Tag: young adult fantasy

Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: November 2025

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Celebrating another turn around the sun! I hit it hard with holiday romances and found a couple new gems! Future reviews will be out soon or check my socials to see more breakdowns.

  • Princess of Blood (The Shards of Magic #2) by Sarah Hawley
  • [ARC] We Fell Apart (We Were Liars) by E. Lockhart
  • [ARC] Coldwire (Coldwire #1) by Chloe Gong
  • Check the Halls (The Ottawa Otters #2) by K.M. Gillis
  • The Things Gods Break (The Crucible #2) by Abigail Owen
  • [ARC] The Wild Card (Sheet Cake #4) by Emma St. Clair
  • Soul Searching (Sweetwater Peak #1) by Lyla Sage
  • How He Got the Girl (Sweeter Than Fiction #2) by Amanda Schimmoeller
  • Mate (Bride #2) by Ali Hazelwood
  • Moth Dark by Kika Hatzopoulou
  • My Merry Mistake (Holidays with Hart #3) by Courtney Walsh
  • Thorn Season (Thorn Season #1) by Kiera Azar
  • A Wraith Beneath the Tides (Beyond the Tides #1) by Emilia Jae
  • Smoke and Scar (Shattered Crown #1) by Gretchen Powell Fox
  • The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs
  • About Last Christmas by Rachel Scott McDaniel
  • Never Over by Clare Gilmore
  • [ALC] Arrow of Fortune (The Raiders of the Arcana #3) by Jacquelyn Benson
  • Highland Holiday by Kasey Stockton
  • [ARC/ALC] The Marriage Method by Mimi Matthews
  • That’s A Great Question, I’d Love to Tell You by Elyse Myers
  • Big Nick Energy by Kristen Bailey
  • Sleigh Bells and Snowstorms by Claire Kingsley
  • [ALC] Moms of Mayhem (Mayhem Hockey Club #1) by Aimee Vance
  • Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend (Catching Feelings #1) by Kate Watson
  • Brimstone (Fae & Alchemy #2) by Callie Hart
  • Silent Heist by Jenessa Fayeth
  • [ARC/ALC] Better in Black (Shadowhunter Chronicles) by Cassandra Clare
  • [ARC] The Bodyguard Affair by Amy Lea
  • [Novella] The Holidate Switch by Torie Jean
  • [ARC/ALC] Dawn of the Firebird by Sarah Mughal Rana
  • [Novella] Mistletoe Fall Out by Larissa Hommes
  • A Little Holiday Fling by Farrah Heron
  • [Novella/ARC] How to Kiss on Christmas Morning by Jenny Proctor
  • [Novella] Merrily Ever After by Catherine Walsh
  • Eclipse of the Crown (Villains & Virtues #3) by A.K. Caggiano
  • Please Don’t Go (Midnight Strike #1) by E. Salvador
  • [Novella] Snow Place Like Home (Home Sweet Holidays) by Laura Pavlov
  • [Novella] Merry and Bright (Home Sweet Holidays) by Ali Rosen
  • [Novella] All Wrapped Up in You (Home Sweet Holidays) by Rosie Danan

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Book Review: For No Mortal Creature by Keshe Chow

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 480 pages
Author: Keshe Chow
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: October 7th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A teen girl with the power of resurrection must venture into the afterlife, but to survive the death realm, she’ll need the help of her two mortal enemies–both of whom she is inexplicably drawn to–in this romantic, gothic fantasy inspired by Wuthering Heights.

When Jia Yi suddenly finds herself alive again after being stabbed through the heart by an enemy’s sword, she realizes she possesses a rare power: the ability to move between the living realm and the shrouded world of ghosts. Ghosts including Lin, her ex-best friend and former love, whose betrayal she still hasn’t recovered from.

At first, Jia wants nothing to do with Lin, or any ghosts–metaphorical or otherwise. But when her beloved grandmother abruptly passes away, Jia is forced to travel into the afterlife to save her.

To survive the treacherous death realm, Jia will need to rely on both Lin and her longtime enemy, the cold and enigmatic Prince Essien Lancaster. Only, she isn’t sure whether she can trust either of them. With tensions high and new and old connections blooming, Jia must confront the ghosts of her past…or risk becoming one herself.

Thank you GetUnderlined for the gifted finished copy.

