Book Review: Charnel House by Graham Masterson

 

Goodreads Summary: Edgar Award. A demon-possessed house in San Francisco is out to devour the world in this horror tale by the acclaimed author of The Manitou. A desperate, terrified old man appears at John Hyatt's office in the San Francisco Department of Sanitation with a chilling complaint. His house, Seymour Willis insists, is breathing. Hyatt suspects a rat infestation, but the truth is worse. Much worse. An ancient demon out of darkest Native American folklore lives within the walls and floorboards of Willis’s home—an all-powerful malevolent being determined to break free and wreak havoc on the City by the Bay. Soon, a tiny cadre of believers in the impossible—including Hyatt, Willis, and a Native American shaman—hold the fate of all humanity in their hands. The monster’s hunger for blood and flesh is insatiable, and it is determined to escape its prison and become whole. And once it does, the entire world will be its feeding ground. A haunted house story like no other—a gory and terrifying tale of demonic possession—this award-winning supernatural thriller by the acclaimed author of The Manitou provides substantial chills on every page. A tale of unrelenting terror reminiscent of the works of H. P. Lovecraft, Graham Masterton’s Charnel House will haunt your dreams long after you’ve turned the final page.

Goodreads Rating: 3.64 stars with over 1,700 ratings

Genre Listing: Horror, Fiction, Supernatural, Paranormal, Fantasy, Demons, Native American

Goodreads/Storygraph challenge: 5/48 books

2026 Reading Challenge: #1 Read a book that is under 250 pages long (find the whole challenge here)

Book Review:

    Hello, Readers! I hope everyone had a safe St. Patrick's Day. It was a Tuesday, so I worked. I just finished Charnel House by Graham Masterson and wanted to post my thoughts before they slipped my mind. At 143 pages, this fits perfectly for the first prompt of the challenge. I actually didn't expect to like this story. I'm not really sure what made me purchase it or decide to read it, but I'm glad I did. It was an interesting little horror story. I will say that I don't think it will be everyone's cup of tea. It was published in the 70s, and some of the language and topics reflect that. It's pretty gruesome and gory in some scenes. As a trigger warning, it also mentions sexual assault/rape. They're not described in detail, but are mentioned. 

    The story follows John Hyatt, who gets a strange request for help from Seymour Willis to deal with his house that appears to be breathing. I was really hooked on the story when it was going through the secrets of the house, and weird things kept happening. I sort of lost interest once John and company figured out what was the cause of the events and tried to defeat the entity. It was still as interesting, but it wasn't as suspenseful. I appreciated the Native American lore involved, even though I didn't find it as suspenseful. I don't really know how much of it was accurate, but it was entertaining. 

    I actually found some of the gore and story creepy. This is a pretty big compliment for me in regard to horror. I love it deeply, but I rarely find it scary. There were a few scenes that got my heart pumping a little, however. Given that the book is under 200 pages, I find it even more impressive. I think what surprised me the most with this story is that there was some really dry and dark humor incorporated in it. 

    This story gave me bad horror movie vibes, and I'm here for it. I don't know if this has ever been turned into a movie, but I could see it being one of those horror movies that's so bad it's good. I mean that as a compliment. I highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates this vibe. 

Book Review: A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer by Maxie Dara

 

Goodreads Summary: Sometimes it takes working with the dead to start living.
Kathy Valence is forty-two, mid-divorce, and pregnant with her ex's baby. She's also a modern-day grim reaper employed by S.C.Y.T.H.E. (Secure Collection, Yielding, and Transportation of Human Essences), but frankly, that's the easiest part of her life right now. Or at least it was, until her latest client's soul goes missing.

When she finally tracks down seventeen-year-old Conner Ortiz, he angrily denies he died of natural causes, despite what his file says. He insists that someone at S.C.Y.T.H.E. murdered him, and he demands Kathy find out who and why.

Kathy has only forty-five days to figure out what happened to Conner and help him move on before the boy's soul is doomed to roam the Earth as a ghost forever. She’s forced to rely on the help of her retired mentor, her almost ex-husband, and some sneaky moves by Conner himself. This is the wildest case of her career... and one wrong move could cost Kathy her job, not to mention her life.

Goodreads Rating: 3.80 stars with over 8,900 ratings

Genre: Mystery, Fantasy, Paranormal, Fiction, Cozy Mystery 

Goodreads/Storygraph Challenge: 4/48

2026 Reading Challenge: #22 Read a book with a pastel cover (Find the entire challenge here)

Book Review:

Hello, Readers! I hope everyone is doing well. It is a rainy evening here in Indiana, which is a perfect night for reading! I'm on vacation for the rest of the week, so I'm hoping I get at least one more book in while I'm off. We'll see, though. I'm at 4 books for the year, which is a solid start. 

Anyway, on to my two cents about A Grim Reaper's Guide to Catching a Killer by Maxie Dara. I really liked the concept of being a Grim Reaper being more of a corporation and exploring those avenues. I would have liked to get more into the science of the world Maxie Dara created for S.C.Y.T.H.E., but I get the impression that it's going to come up more in future books. 

Kathy took a while to warm up to, which fit with her background. I did like her dynamic with Conner. Jo was a really fun character, and I hope we get to see more of her in future books. The relationship with Simon felt like page filler, as did the pregnancy. That plot line could have been removed, and I really don't think the story would have changed much.

I thought that Dara provided a decent amount of clues as well as red herrings for the mystery. I didn't predict the culprit correctly, but also didn't feel surprised once they were revealed. I just felt it made sense. I wanted more on the motivation, and I felt like that was a bit rushed. This also ties in with more of the science I was wanting out of the book. I'm really hoping the series explores it more. 

