The Poisoner - promising premise

 The poisoner starts off with a strong promise of Victorian goth, a strong FMC who stands up for the unfortunate, and her nemesis who escapes her poisoning attempt.

Alina Lis is a quiet, intellectual amd driven heroine and I really missed her backstory.. coming back into society after the death of her father, she takes over his apothecary providing poisons to victims unable to fight back...

In comes the creature, the chase and love hate relationship between the two is exciting and scary and furious!!

While a novel endeavor, the tale suffers from lack of strong backgrounds for the key characters and rushes headlong to an abrupt ending with the opening chapter of the duology providing some relief.

Overall the book was a unique read and my thanks to Netgalley and Simon Maverick for the ARC!

Until the Clock strikes Midnight - Mesmerizing, magical read!!!

 Imagine an oooey gooey warm chocolate chip cookie, not with those sugar free miniscule chocolate chips, but one laden with real chocolate chunks, like someone with a real sweet tooth made one.. Imagine you bite into it, savoring the soft chewiness from the brown sugar, the crispness from the white sugar and the glory of the melted chocolate and then, aah then you taste the fleck of salt - sudden, unexpected and yet invigorating the entire experience of being wrapped in a warm hug... that moment when your sense of taste can make you weep at time lost, snuggle cozier into your comforter or just smile at a long forgotten memory, or just inhale the treat...

This book by the talented Alechia Dow is JUST as delicious, warm, salty and ooey gooey melt your senses kind! Be it the protagonists and their challenges or Lucy's dreams, Minerva's wants.. Favie and Mrs Arconia were winners in their small but mighty roles... The tussle between choice, stability and happiness, need and want and ultimately how we strive to break free from bad patterns - all of these are explored in a clean fuss free book which I absolutely devoured!!

Darling Sparkleton and Calamity Blight are two extremes in the magical spectrum - with darling embodying a push for Happily Ever After and Calam nudging clients towards a more stable Ordinary Ever After. The exploration of being seen, choice and community shine bright in this Disney-esque caper, replete with a slew of unique perspectives and internal challenges embodying the real spectrum of personalities and prejudices faced. You cannot help but fall in love...

My whimsical and magical thank yous to Macmillians Children's Publishing House, Feiwel and Friends and Netgalley for poofing this ARC! It was a warm hug, a cup of tea, biscuits and a scented candle kind of solace, making me feel the sparkles in the air!

Sibylline - dark academia, lost in translation

 I have been a fan of Melissa de la Cruz from when I stumbled on her Cinder and Glass Cinderella retelling. It was whimsical and a beautiful read. This book had me going based on the premise - three magically gifted friends from various spectrums, rejected by the elite magical institute and worm their way into the institution to solve a mystery.

The opening prologue has you hooked, but what follows could have been better executed. Dorian and Atticus have families depending on them but other than Raven, neither contacts or mentions their family at all. Dorian's having never touched anything also seems unfaithful to the narrative. The tale suffered because the nature of the magic system is not explained in detail. There is umbrage around the institution's less than stellar bookish acquisitions and a secret society (i was soo excited by this) - neither of which was fully explored.

On the plus side, the book was a quick read, I managed to complete it in a day and the FMC is imperfect - with proper pride in her capabilities and sometimes blind to the effect it has on the other 2. The friendship and heartache themes are explored as well.

My thank yous to Netgalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for providing the ARC!

Graceless Heart - Beauty and Beast retelling - Italiano style

 Graceless Heart is a whimsical fantasy, located in Florence, with cameos by actual historical figures but entwined with the boundless imagination of Ysabel Ibanez. This book was a retelling of beauty and the beast, replete with curses, conjectures and a ruthless pope who stifles magic and magical users. Thrust into this medieval setting, is Ravenna, who can manipulate nightfire. Caught between the powerful Luni famiglia and the despot Pope, she must use her wits, magic and , mostly, herself to bring about her happy ending.

Cons: The book fell short of perfect as the romance between the protagonists felt forced and I missed the explanation of the magic system and classification of magical users - they are available but the details are towards the end, It would have helped if other magical users in hiding had been introduced as well.

Pros: Loved the FMC - genuine, never give up kind of lady, who knows her way with a mallet! The mystery with the Pope, his lover and his obsession with magical and revulsion were also exquisitely managed. The supporting characters have some chapters which lend depth to the storyline.

All in all, this is a good book, perfect for a stand alone read, especially if you've recently visited Italy. Grab some limoncello, biscotti and get reading!

My exalted thank yous to St Martin's Press and Saturday Books as well as Netgalley for furnishing me with an arc to enjoy!

Queen of Faces - sublime, spectral and stunning tale!!

 Aaargghh!!! This book had me twisted inside and out.. Petra Lord weaves literary magic with dark academia vibes, an exemplary magical system which grows with the soul, uniquely conflixlcted personalities whose gender and passions are as fluid as the waters rising, entwined in a political quagmire, threatened by a villainess of epic proportions- what more can you ask for in the opening of a fantastic new series!!!

The narration starts off slow, but then the Rollercoaster begins, with resonating tropes of found family, a glorious and irreverent troupe of raspacallions, the setting and plot building is savage and absolutely ruthless!!! This was a brilliant premise and the storyline did not pull punches!! The dark themes permeating the chapters are the nucleus that provides the impetus and drive for Annabelle Gage's ascent and her panning out as the mastermind.

This has been one of my best reads for 2025 and I have ordered the physical book as well!! Cannot wait to see how this unfolds...

The production team at Macmillian audio did a spectacular job with the narration. The direction and taut editing add depth and nuance to an intricate and spellbinding narrative! Special callouts to narrators Dylan Reilly Fitzpatrick, E. A. Castillo and Nicky Endres for bringing this story to life!

Thank yous to Macmillian Audio, Netgalley for furnishing the audiobook! It was a revelation!!!

The Poet Empress - Gripping thriller with poetic justice

 As pages turn and emotions ebb and flow,

you rage, weep and, in stunned silence, bow

Shen Tao has produced a stunning ballad with sickening twists and bold strokes of political maneuvering, against a backdrop of magic fueled by poetry (litromancy), wielded by the men. In this torrid atmosphere comes Wei, a commoner, from a far off village, hoping to secure sustenance for her family and fellow villagers by accompanying the concubines to the palace. The lacquered walls, she learns soon, hide more than the azaleas brightly adorning their frescoes. Consort to the cruel and cutting Prince Tarin, Wei slowly learns the games to play in the inner court, forging alliances and developing her own sense of fairness. The situations she faces and manages are exemplary!

Macmillian audio, Eric Yang and Katherine Chin, especially, have brought this tale to fever dramatization pitch with the nuanced reading. Since most of the book is Wei's account in first person, Katherine's narration is on point, especially in the brutal, heart rending scenes. The crescendo of the finale is truly epic and wondrous, I was not prepared at all!

This book moved me to heady highs and has trigger-some content (please review author's note). I felt comparisons to She who was the Sun were unjust - this book was soo much more!!

A million thank yous to Macmillian audio and Netgalley for furnishing the audiobook - I finished it over a weekend! I thoroughly relished it and will get a physical copy to highlight my favorite couplets!

Watching the dragon scale the sky,

the carp, in his pond, joins the ride

If you enjoy fantasy, poetry and East Asian themed books, this is a perfect read, replete with intrigue, understanding and a marvelously worthy ending!

Tidespeaker- tempestuous elemental tale

 If you love suppressed magical users, political upheaval and forged friendships, then tidespeaker is a must read to kick off 2026!

Sadie Turner crafts an atmospheric reads with elemental based magic, where a novice floodmouth ( water elemental) is assigned to her privileged patrons following the death of her best friend and her mentor.

On an island governed by a mercurial patriarch, subjected to rules and punishing failure, Corith, searches for her footing and news of her best friend. The elementals or Orga, are treated like cattle by the Hundred, or the ruling class and subjected to their whims, without any rights.

In the midst of it all, is a revolutionary faction seeking to spend the system and bring about progressive growth for the Orha. How Corith navigates this maze between loyalty, motlrality and the tenuous bonds of friendship forms the rest of the tale. I loved this moody tale, which functions well as a standalone with plenty of twists and subplot to keep the reader engaged! Best enjoyed on an overcast afternoon with a warm blanket and nibbles 📚🧋🪻

My thank yous to Random House Children's Press, Delacorte and Netgally for the arc! I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel!