ARC/ALC Book Review: Carnival Fantastico by Angela Montoya

February 3, 2026January 16, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Historical Fantasy Romance
Length: 464 pages
Author: Angela Montoya
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Release Date: February 3rd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Carnival Fantástico by Angela Montoya, is a dual-POV YA romantasy pitched as Hotel Magnifique meets These Violent Delights, in which Esmeralda Montero, a thief pretending to be a fortune-teller, competes for the starring role at a magical traveling circus in the hopes of gaining the wealth and respect she’s always longed for. But when the irritatingly handsome boy who once broke her heart resurfaces and warns her that carnival is more sinister than it appears, Esmeralda must decide whether fame and fortune are worth their deadly price.

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

TRULY FANTASTIC.

I think this is my new favorite from AM. I had such a great time reading this book and didn’t want to put it down. It gave me the vibes from Caraval and The Night Circus (both of which I loved so this is high praise). The audiobook narrators were wonderful too.

I really loved the angsty push and pull between Esmeralda and Ignacio. The fiery arguments and banter, the tender touches and longing glances, GOSH DANG. I wanted to shout to just kiss already so the slow burn was doing its job. I liked the mystery between their split because the reveals caught me a bit by surprise. It was nice to know somewhat of what was coming and to be enchanted by the rest. There’s a dark atmospheric layer over the whole carnival that sets you on edge.

Turns out this has a historical element too, being set in the 1920’s. It still felt like a fantasy book amongst the crowds of the big top though and that’s usually the way I prefer historical fantasies to feel. Absolutely charmed by this one y’all.

Overall audience notes:

Upper YA Historical Fantasy Romance
Language: low
Romance: kisses; one mention of sleeping together in the past
Violence: moderate
Content warnings: near death experiences, loss of life, parental abandonment, imprisonment, loss of loved ones

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Book Review: Gilded in Vengeance by Lyssa Mia Smith

January 27, 2026December 12, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Historical Fantasy
Length: 384 pages
Author: Lyssa Mia Smith
Publisher: Storytide
Release Date: November 4th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Revenge meets The Gilded Age in this thrilling YA fantasy set among the glittering magical elite of late-1800s New York society, from Revelle author Lyssa Mia Smith.

Two girls attended a magical ball, but one was never seen again.

At least that’s what those who betrayed her believed.

Two years after being framed for fraud by the Society of the Charmed, an exclusive club of New York’s wealthiest—and most magical—citizens, Emmy Vallillo wastes away in prison, utterly alone.

Until her cell wall explodes, revealing Jack Fontaine, one of the Society’s favorite sons, now imprisoned for a crime he swears he didn’t commit. They make a deal: He’ll help Emmy escape if she helps destroy those who’ve wronged them.

Using Emmy’s magic to transform their appearances, the two break free and, unrecognized, soon become the Society’s new darlings. Now their enemies want to dine with them. Attend lavish balls with them. Marry them. But ruining lives requires Emmy to trust Jack with hers, despite his dark secrets—and the infuriating attraction between them.

When another betrayal brings their enemies to their doorstep, Emmy must choose: complete their revenge, or give up the money, the magic, and her safety in this cutthroat world for the most treacherous thing of all—love.

OMG GO READ IT.

Y’all know I’m always on the hunt for those hidden gems and HERE’S ONE FOR Y’ALL. I loved this book. I loved that it was rooted in vengeance but that the FMC had such a great character arc and learned and took in new things as the story went on.

The vibes were fantastic. I loved the gilded age setting and the balls and intrigue and all the things. The found family group was solid and I loved how they looked out for each other.

And the romance? Swoony and the perfect level of slow burn for a standalone. There was also another element I was rather obsessed with and the reveal sent me into orbit.

So please consider this my plea to try out this book! I will definitely be on the lookout for this author’s next story.

