magic

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!

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.

December 15, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

The House Saphir

by Marissa Meyer

coming November 4, 2025

(4 / 5)

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

This book is a retelling of Bluebeard, which I honestly wasn’t at all familiar with. You don’t need any background knowledge to enjoy the story. From reading summaries I can definitely see the roots of this story, but it’s different enough that already being familiar with Bluebeard shouldn’t spoil anything.

I enjoyed this book and thought it did a good job giving a spooky and mysterious feel. Sometimes the first half felt a little slow, but it was fun to see how all the pieces started to fit together as we got farther into the story. I was making a bunch of my own theories along the way, some of which I got right. Other times I was caught completely off guard. The action really picked up toward the end, which kept me invested in the story and unable to put it down. I was happy with the way things progressed through the story and how it ended. I’m reminded why I enjoy this author’s work so much!

October 30, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

The Weaver Bride

by Lydia Gregovic

coming September 30, 2025

(4.5 / 5)

Thank you to Random House Children’s Books, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Weaver Bride! All thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

I really enjoyed it this book! I was a bit unsure in the beginning but then got caught up into the story and didn’t want to put it down. The atmosphere of this book was incredibly immersive, with intricate writing and lots of detail. I enjoyed the characters, especially since so many were morally gray. I was constantly wondering who I could trust, especially with multiple betrayals along the way. Our protagonist, Lovett, had a lot of spark to her, and I enjoyed her determination. A forbidden romance brews, with a lot of intensity and tension between the characters. They really pushed each others’ buttons, but it just worked well. I think my favorite thing about this book was that it was filled with mysteries. I was constantly guessing and making theories, yet I was still shocked about how it ended. While most plot points were resolved by the end, it was open ended enough that I am not ready for this story to be over yet. I sure hope this book was the start of a series!

September 14, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

Wild Reverence

Letters of Enchantment #0

by Rebecca Ross

coming September 2, 2025

(4 / 5)

I want to thank Saturday Books, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

I really loved Divine Rivals, so I was excited to receive an ARC of this prequel. Honestly, this one didn’t quite live up to my high expectations, though it was still a good read. It takes place hundreds of years earlier and focuses heavily on the gods, so it just has a different feel from the other books. At times the book felt like it was dragging and longer than it needed to be, but things seemed to pick up as I got farther into the story. The romance was very slow burn, but I did enjoy it. The book had a lot of ups and downs with a mix of action/excitement and very sad moments. I was satisfied with how it ended, though the very end almost felt a bit anticlimactic. I think Wild Reverence is worth reading if you enjoyed the other Letters of Enchantment books, especially if you are interested in learning more about the gods and their backstory.