I didn't love the book, but I didn't hate it either. It was cute and entertaining. I'd recommend it for anyone who wants a paranormal/cozy mystery. If I saw more of the series on sale, I'd pick it up and give it a read. 

Book Review: Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers

 

Goodreads Summary:  Brimming with Chambers' signature blend of heart-warming character relationships and dazzling adventure, Record of a Spaceborn few is the third standalone installment of the Wayfarers series, set in the sprawling universe of the Galactic Commons, and following a new motley crew on a journey to another corner corner of the cosmos—one often mentioned, but not yet explored.

Return to the sprawling universe of the Galactic Commons, as humans, artificial intelligence, aliens, and some beings yet undiscovered explore what it means to be a community in this exciting third adventure in the acclaimed and multi-award-nominated science fiction Wayfarers series, brimming with heartwarming characters and dazzling space adventure.

Hundreds of years ago, the last humans on Earth boarded the Exodus Fleet in search of a new home among the stars. After centuries spent wandering empty space, their descendants were eventually accepted by the well-established species that govern the Milky Way.

But that was long ago. Today, the Exodus Fleet is a living relic, the birthplace of many, yet a place few outsiders have ever visited. While the Exodans take great pride in their original community and traditions, their culture has been influenced by others beyond their bulkheads. As many Exodans leave for alien cities or terrestrial colonies, those who remain are left to ponder their own lives and futures: What is the purpose of a ship that has reached its destination? Why remain in space when there are habitable worlds available to live? What is the price of sustaining their carefully balanced way of life—and is it worth saving at all?

A young apprentice, a lifelong spacer with young children, a planet-raised traveler, an alien academic, a caretaker for the dead, and an Archivist whose mission is to ensure no one’s story is forgotten, wrestle with these profound universal questions. The answers may seem small on the galactic scale, but to these individuals, it could mean everything.

Genre Listing: Science Fiction, Fiction, Space Opera, LGBT

Goodreads/StoryGraph Challenge: 2/48

2026 Reading Challenge:  #47 Read a Space Opera (See the full challenge here)

Book Review:

Hello, readers! It’s the first post of 2026, and I’m trying to get back into the swing of writing actual book reviews. I probably won't do one for every book like I used to, but I’m going to try to do them more consistently. Anyway, let’s get into Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers.

This is the third book in the Wayfarers series, a Space Opera series I’ve really enjoyed. Since I didn’t post much last year, I don’t think I’ve talked about this series at all! Each book is set in the same universe but focuses on different, loosely connected characters. While the connection between books one and two is more obvious, book three follows the sister of a character from the first book. Other characters might be connected as well, but I don't quite remember the details.

I love the world Becky Chambers has created. The first two books focus more on planet dwellers, whereas book three follows those residing in the fleet. Society in this series is very accepting and accommodating of other species (for the most part). Unlike many stories, the plot isn't driven by simple misunderstandings; instead, the characters have well-developed conversations about acceptance, consent, and purpose. The series is also very pro-LGBTQA+, written in a way that feels natural rather than forced.

At first, the characters in Record of a Spaceborn Few don't seem connected, but their stories intertwine as the plot evolves. It results in a beautiful connection, and I enjoyed the book immensely. I’m already planning to make the fourth book my next audiobook listen.

Speaking of audiobooks, I really enjoy Rachel Dulude’s narration. Her voice is clear, and she uses a variety of distinct character voices that make the experience immersive. I highly recommend Record of a Spaceborn Few to anyone who wants an interesting Sci-Fi story where the stakes feel more aligned with the 'Cozy' genre.

Also, as a fun treat, I noticed this on the Audiobook. The chapter titles form a poem. 

"From The Beginning

We Have Wandered

To This Day, We Wander Still

But For Our Travels

We Are Not Lost

We Fly With Courage

And Will Undying"

Book Review: Mother of Rome by Lauren J.A. Bear

 

Goodreads Summary: A powerful and fierce reimagining of the earliest Roman legend: the twins, Romulus and Remus, mythical founders of history's greatest empire, and the woman whose sacrifice made it all possible.
The names Romulus and Remus may be immortalized in map and stone and chronicle, but their mother exists only as a preface to her sons' journey, the princess turned oath-breaking priestess, condemned to death alongside her children.

But she did not die; she survived. And so does her story.

Beautiful, royal, rich: Rhea has it all—until her father loses his kingdom in a treacherous coup, and she is sent to the order of the Vestal Virgins to ensure she will never produce an heir.

Except when mortals scheme, gods laugh.

Rhea becomes pregnant, and human society turns against her. Abandoned, ostracized, and facing the gravest punishment, Rhea forges a dangerous deal with the divine, one that will forever change the trajectory of her life…and her beloved land.

To save her sons and reclaim their birthright, Rhea must summon nature's mightiest force – a mother's love – and fight.

All roads may lead to Rome, but they began with Rhea Silvia.

Goodreads Rating: 4.34 stars with over 1,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Mythology, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Retellings, Fiction, Historical Fantasy

Goodreads/Storygraph Challenge: 19/30

2025 Reading Challenge: 19. Read a book by an author who shares your initials (see the whole challenge here)

Book Review: 

Hello, Readers! I hope everyone is doing well. I wanted to briefly review Mother of Rome by Lauren J.A. Bear. This book tells the story of Rhea Silvia, the mother of Romulus and Remus, founders of Rome. It's an interesting story that gives Red Tent by Anita Diamant vibes. It's very pro-sisterhood and shows the strength in women and their bonds.

I really enjoyed Mother of Rome by Lauren J.A. Bear. I found Rhea to be a fierce character with a strong survival instinct and internal power that allowed her to do whatever she needed to protect those she loved. Mothers will especially enjoy this book as it shows Rhea's tenacity in securing her children's future. It was a little lost on me since I have no desire to be a mother, but I can definitely see my friends who are moms liking them. 

