Book Review – The Keeper of Magical Things

27 Jan 2026 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

I previously read and loved Julie Leong’s debut novel, The Teller of Small Fortunes, and you can find my review of it here (with a purchase link here). When I came across her newest novel offered for review on NetGalley, I requested it and was fortunate enough to receive it from the publisher. The Keeper of Magical Things is set in the same world as The Teller of Small Fortunes, but each could be read separately as there is no direct overlap in the characters or events (paid link). Read on below to see what I thought.

I read the e-book edition.

Here is the blurb:

Certainty Bulrush wants to be useful—to the Guild of Mages that took her in as a novice, to the little brother who depends on her, and to anyone else she can help. Unfortunately, her tepid magic hasn’t proven much use to anyone. When Certainty has the chance to earn her magehood via a seemingly straightforward assignment, she takes it. Nevermind that she’ll have to work with Mage Aurelia, the brilliant, unfairly attractive overachiever who’s managed to alienate everyone around her.

The two must transport minorly magical artifacts somewhere safe: Shpelling, the dullest, least magical village around. There, they must fix up an old warehouse, separate the gossipy teapots from the kind-of-flaming swords, corral an unruly little catdragon who has tagged along, and above all: avoid complications. The Guild’s uneasy relationship with citizens is at a tipping point, and the last thing needed is a magical incident.

Still, as mage and novice come to know Shpelling’s residents—and each other—they realize the Guild’s hoarded magic might do more good being shared. Friendships blossom while Certainty and Aurelia work to make Shpelling the haven it could be. But magic is fickle—add attraction and it might spell trouble.

This novel was easy to read and featured an immediately sympathetic character in Certainty. While the author’s first book took characters along a journey through different towns, this book leaves Certainty and Mage Aurelia stuck in the village of Shpelling.

A classic quest story takes characters on a journey that is often a literary device used to introduce them to new places and adversaries. In a novel like The Keeper of Magical Things, the story could stagnate by being set in a single locale, but instead, this book moves the plot along by having Certainty explore the village, greet its inhabitants, and grow her relationship with Mage Aurelia.

This novel does feature a romance, and it isn’t hard to figure out who is involved. The author adds several fun quirks to the story, like winged cats and a talking teapot, and the “useless” magical artifacts provide a way for Certainty’s creativity to shine. I also loved the cover on this one!

Overall this was a nice read that shows the importance of community and finding your niche when it seems like you’ll never fit in. I think I did like the author’s previous book a little better, but this was a quick and easy book to fall into and I’ll be looking out for more by Julie Leong in the future.

Have you read either of Julie Leong’s novels? Have you tried a cozy fantasy novel yet? Let me know in the comments.

You can find more of my reviews here.

Book Review – Twelve Months

12 Jan 2026 3 Comments

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I have been a fan of The Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher for quite a while, so I was excited to receive an advance copy of his new book, Twelve Months (#18), courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I also had the privilege to hear the author speak and answer questions at a small club meeting this weekend. While we didn’t discuss the new book much, I might throw in some insights from the discussion below.

Twelve Months will be out on January 20th. You can pre-order your own copy here (paid link).

WARNING – While my review will be as spoiler-free as I can manage, it is impossible to not include spoilers from previous books in the series. If you have not read Peace Talks and Battle Ground yet, you have been warned.

I read the e-book edition.

Here is the blurb:

Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, has always managed to save the day—but, in this powerful entry in the Dresden Files, can he save himself?

One year. 365 days. Twelve months.

Harry Dresden has been through a lot, and so has his city. After Harry and his allies narrowly managed to save Chicago from being razed, everything is different—and it’s not just the current lack of electricity.

Harry lost people he cared about in the battle, and that’s the kind of loss that takes a toll. Harry being Harry, he’s doing his best to help the city and his friends recover and rebuild, but it’s a heavy load. He needs time.

Time is one thing Harry doesn’t have, however. Ghouls are prowling Chicago and killing innocent civilians. Harry’s brother is dying, and Harry doesn’t know how to help him. And last but certainly not least, the Winter Queen of the Fae has allied with the White Court of vampires—and Harry’s been betrothed to the seductive, deadly vampire Lara Raith to seal the deal.

It’s been a tough year. More than ever, the city needs Harry Dresden the wizard—but after loss and grief, is there enough left of him to rise to the challenge?

This was a tough book for me to start. The opening pages see Harry dealing with the personal aftermath of the events of Peace Talks and Battle Ground. His guilt and despair made for some emotionally heavy reading. I didn’t want to relive the trauma of that previous book either! That being said, I have it on good authority that Karrin’s story isn’t over (spoiler).

Once I buckled down and set aside some time, I was drawn into the story. This book introduced a couple of new characters, my favorite of which was Bear the Valkyrie. She brings a no-nonsense attitude and some humor to what is otherwise a grim opening in this book.

Most of this book deals with how Harry and the rest of Chicago picks themselves up and goes on. Each person or group deals with their tragedies in a different way, and when their coping mechanisms overflow into violence or magic that hurts people, Harry must get involved. At the same time, he has to balance his deepening relationship with Lara Raith, and his desperate need to save his brother.

Butcher said that this was a hard book for him to write, one reason being that the timeline of the events occur over an entire year, in contrast to most of Harry Dresden’s adventures, where each book happens over a few days. This did stretch out the story and slowed down the pacing, but after the frenetic pace of Battle Ground, I think this was a necessary change in the structure of the books.

The action still ramps up and Harry faces some powerful entities and magic in this book. Many of Harry’s scenes are with Lara Raith, and we learn more about the White Court. I actually like Lara and I feel like Harry can trust her, but I also worry that I’m being tricked by her as much as he might be. I felt like Harry only understood half of the politics going on around him.

While Twelve Months doesn’t have Harry working to solve a case or quest for something at the behest of elder gods, this was still an enjoyable read for me. It was a necessary change of pace to let everyone reset before whatever comes next. Overall this was not my favorite in the series, but was much better than Ghost Story.

The Dresden Files series is intended to have four more “case” books, followed by a large trilogy to end the series, according to the author. Have you been a fan of the series? Which book is your favorite and why isn’t it Changes? Let me know in the comments.

You can find more of my book reviews here.

Book Review – The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

28 Nov 2025 1 Comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , ,

I received The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab as a gift, although I had already been aware of the book (paid link). This is the first novel by this author that I’ve read. Read on below to see what I thought.

I read the hardcover edition of this.

Here is the blurb:

A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

This story was hard for me to get into initially. I really liked the author’s writing style, and that was what drew me in the most and kept me reading. I also enjoyed the character of Addie LaRue and wanted to learn more about the events of her life over three centuries. By the halfway point of the book (when the other main character has viewpoint chapters), I was more invested in the outcomes for both of them and loved the story from there on.

This novel is structured with chapters that jump between Addie’s past in early 18th century France and modern day New York (2013-2014), with other times and cities in between. It was important to pay attention to the dates, to help follow Addie’s story.

No one remember Addie, and thus she has no lasting impact on anyone else’s lives. This is her curse throughout the book, but I loved how she found ways around that as an artistic muse, even if it wasn’t the human connection that she truly craved.

This is much more of a character-driven story than a plot-driven one, which is why I think it didn’t grab my interest as strongly at the beginning, given that I generally like more action in my plots. In some ways, I think that the entire story could have been told in a much shorter format because of the scarcity of specific plot events that needed a number of pages to show. However, writing this story as a novel served the tale well because ultimately I think that spending more time with the characters increased the emotional impact of it.

Overall, I did truly enjoy this book and my comments above are intended to show my reactions rather than to criticize. I don’t know how I feel about the ending and would love to discuss it with someone since I think it is the type of conclusion that may give readers polarized reactions.

