Review: When the Tides Held the Moon, by Venessa Vida Kelley

Benigno “Benny” Caldera knows an orphaned Boricua blacksmith in 1910s New York City can’t call himself an artist. But the ironwork tank he creates for famed Coney Island playground, Luna Park, astounds the eccentric sideshow proprietor who commissioned it. He invites Benny to join the show’s eclectic cast and share in their shocking secret: the tank will cage their newest exhibit, a live merman stolen from the salty banks of the East River.
More than a mythic marvel, Benny soon comes to know the merman Río as a kindred spirit, wise and more compassionate than any human he’s ever met. Despite their different worlds, what begins as a friendship of necessity deepens to love, leading Benny’s heart into uncharted waters where he can no longer ignore the agonizing truth of Río’s captivity—and his own.

"Ain't no being free on the outside if you ain't free on the inside." 

Venessa Vida Kelley's When the Tides Held the Moon is a gorgeous historical achillean romantasy, featuring a merman in captivity and the orphan tasked to build him a cage. This lovely standalone deals with issues of self-discovery and oppression while portraying a tender love story and exploring with care the life of the so-called circus “freaks” of the time. The author's beautiful illustrations enrich the experience.

We stay mostly with Benigno's PoV, though Río gets a few very short chapters told in a lyrical voice. Theirs is a story of fierce resilience and terrible loneliness, but they'll find comfort in each other and, perhaps, in the large and rather queer found family of the circus. The cast is varied and well-developed, although the main villain feels a bit cartoony, and their struggles feel real and important. The author clearly did her research, and it shows.

Mermaids lore is expanded with intriguing beats; the writing is very down-to-earth, peppered with many idioms and colloquialisms from languages other than English. Comprehension is helped by a helpful glossary at the end of the book. The novel is perfectly self-contained thanks to its bittersweet ending, although some steps seem to be missing. It's still a beautiful tale.

When the Tides Held the Moon is a gorgeous reflection.

✨ 4.5 stars

 

Review: Lady Dragon, by A.M. Strickland

 

Samansa and Kirek are two new leaders coming of age in war-scarred lands—Samansa a reluctant human princess and Kirek the favored contender for the draconic queenship. Per tradition, Kirek must undergo the distasteful task of using a mysterious gem called the Heartstone to shift into human form and maintain the strained ties between the species . . . and study human weaknesses, a new and secret task she’s been given by her queen. As the princess and the dragon girl grow closer, they are sent to investigate a potential breach of the treaty and encounter a plot that could reignite an even bloodier war. While fighting to maintain the peace their ancestors fought for and uncovering centuries-old secrets, Samansa and Kirek must grapple with betraying their clashing nations . . . or their unexpected feelings for each other.

"We are not an abomination. We are a marvel." 

A.M. Strickland's Lady Dragon is a YA sapphic romantasy with shifter dragons; a standalone adventure with tightly woven plot, it deals with issues of gender expectation and betrayal. The romance, while sweet and all-encompassing, is quite rushed, but the twists and turns make up for it somewhat, and the worldbuilding shines, especially in the sections dealing with dragons. The author doesn't shy away from making a complex and alien society, with its rules and customs.

The political subplot doesn't shine for its originality, but it does surprise in the ruthlessness of its actors and the resolution.

Lady Dragon is a nice palate cleanser.

✨ 3.5 stars

Snippet: A Drop of Corruption, by Robert Jackson Bennett

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, an impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—abducted from his quarters while the door and windows remained locked from the inside, in a building whose entrances and exits are all under constant guard. To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial investigator, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.
Before long, Ana’s discovered that they’re not investigating a disappearance, but a murder—and that the killing was just the first chess move by an adversary who seems to be able to pass through warded doors like a ghost, and who can predict every one of Ana’s moves as though they can see the future. Din has seen Ana solve impossible cases before. But this time, with the stakes higher than ever and Ana seemingly a step behind their adversary at every turn, he fears that his superior has finally met an enemy she can’t defeat.

