Books from the Backlog #166

 

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!

Who can end the war between humans and the fae?

Now that Lilywhite Abernathy is the heir to the Hidden Lands, everything is about to change.

The Queen of Blood and Rage wants Lily to help broker peace with the human world, but Lily knows that harmony won’t come easily. After decades of waging war on the humans, who cost the queen her firstborn daughter, the fae are struggling to accept Lily, a half-human monarch. And the humans, while no match against faery affinities, will hardly agree to the queen’s détente without resistance.

Lily wants to be a fair ruler but fears having to abandon the life she’s known to do so. Now that she and Creed are more than just fellow Black Diamonds—operatives for the queen—her priorities have shifted. But her worries about assuming the throne are derailed when it becomes clear that someone—or some fae—is masterminding violent attacks to discourage peace.

In this follow-up to Melissa Marr’s Seven Black Diamonds, Lily and her friends are forced to reckon with the truth of their own parentage and to protect one of their own, no matter what—or who—comes between them.

I added One Blood Ruby by Melissa Marr to my TBR pile in May of 2017 when it released. I of course, wanted to wait to start this duology until I had both books and here we are nearly 10 years later I still haven't started it. Not sure how many duologies I have on my TBR at this point! Lol. I do still want to read this one as I always loved Melissa's faery books, even though this is a whole new series from what I gather. I think. I can't read this blurb yet as I haven't read the first one. Lol.

Early Review--We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark

 

From the bestselling author of the Kingdom of Lies series comes a slow-burn romantasy set in a Roman-inspired world ruled by merciless vampires. Filled with breathtaking combat, vengeful gods, and magical creatures, We Who Will Die is the epic first installment in an enthralling new series perfect for fans of Carissa Broadbent, Jasmine Mas, and Rebecca Yarros.

Life in the perilous Thorn district is a constant battle for Arvelle and her younger brothers. And the vampire standing on her doorstep is about to turn their world upside down.

Faced with an unthinkable choice, Arvelle makes a magically binding vow to do the impossible: kill the emperor, an ancient vampire created by the god Umbros. But first, she must enter the Sundering—an arena where only the fastest, strongest, and deadliest survive long enough to be selected for the emperor’s elite guard.

She quickly draws the ire of the Primus, the powerful figure charged with protecting the emperor. But the vampire under the armor is the last person Arvelle expects to encounter in the emperor’s court.

With her brothers’ lives in the balance, Arvelle has no choice but to ally with the man who once shattered her heart… and with the emperor’s sadistic son, Rorrik—two vampires whose motives are impossible to pin down. Rorrik holds the key to understanding the powers Arvelle is developing—abilities that would put a price on her head if discovered by the emperor.

To survive the arena and complete her mission, Arvelle must get to the bottom of a conspiracy that will change everything she thought she knew about herself—and the two vampires who are deeply entwined with her destiny…

Stacia Stark's We Who Will Die was an intriguing read coupled with vampires, magic, and mystery--my favorite combo! This was a book that kept me on my toes and needing to read more to see where things would end up. With its gladiator style world, you can expect there to be bloody, brutal violence and when you add vampires to the mix you amp up the danger! Kane really sets the pacing for this one and it was amazing!

Arvelle is a young woman trying to get by through life as a bodyguard for hire as she cares for her two younger brothers, who is suffering from a fatal lung disease that is slowly killing him. Then in walks Bran, a vampire who is willing to make a deadly deal with her. He will offer up the services of a healer who can cure her brother, if Arvelle agrees to participate in the Sundering--a gladiator style competition--and essentially, kill the emperor. Arvelle competed in the Sundering years ago and won, but it cost her too much and she wants nothing more to do with the competition, but when her brother's life takes a dangerous turn, she agrees.

Unfortunately for Arvelle, her name is still somewhat known and it draws unwanted attention to her. Even the masked Primus, the emperor's top guard has taken an unwanted interest in her. He makes it very clear how unwanted her presence is at this competition but Arvelle is now duty bound to succeed. Arvelle will not just have to survive the Sundering again, she will have to survive the cutthroat competition among her fellow fighters in this dog-eat-dog kind of world. Here there are no friendships and it seems everyone is out for themselves and will use everyone else to get what they want.

