Liar City (2023) Allie Therin (Sugar & Vice) No one knows where the empaths came from. All people know is they have to be touching you to read you–and that they are all pacifists, unable even to defend themselves. Because the real empath she knew wouldn’t be doing shots with rich workaholics; he’d be lecturing […]
Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies (2022) Misha Popp (Pies Before Guys) Honestly, it’s been almost two weeks and I’m still not certain how I feel about this book. Daisy Ellery has a dog, a pie truck, and the magic that runs in her family. Unfortunately, Daisy’s magic seems to have turned dark, allowing her to […]
The Eidolon (2023) K.D. Edwards (Magnus Academy) This story occurs in parallel to The Hourglass Throne, the third book in The Tarot Sequence. We discover what happened to Max, Quinn, and Anna when they were kidnapped by Lady Time. I truly have no idea if you could read this story without having read the Tarot […]
Bitter, Sweet, Magic (2022) Jessica Rosenberg (Baking Up a Magical Midlife) The third book finds Cassie settled into her life in Maine, even though her daughter is still struggling to fit in to a new school and make friends. She also preparing for the fall festival the town is putting on–which is run by the […]
The Raven King, Audio Edition (2016) Maggie Stiefvater narrated by Will Patton (The Raven Cycle) My favorite: Ronan Lynch — dreamer of dreams, fighter of men, skipper of classes His feelings for Adam were an oil spill; he’d let them overflow and now there wasn’t a damn place in the ocean that wouldn’t catch fire […]
Open for Business (2016) Angel Martinez (Brandywine Investigations) After reading a dystopia, I needed something more comforting to read. The first story is far and away my favorite. Trigger Warnings: sexual assault, alcoholism, violence Hades is served with divorce papers, and so moves to the human realm. Told to find something to do with himself, […]
Blue Lily, Lily Blue, Audio Edition (2014) Maggie Stiefvater narrated by Will Patton (The Raven Cycle) Blue and Adam exchanged a delighted look. The only thing more pleasing than seeing Ronan singled out was seeing him singled out and forced to repeatedly sing an Irish jig. “Spruce Knob. Highest peak in West Virginia. Forty-five hundred […]
Bread, Coffee, Magic (2022) Jessica Rosenberg (Baking Up a Magical Midlife) Cassie is settling into running her bakery and living in Maine, but her daughter misses her friends back in Georiga–and Cassie’s ex has decided to come north and try and take Aurie back. One think I like about this series so far is that […]
Grilled Cheese and Goblins: Adventures of a Supernatural Food Inspector (2018) Nicole Kimberling Keith had investigated orgy sites where there had been twenty or more witnesses all standing and watching some victim being dismembered just because a cameraman was filming it. The presence of a camera implied fiction and a sense that some authority was […]
Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Allies (2017) Lydia Sherrer (The Lily Singer Adventures) Lily managed to escape from her father, which led to reuniting with her mother, but now knowing her father, she and Sebastian are working to stop him–any way they can. She is also returning home to visit the family she grew up […]
Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Revelations (2016) Lydia Sherrer (The Lily Singer Adventures) Book two finds Lily wanting to learn more about her family. Also, her cat decides to imbue himself with magic. Returning to her patch of sunlight and pile of papers, she was horrified to find Sir Kipling licking the clay fragment. “Stop […]
Butter, Sugar, Magic (2022) Jessica Rosenberg (Baking Up a Magical Midlife) Cassie wasn’t happy, exactly, but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t thrown for a loop when she discovered her husband was divorcing her. Max, her father and my husband of almost twelve years, decided out of the blue he was moving out and we had […]
Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Beginnings (2016) Lydia Sherrer (The Lily Singer Adventures) Lily Singer is a wizard. She didn’t learn this until she went away to college, but she quickly acquired a mentor, and even a friend who was a witch (much to the chagrin of her mentor, as the witch is her nephew). […]
The Gorgon Agenda (2023) Lisa Shearin (SPI Files) I seem to have forgotten much of the previous book. But now I check the publication date, I bought it a the end of March 2021, so, yeah, that explains it. The Aegis–the mythical shield with Medeusa’s head head embedded in the center, has been stolen from […]
The Dream Thieves, Audio Edition (2013) Maggie Stiefvater narrated by Will Patton (The Raven Cycle) This is the book where I fall in love with Ronan. Buttons sucked in and wheels turned on the other sides of the box, fluid and silent. Blue turned it slowly to read each side: hyacinthus, celea. One side was […]
There Will Be Phlogiston (2014) Alexis Hall (Prosperity) Anstruther Jones is the Phlogiston Baron. Wealth beyond imagine from ignominious beginnings, he wants to be accepted not because he admires society, but because he wants to find companionship. Lady Rosamond Wolfram is on the marriage mart because it is expected of her. She will catch a […]
Legends & Lattes (2022) Travis Baldree Viv is read to retire from the life of an adventurer. She has her dream, and she has the treasure to make that dream come true, which is what leads her to Thune. After twenty-two years of adventuring, Viv had reached her limit of blood and mud and bullshit. […]
The Raven Boys, Audio Edition (2012) Maggie Stiefvater narrated by Will Patton (The Raven Cycle) Blue. Gansey. Adam. Ronan. Noah. The start of the story. UGH. Ronan. Why does anyone even LIKE him? Ronan climbed to his feet and they both turned to watch Noah working with the plywood for the ramps. Working with really […]
A Matter of Magic (1994) Patricia C. Wrede An orphan living on the streets of London, breaks into a caravan and is discovered not just to be breaking and entering, but also a girl masquerading as a boy! Girl eventually becomes the ward of her rescuer and falls in love with him! Now we have […]
A Bump In Boohail (2022) Kimberly Lemming (Mead Mishaps) Why? Because it’s silly and fun. Cinnamon is probably my favorite character in tise series, or that could just me identifying with her because I also hate being scared. Stone scraped against stone. I turned, and the Gargoyles had moved from their sitting position to freeze […]
Soul Taken (2022) Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson) Book Thirteen. I’m still preordering Patricia Briggs books, but after Wild Sign I was a little hesitant to start this one. I can only handle so much trauma happening to characters before I have to bow out. Although Mercy was hurt in this book, it was the usual […]
Who Killed Sherlock Holmes? (2016) Paul Cornell narrated by Damian Lynch (Shadow Police) This series always blows me away. ‘I won’t tell you!’ she shouted. ‘I can!’ Kevin insisted, pointing at himself. The stormtrooper paused awkwardly again. He obviously had as little idea as she did what Kevin’s weird willingness to help was about. Lacey […]
Posthumous Education (2022) Drew Hayes (Fred, the Vampire Accountant) Fred, the Vampire Accountant, Book 8 This series remains a delight. As usual there are five sections, each a full story but all intertwined. An Unexpected Enrollment An Eventful Guest Lecture An Impromptu Field Trip A Hectic Homecoming The Commencement That’s right–Fred is going back to […]
Paranormal Bromance (2014) Carrie Vaughn What happens with three Gen-X slackers are turned against their will? They become roommates. After being turned, I had been terribly disappointed to learn that vampires still had to do laundry, that we didn’t have some supernatural power that kept our clothing ageless and immortal as well. That bit goes […]
The Severed Streets (2015) Paul Cornell narrated by Damian Lynch (Shadow Police) Riots are breaking out across London. The police are voting on a walkout. And someone has just killed an important MP in a locked car in the middle of one of those riots. The DCI’s expression grew even more nonplussed. ‘Why are you […]
Blitz (2022) Daniel O’Malley (The Checquy Files) This is the third book in The Checquy Files series. The story is split between London in (probably) 1940 and modern London (set perhaps a year after Stiletto, which was set maybe six months of the Rook, so ~2013) in (seemingly) unrelated stories. You of course know the […]
A Restless Truth (2022) Freya Marske (Last Binding) Set in England prior to The Great War, around 1907 or 1908. Maud Blyth went to America to find Elizabeth Navenby and warn her she is in danger. Unfortunately, barely before the have left port, Mrs Navenby is killed, and Maud feels partially to blame. Luckily, her […]
London Falling, Audio Book (2014) Paul Cornell narrated by Damian Lynch (The Shadow Police) Pretty much all the trigger warnings for this book: child death, child harm, gore, violence, serial killer.. This series is so dark, and yet its darkness doesn’t bother me, possibly because it’s almost over the top. “You know what you get […]
Stiletto, Audio Edition (2016) Daniel O’Malley narrated by Moira Quirk (Checquy Files) This was what we’ve been listening to on longer drives. However, since we often drive with the windows down when the weather is nice, we didn’t get through it very quickly. Which is fine, because we’ve both listened to it before. “But where […]
Good Enough to Eat (2015) Alison Grey & Jae (The Vampire Diet) After nearly killing someone on New Year’s Eve, Robin has decided to give up drinking for good. But for a vampire, drinking is what keeps her alive, so looking for support, she ends up at an AA meeting. Alana gave up everything for […]
Amongst Our Weapons, Audio Edition (2022) Ben Aaronovitch narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Rivers of London) This is the most recent Rivers of London / Peter Grant book, and now I’m all caught up and have to find something else to listen to. I sped through this when I read it in the spring, so I […]
The Doctor (2022) C.S. Poe (Magic & Steam) Set in alternate US in 1882. Gillian Hamilton has been caught. He has been exposed as Simon Fitzgerald, the Butcher of Antietam. And he is now on Blackwell’s Island at the Asylum for the Magically Insane. “Why are you helping a criminal?” Barrie wiped his nose again. […]
Proper Scoundrels (2021) Allie Therin (Roaring Twenties Magic) Set in England in 1925. Me: I really liked this first series that this book is a spin-off of. Obviously I should not read it. (Repeat time and again for author after author) Sebastian de Leon spent the past three years enthralled, and forced to do terrible […]
