Karen ⚜Mess�'s bookshelf: all en-US Tue, 29 Apr 2025 08:55:12 -0700 60 Karen ⚜Mess�'s bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Pilgrim: A Medieval Horror 199114861
Inspired by a rich blend of Arabic, Christian, and pre-Islamic traditions, Pilgrim delivers a pulse-pounding story of action, adventure, and bone-chilling horror.]]> 708 Mitchell Lüthi Karen ⚜Mess� 0 4.06 2023 Pilgrim: A Medieval Horror
author: Mitchell Lüthi
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/29
shelves: to-read, chonker, chuffed-covers, own-kindle
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Empire of the Dawn (Empire of the Vampire, #3)]]> 222376766 From New York Times bestselling author of the Empire of the Vampire and Empire of the Damned, Jay Kristoff, comes the epic conclusion to the #1 internationally bestselling series.

From holy cup comes holy light;
The faithful hands sets world aright.
And in the Seven Martyrs� sight,
Mere man shall end this endless night.

Gabriel de León has lost his family, his faith, and the last hope of ending the endless night—his surrogate daughter, Dior. With no thought left but vengeance, he and a band of loyal brothers journey into the war-torn heart of Elidaen to claim the life of the Forever King.


Unbeknownst to the Last Silversaint, the Grail still lives—speeding towards the besieged capital of Augustin in the frail hope of ending Daysdeath. But deadly treachery awaits within the halls of power, and the Forever King’s legions march ever closer. Gabriel and Dior will be drawn into a final battle that will shape the very fate of the Empire, but as the sun sets for what may the last time, there will be no one left for them to trust.

Not even each other.]]> 800 Jay Kristoff 1250245370 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 5.00 2025 Empire of the Dawn (Empire of the Vampire, #3)
author: Jay Kristoff
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Listen for the Lie 217387923 What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn't matter?

After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.

But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast "Listen for the Lie," and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one that did it.]]> 352 Amy Tintera 1250880335 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 4.38 2024 Listen for the Lie
author: Amy Tintera
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Crimson Fire (Memories of Kenjir Book 1)]]> 223046103 Gods walk among men, but the empire they have forged is on the brink of collapse.

As whispers of rebellion grow louder, Ensin Andik uncovers a sinister plot that threatens the very foundation of the divine reign. Every discovery pulls him deeper into a dangerous web, forcing him to confront truths that could shatter his unshakeable loyalty.

On the other side, Eshfen , a ruthless rebel with a cunning mind and a thirst for chaos, stokes the flames of dissent. He sows doubt in the hearts of the people, challenging the gods' right to rule and sparking a dangerous game of shadows that could bring down empires.

Caught between loyalty and self-discovery, Shadi , a young noblewoman, grapples with the weight of family honor and the desire for independence. With her fiercely devoted bodyguard, Darjin , by her side, Shadi must navigate the treacherous waters of loyalty, love, and betrayal, where every choice could be their last.

As destinies intertwine and alliances shift, these four must face the gods themselves � or watch the world they know crumble to ashes.

In THE CRIMSON FIRE, loyalties will be tested, truths will be unmasked, and power will be up for grabs. Will the gods� reign endure, or is the age of mortals ready to rise?

THE CRIMSON FIRE is a sweeping tale of rebellion, sacrifice, and the unrelenting clash between power and destiny. Packed with gripping political intrigue, high-stakes action, and unforgettable characters, it’s a saga that will ignite your imagination and keep you turning pages late into the night. ]]> 424 Abel Montero Karen ⚜Mess� 0 Release date in two days! I pre-ordered for 99 pennies.]]> 4.42 The Crimson Fire (Memories of Kenjir Book 1)
author: Abel Montero
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.42
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: to-read, look-over-my-shoulder-cover, own-kindle
review:
Apr 27, 2025
Release date in two days! I pre-ordered for 99 pennies.
]]> Sledge vs. The Labyrinth 173247780 328 Nick Horvath 1738598411 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 4.19 Sledge vs. The Labyrinth
author: Nick Horvath
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.19
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: look-over-my-shoulder-cover, machalo-bingo-2025, machalo-tbr-2025, currently-reading
review:

]]> The Stardust Thief 58988696
With no choice but to obey or be executed, Loulie journeys with the sultan’s oldest son to find the artifact. Aided by her bodyguard, who has secrets of his own, they must survive ghoul attacks, outwit a vengeful jinn queen, and confront a malicious killer from Loulie’s past. And, in a world where story is reality and illusion is truth, Loulie will discover that everything—her enemy, her magic, even her own past—is not what it seems, and she must decide who she will become in this new reality.

Inspired by stories from One Thousand and One Nights,The Stardust Thief weaves the gripping tale of a legendary smuggler, a cowardly prince, and a dangerous quest across the desert to find a legendary, magical lamp.]]> 468 Chelsea Abdullah 0316368962 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, 2025-tbr 4.13 2022 The Stardust Thief
author: Chelsea Abdullah
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: to-read, 2025-tbr
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Space Babies (Purple People, #1)]]> 35648315
Helian Six boards the abandoned vessel to find the long-lost inhabitants in a state of stasis. But the systems are failing, and half a dozen have woken up. The planet below shows long dead bodies, poisoned by the scum of space, a species known as Gorgians.

Strangely, the few who have awakened are much smaller than their planetary predecessors. And not very intelligent.
Determined to believe the cute, tiny beings are not pets, the crew of Helian Six decides to train the small warriors to defend the planet. They become the laughingstock of patrol, however, after they commit and realize it will take twenty-two cycles to “rear� the inhabitants.

So they do what any intelligent males would do. Kidnap teachers. And if the females can’t manage to avert their eyes from their buff physiques, well, score!]]> 172 Rena Marks Karen ⚜Mess� 1

Are you surprised of the one star? You shouldn't be. Really not my thing, but I needed something for a bingo square and wanted to get this off my TBR.

Next time I'll hit Tor, or whatever it is, to get my shorties. ]]> 3.92 2017 Space Babies (Purple People, #1)
author: Rena Marks
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2017
rating: 1
read at: 2025/04/27
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: novella-novelette-shorts, machalo-bingo-2025, machalo-tbr-2025
review:
Reaction Gif GIF by Barstool Sports

Are you surprised of the one star? You shouldn't be. Really not my thing, but I needed something for a bingo square and wanted to get this off my TBR.

Next time I'll hit Tor, or whatever it is, to get my shorties.
]]> <![CDATA[Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)]]> 61431922 Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders...

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile� humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die]]> 528 Rebecca Yarros 1649374046 Karen ⚜Mess� 4 dragons, my-eyes-leaked
The tone is YA. Now, I can enjoy a YA book as long as the tone isn't YA. I should have disliked this book. There was many eyerolling and juvenile moments [spoilers removed] , BUT it was so damn easy to read.

Moments that hooked me:
◾My last name in the book
◾Easy to read
◾Made me cry
◾That ending!

I wasn't interested in reading the second book until that ending. I really liked how the whole story was told in Violet's POV and the very last chapter was Xaden's POV. This would be absolutely perfect if the next book is told in Xaden's POV.

For a romancey YA book it's really not bad at all!]]> 4.56 2023 Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/08/24
date added: 2025/04/26
shelves: dragons, my-eyes-leaked
review:
I'm knocked on my ass and totally surprised by my rating. Let me quickly write one of my ever-so-short reviews before I change my mind and reduce it to 3 stars.

The tone is YA. Now, I can enjoy a YA book as long as the tone isn't YA. I should have disliked this book. There was many eyerolling and juvenile moments [spoilers removed] , BUT it was so damn easy to read.

Moments that hooked me:
◾My last name in the book
◾Easy to read
◾Made me cry
◾That ending!

I wasn't interested in reading the second book until that ending. I really liked how the whole story was told in Violet's POV and the very last chapter was Xaden's POV. This would be absolutely perfect if the next book is told in Xaden's POV.

For a romancey YA book it's really not bad at all!
]]> The Secret Market of the Dead 220213847 An “enthralling� (Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library and Elusive) Italian-inspired gothic historical fantasy about a young woman who finds her power in the nocturnal realm that lurks beneath her town.

Just beyond the waking edges of Lucerìa, an 18th-century town in the kingdom of Naples, lies the an enigmatic fiefdom governed by seven immortals and fueled by Moira, the power to reshape one’s destiny.

On this porous border separating Day from Night, Oriana spends her time fantasizing about becoming a smith in her father’s forge and eavesdropping on whispered tales of beasts and men who roam the nocturnal realm. But in the Night, these stories come alive, as Oriana saw for herself after she inadvertently trespassed into the Secret Market of the Dead, where vendors hawk Moira to those desperate enough to accept its immeasurably steep price.

Years later, when her father chooses her twin brother to succeed him, Oriana challenges her sibling to a series of trials to determine the forge’s true heir. But as the twins� fierce competition escalates, with the town and her own family set firmly against her, Oriana realizes that to break free from the stifling confines of Day, she must once again embrace the Night—and, as always, everything comes with a cost.]]> 315 Giovanni De Feo 1668077388 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 4.33 2025 The Secret Market of the Dead
author: Giovanni De Feo
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Song of Legends Lost (Invoker Trilogy, #1)]]> 220213435 An unforgettable tale of revenge and rebellion unfolds when an inexperienced king implements a doomed plan to end a thousand-year war in this relentlessly gripping epic fantasy debut from a “master storyteller� (Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter).

“The exhilarating must-read fantasy debut of 2025.� —Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne

A SONG OF REBELLION. A SONG OF WAR. A SONG OF LEGENDS LOST.

In the Nine Lands, only those of noble blood can summon the spirits of their ancestors to fight in battle. But when Temi, a commoner from the slums, accidentally invokes a powerful spirit, she finds it could hold the key to ending a centuries-long war.

But not everything that can be invoked is an ancestor. And some of the spirits that can be drawn from the ancestral realm are more dangerous than anyone can imagine.

Drawing on multiple pre-colonial cultures, including Yoruba and Filipino, and set in a non-Western-inspired world, A Song of Legends Lost is not just a tale of vengeance but a stunning debut novel of identity and heritage.

�A whirlwind debut of ferocious talent and compulsive storytelling that lifts you up from the first page and never lets go.� —Lavie Tidhar, World Fantasy Award–winning author]]> 655 M.H. Ayinde 1668086840 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, chonker 3.25 2025 A Song of Legends Lost (Invoker Trilogy, #1)
author: M.H. Ayinde
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.25
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: to-read, chonker
review:

]]> Eynhallow 202142414
When a stranger comes ashore to rent an abandoned cottage, Agnes and the other islanders are abuzz with curiosity. Who is this wealthy foreigner and why on earth would he come to Eynhallow? Her curiosity is soon replaced with vexation when her husband hires her out as cook and washerwoman, leaving Agnes with no say in the matter. Agnes begrudgingly befriends this aristocrat-in-exile; a mercurial scientist who toils night and day on some secret pursuit. Despite herself, she’s drawn to his dark, brooding charm. And who is this Byronic stranger sweeping Agnes off her feet? His name is Frankenstein and he's come to this remote isle to fulfill a monstrous obligation.]]> 178 Tim McGregor 1947879669 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 4.12 2024 Eynhallow
author: Tim McGregor
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: to-read, spooky, novella-novelette-shorts, library
review:

]]> Incidents Around the House 204985215 A chilling horror novel about a haunting, told from the perspective of a young girl whose troubled family is targeted by an entity she calls “Other Mommy,� from the New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box

To eight-year-old Bela, her family is her world. There’s Mommy, Daddo, and Grandma Ruth. But there is also Other Mommy, a malevolent entity who asks her every day: “Can I go inside your heart?�

When horrifying incidents around the house signal that Other Mommy is growing tired of asking Bela the question over and over, Bela understands that unless she says yes, her family will soon pay.

Other Mommy is getting restless, stronger, bolder. Only the bonds of family can keep Bela safe, but other incidents show cracks in her parents� marriage. The safety Bela relies on is about to unravel.

But Other Mommy needs an answer.

Incidents Around the House is a chilling, wholly unique tale of true horror about a family as haunted as their home.]]> 384 Josh Malerman 0593723139 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 3.52 2024 Incidents Around the House
author: Josh Malerman
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: to-read, spooky, library, overdrive
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Heart of the Wyrdwood (Forsaken #3)]]> 220308372 From British Fantasy Award-winning author RJ Barker comes the epic conclusion to the Forsaken trilogy, set in a forest straight out of darkest folklore with outlaws fighting an evil empire and warring deities.

"That thing in Tiltspire, it keeps Cahan like a trophy. It says to us, here is your strongest and I have killed him."

Cahan Du Nahare is lost, taken by a dark god whose tendrils reach throughout the world, intent on its destruction. Those who followed Cahan are spread across the land, desperate and lost now fate has turned against them. The Reborn warriors are toys for the enemy, the warrior Dassit, forestal Ania and monk Ont are drawn to the dangerous north but do not know why. Udinny is forced into the company of a woman who desires nothing more than her death and the Rai, Sorha, leads a dwindling band on a mission even she believes is doomed to failure. Only the trion Venn remains hopeful, slowly growing in power and trusting in the path of their god.

But maybe all is not lost. The great Wyrdwoods of Crua may be ancient and slow to act, but something in them is waking.

Wyrdwood is coming.]]> 576 R.J. Barker 0316402087 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 4.75 2025 Heart of the Wyrdwood (Forsaken #3)
author: R.J. Barker
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.75
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[All That We See or Seem (Julia Z, #1)]]> 224004657 Award­ winning author Ken Liu returns with his first sci-fi thriller in a brand-new series following former “orphan hacker� Julia Z as she is thrust into a high-stakes adventure where she must use her cybersecurity and hacking skills to unravel a virtual reality mystery, rescue a kidnapped dream artist, and confront the blurred lines between technology, identity, and the power of shared dreams.

Julia Z, a young woman who gained notoriety at fourteen as the “orphan hacker,� is trying to live a life of digital obscurity in a Boston suburb.