Have you read any other books by V.E. Schwab? Which one should I read next? Or — if you’ve read this book, let’s chat about the ending in the comments.

You can find more of my book reviews here.

Book Review – What Fury Brings

26 Nov 2025 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I picked up one of author Tricia Levenseller’s YA fantasy / romance books on a whim several years ago and have since found her novels to be comfortable and satisfying. When her debut adult romantasy novel, What Fury Brings, was announced, I had this on my to-be-read list and was fortunate to receive a copy courtesy of NetGalley (paid link).

I have reviewed two of the author’s other books (a duology) on this blog:

  • Blade of Secrets (The Bladesmith #1) – review here / purchase link here
  • Master of Iron (The Bladesmith #2) – review here / purchase link here
I read the e-book edition.

Here is the blurb:

There’s a shortage of men in the kingdom of Amarra. After a failed rebellion against the matriarchy, most noblemen in the country are dead. Now the women of Amarra must obtain their husbands (should they want one) by kidnapping them from other kingdoms.

Olerra, a warrior princess vying for the throne, is determined to prove her worth by kidnapping a husband. And not just any husband. To outmaneuver her treacherous cousin, she needs the best. Fortunately, the second-born prince of their greatest enemy is widely known for both his looks and his sweet, docile temperament. He’s the perfect choice to secure her claim to the throne.

Sanos, heir to the Kingdom of Brutus, has nothing but contempt for the idea of a society run by women. Trained from birth to fight, lead, and follow in his father’s overbearing footsteps, his path has always been set. Until he takes his younger brother’s place in a drunken prank and finds himself kidnapped, carted off to the Amarran Palace, and informed that he is to become the husband of Queen Potential Olerra. Sanos needs to escape before anyone learns his real identity, but the more he gets to know his captor, the less sure he is of what he truly wants.

This novel opens with a note from the author that serves as both a warning for sexual and violent content (18+), as well as an explanation of her motivation in writing this book, coming as a reaction to her own experiences with sexism and misogyny both in her career and in the wider sense.

The world that the protagonist, Olerra, inhabits is “a reflection of our own but reversed,” with women holding all of the positions of power in the government, the military, and in trade and anything else in daily life that matters to society. Men must remain meek and submissive, and a little bit of fantasy goddess-powered magic helps to ensure that this system stays in place.

When politics drives Olerra to capture a husband from a rival nation, the story shows how foreign it feels to Crown Prince Sanos to be placed into a role based solely on his sex and not his abilities. Of course, this is also a romance story, so the conflict between Olerra and Sanos cannot be all insults and abuse in the name of training him to be a proper Amarran husband. Fortunately Sanos is more enlightened and open-minded that many in his country. His reputation for being identical to his tyrannical father is a farce that he has kept up to protect his mother and sister from his father’s violence.

The main source of tension comes from Sanos’ hidden identity and the ramifications of its inevitable discovery. This kept me interested in the plot for its own sake, because I found the message exhibited by the female-dominated society to be more heavy-handed than it always needed to be.

In terms of the spiciness of the romance, this book is vastly more descriptive and takes everything further than the author’s YA work (as I would have expected). I think that the opening note from the author gives an adequate warning of the types of things to expect.

This is a stand-alone novel and the story concludes in a satisfying fashion, bringing the character arcs together for a dramatic final scene. While the ending leaves open the possibility of more books set in this world, it doesn’t require a sequel. Overall I found this to be a solid novel that moved quickly and provided characters to cheer for as they fought for their nations and families. Thank you again to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

Have you read any of Tricia Levenseller’s other books? Which one is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!

You can find more of my reviews here.

Book Review – The Nightshade God

16 Sep 2025 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I was excited to receive my preorder of The Nightshade God by Hannah Whitten near my birthday, but with other books and circumstances, I didn’t have a chance to read it until just the past couple weeks. This is the third and final book in The Nightshade Crown series (paid links).

Since this is a review for the last book in a series, my review won’t have spoilers for this volume, but there will unavoidably be some for the earlier books. Even the blurb for this book is a spoiler for the ending of book 2.

