These books feature characters and content for adults.
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The Hacienda: Gothic horror done right
After marrying a man she knows little about except his politics and that his first wife is dead, Beatriz moves to his hacienda in the country only to find something disturbing lurking within its walls.
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The Night Shift: A much-needed break
Three main characters deal with the ripple effects of a gruesome murder that mirrors a crime from fifteen years earlier.
These books target an audience in the 18-23 age range. New Adult tends to straddle the line, featuring tropes or plot points beloved in Young Adult, but with Adult characters and content.
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Long Live Evil (Book 1): Fun and campy
Rae, who’s dying of cancer, is teleported into the world of her favorite fantasy series for a chance to find a cure. There’s just one problem: she’s woken up as the villain who’s supposed to get executed early on. Now she has to scheme her way into survival.
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The Hemlock Queen (Book 2): Tense and subtly gory
After the events of the eclipse, things begin changing very fast for Lore, Bastian, and Gabe. Now they’re wrapped up in politics and scheming Gods while war looms on the horizon.
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Throne of Glass: Full series review
This series follows a young assassin with a mysterious past who was raised by an infamous Assassin’s Guild leader. Everyone wants to use her unique skills for themselves – or otherwise eradicate the threat she poses. As she struggles for freedom, she is also forced to confront her deepest secrets.
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Iron Flame: A mid sequel
Book 2 in the Fourth Wing series by Rebecca Yarros.
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Divine Rivals: Sweet and well-written
Two competing young journalists navigate life, love, and the front line in the midst of war between gods.
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August 2023 DNF Roundup
In lieu of a review this week, I’m covering a quick list of some recent DNFs (books I gave up on). Come sip the tea.
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House of Hunger: An addicting sapphic gothic tale
In a world where blood is a valuable commodity, a young woman named Marion agrees to become an indentured bloodmaid for a noblewoman – but not everything in the mansion is as it seems.
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Ninth House (Book 1): Gripping and creepy
Alex Stern, who has lived a hard life of drugs and petty crime, is offered a place in Yale’s secret dark magic societies because of her unique ability to see ghosts. One semester in, a woman turns up dead – and Alex thinks the societies are involved.
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Fourth Wing (Book 1): The best of 2023 so far
Despite being untrained, dealing with chronic pain, and having a target on her back, 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail’s mother forces her to enroll in a dragon-riding military college – where the mortality rate for first-years is something like 50% or more. Now Violet has to survive not just the deadly training but the other ruthless students…
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Zodiac Academy (Book 4): Shadow Princess – DNF review
Book 4 in the Zodiac Academy series.
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The Foxglove King: Fun and thought-provoking
Lore, a necromancer who can wield death magic, must spy on the crown prince in a world where such magic is a highly-priced illicit commodity. Here the church and the monarchy are dangerously interwoven, and Lore must find a way to navigate the obscenely opulent royal court.
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Zodiac Academy (Book 3): The Reckoning – More of the same
Book 3 of the Zodiac Academy series.
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Zodiac Academy: Ruthless Fae (Book 2) – The revenge story
Book 2 of the Zodiac Academy series.
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Zodiac Academy: The Awakening (Book 1) – A mixed bag
A pair of twins who’ve just aged out of the foster system learn that they’re not just Fae changelings, but apparently heirs to a Fae throne when they are whisked away to Zodiac Academy in a parallel world.
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A Court of Silver Flames (Book 4): A new favorite
Book 4 in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series.
These books have characters and content for teenagers.
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To Shape a Dragon’s Breath: A superb cozy fantasy
Anequs, an indigenous islander in this fantasy world, is required to attend the colonizer’s school away from her people after a newly-hatched dragon chooses her to be its rider.
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Firekeeper’s Daughter: Entertaining and enlightening
After Daunis witnesses a murder, she becomes a confidential informant to the FBI. As more people in her community die, she becomes increasingly conflicted between protecting her tribe and trusting the feds to solve the crime.
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The Inheritance Games (Book 1): Fun and easy
A teenager learns that a stranger has written her into his will – and that she’s inheriting billions. But there’s a catch.
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Serpent & Dove: Full series review
A young witch, Lou, is forced into marriage to Reid, a witch hunter, while also hiding from her dark and mysterious past.
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Wolf by Wolf: Duology review
In an alternate history where Hitler won, a concentration camp survivor joins a treacherous Hitler Youth motorcycle race with the goal of assassinating the dictator.
