magic

The Heart Trials

by J. Elle

coming September 1, 2026

(4 / 5)

I’ve been a big fan of dystopian fiction for years, so when I read the description of The Heart Trials, I knew it was a book I wanted to read. I could feel how dire things were in this world after only reading a few sentences. The descriptions throughout the story were great, especially when it came to the emotions Axira, the FMC, was feeling. It was like I could feel it too. I liked Axira as a character and really liked Caelus too. There were a lot of characters to keep track of at times, but the author did a decent job of leaving clues so I could keep them all straight. There’s quite a bit of action along the way, and it really kept me engaged with the story. It could get quite dark, brutal, and sad at times, but it all felt very fitting. I will admit that there were a few things along the way that I wish were explained better since I was a bit confused by them, but some of that could also be me overthinking it. The story ends pretty abruptly, and I still have so many questions – I would definitely like to read the sequel when it comes out.

Thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of The Heart Trials! All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

Prince of the Sun

by Emma Noyes

coming August 4, 2026

(4 / 5)

I have enjoyed reading books by the author, Emma Noyes, in the past, so I was excited to received an ARC copy of her new book, Prince of the Sun! The book was very easy to get into, and it kept my interest well until the end. I liked how the beginning of the book balanced explanations of the world and past events with what was currently happening for Quinn. It really immersed me into the world. I liked the sense of mystery it brought while Quinn tried to figure out why the elves had come to Earth and what they were searching for. The ties to linguistics was interesting, even though I don’t know a whole lot about the topic. By the end there’s a lot of high stakes action that kept me on the edge of my seat. And don’t forget the romance… the book really was a great blend of different genres. Speaking of the romance, I really enjoyed the interactions between Quinn and Daerios, with some good banter and tension. I think my biggest disappointment was that there were some questions I had that were never answered by the end. It’s very possible that this wouldn’t bother other readers at all, but I guess I’m just curious. For the most part though, the book wrapped up pretty nicely for a standalone fantasy.

Many thanks to the author for providing a free review copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

June 21, 2026 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle New Adult Romance 0

Soulmates

by David Wilson

coming August 4, 2026

(4 / 5)

Soulmates turned out to be an interesting read. It starts out when the characters are younger but quickly moves ahead to when they are high school seniors. Despite being a bit unsure about this one at first, I found that I really ended up getting drawn in. I ended up staying up past my bedtime because there was no way I could put it down without seeing how it would end! I thought the use of 2 different styles of artwork worked well and really set the mood for the darker parts. Kit and Emma were both characters that I liked and related to. I thought it was a nice touch that their internal thoughts were in different colors, so it was easy to tell who was thinking what.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press, and NetGalley for the free review copy of this graphic novel. All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

June 1, 2026 by danimae1981 Comics/Graphic Novels eBook Fiction Romance Young Adult 0

Dreams of Ruin

Soul of Shadow #3

by Emma Noyes

coming November 17, 2026

(4.5 / 5)

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

Dreams of Ruin is the 3rd and final book in the Soul of Shadow series, and the books should definitely be read in order. I enjoyed the first two books, so I was really excited when I was able to get the advance copy of book 3. I’m happy to say that it didn’t disappoint, and I think it turned out to be my favorite book in the series! It just sucked me right in, and I couldn’t put it down. Scenes were beautifully described, and some almost felt like watching a movie. There were parts that even felt a bit like reading a fairy tale. Plenty of action along the way kept things exciting. I really liked seeing Charlie’s character develop in this book beyond what she already had in the first 2 books. I also loved getting some chapters from Elias’s point of view. The romance in this series has always had a magnetic pull to it, but in this one it felt downright electric. The book managed to surprise me multiple times while I was reading it, yet everything fit together really well. I can’t wait to read more by this author!

May 13, 2026 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

The Demonic Inventions of Aurelie Blake

by Mara Rutherford

coming April 14, 2026

(3 / 5)

Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley for providing a free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

I’m so conflicted about this book… I enjoyed the first 75-80% of it and considered it a pretty solid 4 star read. But as I got closer to the end, I started to get frustrated with the direction things were going. The premise of demons appearing whenever something was created was unique, and I was curious to learn more about it. But at times I ended up feeling a bit confused by it and how it all came to be. The romance had tension and I was liking it, but then it started to feel like it was just moving way too fast, with Aurelie and Des acting in ways that didn’t seem to line up with what we knew of their characters previously. Honestly, I started to question what they saw in each other beyond a physical attraction. And speaking of out of character, there’s so much emphasis about Aurelie being really smart, yet sometimes she was frustratingly oblivious. There’s a pretty big reveal toward the end, which I had figured out long before that, and I found it hard to believe that Aurelie didn’t. Meanwhile, I had other questions that I was hoping to finally see explained, but they never were. I know this is the start of a series, so I’m not surprised that it leaves off with a bit of a cliffhanger and things still left to explore, but I was left underwhelmed enough with the ending that I’m not sure if I’ll continue on. Don’t get me wrong, this wasn’t a bad book that I had a hard time finishing or anything like that. I guess it just didn’t quite go in the direction I was hoping it would.