You can find my reviews of the earlier books in the series and affiliate purchase links here:

  • The Foxglove King (review here / purchase here)
  • The Hemlock Queen (review here / purchase here)
I read the hardcover edition.

Here is the blurb:

Lore has failed. She couldn’t save King Bastian from the rotten god speaking voices in his mind. She couldn’t save her allies from being scattered across the continent—their own lesser gods whispering to them in their dreams. She couldn’t save her beautiful, corrupt city from the dark power beneath the catacombs. And she couldn’t save herself.

Banished to the Burnt Isles, Lore must use every skill she earned on the streets of Dellaire to survive the prison colony and figure out a way to defeat the power that’s captured everything and everyone she holds dear. When a surprise ally joins her on the Burnt Isles she realizes the way forward may lie on the island itself. Somehow, her friends must help her collect the far-scattered pieces of the broken Fount—the source of all the god’s powers—and bring them back together on the Burnt Isles, returning all magic to its source and destroying, once and for all, the gods corrupting the land.

But as Lore gets closer to her goal, her magic grows stronger… and to a woman who’s always had to fight for survival, that kind of power may be hard to give up.

I want to go back and re-read this series without breaks between each book, because the author doesn’t spend any words refreshing the reader’s memory about details (which is fine, more of a me problem). I think that would take this final volume from good to great, given that I found myself forgetting critical information about the gods, the politics, and other relationships.

Even with my poor memory, I enjoyed this book quite a bit and read the last 100 pages in one sitting. At the end of book 2, the characters have been scattered to three main locations. As this final book progressed, I wondered how they would end up in one place (because they clearly had to), and feared that it would feel contrived or rushed. Each set of characters had their own “side quest” and small dramas that gave them a reason to be apart from each other. However, when the finale is set up and everyone is on the move, it flowed naturally.

The romance in this series was different than some other romantasy books I’ve read. The relationships superficially seem like a standard love triangle where Lore will either be forced to choose between two rivals for her affection. Yet, this series does something different with that (not saying more – spoilers).

This has also never been a series that promises happiness. The ending brought death and heartbreak, although not in a way I could have guessed.

As a final note, the author says in her acknowledgments that this series was a way for her to look at her own complicated feelings about religion and spirituality. Having several characters take on the lost spirits of gods is certainly not unheard of in fantasy tales, as well as dealing with the temptations and consequences of power. Yet, in the conclusion of this series, the author asks what will stop the cycle of abuse of power and the violence and destruction that inevitably results.

I found that part of a quote from one of the final chapters encompassed an interesting theme of the series:

“In the end, the making of a god is a simple matter: It is someone deciding that the world is not as they want it, and letting nothing stand in their way. It is someone defying every destiny with no regard for consequences.”

As seen in the decisions each character makes in the final chapters of The Nightshade God, that defiance is not a uniform act. When performed for the wrong reasons, it becomes a perversion, allowing evil and corruption to return. Yet for one acting with more selfless goals, a quiet and peaceful resolution may achieved.

Have you read any of this series or other books by Hannah Whitten? Let me know in the comments.

You can find more of my book reviews here.

Book Review – Artificial Wisdom

14 Sep 2025 1 Comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Reading Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver was not in my plans for the year since I had never heard of either the book or the author (paid link). This novel was suggested to me by NetGalley and the description did sound like something I might like, so I agreed to read it. Find out what I thought below.

I read the e-book edition.

Here is the blurb:

It’s 2050, a decade after a heatwave that killed four hundred million across the Persian Gulf, including journalist Marcus Tully’s wife. Now he must uncover the truth: was the disaster natural? Or is the weather now a weapon of genocide?

A whistleblower pulls Tully into a murder investigation at the centre of an election battle for a global dictator, with a mandate to prevent a climate apocalypse. A former US President campaigns against the first AI politician for the position, but someone is trying to sway the outcome.

