Review--The Deathless One by Emma Hamm

 

A princess murdered at the altar makes a deal with the god of death for vengeance and to save her people in this first in a unique romantasy trilogy.

Jessamine was raised to be a leader for her people, but when the land is overrun by an incurable plague, she must enter a political marriage to save them all. A union that should have brought hope only brings death as her new husband murders her at the wedding altar and seizes the throne.

But her death is just the beginning. Her spirit is met by the Deathless One, a god of death yearning to return to the mortal plane, and he needs her help. The two of them make a deal—her life and the return of her kingdom in exchange for his resurrection. But the Deathless One is a known trickster, and a deal with him is one made in blood.

Jessamine knows the Deathless One is a dangerous ally, but the longer they work together, the more she wants him and the less she can stay away. As their connection deepens, soon she wonders if she even wants this contract to end. Perhaps the more appealing throne is the one by his side, but she’d have to turn her back on her people to get it.

Emma Hamm's The Deathless One is the start of a new fantasy series featuring a young woman who is killed at the altar by her fiance and must make a deal with death himself in order to find out why and get her kingdom back. This is a story of a woman fueled by revenge and a desire to live and get justice for herself and her kingdom.

Jessamine is a princess in a kingdom that forbids magic and yet, it's magic that she turns to, to study, in hopes of finding a way to cure the plague that has been running rampant in the kingdom and turning people into feral zombies. Of course, being a fantasy, they aren't throwing that term out, but it's what came to mind when they popped up on the page.

Jessamine knows that her marriage to Leon will likely never be one of love. It's a necessity to help strengthen and protect her kingdom from these plagued people who are constantly on the rise and attacking. But as they walk to the altar together to exchange vows, he kills her and tosses her broken body off a cliff.

Then we have the Deathless One himself. A god of death incarnate. He has been worshipped by witches for centuries and yet, has always remained a prisoner of sorts, never being granted the ability to take on physical form. He has always been used and never granted his own kind of freedom. Then he happens upon Jessamine and strikes a bargain with her. He will bring her back to life and help her get her kingdom back, if she will bring him back to life. And the deal is struck.

I am always up for a good revenge story! Love them and this one was just brimming with revenge as Jessamine is determined to figure out exactly who played a role in Leon killing her and taking over her kingdom. He had to have help and she is determined to track down the perpatrator. 

Then we have the Deathless One who is determined to gain his physical form back. He was the ultimate deity of mystery! There's always something about death as a corporeal being that makes things more exciting. While I wouldn't necessarily consider him the Grim Reaper, he does have some rein over death, so it's somewhat fitting. He and Jessamine develop a complicated relationship naturally and there's some chemistry brewing between them. This is not one of the spicier romantasies out there, but there's still plenty of heated moments between the two. I always feel like when it comes to spice, less is more. So far it seems, in this series at least, Hamm is taking that to heart too. I'd rather there be less romantic interludes but have them being heated and intense as I feel like it makes more of an impact than constantly stopping the story for said romantic interludes. But that's just me! Lol.

It seems as if this one is going to be a trilogy, as there's three books listed on Goodreads currently and this book does definitely leave things open-ended at the final page. I did like that they weren't too much of a cliffhanger, yes, quite a lot still has to be done, but the characters were taking a nice pause in the "plan" before getting back to the planning. If that makes any sense! Lol. We're not left hanging in the balance over things but I suspect that could change with the second book. For now at least things are somewhat at ease.

If you're looking for a fantasy series with a woman teaming up with a god of death in order to exact revenge over the man who stole her kingdom and her life, then this is the perfect series to read! Two people join together with a thirst for revenge is my kind of story and this one hit on all the right notes!

Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars

Books from the Backlog #181

 

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!

Secret Identities. Extraordinary Powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies — humans with extraordinary abilities — who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone... except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice — and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

I added Marissa Meyer's Renegades to my TBR pile in November of 2017! My plan then was to wait until 2018 for the final book of this "duology" to be released and then read it. But when the second book rolled out, it was announced that it would be a trilogy...so I was like I might as well wait for it to all be out then! And then here we are over 8 years later and have I even read the first book? Not yet! Too many loooong books and not enough hours in the day! Why must I need sleep?

Can't Wait Wednesday #243

 

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.