But when a lawyer named Piers—whose famous artist wife, Elli, has been kidnapped by dangerous criminals—barges into her life, Julia decides to put the solitary life she has painstakingly created at risk as she can’t walk away from helping Piers and Elli, nor step away from the challenge of this digital puzzle. Elli is an onierofex, a dream artist, who can weave the dreams of an audience together through a shared virtual landscape, live, in a concert-like experience by tapping into each attendee’s waking dream and providing an emotionally resonant and narrative experience. While attendees� dreams are anonymous, Julia discovers that Elli was also providing a one-on-one dream experience for the head of an international criminal enterprise, and he’s demanding his dreams in return for Elli.

Unraveling the real and unreal leads Julia on an adventure that takes her across the country and deep into the shadows of her psyche.]]> 416 Ken Liu 1668083175 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 4.50 2025 All That We See or Seem (Julia Z, #1)
author: Ken Liu
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Darkness Before Them (The Soulfire Saga, #1)]]> 171747733 The first in an exciting, action-packed new trilogy from epic fantasy author Matthew Ward, The Darkness Before Themintroduces readers to a world ruled by a dangerous immortal king, where souls fuel magic, and a supernatural mist known as the Veil threatens to engulf the land.

These are dark times for the Kingdom of Khalad. As the magical mists of the Veil devour the land, the populace struggles beneath the rule of ruthless noble houses and their uncaring immortal king.

Kat doesn’t care about any of that. A talented thief, she’s pursuing one big score that will settle the debt that destroyed her family. No easy feat in a realm where indentured spirits hold vigil over every vault and treasure room. However, Kat has a unique she can speak to those spirits, and even command them. And she has no qualms using her power to her advantage.

Kat’s not a hero. She just wants to be free. To have her old life back. But as rebellion rekindles and the war for Khalad’s future begins, everyone—Kat included—will have to pick a side.]]> 544 Matthew Ward 0316476706 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, own-kindle 3.70 2023 The Darkness Before Them (The Soulfire Saga, #1)
author: Matthew Ward
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/15
shelves: to-read, own-kindle
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan, #2)]]> 213618143 The brilliant detective Ana Dolabra may have finally met her match in the gripping sequel to The Tainted Cup—from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy.

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, an impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—abducted from his quarters while the door and windows remained locked from the inside, in a building whose entrances and exits are all under constant guard.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial investigator, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Before long, Ana’s discovered that they’re not investigating a disappearance, but a murder—and that the killing was just the first chess move by an adversary who seems to be able to pass through warded doors like a ghost, and who can predict every one of Ana’s moves as though they can see the future.

Worse still, the killer seems to be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud. Here, the Empire's greatest minds dissect fallen Titans to harness the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the destruction would be terrible indeed—and the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.

Din has seen Ana solve impossible cases before. But this time, with the stakes higher than ever and Ana seemingly a step behind their adversary at every turn, he fears that his superior has finally met an enemy she can’t defeat.]]> 465 Robert Jackson Bennett 0593723821 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 4.55 2025 A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan, #2)
author: Robert Jackson Bennett
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves: currently-reading, machalo-bingo-2025, machalo-buddy-read
review:

]]> The Buffalo Hunter Hunter 214565614 A chilling historical horror novel set in the American west in 1912 following a Lutheran priest who transcribes the life of a vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice.

A diary, written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall. What it unveils is a slow massacre, a chain of events that go back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow. Told in transcribed interviews by a Blackfeet named Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar life over a series of confessional visits. This is an American Indian revenge story written by one of the new masters of horror, Stephen Graham Jones.]]> 448 Stephen Graham Jones 1668075083 Karen ⚜Mess� 4
Fantastic story about the wild west in Montana with a horror twist of vampires. Stephen Graham Jones really made this work out well. The only bummer I had is that I didn't cry like I did with I Was a Teenage Slasher]]> 4.23 2025 The Buffalo Hunter Hunter
author: Stephen Graham Jones
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/11
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves: spooky, vampires, machalo-bingo-2025
review:
The voice acting on the audio was superb. Especially, Shane Ghostkeeper narrating Good Stab's POV. 3 narrators brought together to read the audio. I really like how this was done.

Fantastic story about the wild west in Montana with a horror twist of vampires. Stephen Graham Jones really made this work out well. The only bummer I had is that I didn't cry like I did with I Was a Teenage Slasher
]]> <![CDATA[Riven Earth (The Book of Astea 1)]]> 214165669 The world has stopped turning.

Burned by a blazing sun. Thrust into eternal winter.

Life survives only in the Sunset Forest.

For untold millennia, mankind lived subservient to the dryads, forced into worship of the Earth-Mother, Astea. Then one man ventured into the Scorched Desert and returned with the secret of fire. His rebellion brought the dryad empire to ash. In its place, he founded the Kingdom of Heartsong.

Twelve years later, the new king is missing. The earth trembles. Famine ravages the land, and a mysterious illness creeps through the capital.

Plots of treason and revenge abound, but as the mistakes of the past bear fruit, men will reap what they have sown.

Riven Earth is the story of a king who has lost his nerve, of his advisor tempted by the throne, of a politician plotting revolt, and of a dying soldier who finds new reasons to live. It is a character-focused epic fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive and Joe Abercrombie’s First Law.]]> 406 Zammar Ahmer Karen ⚜Mess� 4
Is this a debut book? Because it was really, really good for a debut. Especially if the author can make me choke up a bit.

Wonderful world building and my favorite character was Raia. I hope the next book is all about her, because she's got all the things I love in a character. King Kadio and (everyone's favorite) Queen Jaswyn were a bit too sappy and annoying for me. I hope this means character growth for them. The other characters were done so well, I'd hate to see Kadio and Jaz put a bummer in the story.

If you bought this book for the cover, you won't be disappointed.]]> 3.96 2024 Riven Earth (The Book of Astea 1)
author: Zammar Ahmer
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/26
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: chuffed-covers, machalo-bingo-2025, machalo-tbr-2025, my-eyes-leaked, look-over-my-shoulder-cover
review:
The last 3% got me right in the feelers.

Is this a debut book? Because it was really, really good for a debut. Especially if the author can make me choke up a bit.

Wonderful world building and my favorite character was Raia. I hope the next book is all about her, because she's got all the things I love in a character. King Kadio and (everyone's favorite) Queen Jaswyn were a bit too sappy and annoying for me. I hope this means character growth for them. The other characters were done so well, I'd hate to see Kadio and Jaz put a bummer in the story.

If you bought this book for the cover, you won't be disappointed.
]]> We Break Immortals 58665765
The Render Tracers always say magick users deserve to burn. Aren couldn’t agree more, Keluwen would beg to differ, and Corrin couldn’t care less either way.

In a world where most people use swords for protection, Aren uses tools that let him see what no one else can see, and he takes advantage of loopholes that can undo magick in order to stop the deadliest people in the world. He is a Render Tracer, relentlessly pursuing rogue sorcerers who bend the laws of physics to steal, assault, and kill. But his next hunt will lead him to question his entire life, plunging him into a world where he can’t trust anyone, not even his own eyes.

When Keluwen finally escaped her fourthparents� home and set out on her own to become a thief, she never thought she would one day be killing her own kind. She honed her magick on the streets, haunted by her past, hunted by Render Tracers, and feared by a society that hates what she is. Now she joins a crew of outcast magicians on a path of vengeance as they race to stop an insane sorcerer who has unlocked the source of all magick and is trying to use it to make himself a god.

Corrin is a sword fighter first, a drinker second, and a...well, there must be something else he is good at. He'll think of it if you give him enough time. He is a rogue for hire, and he has no special powers of any kind. The most magick he has ever done is piss into the wind without getting any on himself. He is terrible at staying out of trouble, and someone always seems to be chasing him. When he gets caught up in a multi-kingdom manhunt, he finds himself having to care about other people for a change, and he’s not happy about it.

They are about to collide on the trail of a man who is impossible to catch, who is on the verge of plunging the world into ruin, and who can turn loyal people into traitors in a single conversation. They must struggle against their own obsessions, their fears, ancient prophecies, and each other. They will each have to balance the people they love against their missions, and struggle to avoid becoming the very thing they are trying to stop.]]> 1054 Thomas Howard Riley 1955959021 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 4.12 We Break Immortals
author: Thomas Howard Riley
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.12
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read, chonker, look-over-my-shoulder-cover
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Torch that Ignites the Stars (Arcane Ascension, #3)]]> 55251323
-Meet Anabelle Farren, the eccentric owner of Farren Labs, and learn about artificial attunements.
-Seek out Warren Constantine, a previous Arbiter, for training and a potential alliance.
-Find the visage Ferras herself to seek a cure for Sera’s condition.

Of course, Corin is Corin, and there’s absolutely no chance he’s going to be able to stick to a list.

…And even if Corin miraculously developed a sense of focus, he isn’t the only one with plans.

The Blackstone Bandit.

Everyone’s favorite mysterious book entity.

The aforementioned Farren.

A vacationing professor.

The mirror of a figure from Keras� past.

When their plots intersect, Corin and his friends are, predictably, stuck at the center.

It’s going to be a long vacation.]]> 571 Andrew Rowe Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, own-kindle 4.12 2020 The Torch that Ignites the Stars (Arcane Ascension, #3)
author: Andrew Rowe
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: to-read, own-kindle
review:

]]> <![CDATA[On the Shoulders of Titans (Arcane Ascension, #2)]]> 40126485
Unfortunately, finding more information isn’t going to be easy. Tristan appears to be entangled with a clandestine organization that calls themselves Whispers. And Corin’s last brush with the Whispers didn’t exactly end well.

As much as he wants to follow that lead, Corin has more pressing problems to deal with.

Sera is still suffering from a mysterious malady that has stolen her voice and her magic. Corin knows that a portion of that is his fault, and he’s determined to fix it.

His mother is still off in another country, and there are growing odds that she’s involved with a conspiracy to overthrow the visages.

Corin has also been branded with a new magical mark on his right hand � one that even veteran climbers don’t seem to recognize. He’s going to need to figure out how it works, otherwise it could be more of a vulnerability than an asset.

Corin still hasn’t finished his first year at Lorian Heights. If he fails his final exams, he’ll be sent off to the military, and lose his chance to investigate his brother’s fate.

And finally, there’s the issue of enemies.

He might have made a few of them.

The biggest problem?

He’s not sure if Jin, once one of his closest companions, is one of them.]]> 742 Andrew Rowe Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, own-kindle 4.22 2018 On the Shoulders of Titans (Arcane Ascension, #2)
author: Andrew Rowe
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: to-read, own-kindle
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sufficiently Advanced Magic (Arcane Ascension, #1)]]> 34403860
He never returned.

Now, it’s Corin’s turn. He’s headed to the top floor, on a mission to meet the goddess.

If he can survive the trials, Corin will earn an attunement, but that won’t be sufficient to survive the dangers on the upper levels. For that, he’s going to need training, allies, and a lot of ingenuity.

The journey won’t be easy, but Corin won’t stop until he gets his brother back.]]> 625 Andrew Rowe Karen ⚜Mess� 0 4.12 2017 Sufficiently Advanced Magic (Arcane Ascension, #1)
author: Andrew Rowe
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: to-read, own-kindle, look-over-my-shoulder-cover
review:

]]> The Book of Love 157981682 The Book of Love showcases Kelly Link at the height of her powers, channeling potent magic and attuned to all varieties of love—from friendship to romance to abiding family ties—with her trademark compassion, wit, and literary derring-do. Readers will find joy (and a little terror) and an affirmation that love goes on, even when we cannot.

Late one night, Laura, Daniel, and Mo find themselves beneath the fluorescent lights of a high school classroom, almost a year after disappearing from their hometown, the small seaside community of Lovesend, Massachusetts, having long been presumed dead. Which, in fact, they are.

With them in the room is their previously unremarkable high school music teacher, who seems to know something about their disappearance—and what has brought them back again. Desperate to reclaim their lives, the three agree to the terms of the bargain their music teacher proposes. They will be given a series of magical tasks; while they undertake them, they may return to their families and friends, but they can tell no one where they’ve been. In the end, there will be winners and there will be losers.

But their resurrection has attracted the notice of other supernatural figures, all with their own agendas. As Laura, Daniel, and Mo grapple with the pieces of the lives they left behind, and Laura’s sister, Susannah, attempts to reconcile what she remembers with what she fears, these mysterious others begin to arrive, engulfing their community in danger and chaos, and it becomes imperative that the teens solve the mystery of their deaths to avert a looming disaster.]]> 628 Kelly Link 0812996585 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 3.45 2024 The Book of Love
author: Kelly Link
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Written on the Dark 218153843 From the internationally bestselling author of Tigana, All the Seas of the World, and A Brightness Long Ago comes a majestic new novel of love and war that brilliantly evokes the drama and turbulence of medieval France.

Thierry Villar is a well-known--even notorious-- tavern poet, familiar with the rogues and shadows of that world, but not at all with courts and power. He is an unlikely person, despite his quickness, to be caught up in the deadly contests of ambitious royals, assassins, and invading armies.

But he is indeed drawn into all these things on a savagely cold night in his beloved city of Orane. And so Thierry must use all the intelligence and charm he can muster as political struggles merge with a decades-long war to bring his country to the brink of destruction.

As he does, he meets his poetic equal in an aristocratic woman and is drawn to more than one unsettling person with a connection to the world beyond this one. He also crosses paths with an extraordinary young woman driven by voices within to try to heal the ailing king--and help his forces in war. A wide and varied set of people from all walks of life take their places in the rich tapestry of this story.

A new masterwork from the internationally bestselling author of All the Seas of the World, A Brightness Long Ago, and Tigana, Written on the Dark is an elegant tour de force about power and ambition playing out amid the intense human need for art and beauty, and memories to be left behind.]]> 320 Guy Gavriel Kay 0593953983 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 4.44 2025 Written on the Dark
author: Guy Gavriel Kay
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Whispers of the Storm (Song of the Damned, #1)]]> 222260301 REDLIN OF THE WOLVES
VANGUARD, LEGEND, ASSASSIN, REAPER
Listen to my story
I wasn't always the monster they see me as. Half of the songs they sing are stories of my grandeur. The other half are tales of my misdeeds.
The sad truth is that they're all true.
So, listen to my tale and learn why it all happened. Learn the reason for the war, the reason for all the death.
Listen to my tale and listen well. I won't be alive long enough to tell it again.

A moody, banter-laced, violent, and poetic framed story - Z.B. Steele presents Whispers of the Storm, book one of Song of the Damned. ]]> 402 Z.B. Steele Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 4.47 Whispers of the Storm (Song of the Damned, #1)
author: Z.B. Steele
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.47
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Prelude to Fire (The Cloud Warrior Saga, #0.5)]]> 29936992
Part 1 - First Warrior
Lacertin has served his king faithfully for decades, but has failed on his final mission for him. When he returns to the kingdoms, he discovers a dark secret to the king’s illness, and the only person who can truly help him hides a secret of her own. Lacertin must decide how much he will sacrifice for the people he cares most about.


Part 2 - Servant
Trapped in Incendin and tormented while searching for answers, Lacertin is rescued by a mysterious priest of Issa. Released from his torture, the priest reveals secrets of Incendin that challenge everything Lacertin thought he knew, and gives him a chance to be something more than the warrior he had been� if only he’s willing to believe in his calling to serve fire.]]> 340 D.K. Holmberg Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, own-kindle 4.15 2016 Prelude to Fire (The Cloud Warrior Saga, #0.5)
author: D.K. Holmberg
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: to-read, own-kindle
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Journey of Fire and Night (The Endless War, #1)]]> 30648089
Jasn, a warrior known as the Wrecker of Rens, seeks vengeance for the loss of his beloved to the deadly draasin during the Endless War, wanting nothing more than to sacrifice himself in the process. When an old friend offers a dangerous chance for him to finally succeed, the key to understanding what he finds requires him to abandon all that he believes.

Ciara, a water seeker of Rens living on the edge of the arid waste, longs for the strength to help her people. When the great storms don't come to save her people, she will risk everything for her village on a deadly plan that could finally bring them to safety.

As the Endless War continues, both have a part to play in stopping it, but Jasn must discover forgiveness and Ciara must find her inner strength if they are to succeed. If they cannot, a threat greater than either nation will be unleashed.]]> 249 D.K. Holmberg Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, dragons, own-kindle 4.05 2016 Journey of Fire and Night (The Endless War, #1)
author: D.K. Holmberg
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: to-read, dragons, own-kindle
review:

]]> The Queen's Blade 213682293 A soldier with a past meets a future he cannot ignore. The Queen’s Blade saga begins.

Zaren Joha, once a formidable soldier, now spends his days maintaining peace in a quiet tavern in Lavrun. No more military rigors. No more blind obedience. The job is uneventful, yet it allows him a semblance of normalcy.

But his tranquil life in Lavrun is about to change. An encounter with the mysterious Waleith, a man with deep connections to the queen, draws him into a world where his brawn is not enough. The tavern's usual hustle, the sailors' brawls, and the regulars are soon overshadowed by a brewing storm of magic and intrigue attempting to topple the throne.

As Zaren grapples with powers beyond his understanding and confronts the echoes of a magic-tainted past, survival in this new world demands more than physical strength. To protect those he has come to care for and to navigate the treacherous currents of royal politics and ancient magic, Zaren must embrace a role he never anticipated.

No longer a soldier, he must become the Queen’s Blade.]]> 330 D.K. Holmberg Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 0.0 2024 The Queen's Blade
author: D.K. Holmberg
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Will of the Many (Hierarchy, #1)]]> 58416952 At the elite Catenan Academy, a young fugitive uncovers layered mysteries and world-changing secrets in this new fantasy series by internationally bestselling author of The Licanius Trilogy, James Islington.

AUDI. VIDE. TACE.

The Catenan Republic � the Hierarchy � may rule the world now, but they do not know everything.

I tell them my name is Vis Telimus. I tell them I was orphaned after a tragic accident three years ago, and that good fortune alone has led to my acceptance into their most prestigious school. I tell them that once I graduate, I will gladly join the rest of civilised society in allowing my strength, my drive and my focus � what they call Will � to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as millions already do. As all must eventually do.

I tell them that I belong, and they believe me.

But the truth is that I have been sent to the Academy to find answers. To solve a murder. To search for an ancient weapon. To uncover secrets that may tear the Republic apart.

And that I will never, ever cede my Will to the empire that executed my family.

To survive, though, I will still have to rise through the Academy’s ranks. I will have to smile, and make friends, and pretend to be one of them and win. Because if I cannot, then those who want to control me, who know my real name, will no longer have any use for me.

And if the Hierarchy finds out who I truly am, they will kill me.]]> 639 James Islington 1982141190 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 2024-tbr, chonker, to-read 4.60 2023 The Will of the Many (Hierarchy, #1)
author: James Islington
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.60
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: 2024-tbr, chonker, to-read
review:

]]> The September House 61311377 A woman is determined to stay in her dream home even after it becomes a haunted nightmare in this compulsively readable, twisty, and layered debut novel.

When Margaret and her husband Hal bought the large Victorian house on Hawthorn Street—for sale at a surprisingly reasonable price—they couldn’t believe they finally had a home of their own. Then they discovered the hauntings. Every September, the walls drip blood. The ghosts of former inhabitants appear, and all of them are terrified of something that lurks in the basement. Most people would flee.

Margaret is not most people.

Margaret is staying. It’s her house. But after four years Hal can’t take it anymore, and he leaves abruptly. Now, he’s not returning calls, and their daughter Katherine—who knows nothing about the hauntings—arrives, intent on looking for her missing father. To make things worse, September has just begun, and with every attempt Margaret and Katherine make at finding Hal, the hauntings grow more harrowing, because there are some secrets the house needs to keep.]]> 352 Carissa Orlando 0593548639 Karen ⚜Mess� 5 Intense and well written 3.99 2023 The September House
author: Carissa Orlando
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/29
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: spooky, machalo-bingo-2025, machalo-tbr-2025
review:
Intense and well written
]]> <![CDATA[Wyrd Sisters (Discworld, #6; Witches #2)]]> 60618259 An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.

'Destiny is important, see, but people go wrong when they think it controls them. It's the other way around.'

Three witches - Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick - have gathered on a lonely heath. A king has been cruelly murdered, his throne usurped by his ambitious cousin. An infant heir and the crown of the kingdom, both missing...

Witches don't have these kind of dynastic problems themselves � in fact, they don’t have leaders.

Granny Weatherwax was the most highly-regarded of the leaders the witches don't have. But even she found that meddling in royal politics was a lot more complicated than certain playwrights would have you believe...]]> 328 Terry Pratchett Karen ⚜Mess� 3
This was a buddy read at the MacHalo's Asylum where we are comparing the similarities between Gaiman and Pratchett. I personally think they both start off strong, but end up weak. I think the best way to read them is to skip to the end when the author tends to lose you so you won't be left with a horrible feeling and rating. ]]> 4.37 1988 Wyrd Sisters (Discworld, #6; Witches #2)
author: Terry Pratchett
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.37
book published: 1988
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/29
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: machalo-bingo-2025, machalo-buddy-read
review:
Loved the beginning. The banter between the witches was funny. Then somewhere in the 60% range (Tomjon's part) I began to care less about the story.

This was a buddy read at the MacHalo's Asylum where we are comparing the similarities between Gaiman and Pratchett. I personally think they both start off strong, but end up weak. I think the best way to read them is to skip to the end when the author tends to lose you so you won't be left with a horrible feeling and rating.
]]> Hemlock & Silver 217388302 DELUXE EDITION—a gorgeous hardcover edition featuring bright green sprayed edges, a foil stamp on the casing, and custom endpapers illustrated by the author.

From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Hemlock & Silver, a dark reimagining of “Snow White� steeped in poison, intrigue, and treason of the most magical kind

Healer Anja regularly drinks poison.

Not to die, but to save—seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on.

But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her.

Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and a passion for the scientific method, Anja rushes to treat Snow, but nothing seems to work. That is, until she finds a secret world, hidden inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick.

Or it might be the thing that kills them all.]]> 368 T. Kingfisher 1250342031 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 4.31 2025 Hemlock & Silver
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Last Gasp Of Midnight 228608834
One soldier from each side. Both want to survive. Neither can walk away.]]> 50 Thomas Howard Riley 1955959137 Karen ⚜Mess� 5 4.75 The Last Gasp Of Midnight
author: Thomas Howard Riley
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.75
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: novella-novelette-shorts, book-funnel, machalo-bingo-2025
review:
Free book from the author's newsletter. Fantastic story. From the first breath, to the last gasp.
]]> <![CDATA[Melinda West and the Gremlin Queen (Monster Gunslingers #2)]]> 227930998 In an alternate Old West, monsters rule the land—but one deadly duo is humanity’s last hope.

Melinda West is a sharpshooter with a steady hand, a cool head and a no-nonsense attitude. Her partner, Lance, brings the charm—and the firepower. Together, they’ve made a living hunting supernatural threats. But when a strange illness leaves a trail of corpses in its wake, they realize they’re about to face their greatest challenge yet.

As the bodies pile up, a swarm of gremlins—smarter, faster and deadlier than anything they’ve encountered before—are hellbent on destruction. Unless Melinda and Lance can uncover the truth behind these mysterious creatures, everything they know will be torn apart.

Fast-paced, gritty, and packed with supernatural thrills, Melinda West and the Gremlin Queen blends the rebellious charm of Bonnie and Clyde with the high-stakes action of Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

This is book two in a standalone interconnected series—ideal for both new readers and returning fans looking for dark fantastical westerns with a twist.]]> 266 K.C. Grifant 1963355261 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 4.33 2025 Melinda West and the Gremlin Queen (Monster Gunslingers #2)
author: K.C. Grifant
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: to-read, cowboy-hats-and-dusters
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Heretic (Templar Chronicles, #1)]]> 8192755

When Templar bases are attacked by unknown forces, Cade and his team are called in to investigate. They discover a cabal of necromancers allied with the Adversary, the same fallen angel that murdered Cade's wife, Gabrielle, and left Cade himself on the verge of death several years before.


In order to keep the power of an ancient relic from falling into the Adversary's hands, the Templars must take the battle directly to the enemy and in the process they give Cade a shot at the one thing he's been longing for since the night his wife was killed.


Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord, but Cade's got a score of his own to settle and he's not going to let the rules get in his way...


Praise for THE HERETIC - book one of the internationally bestselling dark fantasy series by the author of EYES TO SEE and BY THE BLOOD OF HEROES.


'First-rate, stylish work from Mr. Nassise, with a steady escalation of the story's speed that makes it almost literally breath-taking." -- Clive Barker


"A breakneck-paced thriller that delivers on the thrills and tosses in more than a few more chills." -- Kelley Armstrong


"THE HERETIC is a genre-bending thrill ride that heralds the debut of a urban fantasy series to watch...and enjoy." -- Cemetery Dance Magazine]]> 306 Joseph Nassise 1452400857 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, book-funnel 3.60 2005 The Heretic (Templar Chronicles, #1)
author: Joseph Nassise
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: to-read, book-funnel
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Conquest (The Godsverse Chronicles, #9)]]> 204827624
Katrina has been the Devil for over 150 years, and the demons of Hell hate her. Not only is she a woman, and a human, but she’s trying to modernize Hell, bringing technology to Dis, and treating monsters like employees instead of slaves.

Blasphemy to the natural order.

A conspiracy congeals to take down Katrina by summoning the Four Horsemen and initiating the cataclysmic destruction that is Ragnarök.

If the demon dukes succeed, the Universe is doomed.

Only Katrina, Julia, Akta, and Kimberly have any chance of stopping the world from descending into chaos.

Join these four heroes as they smash, kick, punch, and generally battle to save Earth in this epic team-up book. If you love action, adventure, magic, and demons, then And Conquest Followed Behind Them is for you.]]> 386 Russell Nohelty Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, book-funnel 5.00 Conquest (The Godsverse Chronicles, #9)
author: Russell Nohelty
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: to-read, book-funnel
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Magic (Godsverse Chronicles #1)]]> 215012730 Ollie wasn't looking for trouble, but after she saved the Antichrist from being slaughtered, it came for her.

Ollie lived by one rule. Never get involved with anyone for any reason; humans, demons, fae folk, it didn't matter. They were all trouble. Keeping her distance was how she survived in the criminal underworld for so long.

Keep your head down and don't piss anyone off. That was her motto, especially since her clients all had access to powerful dark magic.

She thought she had a flawless system for keeping her nose clean, so how did she wind up in a stolen car, with a demon spawn in her back seat, driving away from her ex-lover and a gang of demons ready to skin her alive?


That's a good question.

And why did she agree to help save the demon's life so she didn't get sacrificed to open the gates of Hell?
An even better question.

She had one rule. One stupid rule. And tonight...it goes right down the toilet.

Now, the only way for Ollie to get her life back is to save the girl, prevent the Apocalypse, and track down the people who betrayed her.

They will pay. Oh yes, they will all pay.]]> 376 Russell Nohelty Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, own-kindle 4.20 Magic (Godsverse Chronicles #1)
author: Russell Nohelty
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: to-read, own-kindle
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Pale Night, Red Fields: A Spellbinders Novella (The Spellbinders and the Gunslingers)]]> 130241140
There is a growing fascination among the Dusk Tribe with the land of the dead. The Tribe's shamans work tirelessly day and night to find a path to communion with their people's lost souls, but answers are slow to uncover.

As both the son of a shaman and the Tribe's only Futureseer, Zarrow is ordered to view the days and weeks ahead to reveal the source of the Tribe's successful discovery, but when he does so, he finds not celebration, but destruction. Devastation. Sacrifice. And those closest to him bloodied by it all. Zarrow must find a way to prevent his visions from coming to pass, and he must do so quickly.

For the pale night approaches, and it promises a curse that may leave the Dusk Tribe forever haunted.]]> 79 Joseph John Lee Karen ⚜Mess� 4 This was a really GOOD novella

Great story plot and introduction to the world. Fantastic storytelling, I must say! I own the next book and I've moved it up on my TBR. And if I don't read it by the end of 2023, someone feel free to beat me with a wet noodle.

****It's now 2025 and no one has beaten with a wet noodle. SMH. ****]]> 4.00 Pale Night, Red Fields: A Spellbinders Novella (The Spellbinders and the Gunslingers)
author: Joseph John Lee
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/06/16
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: novella-novelette-shorts, book-funnel
review:
This was a really GOOD novella

Great story plot and introduction to the world. Fantastic storytelling, I must say! I own the next book and I've moved it up on my TBR. And if I don't read it by the end of 2023, someone feel free to beat me with a wet noodle.

****It's now 2025 and no one has beaten with a wet noodle. SMH. ****
]]> <![CDATA[The Dowager Magus (Spellslinger, #1.1)]]> 41953679
This is one of several short stories that you can read for free after signing up for the author's newsletter: htt ps: //decastell. com/secrets/]]> 28 Sebastien de Castell Karen ⚜Mess� 0 3.91 2018 The Dowager Magus (Spellslinger, #1.1)
author: Sebastien de Castell
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: to-read, book-funnel, novella-novelette-shorts
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Bleeding Stone (The Spellbinders and the Gunslingers, #1)]]> 61201387
In the unconquered north, the Stone Tribe has for fifteen years offered a safe haven for the southern Tribes displaced by Aritz's Invaders, whose occupying march north has been ostensibly halted by a dense forest barrier dividing north and south. Among the Stone people lives Sen, an outcast for the circumstances of her birth, preserved in society only by her status as daughter of her Tribe's Chief. Forever relegated to the fringes of society, she is forced to watch as countless of her kin, including her sister and brother, complete their rites of passage into adulthood and accordingly earn their aptitudes by the Deity to whom they share an affinity - the Bear, the Wolf, or the Owl.

Despite this, Sen finds comfort in her life of forced solitude with her close inner circle, but hers is a comfort in days of waning tenuous peace. When Aritz's technologically-advanced forces push north, Sen is thrust into a singular quest to rescue one of her precious few captured in the ensuing struggle. While her goal is earnest - save someone dear to her and prove her worth to her Tribe - her people's goal is far more dire: survival in the face of uncertainty.]]> 387 Joseph John Lee Karen ⚜Mess� 0 4.04 The Bleeding Stone (The Spellbinders and the Gunslingers, #1)
author: Joseph John Lee
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.04
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: to-read, own-kindle, next, 2025-tbr
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Drumindor (The Riyria Chronicles, #5)]]> 208141987 HE PLANNED TO OBLITERATE AN ENTIRE CITY. HE THOUGHT NO ONE COULD STAND IN HIS WAY. BUT HE HADN'T HEARD OF RIYRIA.

When a master-craftsmen dwarf is fired, he threatens retaliation. The rogues-for-hire known as Riyria are commissioned to find and stop him. Traveling to the paradise resort of Tur Del Fur, the two are granted a lavish allowance that, along with the easy job, promises to turn the trip into a vacation. Everything would have been perfect except that the disgruntled employee’s last name is Berling and the target of his wrath is the legendary towers of Drumindor.

It's been more than five years since the last adventure with Royce Melborn (a cynical ex-assassin) and Hadrian Blackwater (an idealistic ex-mercenary), a pair whose bonds of friendship are bound with blood. This is the 20th novel based in the world of Elan, the 5th in the Riyria Chronicle series, and the eleventh starring Royce and Hadrian tale.]]> 528 Michael J. Sullivan 194336351X Karen ⚜Mess� 1 chonker, book-funnel KICKSTARTER is live! I'm backing Sullivan with a pledge for a digital copy. Wipe away this bad memory.

Me looking at all the 5 stars. I just don't get it.

Stare Blinking GIF by MOODMAN

I was more forgiving with The Legends of the First Empire because it was not Riyria. For Novron's Sake, Sullivan turned my Riyria boys into a Romantasy. And not a very good one!

Celebrity gif. Actor Kristen Bell dramatically gestures to the back of her throat and mimics gagging.

To top it off, that Kickstarter was a shitshow. It was all Robin's fault too.
]]> 4.36 2024 Drumindor (The Riyria Chronicles, #5)
author: Michael J. Sullivan
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2024
rating: 1
read at: 2024/12/30
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: chonker, book-funnel
review:
KICKSTARTER is live! I'm backing Sullivan with a pledge for a digital copy. Wipe away this bad memory.

Me looking at all the 5 stars. I just don't get it.

Stare Blinking GIF by MOODMAN

I was more forgiving with The Legends of the First Empire because it was not Riyria. For Novron's Sake, Sullivan turned my Riyria boys into a Romantasy. And not a very good one!

Celebrity gif. Actor Kristen Bell dramatically gestures to the back of her throat and mimics gagging.

To top it off, that Kickstarter was a shitshow. It was all Robin's fault too.

]]> <![CDATA[Praying for Rain (The Rain Trilogy, #1)]]> 44064905 Alternate cover edition of ASIN B07Q58FWZZ

From the author of 44 Chapters About 4 Men (inspiration for the Netflix Original series, Sex/Life) comes an immersive dystopian romance unlike anything you’ve ever read.

“None of this matters, and we’re all going to die.�

With only three days left until the predicted apocalypse, the small town of Franklin Springs, Georgia, has become a wasteland of abandoned cars, abandoned homes, abandoned businesses, and abandoned people. People like Rainbow Williams.

Rain isn’t afraid of dying. In fact, she’s looking forward to it. If she can just outrun her pain until April 23, she’ll never have to feel it at all.

“Supplies. Shelter. Self-defense.�

Wes Parker has survived every horrible thing this life has thrown at him with nothing more than his resourcefulness and disarming good looks. Why should the end of the world be any different? All he needs are some basic supplies, shelter, and a sucker willing to help him out, which is exactly what he finds when he returns to his hometown of Franklin Springs.

As society crumbles, dangers mount, and secrets refuse to stay buried, two lost souls are thrust together in a twist of fate—one who will do anything to survive and one who can’t wait to die.

Perhaps, together, they can learn how to live.

Before their time runs out.]]> 224 B.B. Easton Karen ⚜Mess� 0 3.97 2019 Praying for Rain (The Rain Trilogy, #1)
author: B.B. Easton
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: to-read, own-kindle, book-funnel
review:

]]> Blood Over Bright Haven 208430658 Magic has made the city of Tiran an industrial utopia, but magic has a cost—and the collectors have come calling.

An orphan since the age of four, Sciona has always had more to prove than her fellow students. For twenty years, she has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fueled by a mad desire to achieve the impossible: to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry. When she finally claws her way up the ranks to become a highmage, however, she finds that her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues will stop at nothing to let her know she is unwelcome, beginning with giving her a janitor instead of a qualified lab assistant.

What neither Sciona nor her peers realize is that her taciturn assistant was once more than a janitor; before he mopped floors for the mages, Thomil was a nomadic hunter from beyond Tiran’s magical barrier. Ten years have passed since he survived the perilous crossing that killed his family. But working for a highmage, he sees the opportunity to finally understand the forces that decimated his tribe, drove him from his homeland, and keep the Tiranish in power.

Through their fractious relationship, mage and outsider uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever—if it doesn’t get them killed first. Sciona has defined her life by the pursuit of truth, but how much is one truth worth with the fate of civilization in the balance?

A standalone dark academia brimming with mystery, tragedy, and the damning echoes of the past. For fans of Leigh Bardugo, V. E. Schwab, and Fullmetal Alchemist.

(Content warnings for gore, sexual assault, and suicidal ideation)]]> 430 M.L. Wang 0593873351 Karen ⚜Mess� 5
M.L. Wang is a fucking great storyteller. Her dialogue was on point. Everything, even the emotions were visual. I paired my reading with the audio and Moira Quirk's narration was outstanding. I've heard other Moira Quirk stories, but M.L. Wang's writing truly made Moira shine.

Can you believe this is my first M.L. Wang story? I've had The Sword of Kaigen for years and haven't read it. That needs to change.

Do yourself a solid and read this gem.]]> 4.40 2023 Blood Over Bright Haven
author: M.L. Wang
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/19
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: standalone, chuffed-covers, machalo-bingo-2025, machalo-tbr-2025, my-eyes-leaked
review:
Holy fuck. That ending ripped me to shreds. I'm not ok!

M.L. Wang is a fucking great storyteller. Her dialogue was on point. Everything, even the emotions were visual. I paired my reading with the audio and Moira Quirk's narration was outstanding. I've heard other Moira Quirk stories, but M.L. Wang's writing truly made Moira shine.

Can you believe this is my first M.L. Wang story? I've had The Sword of Kaigen for years and haven't read it. That needs to change.

Do yourself a solid and read this gem.
]]> <![CDATA[The Severing Son (The Sundered Nation #1)]]> 62977332 It was in pursuit of one such warband when Elan’s host discovered the hidden compound of the Outcast. She’d heard how the former chieftain of the mighty Amalus Clan had been unjustly accused of murdering his rival. How the conflict had begun over a woman. How the Outcast’s son—born of that same woman—perfectly matched the prophecy’s foretelling of the Bringer.
Prophecy aside, it seemed that fate had led Elan into the midst of a legend. Because of a choice made in the heat of battle, Elan found herself bound to an outlaw hunted by friend and foe alike. Whether she believed in the prophecy or not, she found herself entangled with a lone figure who vowed to seek the sort of upheaval that might just change the world.
Could Vahldan, son of the Outcast, truly be the Bringer of Urrinan?]]> 538 Vaughn Roycroft Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, chonker 3.67 The Severing Son (The Sundered Nation #1)
author: Vaughn Roycroft
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.67
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: to-read, chonker
review:

]]> The Beast Hunters Blood Oath 99047824
A new king reigns over Ashbourn, relentlessly spreading his plague to every soul in the city. Ashbourn plunges into despair as his dark power turns citizens into mindless fanatics.

The maniacal zealots force his tainted blood down the throats of the people, and the city falls into chaos. Unable to stop the king’s crazed horde from growing within the city, only a single district stands against his might. With the whole of Ashbourn clawing at their walls, it’s only a matter of time before they are overrun.

Hope fades as Ara scrambles to uncover the secrets to defeating this new king, their dark connection revealing to her his inevitable progress towards total domination. The fraction of his power coursing through the veins of her tainted arm might give Ashbourn and the beast hunters the hope they need—unless it’s all part of his plan.]]> Christer Lende Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, own-kindle 4.42 2023 The Beast Hunters Blood Oath
author: Christer Lende
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: to-read, own-kindle
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Anji Kills a King (The Rising Tide, #1)]]> 217387849 An unlikely assassin struggles to escape a legendary bounty hunter in this breakneck fantasy debut that will grab you by the throat—perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie, R.F. Kuang, and Christopher Buehlman.

She killed for a cause. Will she die for it too?

Anji works as a castle servant, cleaning laundry for a king she hates. So when a rare opportunity presents itself, she seizes the chance to cut his throat. Then she runs for her life. In her wake, the kingdom is thrown into disarray, while a bounty bigger than anyone could imagine lands on her head.

On her heels are the fabled mercenaries of the Menagerie, whose animal-shaped masks are magical relics rumored to give them superhuman powers. It’s the Hawk who finds Anji a surly, aging swordswoman who has her own reasons for keeping Anji alive and out of the hands of her fellow bounty hunters, if only long enough to collect the reward herself.

With the rest of the Menagerie on their trail, so begins an alliance as tenuous as it is temporary—and a race against death that will decide Anji’s fate, and may change the course of a kingdom.]]> 368 Evan Leikam 125036924X Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 4.13 2025 Anji Kills a King (The Rising Tide, #1)
author: Evan Leikam
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Lucky Day 217387953 Lucky Day is the newest novel of terror from Chuck Tingle, USA Today bestselling author of Bury Your Gays, where one woman must go up against the most horrifying concept of all: nothing.

Vera is a survivor of a global catastrophe known as the Low Probability Event, but she definitely isn't thriving. Once a passionate professor of statistics, she no longer finds meaning in anything at all.

But when problematic government agent Layne knocks on her door, she's the only one who can help him uncover the connection between deadly spates of absurdity and an improbably lucky casino. What's happening in Vegas isn't staying there, and the world is at risk of another disaster.

When it comes to Chuck Tingle, the only thing more terrifying than a serious horror novel is an absurd one...]]> 240 Chuck Tingle 1250398657 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, spooky, standalone 4.51 2025 Lucky Day
author: Chuck Tingle
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read, spooky, standalone
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sword of the Fallen (Hearts of Dragons, #1)]]> 221860892 - From Kindle Storyteller Award Winner G J Ogden -

A dragon's heart has the power to forge kingdoms - or burn them to ash.

Sir Torin Cadwell has always been caught between worlds—Knight-Captain of the Watch, yet the tyrant king’s illegitimate son. His bloodline is both his burden and his destiny, cursed by a generations-old feud with Kyhrax, the most feared dragon in all of Westskyr.

For centuries, the city of Dun Morlaig has survived behind the Breath, a magical barrier powered by the crystallized heart of Astreya, the Great Mother dragon. But when Astreya's Lament—the legendary sword holding her heart—is stolen, the barrier begins to fail.

As Koblyn monsters and dragon cultists breach the defenses, Torin defies his king and joins forces with Ruxandra Elyr, a determined ranger of the Green Bow. Together, they must recover the sword before Kyhrax's vengeance is unleashed.

But the dragon’s wrath won't be satisfied with just one city. If Kyhrax cannot be stopped, his fury will consume all seven realms and usher in a new age where dragons rule—and realms burn.

Perfect for fans of epic fantasy in the tradition of Brandon Sanderson and John Gwynne, Sword of the Fallen is the gripping first book in the Hearts of Dragons trilogy. Begin your adventure today! ]]> 544 G.J. Ogden Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, chonker, dragons 4.50 Sword of the Fallen (Hearts of Dragons, #1)
author: G.J. Ogden
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.50
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: to-read, chonker, dragons
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lancelot (The Arthurian Tales, #1)]]> 40499453
Yet he is gifted, and under the watchful eyes of Merlin and the Lady Nimue he will hone his talents and begin his journey to manhood. He will meet Guinevere, a wild, proud and beautiful girl, herself outcast because of her gift. And he will be dazzled by Arthur, a warrior who carries the hopes of a people like fire in the dark. But these are times of struggle and blood, when even friendship and love seem doomed to fail.

The gods are vanishing beyond the reach of dreams. Treachery and jealousy rule men’s hearts and the fate of Britain itself rests on a sword’s edge.