Tully must convince the world to face the truth and make hard choices about the future of the species. But will humanity ultimately choose salvation over freedom, whatever the cost?

I loved so much of this book and (not knowing much of what to expect going in) found myself swept up in a wild sci-fi thriller following a group of investigative reporters as they followed a lead with huge political ramifications. Set in a near future where only the ultra-rich can protect themselves from the coming climate catastrophe, the plot is filled with surprising turns and unpredictable betrayals.

Marcus Tully worked well as a protagonist for me, although we do get some chapters from other points of view. The personal tragedy in his past is used to provide sympathy, show his flaws, and lead him deeper into schemes that he only partially understands. One of his colleagues is also a main player in the events, and the others were as developed as they needed to be for their more distant involvement.

For much of the book, it is difficult to know the identity of the antagonist, which is often a problem for me in novels. However, in this book it worked well because it deepened the suspense by making the enemy a hidden threat. I did figure out part of the ending before reaching it, but as in much of the book, the full truth twisted the part I had guessed into something more interesting.

This book also incorporated timely issues like the use of AI, climate change, and capitalism and corporate greed without ever becoming completely about any of them.

My one criticism of this book was that the final part of the ending didn’t work for me. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I felt like it didn’t provide the answers I had wanted, although the questions that the book asked were hard ones. It wasn’t a cliff-hanger, but rather an anti-climactic conclusion after all the action and suspense that led me through the book. It does look like a sequel is planned, so I can hope that that will give me the resolution I’m looking for. I’d still highly recommend this book – other readers might love the finale, as a quick scan of other online reviews shows.

I could see this book being developed into a movie or television series. What books have you read that you think would work well on the big screen? Let me know in the comments.

You can find more of my reviews here.

Book Review – The Feeding

10 Aug 2025 2 Comments

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

I just finished reading an advance copy of The Feeding by Anthony Ryan a few days ago and wanted to get a review up quickly because it is being released officially this week. You can pick up a copy of your own on August 12 either on Amazon (paid link – click here) or through my new shop on Bookshop.com (click here). I want to thank Net Galley and Blackstone Publishing for allowing me to get my hands on this early! Read on below to see what I thought.

I read the e-book edition.

Here is the blurb:

Fifteen years ago the feeders rose from the shadows to transform the world into a graveyard. The few survivors exist in fortified settlements surrounded by the empty ruins of a destroyed civilization. For years the citizens of New City Redoubt have relied on an elite cadre of Crossers to navigate the feeder infested wasteland between settlements in order to trade for vital supplies. But the Outside is becoming ever more dangerous, and the ranks of the Crossers grow thinner with every crossing.

Layla, only a child when the Feeding destroyed the old world, spends her days scavenging the ruins for valuable scrap and her nights helping her adoptive family eke a living from the Redoubt’s only movie theatre. Now, with her father slowly dying, Layla resolves to join the Crossers to retrieve the medicine that can save him. Smart, ruthless, and fast on her feet, Layla quickly gains the respect of her fellow Crossers. But, in a world lost to the deadliest predators, can even the most cunning prey survive?

The Feeding is a stand-alone novel that I had a hard time starting. My progress stalled in the first chapter or two and I had to restart the book. However, that was a product of my own work schedule and other distractions, because once I was able to concentrate on my reading, this book really drew me in.

The post-apocalyptic setting was familiar and some of the protagonist, Layla’s, explorations reminded me of part of the Silo series by Hugh Howey mixed with The Last of Us (the show, I haven’t played the game). In my mind, the feeders were zombies, but that initial perception wasn’t true, for they were more accurately vampires once the setting is made clear. I particularly liked the way they were portrayed because they felt different from your stereotypical vampires that have been overdone in recent books and other media.

I found Layla’s journey in this story to be scary and I was alone in my house while reading most of this, so every creak and small noise made me imagine feeders closing in on me. I’m not generally a horror fan because the genre tends not to scare me, but this book did manage it! This is also not a happy story, but I think the set up for that is well done and no one that starts this book should expect all the characters to make it through the story.