In the heart-pounding sequel to the New York Times bestselling dystopian romance Silver Elite, lines will be crossed, loyalties will be tested, and the fight for the Continent is only just beginning as Wren Darlington finds herself caught in the middle of two wars: one for the fate of her home and another for the fate of her heart.

LINES WILL BE CROSSED.

After blowing her cover as a double agent within Silver Elite and fleeing the Prime-controlled capital, Wren Darlington is finally safe behind allied lines. As her lover and former commander Cross Redden works to disrupt the Primes from inside their ranks, Wren turns her focus toward assisting the Uprising in overthrowing their rule once and for all.

LOYALTIES WILL BE TESTED.

Though she’s back among her own people, trust is hard-won and hidden agendas abound on the Mod base. And beyond those walls, Wren can’t help but worry that Cross is keeping secrets of his own . . . secrets that could jeopardize everything. Complicating matters even further is her shocking reunion with hotshot fighter pilot and undercover operative Grayson Blake. Once her closest friend in Silver Elite, Gray seems to understand Wren on a level she never thought possible.

AND THE FIGHT FOR THE CONTINENT IS ONLY JUST BEGINNING.

With the war between Mods and Primes growing more brutal by the day, and with her own role in the conflict becoming more essential than ever, Wren must confront some gut-wrenching questions. Who is she fighting for . . . and who is she willing to lose?

Super excited for this one, but why does it feel like I read the first book 5 years ago instead of just last year? Lol. 

TITLE: Broken Dove
AUTHOR: Dani Francis
PUBLISHER: Del Rey
GENRE: Dystopian
RELEASE DATE: May 5, 2026

Revenge demands sacrifice. Don’t miss this action-packed, jaw-dropping, dark and romantic sequel to Dire Bound .

Death is in the air, and Meryn Cooper vows to be the one to sow it. But is she willing to sacrifice her soul – and heart – to seize her destiny?

Blood will spill. Bonds will break. Fate will be tested.

I still need to read the first book and whoa are these doorstoppers! Lol. Still looking forward to them though!

TITLE: Fury Bound
AUTHOR: Sable Sorensen
PUBLISHER: Requited
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: May 5, 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.

So I had a fun/busy weekend where I didn't get to really start my current read in time to find a good teaser, so here's a tease from my last read that got a laugh out of me in between the creepy!

"Charlie cleared her throat. The clerk raised a finger, 'One second. I'm almost finished this chapter.' She continued reading." p 210

TITLE: We Used to Live Here
AUTHOR: Marcus Kliewer
PUBLISHER: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
GENRE: Horror
RELEASE DATE: June 18, 2024

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 Seven Books Set in Places on My Bucket List (submitted by Rachel @ Sunny Side)

*in no particular order
**I read too many fantasy books to have too many ideas for this one! Locations don't really get much focus in my books either. Plus a lot of those fantasy worlds aren't ones you'd want to visit because of all the dangers, lol!

7. ALCATRAZ--this location played a fairly prominent role in the story and that's a place I'd LOVE to see!
6. IRELAND--would love to see this country!
5. SAN FRANCISCO--this would be a fun place! Grew up on Full House, would love to see the Golden Gate Bridge in person!

4. SEATTLE, WA--I'd love to see the Space Needle one day. Not sure what else is there, but loved reading this series that took place in it!
3. LONDON--so much cool stuff to see here!

2. SALEM, MA--always wanted to see this place after learning so much about the Witch Trials back in the day!

1. WINCHESTER MANSION--in this book it gets called by something else, but the way it's described I felt like was clear that it was a nod to this place! DYING to see this place! This is truly my #1 domestic place on my Bucket List...followed by Salem. Lol.

ARC Review--West of Wicked by Nikki St. Crowe

 

Dorothy Gale doesn’t know where she came from. She has only the vaguest memory of her life before landing in the dull, gray world of the vast Kansas prairie.

Then a cyclone rips through the night and carries her, her dog, and the farmhouse somewhere a lot farther than Dorothy imagined. She’s in a strange land that’s apparently cursed, shrouded in shadow. And to get home, Dorothy needs to seek out a wizard, following a treacherous path and watch out for a never-ending list of forest beasts, witches, a cursed mercenary, and perhaps most dangerous of all, the wizard himself.

Nikki St. Crowe vividly reimagines the world of the Wizard of Oz, where the villain gets the girl...and the girl gets the power.

