Reviewed by Andrea Marks-Joseph

Teenage sisters unexpectedly upend everything they know to be true of their colonized homelands in this high fantasy political drama.

Sisters Effie and Vanna, three years apart, have been orphaned in the violent plundering of their village and consequential imperial rule from the Celestials. Claiming to protect them from piracy, the Celestials proclaim that their “lands are too rich to avoid unwanted attention, and your Gifts, however bountiful, will not be enough to deter those who would do you harm.”

The Celestials host an annual ceremony where villagers who have come of age and demonstrated proof of magical powers are tested for a particularly rare valuable skillset. Winners are honored with the duty to use their talents at the imperial army’s will. No one questions this or the Celestials’ intentions because the lore of the bloodshed they were saved from hangs heavy and haunting.

Ardent Wings on Jealous Skies spans years, venturing with Vanna and Effie into hidden, unfamiliar places, from alternating points of view: Effie and Vanna alone on their journeys. This is a politically intriguing and morally challenging story, a coming-of-age, a reckoning with colonialism and corruption—and it’s rooted in authentic sibling energy that anyone who grew up with a sibling just a few years apart in age will understand and feel deep to their core.

All Effie wants is to manifest powers and travel the world doing the duty she’s dreamed of for all her fifteen years of life. When Vanna manifests powers and joins the dragoons, Effie’s powers remain elusive, keeping her home. Their relationship becomes tense, especially with Effie sulking as she grows desperate to claim her destiny.

Alternating chapters provide insight into their strained sisterhood: We read Vanna’s pride in and protective heart for Effie, while we watch the sisters (both under increasing stress) verbally clash whenever they meet; Vanna’s duty takes her away for days on end, and we feel Effie’s tangled jealousy of Vanna colliding with the ache of realizing she misses her sister.

When Vanna is sent to stop rebels in another village who have “taken up arms to deny our host her tithe” she learns about the corruption and control used to enforce the Celestials’ power.

Back home, a conniving, entitled Effie lies, cheats, and demands her way into the audience of people with the power to grant her the job of her dreams. The determined sisters follow their hearts and sense of justice—Vanna’s aligned with duty to her country, army, and humanity; Effie’s led by her belief that the life granted to those with powers is her birthright.

Along the way, both teenagers are unexpectedly faced with an awakening about the reality behind the Celestial empire. Confronted with the patriarchy masquerading as servants to their Celestial queen, they begin to question their allegiance.

As an older sister, and someone who was nowhere near as bold (and frankly, daringly arrogant) a teenager as Effie, I related most to Vanna. I appreciated her compassion and capacity to recognize the enemy rebels as untrained, unskilled fighters not much older than Effie. She sees them for what they are: “children playing at soldier, armed with deadly weapons they didn’t understand.” I loved the strategic moves reflected in Vanna’s chapters and how her heart shone through even more than her very capable skills on the battlefield. Effie’s plans to claim her “rightful” place are twisted and so typical of a teenager willing to risk it all. I was thrilled and entertained by the lengths she was willing to go.

“To work the craft, you need to lie truthfully. You need to be honest and false, mysterious and bare. You need to bend in half without breaking. How many men do you know capable of containing so many contradictions?”

With a brilliantly evocative representation of imperialist tactics, Ardent Wings on Jealous Skies’ stunning setting serves as a background to the teenage girls’ feminist fueling, empowering understandings of their own power, and reckoning with the rewarding reality of rebellion. I read this book while following the proceedings at the UN General Assembly and was struck by the sharp, incisive clarity with which the author was able to mirror the struggle and strength of countless nations represented at the conference.

Author Z. Bennett Lorimer’s glittering high-fantasy world mirrors ours with remarkable emotional impact. Readers can’t help but be struck by the heartbreak and manipulation of a town left in ruins “as a reminder of all they had lost —all they might lose again without their host’s protection,” even as Effie and Vanna’s people live in peaceful gratitude to them.

“You’re balanced on a knife’s edge over bare sky…You’re going to spend the rest of your natural life falling through it. You’re going to fall and fall and fall—until your heart stops or your organs give out.” I frequently paused in awe of the author’s vivid descriptions of moments like a side character changing their beard’s style, a lavishly worded villainous threat, or an already-shocking-in-context scene turning into a truly astonishing sight, so gorgeous that anyone’s jaw would drop. Z. Bennett Lorimer has a gift for not only imagining spectacular, staggering drama, but writing these moments with searing emotion felt from each character’s specific desires.

