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)