Tesh’s debut novel grabs you by the throat from the start and doesn’t let go until the very end. Our main character, Kyr, is no hero – she’s certainly the villain. She’s a bully and military-minded super-soldier who has been bred to serve Gaea Station and avenge the destruction of Earth. She’s had her heart set on being assigned to Strike to wreak havoc on the aliens who ravaged Earth and its inhabitants. That is, until she’s assigned to another division entirely – one that will force her to bear children and continue her bloodline on Gaea Station. Hearing that her brother, Magnus, was assigned to Strike instead, she takes matters into her own hands and embarks on a journey she never could’ve foreseen. Abandoning Gaea Station, she travels the stars with the help of Magnus’ friend, encounters one of the Majoda (alien species), and uncovers harsh truths about the world that has shaped her entire way of life.

Tesh tackles a lot of difficult topics: homophobia, xenophobia, colonization, sexual assault, abuse, racism, suicide….the list goes on further (check out StoryGraph for a detailed list of CWs). For the most part, she does this with tact. There are a few instances where the expression of these topics/themes felt cursory, and I wish that Tesh had taken the time to dig in a little deeper instead of ~seemingly~ using these topics to guide Kyr’s character arc (there is a hair-touching scene right at the end of the book that simply did not need to be there at all). This was also marketed as a sapphic book, but for those readers who expect an on-page romance to blossom: I’m here to let you know that any potential romance is not a main focus of the storyline. (Not even for some sapphic pining! There is none! You’ve been warned!)

Besides these couple of complaints, this book is a really thrilling ride! The characters jump off the page (kudos to Sena Bryer who narrated the audiobook!) which makes you love them, hate them, and want to hold them tight when something bad happens to them. All in all, I’d recommend this book to my sci-fi ride-or-die gworlies. The otherworldliness of space exploration and lifelike worlds that Tesh has created are stunning!

THIS BOOK. Picking up right where we left off in Godkiller, the action doesn’t stop in Kaner’s sophomore book. We see a lot of firsthand action, multiple POVs that propel the story forward, deeper dives into individual characters (from both ends of the spectrum), and a LOT of gods (dead and alive).

I developed a deeper fondness for every character on the page (even the ones you don’t wanna root for felt very human, nuanced, and real), but the duo Inara and Skedi shone through for me as my favorites this time around. I ATE UP all the new details we learned about both of them and loved watching their characters grow.

This book is officially out now, so if you haven’t already picked up the first book in the series and the concept of resurrecting forbidden dead gods sounds appealing to you…might I suggest checking out Godkiller and immediately launching into Sunbringer right after? I cannot be held accountable for the emotional turmoil you may face after finishing the second book and realizing the final book of the trilogy won’t release for some time. (Just know that I feel your pain.)

I’ve been anticipating this book for a while, and it was worth the wait! Arthie and her brother Jin run a teahouse in White Roaring, but at night, Spindrift turns into an illegal bloodhouse for vampires. Under scrutiny by the Ram (an anonymous political figure in the city), they’ve narrowly avoided being caught and shut down by the Ram’s militia, the Horned Guard. Arthie and Jin have made sure to dabble in peddling secrets of the city’s elite. One day, Arthie is approached by someone unlikely who gives her an ultimatum: steal sensitive political documents, or lose Spindrift forever. She assembles a crew of five cohorts for this undertaking, but this job will cost her everything she holds dear…and some secrets of her own.

I loved each of these characters (Arthie, Jin, Mateo, FLICK). Faizal does an amazing job creating characters that live rent-free in readers’ minds. The setting was so vivid that I felt I was walking the streets of White Roaring with Arthie. I absolutely adored the description of flipping the bloodhouse back into the teahouse - every detail was intentional, and it’s that level of care that Faizal brings to every element of this story. Even though setting the groundwork and preparing the logistics of the heist took up a good chunk of the novel, I thought it was well-paced. Having the multiple POVs during the heist was HUGE in understanding just how everything panned out in the moment. The aftershocks of these events led to some very big reveals that will play a huge part in the next book (the reveals were too big not to be a central focus in future plotlines)!

