Books from the Backlog #197

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!

History is on repeat…

Seth never thought he’d have a future. But now he’s on the brink of having it all with Josie: A tomorrow. A family. A forever. And all that's standing between him and that forever is the Titans. If he helps Josie entomb them -- without killing them, a nearly impossible task for him -- everything he could ever want will be in reach. But he soon realizes that as a god, every little choice he makes can reshape the world for the better… or worse. And in meddling with the Titans, Seth may have just set into motion catastrophic consequences that will force the Olympians to enter the mortal realm and reshape the delicate balance of power that keeps the world from total collapse.

A price must be paid…

Entombing the Titans is Josie’s top priority. After all, it was what she was born to do. But the plans her father put into play to help her are no longer an option, and the odds she and Seth face in forging their own path are grim. The escalating violence between halfs and pures only increases the danger closing in on them and their friends. Josie knows their chances of succeeding in their task are slim at best -- and if they fail, they might lose everything. But she also knows she's not fighting just for herself -- she's fighting for the man she loves, for their future, for the world. Together with the Army of Awesome, Josie and Seth will face the unthinkable. And to win this war, the ultimate sacrifice must be made.

For the end is here and the Prophecy will be fulfilled….

I added Jennifer L. Armentrout's The Prophecy to my TR pile in March of 2018. It's a series I STILL need to start! I kept saying I would when the series was completed and that was so long ago now! Lol. I did enjoy The Covenant series from wayyyy back when and where this series spun off from, so I will one day get to this series! I just need the time!

Review--The Shattered Mirror by Dana Evyn

 

They failed once. Now, the fate of their world depends on whether they can heal—and fight—together.

When the unthinkable shatters Eva and Bash’s bonding ceremony, Quinn Sagray knows she’s the only one who can make things right. And the best person to help her? Tobias—her best friend’s brother whose death broke her heart.

He’s been avoiding her. But danger doesn’t care about old wounds and faceless fears, and neither does the dark force threatening everything they love.

As Quinn and Tobias uncover a twisted conspiracy and face a familiar foe, she must wield every ounce of her medical knowledge and forbidden magic—powers she swore she'd never use. And Tobias must finally face the shadow that haunts him, confront the mistakes of his past, and reclaim the strength he thought he lost.

The past still aches. Something still smolders between them. But time is running out.

To save his sister, their people, and maybe each other, they’ll have to trust what was broken. Or risk losing their minds.

The Shattered Mirror is a dark and spicy fantasy romance featuring second chance romance, forced proximity, dual POV, and a heart-wrenching journey toward healing, magic, and redemption.

Well, after having a fun filled weekend, my reading got put on hold, lol. The Shattered Mirror by Dana Evyn brings an end to The Mirrored Trilogy, but in a twist, this time we get new character point of views since Eva and Bash's story arc came to an end. They were still involved with the story but not in the compacity that you would think.

This time we follow Quinn, Eva's best friend from childhood who is also tied to this fantasy world, and Eva's brother Tobias. Tobias is struggling with PTSD from being a prisoner of Aviel. Quinn longs to help him, but isn't sure what the right step to take is. But then the unthinkable happens and Eva falls ill but some mysterious malady and it's up to Quinn to figure out what it is and work on a cure. Desperate to save his beloved, Bash goes into a sort of stasis to find Eva in her dreams and help to keep her mind together before this curse can have irreparable effects.

Quinn and Tobias travel to another kingdom with more resources in order to work on a cure. They are greeted by the queen's head scientist type, Dolion who seems to take an extra interest in Quinn much to Tobias' displeasure.

This was an interesting story. True, I did miss Bash and Eva, but since I felt like their story came to a conclusion, if felt right to have a different couple pop up, though I still felt surprised by it being Quinn and Tobias. I feel like we might have had hints about their feelings before but since the previous books focused on Eva and Bash, I can't quite remember a minuet detail like that. But still, seeing the relationship between Quinn and Tobias evolve was sweet. There was definitely some intense and heated moments between them but it was in latter half of the story since there's so much healing that needs to be done between these two in the beginning.

The pacing to this one was about the same as the previous books. Not fast, but not super slow. It was a sedate pace with a lot of character driven growth. I enjoy a good character drive plot myself, so this was nice! I did totally pinpoint a twist in the story to the letter! I had two theories of course, but banked myself on my first guess the most! Lol.