"Duty is thankless, invisible, Forgettable—but oh, so very necessary."

Robert Jackson Bennett's A Drop of Corruption is the highly entertaining sequel to the excellent Tainted Cup (you can read HERE my review), a glorious murder mystery following bisexual disaster Din as he assists the investigations of a brilliant and eerie Imperial detective; but it's also a deft criticism of autocracy. The worldbuilding is, as always with this author, a definite highlight, imaginative and strange, all described tersely and perfectly, with some imagery that's not for the queasy. This gorgeous mystery keeps the reader on their toes, struggling to catch up as revelations abound. One could spend hours lost in this series, in the company of these perfect Sherlock- and Watson-types; let's hope it's not going to be a trilogy, but feature more books.

✨ 4.5 stars

 

Review: As Many Souls As Stars, by Natasha Siegel

1592. Cybil Harding is a First Daughter. Cursed to bring disaster to those around her, she is trapped in a house with a mother paralyzed by grief and a father willing to sacrifice everything in pursuit of magic. Miriam Richter is a creature of shadow. Forged by the dark arts many years ago, she is doomed to exist for eternity and destined to be alone—killing mortals and consuming their souls for sustenance. Everything changes when she meets Cybil, whose soul shines with a light so bright, she must claim it for herself. She offers a bargain: she will grant Cybil reincarnation in exchange for her soul. Thus begins a dance across centuries as Miriam seeks Cybil in every lifetime to claim her prize. Cybil isn’t inclined to play by the rules, but when it becomes clear that Miriam holds the key to breaking her family curse, Cybil finds that—for the first time in her many lives—she might have the upper hand. As they circle each other, drawn together inescapably as light and dark, the bond forged between them grows stronger. In their battle for dominance, only one of them can win—but perhaps they can’t survive without each other.

"So come once again and love me." 

Natasha Siegel's As Many Souls as Stars is a stunning tale of cat and mouse, a sapphic Faustian bargain that spans centuries and three lives as reincarnation makes the chase last longer and cut deeper. Profoundly vicious and filled with hate-driven longing, this gorgeous novel pulls no punches as it asks, perhaps, what it means to be human.

The atmospheric writing lulls the reader as it depicts the many trials of women's lives in the Sixteenth and Eighteenth Century and the more supernatural threat of an obsessed being that thrives on deals. Miriam is a passionate, dangerous antagonist and love interest, her smile a sharp knife and her love perfectly toxic. Cybil handles herself well against such a foe, her intellect razor sharp and her planning careful. Theirs is a dance that can have no other ending, working perfectly.

The novel falls maybe a little short in the pacing, spending little time establishing Cybil's reincarnations, and casting unanswered questions over the workings of the process in the third act. But the gorgeously gothic atmosphere makes up for these stumbles, creating a perfectly contained novel.

As Many Souls as Stars is a lush treat.

✨ 4 stars

Review: Aurethia Rising, by Atlas Laika

 

Elio Henly has been preparing for marriage his entire life. As the Henly heir and future steward of Aurethia, he will inherit great power, including control of a lucrative trade route, and ownership of the most precious substance in the Greater Universe — Avara. The mysterious blue crystal native to Aurethia is the sole treatment for parsec sickness, an epidemic ravaging space travelers within the Greater Universe. But when he meets Cael Volkov, the charming heir of the outfitted military planet, Griea, everything he thought he knew about his homeworld, his family, and his heart is turned upside down.  Cael Volkov has been raised to conquer. Champion in the Tupinaire, commander of the Royal Reserve, and son to the mighty Legatus, Cael knows his mission is gain the Aurethian heir’s trust, learn everything he can about the forest moon, and prepare to take it by force. But the longer he spends with Elio Henly, the quiet, brilliant Aurethian prince, the more he questions everything he was taught, and begins to push back against the rhetoric seeded in him by a lust for vengeance.

