Stacking the Shelves

 

Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course ebooks! The meme is now hosted by Reading Reality.

Well, I write this post yet another day early as we have plans for a big family BBQ hangout all day Saturday, so I likely won't have any energy to do anything afterwards! Lol. This was a tame week. Nothing exciting going on. I'm hoping to maybe go to B&N today for their sale. Should've gone on Friday, but I wanted to make my errands quick and a stop there would've been a lot longer and I neglected to eat a quick lunch before leaving the house! Lol. This week I finally have another signing to go to! Rachel Moore will be coming on tour and since I recently read The Library of Shadows and enjoyed it, I am naturally going along to get my copy signed! Lol. 

Here's what I got this week:

Deathbringer by Sonia Tagliareni
An Ordinary Sort of Evil by Kelley Armstrong
Archangel's Eternity by Nalini Singh--the book that is still awaiting carrier pickup on the tracking from the first! Luckily they finally sent me a replacement and it arrived a whole lot faster! Of course, I am still wayyy behind in this series but I like having them at the ready! Lol.

Then for review from the publisher I received:

The Raven at the Ash Door by K.A. Linde (ARC)

THANK YOU Red Tower Books!

I got my Fairy Loot book this month. I wasn't really wowed by the title choice so it's going on my IDK pile.

Then I think this was the preorder gift for something...there was no letter inside thanking me for "ordering THIS TITLE!" So I'm struggling to remember which one. Guess I need to start noting what said preorder gift is, but I feel like there's usually a thank you letter or some postcard/image of the book cover...lol

So I took two photos and depending on your screen one might be better than the other! Lol. I am pretty sure this is Tahereh Mafi's Release Me.

THANK YOU Storytide!

And that was it for me this week! Next week, I may or may not have some B&N finds! We'll see what happens as I still need to take new pictures too!

Book Blogger Hop #412

 

This meme is hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addict!

This week's question is: What do you think about rising prices for hardcovers, paperbacks, and eBooks? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

MY ANSWER: Well, eventually goes up in price. It's really just the way it is. It's almost kind of funny sometimes to look at my book collection and see how much books cost at one point and then to see what they cost now. I remember having some YA paperbacks that only cost $4.99! A hardcover YA book was $9.99! Although that one might have just been the publisher as the book size was a mass market paperback but in hardcover format. But yeah. Prices going up over time, it's just the way things are no matter what the product is.

Books from the Backlog #187

 

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread.  If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks. This is a fun meme hosted by Carole's Random Life in Books!

When the church bell tolls thrice in the middle of the night, evil this way comes…

Lizzie Grace and Belle Kent, her witch familiar, are living and working on the Faelan Werewolf Reservation—one that has banned the use of magic within its borders. Although they have their supporters—including ranger Aiden O’Connor, who once hated all things witch—Lizzie and Belle now face possible eviction.

But the Faelan Reservation is a place filled with wild magic which—when left unprotected—quickly becomes a draw to those who walk the darker paths. As Christmas approaches, a new evil comes to town—one that eats the souls of the living and animates the flesh of the dead.

As the body count grows and the trail of clues leads them to the doorstep of the local vampire, Lizzie, Belle, and Aiden must find the killer before death comes calling on them.

But the biggest threat of all may come in the form of a witch who sees through the veils of Lizzie’s carefully constructed lies and suspects the truth of who she really is…

I added Keri Arthur's Hell's Bell to my TBR pile in January of 2018. I've gotten really bad about keeping up with Keri's books since she returned to indie press around this time (2018ish). She's written quite a few series after this one, so yeah...not sure if I will ever get caught up with them all but I would like to read this series at least!

Review--King of Ravens by Clare Sager

 

He’ll do anything to keep her. She’d do anything to escape.

Rhiannon is dying—of what, she doesn’t know. Kept protected by her family in their remote seaside cottage, she spends her days searching for a cure. Her world is torn apart, however, when a fae King of the Dead invades her home.

Cold and cruel, Drystan offers her a choice: descend to the underworld as his bride or watch her family die. Trapped in a twisted bargain, Rhiannon is thrust into a world of withered gods, scheming courtiers, and ancient magic, but she refuses to be a pawn in a game she never agreed to play. She attempts over and over to run away, until Drystan offers her a new bargain: escape his deadly labyrinth, and he will set her free. Fail, and become his bride.

But in a court where every promise has teeth, Annon must make an impossible choice: return to the home she's always loved or claim her place in a world where she might finally belong.

King of Ravens by Clare Sager was a smash hit from start to finish! This is what I live for with romantasy reads and this book sits at the top of my favorite list after finishing it! It's perfect blend of favorite tropes and new twists to familiar stories. It was phenomenal! 

Rhiannon's life has been in turmoil for the past few years. She's sick with some unknown illness that leaves her weak and listless. She doesn't know how much time she has left, but she tries to make the best of the life she's been given. Until the day a fae prince comes to collect her. Turns out her father made a deal with The Morrigan years before she was born that his first-born daughter would be given to her son as his bride and that day has come. Rhiannon has been given over to the King of Death.

Drystan is not overly happy about the deal is mother made for him, but such is the life. Rhiannon tries everything to get him to let her go, for she longs to return home to her family, particularly her brother who has given up so much to help take care of her. Eventually, Drystan makes her a deal: if she can escape his twisted labyrinth filled with dangers and challenges, then he will let her go home if she so chooses. If she fails, then she has to stay with him.

Like most fae bargains, this deal is a bit twisty. Rhiannon will attempt to escape the labyrinth during the day, for Drystan's kingdom is more active at night and at nights she must play the prefect fiancee to his kingdom who is looking forward to seeing their king get married. Naturally, this allows for time spent together and to get to know one another. Drystan comes off as your typical broody, overlording fae but he does have another side to him. It was hard to believe him at first if he was being genuine with his kindness, because as we all know, the fae can be very deceptive.

The romance naturally falls into that enemies to lovers variety that I do so enjoy! The two do not get along at their first meet since they are being forced together. It kind of gives off some The Beauty and the Beast vibes only in the sense that she's his "prisoner." But given the opportunity to escape does remove some of that prisoner vibe. Then comes the gradual process from enemies to almost friends to something more. It was a beautiful transition really! I love that even when they did not like each other Drystan was protective of Rhiannon, even if it seems more of a possessive vibe, but while it could be conceived as possessive, I felt like that it was something more. So it's all a matter of perspective I guess.

The pacing to this one was well set. It wasn't overtly fast, but not at all slow either. It was the perfect pace really. We learn some pretty twisted secrets along the way, one that I could see coming even, but what it will mean in the long run doesn't feel very clear by the ending. Which the ending itself was chock full of surprises! One after another and then of course that ending. I'll warn you, it's a doozy of a cliffhanger! But knowing that we will get another book does tend to ease some of the tension...some, not all, only a wee bit! Lol.

King of Ravens is a tantalizing romantasy read that will leave you breathless and craving for more! This is fae romantasy done right! I loved every moment of this book and am achingly, eagerly anticipating the next installment!

Overall Rating 5/5 stars

Can't Wait Wednesday #249

 

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo comes a new Grishaverse short story: a mystery told through found documents and set after the events of Crooked Kingdom.

In the years since the violent upheaval caused by the auction of Kuwei Yul-Bo, the merchants of Ketterdam have been under attack. Secret businesses exposed. Ships sunk. Slavers hunted as they once hunted their victims. All the work of a mysterious sea captain and her ship, the Wraith.

Now, two investigators meet to uncover the truth behind the latest disaster: a massacre on an island off the shores of Ketterdam. Among the evidence collected is private correspondence between notorious crime boss Kaz Brekker and an anonymous sailor aboard the Wraith known only as “I.”

Follow along with the lead investigator as he tries to piece together how such a disaster transpired, and explore the Grishaverse like never before with new illustrations by E.K. Belsher and in-world collectible items.

The Six of Crows Duology is probably my favorite if Leigh's books so I am excited for this little novella that we will be getting soon!

TITLE: A Darker Shore
AUTHOR: Leigh Bardugo
PUBLISHER: Tempest
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: July 14, 2026

How does one kill the unkillable?

Sparrow and her companions have been left with an impossible task: slay the immortal Deathless King, whose magic siphons the very life of the world to sustain himself.

The answer may lie deep in the past, when those who would become Deathless Kings stormed the sanctuary of the goddess of Fate, in an attempt to remove their threads from the Weave and become immortal. They broke off a piece of the goddess’s loom and hurled it to the earth, where it still lies at the center of a dangerous wasteland called the World Scar.

For any chance against the Deathless King, Sparrow and her companions must brave the World Scar and reach the loom, which would grant the power of a goddess. But the journey is fraught with danger, and the powerful Deathless King determined to find them.

And if the loom is reached—what will the power of a goddess do to a mere mortal? Sparrow has no choice but to find out.

I love Julie's books and am excited for more of her latest YA series! Definitely need to read my recap because I read the first book as an ARC and I'm drawing a blank right now on details. Lol, but still excited as I know things will come back to me as I read!

TITLE: Deathless
AUTHOR: Julie Kagawa
PUBLISHER: HarperCollins
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: July 7, 2026

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

 

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Purple Princess of The Purple Booker. 

Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.

Couldn't decide between two teasers, so you're getting two today!

"'Are you coming, or do I need to remind my army of the feel of living flesh?' He still perches on the wall, one eyebrow raised.

Oh he's going to be a f***ing delight of a husband." p 36

"That sh**-eating smirk is the last thing that disappears as he bursts into his flock of ravens, leaving me alone on the side of the mountains.

I am going to murder him.

That is, If I survive these bloody stairs." p 127

TITLE: King of Ravens
AUTHOR: Clare Sager
PUBLISHER: Forever
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: January 27, 2026

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and The Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This week's topic is: Top Ten Favorite Secondary Characters

*in no particular order

10. PUCK--when Puck first stepped on the page, I knew he'd be a favorite! He brought some much needed humor to the seriously dire moments of this series!
9. OSCAR--love Lily's little hobgoblin that takes on a potbellied pig form!
8. CASSANDRA--I was always a little sad that Kelley Armstrong never got a full novel length idea of Cassandra. She was one of the few vampire women that I recall from the series and I just wanted a little more of her.

7. JENKS--I love that smart-mouthed pixy!
6. EMME--as the youngest sister, I connected with Emme. Reallllllly hoping Cecy can get back to writing Emme's book soon! That novella was killer!
5. DEE--loved Dee! She was the perfect BFF to Katy!

4. JANCO (& ARI)--I positively LOVED Janco! He made me laugh so much throughout this series! Ari was his perfect counterpart too! It's refreshing to see two pals in a book and they are just friends!
3. JACKAL--I always found his character interesting! I had hoped that maybe Julie would write a book starring him just because I think he had a lot of growth in the trilogy and I always just wondered what he was going to do at the end!
2. LALA--I loved her character too! She was an intriguing one and I can't wait to see what happens in Stephanie's upcoming novella where I think she's supposed to make an appearance.

1. LUC--I put Luc here just because I feel like we don't know if he's appearing in the new novella or not! He wasn't a favorite character at the start of the series but I did find his path and (possible?) growth interesting. I'd be curious to see what he's up to in the aftermath novella!

ARC Review--A Curse of Beasts and Magic by Jeaniene Frost

 

New York Times bestselling author of The Night Huntress series Jeaniene Frost returns with a brand-new series! It’s Beauty and the Beast meets The Witcher in this dark fantastical retelling, except Beauty IS the Beast, and he’s the Warden keeping mythical beings in check in our world and beyond.

Raine Stone was the sole survivor of a horrific creature while camping. Her account of the attack was attributed to shock, but Raine knows all too well that her story is true because now she carries that same Beast inside her!

She’s been restraining its violent urges by letting it 'feed' on the pain and chaos she’s exposed to as an ER nurse, and by playing vigilante against would-be muggers at night. But when Raine uses the Beast’s energy to heal a frail elderly gentleman from a seemingly random attack, she opens herself to a new world of danger—literally.

Remington “Remy” Byrne knows that the wall between a realm of deadly mythic creatures and our own world is very thin; he’s the Warden who guards the gateways between them. He also rules the supernatural creatures living in secret among us. Raine’s Beast makes her an intruder on Remy’s territory, but the elderly gentleman she saved is Remy’s grandfather, and her Beast contains power that could tip the scales in a sinister plot against Remy’s rule—if Raine allies with him.

Will they be friends or foes…or will the dangerous attraction between them turn into something else? And can our world be saved by their explosive alliance?

I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

Jeaniene Frost is back with a brand new paranormal romance, A Curse of Beasts and Magic! This is a book that romantasy fans will love and previous Frost fans will crave! It has all the markings of a Frost romance and I ate up the pages as the words just flew off the page!

Raine has been living with a beast inside of her for the better part of eleven years. When she was fifteen, she and her family encountered it in the woods while camping. While the beast killed her family, they managed to injured its host but it only jumped into Raine. Now, she must "tame" it but feeding it the auras of bad people. Such as the random guys who try to grope her on the street.

When Raine sees an attempted kidnapping of an older gentleman, Brendan, she doesn't think and just reacts to help. It's not long before Remington, Brendan's grandson, steps in. For he is the Warden of the city and while Raine knows what she is and that other types of creatures exist in this world, she's about to have a whole new awakening with Remy.

She and Remy make an agreement where she will help try to heal Brendan who is suffering from memory loss after he did a spell sometime ago, while in exchange Remy will help her learn to control her beast.

I positively loved this story! I adored Jeaniene's Night Huntress series and the series that sprang from it. Being back in her worlds is like coming home, even if it's with an entirely brand new series! It was easy to get into as the world building was expertly done. There was never any sense of confusion. While there may be new creatures to learn about, Jeaniene's presentation of them felt natural and easy.

And then of course, there's the romance! Jeaniene has always had the perfect level of spice for me! I love that Remy and Raine have a play of fake dating, but have real feelings develop throughout it. It came natural to them. Sure there was initial attraction, but when things finally start to heat up, it was explosive and fit into the story at the time. 

The ending was definitely surprising. Some interesting developments were made and shocking reveals were had! While there is a cliffhanger of sorts, I'd put it low on the freak out scale. We're definitely on the cusp of a great adventure here and I am all for it! I eager await the next book and anything else Jeaniene chooses to write because this book rekindled my love for her words and I realized how much I missed her worlds!

Overall Rating 5/5 stars

A Curse of Beasts and Magic releases May 26, 2026

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

Last Week I Read:

Ravage the Dark by Tara Sim (3.5 stars)

Currently Reading:

King of Ravens by Clare Sager

What I Plan to Read Next:

Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
Can't Wait Wednesday #248
Books from the Backlog #186
Book Blogger Hop #411
Stacking the Shelves--Two Week Haul!

Stacking the Shelves--Two Week Haul!

 

Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts, and of course ebooks! The meme is now hosted by Reading Reality.

Well I'm back! I had a great weekend road trip to Niagara Falls with family! We stopped in Cleveland, Ohio to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame AND the A Christmas Story house! If you've known me for awhile, you probably know that this is one of my favorite Christmas movies! I loved seeing the house where they did some of the filming! It was very cool! Niagara Falls was once again beautiful! I think I last visited there as a preteen, so it had been awhile but they are still so stunning! Prior to that magnificent trip I attended a book signing with Mai Corland, Abigail Owen, and Rachel Van Dyke which was also amazing! This last week itself was back to the mundane ordinary lifestyle. Nothing exciting to note there. Sadly, B&N lost one of my preorders. They were doing SO well these last few months but then all of sudden one order never got picked up by the carrier and I had to wait until the day AFTER it was supposed to be delivered to get a replacement order started. So that was a bummer. The only caveat is that it's a book for a series I am way behind in, but I still like ordering them when they release so I don't have to struggle to find it later!

Onto the two week haul:

Fortune by Kristin Cast
Broken Dove by Dani Francis--SIGNED edition!
The Tempest Blade by Danielle Jensen--OG hardcover edition (limited/special print run)
Verity Guild by Mai Corland--SIGNED!
Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen--Target edition! Loved the purple coloring!

Then I got my Fairy Loot edition of The Rebel and the Rose:

The Rebel and The Rose by Catherine Doyle--Fairy Loot edition

Swag from the signing:

Abigail Owen's Lyra and Hades
Mai Corland's characters from Verity Guild!

Then I also got preorder swag from Dawn Kurtagich's The Seventh Sister:

THANK YOU Dawn!

Then I got my preorder swag for The Escape Game:

It's a bendable bookmark booklight!

THANK YOU Penguin Teen!

And that's it for me! What did you all get?