ARC Review: Our Caged Fates, by Robin A. Costantin

 

In a frozen, hostile world, Elinros is on the run. After spending far too long in her beloved’s clutches—unaware of his true nature—she has now escaped into the arms of the unknown. But beyond Kastìel’s palace lies nothing but an endless forest, shaken by storms, buried in eternal snow, and teeming with monsters.
In that desolate land, Elinros wanders without memories, one step away from freezing to death and hunted by the man she thought she knew. That is, until an unexpected savior arrives, bringing truth, light, and warmth. Nattsòl is just like her: a survivor who escaped their beloved’s trap—and now she’s willing to do anything to get her revenge. But she needs Elinros’ help to stop him. Accompanied by Sliver, Nattsòl’s monster-dog, the two embark on a dangerous journey into the depths of the forest, where almost no light reaches and sinister things hide in the dark.

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

Robin A. Costantin's Our Caged Fates is an atmospheric sapphic novella about escaping an abusive relationship and finding oneself again. This is reached through the age-old amnesia trope, and it's done in a way that feels fresh and effective. It's teeming with horrific imagery and near-eldritch beings, with female rage and some upsetting body-horror; but it's also a story about second chances and love.

The main character Elinros slowly relearns things about herself, slowly changing over the course of the book; her relationship to fellow survivor Nattsòl develops quickly, since this is a short novella, but it feels believable. Maybe a few more pages would have helped sell the romance more, but it's still a nice touch, and Nattsòl is very well-developed despite the lack of point of view narration.

The final third of the book is where the action and the most vivid worldbuilding really take place, making this novella pop out. The prose is also quite lyrical, something that's to be appreciated even more since English isn't the author's first language.

Our Caged Fates is a quiet gem.

✨ 4 stars

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

Review: Silver in the Wood, by Emily Tesh

There is a Wild Man who lives in the deep quiet of Greenhollow, and he listens to the wood. Tobias, tethered to the forest, does not dwell on his past life, but he lives a perfectly unremarkable existence with his cottage, his cat, and his dryads.
When Greenhollow Hall acquires a handsome, intensely curious new owner in Henry Silver, everything changes. Old secrets better left buried are dug up, and Tobias is forced to reckon with his troubled past—both the green magic of the woods, and the dark things that rest in its heart.

"He had thought himself a thing uprooted." 

Emily Tesh's Silver in the Wood is a soft achillean novella about the cycle of death and rebirth, loosely taking inspiration from the Green Man myths. It takes its time, slowly taking us into the forest, detailling each tree with lush and atmospheric writing. Told entirely from the point of view of Tobias, it's a reflection on time and on overcoming an abusive relationship, but also on curiosity and love.

The format works perfectly; novellas so rarely get the pacing right, but this one does. Even if the narration is slow, it's packed with warm emotion and so much care and a small mystery that hooks the reader, pulling us into a small enclosed space that brims with magic and dryads and the quiet strength of old trees. The romance between Tobias and Henry follows the same slow rhythm, steady and dreamlike, towards a fitting conclusion.

Silver in the Wood is a small treasure.

✨ 4 stars

 

 

Review: When They Burned the Butterfly, by Wen-yi Lee

 

Singapore, 1972: Newly independent, a city of immigrants grappling for power in a fast-modernizing world. Here, gangsters are the last conduits of the gods their ancestors brought with them, and the back alleys where they fight are the last place where magic has not been assimilated and legislated away. Loner schoolgirl Adeline Siow has never needed more company than the flame she can summon at her fingertips. But when her mother dies in a house fire with a butterfly seared onto her skin and Adeline hunts down a girl she saw in a back-alley barfight—a girl with a butterfly tattoo–she discovers she’s far from alone.
Ang Tian is a Red Butterfly: one of a gang of girls who came from nothing, sworn to a fire goddess and empowered to wreak vengeance on the men that abuse and underestimate them. Adeline’s mother led a double life as their elusive patron, Madam Butterfly. Now that she’s dead, Adeline’s bloodline is the sole thing sustaining the goddess. Between her search for her mother’s killer and the gang’s succession crisis, Adeline becomes quickly entangled with the girls’ dangerous world, and even more so with the charismatic Tian. But no home lasts long around here. 

"Transformation was artistry until it was put upon you." 

Wen-yi Lee's When They Burned the Butterfly is a surprisingly mature YA historical fantasy that details a gang war, doubling down as a blood-filled sapphic coming of age story and a love letter to the city of Singapore. The main character is a grief-stricken girl burning with rage and with the willpower to settle into a role and take on the reins, and it's refreshing to read about such an unlikable, sympathetic, competent character.

Taking inspiration from a real Singaporean women's gang in the Sixties, the author weaves a tale of sisterhood and the divine, grief and revenge, a tale about finding love and acceptance and letting it go, brimming with violence and tenderness and the jealousy of gods. It's a brutal novel, especially towards the end, and I hesitate to truly call it YA.

The worldbuilding is rich and complex, showing the many faces of Singapore and its postcolonial struggle as people scramble for power and meaning, drawing from old gods of the mainland. The gods, especially the titular Butterfly, are front and center, despite the more subdued beginning.

The characters are perhaps where the book falls a bit short, with so many and so different and so little focus on them, save for the love interest. 

When They Burned the Butterfly is a rage-filled epic.

✨ 4 stars

Review: Paladin's Hope, by T. Kingfisher

Piper is a lich-doctor, a physician who works among the dead, determining causes of death for the city guard's investigations. It's a peaceful, if solitary profession…until the day when he's called to the river to examine the latest in a series of mysterious bodies, mangled by some unknown force.
Galen is a paladin of a dead god, lost to holiness and no longer entirely sane. He has long since given up on any hope of love. But when the two men and a brave gnole constable are drawn into the web of the mysterious killer, it's Galen's job to protect Piper from the traps that await them. He's just not sure if he can protect Piper from the most dangerous threat of all…

"Maybe a hero is just what we call someone who doesn’t have the sense to stop before they destroy themselves." 

T. Kingfisher's Paladin's Hope is a fantastic adventure set in the author's World of the White Rat, a series of interconnected series, and while it's the third in the Saint of Steel series and references many other works, it's a perfect standalone or entry point. Starting off as a cozy mystery with mild horror vibes, it quickly turns into a survival game in a death trap, and even deals with the aftermath while delving into issues of racism.

Running parallel to the mystery is the romance subplot between an honorable warrior with a dangerous problem and a bone-doctor who thinks he can't have nice things. The tension can be cut with a knife, and the resolution of their relationship isn't so clear-cut, adding some very good conflict to the mix.

The worldbuilding is incredible, touching on many mysteries and vestiges of times long past while giving away few answers and pulling in the reader for more. We have various god-touched Paladins and an overarching mystery that doesn't get resolved, and a whole race of badgerlike sentient beings with a complex cast system and language; the gnole Earstripe is an excellent coprotagonist, with some real depth and great one-liners.

Paladin's Hope is a delightful read.

✨ 4 stars

 

Review: Holy Wrath, by Victoria Mier

In a city clinging to light during an age of darkness, all healer Ophelia wants is for a Saint to finally claim her. Since being brought to Lumendei as an orphan nearly thirty years ago, she’s worked tirelessly to prove herself worthy of the Mysteries—the sacred, magical power that only the Saints can bestow upon mortals of their choosing. When she’s tasked with caring for an injured prisoner, Ophelia sees the perfect way to prove she’s ready for her Sainting. The prisoner is none other than the Umbra Knight—the most dangerous warrior of Lumendei’s sworn enemy, the Sepulchyre. If she can save the Umbra Knight’s soul by converting her to the Church of the Host, the Saints will surely fight amongst themselves to claim Ophelia.
But the disarmingly beautiful and undeniably deadly knight’s soul is in even worse shape than Ophelia feared. In fact, she insists Ophelia’s beloved God is a murderous liar and her adopted city is built on blackened bones. It’s easy to dismiss as blasphemy, at least at first. Until Lumendei’s gilded secrets begin to tumble from their hiding places and Ophelia herself uncovers a conspiracy ... then she’s forced to consider the idea that Nyatrix—otherwise known as the Umbra Knight—might be telling the truth, and that saving the alluring knight’s soul is the least of her concerns.

"Can a god so eager to punish you truly love you?" 

Victoria Mier's Holy Wrath is a sapphic romantasy focused on religious trauma and bodily autonomy. As such, it's teeming with trigger warnings (chief amongst them, a very graphic flogging scene and attempted rape) and should be approached with caution. The issues are treated with care and respect, but might still be upsetting to read.

The religious trauma is based upon a pretty clear stand-in for Catholic religion, with a Jesus-like figure and Catholic imagery that are rotten behind the veneer of respectability. It's not just an issue of patriarchy, although that aspect is certainly present, but the very core of the religion is corrupted. The first half of the novel is especially crude and horrifying in that regard, as we follow the only PoV, a thirty-years-old woman who has lived in the church for most of her life and is indoctrinated to see all the abuse as just and normal. Fortunately she appears to be having doubts even some time before the gorgeous and deadly enemy captain makes her appearance and starts to awaken in her desires she has been denying all her life because of the rampant homophobia the church exhibits.

The second half of the book loses some of the shine, as secrets are revealed and we fall into more action and a relatively deus-ex-machina resolution that still brings the point of the novel across. The world-building would have benefitted from more attention, though, especially after such a stellar first part. On the romance side, Ophelia and Nyatrix work as perfect opposites, but the dismantling of Ophelia's religious trauma feels very sudden, brought forth basically by the joys of sex. While that is a powerful statement, maybe the book would have benefitted from some more back and forth in that regard, as Ophelia changes much in very little time.

On the other hand, the book excels in the exploration of Ophelia's disability and how it has controlled every aspect of her life while making her seen as defective. In contrast to the church's view, Nyatrix treats her with respect, and those passages on bodily autonomy are particularly poignant. 

Holy Wrath is a gorgeous standalone exploration of trauma.

✨ 4 stars

 

 

ARC Review: The Seaglass Blade, by J.C. Snow

 

Aili Fallon has spent three hundred years of her unexpected immortality building a safe place for all those she cares about – her phoenix lover; their dragon son; their renegade demon daughter; and the shape-shifting spiritual creatures who come to Aili to learn the sword. She's determined to protect them from human captivity and demonic corruption. But the patterns of the natural world, the source of spiritual power, are inexplicably failing. When Aili's lover is attacked, her phoenix healing disappears. A curse killing dragons targets their son, while growing demonic power threatens to destroy their daughter.
And hidden deep, a traitor is waiting. Piece by piece, a long-laid plot of vengeance, betrayal, and cruelty is tightening around Aili and her family. The home that's been a sanctuary is now a trap, and Aili will risk everything she’s built, and everything she is, to break them free.

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

J.C. Snow's The Seaglass Blade is a brilliant standalone adventure set in the same world of the author's previous series The Crane Moon Cycle and featuring much of the same characters. Despite this, it's very easy to follow, as relevant old events are mentioned and explained without being infodumpy. It's a wuxia-inspired novel, with cultivation, demons, and shapeshifting dragons and phoenixes. It pulls the reader in with a very cozy atmosphere and a lovely queer found family, but there are also really harsh emotional beats and betrayal. At its core, it is a story about grief, family, and the cost of surviving.

The many PoV characters include the main sapphic relationship, made from a phoenix and her long-time companion, and a nascent achillean relationship. Chenguang and Aili are at the core of the book, their love tested and found true, and the both of them are fantastic, well-rounded characters. A definite highlight is the young dragon's quest for self-actualization against a terrible tragedy, as he matures and reaches a new understanding.

The worldbuilding is phenomenal and really stands out. It's one of my first forays into this subgenre, but the rich imagery and the complex relationships make for a vivid and solid novel. The sections about the dragon and the sea were especially beautiful. The demons are of course not the christian stereotype but a nuanced exploration of the cycle of abuse, and the girl demon especially has a captivating, heartbreaking arc.

The Seaglass Blade is a delightful read. 

✨ 4.5 stars

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

 

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

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!

Snippet: Songs for Ghosts, by Clara Kumagai

 

Seventeen-year-old Adam has just broken up with his boyfriend Evan and is not looking forward to the excruciating awkwardness at school for the rest of term or a whole summer stuck at home with his dad, stepmom and baby brother, Benji.
But then Adam discovers a diary in some boxes in the attic and is quickly enthralled by their poignant story. They were written by a young woman living in Nagasaki in 1911. Adam is enraptured by her life and loves, becoming totally absorbed in her story. And then he starts to be haunted by her ghostly presence...

Clara Kumagai's Songs for Ghosts is a lovely YA exploration of grief, war, and self-discovery, equal parts chilling ghost story, retelling of the orientalist classic Madama Butterfly, and history lesson. Through the dual narrative - in the modern day, a biracial gay teen finds the diary of a young woman living in Nagasaki at the start of the century - we explore issues of consent, war crimes, and the intricacies of family. The tragic protagonist of Puccini's opera is given depth, a rich inner life, and a somewhat gentler fate that also ends up emboding the very fabric of Japan's tragedy. Her section is filled with old tales and references, effortlessly drawing from Japan's history and folklore. Adam's section mirrors and compliments hers well, though his problems may seem smaller in comparison; throughout the narrative loom very real ghostly presences. The soft ending brings a sense of closure.

✨ 4 stars

Review: Cinder House, by Freya Marske

 

Ella is a haunting. Murdered at sixteen, her ghost is furiously trapped in her father's house, invisible to everyone except her stepmother and stepsisters. Even when she discovers how to untether herself from her prison, there are limits. She cannot be seen or heard by the living people who surround her. Her family must never learn she is able to leave. And at the stroke of every midnight, she finds herself back on the staircase where she died.
Until she forges a wary friendship with a fairy charm-seller, and makes a bargain for three nights of almost-living freedom. Freedom that means she can finally be seen. Danced with. Touched. You think you know Ella's story: the ball, the magical shoes, the handsome prince. You're halfway right, and all-the-way wrong. 

"Some angers, you can never get rid of." 

Freya Marske's Cinder House is a lush Cinderella retelling with a twist. We follow the ghost of Ella as she becomes one with the house she lived and died in, tests the boundaries of her haunting, and reckons with the abuse bestowed upon her by her stepmother and stepsisters. The short format makes for a compact novella, where every word has weight. The unusual premise allows the author to write some very interesting turns of phrase, penning the language of Ella's awakening queer desire with references to her being not only a person, but a house too. Every part of the house can manifest her feelings, and it reads oddly at first, but then it works perfectly. 

Ella is angry, but she hungers too. It really is a perfect methaphor, and Marske explores it deftly. As Ella manages to marginally escape the constraints of the house, so begins her exploration of the city and herself. She looks at men and women both, and finds academic satisfaction in a pen friend who answers all her questions about ghosts. At the same time, she sates her hunger by watching ballet after ballet and enjoying both the performances and the attendants. Things come to a head, and all her worlds crash, when the Prince calls for a ball.

Marske combines what we know of the story with a new take and the exploration of the beginnings of an unconventional polyamorous relationship, working under the constraints of terrible magic. It is a queer tale, but not pretty or easy; it pushes boundaries, and it isn't interested in holding anyone's hand.

Cinder House is a profoundly creative novella.

✨ 4 stars

Snippet: The Chimes, by Anna Smaill

 

In the absence of both memory and writing is music. In a world where the past is a mystery, each new day feels the same as the last, and before is blasphemy, all appears lost. But Simon Wythern, a young man who arrives in London seeking the truth about what really happened to his parents, discovers he has a gift that could change all of this forever.

“Some memories tell us about who we are.”