But the young renegade who left his home in Benoic with just a hunting bird and dreams of revenge is now a lord of war. He is a man loved and hated, admired and feared. A man forsaken but not forgotten. He is Lancelot.

Set in a 5th century Britain besieged by invading bands of Saxons and Franks, Irish and Picts, Giles Kristian's epic new novel tells - through the warrior's own words - the story of Lancelot, that most celebrated of all King Arthur's knights. It is a story ready to be re-imagined for our times.]]> 635 Giles Kristian 0552174009 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, chonker, 2025-tbr 4.20 2018 Lancelot (The Arthurian Tales, #1)
author: Giles Kristian
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: to-read, chonker, 2025-tbr
review:

]]> The Beast Hunters 62593225 250 Christer Lende Karen ⚜Mess� 4 If there's something strange
In your neighborhood
Who you gonna call?
BEAST HUNTERS!
The Beast Hunters are the exterminators in the fantasy world. Getting rid of your naughty nuisances and possibly sneaking a little "work enhancement" drug on the side.

This was a fun read with a few little surprises. The ending was great and left me wanting more. I'm eager to see what the next book has in store!]]> 4.00 2021 The Beast Hunters
author: Christer Lende
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/09
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: machalo-bingo-2025, machalo-tbr-2025
review:
If there's something strange
In your neighborhood
Who you gonna call?
BEAST HUNTERS!

The Beast Hunters are the exterminators in the fantasy world. Getting rid of your naughty nuisances and possibly sneaking a little "work enhancement" drug on the side.

This was a fun read with a few little surprises. The ending was great and left me wanting more. I'm eager to see what the next book has in store!
]]> Those Who Dwell in Darkness 200605994 The hunt for a serial killer leads a vampire agent to uncover a terrifying conspiracy in this dark urban fantasy by the author of the Hellequin Chronicles.

Vampires and humans live side by side thanks to an uneasy peace maintained by the Assembly. As an Arbiter for the powerful organization, Miles Watson is authorized to act as judge, jury, and executioner for anyone—living or undead—who breaks the law. But now Miles is up against a threat more sinister than anything he’s seen in his centuries as a vampire.

A criminal network in London is offering wealthy humans the chance to become vampires without the Assembly’s consent. When the process goes disastrously wrong, the Boss wants to eliminate any trace of the fiasco. But a rogue enforcer refuses to play along, and trouble quickly escalates out of anyone’s control.

As Miles sets off searching for the illegal vampires, he finds himself on the trail of a monstrous serial killer. The twisty investigation takes him from London’s deadly underworld to the rural backwaters of the Pacific Northwest—where an even more devious criminal enterprise threatens all of vampire-kind . . .

Known for his terrifying tales of urban fantasy, author Steve McHugh goes even deeper into the shadows with this noirish vampire thriller, which masterfully combines suspenseful plotting and intricate world-building.]]> 359 Steve McHugh 1039446981 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, vampires 4.48 2023 Those Who Dwell in Darkness
author: Steve McHugh
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: to-read, vampires
review:

]]> <![CDATA[This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me (Maggie the Undying, #1)]]> 220061020 Game of Thrones meets Outlander in This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me

When Maggie wakes up, cold, naked, and filthy in Kair Toren, a city in the kingdom of Rellas, she recognizes it immediately. It’s the world she knows intimately from the pages of an unfinished dark fantasy series she’s been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel. With no idea how or why she landed in this gritty, violent world, she’s determined to survive until she can figure out how to get home with her only tools � an encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, setting, and the characters� actions, motivations, and fates: information she can sell to the highest bidder � all while staying under the radar so as not to change the very information she plans to barter.

Soon Maggie discovers another surprising “skill�: she cannot be killed (though many will try.) And as she becomes more attached to the motley band she’s somehow gathered � which includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, a dangerous soldier, and various outrageous magic creatures � she abandons all thoughts of lying low for her own good. Instead she finds herself trying to save them, and the Kingdom of Rellas from the cataclysmic war she knows is coming.]]> Ilona Andrews Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 5.00 2026 This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me (Maggie the Undying, #1)
author: Ilona Andrews
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Chrysmaws Case, a Khendric and Topper Short Story]]> 228874848
Get this story for free by signing up for his Newsletter.

Trapped in a cursed manor, magically barred from leaving, Khendric and Topper find themselves at the mercy of a powerful entity that thrives on deception. To survive, they must unravel the secrets behind its rules—one wrong move means enslavement, or worse.

But other powerful forces are at play in the manor too. A hooded stranger with a cane and a monocle offers Khendric a mystical, time-altering coin and cryptic knowledge of their predicament before vanishing beyond the invisible barrier. Outsmarted and forced to choose between saving Topper or the love of his life, Darlaene, Khendric flips the coin in desperation—hurtling back in time to the moment he first received it.

With each flip, their chances dwindle.
Every deal is laced with deadly loopholes.
Every riddle conceals a cruel trick.

Their only hope is to outwit the master of deception before the final gamble seals their fate forever.

Can they free Topper from the clutches of the creature and break Darlaene’s binding contract before their mystical coin runs out?]]> Christer Lende Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, own-kindle 5.00 The Chrysmaws Case, a Khendric and Topper Short Story
author: Christer Lende
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves: to-read, own-kindle
review:

]]> Lone Women 200285620
Adelaide Henry carries an enormous steamer trunk with her wherever she goes. It’s locked at all times. Because when the trunk opens, people around Adelaide start to disappear.

The year is 1915, and Adelaide is in trouble. Her secret sin killed her parents, forcing her to flee California in a hellfire rush and make her way to Montana as a homesteader. Dragging the trunk with her at every stop, she will become one of the “lone women� taking advantage of the government’s offer of free land for those who can tame it—except that Adelaide isn’t alone. And the secret she’s tried so desperately to lock away might be the only thing that will help her survive the harsh territory.

Crafted by a modern master of magical suspense, Lone Women blends shimmering prose, an unforgettable cast of adventurers who find horror and sisterhood in a brutal landscape, and a portrait of early-twentieth-century America like you’ve never seen. And at its heart is the gripping story of a woman desperate to bury her past—or redeem it.]]> 304 Victor LaValle 0525512101 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 3.80 2023 Lone Women
author: Victor LaValle
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: to-read, own-kindle, standalone
review:

]]> The Devil in Silver 18891687 NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
The New York Times Book Review � The Washington Post � Publishers Weekly

New Hyde Hospital’s psychiatric ward has a new resident. It also has a very, very old one.

Pepper is a rambunctious big man, minor-league troublemaker, working-class hero (in his own mind), and, suddenly, the surprised inmate of a budget-strapped mental institution in Queens, New York. He’s not mentally ill, but that doesn’t seem to matter. He is accused of a crime he can’t quite square with his memory. In the darkness of his room on his first night, he’s visited by a terrifying creature with the body of an old man and the head of a bison who nearly kills him before being hustled away by the hospital staff. It’s no delusion: The other patients confirm that a hungry devil roams the hallways when the sun goes down. Pepper rallies three other inmates in a plot to fight back: Dorry, an octogenarian schizophrenic who’s been on the ward for decades and knows all its secrets; Coffee, an African immigrant with severe OCD, who tries desperately to send alarms to the outside world; and Loochie, a bipolar teenage girl who acts as the group’s enforcer. Battling the pill-pushing staff, one another, and their own minds, they try to kill the monster that’s stalking them. But can the Devil die?

The Devil in Silver brilliantly brings together the compelling themes that spark all of Victor LaValle’s radiant fiction: faith, race, class, madness, and our relationship with the unseen and the uncanny. More than that, it’s a thrillingly suspenseful work of literary horror about friendship, love, and the courage to slay our own demons.

Praise for The Devil in Silver

“A fearless exploration of America’s heart of darkness . . . a dizzying high-wire act.Ũ�The Washington Post

“LaValle never writes the same book and his recent is a stunner. . . . Fantastical, hellish and hilarious.Ũ�Los Angeles Times

“It’s simply too bighearted, too gentle, too kind, too culturally observant and too idiosyncratic to squash into the small cupboard of any one genre, or even two.Ũ�The New York Times Book Review

“Embeds a sophisticated critique of contemporary America’s inhumane treatment of madness in a fast-paced story that is by turns horrifying, suspenseful, and comic.Ũ�The Boston Globe

“LaValle uses the thrills of horror to draw attention to timely matters. And he does so without sucking the joy out of the genre. . . . A striking and original American novelist.Ũ�The New Republic


From the Hardcover edition.]]> 434 Victor LaValle Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, spooky, standalone 3.68 2012 The Devil in Silver
author: Victor LaValle
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: to-read, spooky, standalone
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Witness for the Dead (The Cemeteries of Amalo #1)]]> 57503294 Katherine Addison returns to the glittering world she created for her beloved novel, 'The Goblin Emperor', in this stand-alone sequel.

When the young half-goblin emperor Maia sought to learn who had killed his father and half-brothers, he turned to an obscure resident of his Court, a Prelate of Ulis and a Witness for the Dead. Thara Celehar found the truth, though it did him no good to discover it. He lost his place as a retainer of his cousin the former Empress, and made far too many enemies among the many factions vying for power in the new Court. The favor of the Emperor is a dangerous coin.

Now Celehar lives in the city of Amalo, far from the Court though not exactly in exile. He has not escaped from politics, but his position gives him the ability to serve the common people of the city, which is his preference. He lives modestly, but his decency and fundamental honesty will not permit him to live quietly. As a Witness for the Dead, he can, sometimes, speak to the recently dead: see the last thing they saw, know the last thought they had, experience the last thing they felt. it is his duty to use that ability to resolve disputes, to ascertain the intent of the dead, to find the killers of the murdered.

Celehar's skills now lead him out of the quiet and into a morass of treachery, murder, and injustice. No matter his own background with the imperial house, Celehar will stand with the commoners, and possibly find a light in the darkness.]]> 320 Katherine Addison 1781089515 Karen ⚜Mess� 1
cat eye roll GIF]]> 4.01 2021 The Witness for the Dead (The Cemeteries of Amalo #1)
author: Katherine Addison
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2021
rating: 1
read at: 2025/03/05
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves: machalo-bingo-2025, machalo-buddy-read, machalo-tbr-2025
review:
Another one not for me.

cat eye roll GIF
]]> <![CDATA[Dragon Thief (The Skystone Chronicles, #1)]]> 107769711 Best Book of the Year 2023 - Indies Today

Asher of Steel Rim is an outcast dragon rider who steals from nobles to help save what remains of his family.

But, when one particular job catches the eye of a band of magi outlaws, they want to recruit him for his biggest job to steal a true dragon egg.

It might be the opportunity he's been waiting for. Not just to gain riches, but to get revenge on the head of the Mage Hunters—The Black Valkyrie.

The start of a new dragon rider epic combining the best of Eragon and the Last Airbender, with the hard magic of Brandon Sanderson.

"An exciting fantasy adventure and a great start to a promising new series." � Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Dragon Thief is a witty fantasy that invites us into an immersive new world populated with characters you'll either fiercely love or love to hate." � Dave Allen, Indies Today staff

"Fantasy lovers of all ages will appreciate this energetic tale that is brimming with epic quests, saucy characters, and magical mayhem." � R.C. Gibson, Editorial Reviewer ]]> 489 Blake Penn Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, dragons 4.25 Dragon Thief (The Skystone Chronicles, #1)
author: Blake Penn
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: to-read, dragons
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Turn of Light (Night's Edge, #1)]]> 11711794
Jenn Nalynn belongs to both Verge and Marrowdell, but even she doesn't know how special she is--or that her invisible friend Wisp is actually a dragon sent to guard her... and keep her from leaving the valley. But Jenn longs to see the world, and thinking that a husband will help her reach this goal, she decides to create one using spells. Of course, everything goes awry, and suddenly her "invisible friend" has been transformed into a man. But he is not the only newcomer to Marrowdell, and far from the most dangerous of those who are suddenly finding their way to the valley...]]> 864 Julie E. Czerneda 0756407079 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, chonker, overdrive 3.71 2013 A Turn of Light (Night's Edge, #1)
author: Julie E. Czerneda
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: to-read, chonker, overdrive
review:

]]> <![CDATA[An Inkling of Flame: A Song of the Damned novella]]> 223627247 Tell me how it happened...

Layne was a soldier, conscripted to fight under the Fox in a vengeance fueled march. He, and his friends, were due for a fated confrontation, one that has ended in blood and loss. Now, the inquisitors want to hear every detail of his conscription, his training, and the duel against the assassin in grey.

A backwards narrative full of banter and blood Z.B. Steele presents An Inkling of Flame, a Song of the Damned novella.]]> 89 Z.B. Steele Karen ⚜Mess� 0 4.39 An Inkling of Flame: A Song of the Damned novella
author: Z.B. Steele
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.39
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: to-read, own-kindle, chuffed-covers, novella-novelette-shorts
review:

]]> Once Was Willem 212987930 From the bestselling author M. R. Carey comes an utterly unique and enchantingly dark epic fantasy fable like no other.

This is the tale of Once Was Willem, who - eleven hundred and some years after the death of Christ, in the kingdom that had but recently begun to call itself England - rose from the dead to defeat a great evil facing the humble village of Cosham.

Pennick for all its beauty was ever a place with a dark reputation. The forests of the Chase were said to be home to nixies and boggarts, and there was a common belief, passed down through many generations, that the castle housed an unquiet ghost of terrible and malign power. These rumours I can attest were all true; indeed they fell short of the truth by a long way . . .]]> 310 M.R. Carey 0316505129 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, spooky, own 4.09 2025 Once Was Willem
author: M.R. Carey
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: to-read, spooky, own
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Worlds Apart (Flame of Deception, #2)]]> 216868431 596 Matt Trevizo Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 4.56 Worlds Apart (Flame of Deception, #2)
author: Matt Trevizo
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.56
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Red Wolf Conspiracy (The Chathrand Voyage, #1)]]> 2408602
For the ship’s true mission is not peace but war—a war that threatens to rekindle an ancient power long thought lost. As the Chathrand navigates treacherous waters, Thasha must seek unlikely allies—including a magic-cursed deckhand, a stowaway tribe of foot-high warriors, and a singularly heroic rat—and enter a treacherous web of intrigue to uncover the secret of the legendary Red Wolf.