The mythology in this book was interesting. I'm familiar with Greek Mythology, but I always assumed that Roman Mythology was just the same gods but with different names. Mother of Rome discusses both, but shows the differences between the Greek and Roman myths. I also really enjoyed hearing about the older deities in the story. My favorite character in the story is Lupa, the wolf who watches over the twins. She's ferocious and threatens to eat those who displease her. I don't know what that says about me as a person. 

Overall, I loved this book. I highly recommend it for Historical Fiction, Mythology, Fantasy readers, or anyone who wants a strong female heroine. 

Book Review: The House Witch 2 by Delemhach

 

Goodreads Summary: As a wielder of domestic magic, Finlay Ashowan likes to keep his affairs as neat and orderly as his kitchen. But between his work for the King and Queen of Daxaria and a new (secret) relationship with Lady Annika Jenoure, his life is anything but tidy.
For one thing, if Annika and Fin are to continue their romance, they’ll need to sort out the pesky issue of Fin’s being a commoner—before Annika is forced into a political marriage that interferes with her own carefully laid plans.

For another, pressure is mounting as the war with Troivack draws ever closer. When Fin requests time away from the castle to rest, the King agrees but under a very particular condition: Fin must brave the streets of Austice as a spy, sleuthing out the plans of the Troivackian troops allegedly hidden there.

Further complicating things, Fin’s estranged father is on his way to Daxaria, an unexpected and unappreciated arrival that’s bound to wreak even more havoc in his son’s life.

As Fin forges new friendships and alliances—magical and non-magical alike—he becomes even more enmeshed in courtly intrigues, old feuds, and very personal problems. And the more he tries to clean up the various messes in his life, the more apparent it becomes that his troubles are only just beginning . . .

Goodreads Rating: 4.42 stars with over 13,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Fantasy, Romance, Cozy Fantasy, Magic, Fiction, Witches

Goodreads/ Storygraph challenge: 15/30

2025 Reading Challenge: #Read a book by an author using a pseudonym (Find the entire challenge here)

Book Review:

Hello, Readers! I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the start of spring. I've been really busy with work, so I haven't been able to post much. I've listened to a few books since my last review, but didn't have a chance to post. I'll talk more about those when I do a challenge update at the end of the month. 

I was surprised that my library had The House Witch volume 2 by Delemhach available on audiobook. I instantly grabbed it because the first book was so sweet and fun. The second book definitely did not disappoint. The story starts right where the first book left off, and it doesn't take long to get reacquainted with the whimsical world that Delemhach has created. 

I liked that Fin seemed much more confident in this book. It's been a while since I read the first book, but I remember him being more reserved. I think he showed a lot of growth. I enjoyed seeing him being more accepted within the castle. Fin and Annika's secret relationship brought a surprising number of opportunities for comedy. Their lack of communication was frustrating, but I suppose it helped progress the story. Got to have some kind of conflict, right?

In addition to the comedic moments, a couple made me tear up because they were so sweet and romantic. Given the mood I've been in recently, this meme felt appropriate. 

Some things that bothered me in the first book were still in the second. Mainly, every other line feels like Fin is called "the redhead." It feels repetitive, and my annoyance slightly distracts me from the story. It's a minor issue, though, and overall the story was delightful. I recommend it to anyone who wants a fun fantasy story with cozy feel-good vibes.

Book Review: The Rule of Three by Sam Ripley

 

Goodreads Summary: That's the one. That's the girl who's going to die.

I didn't believe in the Rule of Three. Not at first. It was just one of those urban myths you hear about all the time. A story my boyfriend told me about a girl cursed by the number three. A girl whose parents had killed themselves after her sibling had died in an accident. Which meant that she was doomed to die too because that's the Rule of Three.

Bad things always happen in threes, they say, and they are right. Because it's happening again.

But this time the curse is coming for me. And worst of all?

It's coming for you, too.

Goodreads Rating: 3.28 stars with over 700 ratings

Genre Listing: Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Adult, Fiction

Goodreads/StoryGraph Challenge: 11/30

2025 Reading Challenge: #2 Read a book under 350 pages (Read the full here)

Book Review:

Hello, Readers! I hope everyone is doing well as we jump into March. I feel a little bit like I'm cheating by listing this book as the book for under 350 pages, considering I listened to the audiobook version. Whatever, I'm going with it. I'm absolutely exhausted, so I will jump into the review.

The premise for The Rule of Three by Sam Ripley is exciting, and it grabbed my attention when I was looking for something new to listen to. Initially, I found myself really engaged in the story from Amy's perspective. I didn't necessarily agree with her choices, but I understood why she made them. She was easy to feel sorry for, which made it easy to stay interested in her story. Ila's story was spookier, but I don't know if I felt as engaged with her background as Amy's. When it got to Eve's part of the story, I was somewhat checked out but wanted to finish it. I think a lot of it was just the amount of discussion about death. Amy's story was hard on me mentally, just the way she described her feelings about her parents' deaths. I've been in a really melancholy mood the last few days, and I'm wondering if the book has anything to do with it. Either way, I was disconnected from Ila's story and even more disconnected from Eve's.

Despite that, I wanted to finish the story and figure out what was happening. I had my guesses; some were correct, and some were not. There's a nice little twist at the end that really caught me off guard. It saved the book for me. The book wasn't bad by any means; it was just a lot of details about things that felt completely irrelevant. I feel like there were at least 3 chapters on how the old microfiche machines worked in a library. I get it. The book was published in 2024, and it's cool and vintage. But as someone who has used them (oof. That hurts my pride a bit. I'm OLD), they seriously aren't that interesting to need detailed information on how to twist the dials. It was probably just setting the scene, but it was too much.