The initial plot of the novel make me wonder about the scope of the story, and I didn’t see the central thread or antagonist right away. However, it steadily snuck up on me and I made the same catastrophic realization that Layla did about half a page before it was confirmed.

I felt for Layla and all her people, and was engaged in their struggles throughout the book. Everyone had believable motivations and the ending wrapped up all the loose ends, while leaving open the possibility of another book. It doesn’t NEED another book, but if the author wanted to write one, I’d read it.

Have you read anything else by Anthony Ryan? What other book would you recommend? Let me know in the comments.

I recently became an affiliate at Bookshop.org which is a really neat site that lets you buy books by picking a local independent book store to receive the profits from your purchases. I’m going to set up more lists, but for now, you can see the one I’ve started in the graphic below. Please click and check it out!

You can find more of my book reviews here.

Book Review – Grimm Curiosities

09 Jul 2025 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I fell victim to Instagram advertising and signed up for a one-time surprise book box from Caffeine and Legends over the winter. When the book arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was written by an author I had read before and enjoyed. Grimm Curiosities by Sharon Lynn Fisher is an indie title that I would describe as a historical paranormal romance (paid link). Read on below to find out what I thought of it.

I read the paperback edition.

Here is the blurb:

It’s 1851 in old York. Lizzy Grimm struggles to save her late father’s charmingly creepy yet floundering antique shop, Grimm Curiosities. Then, during a particularly snowy December in this most haunted city in England, things turn…curiouser.

Lizzy meets Antony Carlisle, whose sister suffers from the same perplexing affliction as Lizzy’s mother—both stricken silent and unresponsive after speaking with ghosts. Working closely together to fathom what power has transformed their loved ones and why, Lizzy and Antony discover an important her father’s treasured set of rare books on ancient folktales, enchantments, and yuletide myths. Books that a persistent collector is awfully keen to purchase. Books Lizzy can’t bear to sell.

Every bewitching passage and illustration opens a doorway to something ancient and dangerously inviting. Keys to a mystery Lizzy and Antony are compelled to solve—even if doing so means unleashing one of this bright holiday’s darkest myths.

I enjoyed this book and found it to be an easy and quick stand-alone read. I was instantly sympathetic toward the protagonist, Lizzy Grimm, who has been caring for her ailing mother while trying to make a living from the shop left to her by her father. Societal norms from the time period limit the ways in which she can earn a living and the family is struggling.

The story takes off quickly as patrons visit Lizzy’s shop, one in particular showing a sinister interest in some of her father’s books. Lizzy is torn between a sentimental attachment and trying to stay in her home and current situation. While fending off these offers, she also meets her love interest, but he is scandalously above her own social standing. Together with the paranormal occurrences, this made for an entertaining story.

The romance in this book is not a surprise (as I would believe is true of most romances from what I’ve read of that genre), but it provides a way for Lizzy’s plight to catch the interest of those more powerful than she to move the plot forward. I found that Antony was a little too good and too nice to be true, but that didn’t bother me overly much.

The romantic scenes in this novel are less spicy and explicit than in some of the more recent romantasy genre books. If you’re looking for the heat level of Fourth Wing or ACOTAR, you won’t find it here. This is set in the 1800’s and Lizzy has to worry about her reputation, okay?

I’d definitely read another book by this author and I’ll have to look to see what else she’s published that might be a fun and light read.

Have you read many indie (self-published) books? Which ones would you recommend? Let me know in the comments.

You can find more of my reviews here.

Book Review – Sunrise on the Reaping

29 Jun 2025 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

I know that author Suzanne Collins has written other books outside of the world of Panem, but (probably) like a lot of people, I have only read those in her hit Hunger Games series. I found the original trilogy of books to be a solid read, but nothing earth-shattering. I never reviewed any of them here, but if you need to catch up, you can find purchase links to all of them below. Since then, she has written two prequel novels that can mostly be read as stand-alones, although knowledge of the characters from the main series will add to your enjoyment of the books. The second prequel (Sunrise on the Reaping) was just released this spring and you can find my review of it below (paid links).

