en-US Sun, 04 Jun 2023 22:24:39 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 123195206 A sharp-tongued folklorist must pair up with her academic rival to solve their mentor's murder in this lush and enthralling sapphic fantasy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic.

Lorelei Kaskel, a folklorist with a quick temper and an even quicker wit, is on an expedition with six eccentric nobles in search of a fabled spring. The magical spring promises untold power, which the king wants to harness to secure his reign of the embattled country of Brunnestaad. Lorelei is determined to use this opportunity to prove herself and make her wildest, most impossible dream come true: to become a naturalist, able to travel freely to lands she’s only ever read about.

The expedition gets off to a harrowing start when its leader—Lorelei’s beloved mentor—is murdered in her quarters aboard their ship. The suspects are her five remaining expedition mates, each with their own motive. The only person Lorelei knows must be innocent is her longtime academic rival, the insufferably gallant and maddeningly beautiful Sylvia von Wolff. Now in charge of the expedition, Lorelei must find the spring before the murderer strikes again—and a coup begins in earnest.

But there are other dangers lurking in the dark: forests that rearrange themselves at night, rivers with slumbering dragons waiting beneath the water, and shapeshifting beasts out for blood.

As Lorelei and Sylvia grudgingly work together to uncover the truth—and resist their growing feelings for one another—they discover that their professor had secrets of her own. Secrets that make Lorelei question whether justice is worth pursuing, or if this kingdom is worth saving at all.]]> 371 Allison Saft 0593722353 Allison 0 to-read 3.70 2024
author: Allison Saft
name: Allison
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 127305900 In this romantic fantasy of manners from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft, a magical dressmaker commissioned for a royal wedding finds herself embroiled in scandal when a gossip columnist draws attention to her undeniable chemistry with the groom.

Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric is the same magic that will eventually kill her. Determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family, Niamh jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland.

But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While young nobles attend candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class. The groom himself, Kit Carmine, is prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a political pawn. But when Niamh and Kit grow closer, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more—until an anonymous columnist starts buzzing about their chemistry, promising to leave them alone only if Niamh helps to uncover the royal family’s secrets. The rot at the heart of Avaland runs deep, but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.

Transporting readers to a Regency England-inspired fantasy world, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance threaded with intrigue, unforgettable characters, and a love story for the ages.]]> 373 Allison Saft 125089283X Allison 0 to-read 3.49 2024
author: Allison Saft
name: Allison
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 63361489 "A YA fantasy classic in the making." - Charlie Lynn Herman, author of The Devouring Gray

"Fans of Leigh Bardugo's "Grisha Trilogy" and Marie Rutkoski's "Winner's Trilogy" have been waiting for this Darkling-esque romance..." - School Library Journal (Starred Review)

New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft's Down Comes the Night is a snow-drenched romantic fantasy that keeps you racing through the pages long into the night.

He saw the darkness in her magic. She saw the magic in his darkness.

Wren Southerland's reckless use of magic has cost her everything: she's been dismissed from the Queen's Guard and separated from her best friend--the girl she loves. So when a letter arrives from a reclusive lord, asking Wren to come to his estate, Colwick Hall, to cure his servant from a mysterious illness, she seizes her chance to redeem herself.

The mansion is crumbling, icy winds haunt the caved-in halls, and her eccentric host forbids her from leaving her room after dark. Worse, Wren's patient isn't a servant at all but Hal Cavendish, the infamous Reaper of Vesria and her kingdom's sworn enemy. Hal also came to Colwick Hall for redemption, but the secrets in the estate may lead to both of their deaths.

With sinister forces at work, Wren and Hal realize they'll have to join together if they have any hope of saving their kingdoms. But as Wren circles closer to the nefarious truth behind Hal's illness, they realize they have no escape from the monsters within the mansion. All they have is each other, and a startling desire that could be their downfall.

Love makes monsters of us all ]]> 400 Allison Saft 1250289858 Allison 0 A Far Wilder Magic. I put together comparing the two.

Also, if you preorder A Far Wilder Magic and submit your receipt , I’ll send you an epilogue of Down Comes the Night (as soon as it’s finished), along with some art. Thanks, y’all!]]> 3.81 2021
author: Allison Saft
name: Allison
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/13
shelves:
review:
Hello! Just popping in briefly to let you know that I have another YA fantasy romance coming out on March 8, 2022! If you enjoyed Down Comes the Night, you might also enjoy A Far Wilder Magic. I put together comparing the two.

