ARC Review: Our Crimson Cage, by Ladz

 

Laura Toperz’s husband will be only gone for a week. Despite hiring a new maid to pick up her duties, she expects the days to go by as they do when her husband is present: mundanely and without incident. She is not prepared to solve a murder. Elżbieta dreams of riches. Being hired as a maid for the wealthy Toperz household might just be her ticket to security. After one of her shifts, she sneaks into the manor’s forbidden basement in search of treasure, hoping for valuables or jewels. Instead, she discovers something starving and solitary, begging to be unleashed. Elżbieta can only give in.
Soon, sanguinary terrors descend upon the town. Unaware of her maid’s transgression, Laura remembers the bloodthirsty woman trapped below: Karmila, who comforted her in her youth. Karmila, whom her late father swore was just an imaginary friend. Karmila, who now paints the town and its maidens red. Having escaped under her watch, Laura must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice to bring back peace and quell the lustful frenzy entrancing everyone around her. Even if it means herself.

My thanks to the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ladz's Our Crimson Cage is a gothic fever dream, taking place in Poland during the Nineteenth century and taking more than a little inspiration from Carmilla. This sharp sapphic novella stuns the reader with its decadent plot and explicit language, detailing the awakening of a monster and centuries of generational trauma bordering on the incestuous.

The book starts with a very informative list of trigger warnings that should be heeded. It is not for the faint of heart, and certainly not for anyone having misgivings about a little touch of blasphemy and broken taboos about menstrual blood. It is a vampire story, and it revels in all its gory and explicit elements, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination and leaving the reader absolutely begging for more.

At its core, it's a tale of liberation from society's constraints; from religion and patriarchy and any social constructs. It is not an easy story, but it leaves you questioning.

Our Crimson Cage is a decadent dessert.

✨ 4 stars

 

ARC Review: The Sun King's Noon, by Briar Niran

 

King Richard of Ardenia knows fear well. The veil is his kingdom's only defence against Gloamvarn—a neighbouring realm of monsters—and it is crumbling.
In a bid to gather allies for the coming war, Richard throws open his court for a grand Summer Ball. As he navigates political wiles and new threats, it becomes hard to hold steady. Harder still, when bitter arguments erupt between him and his devoted knight.
Meanwhile, a long-buried secret threatens to shatter his family and court, and through it all, the Gloam King waits with a smile.

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

Briar Niran's The Sun King's Noon is the excellent sequel to The Sun King's Dawn (HERE you can read my review). This second book in the quadrilogy doesn't hold back its punches, continuing the tale of asexual king Richard and his struggles both as monarch of a realm in peril and as a man who finds love for the first time and needs to navigate his feelings. As in the first book, his sex-repulsion features heavily and it's handled deftly, detailling the strong feelings of alienation and the first fluttering beats of a romance that he feels he can't have, duty-bound and unwilling to deny affection to his knight. This is done beautifully and delicately, and it's lovely to see such a nuanced exploration of achillean asexuality in a fantasy novel.

For his part, the knight Kaelen also has some maturing to do, and his journey is worth reading. This continues to be a series about strong relationships, both familial and friendship. Richard learns to open up a bit, to seek counsel more, to heed advice; but he's still strong-willed and used to load everything up on his shoulders, with mixed results. He's a flawed character, but they all are: flawed and incredibly human. The complex web of human relationships is further entangled by the introduction of many new characters as Richard reaches for allies against the threat to his kingdom.

The worldbuilding expands with new kingdoms and people, showing complex traditions and still drawing from our own folklore in a way that is fresh and interesting. The looming threat gives urgency to everything, but there are still some lulls of introspection, quiet moments that are very poignant. One particular moment in the second half of the book, a conversation between Richard and a thief, is especially beautiful and brought tears to my eyes.

The villain gets something of a backseat in this book, still appearing in all his menacing self, but not so overtly present as in the first book. This allows for a tighter focus, and for some really spectacular moments towards the end, a much-needed conversation, and a nail-biting finale.

The Sun King's Noon is a great sequel.