I read the hardcover edition.

Here is the blurb:

When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.

If you know the character of Haymitch from the main Hunger Games series, you will know going into this book that this isn’t a happy story. But are any of these books, really?

This novel tells us Haymitch’s backstory and how he survived and won the Hunger Games for District 12, but lost everything else that was important to him. This book also shows us another step in the evolution of the Hunger Games and how the event became the spectacle that is seen in the original series.

I enjoyed reading this, despite the tragic nature of the story. I find it interesting that the author can create a fresh story around the same concept of the Hunger Games where kids from the districts are pitted against each other and the creations of the game masters until only one victor is left alive. One of the points of this book is to show how someone that is seemingly powerless can still resist and fight against those in authority. At the same time, it shows the possible price that one must pay by demonstrating against those in power.

I’d recommend this book if you’ve read the main Hunger Games series and didn’t hate the ending of the third book. While Sunrise on the Reaping is a stand-alone novel, it would be best to start with the earlier books if you are new to this series.

Have you read any of Suzanne Collins’ other series? Which would you recommend? Let me know in the comments.

You can find more of my reviews here.

Book Review – The Fiery Cross

20 Jun 2025 1 Comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

I have finished another book in the Outlander series, by Diana Gabaldon. The Fiery Cross is the fifth book in the series (paid links), and you can find my reviews of the earlier books in the series below:

  • #1 – Outlander (review here / purchase link here)
  • #2 – Dragonfly in Amber (review here / purchase link here)
  • #3 – Voyager (review here / purchase link here)
  • #4 – Drums of Autumn (review here / purchase link here)
I listened to the audiobook edition of this.

Here is the blurb:

The year is 1771. Claire Randall is still an outlander, out of place and out of time. But now she is linked by love to her only anchor: Jamie Fraser. They have crossed oceans and centuries to build a life together in North Carolina. But tensions, both ancient and recent, threaten members of their clan.

Knowing that his wife has the gift of prophecy, James must believe Claire, though he would prefer not to. Claire has shared a dreadful truth: there will, without a doubt, be a war. Her knowledge of the oncoming revolution is a flickering torch that may light his way through perilous years ahead – or ignite a conflagration that will leave their lives in ashes.

This fifth book in the series took me a lot longer to listen to than the previous volumes. I think that my audiobook brain became fatigued and I had to take a break to “read” some other novels before I could finish this one. It’s not that this wasn’t still an enjoyable book. The beginning felt like it was developing a lot of the underlying character relationships and politics for a payoff later in the series.

The American Revolution is still a few years away at the time of this book, and Claire and Jamie have settled in to a more routine life as settlers at Fraser’s Ridge. I felt like the problems that they encountered in this book were not as large as in the earlier books, so the tension was lower overall.

The historical details are still wonderful. I remember in particular how Claire thinks to herself about the maggots that she uses to help treat one of Jamie’s wounds. She has to make sure that these are not the New World screwworm, because this species will eat live tissue as well as dead. This particular insect has been in the news lately because in modern times it has been eliminated from North and Central America, with a few incursions that are closely monitored. It is these small details that creates a realistic vision of the world that these characters inhabit.

I did enjoy getting to see more of the quiet conversations that let some of the less developed character relationships grow. Like in earlier books, the author also tosses in a few short passages where the characters contemplate the nature of time travel and the core question of whether it is possible to change events and impact the future. The reader is left guessing about this question, but I like to see that the characters question this.

I’m going to start book #6, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, soon, although maybe not until July (paid link). I have made it a little further through season 1 of the show, and will be watching more in the upcoming weeks.

What is the longest book series you have read? What keeps you reading and what makes you lose interest? Let me know in the comments.

You can find more of my book reviews here.

Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 412 other subscribers