Fantasy

The Demon and the Light

The Floating World #2

by Axie Oh

coming October 21, 2025

(4.5 / 5)

Thank you to MacMillan Children’s Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book. All opinions are completely my own.

The Demon and the Light is the 2nd book in The Floating World duology and picks up shortly after the first book ends. I really enjoyed reading this book and continuing the story. Our main characters had some tough challenges to overcome, and I liked how they grew and evolved through it all. Ren and Sunho felt very relatable, and I loved the dynamic between them. It was great to see the return of many of the side characters, and I think I especially enjoyed getting to know Wook better. The story had a lot of action and excitement throughout it. I managed to find myself pretty surprised about things a few times too. My only complaint is that the ending seemed to happen very quickly and maybe not quite as dramatically as I thought it would. I think I would have liked to know a little more about what happens to the characters in the epilogue, but I’m happy enough with the way things ended and feel like most of my questions were answered. Maybe I just wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to these characters after enjoying the series so much. I really like the author’s writing and vivid descriptions, and I look forward to reading more of her books!

The Floating World

by Axie Oh

coming April 29, 2025

(4.5 / 5)

The Floating World is the first book in a new young adult fantasy series. It brings us to a unique world where a land mass is floating above an entire city that is left in darkness.

At first I was a little unsure about this book. There’s a lot going on in the beginning, with getting introduced to this strange world and learning about various characters. But the more I read, the more invested I became in the story. It was amazing how many things ended up being interconnected, almost like pieces of a puzzle coming together. This world definitely had some dystopian vibes to it too.

Our main characters are Ren and Sunho, who each have something they are searching for and end up finding each other. I loved these characters and felt like they had a lot of depth to them. Their interactions with each other were something I really enjoyed. Some chapters also follow a 3rd character, which gave us another angle to see things.

The book brings up a variety emotions. There’s action and excitement, friendships built, and some really sad parts too. I especially enjoyed the mysterious feel it had. The book ends a bit dramatically with some questions still left unanswered and issues unresolved. I’m looking forward to the next book coming later this year, because I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for the free ARC copy of The Floating World! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

February 21, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

The Encanto’s Curse

The Encanto’s Daughter #2

By Melissa de la Cruz

Coming March 4, 2025

(4 / 5)

The Encanto’s Curse is the 2nd book in the The Encanto’s Daughter duology and takes place a few months after the first book left off. I found this story had a similar feel to the first one, though it had more romance involved. I’m not sure if I was completely a fan of the love triangle aspect, but it added a bit of mystery about how who she would end up with (though I had a pretty good idea of how that would go). I thought the ties to Filipino folklore were interesting, with the manananggal sounding downright terrifying. The book definitely didn’t lack in action and excitement, so it kept me engaged and interested in the story. I was happy with how this series ended and liked that there were some directions the plot went that I didn’t see coming.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Encanto’s Curse! All opinions are completely my own and voluntary.

February 7, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

His Mortal Demise

The Last Bloodcarver #2

By Vanessa Le

Coming March 18, 2025

(5 / 5)

His Mortal Demise is the 2nd book in The Last Bloodcarver duology, and you definitely want to read these books in order. I’ll apologize in advance that my review will be a bit on the vague side, but I want to avoid spoilers for those who haven’t read the first book yet.

This book follows the perspectives of two different characters in different points in time. From the start we know that something miraculous has happened, and while one character tries to figure out what happened, we follow the other character through the months leading up to it. This all gave the story a mysterious feel, and it sometimes took directions that I wasn’t expecting at all. I’m not going to lie, there could be a very dark feel to this story at times, with grief, war, sacrifice, and questioning morals along the way. But there was also substantial character growth that was beautiful to watch. I’m glad that we were able to see many of the characters from the first book again and explore even more of this interesting fictional world. The last chunk of the book was especially packed with action and almost had a cinematic feel to it. And let’s not forget the absolute rollercoaster of emotions I experienced along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed both books in this duology, and I look forward to seeing more from author Vanessa Le in the future.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press, and NetGalley for the free review copy of His Mortal Demise! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

January 11, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

Our Infinite Fates

By Laura Steven

Coming March 4, 2025

(3.5 / 5)

Our Infinite Fates had an interesting premise: two people, originally known as Evelyn and Arden, are fated to be reincarnated and find each other in every lifetime for hundreds of years, but each time one ends up killing the other before they turn 18. In present day Wales, Evelyn is determined to break the curse this time so she can save her ill sister.

From the beginning, I was drawn to the beautiful descriptions the book provided. Much of the story is set in the present day, but every couple chapters we visit a previous lifetime of Evelyn and Arden’s, gradually going farther back in time. It was interesting to see how their lives changed through different times, genders, and parts of the world yet other aspects of them stayed very similar. At times the book did feel a bit long and tedious – present-day Evelyn is repeatedly trying to understand why both of them must die before they turn 18, and while the past lives provide more variety, we know how it’s always going to end. Things do pick up a lot toward the end, and I was actually surprised how it all originated. As expected, this book had a lot of sad moments, though I was happy with the way it ended.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the free review copy of Our Infinite Fates! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

December 31, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

The Beasts We Bury

By D. L. Taylor

Coming February 4, 2025

(4 / 5)

The Beasts We Bury is a young adult fantasy story that follows Mancella, an heir to the throne who has the magical ability to summon animals, but only after she has killed them. We also follow Silver, a thief who has been tasked with infiltrating the castle and deceiving Mancella. Things become complicated as the two get to know each other better.

