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: 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 Cheater's Game by C.J. Archer

 

Goodreads Summary: The arrival of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show in London brings trouble. When the sharpshooter who beats Willie at poker is murdered, Matt and India investigate. Willie is convinced the victim cheated, but no one knows how until India discovers his secret - he was a paper magician.
When their list of suspects grows to include a member of the mysterious magic Collector's Club, they uncover a spy. But who is he working for? And what does his employer want?

As danger circles, secrets are revealed, and India struggles to keep her own secret hidden from Matt. But when her grandfather introduces her to a man who can change her life, India must decide if she wants her life to change at all.

Goodreads Ratings: 4.09 stars with over 4,800 ratings

Genre Listing: Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Historical Fiction, Paranormal

Goodreads Challenge: 26/30

2023 Reading Challenge: #7 Read a book with a basic shape 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 Cheater's Game by C.J. Archer. This is the seventh book in the Glass and Steele series. I thought it'd be a good fit for #7 since it had shapes on the cards. Also, I wanted to read it, and it was the best place it fit since I've burned through my free spaces already.

Reviewing this series is becoming dangerously close to how I've been approaching the Penny Green series by Emily Organ. I enjoy the series so much, but it's long, and I never feel like I have anything new to add to the reviews. I will say with The Cheater's Game, I didn't want to put it down. I forced myself to go to bed around 2 am, and as soon as I got out of work picked it back up and finished it. 

With the series, I like the sarcasm and wit sprinkled into the story. The Cheater's Game was a fun mystery. I was surprised at how that part of the story concluded. C.J. Archer did a great job of making multiple people look like plausible suspects. The biggest reason I like these stories is the chemistry between India and Matt. All I can say without giving too many spoilers is FINALLY.

If you like murder mysteries and historical fiction, I highly recommend the series. I would definitely read it in order. The books are short and not overly complicated. They're good if you don't want a massive commitment with one book, even though it is a longer series. Also, if these things are important to you as a reader, the language is pretty clean and not graphic. 

Book Review: Serpent & Dove Trilogy by Shelby Mahurin

 

Goodreads Summary: Bound as one to love, honor, or burn.

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou's, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.

The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou's most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.

And love makes fools of us all.

Goodreads Summary: After narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Dames Blanches, Lou, Reid, Coco, and Ansel are on the run from coven, kingdom, and Church—fugitives with nowhere to hide.

To elude the scores of witches and throngs of chasseurs at their heels, Lou and Reid need allies. Strong ones. But protection comes at a price, and the group is forced to embark on separate quests to build their forces. As Lou and Reid try to close the widening rift between them, the dastardly Morgane baits them in a lethal game of cat and mouse that threatens to destroy something worth more than any coven.

Goodreads Summary: The spellbinding conclusion to the New York Times and IndieBound bestselling trilogy Serpent & Dove. This stunning fantasy take on French witches and forbidden love is perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas.
Evil always seeks a foothold. We must not give it one.

After a heartbreaking loss, Lou, Reid, Beau, and Coco are bent on vengeance more than ever before—and none more so than Lou.

But this is no longer the Lou they thought they knew. No longer the Lou that captured a chasseur's heart. A darkness has settled over her, and this time it will take more than love to drive it out.

Book Reviews:

Hello Readers! I hope everyone is doing well. I recently read the Serpent & Dove Trilogy by Shelby Mahurin. I was traveling for work when I finished them and didn't have my laptop, so I needed to wait until I could get home to review the books so you get a combined review for all three books. Honestly, I would have done this format anyway because I burned through it. Fortunately, this series is a trilogy, so I have it penciled in for reading prompts 21, 22, and 23, respectively. If anyone is from Indiana and needs something for the home state prompt, Shelby Mahurin is also from Indiana. You can find the entire 2023 reading challenge here.

I enjoyed the trilogy, but Serpent & Dove was my favorite. I stayed up until 5 am reading it and forced myself to sleep with around 50 pages left. I enjoyed getting to know Lou and Reid as they got to know each other through their forced circumstances. Plus, I really liked the dynamic between Reid and Lou and how they balanced each other. It was a comical relationship to read, but also sweet, and I liked the growth in their relationship. I felt like Reid tamed Lou and made her a little less selfish, and she showed him how to live and find purpose. 

Blood & Honey was a middle book for me. I enjoyed it, and a lot happened, but at the same time, it felt like nothing happened. I don't know if that makes sense, but it was a bridge to Gods & Monsters. With the entire trilogy, I didn't know where it was going. There wasn't anything that I found overly predictable, which was nice. 

I know that not everyone reads Prologues or Epilogues, which I never understood. I always read them. I highly recommend reading the epilogue for Gods & Monsters. It gives the trilogy the sweetest ending ever. I had to try hard not to tear up on the plane reading it. 

I recommend this series if you like Paranormal/fantasy/romance stories. The magic system was interesting, and I liked that everything had a balance. I'm definitely going to look into other books by Shelby Mahurin. This is a good option if you want a series with a true ending. I just checked Goodreads; a spinoff series will launch in September.

Life stuff, if anyone cares:

As I said, I went to Miami for the week for work. I like to play photographer occasionally, so here are some photos I took there. Before leaving, I also went to a Blink-182 concert, so enjoy some pictures.

Miami Airport

View from my hotel room.

Blink-182 concert, mainly I just think this is a fun concert shot (though, I do adore Blink <3)

Book Review: Shadow Lands by Stacey Marie Brown

 

Goodreads Summary: I no longer walked in the gray ... I had fallen into the darkness.

With Brexley on the run and Istvan rebuilding his power in the safety of Ivanenko's territory, those who have escaped the prison are dealing with the bloody aftermath and trying to regain any hold they can on Budapest. But in Markos's absence, Sonya makes a claim for the throne and takes control of the city.

When the rebel's hideout is attacked, they are forced to flee the city they call home, heading East to destroy Istvan's rise in Ukraine.

And locate Kovacs.

Warwick is not the only one after Brexley. Beasts, humans, and fae are hunting her to seize the one item that can save or destroy not just the country but the world.

Brexley's powers are growing, but she is finding even she can't control the dangerous nectar because the more she advances her own powers, so does the nectar, containing too much magic for one person to handle.

In this final installment, Brexley, Warwick, Killian, Caden, and Scorpion fight for love, freedom, life, and their country.

Fire ignites, beasts kill, death rises . . . And every life is on the line.

Between life and death, deep in the shadows, there is The Grey...
And The Wolf ready to obliterate the world for her.

Goodreads Ratings: 3.98 stars with over 6,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Fantasy, Fae, Fantasy Romance, Urban Fantasy, Dystopia, Paranormal, New Adult

Goodreads Challenge: 20/30

2023 Reading Challenge: #60 Free Space! Pick any book. (Find the entire challenge here)

Book Review:

Hello, Readers! As always, I hope everyone is doing well. Life updates, in case anyone is interested. My husband and I are celebrating our 14th wedding anniversary on Tuesday. We're not really doing anything super exciting; just going out to dinner tomorrow night. Other than that, no significant updates. 

So onward to Shadow Lands. This is the sixth and final book in the Savage Lands series. I really enjoyed the series (obviously, as I burned through all of my free space on the challenge). Even though I enjoyed the series, I'm glad to finish it. There is at least one spinoff series, but I don't know if I will read it. That may be something for future years' challenges. 

Shadow Lands was an interesting change from the rest of the series, which predominantly followed Brexley's point of view. The final book, however, alternates between most of the core characters, including Warwick, Caden, and Scorpion. This gave a lot more depth and insight into their feelings. I especially liked getting more of Scorpion's back story.

The story came full circle and ended in a way that finalized Brexley's part of the story and makes room for the spinoff series(s). For the most part, it ended well for everyone. Regarding the things that didn't end well- WHO HURT YOU, STACEY MARIE BROWN. OMG. 

My favorite characters in the series were Opie and Bitzy. They are the best versions of sassy sidekicks. Esmeralda, though not a sidekick, was also fantastic. The literary world needs more Sassy Old Ladies who are sick of everyone's shit, including the ghosts they can communicate with. 

What really made me love this series are the characters, the humor, and the adventure. The actual writing leaves a lot to be desired. I don't know if that makes sense, but the actual story is fantastic; the writing is slightly above mediocre. All of the books really needed another round of editing. There were a handful of incorrect words or typos in each book. It also really needed someone to check it with a thesaurus. As I've said, the books are pretty spicy, and I'd consider them borderline erotica. The sex scenes got very repetitive, especially in Shadow Lands. They were all described in the same way with the same words. This sixth book ultimately boiled down to a forest orgy for a decent part of the book, and all of the characters who had sex scenes were explained the same way. How they felt in their relationships was described in the same way, for the most part. It got old, especially by book six. 

I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes New Adult and Fantasy Romance. I feel like ACTOR fans would like it. That being said if you're easily put off by typoes, repetitive word usage, or gratuitous sex scenes - probably best to stay away.


I'm giving it four moons solely for how much this series entertained me. Because I really did enjoy it a lot.

Book Review: Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

 

Goodreads Summary: Christopher is seven years old. Christopher is the new kid in town. Christopher has an imaginary friend. The epic work of literary horror from the #1 bestselling author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

We can swallow our fear or let our fear swallow us. Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her son, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with Christopher at her side. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. It's as far off the beaten track as they can get. Just one highway in, one highway out.

At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. For six awful days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete: Build a tree house in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone in the town will never be the same again.

Soon Kate and Christopher find themselves in the fight of their lives, caught in the middle of a war playing out between good and evil, with their small town as the battleground.

Goodreads Ratings: 3.54 stars with over 44,000 ratings

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

Goodreads Challenge: 15/30

2023 Reading Challenge: #37 Read a book over 600 pages (find the entire challenge here)

Book Review:

Hello, Readers! I'm going to just jump right into it with this review. No life changes since my last review two days ago, except that I probably had some snacks and a nap like the giant toddler I am. Sometime last year, I saw the book Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky being discussed in the various book groups I follow, and I decided to pick it up when it was on sale. I like horror; I just don't read nearly enough of it. This seemed like it might have the potential to be somewhat scary. Unfortunately, I don't get scared that easily when it comes to reading.

This review is going to need a disclaimer. If you have any triggers while reading, I do not recommend reading this book. The list of trigger warnings is way too long to list. If you have specific ones you are concerned about, by all means, comment or reach out to the other contact options on the blog. I'm more than happy to assist. 

Going into this book, I did not know it was 700 pages long. I probably wouldn't have read it if I had known that. I have to mentally prepare myself to read anything over 500 pages. The story was interesting enough to make me want to find out what happened, but through most of it, I was just ready to be done with it. It became very close to being a 'Did not finish' for me. The only reason it wasn't is that I was already around 400 pages in when thinking about it. 

I try to be constructive in my reviews when I don't care for a book. I know that authors work hard on their stories, and I don't want it to appear like I am attacking them. That is one hundred percent, not my intent. I also try not to spoil a book, but I can't make any guarantees about that with this book.

We'll start with the good: I thought it was a unique concept, and Christopher and his mother were likable characters. I also liked how descriptive it was with the setting and scenery.

What almost made this a DNF for me was that it drug on for what felt like forever. I was curious to see what would happen but was bored waiting to get there. The descriptions were somewhat creepy, but I never felt scared or creeped out while reading. Reading a few more chapters and finishing the book almost became a chore. 

In addition to the story dragging on and on, the book switched gears from this creepy thriller to a super preachy religious tale about halfway through. It felt really out of place and led to some big philosophical epiphany that was trying too hard to be clever. I will fully admit to being a religionless heathen. I don't mind reading about it; however, I actually find the history of religions interesting. However, had I known I was getting a half-baked sermon on acid, I probably wouldn't have picked the book up. 

For me, this is a one-star. I'm sure others may love it and think it's great. If this sounds like your thing, by all means, read it. It has a lot of positive reviews on Goodreads. This is just not for me, and I genuinely feel like I wasted almost a month having it open on my kindle. 

Book Review: The First Prophet by Kay Hooper

 

Goodreads Summary: Within the FBI, there exists a team of psychics whose powers cannot be denied. But these agents are feared—by a cabal of conspirators with only one weapon: to blind the psychics to the evils all around them.