"How does one undo a lifetime of inequity?" 

Atlas Laika's Aurethia Rising is a queer sci-fi romance that works perfectly as a standalone, but it's actually first in a series that promises to be explosive. Teeming with political maneuvers and betrayal, this stunning space opera takes more than a little inspiration from Dune to show a political marriage between rival Houses and the powerful love that can be born even in the direst circumstances, while reflecting on greed and capitalism.

Elio and Cael are exquisitely explored, and their courtship is a slow affair whose ending feels inevitable. They're a byproduct of their environment; Elio is painfully naive to the realities of commerce, his family the only one that can provide a substance coveted by the rest of the universe, and Cael was bred and trained for the sole purpose of taking back much needed resources, his whole people confined to a harsh homeland. Yet, they persevere, facing harsh betrayals and a seismic truth. The last PoV character is Cael's cousin, a harsh warrior and a tragic, hateful character. Of the rest of the cast, Elio's sister shines with her strength of will and her ferocious loyalty.

The powerful worldbuilding immerses the reader in a big universe, conquered by Earth's descendants, with a confederation made of many powerful Houses ruling planets and moons; but there's also a hint of otherness, the sense that humans aren't alone. The titular Aurethia is a stunning place, and the lush prose paints everything in vivid, colorful strokes, composing a beautiful symphony.

Aurethia Rising is a gorgeous journey.

✨ 4.5 stars

 

ARC Review: Dawn of the Raven, by T.L. Tyner

In the kingdom of Ríocht na Meon, magic is forbidden-and those who wield it are hunted. The First Order's armies scour the land for druids, elemental mages who once walked in harmony with nature. Sorcha, a seamstress raised in comfort within the outer districts, has always been content with her quiet life with her closest friend, Fiona. But when her world begins to unravel, Sorcha's peaceful existence shatters. Fiona, daughter of a farmer and servant in the royal keep's kitchens, works tirelessly to provide for her family. Bound by duty and loyalty, she never imagined her life would change-until she receives an unexpected offer of marriage that could upend everything. And Nemain-the Reaper-haunts the shadows. A feared druid cloaked in mystery, her name alone sends tremors through the kingdom. Few know her story. Less survive her shadows touch. As secrets twist through the royal court and rebellion brews in the kingdom, these women's paths collide in ways that will alter not only their own fates but the fate of the Ríocht na Meon.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

T.L. Tyner's Dawn of the Raven is a sapphic fantasy adventure inspired by Irish myths and folklore, set in a world where druids are persecuted. First in a series, it follows three women as they contend with their fate and with persecution.

Fiona and Sorcha are old friends and maybe more; when they get separated, they struggle to survive against societal constraints and people in power. They go through much over the course of the book, and change for better and worse. Nemain has a darker story, and a history of abuse that the author doesn't shy away from. It's seen especially in how quickly she latches to Fiona when they cross paths.

While the general plot, the characters, and the worldbuilding are intriguing, with mature themes like torture and abuse, the writing is somewhat simplistic, while also moving too fast when it ought to stop and let the story breathe.

Dawn of the Raven is a queer tale of resilience.

✨ 3.5 stars

List: Most Anticipated Books of 2026 - January to June

 

Here are my most anticipated books for the first half of the year, in order of publication.

 

"Nightshade and Oak", by Molly O'Neill (pub February 3, 2026)

 

"The Fox and the Devil", by Kiersten White  (pub March 10, 2026)

 

"Vile Lady Villains", by Danai Christopoulou  (pub April 2, 2026)

 

"Princeweaver", by Elian J Morgan  (pub April 16, 2026) 

 

"The Moon Blessed King", by Lindsey Byrd (pub April 28, 2026)

 

"Andromeda", by E.S. McLeod (pub May 14, 2026)

 

List: Best Books of 2025

2026 is coming! In no particular order, here are my favorite books of this year. Click on the covers to read my reviews!