The Chathrand is the last of her kind. Now, having survived countless battles and centuries of typhoons, it has gone missing. This is her story.]]> 560 Robert V.S. Redick 0575081775 Karen ⚜Mess� 3 chonker
This book was 4,229 pages long. I don't know what happened here. WONDERFUL world building, characters and story to tell. An attention grabber it's not. My mind kept wandering. When it took me 2 days to read 8 pages I knew I had to take a break.

Dear Red Wolf. I want to love you so much. I even bought the next two books and gave you 3 stars instead of 2. Stop making me sad and get better.
sad batman GIF
]]> 3.70 2008 The Red Wolf Conspiracy (The Chathrand Voyage, #1)
author: Robert V.S. Redick
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2021/06/17
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: chonker
review:
75 Years Later | SpongeBob Time Card #83 - YouTube
This book was 4,229 pages long. I don't know what happened here. WONDERFUL world building, characters and story to tell. An attention grabber it's not. My mind kept wandering. When it took me 2 days to read 8 pages I knew I had to take a break.

Dear Red Wolf. I want to love you so much. I even bought the next two books and gave you 3 stars instead of 2. Stop making me sad and get better.
sad batman GIF

]]> Aurora 23197269 Brilliantly imagined and beautifully told, it is the work of a writer at the height of his powers.

Our voyage from Earth began generations ago.
Now, we approach our new home.
AURORA.]]> 466 Kim Stanley Robinson 0316098108 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, my-eyes-leaked 3.76 2015 Aurora
author: Kim Stanley Robinson
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: to-read, my-eyes-leaked
review:

]]> A Monster Calls 25480342 The bestselling novel about love, loss and hope from the twice Carnegie Medal-winning Patrick Ness.

Conor has the same dream every night, ever since his mother first fell ill, ever since she started the treatments that don't quite seem to be working. But tonight is different. Tonight, when he wakes, there's a visitor at his window. It's ancient, elemental, a force of nature. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth.

Patrick Ness takes the final idea of the late, award-winning writer Siobhan Dowd and weaves an extraordinary and heartbreaking tale of mischief, healing and above all, the courage it takes to survive.]]> 237 Patrick Ness 1406361801 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 my-eyes-leaked, to-read 4.28 2011 A Monster Calls
author: Patrick Ness
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves: my-eyes-leaked, to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, #3)]]> 8176885 Who is the Hero of Ages?

To end the Final Empire and restore freedom, Vin killed the Lord Ruler. But as a result, the Deepness—the lethal form of the ubiquitous mists—is back, along with increasingly heavy ashfalls and ever more powerful earthquakes. Humanity appears to be doomed.

Having escaped death at the climax of The Well of Ascension only by becoming a Mistborn himself, Emperor Elend Venture hopes to find clues left behind by the Lord Ruler that will allow him to save the world. Vin is consumed with guilt at having been tricked into releasing the mystic force known as Ruin from the Well. Ruin wants to end the world, and its near omniscience and ability to warp reality make stopping it seem impossible. Vin can't even discuss it with Elend lest Ruin learn their plans!]]> 785 Brandon Sanderson Karen ⚜Mess� 5

Buddy read with the MacHalos
Bet y'all thought I forgot about reviewing The Hero of Ages? Nope, not I! With this being the final book in the trilogy I was going to sum this up as a series. As you can see my feelings were shattered, and I felt my reaction spoke louder than words.

It was a long, long haul. At times it felt a bit too long. But in the end, as with each book, it took a toll on my heart and embedded a chunk into my soul that will always stay with me.

This amazing series had so many twists and unexpected turns and that ending just blew me off a cliff. This was the experience I have looked for in epic fantasy. Worth every minute I invested in reading and living this tale.

]]> 4.59 2008 The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, #3)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.59
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at: 2019/03/30
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: machalo-buddy-read, favorites, chonker, my-eyes-leaked
review:
RTC after I pick up my shattered feelers

Buddy read with the MacHalos
Bet y'all thought I forgot about reviewing The Hero of Ages? Nope, not I! With this being the final book in the trilogy I was going to sum this up as a series. As you can see my feelings were shattered, and I felt my reaction spoke louder than words.

It was a long, long haul. At times it felt a bit too long. But in the end, as with each book, it took a toll on my heart and embedded a chunk into my soul that will always stay with me.

This amazing series had so many twists and unexpected turns and that ending just blew me off a cliff. This was the experience I have looked for in epic fantasy. Worth every minute I invested in reading and living this tale.


]]> Dreadful 191729070 A sharp-witted, high fantasy farce featuring killer moat squid, toxic masculinity, evil wizards and a garlic festival - all at once. Perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, K. J. Parker and Travis Baldree.

It’s bad enough waking up in a half-destroyed evil wizard’s workshop with no eyebrows, no memories, and no idea how long you have before the Dread Lord Whomever shows up to murder you horribly and then turn your skull into a goblet or something.
It’s a lot worse when you realize that Dread Lord Whomever is� you.
Gav isn’t really sure how he ended up with a castle full of goblins, or why he has a princess locked in a cell. All he can do is play along with his own evil plan in hopes of getting his memories back before he gets himself killed.
But as he realizes that nothing � from the incredibly tasteless cloak adorned with flames to the aforementioned princess � is quite what it seems, Gav must face up to all the things the Dread Lord Gavrax has done. And he’ll have to answer the hardest question of all � who does he want to be?
Dread Lord Gavrax has had better weeks.]]> 368 Caitlin Rozakis Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, library, overdrive 3.87 2024 Dreadful
author: Caitlin Rozakis
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: to-read, library, overdrive
review:

]]> Snake-Eater 227929532 In an isolated desert town, a young woman seeking a fresh start is confronted by ancient gods, malevolent supernatural forces, and eccentric neighbours. A witty horror-tinged fantasy, perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Chuck Tingle, and Rachel Harrison.

When Selena travels to the remote desert town of Quartz Creek in search of her estranged Aunt Amelia, she is desperate and short of options. Fleeing an unhappy marriage, she has exactly twenty-seven dollars to her name, and her only friend in the world is her dog, Copper.

On arrival, Selena learns Amelia is dead. But the inhabitants of Quartz Creek are only too happy to have a new resident. Out of money and ideas, Selena sees no harm staying in her aunt's lovely house for a few weeks, tending to her garden and enjoying the strange, desolate beauty of the desert. The people are odd, but friendly, and eager to help Selena settle into her new home.

But Quartz Creek's inhabitants share their town with others, old gods and spirits whose claim to the land long predates their human neighbours. Selena finds herself pursued by disturbing apparitions, visitations that come in the night and seem to want something from her.

Aunt Amelia owed a debt. Now her god has come to collect.]]> T. Kingfisher 1835410057 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 0.0 2025 Snake-Eater
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 0.0
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Out of the Ashes 228237219
Following the destruction of the capital city of Percepliquis, this question plagued every Imperial citizen, but the choices made by three simple people will change the future forever. One decided she didn’t deserve to die. Another resolved to be the ruler he was meant to be. And the third went in search of a nefarious wizard named, Esrahaddon.

Return to the world of Elan in the last days of the dying Novronian Empire. Come back to the destruction and turmoil of a dying dream but stay because there is one last hope that is trying to crawl . . . out of the ashes.

In this debut novel, a devotee of the New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post bestselling author Michael J. Sullivan proves why it was wise to trust a complete unknown with his cherished world of Elan. Through this first book in the After the Fall series, you’ll learn the truth about the day Percepliquis fell and witness the birth of a new literary star.]]> 326 Michael J. Sullivan Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 4.83 Out of the Ashes
author: Michael J. Sullivan
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.83
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[From Cold Ashes Risen (The War Eternal, #3)]]> 61090371 Eskara has lost everything. The War Eternal has cost her everything she loves, and the Iron Legion has taken the rest. Yet there is something that is still hers, something that kept her warm during her time in the Pit. Anger and a lust for vengeance. First on the list of those who must pay, the Emperor of Terrelan.
Her friends counsel peace, but her inner demons push for war, and Eska finds herself caught in the middle. Will she find a way to reap her vengeance? Or will the enemies of her past catch up to her first? One thing is certain. The world will soon know fear when the Corpse Queen ascends her throne.
The stunning continuation to The War Eternal trilogy sees Eska facing her most dangerous enemies yet, both within and without. Perfect for fans of Patrick Rothfuss and Mark Lawrence.]]> 446 Rob J. Hayes 1915440025 Karen ⚜Mess� 5
Holy fuck, this one was good! I found myself reflecting back to the first story and admiring how far along I had travelled with Eska. Excellent character growth and world building. The second book did feel like a bit of a bridge between the books, but well worth the journey.

As a trilogy, this felt whole and complete. I know there are two more books, and I think they should have been made a duology. I hope they don’t take away from this epic tale from Hayes. Speaking of epic Hayes, I think I’m ready to start The God Eater Saga.
]]> 4.39 2020 From Cold Ashes Risen (The War Eternal, #3)
author: Rob J. Hayes
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: audible-library, machalo-bingo-2025, machalo-tbr-2025, my-eyes-leaked, chuffed-covers
review:
Breathless. Speechless. My little black heart cracked with this one.

Holy fuck, this one was good! I found myself reflecting back to the first story and admiring how far along I had travelled with Eska. Excellent character growth and world building. The second book did feel like a bit of a bridge between the books, but well worth the journey.

As a trilogy, this felt whole and complete. I know there are two more books, and I think they should have been made a duology. I hope they don’t take away from this epic tale from Hayes. Speaking of epic Hayes, I think I’m ready to start The God Eater Saga.

]]> <![CDATA[A Sojourn in the Sunset Forest (The Book of Astea)]]> 227870129 Four years before Riven Earth, the world is quieter, gentler.

Or so it seems.

Newlyweds Kaido and Jaswyn return home to find the Viceroy has already set their royal duties in motion.

Kaido must journey to the mountains with his father, drawn by the whispers of a forbidden faith. Jaswyn and Raia embark on the Oakington, the grandest ship ever built. Otto and Tilly plunge into the swamps of Tuno, hoping to rescue those left stranded by a flood.

Nothing goes to plan.

Open now the Book of Astea for one final sojourn in the Sunset Forest.

A Sojourn in the Sunset Forest is a companion novella to the Book of Astea duology. This story is best read after Riven Earth or even after Sundered Moon. ]]> 229 Zammar Ahmer Karen ⚜Mess� 0 4.33 2025 A Sojourn in the Sunset Forest (The Book of Astea)
author: Zammar Ahmer
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read, novella-novelette-shorts
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Sundered Moon (The Book of Astea 2)]]> 216305129 The sun is rising�

And it shall raze the world to ash.

Astea’s Link is broken. Plague ravages the kingdom. Blood is made stone, and the fate of all life is sealed.

Kaido has finally donned the crown. In search of a cure, his army marches into Hecata’s Desert. Will they find his people’s salvation or their destruction?

Revolt brews in the west. Maisades and Izelle have rallied the followers, and their eyes are set on the throne. Otto has delivered them Mithras� Link. Through her power, will they prevail?

Gods will be shattered. Blood shall be spilled. And from the crimson earth shall rise the heroes of Heartsong.

Open now the Book of Astea and learn what has been forgotten.

Sundered Moon is the thrilling conclusion to the Book of Astea duology. This gritty, epic fantasy series is perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive and Joe Abercrombie's First Law.]]> 357 Zammar Ahmer Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 4.23 2024 Sundered Moon (The Book of Astea 2)
author: Zammar Ahmer
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Order of Swans 211665659 In this spellbinding, fantasy-rich novel, a woman is swept into a world where she has the power to alter fairy tales, and change a kingdom’s destiny�

To Kaley Arens, a PhD student and expert in folklore, fairy stories have always had a power and an allure beyond mere entertainment.

It’s only when Kaley accompanies her lifelong friend Jobi on a visit to his home that she realizes how much she still has to learn. Bellis isn’t the remote island that she believed it to be. It’s another world—a stunningly beautiful and seductive one, with its own royalty, its own rules, and inhabitants who breathe life into the tales she was taught were fiction.

Kaley’s presence is no simple holiday. She has a mysterious connection with Jobi and with Bellis, and abilities that may help determine this world’s fate. Tasked with locating a lost prince, Kaley and her companions—the enigmatic Tanek, a member of the Order of Swans, and Sojee, Kaley's colossal bodyguard—journey through a land both thrilling and terrifying, where the uncanny and the familiar go hand in hand.

But in fairy tales, heroes and villains are easy to discern. Here, nothing is quite as it seems. And though Kaley is discovering that she can change the outcome of the fairy tales she knows so well, her own story is unfolding in ways impossible to predict, with a destiny she could never have foretold…]]> 336 Jude Deveraux 0778368424 Karen ⚜Mess� 1

I tried, but I knew my little black heart would reject this fluffy stuff.

a grinch is reading a book with the words hate hate hate double hate

Sometimes I can handle smut. The raunchier the funnier. But there was something off about Jude’s writing. It felt as though she dictated a story to a ghost writer, and it was written down in a dictated fashion. Could be AI. Whatever the conditions were, it was pretty bad. The synopsis was good and the cover was gorgeous.]]> 3.19 2025 Order of Swans
author: Jude Deveraux
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.19
book published: 2025
rating: 1
read at: 2025/02/14
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: chuffed-covers, machalo-bingo-2025
review:
Pin page

I tried, but I knew my little black heart would reject this fluffy stuff.

a grinch is reading a book with the words hate hate hate double hate

Sometimes I can handle smut. The raunchier the funnier. But there was something off about Jude’s writing. It felt as though she dictated a story to a ghost writer, and it was written down in a dictated fashion. Could be AI. Whatever the conditions were, it was pretty bad. The synopsis was good and the cover was gorgeous.
]]> Stone Blind 167001061 384 Natalie Haynes 0063258404 Karen ⚜Mess� 3 machalo-bingo-2025 3.73 2022 Stone Blind
author: Natalie Haynes
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/10
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: machalo-bingo-2025
review:
Entertaining. Not too bad. Something about mythology retellings never quite hook me. Natalie Haynes was too busy throwing everything in that I never got a chance to connect with any characters. The very beginning hooked me in, and I feel the story didn't live up to the opening.
]]> Witchcraft for Wayward Girls 207611566 There’s power in a book�

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they’re sent to the Wellwood Home in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There’s Rose, a hippie who insists she’s going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who knows she’s going to go home and marry her baby’s father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they’re allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what’s best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it’s never given freely. There’s always a price to be paid…and it’s usually paid in blood.

In Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, the author of How to Sell a Haunted House and The Final Girl Support Group delivers another searing, completely original novel and further cements his status as a “horror master� (NPR).]]> 482 Grady Hendrix 0593548981 Karen ⚜Mess� 5
Hendrix did a wonderful job describing the 70’s. I loved how he portrayed hippies and how “dangerous� they were made out to be. I remember when I was little and we were going to Disneyland. I wanted to wear my suede vest with the long fringe and matching headband. My brother told me I couldn’t because hippies weren’t allowed in Disneyland and they got arrested. I remember being so frightened. I can only imagine how devastating it would have been to be an under aged pregnant girl.

I loved the character Hagar. She had so many quick, one-liners I had to highlight. She was truly sick of everyone’s shit. And all those magic spells, makes me wonder if Grady Hendrix actually does dabble in the craft.
Amazon.com: Grady Hendrix: books, biography, latest update]]> 4.00 2025 Witchcraft for Wayward Girls
author: Grady Hendrix
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/07
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: knee-slapper, machalo-bingo-2025, machalo-tbr-2025, spooky
review:
Grady Hendrix is a fantastic storyteller. The words flow easily from the page and his stories are always sprinkled with knee slapping humor.

Hendrix did a wonderful job describing the 70’s. I loved how he portrayed hippies and how “dangerous� they were made out to be. I remember when I was little and we were going to Disneyland. I wanted to wear my suede vest with the long fringe and matching headband. My brother told me I couldn’t because hippies weren’t allowed in Disneyland and they got arrested. I remember being so frightened. I can only imagine how devastating it would have been to be an under aged pregnant girl.

I loved the character Hagar. She had so many quick, one-liners I had to highlight. She was truly sick of everyone’s shit. And all those magic spells, makes me wonder if Grady Hendrix actually does dabble in the craft.
Amazon.com: Grady Hendrix: books, biography, latest update
]]> <![CDATA[Excalibur (The Arthurian Chronicles #1)]]> 208941407
Britain's remaining kingdoms are jaded by the constant threat of war, their Kings old, alliances fickle and frayed. It seems Britain must fall enslaved to the brutal and marauding conquerors from across the sea.

But no one counted on a new and fearsome warlord. A warrior granted power by the druid Merlin through the mighty sword Excalibur. A man with no Kingdom but a quest to unite the country and fight back against the baying Saxon warriors? He is known as the legendary Arthur.

The compelling, fast-paced start of a brand new series from bestselling writer Peter Gibbons. Perfect for the fans of Bernard Cornwall.

Praise for the

'Epic, brutal action' - Matthew Harffy

'Bloody and brutal, Peter's vivid writing really brings the story to life.' - Donovan Cook

'A superbly atmospheric tale of redemption that pitches the English against Viking raiders and resounds with the fierceness of battle-hardened warriors' - MJ Porter

'Thunderously atmospheric! Gibbons once again proves himself a master of Viking & Dark Age lore.' - Gordon Doherty

'Absolutely cracking. The best Viking saga I've read in years. A joy to pick up again.' - Ross Greenwood]]> 320 Peter Gibbons 1835182267 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, overdrive 4.49 Excalibur (The Arthurian Chronicles #1)
author: Peter Gibbons
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.49
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: to-read, overdrive
review:

]]> The Storm Beneath the World 210615609 363 Michael R. Fletcher Karen ⚜Mess� 5 4.40 2024 The Storm Beneath the World
author: Michael R. Fletcher
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/30
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: chuffed-covers, machalo-tbr-2025, machalo-bingo-2025
review:

]]> The Wingspan of Treason 219186158
Former Invelmari prince Klaus surrendered everything to it. Now he’s fleeing a shattering betrayal and wondering why his parents want to kill him.

Neighbouring Derinda � a once-magnificent realm devastated by Invelmar’s damming of its mighty river � may offer Klaus a new life mapping distant roads. But feuding Derinda makes poor refuge for a fugitive mapmaker, and there’s no peace from his questions here. Questions about who his real family are. Questions about the sentient particles awakening in Derinda’s desert, intent on unearthing the devastating secret buried in its sands�

Because this desert wind is thick with poets and pirates, shamans and spaewives, and the answers are far worse than Klaus could have imagined. His loyalties to his beloved home are fast unravelling, and the desert clamours for a trial of Invelmar’s crimes. But can he separate vengeance from justice?

Does he even want to?

TRUTH IS A KNIFE. LOYALTY’S A CAGE. NO ONE IS INNOCENT.]]> 710 L. N. Bayen 1739509803 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 0.0 The Wingspan of Treason
author: L. N. Bayen
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: to-read, chonker, own-kindle, chuffed-covers
review:

]]> Glorious Exploits 127278133 An utterly original celebration of that which binds humanity across battle lines and history.

On the island of Sicily amid the Peloponnesian War, the Syracusans have figured out what to do with the surviving Athenians who had the gall to invade their city: they’ve herded the sorry prisoners of war into a rock quarry and left them to rot. Looking for a way to pass the time, Lampo and Gelon, two unemployed potters with a soft spot for poetry and drink, head down into the quarry to feed the Athenians if, and only if, they can manage a few choice lines from their great playwright Euripides. Before long, the two mates hatch a plan to direct a full-blown production of Medea. After all, you can hate the people but love their art. But as opening night approaches, what started as a lark quickly sets in motion a series of extraordinary events, and our wayward heroes begin to realize that staging a play can be as dangerous as fighting a war, with all sorts of risks to life, limb, and friendship.

Told in a contemporary Irish voice and as riotously funny as it is deeply moving, Glorious Exploits is an unforgettable ode to the power of art in a time of war, brotherhood in a time of enmity, and human will throughout the ages.]]> 304 Ferdia Lennon 1250893690 Karen ⚜Mess� 2
]]> 4.15 2024 Glorious Exploits
author: Ferdia Lennon
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: chuffed-covers, audible-library, machalo-bingo-2025, machalo-tbr-2025
review:
Meh


]]> <![CDATA[Shades of Grey (Shades of Grey, #1)]]> 2113260
Eddie Russett is an above-average Red who dreams of moving up the ladder. Until he is sent to the Outer Fringes where he meets Jane - a lowly Grey with an uncontrollable temper and a desire to see him killed.

For Eddie, it's love at first sight. But his infatuation will lead him to discover that all is not as it seems in a world where everything that looks black and white is really shades of grey...]]> 400 Jasper Fforde 0670019631 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, overdrive, 2025-tbr 4.15 2009 Shades of Grey (Shades of Grey, #1)
author: Jasper Fforde
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read, overdrive, 2025-tbr
review:

]]> Leviathan Wakes (Expanse, #1) 33391886 Leviathan Wakes is James S. A. Corey's first novel in the epic, New York Times bestselling series the Expanse, a modern masterwork of science fiction where humanity has colonized the solar system.

Two hundred years after migrating into space, mankind is in turmoil. When a reluctant ship's captain and washed-up detective find themselves involved in the case of a missing girl, what they discover brings our solar system to the brink of civil war, and exposes the greatest conspiracy in human history.]]> 583 James S.A. Corey Karen ⚜Mess� 0 4.38 2011 Leviathan Wakes (Expanse, #1)
author: James S.A. Corey
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read, library, overdrive, machalo-buddy-read, next
review:

]]> Level: Unknown 213924022 The magical world of Yensere holds the key to saving humanity from a horrific apocalypse. Too bad Nick can only get there in his dreams.

When an ancient alien artifact chooses research cadet Nick to explore the world stored within it—a place full of forgotten empires, heroes with strange powers, and monstrous creatures that he is automatically transported to when he sleeps—he finds he has no choice but to grow stronger within the realm of Yensere to uncover its mysteries.

But Yensere isn’t all fun exploration. In this land guided by statistics and levels,Nick is seen as a demonic threat by its diseased inhabitants and always killed on-sight.When he dies in Yensere, he awakens in his bed upon the research station, his body in a state of panic; when he sleeps again, Yensere drags him back for another life...and another death.

Nick can only keep this up for so long before he dies for real. But there’s a good chance Yensere holds the key to saving humanity from a terrible fate, and so he ventures on, getting stronger and stronger with each new enemy defeated. And there are a LOT of enemies to defeat�

From David Dalglish,author of The Vagrant Gods and The Keepers trilogies, comes the start of an exciting new LitRPG series.


About the Join Nick as he adventures throughthe incredible world of Yensere in this progression fantasy isekai. Featuring multiple POVs, traditional LitRPG elements, magic and fantasy weaponry combat, friendships, light romance, and sarcastic robot guides, this is the perfect series for anyone wishing they could explore the galaxy and fight terrifying liches at the same time.



]]> 438 David Dalglish 0316577375 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 arc, dnf 3.96 2025 Level: Unknown
author: David Dalglish
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves: arc, dnf
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #1)]]> 56791389 Alternate cover edition of ASIN B08BKGYQXW


The apocalypse will be televised!

A man. His ex-girlfriend's cat. A sadistic game show unlike anything in the universe: a dungeon crawl where survival depends on killing your prey in the most entertaining way possible.

In a flash, every human-erected construction on Earth—from Buckingham Palace to the tiniest of sheds—collapses in a heap, sinking into the ground.

The buildings and all the people inside have all been atomized and transformed into the dungeon: an 18-level labyrinth filled with traps, monsters, and loot. A dungeon so enormous, it circles the entire globe.

Only a few dare venture inside. But once you're in, you can't get out. And what's worse, each level has a time limit. You have but days to find a staircase to the next level down, or it's game over. In this game, it's not about your strength or your dexterity. It's about your followers, your views. Your clout. It's about building an audience and killing those goblins with style.

You can't just survive here. You gotta survive big.

You gotta fight with vigor, with excitement. You gotta make them stand up and cheer. And if you do have that "it" factor, you may just find yourself with a following. That's the only way to truly survive in this game—with the help of the loot boxes dropped upon you by the generous benefactors watching from across the galaxy.

They call it Dungeon Crawler World. But for Carl, it's anything but a game.]]> 446 Matt Dinniman Karen ⚜Mess� 3 MacHalos

Super funny and entertaining, especially since I'm a retired WOW player. Repetitive storytelling that felt like a highly skimmable tutorial. Bummer. ]]> 4.49 2020 Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #1)
author: Matt Dinniman
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/19
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: machalo-bingo-2025, machalo-buddy-read, machalo-tbr-2025, knee-slapper
review:
Buddy read with the MacHalos

Super funny and entertaining, especially since I'm a retired WOW player. Repetitive storytelling that felt like a highly skimmable tutorial. Bummer.
]]> <![CDATA[The Beast Hunters Dark Sovereign (The Beast Hunter of Ashbourn, #2)]]> 63846336
Despite not wanting to get involved in the coming coronation, Ara and the two beast hunters cannot deny the beastly nature of the clues they discover. Ara must adopt fake personas, infiltrate political galas, and pursue shadowy assassins. Still, the candidate’s monstrous nature eludes her. With the future of Ashbourn at stake, Ara has to solve the mystery before the new king is crowned.

Strangely, Ara’s abilities from Cornstead seem connected with the incidents that transpire during their investigation. Whispers in her mind foretell of sinister events, which she can slowly see come to life. The venom that grants her powers, seems to intertwine her fate with the dark creature threatening to be crowned king.

The second book in The Beast Hunter of Ashbourn series, Dark Sovereign offers a grand conspiracy, building on the events from the first book. Can Ara escape her connection to the ominous entity manipulating the Capital?]]> 310 Christer Lende 8269215023 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, own-kindle 4.50 2022 The Beast Hunters Dark Sovereign (The Beast Hunter of Ashbourn, #2)
author: Christer Lende
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: to-read, own-kindle
review:

]]> The Dollmaker of Kalastra 51964286
Khendric and Topper take the case and discover uncanny monstrosities, neighbourhoods with no residents, and a beastly infestation, all in hope of leading them closer to the creator of the abominations. Are the monsters themselves the threat . . . or what created them?

The ‘Dollmaker of Kalastra� takes place just before the events of ‘The Beast Hunters�, and tells a story about the two hunters before they take a young girl to be their beast hunter apprentice.

This book is FREE, and can be downloaded the Christer Lende's homepage. Simply google: AuthorCALende.]]> 43 Christer Lende Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, own-kindle 4.61 2020 The Dollmaker of Kalastra
author: Christer Lende
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: to-read, own-kindle
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Speaks the Nightbird (Matthew Corbett, #1)]]> 1525997
After hearing damning testimony, magistrate Woodward sentences the accused witch to death by burning. Desperate to exonerate the woman he has come to love, Matthew begins his own investigation among the townspeople. Piecing together the truth, he has no choice but to vanquish a force more malevolent than witchcraft in order to save his beloved Rachel and free Fount Royal from the menace claiming innocent lives.]]> 792 Robert McCammon 1416552502 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 4.13 2002 Speaks the Nightbird (Matthew Corbett, #1)
author: Robert McCammon
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2002
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Book of Life (All Souls, #3)]]> 16054217 The #1 New York Times bestselling series finale and sequel to A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night

Bringing the magic and suspense of the All Souls Trilogy to a deeply satisfying conclusion, this highly anticipated finale went straight to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In The Book of Life, Diana and Matthew time-travel back from Elizabethan London to make a dramatic return to the present—facing new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home, Sept-Tours, they reunite with the beloved cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency.]]> 561 Deborah Harkness 0670025593 Karen ⚜Mess� 5 4.15 2014 The Book of Life (All Souls, #3)
author: Deborah Harkness
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2015/01/17
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves:
review:

]]> Your Blood and Bones 178803105 Kill the monsters when they’re found.

No matter who they used to be.

The girl with secret feathers in her skin and strange bones jutting out beneath her clothes is resigned to her fate. Her deformities mark her a monster and the stories say monsters must die.

