Audiobook Review: Shards of Glass by Michelle Sagara

Shards of Glass
Author: Michelle Sagara
Narrator: Khristine Kvam
Series: The Academia Chronicles (Book 1)
Publication: Harlequin Audio (November 28, 2023)
Length: 17 hours and 16 minutes

Description: The Academia, once an elite proving ground for the rulers of the world, has been frozen for centuries. Now its strange slumber has ended, and a new Chancellor, an orange-eyed dragon, has reopened its lecture halls and readied its dorms. In order to thrive once more, however, the Academia needs fresh blood—new students with a passion and talent for learning.

One such student, Robin, has the perfect recruit in mind: his friend Raven, an orphan who lives in the dangerous Warrens. Robin grew up in the Warrens, and he wouldn't have made it if not for Raven. He knows she’ll be safe at the Academia, where her unusual gifts can be appreciated.

But when students start turning up dead, the campus threatens to collapse completely. Raven and Robin will not let that happen to their new home…if they can survive long enough to figure out who—or what—is trying to kill them.

My Thoughts: SHARDS OF GLASS is set in the same world as the Chronicles of Elantra series and has some of the same characters. This story takes place at the recently rediscovered Academia which was once a center of learning for the world but was shifted out of its timeline in the battle to defeat Shadow which was set to consume the world. 

Young Robin was kidnapped from the Warrens when it was discovered that Academia needed students to complete its recovery. After the defeat of the people who wanted to use Academia to build their own powers and a new Chancellor was chosen, the quest for new students began. 

Robin proposed the friend who kept him alive in the Warrens when he was a child. Raven was a strange person who knew how to survive and chose to help Robin survive too. Robin is the one who named this child Raven and who acted as her interpreter to the world since she was almost completely nonverbal when they first paired up. 

Robin hoped that bringing Raven to Academia would provide the safety, food, and shelter that were so scarce in the Warrens. He wasn't expecting to drop her in the middle of a campus where random students were being murdered. 

Robin has been making new friends among the students including three of the Cohort of Barrani who were rescued from captivity in an earlier book of the Chronicles of Elantra. Serralyn loved the Academia especially its endless library staffed by Arbiters from three ancient, immortal races. And Terrano was another friend who was most changed by their captivity and now has very non-Barrani abilities. Robin is even friends with Starrante who is one of the librarians and a Wevaran who looks like a giant spider. 

As Robin and Raven work together to solve the murders and preserve this new home they learn more about each other and more about the pasts that are impacting their presents. 

This was an excellent, complex fantasy filled with magic and magical beings. Robin seems to be an ordinary human but one with a potential magical ability. Raven is anything but human which comes as a surprise to Robin. The Chancellor of the Academia is a dragon. The Arbiters are a Wevaran, an Ancient, and a Barrani. There are sentient buildings and human mages.

But beyond the fantastical elements, this is a story of friendship and love and finding a home.

I bought this one May 11. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett

A Trade of Blood
Author: Robert Jackson Bennett
Series: Ana and Din (Book 3)
Publication: Del Rey (August 4, 2026)

Description: Detective Ana Dolabra must prove a condemned man’s innocence and confront a terrifying magical technology in this fantasy-mystery from the bestselling author of The Tainted Cup, winner of the Hugo and World Fantasy awards.

The heir to one of the Empire’s most powerful families sits in jail, accused of murder. His hands are covered in the victim’s blood, and he can neither deny his guilt nor explain his actions.

But if the great detective Ana Dolabra cannot save him from the noose, the farming canton of Sapirdad will explode into war, threatening to plunge the whole Empire into starvation and chaos.

As Ana investigates—her assistant Dinios Kol, as ever, acting as her eyes and ears—she fears her task is even more daunting than it seemed. For this murder is just the latest in a deeper, subtler web of death, woven by a mastermind with an ancient weapon at his disposal.

With their customary skill, Ana and Din pursue their adversary through the canton’s wild ranges, sprawling ranches, and reeking slaughterhouses. Yet even they are not prepared to learn the horrifying secret behind their opponent’s powers.

My Thoughts: Ana and Din's next case takes them into the third ring to investigate a murder that could lead to a revolt. It's a Romeo and Juliet kind of thing. The only remaining heir to one of the great agricultural families is found running away from a room where the daughter of the other major family lies butchered. 

The boy says he doesn't remember what happened and Ana and Din believe him. As they investigate, they find that a number of other deaths in the boy's family were also suspicious. The more they look into things the more confusing things get for Din. It seems a common agricultural tool which compels cat-like creatures to harvest crops seems to have been adapted to make humans also compelled to do things - like commit murder.

This fantasy mystery is set in a well-developed fantasy world. I enjoyed both the mystery and the world it was set in. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy copy here.

ARC Review: Wildflower by Becky Jenkinson

Wildflower
Author: Becky Jenkinson
Publication: Del Rey (June 16, 2026)

Description: A magical florist journeys from the kingdom’s capital to its wild woods to fulfill an unusual request, and stumbles upon friendship, conspiracy, and the buds of new love in this debut cozy fantasy.

“Wildflower is a lovely respite from reality, featuring a charming cast of characters, snappy dialogue, and so much heart. Prepare to be enchanted.”—Brigitte Knightley, author of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy

The book contains hand-drawn floral sketches inside!

Cursed from birth to always tell the truth, magical florist Felicity “Fliss” Farrow chooses her words carefully to avoid trouble. But when she receives an anonymous request for a mysterious flower, her search leads her directly into trouble’s path: to Willoh Vane.

Fliss knows the outcast—yet teasingly handsome—sorcerer is rumored to have used dark magic to corrupt the northern forest five years ago. She’s witnessed the resulting feud with Prince Bastion, whom her best friend, Card, is soon to marry. Despite her divided loyalty, Fliss reluctantly accepts Will’s help with gathering rare flowers and finds herself increasingly drawn to him.

As the royal wedding approaches, Fliss fears the flowers she’s delivered are intended for a sinister purpose. But when her warnings are ignored, can she and Will save the kingdom from disaster, and ultimately discover what Fliss has sought for so long—the truth.

My Thoughts: Felicity Farrow has been cursed from birth to always tell the truth. This has made it difficult to make friends, and it makes her a tool for the increasingly paranoid queen. Fliss's one and only friend Card is soon to marry Prince Bastion who is the heir to the throne. She is to be his Maid of Honor. 