Witchmark (2018) C.L. Polk (The Kingston Cycle) Set in a world somewhat like England after WW I, but not really. Miles Singer escaped his family and ended up in the war between Aeland and Laneer, his medical schooling put to terrible use. Now he works as a psychiatrist in a veteran’s hospital, and is trying […]
Deadbeat Druid (2022) David R. Slayton (Adam Binder) This is the third book in the Adam Binder series, and unlike book two, does not end on a cliff-hanger. I’ll be honest, I was reading with a eye on the percent done, worried I’d get another cliffhanger. Luckily, it ended cleanly. This might be the final […]
Tales from the Folly: A Rivers of London Short Story Collection, Audio Edition (2020) Ben Aaronovitch narrated by: the author, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Ben Elliot, Felix Grainger, Sam Peter Jackson, Alex Kingston, Shvorne Marks, and Penelope Rawlins PART ONE: THE PETER GRANT STORIES The Home Crowd Advantage: set between Rivers of London and Moon Over Soho […]
False Value, Audio Edition (2020) Ben Aaronovitch narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Rivers of London) This is the 8th Peter Grant book. After the events of Lies SLeeping, Peter was suspended while the incident (death in custody) was investigated. This book opens with Peter interviewing for a security position with the Serious Cybernetics Corporation (and yes, […]
Uncommonly Tidy Poltergeists (2017) Angel Martinez Off kilter and knew this would work to distract me. Rating: 8.5/10
The Great Atlantean Battle Royalchemy (2022) K.D. Edwards This takes place between The Hanged Man and The Hourglass Throne. Rune has to judge an alchemy contest that is possibly going to harm the peace of Atlantis. As always, the dialog was wonderful. Did Layne tell Corinne that they left the estate?” I asked bluntly. “I […]
What Abigail Did That Summer (2021) Ben Aaronovitch narrated by Shvorne Marks and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Rivers of London) First, this is Abigail’s story. Peter doesn’t make an appearance (although we see Nightingale and hear from Postmartin). Second, this story jumps back and forth in time, opening with Abigail at a police station, and then jumping […]
A Rare Book of Cunning Device, Audio Edition (2017) Ben Aaronovitch narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Rivers of London) Just because this is such a fun story. ‘Tell me that wasn’t a spider?’ said Ms Winstanley in a deceptively calm tone. ‘Can’t have been,’ I said. ‘Thank god for that,’ she said. ‘Can’t stand spiders.’ ‘It […]
Lies Sleeping, Audio Edition (2018) Ben Aaronovitch narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Rivers of London) I picked up a lot I missed the first time around. I remember it being late, and needing to go to bed, but I just need to know more…. So, I caught a lot this time. This is set in 2014, […]
Lady Mechanika Volume 7: The Monster of the Ministry of Hell (2022) Joe Benitez, Beth Sotelo, Michael Heisler That… was dark and depressing. The story opens with Lady Mechanika’s memories. They are not happy ones. Although after the opening, we shift to a fun faire with Lady Mechanika, Dr. Littleton, Allie, and Fred, it’s still […]
Rivers Of London Vol. 9: Monday, Monday (2022) Ben Aaronovitch, Andrew Cartmel, José María Beroy The ninth comic jumps back and forth in time, both in the present day, as well as into Nightingale’s past. First think I really liked about this story: Stephanopoulus. We get a lot of her POV. Also, she is described […]
Rivers Of London Vol. 8: The Fey and the Furious (2020) Ben Aaronovitch, Andrew Cartmel, Lee Sullivan I read the first issue likely when it came out. I wasn’t especially interested, but now I’m relistening to the series, I decided to try and get caught up. First off, we get Guleed. Not enough Guleed, but […]
The Furthest Station, Audio Edition (2017) Ben Aaronovitch narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Rivers of London) This novella falls between Foxglove Summer and The Hanging Tree in the timeline. Although I highly recommend starting at the beginning, because it is outside of the primary story arc of the series, it should be accessible to those unfamiliar […]
The Hanging Tree, Audio Edition (2017) Ben Aaronovitch narrated by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Rivers of London) Lady Ty has decided to call in her favor. “Peter,” said Lady Ty, “Nightingale is not to know about this— is that clear?” “Crystal,” I said. As soon as she hung up, I called the Folly. Not that he’ll let […]
Ravensong (2019) TJ Klune (Green Creek) I struggled with this book just as much the second time through as I did the first time around. It was long. I still think it needed edited down. And it still was dark and upsetting. I WAS eight, and my father took a needle and burned ink and […]
Human Enough (2019) ES Yu Noah Lau joined the Vampire Hunters–first as an Intelligence Analyst, but after issues with his supervisor, then as a hunter. Although people assume he joined in revenge for the murder of his parents, he really just did not want another child to have to live through what he and his […]
Pack of Lies (2022) Charlie Adhara (Monster Hunt) Whine whine whine. I don’t wanna read about Eli, I wanna read more about Cooper and Oliver. (finally picks up book) (devours book) (immediately preorders sequel) Eli is managing the retreat while Cooper and Oliver are on their honeymoon. What could possibly go wrong? Multiple things, apparently, […]