriguing idea but kind of lost me in connecting with the other characters. Maybe the beginning was a bit more confusing than I’m remembering? It was more clear as things went on what the situation was so that at least made for an easier read.

The mystery worked for me on some levels though I think if the pacing/page count was tightened up a bit things would have moved better. There’s a lot of meandering and trying to combine Sam’s story with Clementine took a long time. Then to add a “romance” in the epilogue? Not quite what I was expecting. And I’m still not sure how that works.

There’s some dark academia, secret societies, and a historical fantasy vibe. Things that usually work for me but might work for you with this book. I also did like the characters. They weren’t part of the issues I was having with the overall plot.

🎧: I do think the audiobook narrator was great. If you’re going to try this book out, that can be option for format! I liked the narrator.

Overall audience notes:

YA Historical Fantasy
Language: mild
Romance: kisses
Violence: moderate
Content warnings: racism, sexism, loss of a parent

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ARC Book Review: Of Venom and Vengeance by Mikayla Bridge

July 12, 2026June 24, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy + Romance
Length: 432 pages
Author: Mikayla Bridge
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: July 7th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Prepare for a deliciously dark standalone, set in the same world as Of Flame and Fury, where star-crossed enemies gamble with their hearts, their empires, and the fate of a lost god.

On an island ruled by pageantry and pain, power comes at an impossible price.

Inna is the perfect heiress to the Pallo crime family: poised, cunning, untouchable. Behind this glamorous facade, she hunts for the sinister truth behind her older sister’s death. Despite the cover-up she’s been led to believe, Inna can feel an enemy lurking in the shadows, or perhaps even hiding in plain sight.

Rylan has sculpted himself into a talented thief. His heart may be guarded, but his purpose is clear: retribution for his family, murdered by Inna’s mother. Armed with illusion magic, Rylan plans to steal an ancient riddle from the Pallo vault, one that leads to a sleeping god. Whoever wakes the Serpent King will be granted any wish they desire. Rylan means to claim this power, and with it, Inna’s ruin.

But when Inna catches Rylan sneaking past her family’s security, he proposes a deadly alliance that each desperately needs but neither intends to keep – even as bitter attraction threatens to unravel into something more.

Thank you to Storygram Tours for the book, Fierce Reads for the eARC & Macmillan Audio for the audiobook – gifted.

NOT QUITE.

Alright so I loved the first book from Mikayla Bridge (Of Flame and Fury, go read that one). Imagine my disappointment when I STRUGGLED through reading this one. The effort to pick it up was nowhere to be found.

One thing that basically always bugs me is when the ex-partner is way too involved with the story. This is a standalone and I didn’t need 60%+ with Inna’s ex being deeply ingrained to the plot. She took up much of the page time I think could have been dedicated to Inna and Rylan’s relationship. This is a standalone and a short one at that.

Also I feel like much of the world building was MIA. I don’t know if it was hinging on the fact that you’ve read the previous book? They are set in the same world and I do like the world but I guess the vast areas have vastly different magic systems and that’s where I ended up lost.

I do think the interactions between Inna and Rylan were good. I liked seeing them learn to work together. The ending is super quick and leaves some things unexplained. I’m bummed out this second book didn’t work for me.

Overall audience notes: