u/apieceofeight

This is by Whit Stanfield and is slated to come out September 3, 2026. It is book 4 on in the Naiads of Julie series, which starts with A Sea of Songs and Sirens. This is the last book in the series, and is preceded by two books and a prequel (that is not necessary to read but adds context to the story). Whit is an indie author and I appreciate her selecting me to read this ARC.

I don’t see this series mentioned often, so I’ll write a more general review of it first, with no spoilers. Book 1 was probably about a 4 star read. The writing was decent; it was entertaining in the way of a standard romantasy title. The characters were likable, the worldbuilding was phenomenal (with a nod to Polynesian culture), and it had an arranged marriage (one of my fav tropes). The lore/background was thorough, but in some ways a little too much as there are a lot of names and places to remember. FMC is a human living on an island who ends up convincing sirens to save a man from drowning. She then finds herself in the middle of kingdom politics, and shit goes down.

Book 2 was not as good, at least in the beginning. There were some pacing issues as well as repetitive interactions. The first half was slow but things picked up, culminating in a mad cliffhanger, so I knew I’d be reading the next book.

Well, the next book turned out to be a prequel following two sisters that we’ve read about but don’t truly know. I liked it more than I thought I would, and I felt like it stood alone as its own, emotionally impactful story.

Anyway, now on to the actual ARC review: book 4 and picked up right where book 2 ended. The horrible cliffhanger. I felt like this book had a lot of things going on, but some did feel like filler and/or repetitive interactions. These were somewhat necessary to drive the plot forward, but it could’ve been toned down. The world building continued to be massive. I was impressed that there was even more to add, lol.

I liked that there were some chapters from MMC’s POV. In this way, he actually has a role and motivations (unlike in some other stories) aside from just worshipping FMC. There were some moments where you could feel some tension and fear in the relationship, which I thought was well done. It mimicked real life where not everything is sunshine and rainbows between a couple. There were also some interactions (not necessarily between the main characters) that I did not see coming, and elements that I found to be really moving. I actually found the ending to be kind of bittersweet in the way the end of TOG was (actually, I felt like there was a parallel with TOG with how much FMC was made to deal with, like Aelin).

The book did a good job of tying up loose ends with the main pairing but leaving it open for future books about other characters. I think if you’re looking for a decent siren story that has some moving components, but maybe isn’t the most unique romantasy title out there, this would be good. Just go into it knowing there are some imperfections. I’d also say that given how many names and places you have to remember, it’s probably a good idea to read them all kinda one after another. I’d say this was about a 3.8 star read for me.

I saw a post just now in her Facebook group that apparently she’s been keeping a secret from us! A new book is coming out August 21st! {Amid Clouds and Bones} is one of my all time faves so I will def be reading this!

This is by Alexandra Bracken and is slated to come out August 18, 2026.

I was invited to read this ARC. My list was so long, I almost turned it down but I decided I’d go for it anyway. I am so, so glad I did!

The story has various unique elements! For example, it’s set in a regency sort of era, but has magic elements. The main one is that things can be done through perfume. What kinds of things, I’ll let you find out. But it’s a completely novel story, imo, and the historical fiction element made it a winner for me. There was also a political/court intrigue and kinda mystery aspect too, with the plot.

I felt like the writing was very good. No major grammar or spelling mistakes. The language used fit the time period (no modern slang). The one thing I did not like was that most of the book was in FMC’s pov, which was in first person, but a handful of chapters were in MMC’s POV, which was in third. Either make them both first or both third.

There were some twists in the story. I did not see these coming. Though the beginning is a little slow, I feel like so much happens if you continue on. I was swamped with work this week and could not read more than a couple of chapters a night. I found myself thinking about this book though bc I really wanted to know what they’d be doing next!

In terms of characters, FMC is smart but not sassy or annoying. She’s capable but she is not a fighter or athlete and there is no training to teach her how to become one, which was great. MMC is a little broody but a genuinely good guy. They dislike each other at first but are attracted to each other after a little bit. I will say that some may consider it fast. The spice is not very high though.

Side characters were alright. Not too much time is spent developing them but you learn just enough to make you like them.

This was an excellent palette cleanser read for me. I gave it a 4.5. Has anyone else read this? Thoughts??

This is by Jacqueline White and is slated to come out on November 3, 2026. I have ARC in quotes bc my understanding is this is for the trad published version.

For fans of dark romance, this is for you. It is not a spoiler to say there is a love triangle, as the blurb hints at this. However, both MMC are morally gray if not outright black. It was kind of a refreshing change as I was as searching for a “villain gets the girl” story. I will note, however, that it’s crucial to read the content warning as there is some behavior some might consider NC even though the book describes it as consensual.

That being said, the worldbuilding is not really much. We’re limited to FMC’s home life in the castle, and then in a cell (again, from the blurb). There is not a lot of description of much beyond interactions with various individuals/scenes in court. But, given the nature of this book, I suppose that’s to be expected. It’ll be interesting to see how the author deals with world building in the next book.

FMC is cynical, but savvy and smart. She’s witty, and thinks ahead. I happened to like her, though I did feel bad about the hand she was dealt. Since it’s a love triangle, there are two MMCs. They have such different temperaments and I rotated from liking to disliking them. Towards the end, I thought one was better suited but didn’t actually hate the other one. However, given where the author left things, at present I wouldn’t mind if FMC just forgot them both and did her own thing 🤣🤣🤣 the last two chapters were chef’s kiss!

The writing itself is okay. I didn’t really notice grammar or spelling mistakes. I also felt like the language fit the time period and Ton setting. We do spend most of our time in FMC’s head, so our POV is limited a lot to her thoughts and schemes.

I’m keen to see where this goes in the next book and if the author grows the worldbuilding well. I’d say this rated a 4.3/5.

Per Demi’s email today, the book is with her editor!!! Hopefully we get it soon, bc I need more Saga and Rurik, asap.

Speaking of them, she also included a new piece of art of the two of them in her email. If you’ve read Dawn of the North, you should know what scene this is!

Can’t wait for book 4!

This is by Cas E. Crowe and is slated to come out October 13, 2026.

Raise your hand if you were a big Pirates of the Caribbean fan back in the day. I certainly was. This book gave me such POTC vibes, mixed in with some ghost story/spooky bits, a mystery to solve, and sirens — I know this sub hella loves sirens so keep a weather eye on the horizon for this one if that’s your jam!

FMC, Ezra, is shipwrecked on an island after an incident at sea. There is something weird going on in town, and she’s essentially stumbled into a mysterious curse that doesn’t allow the citizens off the island. MMC lives on the island and finds her when she’s first stranded.

The world building and premise was pretty good. I was intrigued and wanted to know more. There were some twists that I saw coming, and others that I didn’t see coming. I felt like the writing was good, and not too juvenile or modern slang. Fit the scene, so to speak.

I liked FMC for the most part. MMC could be nicer. Their relationship felt kinda out of nowhere to me. They had interactions, of course, but it didn’t really feel like much foundation had been laid to show them falling for each other behind an initial attraction to their looks. Regardless, this isn’t quite an insta lust fast burn situation. There’s a lot going on, and by the end I was like wtf just happened.

Long and short of it is that I’d give it a chance and read it to the end before deciding if you want to continue the next series. The beginning may be a lil slow for some, but I felt like it fit.

Overall, I did like this. The execution of the relationship could’ve been better, but I loved the other elements so I’d rate this a 4.3/5.

Happy Fanart Friday! It’s really been neat seeing everyone send in their art contributions and finding out about so many artists and series that are new to me, so we’re back again this month (:

What’s been your favorite piece of fanart you’ve seen this month? Is it new, or have you rediscovered a past favorite? Can’t wait to see y’all’s selections!

On my end, I’m currently obsessed with all things Thorn Season and when I saw kalisami (@kalisamiii on instagram) did art for it, I was so happy! I absolutely love her style, and this art happens to be of my favorite pairing from the book (IYKYK). The colors and flowers are just beautiful 😻

Please share your favorite pieces and make sure to credit the artist 💗💗💗

This is by Kiera Azar and is slated to come out November 3, 2026.

I was very lucky in that after I finished book 1, my request for the ARC of book 2 was granted. But now I will suffer a bit waiting for book 3! Though there won’t be spoilers for this book in here, there will be some discussion of book 1 that may spoil it for you if you haven’t read it.

This book picks up right where book 1 left off and from the get go is filled with action. The political intrigue of the story continues, and you meet several new characters. Some of the new and old characters are fleshed out, but others are more peripheral.

The pacing in this book overall was good and didn’t feel too slow. If anything, a lot happened and there were so many twists I didn’t see coming at all, which was exciting. I will say though that there was a plot point that made little logical sense to me. It’s needed to push the book, but imo it was so obviously unrealistic.

Erik and Alissa continued to be complex, and interesting to follow. After book 1, I personally liked Erik more as a potential MMC. He just had an unhinged level of possessiveness that was so well written, and a villain getting the girl would be refreshing. This book continued to delve into his motivations and past. I ate that uppppp.

Conversely, with Keil I felt like there was little discourse on his past and story in the first book, which unfortunately continued in this book. His scenes with Alissa are good though, I just felt like there could have been more and wished he had more substance. It’s unclear what his function is aside from adoring Alissa, which makes him kind of bland. Basically, there is a lot written about Erik and his background/MO between the two books, but the same level of detail is not given to Keil.

I’m really eager to see what book 3 brings us since book 2 ends on a bang, similar to book 1. I think if you enjoyed book 1, you’ll like book 2.

This was a 4.5 star read for me, mainly because I love the story/plot so much 😻

This is by V.L. Bovalino and is slated to come out September 26, 2026.

I normally don’t like books about other characters that take place in the same world as the first book because they tend not to be well written. It’s also usually about a side character who wasn’t well fleshed out, so I don’t care about them. However, I decided to give this book a chance since I overall liked book 1.

The main characters in this book are for the most part different for the majority of the book. The plot is also pretty different. It continues from where book 1 left off and is very political intrigue heavy. If you liked that about book 1, you’ll like this one too, I think. I will say that for the beginning little bit, I was pretty confused about what happened/what was going on, but it eventually cleared up.

That being said, I found the motivations of some characters not to be believable. FMC is a cynical but savvy strategist sort of person. I would think she would’ve been less blind about her situation, but she willfully ignored it. MMC was written as charming, but I wished we had some insight into his pov. It seemed like their problems could’ve been somewhat resolved had they just communicated with each other like adults, but that wouldn’t have led to the story. Regardless, I did like them both and actually enjoyed their love story enfolding. I’m kind of a sap lol.

In terms of characters from book 1, I felt like they were kind of naive and too trusting. I wasn’t a huge fan of their plot point either, but I understood why it was necessary.

The writing quality itself was good. If you liked how book 1 was written, you’ll probably like this book too, but I do think book 1 was better.

I’d give this a 4 out of 5.

This is by Kiera Azar and has been sitting on my TBR list since someone posted about it here a few months ago and I was intrigued.

The plot is pretty basic: there are people with magic (that are called their specters) and people without. People with magic are hunted. It’s kind of like The Crimson Moth. FMC is a noblewoman with a specter (again like CM). However, even though she’s supposedly only 18, she’s savvy and cynical — she seems much older/mature. I really liked how she was written.

Though the plot seems unoriginal, I will say that I thought the writing was good. Not juvenile or too modern. Fit the milieu. There were multiple plot twists and I didn’t see them coming. I loved it.

MMC — this is a little bit of a spoiler but there are three dudes into her. It’s pretty clear imo which one she’s probably going to end up with, but all three had things I liked and disliked about them. I do have to say though, >!I know Keil (why the Tragedeigh name of Kyle???) is probably endgame but I kinda liked Erik more? What is wrong with me lol. Keil was just so naive and too good. Erik was complex and had been taking care of her in his own way. Hoping for a redemption arc but I think it’s unlikely.!<

The politics behind this and the ton intrigue was a treat. I’m excited for book 2. This was a fun/engrossing read for me. I think if you liked The Crimson Moth (and maybe even The Rose Bargain though there are no trials), you’ll like this one. It earned 5 stars for me.

This is by A.M. Blythe and comes out July 15, 2026.

So, I’m on a 2 week vacation with little to no WiFi or cellular data access so I’m powering through my ARC and TBR pile. I was really excited for this one because (1) I liked the cover and (2) the premise seemed cool. FMC is a memory thief. Memories can be extracted and others can use them to experience those emotions. MMC is a hunter of memory thieves.

Unfortunately, the execution fell really flat. For the beginning part of it, I had almost no idea what was going on or how it really connected to the overarching plot at the end. The writing was really juvenile and the dialogue between characters was just bad at times. The pacing was off — some parts went super fast and others really slowly.

The worldbuilding itself had a lot of potential but was kinda confusing. Like the magic system was interesting but not very well explained. Some other plot point related items didn’t really make sense (I won’t get into it so as to not spoil it). Idk. I wish someone had gone through this with a fine tooth comb to have fixed some of these issues. It could’ve been really good if so.

Relationship between the main characters was fine. They’ve known each other a few days so it’s hard to believe their romance but it is explained in a way that makes sense. The spice isn’t explicit but there is some mentioned.

I would give this a 2.5 out of 5. Bonus points for originality but lackluster in execution.

This is by Helen Scheuerer and is slated to come out September 22, 2026.

I was a bit hesitant to request this ARC. I liked the first couple Legends of Thezmarr books, but I felt like the ones about Wren were just really poorly written and had a lot of plot holes.

The premise of this one was interesting. FMC is a book binder who has a shop restoring books. MMC is of a warrior race needing new help. They enter into a bargain. The beginning was intriguing because it was from MMC’s POV. Their POVs alter every chapter. MMC was a little bit of the broody stereotype but FMC was not an overly sassy/brash lead. She’s just a woman trying to survive, though she makes terrible decisions imo. I felt like with her friends she acted differently (quieter, more stoic) than she did with MMC, which was flirty at times, a little too chatty, etc. Their relationship was definitely insta lust but there’s a reason for it. I do feel like their interactions got repetitive for a bit. The author tried to insert banter between them and sometimes it was fine, but the rest it fell flat for me.

Moving on: the writing was okay. Some usage of modern slang which I wasn’t a fan of, but it didn’t happen super often. The world building was good. I’m keen to learn more about the houses in later books. Magic system is also neat, though again kinda want more about it in the next book.

All in all, I thought this was okay but could definitely use some polish. I give it like a 3.5 and will read the next book because I’m invested now.

This is by Maria Z. Medina and is slated to come out December 8, 2026.

A week or so ago, I posted a review of book 1, which had been sitting on my TBR. I posted that it was very plot forward with romance so minuscule it might as well have not been there. I am pleased to tell you that this book remained plot heavy, but the romance increased.

At the end of book 1, I really wanted to know what happened next because I liked the cast of characters. FMC Azul del Arroyo is scrappy and so warm hearted. Enjul was rigid, but you could tell by book 2 that he made a lasting impact on Azul’s growth as a character. And she did grow.

The rest of the characters were equally engaging. I don’t often like side characters because they’re not well developed. In this duo, the story is told through multiple POVs. I will say book 2 still is told through multiple POVs, but on a lesser scale. Delving into the side characters profiles, even for a bit, gives you insight into them and makes them more real instead of 2 dimensional figures.

Anyway, I digress. The plot continued to be good. Some parts of it were predictable, but I liked it. I did feel like some things happened too fast/without warning, so the pacing wasn’t 100% there. I also felt like the author could have made this into 3 books (or more) had she wanted, but I appreciate that she didn’t drag this out or insert a bunch of filler.

Book 2 wraps up all the open plot points beautifully. The ending is also realistic and mature. I really like where she went with this. And wholeheartedly recommend it.

This was a 5 star read for me.

It’s in the mall on the 4th floor of terminal 2. I think it’ll be going on til September.

Happy fanart Friday! I loved seeing everyone’s contributions last month and learning about so many new artists!

What’s been your favorite piece of fanart you’ve seen this month? Is it new, or have you rediscovered a past favorite? Please share and make sure to credit the artist (:

On my end, I fell in love with the art from the Hurricane Wars and Monsoon Rising books, particularly though the Monsoon Rising Fairyloot books. The cover and endpapers reminded me of my time in Southeast Asia and the colors are absolutely beautiful!

This art is by Kelly Chong a/k/a @afterblossom_art on instagram.

PS a lil bird told me the author, Thea Guanzon, will be popping on over here on October 13, 2026 to do an AMA for us (;

Please share your favorite pieces and make sure to credit the artist 💗💗💗