Also, if you preorder A Far Wilder Magic and submit your receipt , I’ll send you an epilogue of Down Comes the Night (as soon as it’s finished), along with some art. Thanks, y’all!
]]> 61319751
The only way to heal him is to cast an extremely difficult spell that requires perfect control. And the only person willing to help is her former best friend, Xavier, who’s grown from a sweet, shy child into someone distant and mysterious.

Xavier asks a terrible price in return, knowing Clara will give anything to save her father. As she struggles to reconcile the new Xavier with the boy she once loved, she discovers how many secrets he’s hiding. And as she hunts for the truth, she instead finds the root of a terrible darkness that’s taken hold in the queendom—a darkness only Clara’s magic is powerful enough to stop.]]> 352 Catherine Bakewell 006321461X Allison 0 to-read 3.50 2023
author: Catherine Bakewell
name: Allison
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/07/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 60680800
A cemetery full of the restless dead. A town so wicked it has already burned twice, with the breath of the third fire looming. A rural, isolated bridge with a terrifying monster waiting for the completion of its summoning ritual. A lake that allows the drowned to return, though they have been changed by the claws of death. These are the shadowed, liminal spaces where the curses and monsters lurk, refusing to be forgotten.

Hauntings, and a variety of horrifying secrets, lurk in the places we once called home. Written by New York Times bestselling, and other critically acclaimed, authors these stories shed a harsh light on the scariest tales we grew up with.]]> 272 Tori Bovalino 1645676234 Allison 0 to-read 3.61 2022
author: Tori Bovalino
name: Allison
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/05/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58712247 A teen girl looking for the truth about her missing mother forms a reluctant alliance with her former best friend...in exchange for hiding him from his cult-leading family.

Wil Greene’s mom has been missing for over a year, and the police are ready to call the case closed—they claim she skipped town and you can’t find a woman who wants to disappear. But she knows her mom wouldn’t just leave…and she knows the family of her former best friend, Elwood Clarke, has something to do with it.

Elwood has been counting down the days until his 18th birthday—in dread. It marks leaving school and joining his pastor father in dedicating his life to their congregation, the Garden of Adam. But when he comes home after one night of after a final goodbye with his friends, already self-flagellating for the sins of drinking and disobeying his father, he discovers his path is not as virtuous as he thought. He’s not his father’s successor, but his sacrifice. For the woods he’s grown up with are thirsty, and must be paid in blood.

Now on the run from a family that wants him dead, he turns to the only one who will believe him: Wil. Together, they form a reluctant partnership; she’ll help him hide if he helps her find evidence that his family killed her mother. But in the end they dig up more secrets than they bargained for, unraveling decades of dark cult dealings in their town, led by the Clarke family.

And there’s a reason they need Elwood’s blood for their satanic rituals. Something inhuman is growing inside of him. Everywhere he goes, the plants come alive and the forest calls to him, and Wil isn’t sure if she can save the boy she can’t help but love.]]> 272 Skyla Arndt 0593526287 Allison 5 to-read 3.77 2023
author: Skyla Arndt
name: Allison
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/01/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 57390604
Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors daily. Secretly, though, she is desperate to find a way out of her beloved country before her sister-in-law, Layla, gives birth. So desperate, that she has manifested a physical embodiment of her fear in the form of her imagined companion, Khawf, who haunts her every move in an effort to keep her safe.

But even with Khawf pressing her to leave, Salama is torn between her loyalty to her country and her conviction to survive. Salama must contend with bullets and bombs, military assaults, and her shifting sense of morality before she might finally breathe free. And when she crosses paths with the boy she was supposed to meet one fateful day, she starts to doubt her resolve in leaving home at all.

Soon, Salama must learn to see the events around her for what they truly are—not a war, but a revolution—and decide how she, too, will cry for Syria’s freedom.]]> 417 Zoulfa Katouh 0316351377 Allison 5 to-read 4.48 2022
author: Zoulfa Katouh
name: Allison
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/01/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 57950216 Discover what’s lurking in the shadows in this dark fantasy debut with a murder-mystery twist, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kerri Maniscalco.

In the city of Ombrazia, saints and their disciples rule with terrifying and unjust power, playing favorites while the unfavored struggle to survive.

After her father’s murder at the hands of the Ombrazian military, Rossana Lacertosa is willing to do whatever it takes to dismantle the corrupt system—tapping into her powers as a disciple of Patience, joining the rebellion, and facing the boy who broke her heart. As the youngest captain in the history of Palazzo security, Damian Venturi is expected to be ruthless and strong, and to serve the saints with unquestioning devotion. But three years spent fighting in a never-ending war have left him with deeper scars than he wants to admit…and a fear of confronting the girl he left behind.