✨ 5 stars

 

List: Most Anticipated Books of 2026 - July to December

 

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

 "The Lord of the Wood", by E.M. Anderson(pub July 21, 2026)

 

 

 

  "A Trade of Blood", by Robert Jackson Bennett (pub August 11, 2026)

 

 

 "Dangerous and Well-Read", by Rebecca Sky (pub August 18, 2026)

 

"The Salt King", by Natasha Pulley  (pub August 18, 2026)

 

 

"The Darkness Bites Back", by Laura R. Samotin & Ben Alderson  (pub September 29, 2026)

 

 

 

"Call Me Traitor", by Everina Maxwell  (pub October 27, 2026)

 

 

"Lavender & Hemlock", by Lily Wilkinson  (pub November 10, 2026)

 

 

Review: The Fox and the Devil, by Kiersten White

 

Anneke has a complicated relationship with her father, Abraham Van Helsing—doctor, scientist, and madman devoted to studying vampires—up until the night she comes home to find him murdered, with a surreally beautiful woman looming over his body. A woman who leaves no trace behind, other than the dreams and nightmares that plague Anneke every night. Spurred by her desire for vengeance and armed with the latest in forensic and investigatory techniques, Anneke puts together a team of detectives to catch her mysterious serial killer. Because her father isn’t the only inexplicably dead body. There’s a trail of victims across Europe and Anneke is certain they’re all connected.
But during the years spent relentlessly hunting the killer, Anneke keeps some crucial evidence to herself: infuriatingly coy letters, addressed only to Anneke, occasionally soaked in blood, and always signed Diavola. Devil. The obsession is mutual, and all the more dangerous for it. The closer Anneke gets to her devil, though, the less sense the world makes. Maybe her father wasn’t a madman, after all. Diavola might be something much worse than a serial killer . . . and much harder to destroy. Because as Anneke unearths more of Diavola’s tragic past, she suspects there’s still a heart somewhere in that undead body. A heart that beats for Anneke alone.

​“Every contact leaves a trace.”

Kiersten White's The Fox and the Devil is a horror mystery filled with sapphic yearning. Much like the author's previous novel Lucy Undying (HERE you can find my review), it takes inspiration from Dracula, although at a much smaller level, only pulling out the character of Van Helsing as a starting point. Here we follow his daughter Anneke as she contends with the fact that monster are indeed real, and we follow her investigation across Europe as she hunts a hunter, a horrific serial killer. Having Dracula in mind meant that I had my own preconceptions about what was happening behind the scenes, and it was delightful to be proven wrong.

White instead writes something that is only marginally about vampires, and more about yearning and obsession and finding something to live for again. Despite her inner turmoil, Anneke is a competent character, a sharp detective, and together with her coterie of friends she solves impossible murders. Diavola is a great foil, and once we get to know her better, a fascinating character. The progression of their relationship, from foes to something more, is slow and quiet, keeping in line with the times.

The writing is simpler than White's previous novel, where she experimented with different formats with stunning results, but this is a quieter story. The author did a lot of research about the society and historical figures of the Nineteenth Century, and it shows. 

The Fox and the Devil is an excellent book.

✨ 4 stars

 

Review: Umbra - Tales of a Shadow, by Freddie A. Clark

 

Fulvio Donati, cyborg assassin and thief, adopted a double identity. When night falls, Fulvio becomes Umbra: a masked vigilante, a charming and lethal shadow. Soleluna Giordani, philosopher and alchemist, searched for immortality and found it with terrible consequences. Their consciousness has been trapped within a mask for almost 800 years.
In a beautiful, yet corrupt land where crime lords, vicious celebrities, and ruthless politicians compete for the highest power, a deadly conspiracy is unfolding. While alchemists and courtesans fight to survive, and a prince searches for the one to save his life, Fulvio finds himself involved in intrigues and machinations. Together, Fulvio and Soleluna will find the answer; Soleluna with their wit and wisdom, Fulvio with his charm, skills, and access to the future Soleluna has never seen. Together, they shall save Florydia from its downfall.

​“​The city of masks is as corrupted as it is beautiful.”

Freddie A. Clark's Umbra - Tales of a Shadow s a gorgeous sci-fi novel set in a city-state inspired by Venice. A whirlwind of subplots and many characters, it follows young assassin Fulvio as he uncovers conspiracies and finds himself being more than just a shadow and an instrument for others. Along the way, he may also find love.

