Let’s start with what this book does well. It’s a really interesting premise and the world-building is good (if slow). A long time ago, the balance of magic was upset and now the Spirit of the Woods is taking over with a magical mist that kills people. Cue: a need to save the kingdom and those infected by magic. While the King is ostensibly trying to do this, he is prepared to sacrifice the captain … Continue reading One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig →
Rachel Gillig, the queen of gothic romantasy, returns with higher stakes, darker mysteries, and deeper longings in this gorgeous sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling sensation The Knight and the Moth. Aisling Cathedral is in ruins. Rodrick Myndacious, Bartholomew, and Maude Bauer are rumored to be dead—and the king has taken Sybil Delling as his bride. To show off their union and solidify his power over Traum, Benji proposes a series of tournaments throughout the hamlets. … Continue reading The Knave and the Moon →
A young woman bargains with a demon to save her brothers, only to lose her heart in this slow-burn romantasy about dark magic, unlikely love, and the imperfect beauty of mortality. The penniless in Blackbridge have only two sell the body or sell the soul. And thanks to Eda Shaw, business is booming. Indentured to a capricious demon known as Mr. Night, Eda and her brothers arrange illicit Pacts on his behalf, luring the city’s most desperate into trading … Continue reading Reap & Sow →
Love. Loyalty. Sacrifice. Grey Flynn has dedicated her life to her mage, Kier. She will be his blade on the battlefield, his healer and protector. The deep well of raw power inside her is Kier’s to wield. They are bound together by blood and magic, but there is one truth Grey dare not reveal . . . not even to Kier. When a quest to protect the child of an enemy kingdom pulls them into … Continue reading The Second Death of Locke →
An “atmospheric and evocative” (Rachel Gillig) romantasy debut about a threatened Siren who forges a bond with a brooding, self-righteous king in order to flee the king who raised her, for fans of One Dark Window and For the Wolf. The monster is always slain… Imogen Nel is in hiding. Hiding from a cruel kingdom that believes Sirens are monstrous, blood-hungry creatures. Hiding from a king and his captain who viciously hunt her kind. Hiding from her own … Continue reading In the Veins of the Drowning →
From NYT bestselling author Rachel Gillig comes the next big romantasy sensation, a gothic, mist-cloaked tale of a young prophetess who is forced on an impossible quest with the one infuriating knight whose future is beyond her sight. Perfect for fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Leigh Bardugo. Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great … Continue reading The Knight and the Moth →
The first novel in an eerie, darkly creative, and romantic new gothic fantasy duology from Maxym M. Martineau, for readers of Sarah J. Maas and Rachel Gillig. Edira Brillwyn is a threadmender. She holds a rare, lifesaving power that can cure disease and heal injuries in the blink of an eye. But magic always comes with a cost, and saving anyone sacrifices a sliver of her own life. She’s always kept her abilities hidden…until the … Continue reading House of Blight →
NB: This week, we’re taking a look back at 2023. We’ve got a week of best-of posts to share, with reviews, cover snark, sales, and more. We hope you enjoy revisiting our archives, and most of all, we wish you and yours a wonderful holiday and a happy new year – with all the very best of reading. … We’re onto part two of of our Best of Reviews for 2023! I’m eager to see … Continue reading Best of Reviews 2023, Part Two →
Welcome to a very silly edition of Whatcha Reading! Lara: I’m reading One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig. It’s a gothic fantasy romance allegedly. So far it’s a little slow, but not slow enough to make me stop reading it. The premise is interesting and there is potential there so I’m sticking with it. Sarah: I have started A Most Agreeable Murder and it is extremely silly and absurd and I’m turning pages. Or pressing … Continue reading Whatcha Reading? June 2023, Part One →