I’d recommend this book for readers who love magical stories with real-world impact, listen to Paris Paloma songs, and prefer their revolutionary ideology served with a heaping dose of magnificent fantasy worldbuilding. More than anything, I’ll remember this book for its representation of siblinghood. I have not read so true and honest a reflection of the tangled emotions between similarly-aged siblings who aren’t on the best of terms but remain the one person on the planet who knows you deeply and (in their own complicated, questionable way) can’t help wanting the best for you.

Ardent Wings on Jealous Skies is worth recommending for Vanna and Effie’s sisterhood alone, but it’s also an expansive call for young women to follow their desires, and to listen carefully when older women impart their riotous feminist wisdom.

Plot-wise, I’m extremely stressed and enthralled about what will happen next. Luckily, the author has given us a wealth of thought-provoking, bewitching implications for each storyline Vanna and Effie find themselves in. I’ll be thinking about every possible angle—knowing that author Z. Bennett Lorimer will certainly continue to shock both his characters and his readers in unimaginable ways—while I wait for the urgently-needed, well-earned sequel.

Thank you for reading Andrea Marks-Joseph’s book review of Ardent Wings on Jealous Skies by Z. Bennett Lorimer! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Nick Rees Gardner

A family drama with a mythological twist, Stephen Statler’s Gods of Glenhaven transcends the humor of sex jokes to imbue everyman’s life with meaning.

Christian Orr, a high school counselor with a failed PhD, is in crisis. His wife Sloan has cheated on him, and as they discuss their impending divorce with their daughter Francesca caught in the middle, Christian begins struggling with erectile dysfunction. Everything changes, though, when a seductive woman named Ari presents Christian with her son, Maron, a high school football star who wants to start over at Glenhaven High.

Enter the Greek Gods. While Ari flirts with Christian, bringing the anxiety-ridden, weak man new confidence, Sloan begins courting her new neighbor Dee, who seems to hold some mystical, sexual power over all the women of their small town. At the same time, Francesca and Maron try to figure each other out, unsure of where to start their relationship while first the cheerleaders, then the football players and students’ mothers are driven to wild orgies in the background.

In a wise move, Stephen Statler doesn’t disguise the fact that Dee is actually Dionysus and Ari is Ariadne. He allows the reader to play along with the gods of Glenhaven as they fool and play with the weakling human characters. Of course Ariadne, the powerful Greek god, falls for Christian, the aptly named failure of a human. And of course, Maron, the son of two gods, falls for Francesca, the virgin nerd who feels awkward inside her own body.

But as Christian and Francesca miss the signs of otherworldly intervention into their lives, the plot evolves with plenty of humor at the humans’ expense. While Francesca attempts to intervene in the gods’ unhealthy relationship, Christian stumbles through his own virility.

To add to the humor, Statler inserts single panel cartoons between chapters which, aside from egging the reader on to scan the scene that the drawing references, draw laughs of their own. Images like a urologist with his hands beneath Christian’s gown or Christian flying off a balcony are not only exciting, but funny to see. Not to mention that these scenes add to the characters themselves, making them more real.

While Gods of Glenhaven is fairly predictable overall, there are some outlying scenes that add nuance, even if they are a bit disturbing. One such scene involves sexual conduct between the high school football team and the mothers of students. While much of the sexual conduct in the book is consensual and appropriate, if not at times laughable, this scene of inappropriate sexual conduct feels a bit awkward to read, stretching beyond the joke into an area that feels, frankly, icky.

Gods of Glenhaven is, without a doubt, an adult novel. An extended sex joke. But it is also the story of a weak and impotent man finding his meaning and succeeding in life. While Christian lacks strength and resolve, he endeavors to be caring and appropriate, a genuinely good guy in spite of the powerful people around him always getting what they want. To see the good guy succeed isn’t just a comedy trope in Statler’s book, but also a call to kindness. Gods of Glenhaven is a fun, fast-paced, even hilarious read, but it is also filled with heart, kindness, and model human behavior. It’s a good book that just happens to leave the reader chuckling to themself as much as rolling their eyes.

Thank you for reading Nick Rees Gardner’s book review of Gods of Glenhaven by Stephen Statler! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Chelsey Tucker

Suspenseful sci-fi that provokes questions of morality and tests the convictions of the characters we have come to love.

The Phoenix Elite are back again for a third time in the most exciting installment yet, Prisoner’s Dilemma. After the group publicly defeated the Hitler clones, more secrets surrounding Talos start to burn a deep desire for the truth.

