ARC Review--The Raven at the Ash Door by K.A. Linde

 

Can love survive an unbreakable curse?

Kierse McKenna’s magic is bound to a man she hates―one who has spent lifetimes fighting the man she loves.

To end this binding, Graves―her winter god, her monster―will stop at nothing. He discovers that the only hope of freeing Kierse is to locate a stone relic of legend, rumored to lift any curse.

The only problem? The stone has been missing for a century.

And the Oak King is on their trail.

Now Kierse is trapped at the heart of a centuries-long battle while the rest of the world comes unraveled. The Fae Killer is hunting. The peace with monsters is fracturing. And as the very rules of their myth start to shift, escaping the Oak King’s hold may demand more than stolen artifacts and clever heists.

For Kierse and Graves, it may mean risking the only thing they have left to lose.

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

K.A. Linde's The Raven at the Ash Door was a rollercoaster of emotions! This book grips you tight and doesn't let go until you're freefalling at the very end after that cliffhanger of an ending! Be forewarned, this book had me in a rage and a messy tangle of emotions! It's positively haunting!

When we last left Kierse, she had been forcedly bonded to Lorcan, making them soulmates who are completely entwined with one another. The only problem us, Kierse still loves Graves and would do anything to break this bond that she doesn't want. The rumor is that the magical stone that Graves has been searching for can possibly break the bond. Kierse is determined to chase down any lead that will help rid her of this thing she doesn't want.

But naturally, Lorcan is there to continue to thwart her plans and show her why she should choose him even though her heart belongs to Graves. Now, don't get me wrong. Kierse does admit to some feelings for Lorcan, but it is truly Graves that she loves and wants to be with. Honestly, it was Lorcan forcing the bond on her without her consent that did him in for me. I've been rooting for his death ever since, but thinking he's not a character that will be killed off so easily! Lol. The feminine rage I had throughout this book was intense! Of course, I was sometimes yelling at Kierse too, because there were times I felt like she was leading him on. Yes, her feelings were mixed over the two, she didn't loathe Lorcan like I did. But I felt like she let him get away with too much. There were too many touches she allowed Lorcan to get away with when she kept telling him no, that it was Graves who she wanted. He kept at her and she allowed it.

So yes, even Kierse was driving me nuts with what she allowed him to get away with. And I totally understood about her mixed feelings. The bond somehow brought up feelings she might not have realize she had, but she kept making her choice clear and Lorcan kept ignoring it. I do not like that. To me when anyone says NO, that should be the end of it. But obviously, if that were the way of things, this story would've been a LOT shorter! Lol.

There were other things going on throughout the story as well. We dealt more with the Fae Killer, Kierse exploring her new powers that Lorcan can't control (another reason why I can't stand that man!), learning of new enemies, and seeing some familiar faces and of course, planning more heists! Tons of action and drama and just this mass intensity that kept me on edge until the very end!

The relationship between Kierse and Graves of course had its highs and lows. There was drama, but there was still plenty of heat and some spicy moments. Well, I suppose spicy in my book! Lol. I guess it depends on your preference of spice. There were frequent moments but definitely not as graphic as my last read! Lol.

The ending of this book was what really kills! It was INTENSE and insanity inducing! Yes, I am spiraling into a pit of craziness! Be prepared to shout and yell and scream because omigosh I can't believe I have to wait a whole year until the next book! That is the truly scary part! I can handle cliffhangers--to some extent--it's the waiting until the next book that drives me up the wall! And holy cats I was not expecting THIS kind of cliffhanger at the end and I'm going to go bananas before 2027 finally rolls around! So...be prepared! Take that into consideration for sure! Lol.

The Raven at the Ash Door was an emotional rollercoaster ride! My heartstrings were tugged, my rage flared several times and my heart might have been broken at least twice. K.A. Linde is a mastermind of the emotional minefield and still produces one helluva read with all the paranormal goodness of a dystopic future! This book truly had it all and I highly recommend reading this series as it is mind-blowing!

I need the next book yesterday.

Overall Rating 5/5 stars

The Raven at the Ash Door releases June 16, 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 Rebel and The Final Blood War by K.A. Linde (5 stars)
For She is Wrath by Emily Varga (4 stars)
Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot (4.5 stars)

Review That Was Posted:

It Came from Neverland by Cynthis Pelayo (ARC) (3.5 stars)

Currently Reading:

Lost Girls of Hollow Lake by Rebekah Faubion

What I Plan to Read Next:

The Other Half of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays
May Wrap-up
Can't Wait Wednesday #251
Books from the Backlog #189
Book Blogger Hop #414
Stacking the Shelves--The I May Be Losing My Mind Edition

Review--Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot

 

A witchy rom-com from New York Times  bestseller Meg Cabot about a plus size witch who must team up with a handsome stranger to help protect her village from an otherworldly force—but will she be able to protect her heart?

It’s Magic When You Meet Your Match In her teenage years, lovelorn Jessica Gold cast a spell that went disastrously wrong, and brought her all the wrong kind of attention—as well as a lifetime ban from the World Council of Witches.

So no one is more surprised than Jess when, fifteen years later, tall, handsome WCW member Derrick Winters shows up in her quaint little village of West Harbor and claims that Jess is the Chosen One.

She’s the Chosen One Not chosen by West Harbor’s snobby elite to style them for the town’s tricentennial ball—though Jess owns the chicest clothing boutique in town. And not chosen finally to be on the WCW, either—not that Jess would have said yes, anyway, since she’s done with any organization that tries to dictate what makes a “true” witch. No, Jess has been chosen to help save West Harbor itself...

As Summer Ends, Her Power Grows But just when Jess is beginning to think that she and Derrick might have a certain magic of their own—and not of the supernatural variety—Jess learns he may not be who she thought he was. And suddenly Jess finds herself having to trust Derrick and work with him to combat the sinister force battling to bring down West Harbor, or use her gift as she always to keep herself, and her heart, safe. Can she work her magic in time?

I love a good cozy paranormal romance and Meg Cabot certainly delivers that with Enchanted to Meet You! This is the start of a new series that seems to be a collection of standalones all taking place in the same town! So it should be fun just as its first installment was!

Jessica--gotta love when the heroine has my name, lol--is a 30-something year old witch, but not one who's truly "accepted" by the witch community, particularly the World Council of Witches. Her high school nemesis/antagonizer, Rosalie definitely loves to remind Jessica that she is the true witch! It always amazes me that people still like to live out their high school glory days as if that was the standard of life. But unlike me, this Jessica doesn't let Rosalie drag her down. Jessica knows she's capable of magic, even if it's not in the way Rosalie does it.

Her life gets uprooted when a mysterious man named Derrick comes to town and tells her she's the Chosen One. Yup, a glorified Chosen One! Jessica is to help train the Bringer of Light with their magic in order to stop a growing evil that is threatening the town. The kicker is that this Bringer of Light is a teenager in high school named, Esther. Which I thought would prevent a whole new challenge for Jessica, but Esther was a surprising kind of character who was pretty easy going for such a young age. She was a force to be reckoned with, that's for sure but her acceptance of magical things was definitely surprising since in this world magic is kept secret from those who are deemed "normal."

This was such a delightful book to read! It's always kind of nice to have a more relaxing book to read even if the plot does get to some pretty high stakes. There's danger, there's secrets galore, and plenty of high school snobbishness happening about even after all the years since those days. It was light-hearted and fun while still being magical and mysterious!

Naturally, the chemistry between Jessica and Derrick pretty much started from their first meeting. But if you're looking for spice, you're going to be a bit disappointed. There's romance for sure, but it's a closed-door kind of romance.

Pacing wise, things move at a pretty brisk pace once things get going. We get both Jessica and Derrick's point of views throughout, plus some excerpts of Jessica's high school journal which helped to show how the rift between her and Rosalie got started and Jessica's journey with her magic.

Overall, this was a quaint and delightfully fun magical romance read. Yes, that was a mouthful! Lol. If you're looking for a cozy romance that has just a bit of magic and mystery then this is a read I highly recommend! Meg Cabot has always written incredible magic filled books and this is yet another shining example!

Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars

Stacking the Shelves--The I May Be Losing My Mind Edition

 

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.

What a week. This was an exhausting week for me and I felt like each night I only got about 4 hours of sleep, if I was lucky enough for that! Work was moderate, as we continue to slowly pick up speed on items. It's the calm before the storm really. But our team works well together and we should be fine...now our vendors who are sending the stuff to us is another thing entirely! I attended two signings this week and saw Melissa Albert on Wednesday, who remembered me from previous signings--which is always so exciting! I'm excited to (eventually) read her adult debut which has promise to be one strange and mysterious read! Then yesterday I saw Sabrina Blackburry again at Main Street Books! She also remembered me as she's did signings with my favorite indie store for each of her releases and I always attend! Lol. This week I will attend a multi fantasy author signing on Monday which should be fun. Hopefully I can catch up on sleep starting Tuesday then! Lol. Then next Sunday, I will be MIA as I will be road-tripping to Nashville to see Brynne Weaver! I signed up at the beginning of the year practically and since I enjoyed her books to a point--lol--I decided to go ahead and go! Naturally, I will be missing out on more sleep on that Sunday to Monday night but it is what it is! I'll hopefully catch up again somewhere in that coming week!

More mail snafu this week. Oddly enough, it was not with my books! Those actually arrived early! Who'd thought! I vented my frustration on Threads yesterday, but it turns out I had the day wrong! My missing mail should have been delivered on FRIDAY and it STILL wasn't delivered on Saturday, so my frustration was still justified, more so even! I just HATE when my important bookish mail doesn't get delivered when USPS says they will deliver it. So yeah...I'm not happy right now. Hoping it comes in Monday's mail, I know this has happened occasionally with some pieces where it scanned for one day's mail but didn't show up for 2-3 days later, this is just a very important, highly anticipated piece of bookish mail that I desperately needed!

But anyway, onto the goods!

Shadow Reaper by Lynette Noni
The Secret Attic by Chelsea Conradt--one of my favorite authors (who may or may not be retired, not sure on that) recommended this one and when I read what it was about I was immediately hooked and ended up buying a copy this weekend! Lol.
The Children by Melissa Albert--SIGNED!
Half Wylde by Sabrina Blackburry--SIGNED!

Then my Fairy Loot copy of Throne of Nightmares came in this weekend and it is SO pretty!

Throne of Nightmares by Kerri Maniscalco--Fairy Loot edition

*ironically it was just this week, I think--time is getting so hard these days, lol--that I realized I forgot [again!] to add this to my Goodreads list back when it released earlier this year! Sigh...

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

Review--For She is Wrath by Emily Varga

 

What if the man you loved was the very person who betrayed you?

Dania has been betrayed by her lover and falsely imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit. She's counting down the days until she can exact her revenge, when a fellow prisoner offers a chance at escape and the keys to a dangerous jinn magic.

Armed with a brand new identity and all the power she could want, Dania enacts a plan to bring down those who cheated her and her family. But when the one person standing in her way is the very man who signed her life away, retribution becomes a complicated game of cat and mouse.

Because betrayal isn't simple and revenge certainly isn't easy, not when your heart is involved.

Emily Varga's For She is Wrath was the gender-swapped Fantasy retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo that was I was looking for! I've had this on my TBR for ages and I finally decided to crack it open (this is the Fairy Loot edition, by the way)! It was exactly what I was hoping for when it came to my favorite tale of revenge and I thought that Varga played it out sooo well, paying homage to its origin story while still staying original and unique!

One year ago, Dania was accused of a murder she didn't commit but was locked away anyway, all while the man she loved, the guard, and the king himself got away with the injustice of it all. Dania has been planning her revenge for a good long year, while also trying to escape her hellish prison. Then finally, an opportunity comes crawling up from the ground and she meets Noor, another prisoner who is trying to escape the prison and they team up, naturally.

Noor was in prison because she has knowledge that she won't relinquish for anything. She knows where a horde of treasure is that also includes zoraat seeds which contain djinn magic. Noor also wants revenge against the king because he is the reason her father was killed and she wants revenge and justice. They devise their plan that Dania will use the zoraat seeds' magic to disguise herself into one of the rich and elite to weedle her way into places where her targets will be.

I think what I really enjoyed about this story was the revenge! Yes, I have a bit of a dark side sometimes, lol. But I really liked that Varga kept the plot for revenge alive in this book. And not just wanting to kill people, death is too easy sometimes, which is what I loved about the original classic, the Count decimates the people who wronged him and leave them in ruin (which considering their time and place was a fate worse than death) and the same is applied here with Dania plotting her revenge. And like with the original classic, some things...happen. Lol.

But since this is a YA Fantasy, there was a bit of romance happening between the pages. Although, here, we learn that it's Dania's ex-lover who betrayed her. But naturally, old feelings are harder to get rid of than not. While she's out to break his heart this time around, we are treated to a series of flashbacks that show us how their romance came about and eventually, the betrayal. Now, some of these flashbacks I felt like were unnecessary. Some were long and just seemed out of place. I mean, I get the need to show there was an established relationship. There was no insta-love going on, Dania hated Maz in the first flashback, but eventually hate turns to companionship and just keeps going further after that.

We also have more magical elements happening in this one as well, that really amped up my enjoyment! The djinn and their magic are involved. I don't want to get too into it, but basically Dania is able to pull off her new disguise as the rich and elite thanks to magic and hide her identity from the people who might know her, who she's out to destroy!

I think one of the few issues I had with this book were the flashbacks. Some of them just felt ill-timed. I would be really getting into a scene or a moment and then suddenly the next chapter puts us back in time and it just throws you out of the story for awhile. And sometimes, the flashback just didn't seem to work with what was happening. I mean, there was a small connection or so, but I felt like a lot of the flashback chapters could've been shorter to contain those moments and get you back to the present day where the action was happening.

But overall, I did really enjoy this one! This is how I enjoy seeing a retelling of a classic done! It still has the main drive or story element of its predecessor but puts a new spin or twist on it. That this story has Pakistani roots gives it a new flare that was enjoyable; a new environment with different rules and lore, make for a fresh new setting to a familiar tale. 

As a bonus in this Fairy Loot edition, I loved seeing a collection of letters passed between Dania and Noor! It was reminiscent of the letters and journal entries I vaguely remember from the original tale as well. Perhaps it was a little nod to the classic, or it truly was just for fun!

For She is Wrath was the perfect tale of revenge done right! I loved The Count of Monte Cristo for this very reason and I enjoyed reading Varga's YA Fantasy take on this beloved classic of mine! This is probably my favorite retelling of the classic to date and I highly recommend it if you too love a story of good old fashioned revenge!

Overall Rating 4/5 stars

Book Blogger Hop #414

 

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

This week's question is: What’s the quirkiest or most unexpected place you’ve ever read a book, and why? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee-Addicted Writer)

MY ANSWER: Hmm...I can't really think of any that could be considered "quirky." I mean, everyone reads and walks right? I remember sometimes in school, depending  on where I was walking to, I might have read while I walked to my next class. Or you know, read my book while following my mom on a trip to the hardware store.

Books from the Backlog #189

 

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!

"Once upon a nightmare, her fairy tale begins..."

This high-fantasy gothic fairytale, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea, takes place in an alternative medieval world split apart by magic. To win back her kingdom of perpetual day, save her night prince, and reunite the sun with the moon, a princess incapable of speech or sound must prove herself everything a traditional princess is not: tough enough to sleep on a bed of nails, and loud enough to be heard without a voice.

According to Goodreads, I added A.G. Howard's Stain to my TBR pile in February of 2018. The book released in January of 2019, so I am guessing this was another I "added it to my TBR pile before I actually had it" scenario. Still trying to get better about that! Lol. This was another fairy tale retelling focusing on The Princess and the Pea, so naturally, I had to have it! But alas I still need to read it! I enjoyed her first series which was an Alice in Wonderland retelling. I had mixed feelings on her "ending" of it, but overall, I still liked it!

Can't Wait Wednesday #251

 

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.

After a cheesy ghost tour in one of California’s oldest towns stumbles upon an actual haunting, a skeptical historian of the occult becomes entangled in solving a murder case.

When Professor Harper Grae loses a bet with a friend, she finds herself on a local nighttime tour of “haunted” locations in Monterey. Harper’s a lifelong non-believer in the occult, though her academic career is devoted to the historical and societal significance of witchcraft, ghosts, and medicinal poisons of all sorts. But her skepticism immediately gets tested when the tour stumbles on the body of local artist Delilah Mason—who’s found murdered on the grounds of a nearly two-hundred-year-old mansion, once home to the infamous Perles family.

On the night Mason’s body is found, Harper catches sight of something in the house that she can’t shake, something that’s impossible to explain, at least not rationally. Soon the murder investigation reveals that this is the second time a woman has been found murdered beneath a sprawling cypress tree in the gardens of the Perles Mansion. And when Harper’s closest friend is questioned by the police, Harper fears the authorities will fail to uncover the real killer.

As Harper asks questions around town and digs deeper into the supernatural speculation and rumors surrounding the murders—two women killed in similar circumstances, separated by nearly two centuries —she sees evidence she can’t ignore that the notorious mansion truly is haunted by the ghost of Isabel Perles.

What will it cost Harper to rethink everything she’s always believed to admit that the veil between the living and the dead might actually be crossed?

I still need to read her mystery from last year as well as finishing up another series entirely! But this one sounded too good to pass up!

TITLE: The Seance Garden
AUTHOR: Juliet Blackwell
PUBLISHER: Berkley
GENRE: Mystery
RELEASE DATE: July 28, 2026

Revisit Rapunzel and Eugene from Disney's Tangled as they race to protect their kingdom, in this thrilling new fantasy adventure penned by New York Times bestselling author Margaret Owen.

Rapunzel knows nothing about her neighboring kingdom, Astera – and not just because she only left her tower a month ago. The famously reclusive island has limited its contact with outsiders for decades. So when a suspicious invitation arrives welcoming Rapunzel to the Asteran princess’s coming of age ceremony, and offering her a chance to be useful for the first time since she lost her healing powers, Rapunzel accepts – and unwittingly plunges herself and her companion, Eugene, into a tangled knot of political intrigue and magical secrets.

Eugene is just happy to get one last adventure with Rapunzel before his criminal background catches up with him and prevents their happy ending. Yet as they’re drawn further into the country’s problems, they uncover truths about Eugene’s parentage that point to deeper unrest in Astera, and suddenly the fate of their own kingdom, not just their personal dreams, is at stake.

Thrust into a power struggle between Astera’s beloved princess, Verette, its domineering king, Enver, and a mysterious secret society, Rapunzel and Eugene race to protect their home from an unsettlingly familiar threat and discover that the past can either hold them back, or help them blossom.

A cunning king. A devious princess. Best. Week. Ever.

Another one I am looking forward to! I remember Margaret talking about this one last year at a signing and then it was delayed for whatever reason. I LOVED the movie Tangled so I am excited for this "extra" story about what came after the movie! I believe she did say in this story, the animated series does not exist. So those adventures didn't happen.

TITLE: Rootbound
AUTHOR: Margaret Owen
PUBLISHER: Random House/Disney
GENRE: Disney
RELEASE DATE: July 28, 2026

Review--The Rebel and the Final Blood War by K.A. Linde

 

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.

The Rebel and The Final Blood War is K.A. Linde's final book of the Blood Type trilogy and brings us the epic conclusion we had all been aching for! This was definitely a surprising kind of ending I felt like, yes, I knew some turn outs since I read the next The Oak and Holly Cycle book, but I still needed the know the hows of the outcome! Lol.

Be forewarned, there are spoilers from previous books after this point!

Reyna is struggling to keep it together after the earth shattering events of the second book. Beckham is gone, killed by Harrington and now Reyna and the few surviving members of Elle must recoup and figure out their next steps. So much has been lost, so much is still unknown, but we won't have to wait too long for answers and action.

Granted, I knew going in that certain deaths weren't final. But I also go in with the knowledge that in paranormal or fantasy reads, no one is truly dead until those very final words: THE END. So when we learn a certain someone is back, it really didn't come as a surprise, even with the appearance in the other series! Lol.

But knowing what happened to the other members of Elle was the more worrisome matter. Secondary characters are always fair game I feel like, so it did take some time for those numbers and names to come in. Eventually though, the team is reformed with those who remain standing and the plan to take Harrington down once and for all begins. But it wasn't done without more loss and heartbreak and earth-shattering surprises!

I really enjoyed the cameo appearance by a certain character we "meet" in the next series. Now keep in mind, this trilogy originally published before The Oak and Holly Cycle, so while it's a cameo appearance now, it didn't have much impact with its original release date. But then the same can be said for the upcoming cameo in the third installment of said series if you haven't read this series yet! Oh the tangled webs we weave!

While I still refuse to come out and say certain things, you can probably figure out what's what. So that being said, we do still get some steamy romantic interludes between certain characters that reminded the reader of who was alive and such. Expect the usual steam and toe curling romance from the previous books!

All in all, this was a fantastic conclusion! Although, I feel like I missed something in the spinoff series when we saw a certain cameo from this series. As now I am wondering if I read something wrong, or if it was mentioned in the earlier books of The Oak and Holly Cycle. But again, this is a me problem and doesn't effect THIS story in any way! Lol. This was a fantastic paranormal dystopian series that definitely kept me on the edge of my seat and eating up the pages. I'm hoping certain characters will be seen in future books as well as what I already know will come! If you're looking for that perfect vampire romance--and who isn't, really? lol--then be sure to pick up the Blood Type trilogy as it was phenomenal from start to finish!

Overall Rating 5/5 stars

May Wrap-up

Another check-in on how my reading is going this year! As far as reading goes I did pretty good all things considered, but then I just looked and I didn't do any other kind of discussion post. I had one idea, but then I realized I wrote about that already. Recently too I believe! So that nixed that random post! Anyway, onto the report!

ARC Reads

The Raven at the Ash Door by K.A. Linde (6/19/26)--review to come next week!

New Release Reads

King of Ravens by Clare Sager (1/27/26)

TBR Reads

Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver (2/11/25)
The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert (2/20/24)
Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim (1/7/20)
Ravage the Dark by Tara Sim (3/9/21)
Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver (9/23/25)
The Captive and The First Blood Game by K.A. Linde (6/26/18) -> original pub date

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.

"'You're prone to danger, Little One.'

'It finds me.'" p 130

TITLE: The Captive and The First Blood Game
AUTHOR: K.A. Linde
PUBLISHER: Red Tower Books
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
RELEASE DATE: June 26, 2018

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 10 Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read

*in no particular order
**this topic had me wincing and crying and wishing I didn't need to sleep! If I could spend those 9 hours--4 where I try to fall asleep and 5ish where I actually sleep--reading instead of being in bed I could decimate my TBR pile! I could (eventually) RE-READ books while I waited for new releases just like the old days! Lol.

10. WITH MALICE by Eileen Cook--I've had this since June 2016. I love a good YA thriller mystery and it was taking place in Italy so I had to jump on it.
9. THE MASKED TRUTH by Kelley Armstrong--added in October of 2015. So many Kelley Armstrong books in my TBR pile. I want to know what Kelley does to not sleep. She puts out SOOO many books a year, she has to have figured out the trick to not need sleep! Lol.
8. VERONICA MARS: MR. KISS AND TELL by Jennifer Graham & Rob Thomas--added in January of 2015. Still need to read this last adventure of Veronica's because that Hulu season no longer exists for me. That was blasphemy! So where's that season 5, Rob? Yeah. That's why. Honestly, you could've ended that season differently and everyone would've been happy with 4 seasons!

7. SILVER by Rhiannon Held--I added this one to my TBR in July of 2014! It involved werewolves so I was immediately intrigued...and here it still sits!
6. NIL by Lynne Matson--I got this one in September of 2014ish (again I am terrible about remembering to add books to Goodreads accurately!). Sentient island? Yeah, I NEED to read this! And ugh, I just saw that I forgot to add the third book to my GR list!
5. THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater--added in July of 2014! Ironically, I do believe I bought Silver when I was buying this book which was at a signing of Maggie's! Lol.

4. TOUCH OF FROST by Jennifer Estep--added in April of 2012! I picked up nearly this entire series at the RT Conventions from back in the day! Still haven't started it.
3. DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY by Terri Garey--added in June of 2011, RIP Borders. Yes, I purchased this one and I think the other two books from the Borders closing sales.
2. A TASTE OF THE NIGHTLIFE by Sarah Zettel--added in April of 2012. Another book I picked up at RT! I even got the second book that same year too. I miss those cons!

1. THE RETURN by Jennifer L. Armentrout--the one that haunts me still! Added this back in July of 2017 and still haven't circled back around to it!

ARC Review--It Came from Neverland by Cynthia Pelayo

 

Peter Pan meets Stephen King's It in this twisted horror retelling of a classic childhood fairytale set during WWI.

1914, Wendy Darling works by day as a school teacher and by night, she assists soldiers who have returned home from the Western Front. There is one mysterious patient who despite all the care they’ve given him, is in a deep sleep, unable to wake up. One night, when he murmurs the words “Peter Pan,” Wendy is thrown back to a darker time, one that she wishes she could forget.

When one of her students goes missing, it brings back memories of when children went missing and were later found murdered in London many years ago. Wendy believes that Peter Pan, the entity that she believed killed those children, is back. She and her brothers had a close encounter with Peter Pan, after all. But her brothers only remember Peter Pan and Neverland as a fantasy of childhood games.

When another child goes missing and signs start to point to Wendy, Scotland Yard digs into old reports, finding that Wendy knew the names of all the children who had been killed. As Wendy tries to prove her innocence, she also has to find a way to stop Peter Pan once and for all.

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

I've always loved the story of Peter and Wendy aka Peter Pan; a magical story about a boy who never wanted to grow up and lived on an island with mermaids and pirates and fairies and could fly! It was always a magical story. Being forced to grow up, I have become quite fond of retellings or different takes on the Peter Pan story and Cynthia Pelayo takes it into a whole different direction with It Came from Neverland!

This version, I feel like, goes in a more horrifying direction! I mean, if you read the blurb it pretty much says it all! Wendy and her brothers ended up leaving Neverland and grew up. But life isn't necessarily the grand adventure that they had hoped for. And lately, Wendy has been noticing odd things happening; hearing voices, seeing shadows, crows that seem to be following her. An eerie kind of suspense builds up and the true story begins to unfold.

Wendy and her brothers did indeed go to Neverland, but it wasn't the grand adventure we all thought it was. It may have started out that way, but then things began to take a darker spin and the horrors of Neverland slowly revealed itself to Wendy. We do get some flashbacks to Wendy's time in Neverland when she was just a child. She's a grown woman now and works at a children's home and volunteers at the hospital at night as well, for the story takes place during WW2.

As a whole, I did find that I enjoyed the story, but at times I felt a sort of disconnect with the book. I'm not sure if it was due to my reading it on my kindle and just not getting a good feel for the formatting. Sometimes it wasn't always easy seeing the flashbacks begin and end and when present time took over. Then it seemed like the story was constantly building up and up and up...and up to the horrors of what was really going on. We can easily get an idea, but getting the actual answers takes a while, but I don't know. I guess I just felt like the buildup was taking a little too long. It was still intriguing and creepy and I kept turning the (proverbial) pages, but at the same time, I kept wondering when would we hit the peak?

We do get to see bits of John and Michael in the story as well, but for the most part this is told from Wendy's point of view. Familiar character names and faces from the classic tale make appearances, all except one, though I felt like it was offhandedly mention but never really named. I was a little forlorn on that front and also wondered about a few other Neverland characters who never made it onto the page. I know not everything can go into a retelling, but the absence always makes me wonder...are they in this version of Neverland or not?

The story is told at a slower pace, but since it's regarding Neverland, I was still pretty invested in it. I guess when you have that connection to the source material, some things like pacing become irrelevant. But if you enjoy darker fairy tale imaginings then this would be the read for you. It's not a retelling per se, but puts a different twist on the story we (may) all know (and love). While it may not have been everything I was hoping for, it was still a quick and enjoyable read that will be marked down as one of the most unique takes on Peter and Wendy that I have read.

Overall Rating 3.5/5 stars

It Came from Neverland releases June 9, 2026