Fliss is a floral mage who is well-versed in the lore of flowers. She has a way of using flowers to sooth, comfort, or discomfit as she feels the need. She has lately been commissioned to locate some unusual flowers for an anonymous buyer. 

In order to find the unusual flowers, she needs the help of sorcerer Willoh Vane who is in the middle of a feud with Prince Bastion. Will has taken the blame for a magical spell gone really wrong in order to protect the prince. The spell has blighted much of the north of the kingdom and caused the people there to rebel.

As Will and Fliss search for the flowers, they fall in love and Fliss begins to wonder at the purpose for the flowers. They also uncover a number of secrets from the past. Some of the secrets include their own mothers.

This was a cozy fantasy. It was also a sweet romance. LGBTQ+ themes may limit this one for younger readers. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Blood on the Sand by Kacey Ezell

Blood on the Sand
Author: Kacey Ezell
Series: Magelight (Book 2)
Publication: Baen Books (April 7, 2026)

Description: IN HER DARKEST HOUR, AELYS CHOSE FREEDOM . . . BUT CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES.

Bellatrix Aelys turned her back on the family that betrayed her and chose to forge her own destiny alongside the dangerous men she had accidentally bound. Now free, Romik, Vil, and Daen make the uneasy choice to continue to work with Aelys as her protectors and business partners. But when Aelys faced off against her family, she didn’t eliminate every threat, and now mysterious forces are moving against her once more. Fearing for her safety and that of her men, Aelys agrees to do a simple task for her old teacher: escort some old “friends” to Zandrine, one of the fabled cities located in the south of the empire.

Only, not everything is as it seems. Zandrine is a city built on secrets and blood and pain. Aelys and her protectors will have to face the demons of the past and the dark schemes of the present, all while trying to figure out who they are to one another and how the four of them— warrior, sorceress, forester, and thief—can meld their strengths to keep each other alive.

Can Aelys, Romik, Vil, and Daen make the necessary hard choices that will forge them into a team capable of surviving these new challenges? Or will the pain of the past and the danger of the present destroy them one by one?

My Thoughts: Bellatrix Aelys and her guards Romik, Daen, and Vil are trying to figure out who is trying to capture Aelys. They decide to leave and are recruited by one of Aelys's trusted teachers at the Lyceum to travel to Zandrine as escort for her sons Bellator Acten and Ageon Tyrus. She has known both men since her days at the Lyceum.

Aelys, Romik, Daen and Vil are still working out their relationships since Aelys broke the geas that bound the men to her. While she has changed a lot from her wimpy days when her magic was secretly bound by her aunt, Aelys still lacks some self-confidence and can't imagine that her warrior, archer, and thief would willingly bind themselves to her. 

Their destination - Zandrine - is a city Romik promised himself that he's never return to but a shipwreck caused by storms and dragon attacks makes it necessary. They find a city that is greatly changed since Romik was last there. The empire has outlawed slavery which used to support the games which are the heart of the city's prosperity. The city is trying to find a new stability and a new power structure.

When Romik is forced back into the games to save the son of the man who once owned him, rules mean that Aelys, Vil and Daen are also bound for the arena. They need to reestablish their bonds if they are to survive, but this time Aelys knows that she isn't coercing them in any way. And since the Emperor, in disguise, is present for reasons of his own, Aelys, Romik, Daen and Vil find themselves recruited into his rebellion against his grandmother and her cohort. 

This is clearly the middle book in a trilogy. A lot does happen as Aelys grows into herself and her power and the relationship with her protectors is formalized. Nothing more is learned about the person the quartet is running from, but it looks like the next book will find her back within his reach. The story was filled with excellent worldbuilding and lots of excitement. I look forward to reading more. 

I bought this one April 10. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Cast in Blood by Michelle Sagara

Cast in Blood
Author: Michelle Sagara
Series: Chronicles of Elantra (Book 19)
Publication: Hanover Square Press (April 28, 2026)

Description: DO NOT MEDDLE IN THE AFFAIRS OF BARRANI

Kaylin has been warned to steer clear of the lords of the Barrani High Court. She’d be more than happy to oblige, but it’s a bit difficult considering she lives with ten of them, all sent to the green to gain power or die. With Kaylin’s help, they finally escaped their imprisonment. But their attempts at freedom had devastating consequences—and a price that has yet to be paid.

The first warning sign is the Consort’s invitation to visit the High Halls—a Barrani invitation, which means an immediate visit.

The second sign is less subtle: Kaylin finds Nightshade’s unresponsive body. He hovers on the edge of death, beyond saving through Kaylin’s healing power. No one can explain his state, nor why she’s powerless to save him. And if she and her Barrani friends can’t figure out a way to bring him back, he’ll be lost forever.

Yet even as Kaylin struggles to keep Nightshade from death, there is deeper magic at play, a growing threat with the potential to affect the entire Barrani race. Factions are shifting, new lines are being drawn—and Nightshade’s near assassination is only the beginning. Can Kaylin uncover the nebulous forces that threaten the balance of Barrani—and their entire world—before it’s too late?

My Thoughts: The nineteenth book in the Chronicles of Elantra series is concerned with the Barrani. Kaylin would be more than happy never having to deal with the Barrani again. These immortals spend a lot of time jockeying for power and playing politics. 

However, Kaylin's mentor in the Hawks is a powerful Barrani lord and she lives with the cohort of Barrani she rescued from the Green. But most of all, she is marked by Nightshade who is a Barrani fief lord albeit an exiled one. 

Problems start with the discovery of Nightshade after an assassination attempt. With threats from a war band of Barrani, Nightshade is taken back to Kaylin's sentient house Helen. Kaylin is a healer, but she is unable to reach Nightshade. It's like he has some sort of shield around him. While working in that problem, Kaylin is summoned by the Consort who has a problem. She's the only one who is able to access the Lake of Dreams where the True Names are kept. Without the True Names, no Barrani babies will ever awaken. This information needs to be kept secret until Kaylin who also has access to the Lake of Dreams and who substitute for the Consort can find out why this is happening and fix the problem. To add complications, the Consort's problem needs to be kept secret or Barrani society will be destroyed. 