Anna Smaill's The Chimes is a dystopian YA set in an imagined London where the written word has been forbidden and destroyed and memories don't survive the night. It's a very atmospheric piece of writing, a bit longer than a novella, a love letter to the power of music and the importance of memories. The beautiful first half gives way to a more fast-paced second half as the revolution strikes and young orphan Simon falls in love with a freedom fighter. It's a lovely queer tale from a time (merely a decade ago) when it was still difficult to find anything like it for queer youth.

✨ 4 stars

Review: House of Dusk, by Deva Fagan

Ten years ago, Sephre left behind her life as a war hero and took holy vows to seek redemption for her crimes, wielding the flames of the Phoenix to purify the dead. But as corpses rise, a long-dead god stirs, and shadowy serpents creep from the underworld to hunt her, she has no choice but to draw on the very past she's been trying so hard to forget.
Orphaned by the same war Sephre helped win, Yeneris has trained half her life to be the perfect spy, a blade slipped deep into the palace of her enemies. Undercover as bodyguard to Sinoe, a princess whose tears unleash prophecy, Yeneris strives to complete her true mission to recover the stolen bones of a saint. Sinoe's prophecies may hold answers, but allying with the fiercely compassionate princess is perilous. Yeneris must find a way to balance her growing attraction for Sinoe with her duty to her people as they conduct a dangerous search for the source of the king's power.

"We have to choose one path, and give up another."

Deva Fagan's House of Dusk is a compact standalone fantasy, packed full of worldbuilding and wonder. Dealing with complex themes of grief and identity, it follows the journey to self-acceptance of a tortured veteran and a young guard, as they and those around them grapple with the return of an ancient evil and with a long-lost past that is not as it seems.

Sephre, fire-wielding nun with a terrible past that she still mourns and needs to accept, is a great main character, complex and capable. Her relationship with those who welcomed her is heartwarming, and the conflict coming from lies and misunderstandings is handled deftly. The other PoV features a young sapphic guard tasked with an Oracle/Princess's wellbeing, and she's just as complex, torn by different loyalties as she comes face to face with hard truths. The two PoVs run parallel for most of the book, and they come together organically in an explosive ending that ties up all loose ends but leaves the door open for a possible sequel.

The worldbuilding isn't especially complex, but it's rich and vividly detailed, a world where god-beasts control certain facets of living and each ordained an order of humans bestowed with certain powers. The hidden truth of this war-torn realm shows the power of stories and perspective, surprising and delighting the reader.

House of Dusk is a solid standalone.

✨ 4 stars

 

Snippet: The Dragon Keeper, by Robin Hobb

 

Too much time has passed since the powerful dragon Tintaglia helped the people of the Trader cities stave off an invasion of their enemies. The Traders have forgotten their promises, weary of the labor and expense of tending earthbound dragons who were hatched weak and deformed by a river turned toxic. If neglected, the creatures will rampage--or die--so it is decreed that they must move farther upriver toward Kelsingra, the mythical homeland whose location is locked deep within the dragons' uncertain ancestral memories.
Thymara, an unschooled forest girl, and Alise, wife of an unloving and wealthy Trader, are among the disparate group entrusted with escorting the dragons to their new home. And on an extraordinary odyssey with no promise of return, many lessons will be learned--as dragons and tenders alike experience hardships, betrayals . . . and joys beyond their wildest imaginings.

“Reality is often unkind to legends.”

Robin Hobb's The Dragon Keeper is the first book in a quadrilogy from a mistress of fantasy novels and certainly not the best entry point to her renowned Elderlings series, but The Rain Wild Chronicles quadrilogy is the one where she writes a happy gay couple and does it well. Now, if you want pain and heartbreak in your achillean couple, and you don't mind a tragic ending, I can't recommend her Farseer trilogy, the following Tawny Man trilogy, and the final Fitz and the Fool trilogy enough, but this one is definitely safer. This multi-PoV quadrilogy follows some characters - amongst which is Sedric, a pampered secretary who is trapped in a violent relationship with his employer - as they are chosen to bond with and guide weak newborn dragons in a world where dragons were thought to be exctinct. It's not strictly necessary to have read the rest of the Elderlings series to enjoy this quadrilogy.

✨ 4 stars