magic

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.

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.

August 31, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle New Adult Romance 0

The Incredible Kindness of Paper

by Evelyn Skye

coming August 12, 2025

(4.5 / 5)

Thank you to Atria Books, Emily Bestler Books, and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

This was such a heartwarming story! I loved the idea of Chloe’s origami roses, a random act of kindness that ended up bringing so many people together who were struggling or lonely. Everything was interconnected so intricately, and I enjoyed Chloe and Oliver’s story. Some aspects of the book are a bit magical, with flowers mysteriously appearing for certain people, but it worked well the way it was written. It had this feeling of fate, like an invisible string holding things together. This was a story that just left me feeling happy and hopeful. I really enjoyed reading it and would love to read it again in the future!

August 7, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Romance Women's Fiction 0

A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement

by Julia Huni

coming August 5, 2025

(3.5 / 5)

A special “thank you” to author Julia Huni for providing a free review copy of this book! All opinions are completely my own.

This was a cozy fantasy with a quaint small-town setting. It also had a sweet, spice-free romance that developed. I liked how descriptive the story was, allowing me to easily visualize this world. It almost felt like a fairy tale the way it was written, with a variety of magical beings. I especially liked the water dragons! There wasn’t necessarily anything that was shocking or surprising in the story, but sometimes it’s nice to have something that doesn’t bring a ton of drama. And there were still some exciting scenes to keep things interesting! It was fun to meet William and Cala, who were both likable characters. I liked to see how they each adapted to “normal” life after fighting in a war for many years. Some of the side characters were a lot of fun too!

July 23, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Soul of Shadow

by Emma Noyes

coming July 29, 2025

(4 / 5)

Review updated: February 16, 2026

*Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, and NetGalley for the free review copies of this book and audiobook. All opinions are completely my own.*

Soul of Shadow is the first book in a new series that brings us to a town in Michigan where teens are mysteriously disappearing. Our main character, Charlie finds herself drawn to a new boy in town who has some very dark secrets.

This book drew me in right from the start with its mysterious, eerie feel and detailed descriptions. It ends up diving into a lot of Norse mythology, which I was only somewhat familiar with before. I enjoyed the magical beings and hidden world that were revealed. Elias, the new boy, was an intriguing character with a magnetic pull, especially when it came to him and Charlie. He was one of those characters who you wanted to love and hate at the same time. The story took some unexpected turns a few times. Sometimes I started to piece things together a bit before they were revealed, but other times I didn’t see it coming at all. I enjoy it when things are unpredictable. The book ends without feeling completely finished, or at least with a feeling that there are mysteries that we can dive deeper into. It definitely left me wanting to continue with the series – I look forward to continuing when the next book becomes available.

For my 2nd time reading the book, I was able to listen to the audiobook version. I really enjoyed the audiobook and think that the narrator did a fantastic job. I’m really happy that the next book will have the same narrator!

July 9, 2025 by danimae1981 Audiobook Fantasy Fiction Kindle Romance Young Adult 0

The Last Wizards’ Ball

Gunnie Rose #6

by Charlaine Harris

coming July 22, 2025

(3.5 / 5)

Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for the free review copy of this book! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

The Last Wizards’ Ball is the 6th (and I believe final) book in the Gunnie Rose series, so you’ll want to be sure to read the previous books before this one. I’ve generally loved this series, though the last two books seem to be my least favorite.

This book kept my interest well enough. Like the other books in the series, there’s plenty of drama and mystery, though it felt less adventurous than some of the other books. Since the story centers around the Wizards’ Ball, a lot of new characters from around the world are introduced, and sometimes I had a little trouble keeping track of who was who. We get to see many returning characters as well, though I felt much less of a connection to Felicia than I had before. A major plot-point of this story was the lead-up to World War II. In some ways it was interesting to see how those events might play out in this alternate history, but sometimes it also felt a bit forced. Honestly I wasn’t thrilled with how things ended after the long journey with these characters, but I also wasn’t completely surprised. All in all I’m glad to have followed this series all the way through.

June 18, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle 0