I couldn’t really pick a top five, nor a top ten this year. So you get the fun of a top 15! Like last year then, I’ll just be sharing all of their glorious covers and if I reviewed the book itself I’ll be linking the rambles in their titles so you can see if they are the books for you, at your leisure.
These are all books that kept me up till the very small hours of the night, some even made me see the first inklings of dawn and deprived me of even the little sleep I do get. But! I have no regrets whatsoever and neither would you, I believe, if you gave them a go!
About Eleni A.E.
Exclusive Acquisition Announcement and Author Q&A with Taran Hunt
Solaris is delighted to announce the acquisition of The Deathless Council by Taran Hunt, the third and final book in The Kystrom Chronicles.
Linguist and thief Sean Wren must venture deep into enemy territory to unravel the mysteries of the immortal Ministers, still at war with the remnants of humanity in a distant star system, and find a way to save a friend who has become family.
The Deathless Council will be released in May of 2027.
Review: The Blackfire Blade (The Last Legacy #2) by James Logan
I can now safely say that Logan breezily surpassed my expectations with The Blackfire Blade, making everything that worked great in book one even better, avoiding previous mistakes, and vaulting right over the feared sophomore slump. Indeed, this series is quickly and easily carving out a spot for itself as the perfect entry into the genre for new fantasy readers, and as a comfort read for those of us seasoned in classic epic fantasy. Everything I said for book one remains true; Logan’s worldbuilding is strong and, his take on beloved tropes, fresh and engaging.
Review: The Second Death of Locke (The Hand and the Heart #1) by V.L. Bovalino
This is a deeply romantic and epic tale of what it means to be loyal and love so much you’d be willing to sacrifice anything, but also a cautionary one of when to recognise that a life built on a cycle of sacrifices is perhaps one of too high a cost. What if instead of dying for love, you live for it, and fiercely so?
Review: The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow
Not only is the narrative voice beautiful and engaging, but it is downright heartbreaking at times. Harrow’s narrators don’t merely talk to the reader but they transport us into this account of impossible choices and we can only follow along hoping for the best but emotionally preparing for the worst.
Review: Shitshow by Chris Panatier
The author describes this story as for fans of the “horror movies of the 1980s and 1990s that were green lit by studio executives who were snorting their lunches”, and suffice it to say that is a most perfect description. However, I’ll go one step further and say that, to me, this book felt like the raw poignancy and cursed carnival vibes of del Toro’s Nightmare Alley meets a Courage the Cowardly Dog episode, in all its macabre, gory, occasionally psychedelic, and darkly humorous glory
Review: How Bad Things Can Get by Darcy Coates
How Bad Things Can Get lives up to its title from the get go, with things starting off seemingly fine if a tiny bit off, only to then get progressively worse for our protags. Fast paced and delectably foreshadowed, this book is also an intelligent commentary on influencer culture, not merely a sassy dig against it.
Review: The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell
I couldn’t put this book down and I have been thinking about it nonstop for days, in part trying to come up with the right words to say (and believe you me this isn’t even a tenth of what I’d like to go over) and in part because of how right and beautiful it felt.
Review: Red Tempest Brother (The Winter Sea #3) by H.M. Long
Red Tempest Brother is everything you want in a series conclusion. It reunites you with beloved characters one last time, keeping you on the edge of your seat the whole time, while enthralling you with wondrous and epic ambiance you’ve loved and have been transported by throughout the whole series. The Winter Sea trilogy is one I will find myself rereading often in the future and if you haven’t yet started it, dear reader or listener, now is your chance to binge the whole thing in one go. Trust me, you’ll want to.
Review: The Vengeance (The Vampires of Dumas #1) by Emma Newman
The best way to sum up my feelings for this book overall would be to say that I did enjoy what I read for the most part, but I was disappointed not to find what had been promised. Newman shows no lack of writing skills for sure, in fact what we do get reads really smoothly and I’ll get into all the good stuff properly in a moment. But I’m not sure I’d confidently say she hit the mark on the target she set out either.
Review: A Spell for Change by Nicole Jarvis
A Spell for Change is everything you want in a leisurely weekend read: it is a heartfelt, intriguing, and at times eerie tale of defiant people trying to carve out space for themselves to peacefully exist true to themselves, in a world that tries to tell them they have no right to. It presents us with food for thought while also granting escapism, wonder, and supernatural phenomena that I will not spoil the exact nature of.
Review: Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen
Not for the faint of heart, Blood on Her Tongue claws its way into you and doesn’t let go till the extremely satisfying ending, because I support women’s rights but boy do I support women’s wrongs in such contexts. You might feel like you should be looking away at times while being utterly unable to do so.