Now a murderer stalks Ombrazia’s citizens. As the body count climbs, the Palazzo is all too happy to look the other way—that is, until a disciple becomes the newest victim. With every lead turning into a dead end, Damian and Roz must team up to find the killer, even if it means digging up buried emotions. As they dive into the underbelly of Ombrazia, the pair will discover something more sinister—and far less holy. With darkness closing in and time running out, will they be able to save the city from an evil so powerful that it threatens to destroy everything in its path?]]> 401 M.K. Lobb Allison 5 to-read 3.79 2023
author: M.K. Lobb
name: Allison
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/01/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58760656 The Raven Boys meets Ninth House in the most exciting debut of 2022 -- a dark, atmospheric fantasy about a Deaf college student with a peculiar connection to the afterlife.

Delaney Meyers-Petrov is tired of being seen as fragile just because she's Deaf. So when she's accepted into a prestigious program at Godbole University that trains students to slip between parallel worlds, she's excited for the chance to prove herself. But her semester gets off to a rocky start as she faces professors who won't accommodate her disability, and a pretentious upperclassman fascinated by Delaney's unusual talents.

Colton Price died when he was nine years old. Quite impossibly, he woke several weeks later at the feet of a green-eyed little girl. Now, twelve years later, Delaney Meyers-Petrov has stumbled back into his orbit, but Colton's been ordered to keep far away from the new girl... and the voices she hears calling to her from the shadows.

Delaney wants to keep her distance from Colton -- she seems to be the only person on campus who finds him more arrogant than charming -- yet after a Godbole student turns up dead, she and Colton are forced to form a tenuous alliance, plummeting down a rabbit-hole of deeply buried university secrets. But Delaney and Colton discover the cost of opening the doors between worlds when they find themselves up against something old and nameless, an enemy they need to destroy before it tears them -- and their forbidden partnership -- apart.]]> 387 Kelly Andrew 1338809490 Allison 5 to-read 3.59 2022
author: Kelly Andrew
name: Allison
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/01/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 48909025
Weston Winters isn’t an alchemist--yet. Fired from every apprenticeship he's landed, his last chance hinges on Master Welty taking him in. But when Wes arrives at Welty Manor, he finds only Margaret and her bloodhound Trouble. Margaret begrudgingly allows him to stay, but on one condition: he must join the hunt with her.

Although they make an unlikely team, Wes is in awe of the girl who has endured alone on the outskirts of a town that doesn’t want her, in this creaking house of ghosts and sorrow. And even though Wes disrupts every aspect of her life, Margaret is drawn to him. He, too, knows what it's like to be an outsider. As the hunt looms closer and tensions rise, Margaret and Wes uncover dark magic that could be the key to winning the hunt - if they survive that long.]]> 384 Allison Saft 1250623650 Allison 0 to-read
I don’t engage with reviews on ŷ������, so I’m here only to share a quick update and the content warnings! If you have any questions, you can submit a question on my profile or reach out on Twitter, Instagram, or my website's contact form.

I’m currently running a preorder campaign running for the book, which is open to international readers! If you submit a proof of purchase of a library request, I will send you some art. I’m also offering signed and personalized copies through my local independent bookstore, Kepler’s Books and Magazines. You can find more details .

If you like the quiet, yearning whimsy Scorpio Races and the torturous slow-burn between two deeply oblivious and deeply in-denial people, this one’s for you. I hope you fall in love with Margaret and Wes as deeply as I have. Thank you so much for reading!

Content warnings: animal death and injury (the dog lives!); antisemitism; nationalism and xenophobia; ableism; PTSD; neglect and emotional abuse by a parent; mentions of parental death; and graphic descriptions of blood and wounds.]]> 3.84 2022
author: Allison Saft
name: Allison
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:
Hello! We are just about two months out from publication, and I am SO excited to share this book with you. I wrote A Far Wilder Magic for those whose dreams feel impossible and for those who feel dreaming is impossible. Writing this book felt like letting light into a room that had been locked for a long time. It’s about the sharp edges of ambition and the search for belonging and love. If you need it, I hope you find comfort in its pages.

I don’t engage with reviews on ŷ������, so I’m here only to share a quick update and the content warnings! If you have any questions, you can submit a question on my profile or reach out on Twitter, Instagram, or my website's contact form.