I really enjoyed the narrators of this audiobook. There are 5 of them. They all had different voices for the characters they were reading. I also appreciated the aspect of investigating urban legends in the story. Having listened to True Crime Podcasts, I know how passionate people can get about mysteries they want to solve. It was a fun inclusion to the story.

Overall, I can't really say if I enjoyed it. I didn't hate it, but so much took me out of the story. I liked the premise and thought some of the mystery aspects were surprising, but I wasn't as engaged with it as I would have liked to have been. I'm giving it a 3-star rating. 

Book Review: Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

 

Goodreads Summary: What if the whole world were a dead, blasted wasteland?

Mistborn
For a thousand years, the ash fell, and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years, the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the "Sliver of Infinity," reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heartbroken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Ruler's most hellish prison. Kelsier "snapped" and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark.

Kelsier recruited the underworld's elite, the smartest and most trustworthy allomancers, each of whom shares one of his many powers, and all of whom relish a high-stakes challenge. Then Kelsier reveals his ultimate dream, not just the greatest heist in history, but the downfall of the divine despot.

But even with the best criminal crew ever assembled, Kel's plan looks more like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she's a half-Skaa orphan, but she's lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets. She will have to learn trust if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

Brandon Sanderson, fantasy's newest master tale-spinner and author of the acclaimed debut Elantris, dares to turn a genre on its head by asking a simple question: What if the prophesied hero failed to defeat the Dark Lord? The answer will be found in the Mistborn Trilogy, a saga of surprises that begins with the book in your hands. Fantasy will never be the same again.

Goodreads Ratings: 4.49 stars with over 820,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Fantasy, Fiction, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Magic

Goodreads/ Storygraph Challenge: 9/30 books

2025 Reading Challenge: #6 Read a book recommended to you by a friend or Social Media (Find the entire challenge here)

Book Review: 

Hello, Readers! As always, I hope everyone is doing well. As I write this post, I am curled up in a blanket, watching the snow and cuddling with the dog. It's pretty cozy, as seen in the picture below. 

Anyway, on to talking about Mistborn. I've heard great things about Mistborn for a few years now. Per my typical ways, I'm slow to get around to things. However, when I saw it on Audible, it felt like time to start it. I'm happy that I did. Mistborn: The Final Empire hooked me from the start, and I had difficulty pausing the audiobook to do other things. I was supposed to be studying today, but I played video games and worked on a puzzle because I didn't want to pause the book. 

I really liked Vin as the main character. The girl who stays in the shadows but ultimately just wants to be accepted really appealed to me. I liked how she had two personas and that she had trouble discerning which was the real her. I felt like she sort of grew to become both. I enjoyed many of the characters and thought their set-up for the roles they were to fulfill was interesting. I really liked the role of the Keeper. I'd read an entire story on the keepers if it was available. 

Overall, the story was exciting, and there wasn't a dull moment. I loved the magic system that Brandon Sanderson created. The way each metal had a balance was fascinating. I'm curious how it evolves in the rest of the series. I don't have anything bad to say about the book. The audiobook narrator did a great job telling the story and keeping me engaged with the different voices. I'd highly recommend MistBorn: The Final Empire for anyone who likes high fantasy. 

Book Review: Blood & Steel by Helen Scheuerer

 

Goodreads Summary: With her death foretold, Althea Zoltaire only has three years to become what she's always dreamed of being: a warrior legend.
Women are forbidden to wield blades, so she has trained in secret her entire life. Now racing against the clock, she fights to secure her place in the elite guild charged with the protection of the five kingdoms.

The sparring and hazing of the new trainees border on deadly, but even more dangerous is her growing attraction to Wilder Hawthorne, her unwilling warrior chaperone.

All around them, schemes are afoot and darkness looms.

Will Althea pass the perilous initiation test and take her place as a champion of Thezmarr – or will the invading evil snatch away her dream before it starts?
Goodreads Ratings: 4.21 stars with over 46,000 ratings

Genre Listing:  Fantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Magic, Fiction, High Fantasy, Adult, New Adult

Goodreads/Story Graph Challenge: 3/30

2025 Reading Challenge: #46 Read a Fantasy novel (See the entire challenge here) 

Book Review:

Hello, Readers! I hope everyone is doing well on this frigid January evening. I just finished the audiobook Blood & Steel by Helen Scheuerer and wanted a quick review while it was fresh in my mind. One of my goals for 2025 is to get back in the habit of reviewing each book. We'll see how it goes. As I mentioned in my 2024 overview, I suspect a lot of my books in 2025 will be audiobooks. I think this will add to my review content, as I can comment on narrators and delivery. 

I got Blood & Steel in my audible library early last year. However, because I was binging the Wandering Inn series, I didn't have the opportunity to listen to it. I'm really loving the increase in fantasy novels with strong female main characters lately. Blood & Steel follows twenty-four-year-old Alchemist Althea, who desperately wants to be a warrior. Of course, there's a prophecy, and it scares the men in the society, so women aren't allowed to wield blades. Althea really spoke to me as a main character. I really appreciated the grit and determination that she showed in the story. I find a strong-willed, stubborn female character relatable, and Althea was no exception.

Plot-wise, the storyline was predictable. It wasn't bad, and in fact, I really enjoyed it. I just wasn't ever surprised when listening to it. There were points when listening to it that I guessed what was going to be said next, almost verbatim. There was a lot of repetition in the dialogue. The story was enjoyable, but it didn't stand out from any other fantasy I've read. For the Romantacy smut readers, I'd rate it 1/2 of a chili pepper. There was some sexual tension, but aside from one scene, nothing particularly spicy. 

The narration was decent. It's mainly a female narrator, though a male narrator also has a few chapters. My only real issue with the narration was that the female narrator had an American accent but was using the word 'arse.' It's not a big deal, but it kept taking me out of the story at first because it didn't fit with the voice. 