There is another Barrani that might be able to fill the Consort's role, but Yvonne is a young powerless woman under the care of a ruthless lord. Kaylin's partner Severn has some connection to her since he rescued her from the Green. Somehow, she's involved in the problem too. 

Kaylin is bombarded with all these problems and even the Arbiters at the Academia don't have answers. In fact, they add more questions. It is up to Kaylin to figure things out if the problems can be fixed. 

This is a complex, meaty fantasy filled with great worldbuilding.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan

Thistlemarsh
Author: Moorea Corrigan
Publication: Berkley (April 21, 2026)

Description: Faeries disappeared over one hundred years ago, as suddenly as slipping through a doorway. It was only the very foolish, or the very determined, who held out hope for their return.

Welcome to Thistlemarsh—a ramshackle estate where an impoverished orphan and a beguiling Faerie collide in an enchanting novel of love, revenge, and ruin.

In the wake of The Great War, the world is a decidedly unmagical place for Mouse Dunne. She once dreamed of becoming a Faerie anthropologist, but with one telegram, her world shattered. At the Battle of the Somme, her cousin’s body disappeared into the mud, and her brother was left with debilitating shell shock. It was time, she knew, to put aside childish dreams.

When Mouse receives news that her uncle has left her the Faerie-blessed Thistlemarsh Hall, a dilapidated manor in the English countryside, she must leave her brother’s side and return to her childhood home to claim her birthright. But there is a catch in her uncle’s offer: If Mouse does not rehabilitate the crumbling house in one month’s time, she will forfeit her inheritance and any hope of caring for her brother.

It quickly becomes clear it’s impossible to repair the manor in the allotted time, until a mysterious Faerie appears with a proposition. He offers to restore Thistlemarsh...for a price. Mouse knows better than to trust a Faerie—especially one so insufferably handsome and arrogant—but she is out of options. There are dark and magical forces at work in the house, and Mouse must confront the ghosts of her past and the secrets of her heart or lose Thistlemarsh, and herself, in the process.

My Thoughts: This historical fantasy takes place after World War I and in a world where the faeries disappeared 100 years earlier. Mouse Dunne was raised in a faerie-blessed home but wasn't a cherished child. Her mother ran away with the gardener, was disinherited, and died leaving the family in distress until her uncle invited them to live at Thistlemarsh. There Mouse and her brother Roger grew up with their cousin Bertie. However, when the boys were away at Eton, Mouse was confined to an attic room and was neglected. Her only solace was working in the garden with the old groundskeeper Mr. Hobb.

Then World War I came. Bertie and Roger enlisted. Bertie was killed by a bomb and Roger suffered from extreme shellshock. Mouse left her home and traveled to the continent to take care of her injured brother. When she learned that she had inherited Thistlemarsh after her uncle's death, she had to go home to claim her inheritance. However, there were conditions. One of them is that she has to restore Thistlemarsh in only 30 days or else the estate and the income she needs to take care of her brother will all go to the Honorable Anthony Carlyle who has been her enemy and the enemy of her brother and cousin too. 

She must try to restore Thistlemarsh but she can't do it alone. When a faerie named Thornwood offers a bargain, Mouse is forced to accept but has great reservations. She once wanted to be a faerie anthropologist and knows that faerie bargains can't be trusted. 

As the two work to restore Thistlemarsh, they have to deal with magic woven into the house which is resisting their efforts. There are lots of magical adventures. Along the way, Mouse falls in love with Thornwood, but their romance faces many obstacles including the long-missing faerie king. 

This was an excellent romantic fantasy. I liked the way the magic was woven into the real world that is trying to recover from World War I and the devastation it caused. I liked Mouse's determination to do anything for her brother's recovery. I liked all the magic. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Magelight by Kasey Ezell

Magelight
Author: Kasey Ezell

Narrator: Jennifer Jill Araya
Series: Magelight (Book 1)
Publication: Baen (May 6, 2025), Podium Audio (September 16, 2025)

Length: 16 hours and 6 minutes

Description: Fleeing her sheltered life, a noblewoman must trust a warrior, a forester, and a thief to unlock her true power and face her destiny.

Embrace Your Power and Forge Your Destiny

All her life, Aelys of Brionne had been weak. As the noble daughter of one of the empire’s most powerful magic-wielding families, it should have been easy for her to live her dream of bonding with a warrior protector and joining the Imperial Battlemage Corps. But when her weakness robs her of her dreams, her best friend, and the man she loves, Aelys makes the only choice she can see: she takes her fate into her own hands and she runs, leaving her safe, protected world behind.

Now she must find a way to work with three dangerous strangers—a warrior, a forester, and a thief—to escape the bandits stalking her, fight through the dangers of the untamed forest, and make her way back home, where her family and her destiny await.

Only . . . her violent protectors might be the key to the power and freedom she’s always craved. Can Aelys find the strength to choose her own destiny and become the sorceress she was born to be? Or lose herself on the path to power?

My Thoughts: MAGELIGHT is the first book in an epic fantasy series. Aelys of Brionne is the daughter of a powerful family. She has the dream of using her magical talent to become a Battlemage for the Empire. However, her weak magic makes that dream impossible. Even though she graduates from the academy, she isn't chosen by the man she wants who picks her best friend instead. The betrayal sends Aelys fleeing for home.

Meanwhile, three men who were best friends as boys, but whose lives have taken different paths after their village was destroyed meet again. Romik was first an arena fighter who bought his way out to be a mercenary soldier before growing disenchanted with the life. Daen had become a Forester even though his low birth should have made that career impossible. While he is an exceptional archer, he has never been accepted by his highborn "brothers." Vil has been sold into prostitution in the city but murdered his first customer and escaped. He has made his life as thief in that same city. 

The three men meet at a country inn and swear their brotherhood just before Aelys arrives pursued by bandits. They rescue her but find themselves in an inn that has been set on fire by the same bandits. They survive because Aelys is able to form bonds with all three of them which increases her magical power enough to save them. Needless to say, none of the three men are happy or comfortable with the concept of being bound to her. 

The story concerns their adventures while bringing Aelys back to her home and with dealing with their new bonds. For the first third of the book, I didn't like Aelys at all. She spent it crying, apologizing, and feeling guilty. However, the men recognized her deep inferiority complex and bolstered her each in their own different ways. They couldn't do much about the guilt though since she knew she should not have bound them to her. 