I’m currently running a preorder campaign running for the book, which is open to international readers! If you submit a proof of purchase of a library request, I will send you some art. I’m also offering signed and personalized copies through my local independent bookstore, Kepler’s Books and Magazines. You can find more details .

If you like the quiet, yearning whimsy Scorpio Races and the torturous slow-burn between two deeply oblivious and deeply in-denial people, this one’s for you. I hope you fall in love with Margaret and Wes as deeply as I have. Thank you so much for reading!

Content warnings: animal death and injury (the dog lives!); antisemitism; nationalism and xenophobia; ableism; PTSD; neglect and emotional abuse by a parent; mentions of parental death; and graphic descriptions of blood and wounds.
]]> 59049476 320 Ava Reid 1529100771 Allison 5 3.56 2022
author: Ava Reid
name: Allison
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/09/26
shelves:
review:
I absolutely ADORE THIS BOOK, which is haunting and whimsical and brimming with monsters both human and fantastical. More importantly, it has my sweet children, Marlinchen and Sevas, both of whom I would lay down my life for without question. This book is a reimagining of The Juniper Tree, and the prose is as effortlessly beautiful and timeless as any fairytale. But what I admire most about this book is how cleverly Ava uses fairytale conventions to underscore the horrors her protagonists experience: stories root themselves deeply and begin to sprout thorns the more and more they're repeated. J&T is delightfully gruesome--but always, always hopeful. I seriously can't wait for y'all to read this one next year!
]]> 10626594
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition �� the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.]]> 409 Maggie Stiefvater 054522490X Allison 5 4.09 2011
author: Maggie Stiefvater
name: Allison
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2020/03/01
date added: 2020/04/28
shelves:
review:

]]> 53141419 Courtney Gould’s thrilling debut The Dead and the Dark is about the things that lurk in dark corners, the parts of you that can’t remain hidden, and about finding home in places―and people―you didn’t expect.

The Dark has been waiting for far too long, and it won't stay hidden any longer.

Something is wrong in Snakebite, Oregon. Teenagers are disappearing, some turning up dead, the weather isn’t normal, and all fingers seem to point to TV’s most popular ghost hunters who have just returned to town. Logan Ortiz-Woodley, daughter of TV's ParaSpectors, has never been to Snakebite before, but the moment she and her dads arrive, she starts to get the feeling that there's more secrets buried here than they originally let on.

Ashley Barton’s boyfriend was the first teen to go missing, and she’s felt his presence ever since. But now that the Ortiz-Woodleys are in town, his ghost is following her and the only person Ashley can trust is the mysterious Logan. When Ashley and Logan team up to figure out who—or what—is haunting Snakebite, their investigation reveals truths about the town, their families, and themselves that neither of them are ready for. As the danger intensifies, they realize that their growing feelings for each other could be a light in the darkness.]]> 368 Courtney Gould 1250762014 Allison 5
Come for the fantastic premise and stay for the examination of grief, as well as the beautiful f/f love story at the book's heart.]]> 3.93 2021
author: Courtney Gould
name: Allison
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2019/01/01
date added: 2020/04/28
shelves:
review:
The Dead and the Dark is a breathtaking debut--literally, since I read it in pretty much one breathless sitting. But while it is compulsively readable with a tightly paced plot, it is also a deeply emotional and atmospheric book. While I felt utterly immersed in Snakebite, a rural Oregon town simmering with secrets and danger and resentments, I unfortunately was in in public during my one-sitting read and spent the last stretch of the book clandestinely wiping away tears. Gould writes family dynamics that cut to the bone and horror that is both supernatural and all-too-human.

Come for the fantastic premise and stay for the examination of grief, as well as the beautiful f/f love story at the book's heart.
]]> 53176389
Cast into a well at birth for being one of the magical few who can manipulate memories when people sing, she was saved by Cyril, the opera house's owner. Since that day, he has given her sanctuary from the murderous world outside. All he asks in return is that she use her power to keep ticket sales high–and that she stay out of sight. For if anyone discovers she survived, Isda and Cyril would pay with their lives.

But Isda breaks Cyril's cardinal rule when she meets Emeric Rodin, a charming boy who throws her quiet, solitary life out of balance. His voice is unlike any she's ever heard, but the real shock comes when she finds in his memories hints of a way to finally break free of her gilded prison.

Haunted by this possibility, Isda spends more and more time with Emeric, searching for answers in his music and his past. But the price of freedom is steeper than Isda could ever know. For even as she struggles with her growing feelings for Emeric, she learns that in order to take charge of her own destiny, she must become the monster the world tried to drown in the first place.]]> 336 Jessica S. Olson 1335147942 Allison 5
This is a retelling of Phantom of the Opera that preserves everything I love about the original (tragedy and ambition, the drama and glamour of the opera, the intense passionate love between artists), but Olson transforms the source material into something completely her own. Readers who want a deeply romantic tale--but also want to have their hearts crushed in a little--will absolutely adore this book.]]> 3.76 2021
author: Jessica S. Olson
name: Allison
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2020/04/04
date added: 2020/04/15
shelves:
review:
I've been hungry for a fresh spin on monster romances in YA, and Sing Me Forgotten delivered on everything I asked for and more: a monstrous girl with a sunshiney boy. I fell hard for Isda, who struggles throughout the novel with the conflicting desires to be so much better and so much worse than the world believes those with her rare and dangerous magic to be. In less capable hands, she might have been unsympathetic, but because of Olson's lovely prose, Isda's spellbinding and compelling narrative voice, and the thoughtful political/religious worldbuilding, I loved Isda both because of and despite of the terrible things she does.

This is a retelling of Phantom of the Opera that preserves everything I love about the original (tragedy and ambition, the drama and glamour of the opera, the intense passionate love between artists), but Olson transforms the source material into something completely her own. Readers who want a deeply romantic tale--but also want to have their hearts crushed in a little--will absolutely adore this book.
]]> 40131370 Set in a world on the edge of an apocryphal flood, this heart-stoppingly romantic fantasy debut is perfect for fans of Rachel Hartman and Rae Carson.

In a world bound for an epic flood, only a chosen few are guaranteed safe passage into the new world once the waters recede. The Kostrovian royal court will be saved, of course, along with their guards. But the fate of the court's Royal Flyers, a lauded fleet of aerial silk performers, is less certain. Hell-bent on survival, Principal Flyer, Natasha Koskinen, will do anything to save the Flyers, who are the only family she's ever known. Even if "anything" means molding herself into the type of girl who could be courted by Prince Nikolai. But unbeknownst to Natasha, her newest recruit, Ella Neves, is driven less by her desire to survive the floods than her thirst for revenge. And Ella's mission could put everything Natasha has worked for in peril.

As the oceans rise, so too does an undeniable spark between the two flyers. With the end of the world looming, and dark secrets about the Kostrovian court coming to light, Ella and Natasha can either give in to despair . . . or find a new reason to live.]]> 416 Laura Brooke Robson 052555405X Allison 5 4.00 2021
author: Laura Brooke Robson
name: Allison
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2020/01/01
date added: 2020/04/13
shelves:
review:
Complex and unflinching, Girls at the Edge of the World is an absolutely phenomenal debut. The prose is gorgeous, and Robson manages to pack so much meaning into so few words. I'm in awe that she manages to extract so much from the relationships and the world in such a tightly plotted and written book. I adored both narrators--and was absolutely enchanted by the sweet, swoony romance between them. Robson is a master of creating this backdrop of literal world-ending stakes (the rise of religious zealotry, isolationist every-man-for-himself politics, etc) while also emphasizing that this story is, at its heart, the things we will die (and more importantly) survive for.
]]> 42248889 A dark, queer YA fantasy that's perfect for fans of the Three Dark Crowns series. After Emanuela Ragno kills the one person in Occhia who can create water, she must find a way to save her city from dying of thirst.

Cunning and unapologetic, Emanuela Ragno is a socialite who plays by her own rules. In her most ambitious move yet, she’s about to marry Alessandro Morandi, her childhood best friend and the heir to the wealthiest house in Occhia. Emanuela doesn’t care that she and her groom are both gay, because she doesn’t want a love match. She wants power, and through Ale, she’ll have it all.

But Emanuela has a secret that could shatter her plans. In her city of Occhia, the only source of water is the watercrea, a mysterious being who uses magic to make water from blood. When their first bruise-like omen appears on their skin, all Occhians must surrender themselves to the watercrea to be drained of life. Everyone throughout history has obeyed this law for the greater good. Everyone except Emanuela. She’s kept the tiny omen on her hip out of sight for years.