This was a stunning exploration of polyamory; Fulvio is a free spirit, and the relationships he creates with others are all important. The prince he saves, the woman he works alongside with; he loves all, and he loves freely. That said, the most important relationship of the book is the strange bond he forms with the spirit of a long-dead alchemist living in a mask, and the way this relationship changes him is a strong focus.

The city itself is a character, teeming with corruption and conspiracies. The worldbuilding is exquisite, and one struggles to follow along as we're pulled deeper and deeper into the city and meet many of its citizens. It was vibrant and colorful and filled with Italian names and terms, creating a truly immersive experience.

The only problem is the prose, veering between very simple, with odd turns of phrase, and long chunky paragraphs that describe what any character looks like or is wearing at any given time. This gets annoying fast.

Umbra - Tales of a Shadow is a unique novel.

✨ 4 stars

 

 

Review: The Oblivion Bride, by Caitlin Starling

 

In the glittering city state of Volun, Lorelei Steddart never thought she'd be anything but an office drone-until her family all die under mysterious and likely magical circumstances, leaving her to inherit everything. To figure out what's happened, her uncle marries her off to the city state's top War Alchemist, Nephele Corisande, an intimidating older woman who might just be able to save her. But what starts as a marriage of pure convenience becomes something deeper. Soon Lorelei and Nephele must untangle a terrible magic that has metastasized into something new and unstable, born in Lorelei's blood.

​“​Too well did he know the feeling of love where no​ love ought to live.”

Caitlin Starling's The Oblivion Bride is a sapphic science fantasy that packs so much in the form of a very short novella. Written beautifully with crisp prose, it details a tale of grief and love, entwined with a magical and medical mystery that has been killing off an entire family. The theme of arranged marriage is explored well, together with pregnancy, and the relationship between young woman and older general develops naturally despite the constraints of their contract.

The worldbuilding gives up tantalizingly little, just enough to get the lay of the land, but it works perfectly. We get the sense that it's a lived-in, complicated world with many city-states and a distant Emperor set on war. Magic twists together with science, towards an ending that feels very satisfying despite the more atmospheric shift.

The Oblivion Bride is a delicious novella.

✨ 4 stars

 

Review: The Gentleman and his Vowsmith, by Rebecca Ide

 

Lord Nicholas Monterris, the last remaining heir of a crumbling ducal house, must marry to save his family from complete decline. His father chooses Lady Leaf Serral, eldest daughter of his greatest rival, at which point Nic is sure it can’t get any worse. Until he learns the head negotiator is to be Dashiell sa Vare, an old flame he has neither forgiven nor forgotten, a man their rigid class structure forbids him to love.
Locked in the mouldering grandeur of Monterris Court (a house more haunting manifestation of dynastic ambition and ancestral guilt than home), the first dead body is troubling. The second, a warning that someone doesn’t want the contract to go ahead. But while Nic and his wife-to-be team up to banter their way through a secret murder investigation, it’s Dashiell he can’t stop thinking about. What would be worse? To love and have to let go, or to wholly deny the yearning of one’s heart forever?

​“​Too well did he know the feeling of love where no​ love ought to live.”

Rebecca Ide's The Gentleman and his Vowsmith is an achillean romantasy murder mystery with a lot of moving pieces that unfortunately don't work quite so well with each other. The plot, while simple, is all over the place, with the late addition of some twists and turns that don't make much sense. The worldbuilding is again very simple, and while the concept of the binding contracts and the illusion magic is intriguing, it's not developed enough.

On the other hand, the romance is sweet and mired with conflict new and old, and there's a delightful secondary character taking on much of the space and undertaking a compelling arc, a young woman possibly on the asexual spectrum.

The Gentleman and his Vowsmith is a nice romance.

✨ 3.5 stars

 

Review: This Vicious Hunger, by Francesca May

 

Thora Grieve finds herself destitute and an outcast after the sudden death of her husband only a few weeks into their marriage, but a glimmer of hope arrives when a family friend offers her spot at a university to study botany under a famed professor. Once at the university Thora becomes entranced by a mysterious young woman, Olea, who emerges each night to tend to the plants in the professor's private garden.
Thora soon discovers that a mysterious illness prevents Olea from leaving the garden. Hungry for connection, Thora befriends Olea through the garden gate and their relationship quickly and intensely blossoms. The visceral connection between Thora and Olea unlocks an obsessive desire in Thora as she throws herself into finding a cure for Olea's ailment. But is this really love or is it merely lustful intoxication? Thora's finally found the freedom to pursue her deepest desires, but at what cost?