Some extra details that made me smile: there’s a Stoker Lane in White Roaring, which made me wonder if this was a nod to Bram Stoker and Dracula (very fun detail, if true). There are descriptions of humans turning into vampires that were very reminiscent of the turning process from the Twilight series (no sparkly skin here, though!). The descriptions of the tea were SO GOOD. You can tell how much care Faizal put into learning about teas (or put her knowledge of teas to use). For heists, clever characterization, vampires, and intricate plots: read this!

Saara El-Arifi is back with the first book in a brand-new fantasy trilogy in a whole new style than seen before in her Ending Fire trilogy. All I can say is this woman has RANGE. This book, however, did not captivate me the way El-Arifi’s writing normally does. Perhaps I rushed through the audiobook, or perhaps it’s just another case of a more romance-heavy fantasy storyline that made me glaze over throughout the book, but I’m not the target audience for this book. Let me succinctly break down what I liked and what I didn’t like about it (so that it can absolutely find its target audience of readers who will love it!):

I loved:
• the queer-normative world and sapphic longing/pining
• the BIPOC characters and the inspiration taken from Middle Eastern and African cultures
• El-Arifi’s writing style!!! She has such a unique voice that feels poetic and flowery without overwhelming the reader
• the prophecies and the PLOT TWISTS! (The epilogue had me SCREAMING!)
• vivid character and setting descriptions
• the animal companions
• the magic system!
• the extras included in the physical copy! The map and endnotes really enhanced my understanding of the world

What didn’t work for me:
• heavy-handed romance and some insta-love scenarios - this took away from the world- and non-romantic relationship-building for me, so the universe felt a little flat
• I loved the political intrigue we got in the book, but I wish there would’ve been MORE! I find this is a staple in high fantasy, so I think my expectations were just a little off based on El-Arifi’s other works
• I felt there was a lack of cultural exploration - it felt like Lettle and Yeeran were so invested in the faerie court that we learned very little about their elven culture and heritage
• in general, I’m not drawn to stories about fae and faeries, so I wasn’t as invested in the lore/mythology surrounding the universe

All in all, this is a really good book! I enjoyed reading it enough that I plan to continue on with the series, though it won’t be a personal top favorite of mine. If you love elves, faeries, adorable animal companions, romance, and fantasy - this book is perfect for you!

We pick up the story about 500 years after the events of The Lies of the Ajungo in the City of Truth with our main character, Osi, who attends a ceremony against the instruction of his higher-ups. He witnesses the ascension of the newest Truthseekers and a catastrophic attack by their enemy, the Aleke and the Cult of Tutu. He manages to save the city against the attack thanks to his heroic and quick efforts. The Speaker honors him by raising him to Truthseeker status and entrusting him to seek out their vengeance on the Aleke after training for one year. Armed with a mission that Osi doesn’t quite agree with (though he can’t explain why), he embarks on this journey and is ultimately captured by the Aleke and his army. Confronted with the truth he’s been seeking, Osi must decide if he will betray his people or his new allies in the battle to come.

This novella takes on a significantly darker tone than Ajungo and it is PERFECT for what Utomi was trying to accomplish with this narrative. Osi and Tutu are both characters who have to deal with seemingly insurmountable challenges in their young lives, but they have very different approaches and attitudes. Osi is much more naive and easily swayed – he wants to believe that there is a way to establish peace among their nations that won’t result in massive, innocent bloodshed, but he’s continuously proven wrong at great cost to himself and the people around him. 

This story is gruesome, gritty, and painful: it forces us to confront the stories we’ve been told throughout our lives and to question who is in charge of writing history. There’s a bonus in the author’s note at the end for readers that provides context for the style of writing and the shape of the story, and I can’t recommend this extra reading enough! I’m so eager to see what Utomi has cooked up for the final installment in this series!