March 8, 2026 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

Deathly Fates

by Tesla Tsai

coming April 14, 2026

(4 / 5)

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book! All opinions about the book are completely my own.

When I first started reading this book, I have to admit I was a bit unsure about it. I wasn’t feeling very connected to the characters and also didn’t feel like there was much world building at first. I’m really glad I stuck with it though. It’s funny, because it was one of those books that just sneaks up on you, and suddenly I realized just how invested I’d become and how attached to the characters I was.

The story was heavily rooted in Chinese folklore, introducing me to things that I wasn’t at all familiar with before. Since it revolved a lot around death, it did have a lot of sad undertones, but I also found it left me with feelings of hope. There were recurring themes about seeking justice and things not always being what they appeared to be on the surface. It had some really insightful messages. Our main characters had their flaws but really did learn and grow. I liked the dynamic between Ren and Siying and thought it was very sweet. The romance wasn’t front and center but enjoyable to watch amidst the adventure and thrills of the story. The book had some plot reveals that really ended up surprising me along the way too! In the end I really enjoyed this debut book and look forward to seeing more from the author.

February 23, 2026 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

Heart of Mischief

Soul of Shadow #2

by Emma Noyes

coming March 10, 2026

(4 / 5)

First off, I want to thank St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, and NetGalley for free review copies of the digital book and audiobook. All opinions about the book are completely my own.

I was really excited to be able to be able to listen to the audiobook version of this book! Emily Pike Stewart, who narrated Soul of Shadow, did a fantastic job of narrating this book as well. I loved how expressive it was, and how each character had a different voice.

Heart of Mischief continues the story from Soul of Shadow, taking place about 3 weeks later. I enjoyed reading this book as much as the first one, and thought it had a similar feel. There was plenty of excitement with a fast pace, and it held my interest well. I loved the tension and banter between Elias and Charlie. Honestly, I was getting some very strong Vampire Diaries vibes while reading this book, and Elias reminded me a lot of Damon Salvatore. Elias is one of those characters that you don’t know if you should love or hate him. I was actually never quite sure if I could trust multiple characters from this book, and some of my hunches turned out to be right. Things ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I look forward to seeing where this story goes next. This book really builds a lot of anticipation for book 3!

February 18, 2026 by danimae1981 Audiobook Fantasy Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

The Beasts We Raise

The Broken Citadel #2

by D. L. Taylor

coming February 24, 2026

(4 / 5)

First off, thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Henry Holt and Co., and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Beasts We Raise! All opinions are completely my own.

The Beasts We Raise takes place several months after the first book left off and continues the story of Mance and Silver. While I didn’t like this book quite as much as the first one, I still enjoyed reading it. It had a different feel to it, maybe partially because it centered around Mance’s new ability. She just felt a bit stripped down, but ultimately it was intentional something that led to character growth. I wasn’t expecting the addition of some new points of view, but I really enjoyed seeing those perspectives. I liked the themes of acceptance and facing fears that the book dived into. Things often felt pretty dire and I wondered how the story could possibly have a happy ending. I was hoping for a bit more closure out of the ending, but I was still happy enough with the direction things went.

January 14, 2026 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

Carnival Fantástico

by Angela Montoya

coming February 3, 2026

(4.5 / 5)

Thank you to Random House Children’s Books, Joy Revolution, and NetGalley for the free review copy of Carnival Fantástico! All opinions about the book are completely my own.

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was very immersive and pulled me in easily. I could just feel the desperation of the main characters from the start. It felt like the stakes were high. The book really captured the circus setting, with magic and wonder but also an unsettling feeling. There was plenty of action, tension, and a sense of mystery that kept me wanting to read right to the end. I also enjoyed the romance, though I wish the characters could’ve worked through the issues from their past faster. I really liked seeing their letters from when they were growing up, showing how their original relationship developed. I thought the variety of side characters were interesting and really brought the story to life. This was the 2nd book I’ve read by the author, and I’ll definitely be seeking out more in the future!

January 8, 2026 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

The Swan’s Daughter

A Possibly Doomed Love Story

by Roshani Chokshi

coming January 6, 2026

(3 / 5)

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

I’m sure this book has its audience, but honestly it wasn’t my cup of tea. It felt slow and took a long time to get to the part of the plot I was expecting. I did enjoy the world building and descriptive nature, and at first it had me feeling like I was reading a fairy tale. As I read more, though, I started to lose interest, and then I never really recovered from that. The author’s style felt verbose to me, and I think sometimes I got lost in the words and missed what they were actually trying to say. The romance in the book wasn’t really what I was expecting or hoping for either. In the end, the book had its moments that I enjoyed, but it wasn’t really for me.