Book Review: The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

 

Goodreads Summary: Out on the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret line of people for whom books are food and who retain all of a book's content after eating it. To them, spy novels are a peppery snack; romance novels are sweet and delicious. Eating a map can help them remember destinations, and children when they misbehave, are forced to eat dry, musty pages from dictionaries.
Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book-eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devon—like all other book-eater women—is raised on a carefully curated diet of fairy tales and cautionary stories.

But real life doesn't always come with happy endings, as Devon learns when her son is born with a rare and darker kind of hunger—not for books, but for human minds.

Goodreads Rating: 3.64 with over 40,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Fantasy, Horror, Fiction, LGBT, Adult, Queer, Books About Books

Goodreads Challenge: 16/60 (I am so not finishing this.)
2024 Reading Challenge: #45 Read a book that has double letters in the title (find the entire Challenge here) 

Book Review: 

Hello Readers! I hope everyone is having a good June so far. I am having a very crazy year. I haven't gotten a chance to read much because last month, I got a 5-month-old puppy. One of my dad's dogs had an oops litter of one puppy back in January, so I took her in once I was done traveling, and she was old enough. It's been chaotic between a kitten and a puppy, working many hours, and I also started my second Master's Degree this week. Yes, I am fully aware that I am insane, and Tress will exclaim that I have no sympathy for school. I'll share pictures of my chaos animals after the review. I'll do a challenge update here soon as I have a couple of other books finished but haven't done a review for them.

I don't remember when I acquired The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean, but I'm so glad I did! I loved it from the first couple of sentences. The premise of the story was really unique and relatively dark. The book-eater race was human-like but ate books for nourishment. It was also how they retained information. I liked that Sunyi appealed to the senses by giving the books flavors, which could vary by genre and materials. The culture was pretty dark. The eaters are dying out and, as a result, have to have arranged marriages. The mind eaters have an unfortunate lot in life, having to eat minds. 

The plot, aside from the culture, is interesting. It's labeled as horror, but I didn't find it particularly scary. It's gory in places, but that's the extent of it. There's a lot of action, especially towards the end of the book. I liked the play on the Eater Families and how they mainly eat fairy tales, labeling their women as princesses, mind eaters as dragons, and the keepers of the dragons/protectors of the women knights. I also appreciated that Devon, an Eaters' Princess, saved herself and then saved her own princess. That was super cute. 

One thing that was lacking in the story was the characters' personality. They all felt a little flat to me. The book is definitely plot-driven rather than character-driven. I also thought there needed to be more context on the back story of the eaters. There is some in the book, and many of the chapters have a small blurb, but it felt like an afterthought. 

Overall, I really enjoyed it. I had wanted to finish it a while ago, but life happens. If you need help with the Challenge, this will also fit on prompt #3, as it is under 300 pages. 

And now, here are some pictures of my Chaos to show why I'm not reading or sleeping. The puppy's name is Galaxy Lynn. Her cat sister is Nebula Jane. 

Book Review: The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik

 

Goodreads Summary: Saving the world is a test no school of magic can prepare you for in the triumphant conclusion to the New York Times bestselling trilogy that began with A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate.
The one thing you never talk about while you're in the Scholomance is what you'll do when you get out. Not even the richest enclaver would tempt fate that way. But it's all we dream about, the hideously slim chance we'll survive to make it out the gates and improbably find ourselves with a life ahead of us, a life outside the Scholomance halls.

And now, the impossible dream has come true. I'm out, we're all out—and I didn't even have to turn into a monstrous dark witch to make it happen. So much for my great-grandmother's prophecy of doom and destruction. I didn't kill enclaves; I saved them—me, Orion, and our allies. Our graduation plan worked to perfection: we saved everyone, made the world safe for all wizards, and brought peace and harmony to all the enclaves of the world.

Ha, only joking! Actually, it's gone all wrong. Someone else has picked up the project of destroying enclaves in my stead, and probably everyone we saved is about to get killed in the brewing enclave war on the horizon. And the first thing I've got to do now, having miraculously got out of the Scholomance, is turn straight around and find a way back in.

Goodreads Rating: 4.14 stars with over 75,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Magic, Urban Fantasy, Romance

Goodreads and StoryGraph Challenges: 13/60 (I'm back on StoryGraph! Follow me here)

2024 Reading Challenge: #9 Read a book with a color in the title (find the entire challenge here)

Book Review: 

Hello, readers! As always, I hope that everyone is doing well. I'm on the mend from COVID-19, which I caught while at the convention (or traveling to/from). I'd probably feel 100% better already, but I'm also allergic to the state I live in. Ah well, at least this second time around wasn't nearly as bad as the first time. Anyway, on to important things like my thoughts on books. 

I started The Golden Enclaves in April, but I feel like I have been reading it forever. I don't know if it was all the stuff I had going on or something else, but I couldn't get interested in the book and stay interested. It just didn't have the sense of danger the first two books had, where Mals were lurking around every corner. The first part of the book was about El mostly feeling sorry for herself. I understand why she felt this way, but it made for a very dull start to the book. I finally started to get interested around 140 pages, but it didn't hold my interest.

There were pockets where I was fascinated, but overall, I just wanted to be done with the book. The last 60 pages or so had a lot of interesting turns, but I was still ready to be finished. I was considering not finishing it with 40 pages left to go. 

The book was all right; it just didn't capture me like the others did. I don't know if it's the book or my headspace. I liked that the story finished in a way that indicated there wouldn't be additional books. The ending seemed well-rounded. I may eventually reread the trilogy and see if I like The Golden Enclaves more, but for now, I'm pretty indifferent to it. I don't feel strongly about the book one way or another.