When her family finds out and turns on her, a village boy saves her and leads her on a frantic escape. The girl believes her death has merely been delayed—until he mentions a cure.

With the world against them and the monstrous change progressing, they must cross water, forest, and field to chase the rumor that fuels their desperate hope. But is hope enough to keep them going?]]> 113 J. Patricia Anderson 1778288146 Karen ⚜Mess� 5
I've heard nothing but high praises for this story, and I'm not going to contradict a word. There were no names used in this story! I was awestruck by J. Patricia Anderson's raw talent in pulling that off.

Truly an incredible read. ]]> 4.18 Your Blood and Bones
author: J. Patricia Anderson
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.18
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/14
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: spooky, novella-novelette-shorts, machalo-bingo-2025, machalo-tbr-2025
review:
A powerful, dark novella.

I've heard nothing but high praises for this story, and I'm not going to contradict a word. There were no names used in this story! I was awestruck by J. Patricia Anderson's raw talent in pulling that off.

Truly an incredible read.
]]> <![CDATA[Platinum Tinted Darkness (The Legacy of Boulom #1)]]> 69286377
Crystal mage Serenna Morgan struggles to maintain the neutrality of the Guardian Pact when a neighboring kingdom invades her own. The God of Death offers his divine power to stop the invasion. For a price. As the conflict escalates, the remaining Guardians fall prey to the other meddling deities, and the choice given to Serenna might be the only thing that keeps them together. Or results in their doom.

Not all gods love their people, but the ones that do may end up the most dangerous]]> 368 Timothy Wolff Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, own-kindle, 2025-tbr 4.08 Platinum Tinted Darkness (The Legacy of Boulom #1)
author: Timothy Wolff
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves: to-read, own-kindle, 2025-tbr
review:

]]> Traditions 25837403
(First published in Triumph Over Tragedy: an Anthology for the Victims of Hurricane Sandy.)]]> Michael J. Sullivan Karen ⚜Mess� 3 Drumindor]]> 3.97 Traditions
author: Michael J. Sullivan
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.97
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/11
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves: own, machalo-bingo-2025, novella-novelette-shorts, dragons
review:
Still better than Drumindor
]]> <![CDATA[The Fury of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Saga, #3)]]> 207567729 576 John Gwynne 0316539953 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 4.52 2024 The Fury of the Gods (The Bloodsworn Saga, #3)
author: John Gwynne
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: my-eyes-leaked, dragons, chuffed-covers, audible-library, to-read
review:
The acknowledgement section made me cry. Before I even started the book! File this bad boy under "my eyes leaked".
]]> <![CDATA[Monstrous Nights (The Witch's Compendium of Monsters, #2)]]> 203579268 Dive into the breakneck conclusion to the Slavic folklore-inspired Witch's Compendium of Monsters series, which began with Foul Days

With her magic reclaimed and her role in the community of Chernograd restored, Kosara’s life should finally be back to normal—but, of course, things can’t possibly be that simple.

She is now in possession of twelve witch’s shadows, which belonged to a series of young, magically powerful women lured into the deadly marriage with the Zmey that Kosara only narrowly escaped as a young woman. Holding them may grant her unprecedented power, but that doesn’t mean they’re always willing to do her bidding.

Across the wall in Belograd, Asen chases the only lead on his latest case, one of several unsolved witch murders, even against the orders of his direct superior and the mayor. He’s convinced the smuggling kingpin Konstantin Karaivanov is behind them, and follows his trail to an underground monster auction—which leads him right back to Chernograd.

There, sinister events follow one after snow falls in midsummer, a witch with two shadows is found dead, monsters that should only appear during the Foul Days have been sighted, and cracks appear in the sky that only Kosara seems able to see. The barrier between worlds thins... and Kosara can’t help but feel her actions are the cause.]]> 339 Genoveva Dimova 1250877350 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 machalo-buddy-read, to-read 4.05 2024 Monstrous Nights (The Witch's Compendium of Monsters, #2)
author: Genoveva Dimova
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: machalo-buddy-read, to-read
review:

]]> I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons 199798488
What happens next is not the fairy tale you may be expecting.]]> 278 Peter S. Beagle 1668025272 Karen ⚜Mess� 1 ANNOYING
irritating infuriating exasperating maddening trying tiresome

There.
There's my review.
I probably read it wrong. It seems like The MacHalos liked it better than I did. ]]> 3.62 2024 I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons
author: Peter S. Beagle
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2024
rating: 1
read at: 2025/01/10
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: machalo-buddy-read, machalo-tbr-2025, machalo-bingo-2025, dragons, spotify-audiobook
review:
ANNOYING
irritating infuriating exasperating maddening trying tiresome


There.
There's my review.
I probably read it wrong. It seems like The MacHalos liked it better than I did.
]]> <![CDATA[Lightfall (The Everlands Trilogy, #1)]]> 211003690 An epic fantasy of vampires, werewolves and sorcerers, Lightfall is the debut novel of Ed Crocker, for fans of Jay Kristoff’s Empire of the Vampire and Richard Swan’s The Justice of Kings.

No humans here. Just immortals: their politics, their feuds—and their long buried secrets.

For centuries, vampires freely roamed the land until the Grays came out of nowhere, wiping out half the population in a night. The survivors fled to the last vampire city of First Light, where the rules are simple. If you’re poor, you drink weak blood. If you’re nobility, you get the good stuff. And you can never, ever leave.

Palace maid Sam has had enough of these rules, and she’s definitely had enough of cleaning the bedpans of the lords who enforce them. When the son of the city’s ruler is murdered and she finds the only clue to his death, she seizes the chance to blackmail her way into a better class and better blood. She falls in with the Leeches, a group of rebel maids who rein in the worst of the Lords. Soon she’s in league with a sorcerer whose deductive skills make up for his lack of magic, a deadly werewolf assassin and a countess who knows a city’s worth of secrets.

There’s just one problem. What began as a murder investigation has uncovered a vast conspiracy by the ruling elite, and now Sam must find the truth before she becomes another victim. If she can avoid getting murdered, she might just live forever.]]> 368 Ed Crocker 1250287731 Karen ⚜Mess� 5
Remarkable world and character building. The magic in Lightfall is in Ed Crocker's extraordinary gift of storytelling. I just loved every moment of my reading journey. Ed Crocker really knows how to take me away from the real world.

A clean ending to the story. Not what I would call a cliff hanger, but definitely leaves me wanting book 2 ASAP.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]]> 3.55 2025 Lightfall (The Everlands Trilogy, #1)
author: Ed Crocker
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves: vampires, arc, machalo-bingo-2025, machalo-tbr-2025
review:
Perfect entry into 2025 with this phenomenal 5 star read.

Remarkable world and character building. The magic in Lightfall is in Ed Crocker's extraordinary gift of storytelling. I just loved every moment of my reading journey. Ed Crocker really knows how to take me away from the real world.

A clean ending to the story. Not what I would call a cliff hanger, but definitely leaves me wanting book 2 ASAP.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
]]> <![CDATA[The Forbidden Library (The Forbidden Library, #1)]]> 17987501 The Forbidden Library kicks off an action-packed fantasy series with classic appeal, a resourceful heroine, a host of magical creatures, and no shortage of narrow escapes--perfect for fans of Story Thieves,Coraline, Inkheart, and Harry Potter.

Alice always thought fairy tales had happy endings. That--along with everything else--changed the day she met her first fairy

When Alice's father goes down in a shipwreck, she is sent to live with her uncle Geryon--an uncle she's never heard of and knows nothing about. He lives in an enormous manor with a massive library that is off-limits to Alice. But then she meets a talking cat. And even for a rule-follower, when a talking cat sneaks you into a forbidden library and introduces you to an arrogant boy who dares you to open a book, it's hard to resist. Especially if you're a reader to begin with. Soon Alice finds herself INSIDE the book, and the only way out is to defeat the creature imprisoned within.

It seems her uncle is more than he says he is. But then so is Alice.]]> 376 Django Wexler 0803739753 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 3.81 2014 The Forbidden Library (The Forbidden Library, #1)
author: Django Wexler
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> LIFEL1K3 (Lifelike, #1) 38660363 Alternate cover edition of ASIN B079R7HQ84


A thrilling new series from Jay Kristoff, internationally best-selling author of The Nevernight Chronicle and The Illuminae Files.

It’s just another day on the Scrap: lose the last of your credits at the WarDome, dodge the gangs and religious fanatics, discover you can destroy electronics with your mind, stumble upon the deadliest robot ever built�

When Eve finds the ruins of an android boy named Ezekiel in the scrap pile she calls home, her entire world comes crashing down. With her best friend and her robotic sidekick in tow, she and Ezekiel will trek across deserts of irradiated glass, battle cyborg assassins, and scour abandoned megacities to save the ones she loves…and learn the dark secrets of her past.]]> 418 Jay Kristoff Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 4.05 2018 LIFEL1K3 (Lifelike, #1)
author: Jay Kristoff
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[All of Our Sins (Dark Legacies, #2)]]> 199259541
So went the earth.

First came the World War, humanity’s suicide. Then came the War against Hell, humanity’s redemption. Esther, the Eternal One, led the way from darkness to light. A new order, by her will.

So went civilization.

For a time. But as history fades and the Eternal One’s yoke tightens, man turns upon man once more. Ancient dreams of independence rise in Cathedral’s shadow. Bastion’s vengeance awakens. War beckons.

And Hell is watching.]]> 348 Yuval Kordov 1738802523 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 � 4.24 All of Our Sins (Dark Legacies, #2)
author: Yuval Kordov
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.24
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves: to-read, own-kindle, post-apocalyptic-dystopian
review:
�
]]> <![CDATA[The World to Come (Dark Legacies)]]> 218418353 Bless the Eternal One!

Or suffer her wrath. God-engines close in on the Union, pushing them back to the brink of savagery. A secret convoy heads north to get help from an old clan, but they have to cross Hell to get there.

The Hellmouth opens.

Spilling forth its legions. From west to east, no one is safe. But as civil war pits hammer against shield in Bastion, no one is watching.

“What are you going to do?�
“Rescue my daughter.�

Meanwhile, two unlikely companions race through it all to save their children from a war no one can win.

Who will usher in the World to Come?

--

For fans of Dan Simmons� Hyperion Cantos, Iain Banks� Culture novels, Dune, and other classic metaphysical science fiction.]]> 378 Yuval Kordov 173880254X Karen ⚜Mess� 0 4.33 The World to Come (Dark Legacies)
author: Yuval Kordov
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves: to-read, post-apocalyptic-dystopian
review:

]]> Orders of Magnitude 222914524 The Moon was once colonized. Now it lies silent—mostly.

When a mysterious radio signal echoes from the abandoned colony of Serenitatis, the Vatican dispatches an elite squad of space marines to investigate. Paladin-Captain Samuel Cohen’s mission is locate survivors, uncover the signal’s source, and get out. But beneath the sterile domes, something ancient stirs—an adversary that challenges not only the mission but the very foundations of his faith.

A gripping new novella that explores the resilience of the human—and holy—spirit in the darkness of the void. For fans of Event Horizon and Richard Paul Russo’s Ship of Fools.]]> 110 Yuval Kordov 1738802574 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read, spooky 4.39 Orders of Magnitude
author: Yuval Kordov
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 4.39
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves: to-read, spooky
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Crypt of the Moon Spider (Lunar Gothic Trilogy, #1)]]> 195790851 Crypt of the Moon Spider is a dark and dreamy tale of horror, corruption, and identity spun into the stickiest of webs.

Years ago, in a cave beneath the dense forests and streams on the surface of the moon, a gargantuan spider once lived. Its silk granted its first worshippers immense faculties of power and awe.

It’s now 1923 and Veronica Brinkley is touching down on the moon for her intake at the Barrowfield Home for Treatment of the Melancholy. A renowned facility, Dr. Barrington Cull’s invasive and highly successful treatments have been lauded by many. And they’re so simple! All it takes is a little spider silk in the amygdala, maybe a strand or two in the prefrontal cortex, and perhaps an inch in the hippocampus for near evisceration of those troublesome thoughts and ideas.

But trouble lurks in many a mind at this facility and although the spider’s been dead for years, its denizens are not. Someone or something is up to no good, and Veronica just might be the cause.]]> 88 Nathan Ballingrud 1250291739 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 3.95 2024 Crypt of the Moon Spider (Lunar Gothic Trilogy, #1)
author: Nathan Ballingrud
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves: to-read, novella-novelette-shorts, spooky
review:

]]> The Fourth Consort 211003694 A new standalone sci-fi novel from Edward Ashton, author of Mickey7 (the inspiration for the major motion picture Mickey 17).

Dalton Greaves is a hero. He’s one of humankind’s first representatives to Unity, a pan-species confederation working to bring all sentient life into a single benevolent brotherhood.

That’s what they told him, anyway. The only actual members of Unity that he’s ever met are Boreau, a giant snail who seems more interested in plunder than spreading love and harmony, and Boreau’s human sidekick, Neera, who Dalton strongly suspects roped him into this gig so that she wouldn’t become the next one of Boreau’s crew to get eaten by locals while prospecting.

Funny thing, though—turns out there actually is a benevolent confederation out there, working for the good of all life. They call themselves the Assembly, and they really don’t like Unity. More to the point, they really, really don’t like Unity’s new human minions.

When an encounter between Boreau’s scout ship and an Assembly cruiser over a newly discovered world ends badly for both parties, Dalton finds himself marooned, caught between a stickman, one of the Assembly’s nightmarish shock troops, the planet’s natives, who aren’t winning any congeniality prizes themselves, and Neera, who might actually be the most dangerous of the three. To survive, he’ll need to navigate palace intrigue, alien morality, and a proposal that he literally cannot refuse, all while making sure Neera doesn’t come to the conclusion that he’s worth more to her dead than alive.

Part first contact story, part dark comedy, and part bizarre love triangle, The Fourth Consort asks an important how far would you go to survive? And more importantly, how many drinks would you need to go there?]]> 288 Edward Ashton 1250286336 Karen ⚜Mess� 0 to-read 3.92 The Fourth Consort
author: Edward Ashton
name: Karen ⚜Mess�
average rating: 3.92
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>