Carlos and Lequoia begin to search all over the globe in hopes of finding the hidden prison that many of the members of the Phoenix Elite remember being at during their childhood. Eventually, they run into trouble and are warned off by warriors in animal masks. Now they have a new set of people to worry about, but it feels like they are on the right track.

While Carlos and Lequoia trek through the jungle, Adam is having a hard time adjusting to being a family man. Not because he isn’t a good husband or father, but because he is struggling with being confined to a wheelchair. He starts to suffer from even higher levels of anxiety and PTSD while questioning his purpose. “He was born the way he was for a reason. His anxious, relentless mind found purpose in the Phoenix Elite, defeating Bricker, dismantling his nuclear arsenal, and stopping Zed’s global insurrection. But was that all?”

Soon after Adam saved the world, video footage of the incident was analyzed. It turns out something remarkable had taken place: Adam shot some sort of energy out of the palm of his hand. The terror of the unknown was fueled by Talos, inciting doubt upon whether the Phoenix Elite will always be heroes and not liabilities. It is a race for the team to discover external and internal truths before they are outsmarted and wiped off the planet.

Each character seems to be in the final rounds of many of their personal battles all before their special talents can be fully harnessed. Everyone’s superpowers reflect their personality and/or point to something special about the person their DNA is sourced from. Two of the best superpowers belong to Carlos and Henrietta.

Carlos Ramirez is a badass doctor who is a clone of the fiery revolutionary Che Guevara. His insatiable thirst for truth and burning corrupt systems to the ground make it no surprise that he can throw fireballs out of his hands. “His fists burst into flames. Fire orbits his hands like ethereal torches, flickering with the wind. He doesn’t feel their heat. Papi told him the fire in his heart would come through his hands. Carlos always thought it meant the work in the ER. Guess not.”

Henrietta Kebe, the current director of the Phoenix Elite, is a clone of the great liberator Harriet Tubman. Entrusted with secrets beyond her zone of comfort, Henrietta often needs to get in and out of situations quickly, which makes teleporting an invaluable and perfect weapon for her.

The shifting perspectives from chapter to chapter add more suspense than we’ve seen previously in the Phoenix Elite series. Clark lets readers in on secrets that certain characters know and other things they don’t know while still keeping the mystery guarded for us until the right time. This book is filled with hard-hitting reveals.

There are times when certain scenes feel rushed, leaving me wanting more of a reaction out of other characters. However, the theme of unveiling secrets is consistent throughout. There are times when you don’t know who to trust or who is telling the truth. While constantly questioning everyone’s motives, you are confronted with the sense that for many of the characters, it could go either way whether or not they will finally get caught in a Talos trap.

Before starting Prisoner’s Dilemma I was excited to get back to the lives of the “Bird Buddies” as Brandon, the resident Benjamin Franklin clone, would say. Without a doubt, C.T. Clark did not disappoint with this one. I’m filled with as much giddy anticipation for the fourth book as I was the third.

This novel could be enjoyed on its own, but with how excellent the first few books are and how much fuller the world is by now because of it, I don’t know why you’d skip them. High school teachers and libraries will appreciate this series’ cross-genre capabilities, and sci-fi lovers with an appreciation of influential history will find it deeply satisfying.

Thank you for reading Chelsey Tucker’s book review of Prisoner’s Dilemma (The Phoenix Elite, 3) by C.T. Clark! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Krysti Ostermeyer

A standout supernatural debut about a haunted home that will make you wonder if you forgot to lock your door

What the Water Remembers follows Kendra and George, a 20-something couple, over the span of several weeks as they move into a historic home outside of the city. Little do they know: the house is also home to a ghost or two.

Elyse Welles gets right to the point in What the Water Remembers, introducing the supernatural on page two; the female main character, Kendra, sees “sparkles” while touring a house, which is one way that she visualizes ghosts. In this home, she’s sensing at least two of them.

See, Kendra is a witch; as George tells their realtor, who was discussing the issues with the home’s previous owners, “You have no idea: Kendra can manage. She’ll get the sage and the palo santo, and we’ll be spic and span here… she might even enjoy herself.” However, Kendra’s beliefs run much deeper than simply burning sage throughout the house, which we’ll come to learn throughout the book.

Despite this, they put their worries aside. George, a photographer, and Kendra, a bank teller and writer, can feel themselves living here. Kendra thinks to herself, “It feels like home, somehow. It could be my home. It makes me want to write.” They close on the home and move in quickly, set up their respective offices, and begin to catalog everything the house holds, including antiques in the basement, some of which are as old as the home itself.

Shortly after moving in, Kendra’s father comes to visit. A quick visit turns into staying for a day or two, as Dad is quite handy around the home. When Dad arrives, the supernatural activity begins to intensify, making it harder for her to conceal her own beliefs. She will have to come clean so that the three of them can work together to put the angry spirit where it belongs.

Welles writes with authority on the supernatural and witchcraft. There are many nuances to the genre and plenty of fresh concepts and artifacts to explore for supernatural fans. No matter if you’re new to witchcraft or have a cauldron bubbling in your basement, you’ll be glad Welles is at the helm of this one.

Another strength is George’s characterization. His feelings of trepidation mix well with his excitement on moving to this small town as a Black man. The banter between Kendra and George is realistic and homey. There’s no false portrayal in these two characters; their relationship feels natural and their dialogue even more so.

What the Water Remembers is a supernatural page-turner that’ll have you wanting to leave the light on.

Thank you for reading Krysti Ostermeyer’s book review of What the Water Remembers by Elyse Welles! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Andrea Marks-Joseph

Treasure-hunting kittens with magical talents go on a purr-fectly action-packed adventure that’s rich in Egyptian history and grounded in middle-school angst.

The Pharaoh’s Catacombs zooms into action with the power and passion of a cat’s midnight zoomies. This is the second book in The Cats of Caylor Academy, but author Karen Bitzer ensures that standalone readers never feel lost or left out. With her skillful prose, we’re immediately invested in the escapades.

From treasure-hunting to life-or-death puzzle-solving, the kittens of Caylor Academy go from magic-school stages to haunted, spellbound caves, making The Pharaoh’s Catacombs unputdownable.

“This was just supposed to be finding some gold and jewels. Simple stuff, right!”

We meet the Caylor kittens about a week before their supervised tour trip to Paris, where they hope to escape their tour guide and find a treasure that’s rumored to be buried in the catacombs with a disgraced Pharaoh.

Upon arriving in Paris, they stumble upon “meowfia” cats who are trembling at the mention of a ghost they say lives in the tunnels. Could this be their legendary Pharaoh, scaring the meowfia away from his treasure? Or is the meowfia head-honcho’s instruction that the Caylor Academy cats carry his boxes into the tombs (because his cats fled in fear) a big trick to take advantage of tourists?

They’re too scared (and too interested in potential leads on their treasure hunt) not to go down into the tombs and find out. And the ghost rushes out into the tunnels to meet them! While they’re running away from his frighteningly powerful magic and “bone-rattling laugh,” the ghost suddenly shouts “Present yourself to your Pharaoh!” potentially proving their treasure hunt true in the most terrifying moment.

Karen Bitzer writes moments of horror (like the ghost Pharaoh describing how he watched his sarcophagus being lowered down into this tomb) with equally compelling brilliance as its spellbinding magic and thrilling adventure.

When they figure out that the ghost is the legendary banished Pharaoh Ramesses VIII, he demands the kittens perform a ritual to release him from the underground purgatory, sending him to the afterlife. While gathering the tools the Pharaoh instructed them to find, the kittens meet a young girl named Bennu, who says she is his slave. Bennu warns the kittens of the Pharaoh’s lies, identifying the ritual as one that will actually bring him back to life! Whether they should believe the Pharaoh or Bennu’s word sparks a fracture in the kittens’ trust of each other; it’s a hairline fracture, fine as a cat scratch, but equally (by which I mean: alarmingly and undeniably) as painful and irritating for them. Perhaps that was Bennu’s plan all along?

“Bennu let the kittens argue amongst themselves. It was entertaining. They were cuter than the human adventurers before them.” She’s right about both of these things. Karen Bitzer writes their sibling-like arguments with humor and heart and casual childish pettiness. But then Bennu continues, presenting an excellent example of the multifaceted magic spell of curiosity, charm, and creepiness that Bitzer continuously infuses and intertwines into the story: “‘It will be a little sad when they fail the quest like the rest’, she thought. ‘But their pelts will make gorgeous decorations on my wall.” Our alarm bells are still ringing about this when another plot-twist reveal turns everything on its head all over again.

I loved that sometimes I’d forget they were cats and not kids, until suddenly they’d scream a loud “high-pitched MEAOOOOWWW!” or yell a frustrated “Furballs!” in a stressful moment when a human child might use a less feline phrase. I loved all the cat-related details like the popular Whisker’s Delight catnip tea, MarvelousMouse Trail Mix snacks, and Christmas being called ‘Crispmouse.’ I loved that they traveled with their friend, Quinn, a sentient quill pen who communicates with the kittens in British Sign Language. I loved that, when the kittens are acting out of sorts, Quinn remarks that his friends “get like this when they had little food and missed their regularly scheduled cat naps.”