Book Review: The Last Light by Pirateaba

 

Goodreads Summary: [Kings] awake, and [Emperors] build new lands. Change is coming to the world, from the King of Destruction moving to a certain [Doctor] finding more friends from home.
The Wandering Inn has a [Princess] who solves problems rather than creates them, and her name is Lyonette. Yet what happens when the [Innkeeper] returns to manage her inn? Lyonette must learn to be a good employee rather than manage everything herself, and sharing power is never easy...

Nor is it ever simple in war, but that is where Geneva Scala remains. In bloodier and increasingly brutal battlefields, The Last Light of Baleros is now growing in fame, but there is no future there. She is desperate, working against hostile forces who see her intervention as dangerous, and still bears the wounds of her previous war to save lives. But she is no longer alone.

Goodreads Rating: 4.62 stars with over 1700 ratings

Genre Listing: Fantasy, Magic, Fiction, Fae, Adventure, RPG, LITRPG, Action

Goodreads Challenge: 6/60 (I already feel impending doom!)

2024 Reading Challenge: #2 Read a book by an author you've previously read (Find the entire challenge here)

Book Review:

Hello Readers! As always, I hope everyone is doing well. I just finished The Last Light, book 5 in the Wandering Inn series by Pirateaba. I wanted to get a blog post out while a few things were fresh in my memory. It's been hard for me to write posts about this series. I'm listening to it as an audiobook and have been starting one book right after the other. Events are getting blurred together, but I will try my best. Going forward, I'm going to take notes if I can.

This book was one of my favorites in the series so far. However, I've long since given up on predicting where this story will go. It's just sheer chaos. The last five hours were an absolute rollercoaster of emotions for me. There are also so many strings that I am still determining how they will connect or even if they will. I've been trying to figure out how to review this without giving spoilers, so I will try to provide some general thoughts about some of the characters/groups. Since I'm doing the audiobook, forgive me if I don't get character names correct. I am way too lazy to go through the web series and get the spelling.

Erin: Erin feels like the drunk friend you can't take your eye off, or they'll go missing. I'm listening to the series with a friend and am a book behind him. I've lost track of how many times I've proclaimed, "Erin is so damn stupid!" That said, she's loyal, sweet, and cares about her friends. But damn it, woman, think before you do.

Rhioka: Rhioka really grew on me in this book. She's still hot-headed-know-it-all, but I like her take no shit attitude. A lot of her story in this book wrecked me emotionally.

Lyonette: Now that the incidents in book 4 have thoroughly humbled her, I'm no longer rooting for her to be punched in the face. She's becoming one of my more liked characters. And what she did for Brunker. 😭

Lakin/Doreen: Love them. They're adorable, and I want nothing but the best for them.

Geneva: Her scenes fascinate me. The combination of her medical knowledge with Okasha's healing is so interesting. If they teamed up with Pisces' ability to mend bones, they'd be one hell of a medical team.

Octavia: I feel bad for what Erin puts her through, but she also annoys the ever-loving hell out of me.

Horns of Hammerod: They feel like a real team now. I am amused by the weird friendship between Kisemver and Pisces.

Antinium: In the audiobook, one visiting Antinium sounds like Sean Connery, and I can't unhear it. Is it weird that I like the Antinium? At least the individual ones. Bird even amuses me, as odd as he is. 

I have more thoughts, but they get spoilery, and I'm not sure which book some of my thoughts are about. Plus, I'm still processing the book's last 5-8 hours. I absolutely love this series, though, and I can't recommend it enough for Fantasy/RPG fans. It's amazing. I plan to start book 6 tomorrow. If you've read/listened to the series and want to ask me specific thoughts about books 1-5, feel free to use the Contact Me portion of the blog. 

Book Review: The Wandering Inn: Fae and Fare by Pirateaba

 

Goodreads Summary: Winter has come to the world, and still, Erin Solstice has no idea how she came to be an [Innkeeper].
Erin is running an inn outside the city of Liscor, but she's no longer alone. Ryoka Griffin, the City Runner, has business in the south of Izril; she's out on a dangerous delivery of her own. Yet, while both young women have finally found their calling, more and more people are beginning to realize that these visitors from Earth don't belong here.
Erin must find new and old guests for her inn while expanding her tentative business. Staying safe would also be nice. At the same time, some pesky creatures have arrived to herald winter, bringing mischief and danger unlike anything she's ever seen. But as more and more children of Earth begin appearing, the cold of winter is the least of Erin's worries.

Goodreads Rating: 4.53 stars with over 4,200 ratings

Genre Listing: Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, Adventure, High Fantasy, Dragons, Fae, LITRPG

Goodreads Challenge: 1/60

2024 Reading Challenge: #49 Read a book with a Unicorn in it (Find the entire challenge here)

Book Review: 

Hello, Readers! Welcome to 2024. I hope the first few days have treated everyone well. I finished the first book of the year and am trying to get back into the habit of doing reviews after every book. Let's jump right in.

Fae and Fare is the second book in the Wandering Inn series by Pirateaba. The series started out as a web novel. I've been listening to the series on Audible, however. The series is narrated by Andrea Parsneau, and she does a fantastic job. The premise of the Wandering Inn is that Erin winds up in a different world in the city of Liscor. She doesn't know how she got there, but she hides in an abandoned Inn to escape monsters trying to kill her. However, she finds that the entire world is based on leveling up and getting skills like in a video game. Adventure and chaos ensue from there. 

Before the Wandering Inn series, I hadn't read anything that would fall into the LITRPG genre. With the Wandering Inn, I was instantly drawn in. Fae and Fare were the same. The characters' levels, classes, and skills made for an interesting addition to the story. Without it, both The Wandering Inn and Fae and Fare would be good adventures, but the system becomes a predominant part of Fae and Fare's story towards the end of the book. 