All in all, this was an enjoyable book and a great addition to the world series. I enjoyed reading points of view from other characters and this acted as a sort of bonus story in some sense but still wrapped things up with a nice little bow for everyone involved. I will definitely be looking forward to Dana's future books for sure!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

Can't Wait Wednesday #260

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 Victoria Aveyard comes an epic adventure of love and betrayal, amid a brutal war for the high seas.

May the sea always sing for you

Cat Rose knows what it is to live in two worlds, in two times. Before—as Lady Catrine Rose of the Meridian Empire, chained to a loathsome lord with a dwindling fortune. And after—as the Widow Rose, queen of a pirate tavern in the Lyrian Sea, determined to be the master of her own fate.

But tides turn and winds change. The Meridian Empire looms on the horizon, the full weight of her navy falling on the Lyrian, bent on reclaiming the wealthy colonies and crushing the pirate republic once and for all. Ship after ship is captured, save for one, captained by a pirate who continually evades both noose and blade: the legendary Valerian Kane.

With his fearsome ship and uncanny connection to the song of the sea, Valerian is the only man who might rally the pirates who remain. The only man who threatens the Empire. And the only man Cat has ever loved, blazing in and out of her life like a star.

Desperate for victory, the Empire offers Cat a devastating choice: bring them Valerian or hang. In truth, no choice at all.

But Cat Rose is nothing if not a survivor.

A storm is rising on the Lyrian Sea—the question is, what will it leave in its wake?

Still need to read Aveyard's last YA series but also excited for her adult debut!

TITLE: Tempest
AUTHOR: Victoria Aveyard
PUBLISHER: Harper Voyager
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: September 8, 2026

Luminary is more than just a school. It is a test of moral fiber, strength of will, and human resilience.

Lia Michaels can pick any lock and break into most computer systems. But a life of delinquency has her bouncing between foster homes and juvie. So when she applies to Luminary Prep, a new experimental school created to challenge academic conventions, Lia is surprised by the acceptance letter that follows.

With state-of-the-art technology, fancy cafeteria food, and a campus that looks like a painting come to life, Luminary seems to be the break Lia needs. That is, if she can excel in class and be one of only five students who will be allowed to graduate.

But classes at Luminary are . . . odd. And dangerous. There is a death-trap obstacle course in Physics, a Chemistry exam with explosives, and guillotines in Political Science. As students keep vanishing, one by one, Lia starts to wonder if it's not that five students will graduate—but that only five will survive.

I loooove Danielle's thrillers! I still need to read her adult ones, but her YA ones have always been entertaining so I am definitely looking forward to this one too!

TITLE: Deadly Little Lessons
AUTHOR: Danielle Valentine
PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
GENRE: YA Thriller
RELEASE DATE: September 15, 2026

Jen Williams stuns in a heartrending sequel to The Sleepless that is as romantic as it is deadly.

Will Lucian pursue chaos and power?
Will Artair choose isolation, or will he choose to walk out into the wider world?
And Elver, perhaps, has the hardest choice of all.

After being sacrificed yet again at the hands of Mother Maura, Elver has returned from the dead even more jih than human. A strange new power simmers beneath her skin alongside a warning from the Queen of Serpents: though she’s been granted another chance at life, someday soon, Elver will be called from the land of mortals.

Now that Artair knows the spirit with whom he shares a body, Lucian, is an ordinary human, the two have formed an uneasy truce. While they attempt to wield their shred of Maura’s stolen power—the only thing keeping her from ascending to full godhood—they’re also confronted with feelings for Elver that are impossible to deny.

But Maura is out for revenge. As dangerous new alliances brew among the Twelve, Elver, Artair, and Lucian must set out to find the only being in existence capable of killing a god. And Elver will need to decide once and for all with which of the Sleepless her poisoned heart lies.

Still need to start this series as well but it sounds like one I will enjoy!

TITLE: The Dreamless
AUTHOR: Jen Williams
PUBLISHER: Wednesday Books
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: September 29, 2026

 

Top Ten Tuesday

 

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 Covers with an Animal

*in on particular order

10. FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros--dragon
9. THE FOREST KING'S DAUGHTER by Elly Blake--butterfly, owl, and a fox
8. BLACK SHEEP by Rachel Harrison--black sheep ;)

7. MEDDLING KIDS by Edgar Cantero--dog and something with tentacles...I still need to read this one, so can't confirm what that thing is! Lol
6. THE QUEEN OF NOTHING by Holly Black--snake
5. HEXES AND HEMLINES by Julie Blackwell--pig

4. KITTY GOES TO WASHINGTON by Carrie Vaughn--leopard
3. RIVALS and Retribution by Shannon Delany--wolves
2. BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE by Annette Curtis Klause--shadow of a wolf

1. BITTEN by Jordan Stephanie Gray--wolf

July Wrap-up

We're now over halfway through the year! How is that even possible? Lol. I write this post extremely tired with very little sleep the past three nights as I was at the Forbidden Romance event in Nashville this week! So I was pretty much checked out of social media. Not sure how people can enjoy their time and still make reels and take hundreds of photos while they're at events. Kudos to them! I was just enjoying myself, lol! This month I pretty much only read TBR books as I was trying to read as many books as I could for this event. In the end, I fell short by 1.5. I was halfway through my second to last book and there was still one more book by an attending author I wanted to read, but oh well. I didn't do too bad though.