When the watercrea exposes Emanuela during her wedding ceremony and takes her to be sacrificed, Emanuela fights back…and kills her. Before everyone in Occhia dies of thirst, Emanuela and Ale must travel through the mysterious, blood-red veil that surrounds their city to uncover the source of the watercrea’s power and save their people—no matter what it takes.]]> 288 Mara Fitzgerald Allison 5
Those of you seeking hate-to-love f/f rejoice... I think you'll love this one. ]]> 3.45 2020
author: Mara Fitzgerald
name: Allison
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2020/04/07
date added: 2020/04/13
shelves:
review:
I read Beyond the Ruby Veil in fewer than 8 giddy hours. This book is WILD in the absolute best way from beginning to end; it had me shrieking with delight (and delighted disgust) as Emanuela's choices unraveled into chaos. The protagonist's voice is lively and sharp, and I knew she owned my soul by the end of page 1. I'd die for her, and she would gladly let me. While this book is a ton of fun, it's also a smart and interesting consideration of resource scarcity and the impact that has on culture.

Those of you seeking hate-to-love f/f rejoice... I think you'll love this one.
]]> 45281991
But Gathos created a genetic failsafe in their GEMs—a flaw that causes their health to rapidly deteriorate as they age unless they are regularly dosed with medication controlled by Gathos City. As Nate’s health declines, his hard-won freedom is put in jeopardy. Violence erupts across the Withers, his illegal supply of medicine is cut off, and a vicious attack on Reed threatens to expose his secret. With time running out, Nate is left with only two options: work for a shadowy terrorist organization that has the means to keep him alive, or stay �� and die �� with the boy he loves.]]> 392 Maria Ingrande Mora 1635830567 Allison 5 3.94 2021
author: Maria Ingrande Mora
name: Allison
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2020/04/13
date added: 2020/04/13
shelves:
review:
Fragile Remedy is gritty but tender, heavy but always hopeful. Ingrande Mora's worldbuilding is complex and immersive, examining poverty, addiction, and violence, but at its heart, this book is about forgiveness, redemption, and love. I rooted hard for Nate and his lovable gang of scavengers, and I'm so excited for everyone to meet them in 2021.
]]> 39714124 A nobleman’s daughter with magic in her blood. An empire built on the dreams of enslaved gods. Empire of Sand is Tasha Suri’s captivating, Mughal India-inspired debut fantasy.

The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited.

When Mehr’s power comes to the attention of the Emperor’s most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda �� and should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance��

Empire of Sand is a lush, dazzling fantasy novel perfect for readers of City of Brass and The Wrath & the Dawn.]]> 402 Tasha Suri 0316449695 Allison 5 3.84 2018
author: Tasha Suri
name: Allison
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2020/01/01
date added: 2020/03/15
shelves:
review:

]]> 11250317
Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.]]> 352 Madeline Miller 1408816032 Allison 5 4.38 2011
author: Madeline Miller
name: Allison
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2020/02/01
date added: 2020/02/01
shelves:
review:

]]> 39897058
The son of undocumented immigrants, Noam has spent his life fighting for the rights of refugees fleeing magical outbreaks—refugees Carolinia routinely deports with vicious efficiency. Sensing a way to make change, Noam accepts the minister’s offer to teach him the science behind his magic, secretly planning to use it against the government. But then he meets the minister’s son—cruel, dangerous, and achingly beautiful—and the way forward becomes less clear.

Caught between his purpose and his heart, Noam must decide who he can trust and how far he’s willing to go in pursuit of the greater good.]]> 375 Victoria Lee 1542040175 Allison 5 3.94 2019
author: Victoria Lee
name: Allison
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2019/01/01
date added: 2019/12/22
shelves:
review:

]]> 36524503 stay dead.

The risen corpses are known as "bone houses," and legend says that they're the result of a decades-old curse. When Ellis, an apprentice mapmaker with a mysterious past, arrives in town, the bone houses attack with new ferocity. What is it that draws them near? And more importantly, how can they be stopped for good?

Together, Ellis and Ryn embark on a journey that will take them deep into the heart of the mountains, where they will have to face both the curse and the long-hidden truths about themselves.]]> 335 Emily Lloyd-Jones 0316418412 Allison 5 3.99 2019
author: Emily Lloyd-Jones
name: Allison
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2019/01/01
date added: 2019/12/11
shelves:
review:

]]> 34842042
When they finally returned to London, nothing had changed at all—nothing, except themselves.

Now, Ev spends her days sneaking into the woods outside her boarding school, wishing for the Woodlands. Overcome with longing, she is desperate to return no matter what it takes.

Philippa, on the other hand, is determined to find a place in this world. She shields herself behind a flawless exterior and countless friends, and moves to America to escape the memory of what was.

But when Evelyn goes missing, Philippa must confront the depth of her sister’s despair and the painful truths they’ve been running from. As the weeks unfold, Philippa wonders if Ev truly did find a way home, or if the weight of their worlds pulled her under.

Content Warnings

The Light Between Worlds portrays characters dealing with depression, self-harm, post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation, illness and disordered eating, and the loss of a loved one. It refers to possible suicide, contains scenes of violence and war, and brief mentions may be unsettling to readers with emetophobia. If you have any questions about these warnings, or require more details, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via the contact page on the author's website.]]> 351 Laura E. Weymouth 0062696874 Allison 5 3.72 2018
author: Laura E. Weymouth
name: Allison
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2019/01/01
date added: 2019/12/02
shelves:
review:

]]> 36483378 A future chieftain.

Fie abides by one rule: look after your own. Her Crow caste of undertakers and mercy-killers takes more abuse than coin, but when they’re called to collect royal dead, she’s hoping they’ll find the payout of a lifetime.

A fugitive prince.

When Crown Prince Jasimir turns out to have faked his death, Fie’s ready to cut her losses—and perhaps his throat. But he offers a wager that she can’t refuse: protect him from a ruthless queen, and he’ll protect the Crows when he reigns.

A too-cunning bodyguard.

Hawk warrior Tavin has always put Jas’s life before his, magically assuming the prince’s appearance and shadowing his every step. But what happens when Tavin begins to want something to call his own?]]> 384 Margaret Owen 1250191920 Allison 5 3.88 2019
author: Margaret Owen
name: Allison
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2019/01/01
date added: 2019/12/02
shelves:
review:

]]> 43822698 Be careful of the dark, dark wood��

Especially the woods surrounding the town of Fir Haven. Some say these woods are magical. Haunted, even.

Rumored to be a witch, only Nora Walker knows the truth. She and the Walker women before her have always shared a special connection with the woods. And it’s this special connection that leads Nora to Oliver Huntsman—the same boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys weeks ago—and in the middle of the worst snowstorm in years. He should be dead, but here he is alive, and left in the woods with no memory of the time he’d been missing.

But Nora can feel an uneasy shift in the woods at Oliver’s presence. And it’s not too long after that Nora realizes she has no choice but to unearth the truth behind how the boy she has come to care so deeply about survived his time in the forest, and what led him there in the first place. What Nora doesn’t know, though, is that Oliver has secrets of his own—secrets he’ll do anything to keep buried, because as it turns out, he wasn’t the only one to have gone missing on that fateful night all those weeks ago.

For as long as there have been fairy tales, we have been warned to fear what lies within the dark, dark woods and in Winterwood, New York Times bestselling author Shea Ernshaw, shows us why.

From New York Times bestselling author of The Wicked Deep comes a haunting romance perfect for fans of Practical Magic, where dark fairy tales and enchanted folklore collide after a boy, believed to be missing, emerges from the magical woods—and falls in love with the witch determined to unravel his secrets.]]> 323 Shea Ernshaw 1534439412 Allison 5 3.81 2019
author: Shea Ernshaw
name: Allison
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2019/11/01
date added: 2019/12/02
shelves:
review:

]]> 40204193
Though the Beast is seemingly subdued for now, a new threat looms in Four Paths: a corruption seeping from the Gray into the forest. And with the other Founders preoccupied by their tangled alliances and fraying relationships, only May Hawthorne seems to realize the danger. But saving the town she loves means seeking aid from the person her family despises most--her and Justin's father.

May's father isn't the only newcomer in town--Isaac Sullivan's older brother has also returned, seeking forgiveness for the role he played in Isaac's troubled past. But Isaac isn't ready to let go of his family's history, especially when that history might hold the key that he and Violet Saunders need to destroy the Gray and the monster within it.

Harper Carlisle isn't ready to forgive, either. Two devastating betrayals have left her isolated from her family and uncertain who to trust. As the corruption becomes impossible to ignore, Harper must learn to control her newfound powers in order to protect Four Paths. But the only people who can help her do that are the ones who have hurt her the most.

With the veil between the Gray and the town growing ever thinner, all of the Founder descendants must put their grievances with one another aside to stop the corruption and kill the Beast once and for all.