With the first book, I tried to predict where the story was going. I gave that up somewhere in the second book and just tried to enjoy the story. The book took so many twists and turns that there was no good way to predict it. I thought I knew where something was leading, and then it would travel down a different path. It made the story exciting. The ending of Fae and Fare leaves a lot of interesting loose ends that I'm eager to pull at and see where they go. I'll likely start book 3 tonight or tomorrow. 

I typically end up with a favorite character or two in a book; however, I have a love/hate relationship with many of the characters introduced. I feel like both Ryoka and Erin made many dumb decisions that annoyed the absolute hell out of me. But simultaneously, they were likable, and I was cheering for them. Their various groups of friends all have an interesting dynamic. I am definitely getting the impression that not all of them will stay friends, but as I said before, I'm done speculating where this story will go. There are a lot of them to list, and I'm probably going to spell their names wrong, but there are a few arcs I'm very curious about. 

Overall, I'm absolutely loving this series. I already grabbed the 3rd audiobook. I recommend it to anyone who likes Epic/High Fantasy and video games. I don't think the latter is necessary to enjoy it, however. As far as why I stuck it in the unicorn category, there is a very brief mention of a unicorn. It is all of one sentence in this massive book. However, I caught it, and I'm using it for this prompt. I'm trying to work through as many books as I already have and not buy any more, but also because I'm too lazy to dig for another book with a Unicorn.

Book Review: The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst

 

Goodreads Summary: An idealistic young student and a banished warrior become allies in a battle to save their realm in this first book of a mesmerizing epic fantasy series filled with political intrigue, violent magic, malevolent spirits, and thrilling adventure
Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow...

But the spirits that reside within this land want to rid it of all humans. One woman stands between these malevolent spirits and the end of humankind: the queen. She alone has the magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. But queens are still just human, and no matter how strong or good, the threat of danger always looms.

With the position so precarious, young women are chosen to train as heirs. Daleina, a seemingly quiet academy student, is under no illusions as to her claim to the throne but simply wants to right the wrongs that have befallen the land. Ven, a disgraced champion, has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks. Joining forces, these daring partners embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits' restlessness—a journey that will test their courage and trust and force them to stand against both enemies and friends to save their land . . . before it's bathed in blood.

Goodreads Ratings: 3.89 stars with over 11,300 ratings

Genre Listing: Fantasy, Magic, High Fantasy, Fiction, Romance, Adventure

Goodreads Challenge: 43/30

2023 Reading Challenge: #53 Read a book that has the letter Q in the title (Find the entire challenge here)

Book Review:

Hello, Readers! As always, I hope everyone is doing well. I am doing what I set this blog up for - individual book reviews. Yeah! Go me. Before the review, I have a quick life update- I got a kitten! Her name is Nebula Jane, and she is five months old. Adorable pictures will be after the review for those who care. 

Anyways, on to my riveting thoughts on The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst. I picked this up randomly at a used bookstore when I was still in Minnesota. I didn't realize it then, but the copy I have is autographed. This doesn't have anything to do with the thoughts on the book; I thought that was a cool tidbit. 

The book was a little hard to get into at first. Although I was interested, it covers many years in a concise amount of pages, making it hard to follow. Once the timeline stayed consistent, it was easier to follow. I really liked the world Sarah Beth Durst created. I thought living in trees was interesting, and the combination of magic and spirits was unique. I also liked the hierarchy that the kingdom had. 

Character development fell flat for me. There wasn't much difference between how the characters were written. While I didn't feel like she grew in the story, I liked that Daleina is resourceful and clever. She can step back and think of different ways to work with the spirits instead of controlling them like the others in her class. 

I think this is a good option if you're looking for a short high fantasy. It's just under 400 pages but has some interesting world-building. It has romance, but it doesn't have graphic sex scenes- it just alludes to them and then moves on to the next scene. Overall, I liked it, but I don't need to rush out and read the second or third books in the trilogy. 

And now, pictures of Nebula! 

Book Review: The House Witch by Delemhach

 

Goodreads Summary: A heartwarming and humorous blend of fantasy, romance, and mystery featuring a witch with domestic powers and the royal household he serves . . . dinner.
When Finlay Ashowan joins the staff of the King and Queen of Daxaria, he's an enigma. No one knows where he comes from or how he came to be where he is, which suits Fin just fine. He's satisfied simply serving as the royal cook, keeping nosy passersby out of his kitchen, and concocting some truly uncanny meals.

But Fin's secret identity doesn't stay hidden for long. After all, it's not every day a house witch and his kitten familiar, Kraken, take to meddling in imperial affairs. As his powers are gradually discovered by the court, Fin finds himself involved in a slew of intrigues: going head-to-head with knights with less-than-chivalrous intentions, helping to protect the pregnant queen, fending off the ire of the royal mage, and uncovering a spy in the castle. And that's only the beginning—because Fin's past is catching up with him just as his love life is getting complicated . . .

Goodreads Rating: 4.24 stars with over 11,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Witches, Fiction, Paranormal

Goodreads Challenge: 34/30

2023 Reading Challenge: #43 Read a book with a cat on the cover (find the entire challenge here)

Book Review:

Hello, Readers! As always, I hope everyone is doing well. I will jump right into the review of The House Witch by Delemhach. I picked it up on Kindle Unlimited. It just seemed super cute from the summary. I will try to adequately express how adorable this book actually is. 

The story follows Fin, a lowly cook and witch who just wants to cook and be left alone. Of course, if he were left alone, it wouldn't be much of a story. Many characters are forced into his life and change him for the better. I adored Fin. He was funny, and I loved his sense of justice and the need to protect his friends. The story tackles some weighty topics and addresses them in a light, approachable way. Some issues dealt with are bullying, abuse, sexual assault, and accepting others. Even with some of these topics being pretty dark, the book's tone stays light and whimsical. The writing is relatively clean; I don't really remember any swearing. There is some alluding to sex, but it is not actually described. There are definitely a lot of hilarious innuendos, though. 