No ARCs this month

No New Releases this month

TBR Reads:

Arcana Academy by Elise Kova (7/22/25)
Nightweaver by R.M Gray (3/4/25)
Starchaser by R.M. Gray (11/4/25)
The Last Lost Girl by Casey L. Bond (5/3/24)
The First Lost Boy by Casey L. Bond (5/2/25)
The Mirror in the Mountain by Dana Evyn (12/3/24)

The count may not look as impressive this month, but these were all pretty long books! 500+, 400+, and 300+ and some of the formatting was intense, we're talking hardly any white space on the page so nothing but words! So it was a lot of reading word count wise! Lol.

Book Blogger Hop #422

 

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

This week's question is: If you had to stick to one genre forever, which would you choose and why? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

MY ANSWER: Pending that means there will always be books in the genre, I would have to go with paranormal fantasy/urban fantasy. Basically your paranormal types! I do love the fantasy romance genre as well and it is booming, but I guess depending on how some of those go, they could be loosely called paranormal fantasy as well, if the character types are right! Lol.

Books from the Backlog #196

 

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!

Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea…

Police Chief Delaney Reed is good at keeping secrets for the beach town of Ordinary Oregon–just ask the vacationing gods or supernatural creatures who live there.

But with the first annual Cake and Skate fundraiser coming up, the only secret Delaney really wants to know is how to stop the unseasonable rain storms. When all the god powers are stolen, a vampire is murdered, and her childhood crush turns out to be keeping deadly secrets of his own, rainy days are the least of her worries.

Hunting a murderer, outsmarting a know-it-all god, and uncovering an ancient vampire’s terrifying past isn’t how she planned to spend her summer. But then again, neither is falling back in love with the one man she should never trust.

I added Devon Monk's Devils and Details to my TBR pile in March of 2018 and I am pretty sure it's on my kindle. A lot of the traditional authors I read in the early days started doing my indie and self publishing and I was trying to follow them still but they were really belting out the books and I obviously fell wayyyy behind! I still need to start this series of Monk's but it sounds like a fun one! So hopefully one day I will get to it!

Can't Wait Wednesday #259

 

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.

Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Emma Hamm’s instant USA TODAY bestselling dark romantasy trilogy comes to a heart-stopping conclusion in The Endless One.

Jessamine survived betrayal, death, and the gods themselves—but survival was only the beginning. Her kingdom lies in ruins. Her throne has been stolen. And the man who once murdered her has succeeded in doing the binding himself to a god.

To reclaim her crown, Jessamine must defy ancient powers and betrayals alike—and face the enemy who once slit her throat. But now, she isn’t the innocent bride who fell to her death. She is the Gravesinger.

Captured and forced to confront a fate far worse than dying, Jessamine must decide how much of herself she is willing to sacrifice to end a war. Bound to Elric, the god who loves her, she must choose between the humanity that shaped her—and the power required to tear divinity down at its source.

Because this time, she isn’t just ready to kill a man.

She’s ready to kill a god.

I binged the first two books earlier this year and loved them! Cannot wait to see how it will all end later on!

TITLE: The Endless One
AUTHOR: Emma Hamm
PUBLISHER: Gallery Books
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: September 1, 2026

They told me turning eighteen meant freedom. They never said it might kill me.

All I wanted was cake, candles, and a fresh start after aging out of the group home I’ve been stuck in for six years. What I got instead? A vampire crashing my party and trying to drain me dry.

Apparently, vampires are real and I can sense them.

Right before I become dinner, a gorgeous, broody vampire hunter named Asher swoops in and saves me. He tells me I’m not just some orphan with a bad attitude… I’m a legacy. A born Vampire Hunter. And now I’ve got a full ride to Nightguard Academy, a secret school for hunters.

Training to kill the undead? Kinda savage.

Except there’s one I’m hiding a secret so dark it could get me staked before graduation. And in a school full of monsters, secrets don’t stay buried for long.

Perfect for fans of Vampire Academy, Buffy and House of Night, this twisty, slow-burn supernatural romance will keep you guessing until the final tick.

With a title like this how can I not read it?! This baby was preordered during the last B&N sale and I cannot wait to read it!

TITLE: Slayer
AUTHOR: Leia Stone
PUBLISHER: Bloom Books
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
RELEASE DATE: September 8, 2026

Jaimie Vane’s promising career as a cellist came to a screeching halt when chronic illness took over her life, leaving her dealing with a disability her doctors don’t understand.

Then her vibrant sister Sybil, an influencer turned wellness consultant at an exclusive health retreat, leaves her a series of distressing messages that contain hidden cries for help…and a voucher for a free stay. Determined to find her sister, Jaimie finds herself chartering a tugboat across the frigid winter sea to the black-sand shores of Creag Dhubh, the tiny island that houses the elite Saoghal Spa and its enigmatic founder, Cyan Blache.

Searching for her sister under the premise of being a regular guest, Jaimie is pushed far out of her comfort zone, both physically and mentally, by the group healing activities and luxurious treatments. As time wears on and Sybil is nowhere to be found, Jaimie is shocked to find herself feeling…better. There is something at Saoghal, in the treatments and tinctures and the black mud itself, that has her chronic fatigue and pain melting away. And as she gets closer to the people around her, including the ethereal Cyan Blache, whose perfection seems to defy reality, she finds herself with more questions than answers.

But everything comes at a price, and transformation, it seems, requires sacrifice. When Jaimie’s investigation leads her to discover that something darker than mud baths and salt scrubs is twisting the residents of Creag Dhubh into something more than themselves, she must face an evil beyond reckoning in order to escape with her life.

Pretty much any Dawn Kurtagich book makes it to my TBR! I am super behind, naturally, but loved her horror style!


TITLE: The Wellness Retreat
AUTHOR: Dawn Kurtagich
PUBLISHER: Hanover Square Press
GENRE: Horror
RELEASE DATE: September 8, 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.

After this week, I decided I am going to take a little break from Teaser Tuesday. I noticed at the beginning of the year, possibly even in December of last year that The Purple Booker website has been inaccessible. Not sure if she retired or what happened as I remember it felt abrupt, but I continued on with the teaser as I have for many years now. It's just that I noticed in the little bit of blog hopping that I do, that not many people were doing the Teaser post anymore. So for now, I decided I might step back from it for awhile at least. 

"'Don't bulls*** a bulls****er, Eva. And don't you dare try to lie to me.'" p 255

TITLE: The Mirror in the Mountain
AUTHOR: Dana Evyn
PUBLISHER: City Own Press
GENRE: Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: December 3, 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 Ten Books I HAD to Have Immediately But Still Haven't Read

*in no particular order

10. THEY FEAR NOT MEN IN THE WOODS by Gretchen McNeil--was super excited for her adult debut...and yet it's unread
9. FOR WHOM THE BELLE TOLLS by Jaysea Lynn--one that caught my eye by chance one day and it sounded good and it was pretty! Lol
8. WITCHLIGHT by Susan Dennard--the long waited epic conclusion...and I still need to read it! And I need a detailed summary of the previous books because wow!

7. EMBER ETERNAL by Chloe Neill--love Chloe's books and was excited for this one!
6. HOLLOW by Celina Myers--love me some vampires and this edge!
5. DIRE BOUND by Sable Sorensen--another one that called to me because of the wolves and I waited for the deluxe hardcover but the size has kept me from picking it up right away...it's been a busy year!

4. SILVER & BLOOD by Jessie Mihalik--was super excited for this one and yet...still haven't cracked it open!

3. THE HAUNTING OF PAYNES HOLLOW by Kelley Armstrong--really any of her books could be here because I am SOOO behind!
2. UNTIL THE WORLD FALLS DOWN by Jordan Lynde--one I've been DYING to read but my schedule this year has been nuts!

1. THE RETURN by Jennifer L. Armentrout--this one was actually the first one I thought of! Lol.

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 First Lost Boy by Casey L. Bond (4 stars)--technically I finished this on Sunday but was too tired to update this post! Lol.

The Mirror in the Mountain by Dana Evyn (4.5 stars)

Currently Reading:

The Shattered Mirror by Dana Evyn

What I Plan to Read Next:

The Nightshade God by Hannah Whitten

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
Can't Wait Wednesday #258
Books from the Backlog #195
Book Blogger Hop #421

Stacking the Shelves--The Dreadful, Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Edition