Jade City by Fonda Lee

I’m glad I finally got around to starting the Green Bone Saga. I attempted to read it years ago, but I wasn’t in the right mood. 

Synopsis

Jade City is a complex urban fantasy novel about clans, families, and gangs. It has a unique magic system, centring on the use of jade. 

Review of Jade City

It is quite dense with a heavy focus on business and politics. Sometimes, my attention would drift, but then something would happen, and I’d be invested again. 

I eventually enjoyed all the different POVs, but it took a while because there were so many. Shae, Hilo and Anden had great character arcs. 

By the end, though, everything came together epically. The buildup was worth the wait. 

I’m excited to read Jade War next. 

My Rating: 3.5/5

Expected Publication: 9 September 2025

Thank you to Orbit for sending me the reprint editions in exchange for an honest review. 

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

After loving the Shepherd King duology, I was excited to start a new series by Rachel Gillig. 

The first few pages were promising. The atmosphere was dark and gothic, especially with the shrouded diviners and the creepy church setting. 

However, as soon as the male love interest appeared, things nosedived from there. I think the enemies-to-lovers trope leaned too heavily on the enemies aspect. Both characters were way too cruel to each other to feel any chemistry between them later on. 

There was also a plethora of profanity. I’m not opposed to it, but dropping so many F-bombs in a fantasy book can be distracting. I’d almost rather have some made-up cussing. 

The characters were also underdeveloped. Both the FMC and the MMC relied too heavily on snark. The gargoyle was the only character who stood out. 

The writing quality wasn’t as good as I remember it being in The Shepherd King duology. The plot was formulaic. The characters had the same goal for each section. Not to mention, the ending was entirely predictable. 

I can see the appeal of this book, but it didn’t work for me.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 20 May 2025

Thank you to Orbit for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review. 

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

The Ashfire King by Chelsea Abdullah

The Ashfire King is the long-awaited sequel to The Stardust Thief. 

The plot picks up where it left off with Mazen and Loulie stuck in the jinn realm. 

Since it’s been years since I read the first book, I forgot virtually everything that happened, but thankfully, the author provided a detailed summary that helped jog my memory. 

The pacing is well-balanced, with the action picking up in the second half. The characters go on quite the swashbuckling adventures. 

The writing and world-building are as captivating as the first book. I could easily imagine this series as being adapted for the big screen. 

They were brief, but the tales throughout were amazingly told. 

We follow the same three characters: Loulie, Aisha, and Mazen. They all have great character arcs, but Aisha remains my favourite. 

I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 15 April 2025

Thank you to Orbit for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review. 

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

Grave Empire by Richard Swan

Grave Empire is the first book in a new epic fantasy series set in the same world as the Empire of the Wolf Trilogy. I haven’t read those books yet, but I’ve seen such great reviews that I wanted to try this one. 

Review of Grave Empire

This book is set two centuries later and features a mysterious plague and the afterlife. It discusses colonization, “civilized” versus “pagan” society. 

It has complex world-building with clear political structures and religious ideologies. It has elements of horror and a few immoral characters. 

The writing is excellent. However, it also uses many military and weaponry terms I had to look up. 

I’d say it’s more plot-focused than character-focused. The character development was a bit shallow, which kept me from fully enjoying the story. The conclusion was intriguing, so I will likely pick up the sequel. 

My Rating: 3.5

Now Available.

Thank you to Orbit for providing a copy to review. 

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

A Crown So Silver by Lyra Selene

A Crown So Silver is the anticipated follow up to A Feather So Black. 

Review of A Crown So Silver

I enjoyed the first book a lot more than this instalment. The atmosphere was magical and enchanting. However, in this one, the writing seemed to be overly flowery, which I found distracting. 

The main characters were not as strongly developed as in the first book. Communication with each other was lacking. Fia tends to act first and think later. 

The pacing was also quite slow.  I love tournaments and competitions in books, so I was looking forward to that aspect. However, the tournament didn’t start until halfway through, and it wasn’t what I was hoping for. 

There is a lot of open-door spice. 

Overall, this one didn’t have the magic of the first book. I’m not sure if I’ll be continuing with the series. 

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Now Available.

Thank you to Orbit for providing a copy to review. 

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri

With the way The Oleander Sword ended, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of the final installment of The Burning Kingdoms trilogy. 