But maybe the monster they truly need to slay has never been the Beast...]]> 405 C.L. Herman 178909027X Allison 5 3.73 2020
author: C.L. Herman
name: Allison
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2019/01/01
date added: 2019/11/14
shelves:
review:

]]> 42201395
Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.]]> 456 Margaret Rogerson 1481497618 Allison 5 4.03 2019
author: Margaret Rogerson
name: Allison
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2019/06/10
date added: 2019/06/10
shelves:
review:

]]> 36146624
But unfortunately for Clay, if he can’t convince Annie to join his summer tour, his music label is going to drop him. That’s what happens when your bad boy image turns into bad boy reality. Annie has been avoiding the spotlight after her parents�� tragic death, except on her skyrocketing YouTube channel. Clay’s label wants to land Annie, and Clay has to make it happen.

Swayed by Clay’s undeniable charm and good looks, Annie and her band agree to join the tour. From the start fans want them to be more than just tour mates, and Annie and Clay can’t help but wonder if the fans are right. But if there’s one part of fame Annie wants nothing to do with, it’s a high-profile relationship. She had a front row seat to her parents�� volatile marriage and isn’t interested in repeating history. If only she could convince her heart that Clay, with his painful past and head over heels inducing tenor, isn’t worth the risk.]]> 304 Erin Hahn 1250192889 Allison 5 3.78 2019
author: Erin Hahn
name: Allison
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2019/04/27
date added: 2019/06/06
shelves:
review:

]]> 43319680 The Lunar Chronicles meets Rook in this queer #OwnVoices science-fantasy novel, perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer and Sharon Cameron.

A secret beats inside Anna Thatcher's chest: an illegal clockwork heart. Anna works cog by cog -- donning the moniker Technician -- to supply black market medical technology to the sick and injured, against the Commissioner's tyrannical laws.

Nathaniel Fremont, the Commissioner's son, has never had to fear the law. Determined to earn his father's respect, Nathaniel sets out to capture the Technician. But the more he learns about the outlaw, the more he questions whether his father's elusive affection is worth chasing at all.

Their game of cat and mouse takes an abrupt turn when Eliza, a skilled assassin and spy, arrives. Her mission is to learn the Commissioner's secrets at any cost -- even if it means betraying her own heart.

When these uneasy allies discover the most dangerous secret of all, they must work together despite their differences and put an end to a deadly epidemic -- before the Commissioner ends them first.]]> 372 Rosiee Thor 1338312278 Allison 5 3.72 2019
author: Rosiee Thor
name: Allison
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2019/05/17
date added: 2019/06/01
shelves:
review:

]]> 42505366
It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don't dare wander outside the school's fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything.

But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.]]> 357 Rory Power 0525645586 Allison 5 3.46 2019
author: Rory Power
name: Allison
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2019/05/19
date added: 2019/05/19
shelves:
review:

]]> 41219451 Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own.

Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, but when her beloved father is murdered, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom. Determined to find her father’s killer, Hesina does something desperate: she engages the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by death... because in Yan, magic was outlawed centuries ago.

Using the information illicitly provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust even her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant investigator who’s also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of her kingdom at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?

In this shimmering Chinese-inspired fantasy, debut author Joan He introduces a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggling to do right in a world brimming with deception.]]> 416 Joan He 0807515515 Allison 5 3.62 2019
author: Joan He
name: Allison
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2019/05/07
date added: 2019/05/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 36535913
Uprooted from the city, Violet Saunders doesn’t have much hope of fitting in at her new school in Four Paths, a town almost buried in the woodlands of rural New York. The fact that she’s descended from one of the town’s founders doesn’t help much, either—her new neighbours treat her with distant respect, and something very like fear. When she meets Justin, May, Isaac, and Harper, all children of founder families, and sees the otherworldly destruction they can wreak, she starts to wonder if the townsfolk are right to be afraid.

When bodies start to appear in the woods, the locals become downright hostile. Can the teenagers solve the mystery of Four Paths, and their own part in it, before another calamity strikes?]]> 368 C.L. Herman Allison 5 3.61 2019
author: C.L. Herman
name: Allison
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2019/04/24
date added: 2019/04/24
shelves:
review:

]]> 25489134
After Vasilisa's mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa's new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa's stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse's most frightening tales.

The Bear and the Nightingale is a magical debut novel from a gifted and gorgeous voice. It spins an irresistible spell as it announces the arrival of a singular talent.]]> 319 Katherine Arden 1101885939 Allison 5 4.07 2017
author: Katherine Arden
name: Allison
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2019/04/13
date added: 2019/04/15
shelves:
review:

]]>