Okay, real talk, there isn’t a lot I feel like I can say about this book without giving away massive spoilers, so let me try to sell you the first book in the series (The Shadow of the Gods): if you like your fantasies epic, with nitty-gritty world-building, dark and troubled main characters, and your world filled to the brim with Nordic inspiration – the Bloodsworn Saga is right for you!

The gods have been dead for ages, but they’re coming back with a vengeance. We’re reunited with our main characters (Varg, Orka, and Elvar) as well as a couple of new ones (I will not reveal who!) whose paths have finally crossed after all the build-up of the first novel. We continue to watch them on their individual journeys and get a glimpse at the bigger picture and how the patterns of fate have linked them all. As far as second books in trilogies go, this one was a hit! While I found it a bit slow to start, the majority of the book travels at a breakneck speed with fights and battles, significant historical events (gods are coming back to life??), and a huge cliffhanger that had me screaming at the last page of text.

Gwynne takes great care to give each of his characters a distinct voice and is a master at weaving intricate tapestries out of plotlines. The rich Nordic inspiration shines through the text and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that he includes a pronunciation guide for words foreign to the average English audience. The magical nature, mystical elements, and stunning settings included really thrust the reader into the world he’s painted for us. Since I primarily listened to this as an audiobook, I also have to give a shout out to the narrator, Colin Mace, who brings Gwynne’s words, settings, and characters to life. I am absolutely DYING to see how this all ends in the final book being published later this year, and I have a feeling I will not emotionally recover for a long time.

This book was an absolute whirlwind! Going into it, my assumption was that it was a critique of the wellness industry through the author’s (Alnes) perspective. When I read the prologue and realized it was connected to the 30 Bananas a Day (30BAD) community and its founders (Freelee and Harley), I knew this would hit me personally. As someone who attempted the 30BAD/raw vegan lifestyle in undergrad…I knew this book would hit a lot of personal points for me. Before digging deeper, it’s important to give a massive TW for self-harm, eating disorders, talk of fat-shaming along with others. Check out StoryGraph’s full list of content warnings before proceeding!

Alnes was a D1 runner during her freshman year of college, but her athletic career was cut short after a series of neurological phenomena that medical professionals couldn’t diagnose or treat. These events in her early college career led to her struggles with mental health, mistrust of medical professionals, and her long struggle with disordered eating. Eventually, this is where the 30BAD diet comes into play. She stumbled upon the community in its nascent days, and followed the founders as they preached a fruititarian lifestyle for all. They led followers to believe that eating a diet consisting primarily of raw fruits would cure any ailment and let people live their happiest, most energetic lives. Suffice it to say, that certainly hasn’t been the case for many people who fell into the 30BAD pit trap.

The book intertwines Alnes’ story and foray into this community with research about other individuals’ experiences and accounts as well as a deep-dive on the history and “creation” of the 30BAD and fruititarian diet, with a specific focus on the controversy surrounding the founders, Freelee and Harley. While I really loved the mixture of stories and perspectives, I think it ultimately would’ve been better as two separate stories: Alnes’ personal memoir and reflection of her experiences, and a research-heavy dissection of the frutitarian diet/30BAD community. I still really enjoyed this and it put a lot of events into perspective for me that I didn’t realize were happening at that point in time.

With the upcoming release of the second book in this duology (April 2024!), I knew I needed to get my act together and finally pick this one up! I’ve tried to read it twice before as an audiobook before I realized I needed a physical copy of this book to fully immerse myself. And boy, did I!

We’re immediately thrown into our main character’s, Zephyr, world as a strategist for Xin Ren (the underdog warlordess fighting for her rightful throne) against the tyrant regent, Miasma. Few strategists have the guts to take on someone as cunning and bloodthirsty, but Zephyr takes it upon herself to attempt and secure the throne for Ren. We meet Ren’s swornsisters, Cloud and Lotus, who are dedicated to her cause, and Zephyr may have met her match when her path crosses with Miasma’s strategist, Crow. Strategic plots, alliances, betrayals, and battles galore – there are twists and turns readers won’t expect in the first half of this book. The second half travels at a breakneck pace and leaves readers on a cliffhanger, desperately eager for more!

He has done a fantastic job reimagining the Chinese classic (Three Kingdoms) from the 14th century and making it exciting in the 21st century! This book is full of characters we love to hate (morally grey!!), underdogs, magic unlocked by zither playing (gorgeous descriptions in these scenes), and quests to fight against the threads of fate and will of the gods. I can’t forget to add that the e-book and physical copies include character designs, stunning maps, and detailed endnotes about her research on the original text and characters.

This is the third book in the series by Anita Kelly (Love & Other Disasters, Something Wild & Wonderful) depicting an LGBTQ+ contemporary romance. We meet our main characters: Julie Parker, the head coach of a high school basketball team, and Elle Cochrane, a former basketball star. Julie has been tasked with coaching the Bobcats alone and is thrown for a loop when an extra player has been suddenly added to her roster — Vanessa. She’s given one more surprise: Vanessa’s foster parent is Julie’s famous childhood hero (crush?), Elle Cochrane.

We witness Julie and Elle’s interactions as they work together to encourage and support Vanessa and the rest of the Bobcats team. Their connection only deepens once Elle agrees to be Julie’s assistant coach for the season. She sees it as an opportunity to keep an eye on Vanessa, to carefully dip her toes back into the sport she once loved, and maybe even a way to get closer with Julie.

Both Julie and Elle come to rely on each other and begin to suspect that their friendship is evolving into something more as they also eventually agree to practice dating each other in an attempt to help Julie explore her sexuality. Chock full of miscommunications, identity exploration, mental health and chronic pain representation, and serious commentary on foster care — this book doesn’t hold back in all the right ways.

The plot dragged in some parts and it was significantly less spicy than Kelly’s previous books, but it felt appropriate for the characters’ stories and neither aspect took away from my overall enjoyment of this book! To those who have read Kelly’s other works, you’ll love this latest addition to their series. To those who haven’t yet picked up Kelly’s books, there’s no time like the present! AND these books don’t need to be read in order to be understood or appreciated.

Told from the perspectives of two women, we are forced to reckon with a society that isn’t far off from our own history - fighting for women’s equality and women’s rights. Nehal, from a wealthy family, is forced into a marriage with Nico, who comes from a wealthy merchant family. All Nehal wants is to attend the Weaving Academy to hone her waterweaving skills and eventually lead an all-female force of weavers into battle. Entrance into the academy, however, requires money and the signature of a parent or spouse, and Nehal’s parents refuse to let her attend. Nico, in love with someone else, is also not interested in this marriage, so he and Nehal strike a deal that allows their marriage to benefit them both. Nehal is soon admitted into the Weaving Academy where she’s able to learn more about this ancient magic.

Our other main female character, Giorgina, comes from a poor, struggling family. She works as a bookseller to make money for her family and also raises money to support the Daughters of Izdihar - a radical women’s group fighting for equality, led primarily by female weavers. An earthweaver, herself, Giorgina hopes to gain control of her abilities, as her emotions often get the best of her. We find out that she is the other woman with whom Nico is in love, which quickly complicates the relationship between Nico and Nehal, and Nico and Giorgina.

Eventually our MCs come together to join forces, realizing they have a lot more in common than they thought. Joining the Daughters of Izdihar just might change both of their lives and advance the women’s movement in Izdihar.

Elsbai’s writing is inspired by modern Egyptian history and it’s obvious she’s taken great care in exploring the complexities of this history to write this story. For some, this book may be a little too on-the-nose when it comes to the feminist movement, but I urge Western readers to consider that there are plenty of countries where women do not have the freedoms we do. This book shows that together, we are stronger than the forces of the oppressor, and I think that’s always an important reminder. I absolutely can’t wait for the second book to release!