I enjoyed the worldbuilding in the story and the personalities of the main characters. I look forward to reading their further adventures. 

I bought this one February 2, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale by C. M. Waggoner

The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale
Author: C. M. Waggoner
Publication: Ace (March 17, 2026)

Description: A practical witch must sabotage her beloved son's ascension to the throne in order to keep the kingdom from ruin, in this delightful cozy fantasy from the author of The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry.

Once upon a time, a somewhat wicked witch named Gretsella lived in a cozy little cottage in the Dark Forest of Brigandale. She dispensed herbs and tinctures at reasonable prices, met with her slightly oddball coven on a regular basis, and had absolutely no need of any further company whatsoever, thank you very much. But then one afternoon, Gretsella came home to find a screaming infant on her doorstep.

Against all her better judgement, she took the baby in. She named him Bradley.

Eighteen years later, Bradley has grown into a bafflingly likable young man under Gretsella’s extremely tolerant—one might even say doting—eye. But the witch’s hopes for an unremarkable yet fulfilling life for her son are shattered when small woodland animals start prophesying that he is the lost prince and should ascend to the throne. Bradley ignores Gretsella’s advice that prophecies and talking chipmunks are to be avoided at all costs, and sets off for the capital. But soon confusion and chaos are reigning, and scheming courtiers are using Bradley for their own ends. Sometimes a witch has to roll up her sleeves and take matters into her own cauldron. So Gretsella resolves to bring about the downfall of her darling son…

My Thoughts: This cozy fantasy tells the story of Gretsella who is a witch living in the Dark Forest of Brigandale. She sells herbs and tinctures, meets with her oddball coven, and is perfectly happy. Then one day she discovers a baby on her doorstep.

Gretsella takes the baby in, names him Bradley, and raises him. Members of her coven gifted him with beauty, politeness, and a powerful right hook. They also told her that he was the son of the deposed monarch, but she planned to raise him to lead an utterly unremarkable life.

However, when Bradley turns eighteen, he is discovered by knights who want him to overthrow the current despot and take the throne. Gretsella tries very hard to discourage him from taking the path. She believes that he will be happiest living in the village, being a hairdresser, and playing ball with his friends. 

Bradey doesn't take her advice and heads off to the city to secure his new fate. He manages to overthrow the king, but he doesn't know anything about ruling a kingdom. He calls on Gretsella to come help him. She still has her old plan and works to find a way for Bradley to stop being a king and come home. 

This was an engaging fairy tale filled with all sorts of humor. Bradley is beautiful but not very bright. Gretsella is wicked but not very wicked. The other characters are also well-developed. I especially liked Gretsella's unusual coven. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett

Magic & Mischief at the Wayside Hotel
Author: Elizabeth Everett
Publication: Ace (March 10, 2026)

Description: When a magical hotel appears smack-dab in the middle of the most unmagical of worlds, the last thing the residents expect is to fall in love.

Manager of the Number Five Wayside Inn and World Travel Hub, Pax Nomen has one of the easiest jobs in all the known universes, unless you count the occasional plumbing disaster. When Number Five Wayside gets stranded on a non-magical world, even Pax's trusty Wayside Handbook can’t help him. How is he going to “reboot” the hotel and keep it on its magical journey?

Josie LaChusia is a single mom experiencing debt, having parenting doubts, and tipping dangerously toward depression when an ad pops up on her phone that an apartment is available in a building she’s never seen before.

Pax needs a new guest to restart his hotel, and Josie needs a nudge to restart her life. In a building occupied by faeries, gargoyles, and a gnome with a bad attitude, two souls from very different places come together to create a home like no other.

My Thoughts: This romantasy is a change of pace for Elizabeth Everett who is more known for her historical romances, and it proves that she can master more than one genre.

Pax Nomen is the manager of the Number Five Wayside Inn and World Travel Hub. He was formerly a paladin and soldier who grew tired of war. The hotel provides a way for people from many planets to travel from one world to another. The current residents include a bunch of cheerleading fairies, assorted gargoyles, a family of zombies, a vampire prince, and assistant manager who is a medusa. Not to mention the residents of the sixth floor who are sleeping.

When the hotel becomes stranded on magicless Earth, Pax needs to come up with a plan to reboot the hotel. Enter Josie LaChiusa and her four-year-old son Amos. Josie needs a new place to live since the latest increase in rent for her apartment has put it out of her price range. She's a single mom with a medically fragile son who is just trying to keep her head above water. She's also filled with self-doubts about her ability to be a good mother since she had no role models in her childhood. Her doubts are exacerbated by her mother-in-law who is always telling Josie what she is doing wrong and who wants custody of Amos. 

Josie and Amos settle into Number Five and odd things happen. Amos finds a decorated room with a Pider-Man theme to match his latest craze, and Josie finds walls changing colors, flowers appearing, and odd scents in the air. She also finds a sense of home that she had never experienced before. Pax becomes her friend and a romance ensues.

But Number Five isn't recharging fast enough for some of the residents. There are a group who feel that a blood sacrifice with Josie and Amos as the victims would recharge her faster. Pax isn't about to allow that. He isn't willing to give up the woman and child who have given him a sense of home for the first time in his long life. 

This is a story filled with magic and with love. I really enjoyed it. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Half City by Kate Golden

Half City
Author: Kate Golden
Series: Harker Academy (Book 1)
Publication: Ace (February 17, 2026)

Description: Welcome to Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. Keep your daggers sharp, and your wits even sharper.

Viv Abbot is an average twenty-one-year-old girl. She lives in an expensive city where the rent is too high, works long hours at a thankless job, and is dating a guy she doesn’t even like in the hopes of winning her prickly mother’s approval.

Ever since her father's murder, she's been forced to hunt deviants alone, meaning everyone, including her family, sees her as an outsider . . . until the day she crosses paths with a dangerously alluring demon, Reid Graveheart. The reformed deviant tells her of a school for people just like her: Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. If she enrolls, she'll learn to hone her craft, work with other hunters, and never be alone again.

But Viv has a deadly secret. One that not even her new friends at Harker can know about, not if the school might hold the answers to untangling the mystery surrounding Viv's father’s death. When strange occurrences begin to plague the students, Viv will have to figure out who she can trust, all while trying to ace her classes, avoid falling for a demon, and make it through her first year at Harker in one piece. How hard could that be?