Months ago Sarah Gallagher woke from a coma with psychic abilities she couldn't control. They changed her life and cost her the man she loved. And now, someone is playing games with Sarah's mind.

It begins with Sarah's home being destroyed by fire—an act of arson that draws novelist Tucker Mackenzie into Sarah's confidence. But he has other reasons for pursuing a woman who can see what others can't. So does a mysterious enemy intent on eliminating Sarah and everyone she cares about. Because it's only a matter of time before her visions lead her and Tucker to a secret many will kill to hide. Only then will they begin to discover the scope of a terrifying conspiracy so deep and complex that they can trust almost no one.

Good Reads Ratings: 3.86 stars with over 4,500 ratings

Genre listing: Paranormal, Mystery, Suspense, Fiction, Romance, Thriller, Crime

Goodreads Challenge: #47 Read a book that involves a conspiracy (find the entire challenge here)

Book Review:

Hello, readers! I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the start of the weekend. I'm going to keep this review relatively short. I'm exhausted, and after I write this, I plan to just play on my phone until I pass out for the night. Exciting plans, I know. This is what happens when you're secretly an elderly person disguised as a 30-something.

I was going to initially use The First Prophet by Kay Hooper as my book that was recommended by a friend. However, the more I got into it, the more it became apparent it was about a conspiracy (I had forgotten initially), so I decided to slot it for #47 since that would be harder for me to find than a recommendation from someone. 

It took me a bit to get into the book. I don't really blame the story for that, however. I started it when I was reading Time's Convert, and given that both books switch points of view a lot, it made it hard for me to pay attention. Once I got into it, I enjoyed it. I liked reading about Sarah and watching her figure out her psychic abilities. I liked Tucker, but I felt like he needed more faults. He was too weirdly good at everything. Having him around made the conflicts seem too easy and predictable. The twist at the end did surprise me a bit, however.

I liked the book. However, I don't know how quickly I will pick up the series. I'm apprehensive because I still have unanswered questions, but I get the feeling that they aren't going to be answered as it pertains to Sarah's storyline specifically. I hope I'm wrong, though, as I did enjoy it, and I'm curious to see where the story goes with Sarah and Tucker. There are a lot of secrets that will be interesting to see how they unravel.

It was a fun read, and I'd buy the next book if I came across it in a bookstore.

Book Review: Time's Convert by Deborah Harkness

 

Goodreads Summary: Set in contemporary Paris and London, and the American colonies during the upheaval and unrest that exploded into the Revolutionary War, a sweeping story that braids together the past and present.

On the battlefields of the American Revolution, Matthew de Clermont meets Marcus MacNeil, a young surgeon from Massachusetts, during a moment of political awakening when it seems that the world is on the brink of a brighter future. When Matthew offers him a chance at immortality and a new life, free from the restraints of his puritanical upbringing, Marcus seizes the opportunity to become a vampire. But his transformation is not an easy one and the ancient traditions and responsibilities of the de Clermont family clash with Marcus’s deeply-held beliefs in liberty, equality, and brotherhood.

A passionate love story and a fascinating exploration of the power of tradition and the possibilities for change, Time’s Convert will delight fans of the All Souls trilogy and all readers of magic, the supernatural, and romance.

Goodreads Rating: 3.93 stars with over 49,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Paranormal, Vampires, Witches

Previous Reviews on the Series: A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, The Book of Life

Goodreads Challenge: 12/30

2023 Reading Challenge: #31 Read a book with the word "time" in the title (Find the entire challenge here

Book Review:

Hello, Readers! Surprised to see an actual book review post from me? Yeah, I am too. I'll likely go back to this format. I withdrew from my classes recently. I decided that 3 degrees were enough, and I was only torturing myself by trying to pursue a doctorate. So we are returning to my routine of promising more content and never fulfilling that promise. Please let me know if there are some discussion or content suggestions.

Anyway, on with my thoughts on Time's Convert by Deborah Harkness. Fair warning, there are spoilers ahead. This is a recently published (2018) addition to the All Souls Trilogy. I'm not sure if this is considered a spinoff or if it's lumped in, and the other 3 are still being marketed as a trilogy. It takes place after The Book of Life ends and mainly follows Marcus and his fiance Phoebe. Diana and Matthew are still in it, but take a backseat and become supporting cast. Because of this, the vibe of Time's Convert was a bit different.

The story switches between the present day and Marcus's life as a new vampire during the Revolutionary War. It also provides Phoebe's point of view as she becomes a vampire and Diana's while she and Matthew help Marcus come to terms with things that happened in his early days. Because of this, the story felt more introspective instead of driven by events or drama like the other books. I appreciate that Marcus's reflections on his life happened chronologically. It made it a lot easier to follow.

I liked that Deborah Harkness provided snippets of Diana and Matthew's lives as parents to twins. They weren't the main characters, but they were there enough to feel they were still involved and took on the role of parents to their crew. The ending was really sweet. I wouldn't be surprised if there were more books following Marcus and Phoebe, but it also ended in a way that feels like the story could be closed.

Overall, if you like the All Souls series, I recommend this. However, I would only read this if you have read the other three. There are a lot of characters, and their personalities wouldn't make sense with this out of order. 

Book Review: Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

 

Goodreads Summary: The three Beauchamp women--Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid, live in North Hampton, out on the tip of Long Island. Their beautiful, mist-shrouded town seems almost stuck in time, and all three women lead seemingly quiet, uneventful existences. But they are harboring a mighty secret--they are powerful witches banned from using their magic. Joanna can resurrect people from the dead and heal the most serious of injuries. Ingrid, her bookish daughter, has the ability to predict the future and weave knots that can solve anything from infertility to infidelity. And finally, there's Freya, the wild child, who has a charm or a potion that can cure most any heartache.For centuries, all three women have been forced to suppress their abilities. But then Freya, who is about to get married to the wealthy and mysterious Bran Gardiner, finds that her increasingly complicated romantic life makes it more difficult than ever to hide her secret. Soon Ingrid and Joanna confront similar dilemmas, and the Beauchamp women realize they can no longer conceal their true selves. They unearth their wands from the attic, dust off their broomsticks, and begin casting spells on the townspeople. It all seems like a bit of good-natured, innocent magic, but then mysterious, violent attacks begin to plague the town. When a young girl disappears over the Fourth of July weekend, they realize it's time to uncover who and what dark forces are working against them.
With a brand-new cast of characters, a fascinating and fresh world to discover, and a few surprise appearances from some of the Blue Blood fan favorites, this is a page-turning, deliciously fun, magical summer read fraught with love affairs, witchcraft, and an unforgettable battle between good and evil.

Goodreads Ratings: 3.52 stars with over 19,000 ratings

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

Goodreads Challenge: 15/48

2022 Reading Challenge: #44 Read a book that a movie/show you've watched is based on but have yet to read (example: Watched The Hobbit, but never read the Hobbit) ( Find the entire challenge here)

Book Review:

Hello, readers! I hope everyone is doing well. I just finished up a Buffy the Vampire binge with Tress. We finished up season three. I'm excited to start in on Angel's spinoff. Also, fun news. Tress is coming out to visit during our birthday week in July. I'm very excited, and we have a fun thing planned for our respective blogs. Stay tuned!

Okay, so on to Witches of East End. I watched the show a few years ago and loved it. I'm super bummed that there were only two seasons. As usually with adaptations, the book is better, and there was a lot in the show that wasn't in the book and vice versa. I'm curious to read the other two books to see if any of the show stuff was from the rest of the series. 

I was instantly drawn to this book. I think a lot of that was I already felt so familiar with the characters because of the show. The book itself is actually pretty short. I think it's around 270 pages. There was a lot of story crammed into those few pages with a connection to Norse Mythology that I didn't expect. It was interesting but felt a little misplaced. I think it was mainly because the ending, where a lot of it is, was so rushed. There was so much buildup to the weird toxicity that was going on in the town, then the last 60 pages just felt too cleanly wrapped up. It was more tell than show, so it felt like I was just getting a recap.

I really enjoyed the magic aspect of Witches of East End. I liked how Joanna, Freya, and Ingrid had their own magic brand. I thought there was a lot of really good explaining of what they could do. I think their magic and Freya's relationships were the first book's focus. I'm curious to see if their magical talents grow in the rest of the series.

Overall, I really liked this book. The only reason I haven't already dived into book two is that I've bought a lot of books lately and am trying to be good. Plus, I've got a ton of categories on the challenge still. If you like paranormal and witchy books, I'd recommend this one unless you don't want to read sex scenes. It's a quick read, enjoyable, with many details on the actual magic system. 

Book Review: Lore by Alexandra Bracken

 

Goodreads Summary: Every seven years, the Agon begins. As punishment for a past rebellion, nine Greek gods are forced to walk the earth as mortals, hunted by the descendants of ancient bloodlines, all eager to kill a god and seize their divine power and immortality. Long ago, Lore Perseous fled that brutal world in the wake of her family's sadistic murder by a rival line, turning her back on the hunt's promises of eternal glory. For years she's pushed away any thought of revenge against the man--now a god--responsible for their deaths.

Yet as the next hunt dawns over New York City, two participants seek out her help: Castor, a childhood friend of Lore believed long dead, and a gravely wounded Athena, among the last of the original gods.

The goddess offers an alliance against their mutual enemy and, at last, a way for Lore to leave the Agon behind forever. But Lore's decision to bind her fate to Athena's and rejoin the hunt will come at a deadly cost--and still may not be enough to stop the rise of a new god with the power to bring humanity to its knees.

Goodreads Rating: 3.81 stars with over 54,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Fantasy, Mythology, Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal

Goodreads Challenge: 12/48

2022 Reading Challenge: #18 Read a book by an author named Alex, Alexander, Alexandra (or variant) (Find the entire challenge here)

Book Review: 

Hello, Readers! I hope everyone is doing well. I'm finally back to do a book review. I feel like 2022 has been non-stop, and I've definitely not been able to dedicate nearly as much time to reading or blogging as I'd like. Hopefully, all shenanigans are coming to a close, though. The husband and I have been fighting off Covid for the past week, so here's to hoping no more of that. He brought it home from work and decided to share the wealth. Luckily he's feeling much better. I've been having a more challenging time with it because I have a shitty immune system anyways, and well turns out that severe upper respiratory infections plus asthma is not a fun time. I was able to get a prescription for some meds and am back on an inhaler, so I'm starting to feel better. I'm mostly just exhausted. I'll attempt to do a recap of the year so far later this week or next weekend, but I'm not going to make any promises. 

I finished Lore a few days ago, but I was not really feeling like doing a blog post because of the nonsense with my health. There's a lot I can't really remember, so I'll just give a quick rundown of my thoughts, and then hopefully, with the following posts, I'll start getting back to the more detailed thoughts. 

Overall, I really liked Lore. It felt like The Percy Jackson books and The Hunger Games books had a book offspring, which was the result. I thought the premise was engaging with the various houses of heroes hunting multiple gods. I did think it was a little confusing to remember the houses and who was a god and who wasn't. 

I liked the relationship between Lore and Castor. I liked how she was kind of feral and just in survival mode and how he was a beacon of goodness for her. That, combined with being a friends-to-lovers trope, really resonated with me. There wasn't a love triangle or any unnecessary drama between them. There were some really sweet and romantic comments that I liked. There were also some moments from some of their friends who ended up in a relationship that was pretty great. (Trying to not give out spoilers.)

It was definitely not all romance. There's a lot of action, and it can get pretty gory in places. The mythology incorporated into the story was fun, and I like how Lore had to interact with the different Gods/Goddesses. At the center of the story is Lore, the crappy things she had to deal with growing up, and how she got past them to fulfill her destiny. I had planned to try and type out a little bit more about Lore, but my energy is waning. So, I'll leave it at if you like YA and are fans of Percy Jackson and Hunger Games; definitely give this a shot. 

Book Review: The Passage by Justin Cronin

Goodreads Summary: "It happened fast. Thirty-two minutes for one world to die, another to be born."
An epic and gripping tale of catastrophe and survival, The Passage is the story of Amy—abandoned by her mother at the age of six, pursued and then imprisoned by the shadowy figures behind a government experiment of apocalyptic proportions. But Special Agent Brad Wolgast, the lawman sent to track her down, is disarmed by the curiously quiet girl and risks everything to save her. As the experiment goes nightmarishly wrong, Wolgast secures her escape—but he can't stop society's collapse. And as Amy walks alone, across miles and decades, into a future dark with violence and despair, she is filled with the mysterious and terrifying knowledge that only she has the power to save the ruined world.

Goodreads Rating: 4.02 stars with over 204000 ratings

Genre Listing: Horror, Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Post Apocalyptic, Vampires, Paranormal, Dystopia, Thriller

Goodreads Challenge: 36/50

2021 Reading Challenge: #6 Read a book that was recommended to you (Find the entire challenge here)

Book Review:

Hi Readers. I hope everyone is doing well. I finally finished a book. I'm so proud of myself. The Passage took me nearly a month to complete. Readers. Let me offer you some advice that you didn't ask for. If you and your spouse both work full time and are in Grad School full time, a 700-page book may not be a quick read. Had I been an intelligent human and looked at the number of pages before I selected this, I would have waited to read The Passage. This was recommended to me by one of my co-workers, who is also a huge bookworm. The sales pitch for it was, "Hey, you like vampires, right?" It doesn't take much for me to want to read a book, honestly. 

I'm not really sure where to go with the review for this one, which is part of why it's taken me four days to get around to writing. I liked The Passage by Justin Cronin. I thought it was an interesting concept. However, I felt like the book was really disjointed. I don't know if it was actually the book or my state of mind right now. Just as soon as I got into a character's story, the Point of View switched. There were so many different views that I just couldn't keep track of all the characters. Once I finally started getting into the story, the timeframe shifted, and it was 100 years in the future. Because of this change, there was a whole new set of characters that I had to get used to. It made it really hard to stay in the moment of whatever was going on.  I felt like I was reading two separate books. 

One big piece of the puzzle that I still feel like I'm missing is the why. That part never really felt clear to me. There was a group of scientists initially, and I don't really understand why they took the actions they did. I don't know if it was to find a cure or some other reason. I never really had a good grasp of why they brought Amy into it. 

All of the confusion aside, I did enjoy the story, as I said earlier. I was more entertained by the dystopian aspect of the story just because things had started to make a little sense by then. I felt more interested in Peter, Theo, Lish, Sarah, and the others in their group than the other characters earlier on. They felt more well-developed to me. Auntie was probably my favorite character in the book, and I wish she would have gotten a little more time in the story. I'm really hoping that her journals at least play a more significant part in the later books. 

I'm keeping this review short today. Overall, I really wish I liked this book more than I did. I don't know if I would have liked it more if I had read it at a different time. I'm not writing off the rest of the series; it just may be a bit before I get into the rest of the books. 

Book Review: The Haunting of Leigh Harker by Darcy Coates

 

Goodreads Summary: Sometimes, the dead reach back...
Leigh Harker’s quiet suburban home was her sanctuary for more than a decade until things abruptly changed. Curtains open by themselves. Radios turn off and on. And a dark figure looms in the shadows of her bedroom door at night, watching her, waiting for her to finally let down her guard enough to fall asleep.

Pushed to her limits but unwilling to abandon her home, Leigh struggles to find answers. But each step forces her towards something more terrifying than she ever imagined.

A poisonous shadow seeps from the locked door beneath the stairs. The handle rattles through the night, and fingernails scratch at the wood. Her home harbors dangerous secrets, and now that Leigh is trapped within its walls, she fears she may never escape.

Do you think you’re safe?

You’re wrong.

Goodreads Rating: 4.06 stars with about 200 ratings

Genre Listing: Horror, Fantasy, Paranormal, Adult, Mystery, Fiction, Ghosts, Thriller, Gothic, Supernatural

Goodreads Challenge: 35/50 

2021 Reading Challenge: #41 Read a book where the main character is elderly (find the complete challenge here)

Book Review:

Hello readers! I hope everyone is doing well. I'm off for the next few days while we deal with our move. Yay! I'm super ready both to be done packing and to be in the new house. I'm also super excited to not have to work for two days.

I've wanted to read more horror for a while, and I recently discovered Darcy Coates on Kindle Unlimited. The Haunting of Leigh Harker seemed pretty interesting, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I managed to pry it out of my hands the first night, and then the following night, I was up until 4 am reading it because "I've only got eighty more pages left." Man, that was stupid. I was so tired the next day! It was definitely worth the read, though. 

I really liked how this book started out creepy. There wasn't a slow build to gain suspense. From the first page, I was curious as to what was happening to Leigh, who she was, and why she was in the situation, she was in. Given that I stayed up until 4am reading it, I think it's safe to say that I never lost interest either. 

I cheated a little bit on where I put this on the challenge. Leigh is very much the main character, and she's not elderly. However, an elderly woman in the story is very much a pivotal character in the book. This story very much couldn't happen without her, and thus this book landed on #41. Plus, I didn't want to burn one of my last two free spaces. 

I really enjoyed the story, and I liked figuring out with Leigh what was going on and more about her. If you need all of the character's backstory upfront, this is not a book for you. Most of Leigh's story isn't fully explained until the end of the book. It is, however, under 300 pages, so it's not that long of a wait. I'm actually really impressed that this story was able to be told in so few pages. 

I felt like a lot of the ending was pretty predictable, but I still felt engaged with the story. If it had been anything else, it just wouldn't have made sense with how the book played out. There were some surprises mixed in, but the overall went how I expected. Sorry for being so vague. I'm trying really hard not to spoil everything. Many of the themes within this book were reminiscent of a very famous thriller movie from the late 90s.  I still think it's worth the read and would recommend it to someone who likes Horror and wants to be a little creeped out but not outright terrified. It's also good if you don't want to dedicate a lot of time to a book but still get a good story. 

Book Review: The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

 

Goodreads Summary: 

Enter a fantastical world of dangerous fairies, wicked princes, and one half-human girl who discovers her entire life is a lie. This special edition of The Iron Daughter includes the bonus Guide to the Iron Fey and an exclusive excerpt from the new Iron Fey book, The Iron Raven.
Half Summer faery princess, half-human, Meghan Chase has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter faery prince she thought loved her, she is a prisoner to the Winter Queen, Mab. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real threat is the Iron fey--ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Goodreads Rating: 4 stars with over 127,000 ratings

Genre Listing: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal, Fairies, Magic, Urban Fantasy, Adventure

Previous review on the series: The Iron King

Goodreads Challenge: 33/50

2021 Reading Challenge: #36 Free Space Pick any book! (Find the entire challenge here)

Book Review:

Happy Saturday readers! I hope everyone is doing well. I basically burned through two books back to back, as you can see. In case anyone is wondering, I don't sleep and it's usually because of books. Especially fantasy books that catch my interest right away. This is one of those books.

The Iron Fey is a series that's been on my to-be-read list for a while. I read the Iron King earlier this year and really liked it, so when I saw the Iron Daughter on sale, I picked it up. I really like the world that Julie Kagawa has created where the old legends of fairy realms mix with a new modern age of fairies. The idea of there being a group of iron fey because of how the human world has advanced is really fascinating. 

In a way, I'm kind of annoyed at myself for liking this series as much as I do. The fantasy and adventure are interesting. In the Iron Daughter, there was a little bit of espionage and some unexpected alliances. All of this I love. However, at its core, it's a typical YA fantasy where the Teen girl needs to save the world, but she's too busy focusing on the two boys trying to win her affections. One of which is outright trying to kill her. It plays really hard on the Romeo/Juliet star-crossed lovers trope. I want to hate it because it's cheesy and overdone. The entire time I'm screaming at Meghan in my head to get over Ash and fall for Puck. Yet, I'm so entertained that I don't care how stupid the romance aspect is. 

One thing I do like about Meghan is she's willing to fight for herself. The boys kind of seem to start the process of saving her, but something ends up happening that gets her to save herself. She's got some emerging powers that I'm really excited to get explored.  I'm excited to see where the story goes.

The Iron Daughter is a quick read and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes YA fantasy/romance. There are some aspects that frustrate me, but I love the story so much that they seem minor at best. I'm definitely going to continue on with the series.