"Nobody liked to be reminded of the proximity of grief; least of all the young and beautiful." 

Francesca May's This Vicious Hunger is a sapphic gothic horror novel about grief and finding one’s place as a woman in a world where women can do very little, and about overcoming abuse. The themes are very strong and the writing beautifully lyrical, but the plot is all over the place while slowly ambling, and the characters are a bit cardboard, with the sole exception of the narrator. 

The worldbuilding is confusing, using Latin and some imagery that makes it seem like it's a historical novel, but some other things point towards a secondary world. That being so unclear pulls the reader out.

The most intriguing part is certainly the focus on plants and a form of vampirism, but the abrupt end and the lack of closure doesn't do it any favors.

This Vicious Hunger doesn't hold up to its premise.

✨ 3 stars

 

Review: Obsidian Island, by Arden Powell

 

Emery Lapwing is only interested in two things: exploring the natural world, and pretending that he's not in love with his closest friend, Captain James Rawlings of The Achillean. The first is easy: James will sail him anywhere he wants to go. The second, Emery has been doing for the past ten years. Emery's routine is shattered when he and James are swept overboard in a lightning storm. When the storm passes, they find themselves on the glittering pink beach of an unmapped island where no one has ever walked before.
The island hides a dangerous secret, and James and Emery aren't the only castaways falling under its spell. Monstrous creatures stalk their every move and something is taking root in their dreams, luring them deeper into the island's deadly, tropical heart.

"Any being capable of creating art must have a soul, surely." 

Arden Powell's Obsidian Island is an achillean horror adventure set some time during the Nineteen century, featuring four sailor friends with different background as a storm makes them land on a deliciously creepy island. From something much like Castaway, then, the atmosphere switches very quickly as the group - at first separated - reckon with various terrifying natural threats and with a seemingly sentient, monstrous tree. Running parallel to this is the subplot of queer desire in a time and society where queerness was punished with death. 

The best aspect of the novel is certainly the creepiness and slow horror of the island; the interpersonal relationships, on the other hand, are not so well developed, and while the primary couple at least has some meaty history, the secondary couple seems to come out of nowhere.

Obsidian Island is an intriguing read.

✨ 3 stars

 

 

 

ARC Review: Heaven's Graveyard, by Grace Curtis

Cod became an archaeologist to chase the ghost of her hero, Aleya Ana-Ulai. History may have written Aleya off as a myth, but Cod is determined to prove she existed, even if it means sifting through relics for the rest of her life. Then a message arrives summoning her home. Cod's former teacher has found something monumental: the ruins of an enchanted city, slumbering beneath the soil.
This could be the breakthrough they've always dreamed of. But with war brewing, rival powers circling, and ancient magics stirring underfoot, their discovery soon becomes far more trouble than it's worth. Even Cod starts to wonder if some things are better left buried.

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

Grace Curtis's Heaven's Graveyard is a fantastical murder mystery set some two thousand years after Idolfire, the author's first foray into fantasy. This one's more of a science fantasy mix as we see a world that completely forgot its magical roots and developed similarly enough to ours. Idolfire is referenced heavily, but the novel works well enough on its own, giving tantalizing hints that prompt the reader to go back to it, wondering how much of what is referenced is true and how much is fiction.

The book offers fascinating insights into archeology and the pull of ancient history as we follow Coda, a young academic on a mission to prove that her favorite piece of folklore is a real story. The novel kicks off when she gets called back to her hometown and she's forced to start an investigation, confront her own tumultuous past, and see her troublesome ex-girlfriend again. In the background, whispers of a war between countries don't really reach us, as the worldbuilding relies somewhat on knowledge of the previous novel. The story careens towards a high-stakes final confrontation and wraps up everything nicely.

But at its core, the book is about Coda's inner journey from a person who flees from conflict and has trouble with making connections in her everyday life. She reads as neurodivergent in some ways, and the book doesn't magically fix her, but it gives her the tools to better live.

Heaven's Graveyard is a lovely read.

✨ 4 stars