I really enjoyed this book and thought both of the main characters were likable. They each had distinct personalities that were relatable. There were some interesting side characters, and Mancella’s father was a special kind of evil that made him quite a villain. I thought the magic in this world felt different and unique from other books I’ve read. Mancella’s magic could definitely be hard to read about at times since it involves killing animals, but I could also feel her despair about it all. I liked the relationship between Mancella and Silver, feeling it was believable and enough to create tension without being the focus of the story. I’m not sure if this book is the beginning of a series, but I’d definitely like to dive back into this world if it were.

I was able to listen to the audiobook version, which I thought was done very well. There were two narrators to represent the two main characters. I thought both narrators did a great job at representing the emotions and personalities of both characters.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, and NetGalley for the free audiobook copy of The Beasts We Bury! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

November 26, 2024 by danimae1981 Audiobook Fantasy Fiction Young Adult 0

The Notorious Virtues

By Alwyn Hamilton

Coming April 1, 2025

(5 / 5)

In a world where magic is real and history reads like a fairy tale, the heiress to the most powerful family is murdered, initiating a set of trials to determine the next heiress.

In The Notorious Virtues, we follow the perspectives of four very different characters: Nora – the presumed next heiress of the Holtzfall family who appears to just be a spoiled brat; Lotte – an orphan deserted at a convent who discovers she’s not only part of the Holtzfall family, but a contender at being the next heiress; Theo – a knight whose family has a blood oath to protect the Holtzfall family; and August – a young journalist hoping to break a big story so he can have a better life.

I’ll be honest, it took me a bit to get into this book, I think because on the surface Nora seemed so unlikeable. But as I continued on, Nora’s character grew on me, and I enjoyed getting to know the other main characters better as well. The story had a lot of depth to it and went in directions that I often didn’t expect or see coming, keeping me guessing until the end. There were complicated relationships and challenges that characters had to face. It was interesting to see the social hierarchy, battles for power, and political atmosphere from the different perspectives, and there were so many intricacies to it all that made it feel like so much more than a typical young adult story. It appears that this book is the first in a series. I’m honestly not sure where this story is heading from here, but wherever it is, I’m looking forward to it.

Thank you to Penguin Teen and BookishFirst for the free review copy of The Notorious Virtues! All opinions are completely my own.

November 12, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Paperback Young Adult 0

A Cruel Thirst

By Angela Montoya

Coming December 17, 2024

(4 / 5)

Lalo has been turned into a vampire, but he is determined to undo the curse and not lose his humanity. Carolina wants to hunt vampires with the rest of her family, but her parents would rather arrange a marriage and life of safety for her. Will the two be able to work together to rid the world of vampires?

I enjoyed reading A Cruel Thirst. It integrates a lot of common vampire lore while also providing explanations for its origins, stemming back to gods and the first vampire. I liked both of the main characters, with Lalo being rather dramatic and terrible at being a vampire while Carolina was strong, spirited, and independent. The relationship that develops between them had the right amount of push and pull to keep it believable and interesting. I thought the Latino background of the characters was enhanced with the use of Spanish words throughout the story, but in a way that someone who doesn’t know the language can still understand the meaning. Overall, I felt that this story was done really well, and I look forward to reading more by the author.

Thank you to Random House Children’s, Joy Revolution, and NetGalley for the free review copy of A Cruel Thirst! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

October 13, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

Sunderworld, Vol. I: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry

By Ransom Riggs

Coming August 27, 2024

(4 / 5)

Seventeen-year-old Leopold “Larry” Berry is completely average. After losing his mother when he was twelve, Leopold became obsessed with a TV show he found on VHS with his mother’s things. But then he begins to see strange things from the world in the show, Sunder. Is he losing his mind, or does Sunder actually exist?

Sunderworld, Vol. I was my introduction to author Ransom Riggs, and I was impressed at how readable the book felt. I’m not the fastest reader, but I felt like I was flying through this one. Leopold, the main character, felt very relatable, and I enjoyed watching him gain confidence over the course of the book. Sunder, the magical world, introduces some bizarre experiences, though entering that world wasn’t as strange as I thought it might be. I enjoyed the sense of adventure and mystery this book brought, with a decent amount of action along the way. I did feel like the book ended somewhat abruptly, leaving most things that were going on unresolved. I still have so many questions! I think this was a strong start to a new series, and this first book left me anxious to find out what will happen next.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, Dutton Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for the free review copy of Sunderworld, Vol. I: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

August 7, 2024 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

This Will Be Fun

By E. B. Asher

Coming September 10, 2024

(3.5 / 5)

Ten years ago, four heroes saved the realm, an event that is joyously celebrated by the Queendom… except for the heroes themselves. After losing their leader in the battle, the remaining three heroes split on bad terms. Now the queen is getting married, and the heroes must face each other again for the event.

I had a hard time getting into this book. It’s more character driven than plot driven, which wasn’t quite what I was expecting. For the first half, it felt like not a lot was happening, and there was a lot of eluding to past events without completely revealing what exactly happened (until around the 40% mark). Things did pick up a bit maybe around the halfway mark, but I wasn’t really feeling either of the romances. The magic in this world led to a lot of modern-world parallels – chain coffee shops, riding sharing, tabloids, social media, video streaming, etc. It made the story a bit quirky, though for me this magic almost felt a little too convenient at times. In the end, this book didn’t capture my interest as well as I thought it would, but I could see how others might really enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager for the free review copy of This Will Be Fun! All opinions in my review are completely my own.