OH ALL THE THOUGHTS.

I will start with this though, I loved this much more than The Girl with No Reflection. If you’ve been interested in this author, start here instead!! I was way more engaged and wrapped up in the story telling. The plot was extremely interested with moving through different realms of the afterlife and how the power of resurrection was used to further move the story along.

I also really liked the complexity of the love triangle. It didn’t bug me, EXCEPT for the ending. Without spoiling I will say it ends well, there’s a HEA. But I think I ended up on the wrong side of the triangle??? And I don’t hate the other guy I just had a very specific idea about the ending. I don’t know.

Anyways, solidly good book. I’m so glad I gave this one a chance and I look forward to future books from Keshe Chow. I appreciate that they are standalones too so everything gets wrapped up in one story.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: many instances of death, loss of life, grief

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Book Review: The Blood Orchid (The Scarlet Alchemist #2) by Kylie Lee Baker

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 384 pages
Author: Kylie Lee Baker
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Release Date: October 22nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Since Zilan entered the world of royal alchemists, she has learned that alchemy comes at a price. She has lost loved ones in her search for broader justice against the evil Empress and all she wants now is to find some way to bring them back. Resurrection is her specialty, after all.

In search of the myth of Penglai Island, where it’s rumored life can be fully restored, Zilan starts a new adventure. But when old threats come back to haunt her and the path to Penglai Island means facing down unpredictable, sometimes dangerous, alchemists, she wonders just how high of a price she may be willing to pay.

NEW FAV.

I think this is officially my new favorite KLB book. I really enjoyed this. I also loved the audiobook. The narrator did a fantastic job of injecting the right tone and it made the story really thrive. I thought the banter was even more amplified and made me laugh out loud amidst the dark and gritty nature of the plot.

I loved the complexity of the historical and fantasy elements coming together. It’s interesting and unique and I liked the continuation of Zilan’s journey. There’s tangled sibling dynamics and a small romance that has its own interesting charm. I will definitely be continuing to pick up new books from KLB.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: low – moderate
  • Romance: flirting
  • Violence: moderate – high

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Book Review: Bane of Asgard (Runestone Saga #2) by Cinda Williams Chima

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 640 pages
Author: Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: October 22nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The highly anticipated sequel in the acclaimed Runestone Saga from New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima with more adventure, mystery, and plot twists than ever before.

Reunited in New Jotunheim, Reginn, Eiric and Liv discover that they are game pieces being played on a hidden board. Eiric’s slaughter of the old council has opened Tyra’s path to power—she now has the perfect excuse to launch a war against the Archipelago. Tyra is also using her dottir, Liv, as a vehicle to raise a dangerous goddess. And Reginn is tasked with crossing the boundary between the living and the dead to gain access to powerful magical secrets.

With Reginn’s help, Eiric escapes prison and returns home to find his brodir and warn the Archipelago of the impending attack. Meanwhile, she remains at the Grove to try to prevent the outbreak of war. Soon, though, Reginn learns her true role in this use her power to raise the dead to ensure victory for New Jotunheim. The demon Asger Eldr tells her that she alone can prevent another Ragnarok. But how?

Back in the Archipelago, Eiric agrees to join the king’s forces, though that means taking up arms against his systir, Liv, and Reginn, the spinner who has ensnared his heart. For perhaps the first time in his life, he dreads the coming fight. 

As the two sides prepare for an apocalyptic battle, Eiric, Reginn, and Liv find allies and enemies in unexpected places and draw on new strengths as they seek to prevent the destruction of the last of the Nine Worlds.

THANK GOODNESS FOR AUDIO.

I think I may have struggled with this more if I was physically reading it so I’m grateful for an audiobook to help the pacing issues that plagued this throughout. It is slow and a bit meandering and occasionally lost focus.

The characters were all fantastic though. After I finally started remembering what happened in book one I started to fall more for this whole cast. There’s some solid found family foundations and plenty of political intrigue to have some good turns woven in. I have always enjoyed (and continue to do so) CWC writing style. I like her story telling capabilities a lot. I do wish there had been a bit more romance though (I can’t help myself) because I genuinely think that would have built the impact of some scenes more.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: low
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: moderate – high
  • Content Warnings: blood/gore depiction, murder, torture, kidnapping, loss of life and battle themes

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