My Thoughts: Viv Abbott lives in Astera. She's twenty-one and works at a museum for her sister-in-law. She is also an aeon - a specialized and rare sort of demon hunter. She has been hiding that part of her life from everyone since she watched her father - another hunter - lose his life to a band of Brood demons. 

When she is spotted rescuing a young mother and her children from a monster attack, she is recruited to attend the Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. There, she finds friends who understand her. She also finds romance in the person of one of her instructors who also happens to be a Brood demon, but one who has sworn off taking souls. There is also something dangerous and secret going on at Harker. It looks like someone is trying to gather the ingredients for a spell that will give unimaginable power to the Thane - the head demon. 

Viv has to deal with all sorts of stresses. She's still trying to maintain her human life and friends while learning more about her powers and the world the lives alongside the human world. 

This was an engaging start to a series. The was a cliffhanger ending but lots of things were resolved in this episode. I liked Viv. She is smart, impulsive, and carries a deep loneliness inside. Finding friends, even if she is still keeping some secrets from them, expands and enriches her life. I am eager for more in this series. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Cyprian by Mercedes Lackey

The Cyprian
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Series: Elemental Masters (Book 18)
Publication: DAW (December 30, 2025)

Description: A cozy, cottage-core Regency fantasy perfect for fans of Bridgerton

Elena Whitstone and her seven brothers, abandoned by her mother, find themselves with a new stepmother. At first she seems more neglectful than evil, until just after Christmas she proves herself to be worse than evil; she is an actual magician, a Master of Water, who attempts to murder Elena's seven brothers when they are skating. When they survive that attempt by transforming into swans, she drives them away.

But the shock of having all of his heirs perish in a frozen pond is too much for Elena's father. He dies, and his widow is abruptly confronted with the inconvenient truth that the estate is entailed, and she not only must leave, she is lawfully in charge of Elena.

Furious, and possessing "only" what was gifted to her during her marriage, the stepmother retreats to Bath, to take up residence in the luxurious townhouse that was bought for her, and resume her former profession as a "Cyprian," a very exclusive courtesan, with Elena reluctantly posing as a page-boy and her servant. Nothing lasts forever, of course, and three years later, Elena is rapidly maturing too much to continue that ruse--and the stepmother is facing the ravages of time. The stepmother concocts a plan to establish an exclusive brothel and regain her wealth by selling Elena to the highest bidder.

Alone, Elena must not only find a way to save herself, but to reverse the spell that has transformed her brothers.

The latest in Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Masters series is a stand-alone romantasy based on Hans Christian Anderson’s The Wild Swans.  

My Thoughts: This eighteenth book in the Elemental Masters series is a retelling of Hans Christian Anderson's The Wild Swans. It is set during England's Regency period.

Elena Whitstone is the youngest of Lord Whitstone's children. She has seven older brothers. Their mother disappears when she is quite young leaving them in the neglectful care of their father. When he comes home from Bath with a new bride, things change for the children. 

Lord Whitstone seems besotted by his new bride who immediately banishes the children to the nursery and attempts to starve them. Luckily, the children have allies in the form of the old servants. They make many plans to escape their father and new stepmother's control. However, before they can implement any of them, their new stepmother is revealed to them as an evil mage who changes the brothers into swans and chases them from their home. 

Elena is left to her stepmother's care when her father dies of grief at the loss of his sons. The stepmother is angry to learn that the estate is entailed and that she needs to leave with only the gifts she was given during the marriage and Elena.

The stepmother travels to Bath, changes her name, and resumes her previous career as a Cyprian - an exclusive prostitute. This career is aided by her magic which lets her enthrall men. She makes Elena her tiger - a carriage boy. 

But plans change when her stepmother's latest protector - also a water mage - encourages her to open a bordello and conduct a virgin's auction with Elena as the virgin. This causes Elena to run from home where she finds herself on the estate of air mages who shelter her and help her find a way to free her brothers from their spell.

I enjoyed this story. I love the Regency setting. I liked the character of Elena who is resilient and determined. I liked the magical creatures - the sylphs - who try to help the children when the stepmother is not around. 

My only complaint is the pacing of the story. Everything gets resolved in the last two percent of the book after a long, leisurely build-up. The long, leisurely build up seemed to hit a wall where the author realized that she was at some sort of page limit and had to wrap everything up immediately. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Gutter Mage by J. S. Kelley

Gutter Mage
Author: J. S. Kelley
Publication: Gallery Books (September 21, 2021)

Description: J.S. Kelley weaves epic fantasy and hardboiled noir in this fast-paced, twisting tale of magic, mystery, and a whole lot of unruly behavior.

In a kingdom where magic fuels everything from street lamps to horseless carriages, the mage guilds of Penador wield power equal to the king himself. So when Lord Edmund’s infant son is kidnapped by the ruthless Alath Guild, he turns to the one person who’s feared by even the most magically adept: Rosalind Featherstone, a.k.a. the Gutter Mage.

But as Roz delves into the circumstances behind the child’s disappearance, she uncovers an old enemy from her traumatic past and a long-brewing plot that could lead to the death of countless innocents, as well as the complete collapse of Penadorian society itself!

My Thoughts: This epic fantasy stars Roz Featherstone. She is known as the Gutter Mage but nobody better call her that to her face. She works as a sort of private investigator in the country of Penador. 

Roz is called to the home of Lord Edmund to find his kidnapped infant son. Clues lead to the Alath Guild, one of the new mage guilds. But there are disturbing signs that an old enemy, one she thought she had killed some fifteen years earlier, wasn't quite as dead as Roz believed.

As Roz and her partner Lysander search they discover that things in Penador aren't what she always thought. Nor is she who she always thought she was. 

Teaming up with a mage from a more respectable guild, Roz and Lysander track down the infant to a mining town high in the mountains. But they learn that there never was an infant and the spirits who are harnessed to run the kingdom doing everything from lighting the streets to heating the homes aren't what she thought they were either.

This was an engaging fantasy with an intriguing main character with some anger management issues. I liked the worldbuilding. 

I bought this one September 18, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop

Turns of Fate
Author: Anne Bishop
Series: An Isle of Wyrd Novel (Book 1)
Publication: Ace (November 11, 2025)

Description: A young detective investigating crimes of the uncanny will learn that bargains can change your fate—for good or ill—in this darkly enthralling fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Others and the Black Jewels series.

Words have power. Intentions matter.

Most people come to Destiny Park for entertainment. They come to have their cards read to tell them a bit about their future. They come to walk through a beautiful park and to eat at the hotel’s restaurant. They come in the hope of catching a glimpse of the Arcana, the paranormal beings who rule the Isle of Wyrd.

But some people come to make a bargain with the Arcana—to change their fate. And some people come for dark purposes.

When Detective Beth Fahey is sent to Destiny Park to inquire about a “ghost gun,” she will begin a strange journey on which she must learn to navigate the Arcana’s unforgiving laws and dangerous attractions. Her search will draw her into seemingly impossible cases and the secrets of her own past as tensions rise between the Arcana and their human neighbors across the river.

For the Isle of Wyrd is a place where the dead ride trains to their final destinations, predators literally become prey, and seekers’ true natures are revealed in the ripples of destiny unknowingly stirred in their wakes.

Who will live? Who will die? And who will be lost in between?

My Thoughts: Anne Bishop's new fantasy begins an engaging series. Detective Beth Fahey is sent to the Isle of Wyrd to make enquiries about a "ghost gun" which caused the man who used it to injure his former girlfriend, current girlfriend, and daughter to age over 70 years and die himself. 

Beth is a new detective on a squad that deals with the Isle of Wyrd and its non-human occupants. Her first trip is not her last because, for some reason not known to her, she excites the interest of the residents. 

Engaging with the residents of Wyrd is a complex and dangerous task. These members of the Arcana have a code the everyone must abide by. She needs to always remember that words have power and intentions matter. Humans who forget or disregard that often find themselves victims. 

This is the story about some of those people who have their fates changed by the Isle of Wyrd. A woman fleeing an abuser, a gang of teenage predators, a young man who is almost the gang's victim all have their fates determined by their words and their choices. So does a man obsessed with myths and legends who is determined to explore the island. 

Along the way, Beth learns more about herself and her past as she deals with the foster parent who looks at her as a sort of cash cow and who is willing to ruin Beth's reputation if it will advance the woman's goals. But Beth has powerful protectors who have been looking after her since she was a child and who are willing to change someone's fate if it will protect Beth. 

This was a compelling story. I literally couldn't put it down until the last page was read at 5:30 AM. I loved the way the story combined current life with the fantastic. I can't wait to read it again when it is released and listen to the audiobook too. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Nameless Land by Kate Elliott

The Nameless Land
Author: Kate Elliott
Series: The Witch Roads (Book 2)
Publication: Tor Books (November 4, 2025)

Description: Surprising betrayals, surprising alliances, and surprising discoveries of heritage abound in this energetic sequel to The Witch Roads.

When the royal party finds themselves in a land they never believed they could access, it will take all of Prince Gevulin's (admittedly impressive) diplomatic skills to forge a coalition with an unlikely group of would-be allies.

Meanwhile, as Elen mourns her lost love, an unwelcome visit to the land of her birth brings back the traumatic memories of the childhood she shared with her sister.

And a surprise visit from an unwelcome family member threatens to derail the plans of multiple opposing factions.

Loyalty cannot be demanded, only won

My Thoughts: This epic fantasy is the sequel to The Witch Roads. Deputy courier Elen has been dragged into the affairs of princes. She has been swept into the retinue of Prince Gevulin who has treason in mind.

Gevulin is heading for the nameless lands in search of allies in his conspiracy to overthrow the Emperor who is his sister. He has drafted Elen as his guide not knowing that the nameless lands were lands she and her heart sister were glad to flee as young girls. Going back threatens her life and the life and safety of her young nephew who is also an apprentice warden in the party.

Elen is also mourning the loss of the being who had taken over Gevulin and the first book and then left him to complete his own mission. Gevulin wasn't supposed to remember being taken over but that part of the deal didn't work. Remembering has told him things about Elen that put her and her nephew in danger. 

But her lost love isn't quite as lost as she had thought. He is given permission by one of the prince's potential allies to take over her body which reunites the lost lovers for a while. 

This was engaging epic fantasy seen through the eyes of someone with very little social standing but quite epic powers. Elen is a woman who has a past she doesn't remember and a skill that could lead a prince to control of the empire if she can stay alive.

I liked the worldbuilding with its varied creatures. I liked the characters even the prince grew on me a bit as I got to know him as something other than a man willing to do anything to get the throne. Elen was intriguing. She was a woman who had modest goals: enough to eat nine days out of ten and a pair of good boots. She was also willing to do anything to make sure her nephew had a safe and fulfilling life. 

While this story can stand alone, it gains richness and depth by reading The Wild Roads first. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Heir of Light by Michelle Sagara

Heir of Light
Author: Michelle Sagara
Narrator: Khristine Hvam
Series: The Academia Chronicles (Book 2)
Publication: Harlequin Audio (May 27, 2025)
Length: 16 hours and 47 minutes

Description: There is always a price to be paid for power and justice.

With the Academia now awakened from its centuries-long slumber, Robin, a student who hails from a prestigious family, must own up to his destiny. As heir to the Gardianno seat, a highly coveted position within the human caste court, Robin stands to inherit great power when he assumes his birthright—but at what cost?

Under the guidance of a formidable Barrani lord named Teela, Robin wrestles with his newfound duties and the societal complexities that come with the privilege. Soon, however, it’s apparent that others feel entitled to the seat…and they’re willing to do the unthinkable in order to get it.

With Teela and his best friend, Raven, at his side, Robin is ready to battle for what is rightfully his. But when the Halls of Law consider reopening the investigation into the baffling murder of his parents, the truth could lead Robin right to the heart of danger.

My Thoughts: HEIR OF LIGHT is the second book in the Academia Chronicles. In it young Robin is under threat. He has learned that he is the heir to the Gardianno which is a repository of incomplete thoughts left over when the ancients created his world. Many see these thoughts as a source of incredible power with Robin the only thing standing in the way of using them. 

While he is safe at the Academia, he is in danger of assassination if he leaves the grounds. He would be mainly content to stay at the Academia, but the Gardianno is in need of his care. He needs a guardian because he is still a child, but the most usual guardian has already attempted to murder him. 

Robin would also like to reopen the investigation into the deaths of his parents and older siblings but according to Imperial law, human versus human crimes can only be investigated by the human caste court which has already "investigated." If there was any evidence of interference by another race, the crime could be investigated by the Hawks who are the Imperial investigative force. 

In order to pursue his goals, he needs help which leads to petitioning the dragon emperor who can assign him a more useful guardian. In this case, An'Teela of the Barani and who is very powerful herself has an interest in Robin's welfare.

This book has a mysterious guardian who has been with Robin since his mother sent him to the Warrens in an attempt to save his life and a sword of historic importance and which contains an ancient being of its own. Along with An'Teela and the chancellor of the Academia who is also a dragon, Robin will have help reclaiming his inheritance.

I enjoyed this epic fantasy. I liked the world building. 

I bought this one May 27, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Heir of Light by Michelle Sagara

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

The Academia required students. Apparently, it also required vast quantities of paperwork, much of which appeared to be stacked in teetering piles on the chancellor's desk.

Friday 56:

"Teela believes that the current activities--or the activities that involve you and your family--are tied in some fashion to the Barrani court. If this is true, it might possibly work to my advantage in the long run."

This week I am spotlighting Heir of Light by Michelle Sagara. I am a fan of her complex fantasies. Here is the description from Amazon:

There is always a price to be paid for power and justice.

With the Academia now awakened from its centuries-long slumber, Robin, a student who hails from a prestigious family, must own up to his destiny. As heir to the Gardianno seat, a highly coveted position within the human caste court, Robin stands to inherit great power when he assumes his birthright—but at what cost?

Under the guidance of a formidable Barrani lord named Teela, Robin wrestles with his newfound duties and the societal complexities that come with the privilege. Soon, however, it’s apparent that others feel entitled to the seat…and they’re willing to do the unthinkable in order to get it.

With Teela and his best friend, Raven, at his side, Robin is ready to battle for what is rightfully his. But when the Halls of Law consider reopening the investigation into the baffling murder of his parents, the truth could lead Robin right to the heart of danger.

ARC Review: The Witch Roads by Kate Elliott

The Witch Roads
Author: Kate Elliott
Series: The Witch Roads (Book 1)
Publication: Tor Books (June 10, 2025)

Description: Status is hereditary, class is bestowed, trust must be earned.

When an arrogant prince (and his equally arrogant entourage) gets stuck in Orledder Halt as part of brutal political intrigue, competent and sunny deputy courier Elen―once a child slave meant to shield noblemen from the poisonous Pall―is assigned to guide him through the hills to reach his destination.

When she warns him not to enter the haunted Spires, the prince doesn’t heed her advice, and the man who emerges from the towers isn’t the same man who entered.

The journey that follows is fraught with danger. Can a group taught to ignore and despise the lower classes survive with a mere deputy courier as their guide?

My Thoughts: THE WITCH ROADS was and excellent fantasy with great worldbuilding. Elen is a Deputy Courier who walks her circuit delivering messages and watching for spores. She is lower class in a society where one's social class is defined and immutable. On the trip that begins this story, she is walking with her nephew Kem who is just seventeen and is coming up on the day when he has to declare his life career.

As a treat, Elen takes Kem a bit off the path to look at some ancient spires. Their origins are lost in the mists of history. Since they arrive on a full moon, they have a chance that they might see the haunts that legends say inhabit The Spires. And Elen does...

A being who has inhabited one of the guarding statues for a very long time appears and asks Elen to let him take over her body so that he can accomplish a vital mission. If not hers, he'd willingly take over Kem's body. Elen refuses for both of them and the pair move on toward home. 

But there is a prince of the Third Estate who comes traveling with his entourage who also has a mission. Earthquakes having covered the witch road just past Elen's home village, the prince is in need of a guide around the break and Elen is chosen. Kem is along too because he has declared to become a Warden which is a career path open to him only when he learns that he is the illegitimate son of a lord. This discovery causes friction between Elen and Kem because Elen was keeping his heritage a secret from him.

The story takes a turn when the haunt who met Elen at The Spires takes over the prince's body. Both the prince and the haunt have their own reasons for heading to the end of the world. There are adventures and villains along the way in this richly imagined fantasy. Safe paths along the witch roads keep travelers safe from the Pall that covers parts of the world like a man-eating fog and spores that turn living flesh into monsters are only a few of the perils. There is also political intrigue as princes jockey for position and allies to become the next emperor. And there are secret missions. 

Fans of fantasy with engaging characters and complex worldbuilding will enjoy this story. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson

The Wind Weaver
Author: Julie Johnson
Series: Reign of Remnants (Book 1)
Publication: Ace (April 8, 2025)

Description: Magic and adventure swirl through this spellbinding romantasy where a young woman reignites the embers of an ancient prophecy, unleashing a storm that could save her realm or doom them all.

Fear of maegic plagues war-torn Anwyvn. Halflings like Rhya Fleetwood are killed on sight. But Rhya’s execution is interrupted by an unexpected savior—one far more terrifying than her would-be killers. The mysterious and mercenary Commander Scythe. In the clutches of this new enemy, Rhya finds herself fighting for her life in the barren reaches of the Northlands. Yet the farther she gets from home, the more she learns that nothing is as it seems—not her fearsome captor, not the blight that ravages her dying realm, not even herself.

For Rhya is no ordinary halfling. The strange birthmark on her chest and the wind she instinctively calls forth means she is a Remnant, one of four souls scattered across Anwyvn, fated to restore the balance of maegic…or die trying.

But mastering the power inside her is only the beginning. Desire for the Commander—a man she can never trust, a man with plans of his own—burns just as fiercely as the tempests beating against her rib cage for release. Rhya must choose: smother the flames…or let them consume her.

My Thoughts: THE WIND WEAVER begins a new fantasy series. Given that fact, it should also be noted that the book ends on a cliffhanger. 

Rhya Fleetwood is rescued by a man who is named by those around him as Commander Scythe. He shows up at an opportune moment since she has been captured by soldiers and is on the verge of being executed for being half fae. 

Cammander Scythe throws her on the back of his horse like a sack of grain and hauls her off to an unknown destination. He barely speaks to her and doesn't answer any of her questions about where he is taking her or why until they reach their mysterious destination in the Northlands.

Once there, Rhya learns that the strange birthmark on her chest means that she is one of four fated Remnants who are prophesied to be able to cure the ills of the land which began when humans overthrew and massacred all the fae they could find. The human population is still hunting down and killing any fae or half fae that they can find and the land is blighted and getting more blighted every day while the humans divide the lands among more and more ineffective kings. 

Rhya learns that she is the third Remnant to have been found. Water is King Soren of Llyr who has quite a reputation for brutality among the humans. Fire is Prince Pendefyre who has been masquerading as Commander Scythe and who has been traveling the human lands in search of the Air Remnant who happens to by Rhya. 

But before they can search out the Earth Remnant, they need to deal with an enemy who wants to capture Rhya for her maegic and conquer all the fae in the Northlands. And Rhya has to learn to use her Air powers - powers she didn't even know she had.

It doesn't help that Rhya thinks she is falling for Penn who isn't willing to do anything because of his bad experiences with the previous Air Remnant.

This was an entertaining Epic Fantasy that hits a lot of the tropes of the genre. I enjoyed it and will be looking to continue that story as further books are published. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

A Drop of Corruption
Author: Robert Jackson Bennett
Series: Shadow of the Leviathan (Book 2)
Publication: Del Rey (April 1, 2025)

Description: The eccentric detective Ana Dolabra matches wits with a seemingly omniscient adversary in this brilliant fantasy-mystery from the author of The Tainted Cup.

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, a Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—vanishing from a room within a heavily guarded tower, its door and windows locked from the inside.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial detective, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Ana soon discovers that they are investigating not a disappearance but a murder—and one of surpassing cunning, carried out by an opponent who can pass through warded doors like a ghost.

Worse still, the killer may be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud, where the Empire harvests fallen titans for the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.

Din has seen his superior solve impossible cases before. But as the death toll grows and their quarry predicts each of Ana’s moves with uncanny foresight, he fears that she has at last met an enemy she can’t defeat.

My Thoughts: This was an amazing epic fantasy mystery with complex worldbuilding. Dinios Kolhas been chosen as the investigator for the mysterious Ana Dolabra. He was somewhat disappointed to be assigned to the Justice Department when he would prefer to be part of the Legion battling the magical leviathans that descend on the empire each year. Justice doesn't seem to have the rewards or the glory that serving on the Wall has. 

This newest case has Ana and Din traveling to Yarrowdale. It is on the outskirts of the Empire and still not part of it though an agreement will have the kingdom join the empire in just a few short years. Yarrowdale is a crucial site for the empire though. It is the place where the bodies of slain leviathans are taken so that their magic can be extracted and used for many things that keep the empire going. 

At first the case seems simple if slightly baffling. A treasure official who has come to discuss details of the adopting of Yarrowdale into the empire has disappeared from his locked tower room. Then parts of his body are discovered leagues from where he disappeared deepening the mystery. 

The disappearance of the official is just the tip of a very big iceberg that could threaten the empire itself if Ana and Din can dig to the bottom of the case quickly. 

This was an excellent story filled with plot twists and complexity. I enjoyed learning more about Ana and watching Din come to his own conclusions about what his future role should be. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Breaking the Dark by Lisa Jewell

Breaking the Dark
Author: Lisa Jewell
Series: A Jessica Jones Marvel Crime Novel
Publication: Hyperion Avenue (July 2, 2024)

Description: In her most imaginative novel yet, #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell (None of This Is True) launches the Marvel Crime series of thriller books for adults with an original story starring the private detective Jessica Jones.

Meet Jessica Jones: Retired super hero, private investigator, loner. She tried her best to be a shiny spandex crimefighter, but that life only led to unspeakable trauma. Now she avoids that world altogether and works on surviving day-to-day in Hell’s Kitchen, New York.

The morning a distraught mother comes into her office, Jessica would prefer to nurse her hangover and try to forget last night’s poor choices. But something about Amber Randall’s story strikes a chord with her. Amber is adamant that something happened to her teenage twins while they were visiting their father in the UK. The twins don’t act like themselves, and they now have flawless skin, have lost their distinctive tics and habits, and keep talking about a girl named Belle. Amber insists her children have been replaced by something horrible, something “perfect.”

Traveling to a small village in the British countryside, Jessica meets the mysterious Belle, who lives a curiously isolated life in an old farmhouse with a strange woman who claims to be her guardian. Can this unworldly teenager really be responsible for the Randall twins’ new personas? Why does the strange little village of Barton Wallop seem to harbor dark energies and mysteries in its tight-knit community?

A mother’s intuition is never wrong. And Jessica knows that nothing in life is perfect—not these kids, not her on-again, off-again relationship with Luke Cage, and certainly not Jessica herself. But even as she tries to buy into the idea that better days are ahead, Jessica Jones has seen all too clearly that behind every promise of perfection trails a dark, dangerous shadow.

Breaking the Dark, the first book in the brand-new Marvel Crime series, introduces fans to a grittier, street-level side of the Marvel Universe, and will continue with original novels featuring fan-favorite characters like Luke Cage, written by S.A. Cosby, and Daredevil, written by Alex Segura. Marvel Crime novels build on one another but do not require in-depth familiarity with Marvel or the other books in the series.

My Thoughts: Jessica Jones has given up her life as a superhero. After unspeakable trauma, she's living in Hell's Kitchen, drinking too much and trying to make her living as a private investigator. She's also worried that she might be pregnant.

When a distraught mother comes to hire her to find out why the teenage twins she sent away to visit their father in England have come back changed. Now they are like zombies who have become perfect. 

Jessica takes the job and finds herself in a small English village that was once the site of a horrible tragedy. The twins' father is renovating a house built on the site of the tragedy. He has a mysterious new girlfriend. When Jessica tracks down the young girl who became the twins' friend while they were in England, she finds herself swept up into a situation where someone is trying to make her perfect goo. 

Interspersed with this main story are flashbacks to an immortal woman who falls in love with a serial killer obsessed with blood and a young woman who wants to gain fame and make her fortune by making an app that makes the user's all perfect too. 

I came into this story knowing nothing about the Marvel Universe and nothing about Jessica Jones or her backstory. I had questions after I began this one and consulted wikipedia for some answers. Anyone who already knows about the Universe will find that this story fits right into the canon and adds depth to Jessica's story.

I really enjoyed the book both for the science fictional aspects and the underlying question of what it means to be a mother and what being a mother can cost. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.