Overall audience notes:

YA Historical Fantasy
Language: low
Romance: kisses
Violence: moderate

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Book Review: A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson

January 21, 2026January 10, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Historical Fantasy
Length: 480 pages
Author: S.F. Williamson
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: January 7th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

EVERY ACT OF TRANSLATION REQUIRES SACRIFICE

Welcome to Bletchley Park… with dragons.

London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivian Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules, get an internship studying dragon languages, and make sure her little sister never has to risk growing up Third Class. By midnight, Viv has started a civil war.

With her parents arrested and her sister missing, all the safety Viv has worked for is collapsing around her. So when a lifeline is offered in the form of a mysterious ‘job’, she grabs it. Arriving at Bletchley Park, Viv discovers that she has been recruited as a codebreaker helping the war effort – if she succeeds, she and her family can all go home again. If she doesn’t, they’ll all die.

At first Viv believes that her challenge, of discovering the secrets of a hidden dragon language, is doable. But the more she learns, the more she realises that the bubble she’s grown up in isn’t as safe as she thought, and eventually Viv must What war is she really fighting?

An epic, sweeping fantasy with an incredible Dark Academia setting, a clandestine, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, and an unputdownable story, filled with twists and turns, betrayals and secret identities, A Language of Dragons is the unmissable debut of 2025, from an extraordinary new voice.

I FEEL UNDERWHELMED.

This is what it says to be, a dark academia book with dragons. I just never got sucked into the narrative. The audiobook narrator was perfectly fine, and there were many good moments throughout. I super enjoyed the beginning and looooved that this had fully talking dragons. The historical time period was great and combining that with the politics of the dragon world was interesting.

The romance was a bit of a let down. It had a forbidden vibe and sense to it, yet lacked any sort of true development. While not insta-love, just not enough moments to make their connection feel true.

I do think the ending got intense and was left on a nice cliffhanger that has me thinking I MIGHT…maybe…try the second book. Or at least I’ll check out reviews and see if it’s worth the pick-up.

Overall audience notes:

YA Historical Fantasy
Language: low
Romance: kisses
Violence: mild

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Book Review: Our Deadly Designs (The Dark Descent #2) by Kalyn Josephson

January 12, 2026January 5, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 432 pages
Author: Kalyn Josephson
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s
Release Date: November 12th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The Shadows Between Us meets The Scorpio Races in the epic conclusion to NYT bestselling Kalyn Josephson’s This Dark Descent, called “a fierce and darkly magical thrill ride” by acclaimed author Ava Reid.

The Illinir may be over, but the race for Enderlain’s future has just begun. The hunt for the old king’s lost heir is on, and the first to find them will win the throne.

Mikira has allied herself with the rebels in pursuit of the lost heir, but the deeper her search takes her, the closer she gets to the royal family’s wicked past.

Ari is struggling to control her own growing power as she grapples with a dark secret that may be her undoing — and the truth behind Damien’s greatest foe.

Damien, the new head of House Adair, joins the race to find the heir and secure the crown. But as his influence at court grows, so does his paranoia and hunger for power.

Reid is trying his best to stay true to the friend who’s always had his loyalty — and the flame who has his heart — while trapped in a web of chaos and lies.

But a darker force is festering in Enderlain’s underbelly, and Mikira, Ari, Damien, and Reid will need to find a way back to each other — and themselves — before the kingdom is torn apart. Hearts will be broken and new bonds will be forged in this explosive finale to This Dark Descent, where spellbinding fantasy meets Jewish mythology in a cut-throat race for the throne — and Enderlain’s survival.

SO BORED.

I don’t even feel like writing this review because I don’t have much to say. I wanted to enjoy this because I really liked book one but goodness, I could not get into it. I would have listened faster than 3x if I could have.

The plot drags and I became increasingly uninterested in the characters, the romance and everything in between.

I will say the audiobook narrators are great. No issues there and if you were going to try it, go that route. I just can’t recommend this overall as something to pick up. There’s a lot better YA fantasy out there.

Overall audience notes: