Book Review: The Luminaries by Susan Dennard

Four years ago, Winnie's life turned upside down when Winnie's father was revealed to be a Diana - an enemy spy. He was banished, and her and her family turned into outcasts. Now 16 years old, she has one goal: pass the three deadly Luminary trials and become a true nightmare hunter like them, restoring her family's status.

Book Review: The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

The Shadows Between Us Tricia Levenseller delivered everything it promised and more. The romance that blossoms between Kallias and Alessandra is at the perfect pace for me to believe it and get invested. The narrative has feminist themes such as the fight for equal rights for women in a way I can appreciate. While this book doesn't have deep characters, intricate plot, or detailed worldbuilding, it was, simply put, fun. A fairly light read, easy to enjoy and dig into - I found myself picking it up to read at any opportunity I got.

Book Review: Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

After running away from her arranged marriage, Princess Shiori almost drowns in a lake - only to be rescued by a dragon. The two begin meeting in secret to improve Shiori's forbidden talent: her magic. Until she gets too curious one day and discovers her stepmother is not only a sorceress too, but a demon. Furious, Raikama curses her brothers to turn into were-cranes and Shiori to become mute before teleporting her to the other side of the country.

Book Review: The Burning Bandit by Lauren Hazel

The Burning Bandit by Lauren Louise Hazel follows Kai, a young teen in a Chinese-inspired fantasy setting. After his village is massacred by the Emperor's General, he is taken captive for displaying unusual amounts of Chi, to be trained in the way of priests so he can be used in war.

Book Review: Ferren and the Angel by Richard Harland

Set in 3,000 AD Australia where scientific advancements resulted in a full-scale war between Heaven and Eart, Ferren and the Angel by Richard Harland tells the tale of a fifteen-year-old tribe boy whose life changes for good upon finding an injured junior angel. Encouraged by the angel Miriael, Ferren sets off on a journey to the Humen camp through lands ravaged by the Humen-Celestial wars in search of his family. But what he finds is much, much darker than he ever thought possible.

Book Review: A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos

A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos follows the story of Ophelia, a young woman with psychometric abilities, as she is wedded to someone from the Dragon Clan on the Pole. She has to leave her beloved museum and homeland behind to the frozen courts of the Pole, where she quickly gets trapped in a corrupt court filled with intrigue and deceit.

Book Review: The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner

The Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner tells the story of the sexual awakening of two sisters, one seventeen and the other fifteen. When their heavily religious parents leave their village, the two girls each find strong sexual desires. Liba, the eldest of the two, falls in love with a village boy of slightly-different faith that her father would never approve of. On the other hand, Laya, the fifteen-year-old, is magically drugged and seduced by fully adult magical beings that seem similar to Fae.