Review of The Lotus Empire

Maybe it’s because it’s been so long since I read the first two books, but it took quite a while before I became invested in the plot with this one. It wasn’t until about the sixty percent mark that everything started coming together. The pacing was a bit inconsistent. 

I might have enjoyed this more had I reread the first two books before starting this one. 

I did like the way the story ended. It felt fitting for the two main characters. I’d have preferred more chapters focusing on Priya and Malini and fewer on the side characters. 

As usual, Tasha Suri’s writing is beautiful. 

So, this was a mixed bag for me, but I think others will love it. 

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 12 November 2024

Thank you to Orbit for providing a copy to review. 

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

The Bound Worlds by Megan E. O’Keefe

The Bound Worlds is a satisfying conclusion to a space opera trilogy packed with romance and heart. 

Review of The Bound Worlds

I nearly DNFed this after the first 100 pages. I’m glad I didn’t. I took a break from it, came back, and was quickly absorbed back into this story.

As with the previous books, the stakes get even higher. 

In my other reviews for this series (Book One, Book Two), I’ve mentioned that the first two books leaned on the corny side, but this one seems to have dialed it back a bit. That, or I’ve become used to it. The characters even made me chuckle a time or two. 

This series has lots of great representation. There was Queer representation throughout, and this book has disability representation. 

I was never the biggest fan of Tarquin, but this conclusion changed my mind. The ending was quite emotional. 

All in all, this series is well worth reading. 

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Now Available.

Thank you to Orbit for providing a copy to review. 

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H. G. Parry

The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door is a captivating, dark academia novel featuring a magical school and the fae. 

Synopsis

It begins in 1920 when Clover Hill desperately wants to learn magic to break the faerie curse her brother received during WWI. She studies and soon becomes a student at the elite and secret magical academy known as Camford. Immediately, Clover is an outsider, ignored by her peers. That is until she meets Alden Lennox-Fontaine, a charming and clever boy, who welcomes her into his friend group. Clover spends the summer at Alden’s home, where the culmination of their studying and experiments go awry and have lasting consequences. 

Review of The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door

The first chunk of this book has top-tier magical school/dark academia content. It’s up there with HP and The Secret History. The plot pivots away from the school setting but is no less compelling. There’s tons of foreshadowing, which had me glued to the pages. 

It explores discussions on class and entitlement. 

I enjoyed the author’s last book, The Magician’s Daughter, but this standalone is even better. The writing is excellent and feels cozy despite the dark content. 

If you’re looking for a thoroughly riveting dark academia/magical school setting, this is the one. 

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Expected Publication: 22 October 2024

Thank you to Orbit for providing a copy to review. 

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

A Rose by Any Other Name by Mary McMyne

A Rose by Any Other Name is packed with spells, romance, and astrology. 

Synopsis

When Rose Rushe’s father dies, and she is accused of witchcraft, she and her family must flee to avoid persecution. They arrive at a family friend’s household in London, where Rose finds herself smothered by the constraints of the time. It’s her dream to become a court musician. She eventually sneaks out and gets mixed up with a wealthy noble and Shakespeare. 

Review of A Rose by Any Other Name

This book immediately grabbed my attention. It has a very moody and gothic feel. 

The pacing is a bit slow, which I didn’t mind.

There’s some spice, but it’s not overly explicit. 

If “Mercury was in Gemini” means anything to you, you might love that aspect of the book. There are tons of astrology references. I know next to nothing about the subject, so I often had to look up what they meant or breeze right past it. 

If you enjoyed the author’s last novel, chances are you will enjoy this standalone as well. She creates a dark, moody atmosphere very well. 

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Now Available.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

Thank you to Redhook for providing a copy to review. 

The Fractured Dark by Megan E. O’Keefe

I remember enjoying The Blighted Stars but was extremely fuzzy on the details beyond that, as it’s been a while since I read the first installment. 

This second book has a slow start but eventually has some of the action that had me glued to the first book. 

At times, I found the dialogue corny, and some of the characters felt like caricatures. However, I still enjoyed the majority of the story. 

If you don’t read much sci-fi, this is a great series to try out the genre. It doesn’t get bogged down into too much scientific detail and focuses on the plot. 

I have the next book on hand and am excited to dive in soon. 

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Now Available.

For regular reading updates, check out my Goodreads profile.

For past reviews, click here.

Thank you to Orbit for providing a copy to review.