It's amazing how Stark is able to incorporate some lightness into this already darkened world. Arvelle does have some kindness in her life at this competition but of course, she's protecting herself from past hurts and not really allowing herself to feel anything. Her past becomes very important to her present. As we are treated to a series of flashbacks to a past relationship that took time to grow into something more before leaving her heartbroken It becomes clear what her future holds in the current timeline once these things are revealed to us, but I won't get into that here and instead let you experience these events yourself.

But never fear, there is some romance in this one! I get the feeling that there may even be a love complication on the horizon. As of now, though, that is merely speculation. There's no hard evidence of such happening in the story itself, but just an inkling I'm getting!

I did feel like at times the pacing could have been a little better. There were moments that seemed to be stretched out a little thin to add something here and there, that wasn't really needed to that extent. But that's just a personal thing on my part. Plus I was reading the last chunk of this with a blooming head cold, so that likely could've been another factor to consider.

There were quite a few interesting developments in this one towards the end. Lots of secrets coming out of the shadows that will make for an interesting rest of the trilogy for sure! I am definitely looking forward to seeing how things will turn out in this series. 

If you're looking for a read with that epic Greek mythology feel to it coupled with vampires, mystery, mayhem, and a bit of romance, then this is a series you are going to want to check out asap!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

We Who Will Die releases December 30, 2025

Can't Wait Wednesday #227

 

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.

Broken loyalties. Uncertain fates. Two kingdoms hanging in the balance. . . The exhilarating finale in bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer's Forging Silver series will leave readers breathless!

Callyn has grown closer to Queen Lia Mara in Syhl Shallow, bonded by the secret magic they share. But their magic can stay hidden only so long, especially when a dangerous plot on the Queen's life forces Callyn to work with the man who betrayed her.

In Emberfall, Tycho and Jax are struggling to rebuild their connection after months apart, complicated when they learn of Truthbringers causing trouble at the borders. Sent to investigate together, Jax and Tycho soon discover that the rebellious faction has formed a devil's bargain with the magical scravers to destroy human magic once and for all.

When their missions bring them together, Tycho, Jax, and Callyn find themselves facing threats from all sides. With one last chance to save their magic and their kingdoms, they must work together, or lose everything.

War has erupted. Love is tested. And without sacrifice, magic could destroy everyone . . .

Excited to see how this one will end! I was a little disappointed with the second book. It did have that sort of middle book feeling and then some of the characters were making choices I did not like, so that was a bummer. Hopefully this one will redeem itself on all the counts!

TITLE: Forging Fire Out of Fate
AUTHOR: Brigid Kemmerer
PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury YA
GENRE: YA Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: January 27, 2026

A thrilling and incredibly sexy new dark romantasy series from Sunday Times bestselling author Elizabeth May.

A princess and a war-weary god met in the ashes of a broken city, forging a pact in blood and sacrifice.

Now, centuries of fragile peace are on the brink of collapse…

Bryony Devaliant was born to die — again and again. In Vartena, royal blood is the currency of peace, with every monarch sacrificed and resurrected to appease the gods. But when rebellion stirs, the god-king sends his deadliest weapon to restore order: an immortal assassin known only as the Wolf.

Evander has perfected the art of killing over centuries — until his latest target becomes the one person he cannot destroy. When forbidden desire burns between the assassin and the sacrificial princess, their connection threatens the fragile boundary between gods and mortals. And when that boundary shatters, empires crumble. Because when gods fall in love with mortals, mortals are always the ones to break.

Inspired by Beauty and the Beast and Eros and Psyche, this dark, seductive tale is perfect for fans of Raven Kennedy's Plated Prisoner series, with the wit and spice of Callie Hart's Quicksilver. Packed with dark fairytale vibes, gothic romance, and tropes like enemies to lovers, forced proximity, death pacts, and villain-gets-the-girl, this is a story where love is as deadly as it is irresistible.

This one was initially just on my "watchlist" but might be more of a BUY IT! Because WEREWOLVES! Love a good wolf shifter/werewolf story! Lol. 

TITLE: The Wolf and The Crown of Blood
AUTHOR: Elizabeth May
PUBLISHER: Aria
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: January 27, 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.

"His lips twitch, but something I don't understand flickers across his face. Something that burrows between my ribs and stays there." p 121

TITLE: We Who Will Die
AUTHOR: Stacia Stark
PUBLISHER: Avon Books
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: December 30, 2025

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 on My Winter 2025-2026 TBR List

*in no real particular order

10. APPLES DIPPED IN GOLD by Scarlett St. Clair--changing up my current reading queue to see if I can squeeze in some shorter reads to make a higher end count! Lol.
9. TRAPPED BY NEVERLAND by Megan Charlie--another shortish read! Still over 200 pages but I can possibly squeeze this one in. Hopefully! Lol.
8. A KINGDOM THIS CURSED & EMPTY by Stacia Stark--Stacia is coming here next month on tour, so I know I won't get everything read, but I'd like to maybe get this one read or be reading it at that time!

7. THE ROAD OF BONES by Demi Winters--Demi is coming here in February so hopefully I can at least get this one read! It's like my first two signings of the year all have authors with books that are 500+ pages and I am so behind on them! 
6. A TASTE OF POISON by Tessonja Odette--Tessonja is coming here too! Would like to read a few more of hers as well!
5. A DREAM SO WICKED by Tessonja Odette--finishing up this series before February would be nice!

4. FALLEN GODS by Rachel Van Dyken--a randomly chosen one that sounds really good and I'd like to read it soonish!
3. UNTIL THE WORLD FALLS DOWN by Jordan Lynde--the title I always sing and one I STILL need to read!
2. THE LAST LOST GIRL by Casey L. Bond--I'll be seeing Casey later next year and again, would like to get this series read at least! Lol.

1. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR by Dana Evyn--another author I'll hopefully be meeting next year, so I'd like to read her books too!

Let's Discuss: Sneak Peeks

 

So I was finishing up a book not that long ago...currently rocking a headache so I can't even remember what book it was that I had just finished that prompted this discussion...and in the back was a sneak peek at the next book. Did I read those pages? Absolutely not! And I'll tell you why...

Sneak Peeks

So I could never really be one to read the sneak peek/chapter sampler of the next book to a book I just finished. Mainly because that wait for the next one was killer. I did not want to get more excited for a book that I had to wait a long time to read and I find that this still rings true even after all these years of blogging.

Do I like a sneak peek? Of course! If Stephanie were to toss one out for her next book you know I will be reading it not matter how much it would torture my soul to come to the end of that sneak peek and have to endure the waiting all over again! Lol. So yeah, I guess Stephanie Garber would be the only time I break my rule.

But largely, yes, I am an inpatient reader. Who isn't? Luckily I have so many other reads to keep me occupied until the next anticipated release comes out which are also numerous. 

But with this book...pretty sure it was one of my older titles...I just didn't feel the need to read this sneak peek. Probably because it was an older title and I likely had the next book on me, but moved onto another event book. I'm all over the place this month with my reading. It feels like my first set of events for 2026 involve authors in the 500+ club where their books are all over 500 pages and I'm just like agh! Normally I would love a long book to stay in longer because I used to not have enough "new to me reads" for me read. Now I'm overwhelmed and I miss those 300-400 books that I could easily finish. These 500+ ones kill me and don't even get me started on the 600+ ones!

So basically now time is to be considered. I don't really want to spend time reading a sample of a book I will eventually be reading in the future. Naturally, I would forgo said rule if I was absolutely dying to read that next one, but for the most part, I'm okay with just closing the book on this sneak peek material and moving onto the next book...which sometimes it may be that full length book that I skipped the sneak peek on! Lol.

Although, side note, I have read those pages if I was without my next book (if I was reading away from home) and you know got that head start on the next book. But since I work from home and if I finish a book on my break, I have easy access to the next book. No more fear of being without! Lol.

What about you? Do you read the sneak peeks that come at the back of the book?

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:

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney (4 stars)

Currently Reading:

We Who Will Die by Stacia Stark

What I Plan to Read Next:

Apples Dipped in Gold by Scarlett St. Clair

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
Can't Wait Wednesday #226
Books from the Backlog #165
Book Blogger Hop #389
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.

I survived another week! This time it wasn't super bad as I took off Thursday and Friday and I'm working shorter weeks next week and the following as well, then it's a bit jumbled with the new year week. Work still seems a bit more crazy than it should be for end of year. I mean, it's not like it was a few months ago where it felt like we were slammed, but it's still pretty busy and I just want it to be slow and dull again for a little while. Lol.