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

West of Wicked by Nikki St. Crowe caught my eye with that mesmerizing cover! It screams Oz and boy, did this book scream Oz! This was a twisted and unique take on the classic, The Wizard of Oz and spins the classic on its head.

Dorothy is a young woman living with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. She was left with them as a child, by a mother she has no clear memory of. She longs for more from life, her casual fling with a childhood friend isn't quite the life she wants to lead but finding herself with no other options, she's about ready to settle.

Then as we all know, a twister enter Kansas and Dorothy, along with her childhood home and faithful dog, Toto, are whisked away to a land far from ours and crash lands in Oz. Although the house falls on a familiar witch, that is not what kills her. For this is a new Oz, one we have not seen before and things work a bit differently here. But in the end, Dorothy and the Witch's fate are set and she is left with a pair of sparkly, silver shoes and a task to go to the Emerald City and find the Wizard so that she might plea for a way home to Kansas.

Along her journey she does make a friend. She finds a young man who was strung up on a pole in a cornfield who has no memory of who he is or how he came to be there, so she names him Rook until he gets his memories back. While a reader may be on the lookout for more friendly faces, we do eventually get to see said faces, but they are not friendly.

Our Tinman actually works for the West Witch and he was sent to find Dorothy and bring her back, alive, to the witch and if he does this, she will set his imprisoned brother free. It definitely adds a different kind of danger to the story.

This was told through multiple points of view, which was enjoyable, but there were times when a new character got introduced and it really kind of threw me off my game. Once we learned who they were, it still didn't quite make sense as to why their point of view was being shown as they had yet to meet with Dorothy. Going from Dorothy and the Tinman and Rook were obvious choices and made the story flow really well, it was just the occasional curveball that came in with someone totally different that kind of made it hard to follow sometimes.

This is my first St. Crowe novel and I wasn't sure what to expect romance wise. Dorothy is definitely a woman who knows what she wants. So when things start to heat up between her and Rook, it wasn't really a surprise.

I feel like this series still has a lot of secrets to share. As things progressed, I worried this would become more romance focused, but luckily that was far from the case. Still that worry kept nagging at me for most of the book, so it was hard to just enjoy things. Dorothy's thought processes had me thinking things would turn in that direction sooner rather than later, but it really was more later and even then, we moved right back to the actual plot!

So much was revealed in the ending of this one! I was half convinced I might not continue this series but the ending pretty much sealed it. Things are definitely shaking up in Oz and I am eager to see where that Yellow Brick Road will take us!

If you're wanting a hot new take on The Wizard of Oz filled with action, secrets, and adventure with just a hint of romance, then this is definitely a read worth checking out!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

West of Wicked releases April 14, 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:

The Things Gods Break by Abigail Owen (3.5 stars)
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer (4 stars)

Currently Reading:

The Deathless One by Emma Hamm

What I Plan to Read Next:

The Heartless One by Emma Hamm

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
Can't Wait Wednesday #242
March Wrap-up
Books from the Backlog #180
Book Blogger Hop #405
Stacking the Shelves

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.

This wasn't too bad of a week! Largelt because I took off Wednesday-Friday as my aunt came in town for Easter and I hung out with her and my mom. It was just nice to be away from work for awhile, which wasn't too terrible. Just filled with people who do not read my emails when I tell them what I need from them in order to help them with their problems. It's a constant back and forth nightmare and we are not even in our busy season yet! I hopped on my work laptop last night just to go through the emails so it wasn't a nightmare for Monday...I tend to do this for my own sanity and I think after I sifted through about 400-500 emails (we have a group/team inbox so we see everyone's emails for when we're OOO) I was able to get mine narrowed down to less than 10! So that was a relief! Lol. Of course, I think 2 were ones where I kept telling them to resubmit the request because this one was cancelled awhile back and they keep saying, okay, but we need "this." A problem for Monday, for sure!

Here's what I got this week:

The Heartless One by Emma Hamm--so for these first three, I fell victim to Amazon's B2G1 sale, but since the books were also on sale, it felt justified.
Heart of Mischief by Emma Noyes
Songbird of Sorrows by Braidee Otto
What We Did to Survive by Megan Lally

Then Maria V. Snyder obtained rights back to her Insiders duology and had the covers redesigned, so of course, I had to buy a set!

Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder
Outside In by Maria V. Snyder

And that was it for me this week! What all did you get?

Review--We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

 

From an author “destined to become a titan of the macabre and unsettling” (Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author), a haunting debut—soon to be a Netflix original movie—about two homeowners whose lives are turned upside down when the house’s previous residents unexpectedly visit.

As a young, queer couple who flip houses, Charlie and Eve can’t believe the killer deal they’ve just gotten on an old house in a picturesque neighborhood. As they’re working in the house one day, there’s a knock on the door. A man stands there with his family, claiming to have lived there years before and asking if it would be alright if he showed his kids around. People pleaser to a fault, Eve lets them in.

As soon as the strangers enter their home, inexplicable things start happening, including the family’s youngest child going missing and a ghostly presence materializing in the basement. Even more weird, the family can’t seem to take the hint that their visit should be over. And when Charlie suddenly vanishes, Eve slowly loses her grip on reality. Something is terribly wrong with the house and with the visiting family—or is Eve just imagining things?

This unputdownable and spine-tingling novel “is like quicksand: the further you delve into its pages, the more immobilized you become by a spiral of terror. We Used to Live Here will haunt you even after you have finished it” (Agustina Bazterrica, author of Tender Is the Flesh).

What prompted me to pick up Marcus Kliewer's We Used to Live Here was when I saw Erin A. Craig mentioning it sometime last year and I looked into it and it sounded like a spooky read that promised to be entertaining! It was most definitely a spooky and trippy read! There's no amount of focus I could devote to this book where all the twists and turns wouldn't shock me! This book was insane...which that in itself felt very fitting after finishing it!

Eve and Charlie just bought an old secluded mansion for a steal and have the hopes of fixing it up and selling it for profit, but the project is turning into something much bigger than anticipated. Then one night, while Eve is by herself, a family knocks on the door and the husband claims that he used to live here as a child and would love to be able to show his family where he grew up. Eve isn't quite the most assertive person and eventually gives in to the man's request.

But just when the family should be walking out the door, their little girl vanishes. The father claims she likes to play hide-and-seek when she has to do things she doesn't want to do and leaving for the night apparently was one of them, so the family sets off to find her in this rather sizeable house with many nooks and crannies, perfect for any child looking to hide from her parents. And this is when things slowly descend into weirdness!

Of course, Eve finds herself exploring the creepy basement which seems overly massive. There are bizarre things that are left down there from previous owners and it's just weird. This whole book was weird, which is the entire point I believe.

This book will make you challenge yourself about what you're seeing and reading, much like Eve who thinks she sees things and they suddenly vanish when someone else comes along to look. It's nuts! But honestly, I always love that kind of thing...in books! In movies, yeah, I'm totally chicken and start freaking out because I'm waiting for the jump scare after the "thing" vanishes.

Spread throughout the book, in between chapters, are documents; pieces of evidence of some kind that begin to paint an even more confusing picture. At first, it's hard to see how these excerpts fir into the story but eventually you begin to get an idea.

The ending of this book was so chilling and maybe a bit confusing! It's massively trippy and horrifying because what really just happened? This story is nuts but is the perfect kind of read if you enjoy a creepy novel. The jump scares in books tend to be more bearable for me and I enjoyed them massively in this one because seriously, what just happened?!

Unfortunately, there's sort of an open-ended kind of ending here. We don't get clear answers, but those bizarre endings can be massively entertaining and make you puzzle out so many different theories and that's pretty much where I am at now! It's said that Netflix is going to make this into a movie. It was announced like 5 or 6 years ago and is apparently still in production I think. I definitely plan on checking it out, but it is most assuredly going to be in the middle of the day in broad daylight, preferably with family at home! Lol. 

If you you're looking for that creepy and bizarre read that will have you questioning your judgement along with the main character, then you are in for a chilling treat with We Used to Live Here!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

Book Blogger Hop #405

 

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

This week's question is: Which book really showcases your favorite author’s style, and what makes it stand out? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

MY ANSWER: Oh tough one! I guess I will go with Legendary by Stephanie Garber! Of the Caraval series Legendary was always my favorite because I positively adored Tella's character. I felt like she was so different from her sister and was just a delight to read about! The mystery Stephanie weaves into the story was built up beautifully and I just love that book!

Books from the Backlog #180

 

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!

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh returns to her world of dark passion and immortal power—and to one of the most seductive and impenetrable heroes ever to stalk the Guild Hunter landscape…

“Oh, Naasir. So weird, so bloodthirsty, so unique and wonderful…I have fallen for him…”—Fiction Vixen

Naasir is the most feral of the powerful group of vampires and angels known as the Seven, his loyalty pledged to the Archangel Raphael. When rumors surface of a plot to murder the former Archangel of Persia, now lost in the Sleep of the Ancients, Naasir is dispatched to find him. For only he possesses the tracking skills required—those more common to predatory animals than to man.

Enlisted to accompany Naasir, Andromeda, a young angelic scholar with dangerous secrets, is fascinated by his nature—at once playful and brilliant, sensual and brutal. As they race to find the Sleeping archangel before it’s too late, Naasir will force her to question all she knows…and tempt her to walk into the magnificent, feral darkness of his world. But first they must survive an enemy vicious enough to shatter the greatest taboo of the angelic race and plunge the world into a screaming nightmare…

So Goodreads says I didn't add Nalini Singh's Archangel's Enigma to my TBR pile until October of 2017 but this was another case of Jessica seriously forgetting to add books to her Goodreads inventory when she gets them! I can't say precisely when, but I definitely would've gotten this one sometime in 2015! Likely September when it released! Lol. Still so vastly behind on this series but still continue to add them to my TBR pile!

March Wrap-up

Well, I did good this month but in pales in comparisons to the last two months. I did have one DNF that surpassed my usual 50 pages, I think I was closer to 150 actually, but it just reached my breaking point and I stopped. Then I had the bright idea to read two 500+ page books right after! So yeah, things were good, but not as great as the last two months!

ARC Reads

East of Envy by Nikki St. Crowe (11/3/26)
A Curse of Beasts and Magic by Jeaniene Frost (5/26/26)

New Releases

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser (3/3/26)

TBR Reads

Living Dead Girl by Rachel Vincent (12/19/22)
The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen (9/3/24)
The Things Gods Break by Abigail Owen (10/21/25)

Can't Wait Wednesday # 242

 

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.

A fugitive on the run, Ahnna has one goal: return to Ithicana with warning of the greatest threat her homeland has ever faced. But as she escapes into the wilderness, it is with the man who broke her heart hunting at her heels—and James wants more than justice. He wants revenge.

Desperate to prove his loyalty to his family, James ventures into dangerous territory to capture his father’s killer. But the longer he follows Ahnna’s trail, the more his certainty of her guilt is tested—and the more the passion they once shared reignites.

As schemes twist tighter and war brews, Ahnna and James discover that the enemy isn’t each other—it is the masterminds manipulating them both in pursuit of power. Yet their greatest obstacle remains, because their loyalties are to opposing sides in the battle to come. As the storms of the Tempest Seas lower their defenses, James and Ahnna must choose where their hearts lie: on the battlefield, or in each other’s arms.

I am so behind on this series! I've only read the first duology and that's where I am at still! Lol.

TITLE: The Tempest Blade
AUTHOR: Danielle Jensen
PUBLISHER: Del Rey
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: April 14, 2026

Before The Wren in the Holly Library, there was The Rebel and the Final Blood War―the stunning conclusion to the Blood Type series finds the world in chaos and turmoil with one final battle left to determine who will survive―humans or vampires.

She had the world on her shoulders. Now she has nothing.

Reyna Carpenter was twenty-one when she became a live-in blood escort for the ruthless and brutally handsome vampire Beckham Anderson. She thought this was a small price to pay for feeding her brothers back home.

But nothing went as planned. Not even her tumultuous relationship with Beckham. And now she wonders if anything will ever be the same again.

As she finds herself in the midst of a losing rebellion, she and her trusted friends must flee from a city conquered by the vampire elite. With their plans blown to pieces and everything they knew and loved gone, their future hangs in the balance.

Despite all she has lost, Reyna must rise from the ashes, reclaim the life that was stolen―and complete her mission, once and for all.

I still need to read the second book of this series but I greatly enjoyed the first one! Plus these covers are just stunning!

TITLE: The Rebel and The Final Blood War
AUTHOR: K.A. Linde
PUBLISHER: Red Tower Books
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: April 21, 2026