Review: Sage and King, by Molly Ringle

Zaya expected to be the irresponsible youngest prince his whole life. But when his two older siblings are killed by an unidentified magician, he finds himself crowned king of Lushrain—the end of his liberty as he knows it. As part of his training, he’s sent to Heartwood for a month, the house of the sages high in the mountains. There, to his shock, the sages tell him he must learn about magic—which is illegal to practice, but has nonetheless been among Heartwood’s secret studies for centuries. They assign Col as his tutor, a charming young sage with unusually strong powers. Zaya abhors and distrusts magic, and Col absolutely doesn’t want the job of attempting to change the king’s mind. But in their lessons and debates, they grow closer and begin envisioning a future in which a sage and a king might make a harmonious couple. But the assassin still roams, seeking to hurt Zaya, and the budding love affair may be crushed by the secrets that Heartwood—and Col—have kept about this killer.

"It's sweet that you think I travel in polite society." 

Molly Ringle's Sage and King is a charming romantasy novella that the author identifies as originally having been a BBC Merlin fanfiction. Having never watched the show, I don't know how much it captures the dynamic, but I can say that it stands well enough on its own, with a delightfully banter-y dual POV and many sweet moments between the main characters.

Their mutual attraction happens pretty much instantly, which is pretty normal given the length of the medium, but the author makes up for it with an intense focus on their honeymoon period and a deft handling of the many secrets threatening to end their relationship before it properly starts. The conflict, although it resolves pretty quickly, feels believable and the resolution earned.

The King's brother would have benefited from some more focus, to show how truly dangerous and disturbed he is; he feels very child-like in his moods, and the sudden addition of a terrible crime towards the end doesn't feel like it's handled very well.

The worldbuilding is basic but interesting, featuring a magic system based on plants. The book features many intriguing conversations on the topic as the sage instructs the king on the kind of magic they can do, and it doesn't feel like infodump, but like believable conversations.

Sage and King is a sweet treat.

✨ 3.5 stars

 

Review: The Isle in the Silver Sea, by Tasha Suri

 

In a Britain fuelled by stories, the knight and the witch are fated to fall in love and doom each other over and over, the same tale retold over hundreds of lifetimes. Simran is a witch of the woods. Vina is a knight of the Queen's court. When the two women begin to fall for each other, how can they surrender to their desires, when to give in is to destroy each other?

As they seek a way to break the cycle, a mysterious assassin begins targeting tales like theirs. To survive, the two will need to write a story stronger than the one that fate has given to them. But what tale is stronger than The Knight and the Witch? 

"I’d rather break the world to fit you." 

Tasha Suri's The Isle in the Silver Sea is an atmospheric tale about the importance of stories, also taking a firm stance against colonialism and monarchy and the erasure of diversity. This gorgeous sapphic standalone vividly paints an out-of-time Great Britain completely disconnected from the rest of the world, taking away the memories of whover comes to live there from over the sea. It's a powerful reflection on connection, racism, and revolution, and a compelling tale of reincarnation.

Incarnates are archetypes, but they're also complex characters with needs and wants and the desire to break free. Drawing on many known English tales and even Arthurian legend, Tasha Suri weaves a stunning tapestry of interconnected fates and creates a beatiful reflection on predestination and the choices we can make. Simran and Vina are fated to love each other and die for each other, but theirs is finally a choice to fight for each other and for freedom. The glimpes of past lives make this story greater, showing the magnitude of these unnatural cycles and their effect on the island.

The world-building is perfectly sculpted by the lush prose, detailling a kingdom that's stuck in the past and refuses to recognize change as a good thing. The supporting cast shines, especially the assassin's tragic figure. The pacing stumbles a bit in the second part, but it leads to a perfect finale.

The Isle in the Silver Sea is another masterpiece from a great author.

✨ 4.5 stars