Onto the haul! Not much this week, which after last week's crazy haul this is a good thing! Really only one "new" book was added and the others were FL editions!

A Queen This Fierce & Deadly by Stacia Stark

Then my FL preorders that came in were:

Bitten by Jordan Stephanie Gray--FL edition
Once a Villain by Vanessa Len--FL edition...still need to start this series! Ack!

Then I won a MTMC book tour prize from Chloe Neill's blog tour! I won an Amazon gift card!

Then my open orders from Pages of the Night all came in this week as well which was super nice!

First up were ones I got during Britnee's sale/custom order! (I was too tired to move them into a nice place for a pic, so mind the messy desk/blogging state of things!)The cute Tella in the cupcake dress (far right) had sold out before I could buy her, so Britnee made me another and then I added Lala (middle) to use up the last of my Nightbucks from a few months back when they were still active. Lastly, Scarlett in her Spectacular dress (left) was another one I got as it was one of Britnee's sample pieces that she sold for me and even added a new crown to it! I realized I didn't have any Spectacular Scarlett dolls and needed to correct that asap!

Then in Britnee's Black Friday drop I managed to snag the holiday Scarlett & Tella this time around! They aren't "Spectacular" dressed ones, but just holiday themed which I still loved so I had to buy both of them!

Just look at these details! Ah! I love it!

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

Book Blogger Hop #389

 

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

This week's question is: Do you keep up with the hype surrounding books? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

MY ANSWER: I guess not intentionally? I still read what I want to read. It can be hard to find the genre sometimes when the publishers decide they don't want to sell it or whatever. But I've got a huge TBR pile with plenty of my genre choices in it, so I'll have enough to read until we circle back. Right now we're getting big with "romantasy" which kind of annoys me as it's been around for ages we just called it "fantasy" maybe even "fantasy romance" if there was a stronger romantic plot. But yeah. It's a "new" genre right now. *eyeroll*

Review--Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

The New York Times bestselling Queen of Twists returns…with a family reunion that leads to murder.

After years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker’s entire family is assembling for Nana’s 80th birthday party in Nana’s crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island. Finally back together one last time, when the tide comes in, they will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours.

The family arrives, each of them harboring secrets. Then at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead. And an hour later, the next family member follows…

Trapped on an island where someone is killing them one by one, the Darkers must reckon with their present mystery as well as their past secrets, before the tide comes in and all is revealed.

With a wicked wink to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Daisy Darker’s unforgettable twists will leave readers reeling.

Daisy Darker is my first novel by Alice Feeney as it was recommended to me by my cousin and boy was she right to recommend it! I'm still reeling by what I read and just astounded by the story. If this is just a taste of Feeney's style, I cannot wait to read more!

Daisy Darker has always been a bit broken. Born with a rare heart condition, she was never expected to live a very long life and was since sheltered as a child. But when Nana calls for a celebration of her 80th birthday at her house that sits in a precarious place surrounded by waters, it basically becomes inaccessible when the tide is high. The family all comes regardless of their issues and trust me, there are issues aplenty! 

We soon realize that the Darker family really hits the nail on the head with their name. There are some sinister secrets among this bunch. When Nana reveals to them her will, and how she will essentially leave everything to her granddaughter, Trixie, everyone is...dismayed. Then a few hours later, Nana is found dead and the tide is now high, so they are stuck at the house until it lowers and the murderer walks among them.

The family begins to find clues left behind, either by the killer or someone else. Ones that clearly show what kind of family we're dealing with and it is very dark indeed. It's after the first clue they find, yet another of them is found dead. The clock is ticking and the tide is only getting marginally lower, while the killer continues to get even closer.

This book was definitely eerie indeed! Following Daisy around you wonder how such a sweet person survived being raised by such monsters. With parents who were barely there for her and sisters who were either cruel or ignoring her, Daisy really only had her Nana to depend on for any kind of affection. But Daisy also has her own secret, one that she has kept for years and perhaps was the cause of some of the strife she had with her sisters.

The pacing to this book was spot on! We are counting down to when the tide will be low enough for the family to escape, but as time moves on and more secrets and events from the past are revealed, you start to wonder, do we want any of them to survive? We are treated to a slew of flashbacks either through mysteriously left home videos or Daisy reflecting on things the videos did not show. At times, it did feel a little bogged down with so much happening in the past and little being seen in the present. But we will learn it's in the past where the story truly lies.