The friends that Fin makes are also awesome. We even get to see a few scenes from the perspective of his kitten familiar, Kraken. Hannah is my favorite of the core group of Fin's friends. She is an absolute force, and I love it. I also appreciated that some characters start out as bad but get a chance for redemption. It showed a lot of character growth for all the characters. 

If you're looking for a light-hearted fantasy romance, I'd check it out. Even the chapter titles are funny. It was nice seeing a romance written mainly from the male perspective. The House Witch 2 and 3 are currently available. I'll probably get around to reading them when I can. I'm trying to stay on track with the reading challenge, however. 

Book Series Review: From Blood and Ash Books 2-4 by Jennifer Armentrout

 

Hello, Readers! I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their June so far. I will jump into the post without doing all the typical Goodreads info. Since I will be talking about three books at once, it will be challenging to do all of that, making this post extremely long. I'll provide some of the information as I go, if I can think of a succinct way. If you want to see my review of the first book, you can find it here.

The genre listing for this series is: Fantasy, Romance, New Adult, Vampires, Fiction, Paranormal, and High Fantasy, and it covers books 30-32 for my Goodreads yearly Challenge. For the 2023 Reading Challenge, I ugh... got a little creative with how I fit these in there. For Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, I listed that as the Folklore prompt since I feel like Vampires/Werewolves/mythology kind of fits into that. I put The Crown of Gilded Bones as a book that motivates you to be a better version of yourself. There's a lot of discussion of relationships that I found inspiring. The War of Two Queens was more straightforward, and I could slot that in for A book that involves a lot of traveling. You can find the entire 2023 challenge here. I'll eventually get around to doing an updated post of where I'm in the challenge. My Goodreads challenge for the year is done. I was going to increase the goal, but I'm going to count it all as extra since it's arbitrary anyways.

(If you can't tell by the fact that I burned through 4 books (all over 600 pages) within a few weeks, I really like this series. So much so that it has dethroned the His Fair Assassin series by Robin LaFever as my favorite. I am OBSESSED with From Blood and Ash. I don't know if I have ever been this captivated by a series. All I have thought about since I started this series is reading more. Sadly, book five isn't out until July. To tell you how obsessed I am, I was actually considering buying it on audiobook to listen to them while I work. I can't do audiobooks well, so this is a big deal. I've already got book 5 pre-ordered.

I love the writing style and how it's fantasy and romance but uses modern-day language and slang. It makes it really engaging and easy to connect with the characters. I love seeing actual character growth for all of the characters. I love that Poppy is a badass. I love that Casteel is arrogant but also extremely sweet. I adore how Kieran is with both of them. The Blood Queen feels like a proper villain that you can understand their motives but also hate and want to root against. I could go on and on and on and on some more about how much I love this series.

If you like fantasy/paranormal/romance, read this. It is so worth it. I will caveat this with, if you do not like very descriptive violence or sex scenes, you will probably not enjoy this series. It definitely gets more violent and sexual as it goes.

Book Review: The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

 

Goodreads Summary: You won't want to leave...until you can't.
Half hidden by forest and overshadowed by threatening peaks, Le Sommet has always been a sinister place. Long plagued by troubling rumors, the former abandoned sanatorium has since been renovated into a five-star minimalist hotel.

An imposing, isolated getaway spot high up in the Swiss Alps is the last place Elin Warner wants to be. But Elin's taken time off from her job as a detective, so when her estranged brother, Isaac, and his fiancée, Laure, invite her to celebrate their engagement at the hotel, Elin really has no reason not to accept.

Arriving in the midst of a threatening storm, Elin immediately feels on edge--there's something about the hotel that makes her nervous. And when they wake the following morning to discover Laure is missing, Elin must trust her instincts if they hope to find her. With the storm closing off all access to the hotel, the longer Laure stays missing, the more the remaining guests start to panic.

Elin is under pressure to find Laure, but no one has realized yet that another woman has gone missing. And she's the only one who could have warned them just how much danger they are all in...

Genre Listing: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Horror, Crime

Goodreads Rating: 3.37 stars with over 145,000 ratings

Goodreads Challenge: 25/30 ( I will likely update it from 30 at some point.)

2023 Reading Challenge: #27 Read a book by an author who shares a first or last name with one of your friends (the entire challenge can be found here)

Book Review:

Hello, Readers! Please do not get used to me doing two posts in a day. I read a lot while I was off work/traveling and am trying to catch up before I forget things. This post will catch me up. I picked up The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse a while ago and just now got around to reading it. It was a great fit for #27, as I have a lot of Sarah (or Sara) in my life. 

I set myself up for disappointment with this book. Somehow I went into this book thinking it would be more of a haunted situation, and it was definitely not. I spent the entire book wondering when the ghosts would appear, only to learn there were no ghosts. There were only some angry Europeans with an agenda.

I found Elin, Will, and Issac hard to relate to as characters. They all seemed emotionless, given the situation they found themselves in at the hotel. When deaths start happening, it's up to Elin to solve them as the only pseudo-law enforcement still there when the storm hits. I felt like her "solving" the case was just accusing everyone still left at the hotel by jumping to conclusions. The motive also really didn't make sense. While it was a horrible situation, it was a bunch of loose connections forced into a hidden agenda that didn't fit the rest of the story. There was no natural build-up to it that allowed for it to make sense. It just felt like an afterthought to the rest of the story.

This definitely wasn't my cup of tea for horror/mystery. It may be because I got myself too psyched up for it to be a haunted sanatorium, but it all just felt forced together and wasn't that entertaining. I'm sure some will like it since it has over 3 stars, but I prefer a little more story than just solving by accusing everyone.