The found family vibes between the kittens is strongest when Bitzer leans into a realistic dynamic for their ages: They spend so much time together that they’re attuned to each other’s strengths and weaknesses; they bicker often but are able to shift into teamwork mode when they’re all motivated to. Each kitten is going through a phase of self-discovery about their talents and skill-level, with many questioning their biological family’s stories. There’s a heightened awareness of the scary stage of pre-teen “becoming”—which middle school-aged readers will find highly relatable.

Ramesses taps into Sheba’s anxious desperation to remain accepted by her friends, calling her a “bad kitty” for feeling negative emotions like anger and hate. Knowing how much the adults rely on Sheba to keep the group safe and on the right path, despite being a kitten herself, readers in this same complicated position may feel seen in the pressure that Sheba feels to be good and her belief that she is loved only because of that perceived goodness.

Bitzer writes with compassionate intention for young readers to see themselves (in the true sense, “bad kitty” qualities and most vulnerable thoughts out in the open) in the Caylor Academy heroes. And they are heroes! Not only of the story, but for being brave enough to scold a Pharaoh—while he’s threatening them with ancient evils—for using his power to enslave people, reiterating the scale of his cruelty to his face when he doesn’t seem sufficiently ashamed. The kittens even stage a workers’ rights movement in a blink, strategizing about freeing captive factory workers just seconds after discovering their role in the meowfia’s catnip tea scam.

Domesticated kitten, Tank, knows that his dream school has an ancient policy of non-acceptance for “domestics,” but he doesn’t allow that to dull his determination to apply and impress them: “I have to try. Things don’t change if you don’t try.” This is the same kitten who, in the middle of their spontaneously-extended quest to free the Pharaoh ghost, notices his hunger and realizes he’s grown used to eating every two hours, remarking that “This was the first time he had felt real hunger since leaving his feral life on the streets behind.” Sheba’s nervous habits and worried thoughts are written so naturally and believably. This representation would be great for a reader who shares her experience. As would the patience with which Panther cub among kittens, Ruby, shares breathing techniques with Sheba to help manage her panic attacks.

I’d highly recommend this book for readers who find extensive worldbuilding introductions frustrating—and for readers with shorter attention spans, because the fast-paced adventures keep on coming. The kittens save themselves from increasingly strange and fascinating puzzles built to destroy, distract, and detract them. With its challenges that highlight each of the kids’ skills, The Pharaoh’s Catacombs frequently reminded me of the Dora and the Lost City of Gold movie and the brilliance of their shared historical knowledge shining brighter the deeper into the quest they get.

If you love fun, fantastical adventure books like the Magnus Chase series and films like Jumanji, where the quest is the main story, you’ll enjoy this book. If you love cats, world history, and stories of young people awkwardly adjusting to their natural talents, The Pharaoh’s Catacombs is for you.

Thank you for reading Andrea Marks-Joseph’s book review of The Pharaoh’s Catacombs (The Cats of Caylor Academy, 2) by Karen Bitzer! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Melissa Suggitt

Fate is a cruel game, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Tracey Kyler’s Seizing Fate plunges readers into a post-apocalyptic world where shadows conceal both predators and protectors and where destiny binds people in a dangerous, breathtaking way.

Cora Whitley lives in the city of Amara, a fragile refuge rebuilt after the world fell apart decades earlier. By day, she runs the library, but by night, she walks home through streets filled with missing persons and whispered threats. Her life is already marked by betrayal and loss, and she shields herself with quiet routines, caution, and a belief that she has no one left to rely on.

That is, until the night three men corner her in an alley. Her would-be killers are no ordinary thugs; they’re Fallen Ones, creatures who thrive on destruction. Cora’s survival comes only because of Arik Stanton, a gargoyle warrior of the Order, who intervenes with lethal precision.

Arik has been watching Cora from the rooftops for weeks, charged with protecting humanity but helplessly drawn to her in ways that unsettle even him. For centuries he has fought against his father and brother, leaders among the Fallen, but none of those battles have prepared him for the pull of meeting his “One.” From the moment he touches Cora’s trembling hands and slips his jacket around her shoulders, the bond between them is undeniable, even as Arik insists he should keep his distance.

What follows is a tense dance of attraction and restraint. Cora is shaken but fascinated by this mysterious protector who seems to know more about her than he should. Arik, meanwhile, fights a losing battle against the instinct to be near her. Their moments together pulse with tenderness, whether it’s his quiet inspection of her injured wrist or the simple act of replacing her ruined dinner with a fresh pizza and a heartfelt note. These gestures of care make the action scenes sharper and the dangers further into the story, particularly involving his evil half-brother Aaron, more terrifying because readers understand exactly what is at stake if either of them is lost.

Cora is more than a damsel-in-distress figure. She’s thoughtful, resilient, and scarred in ways that make her wary of trusting again. Her voice carries both vulnerability and strength, and the reader feels every ounce of her hesitation when faced with Arik’s world. Arik is written as a perfect contradiction: brutal in battle yet vulnerable with Cora, and that balance makes their growing connection feel deeply human despite the mythological backdrop.

The mythology adds weight to the romance. Gargoyles here are not grotesque statues but graceful warriors created to protect humankind after the Fallen Ones were cast out. Their secrecy, their code of loyalty, and their eternal war give context to why Arik resists giving in to what he feels for Cora. Fate might be drawing them together, but choice—and the danger of making the wrong one—hangs over every interaction.

Kyler’s writing is smooth and immersive. The dialogue occasionally drifts into the dramatic, but it suits characters who are larger-than-life and carrying centuries of conflict. What impresses most is the balance between tender, intimate moments and explosive action. A single smile from Arik can be as powerful as his blade.

I never thought I’d find myself invested in gargoyles. My only reference point was the stone caricatures from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and yet this novel made me buy into the mythology completely. By the midway point, I wasn’t just curious about worldbuilding, I was rooting for this couple with everything I had.

Seizing Fate is a novel that thrives on contrasts: ferocity and gentleness, secrecy and vulnerability, destiny and choice. It’s a story where love doesn’t soften the stakes but sharpens them, where every kiss is both a promise and a risk. Readers looking for a romance that is equal parts heart-stopping danger and tender devotion will find themselves caught in its spell.

Thank you for reading Melissa Suggitt’s book review of Seizing Fate by Tracey Kyler! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Gabriella Harrison

An intriguing battle of realms and bloodlines

A twenty-eight-year-old London-based archaeologist and relic hunter’s life takes an interesting turn when he purchases a set of mysterious scrolls and an ancient book from a nervous stranger.

Erik Meys is a regular professor who takes on side jobs to supplement his income. Each job comes with something new, but when he takes on his latest assignment with his friend, Jake, he is completely unprepared for the adventure that unfolds as they travel to Yemen in search of a legendary ring. However, the story proves to be much deeper than this as they discover the Bracelets of Fury.

The novel’s mythology is wide and handled with great care, weaving together the realms of Upper, Nether, and Earthly with the tragic fall of Kreatoz, the first guardian of humankind. Author Yevgeny Murenets fills out this world with temple carvings, scraps of history, and figures like the calm but curious Professor Tor Lian and the harder-to-read Sam. Deep insights and deeper backstories give Erik’s search more weight.

The history of the bracelets is told in pieces (through dialogue, memory, and discovery) and it’s here that Murenets’ eye for detail stands out. The bracelets were previously worn by a demonic ruler before becoming a tool of the protector Samael, and they feed on anger to make the wearer strong. When Erik finally wears them, the shift is immediate. They draw attention from enemies he didn’t know existed, dragging him into a conflict far bigger than any excavation. They also force him to confront secrets in his ancestry.

At first, the motivation is simple enough—money and the thrill of discovery. That changes quickly. What begins as professional curiosity hardens into something sharper when the attacks start coming. Resourcefulness and quick thinking become more than traits; they’re the only things keeping him alive. The stakes climb higher, shifting the focus from artifacts to survival, and from curiosity to the need to shield those closest to him. The bracelets, once just a mystery, turn into the one weapon he has to learn to control. During his struggles with the corrupting influence of the bracelets, while a voice in his head urges him to “Kill him! He’ll never stop coming for you,” his vulnerable human state is exposed, making him more relatable.

Erik turns out to be an excellent character, but he’s not the only one; other characters provide depth and keep the momentum going. Jake’s character, for instance, takes a turn that hits hard. Valeria is steady, thoughtful, and quietly attached to him, though her feelings are never pushed to the front. Her skill with languages is essential, each translation pulling the group closer to what they’re chasing.

Murenets’ descriptions are powerful, whether they’re describing settings, insights from characters, or details from ancient texts. The artifacts are some of the book’s strongest details, drawn with enough clarity to make them feel tangible. The bracelets stand out most, described “as though they hadn’t been forged by a blacksmith, but by hatred itself.” It’s a striking image. The pacing rarely slows down, which keeps the tension sharp but sometimes works against the atmosphere. One example is the reveal about Erik’s parentage in the midst of battle.

Erik Meys: The Bracelets of Fury expertly combines the atmosphere of a treasure hunting adventure with propulsive supernatural conflict. By its conclusion, there is a lot to look forward to, as Erik steps into a new role. This first installment in The Demonic Saga is a fast-paced supernatural thriller that blends ancient mythology with modern-day adventure.

Thank you for reading Gabriella Harrison’s book review of Erik Meys: The Bracelets of Fury by Yevgeny Murenets! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Gabriella Harrison

Mortal and divine ambitions collide, reshaping loyalties, battlefields, and the fate of kingdoms in this multilayered, battle-tested epic.

Moving between brutal battlefield clashes and tense political maneuvering, The Breakers is an epic fantasy where armies gather, old grudges flare, and an unseen hand pushes the pieces toward collision.

That hand belongs to Corsis, whose presence has shaped the events of the series from the beginning. Here, he frames the coming conflict with calculated satisfaction: “They will try to stop what I set into motion. And I will be entertained.” It’s a clear reminder that the struggle on the ground is only part of the Game.

The opening chapter drops into an assault across the “white water… under a wan light.” Harry directs the operation while Ed drives forward in close combat, cutting through enemy defenses, and Xax strikes with the kind of force that turns the tide of skirmishes. Fernallus and Tamona add their own precision and power, while Candice moves in the shadows. The scene is tight and tactical, shifting between vantage points without losing clarity.

Far from the river, Inparadis becomes the stage for another kind of battle. Balpors, a warlord with ambitions tied to the fallen goddess Muné, works to bring her back from death. His meetings with a three-armed demon carry a bite of mutual distrust. “You’ve got a fifty-fifty shot at winning… That’s not playing to win. That’s playing to keep the Game going.” It’s both a warning and an accusation. Balpors’s authority is complicated by the fact that Corsis’s will runs through him, limiting how much of the plan is truly his own.

McGowan’s prose cuts like a knife, perfectly matching the desperate urgency driving the characters. The opening clash at the Great Caldron instantly sets the stakes sky-high. It’s a brutal fight against impossible odds where Ed’s lightning-fast moves and Harry’s cold tactics leave no doubt how dire things are. Then there’s Tamona; blind, yet seeing through perceptia (a medium that allows her to communicate discreetly), and bearing an uncanny resemblance to the goddess Muné. That’s clearly no accident, and the dread it sparks about future clashes is palpable. Meanwhile, the quieter thread of Celsis Kri imprisoned under ice offers a tantalizing mystery, a brief calm within the storm.

Harry and Avril’s reunion is packed with unresolved history that collides head-on with the surrounding battlefield chaos. Admittedly, the sheer number of factions and lore terms like “Murdrakes” or “Horrinshal specialists” introduced so quickly can feel like a lot to take in.

The battle for Findenton is immersive, masterfully balancing huge, destructive scenes—think dragons tangling with Grellish forces and demons flooding streets, against tight, focused duels, like Ed’s hypersonic face-off with a serpentine dragon. Avril and Harry provide a grounded perspective, refreshingly free from divine meddling, while Fernallus, Vick, and Candice work the political shadows, pulling the less visible strings of war. These political exchanges, sometimes heavy with backstory, can slow the breakneck pace a touch, but they’re crucial for showing the intricate machinery driving the conflict forward.

The conclusion is satisfying and stokes tension for the next book in the series, as factions that have moved separately for much of the book meet in direct conflict, and the results shift more than just the balance of power. The action remains clear even as strategies overlap. Yet the sheer number of active characters, many carrying histories from earlier volumes, can be a lot to keep track of, particularly for new readers.

Wielding sharp, varied battle scenes, political plots that fit together with intent, and characters whose choices resist simple labels of right and wrong, James McGowan has created a layered war where every alliance comes with a cost and every victory changes the game board.

Thank you for reading Gabriella Harrison’s book review of The Breakers by James McGowan! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Chelsey Tucker

A fun, thought-provoking collection that brings old tales to new life in unique fashion

The Witch’s Apprentice and Other Stories explores the worlds of well-known fairy tales by coloring in the empty spaces with unique re-imaginings. Throughout this collection, the author seeks answers to questions like, “Why did Jack and Jill need that pail of water in the first place?”

There are five reimagined tales in all, with each one being told in its own way. The visual structuring of the short stories works well. Before each story there is a question page with a reference to a classic fairy tale along with the question that started the unraveling of the reimagined story. There are also themed icons used as breaks within the stories (i.e. a broomstick for the wicked witch or a spindle for sleeping beauty) that add a nice whimsical element—essential for a fairy tale collection.

“The Witch’s Apprentice” is from the perspective of the Wicked Witch of the East’s younger cousin. This first person account of what was happening in Munchkinland prior to Dorothy’s arrival is a more serious and detailed view into the Oz universe. The ending of the story provides a twist that introduces another classic into the mix. This is definitely in contention for my favorite story of the book.

The second story, “Denying Hamelin” is a short poetic telling of what happened in a town whose children were all led away by the Pied Piper. A rather grim tale, it bounces back and forth between a conversation of great consequences and prose describing the toll of those consequences. The execution is excellent.

“The Honor of Emperors and Thieves” adds depth and tension to a world based on the tale of the Emperor’s New Clothes. While captivating the reader with a love triangle, Garg drops in a reference to “Magic Beans,” a nod to yet another great fairy tale. The references don’t stop and neither do the delicious breadcrumbs.

The adaptation of Jack and Jill seems to be set in the United States during the 1950s, “The boys couldn’t stop talking about Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra, and Jack would have dared anyone to say that the Yankees could be beat that year.” This adds color and personality to the otherwise straightforward nursery rhyme.

Some stories take elements of original versions, and others, the original is only a building block of a forward-looking iteration. For example, with “The Beauty Before She Sleeps,” the author uses one of the oldest versions of the story as inspiration with the 1634 Italian version “Sun, Moon, and Talia,” with Talia being the name chosen for the princess.

Each story has a different vibe and they all could pass as stories from five different authors. The variety from story to story makes it feel like the collection goes by in the blink of an eye. The thought experiments before each story set up each story well, but they al can be enjoyed without having background knowledge of the source material.

Like so many of my favorite fairy tales, these stories are not necessarily child-friendly in the modern sense. Teens and adults will eat up these stories that are grim in nature and brimming with nuance.

Thank you for reading Chelsey Tucker’s book review of The Witch’s Apprentice and Other Stories by Ekta R. Garg! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

An epic fantasy that wields great power and even greater action

Killian Lord might be the best assassin you’ll ever read. He’s smart, conniving, strong, quick, and is connected to animals. He has only one life. But boy can he save it.

In this first book of what looks like an explosive action fantasy series, Lord is tasked by King Ember to protect their world. See, an evil king has sent his own skilled knight, Maximillian Durandal, to retrieve the Moonlight Shard. It’s in pieces, but he gathers all of them up and sutures them together with the souls of royalty and exceptional people. In the hands of the evil King Globe—or even just Durandal—the Moonlight Shard would make a sword powerful enough to end Lord’s world as he knows it.

Assassin Royale is a story of incredible conquests, fast-paced action, and a jaw-dropping lead character. Lord can’t be stopped. He won’t be. Even in the face of death time and time again, he proves himself as exactly the right man for this seemingly impossible job. If you’re coming for the battles and fight scenes, you’re leaving satisfied and then some.

While this is undoubtedly Lord’s story, it’s peppered with great side characters. Lord’s horse Bolt takes an early lead as this reviewer’s favorite animal character of the year. I couldn’t help but lavish in the image of Bolt’s magnificent movement as he races to Lord’s aid, telling Lord that he’ll save him, that he’ll do anything for him. The loyalty is sky-high. Vivian is a powerful and seductive goddess who controls thunder and lightning; Uglash the orc is a blundering ball of mass; Durandal might be as skilled as Lord, but meaner.

Assassin Royale gets us acquainted and comfortable at an even-keel pace for the first half of the novel. Lord lingers around enemy lines and must work undercover to figure out the best tactic to take down Durandal and retrieve the Shard. The second half of the novel ramps up the action big-time. It’s like one page we’re in the before times—and then we’re swung into a frenzy of the after. Page after page of sword fights, magic, and the dangling possibility of death. This could be good news for fantasy fans with a hankering for action, but it could also make some readers wishing we could slow back down for a second.

The women of the novel are powerful and seductive, but their descriptions and motivations can be too often tied to their sexuality. I longed for more out of Vivian especially since she’s so objectively impressive.

Assassin Royale is filled with vivid fight scenes and powerful characters. The emphasis on the movement—the things that happen—drives the pace forward with abandon, and the stakes are on a never-ending incline. The King’s Dark Blade series looks like it’s going to be an epic creation.

Thank you for reading Toni Woodruff’s book review of Assassin Royale by Richard Davis! If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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