This is definitely one of those books where you have to be paying close attention in order to see the ending coming. While I was paying some sort of attention, I will admit I was still taken completely by surprise. I mean, I did guess one thing right, lol, but yeah totally blown away by this one's ending!

If you're looking for a mystery that will keep you guessing and leave you with the chills, then I highly recommend checking out Daisy Darker! If all of Feeney's books are going to end up like this then I might be adding a few more books to my never-ending TBR pile!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

 

Books from the Backlog #165

 

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 a copy-cat killer arrives in the small New England town of Edgeport, criminal psychologist Audrey Harte must use all her skill to solve the case.

Audrey has been hired by the prosecution to help prepare for the trial of 19-year-old serial killer Ian "Boy Scout" Monroe. His one surviving victim, Tori Scott, is the star witness, but when someone begins killing with Monroe's M.O., the authorities -- and Audrey -- begin to wonder if Monroe had a partner. Keeping Tori safe is the main concern, but Audrey has also attracted the copy-cat's attention.

Audrey is drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse, and when someone close to her is abducted by the killer, she has no choice but to play. . .

I added Kate Kessler's Two Can Play to my TBR in May of 2017. If you hadn't already guessed, this whole series is on my TBR pile! I loved pretty much every book I've read by Kate of the many surnames, lol, there have been quite a few! So This series automatically made it to my TBR, I just need to read it now!

Can't Wait Wednesday #226

 

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.

Deadly tarot, wicked schemes, dangerous alliances . . . can you survive the Forge?

Sexy, action-packed, and brimming with magic, A Vow in Vengeance is an unputdownable romantasy debut.

Rune Ryker has nothing left to lose. Everything’s been stolen by the Immortals—her family, her home, her freedom. But she’s done playing by their rules.

Each year, humans are forced to journey into the Immortal Realms, but twenty-year-old Rune orchestrates her own selection, determined to find her family and destroy anyone who stands in her way. Rune is used to doing whatever it takes to survive, and now she must endure the Forge, a cutthroat college for the Immortal druids’ elusive tarot magic. When Rune’s magic reveals itself to be the rarest and most powerful, she must live with its only other wielder—Prince Draven. As arrogant as he is ruthlessly ambitious, he’s the last person she can trust.

Rune’s abilities also draw the eyes of the most dangerous druids in the realms. Some want to use her. More want her dead. Draven offers to train her . . . for a price. As Rune becomes ensnared in Draven’s dangerous games, she learns there are secrets at the heart of the kingdom that some will kill to protect.

And Rune and Draven’s growing attraction may be the spark to ignite a brewing war.

Tropes
Enemies to Lovers
Fake dating/ fake fated mates
Coming of rage
There’s only one bed

I have been eyeing this one for over a year as well I feel like! It sounds amazing! I love the concept of tarot being important in books! I've read maybe 2-3 books/series that did this and I'm ready for a new one!

TITLE: A Vow in Vengeance
AUTHOR: Jaclyn Rodriguez
PUBLISHER: Slowburn
GENRE: Fantasy Romance
RELEASE DATE: January 13, 2026

Siblings return to the house they fled eighteen years before, called back by the ghost of their long-missing brother and his haunting request to come home.

Strange things happen in Fell, New York: A mysterious drowning at the town’s roadside motel. The unexplained death of a young girl whose body is left by the railroad tracks. For Violet, Vail, and Dodie Esmie the final straw was their little brother's shocking disappearance, which started as a normal game of hide-and-seek.

As their parents grew increasingly distant, the sisters were each haunted by visions and frightening events, leading them to leave town and never look back. Violet still sees dead people—spirits who remind her of Sister, the menacing presence that terrorized her for years. Now after nearly two decades it’s time for a homecoming—because Ben is back, and he’s ready to lead them to the answers they’ve longed for and long feared.

I think I've only read 2 of Simone's books so far, but I am definitely a fan! Will likely be adding this one to the pile at some point! Lol.

TITLE: A Box Full of Darkness
AUTHOR: Simone St. James
PUBLISHER: Berkley
GENRE: Thriller
RELEASE DATE: January 20, 2026