From a young age, Wren has consistently been told she has too many emotions and that she feels too much. Wren pours her heart and soul into becoming the best healer that she can, feeling that at least her magic makes her valuable. When an encounter with an enemy spy goes wrong, Wren is forced to flee and seek shelter with a nobleman. Attempting to redeem herself, Wren is faced with the challenge of healing Hal Cavendish, a very sick patient who also happens to be her country’s sworn enemy. As sinister forces conspire, it soon becomes clear that not all is as it seems. Inside the mysterious and spooky house, there are dark and vicious secrets to be uncovered.

I really enjoyed Down Comes the Night! It had a spooky and gothic feel to it, while also balancing political scheming and revealing twisted secrets. Wren is a very likable character, who thinks first with her heart and always means well. I enjoyed her interactions with Una and Hal, especially the slowburn enemies-to-lovers. I hope we get to see more of Una’s story! Saft has a serious gift for descriptive scenes. Sentences are perfectly constructed to create a powerful sensory experience. You can feel the care and attention that goes into her storytelling and creating vivid imagery. If this isn’t your first spooky novel, I think you may be able to guess some of the twists, but I still really enjoyed the execution. This story is the perfect spooky read to devour curled up under a blanket with a hot drink! I can’t wait to see what Allison Saft writes next! Thank you so much to Allison Saft, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Stolen Kingdom tells the story of second prince Alac and the vineyard owner’s daughter Mara. Both have a secret, Alac doesn’t want to be a prince and Mara has a talent for encouraging her family’s grapes to magically grow. Mara learns her magic gives her a claim to the throne and a plot to overthrow the king is set into motion. However, the king is linked with a mysterious magic that must be kept contained. When the coup does not go as planned, Alac and Mara must fight to control the dangerous magic now sweeping the kingdom.

The Stolen Kingdom is an interesting standalone containing many classic fantasy tropes. It ultimately missed the mark with me, but I do think younger YA readers might enjoy this more. The romance happens quickly and I found it hard to connect with the two main characters. My favorite part of this book was the dangerous magic, it was very compelling and mysterious. I would have enjoyed seeing more character development and slowing the pacing so that we could see more of Mara’s training, Alac and Mara’s friendship, and Alac’s relationship with his family. I also wish there had been more diverse and LGBTQ+ representation included. It wasn’t my cup of tea, but this could be a great place to start for a young YA reader looking for a beginner fantasy book. The Stolen Kingdom releases March 2, 2021. Thank you to Jillian Boehme, Tor Teen, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was incredibly excited to be approved for this ARC, as I loved reading Blood Heir! Red Tigress returns to the unlikely duo of Princess Ana and conman Ramson, forced to flee the cruel empress Morganya. Traveling across the sea to Bregon, Ana has one chance to try to gather allies for her revolution. But all is not as it seems, mysterious new characters complicate matters and her allies have not been entirely honest. As promises are made and friendships are tested, Ana must decide who to ally with and what type of world she will fight for.

Red Tigress is action-packed! Zhao’s description is lyrical and beautiful; it is a delight to read. I absolutely loved being back with these vibrant characters! Zhao writes such complex and strong characters, all faced with challenging obstacles barring the way. In Red Tigress, all the characters go through significant changes and must make difficult choices about who to trust to achieve their goals. At a certain point it becomes impossible to put this book down!

Red Tigress is a strong and compelling sequel that expands on the rich world-building, character development, and exploration of power and justice that began in Blood Heir. Zhao delivers a well-paced and exhilarating adventure. She also sets up what promises to be a thrilling finale to the series. I can’t wait to see how Ana’s story concludes and highly recommend you pick up Red Tigress! You won’t want to miss it. Thank you so much to Amélie Wen Zhao, Delacorte Press, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.