Genre: Fantasy

ARC REVIEW + GIVEAWAY (US ONLY): Slayer (Slayer #1) by Kiersten White

December 28, 2018 2 Comments Regina

By now everyone knows that a re-imagining/series sequel of the CW hit television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Joss Whedon) is in the works. As if that weren’t exciting enough, Kiersten White’s new series set in the Buffy universe is hitting the shelves on January 8th! Buffy’s back (sort of), bitchezzzz! via GIPHY From what I’ve read on Goodreads, Slayer (Slayer #1) closely follows the Buffy comics and picks up shortly after the ending of […]

Review + GIVEAWAY (US ONLY): The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White

December 28, 2018 2 Comments Regina

This past October, in conjunction with Frankenreads.org, I hosted a month of programming centered around Mary Shelley and her Frankenstein at my library. The publisher was kind enough to send us a book club kit of TDDoEF, so we featured the novel as our October Young Adult Fiction for Adults book club pick. Overall, feelings from our book club attendees were lukewarm about Kiersten White’s spin on Mary Shelley’s dark fictional world and characters. The book was […]

Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf: Review + Giveaway!!!

August 28, 2018 4 Comments Regina

A couple of months ago, I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing author Sara Wolf at her Katy Budget Books Bring Me Their Hearts release party. If you live in the Houston area, go and buy yourself a signed copy of BMTH! You can also order a signed copy to be shipped to you from their website. First, I want to say that I was completely dazzled by author Sara Wolf (her nom […]

Requiem: A Netflix series review because OMG, this show is AMAZING.

May 11, 2018 3 Comments Regina

I experience an urge to be scared witless from a book or film twice a year, usually in October and during the summer. It’s not quite summer, but I couldn’t resist checking out the new Netflix series Requiem. Long story short: this show was a gripping piece of art infused with suspense, psychological terror, Welsh mythology, and muted horror. I highly recommend adding it to your queue/watching it right away. My abbreviated plot synopsis: The […]

Haven by Mary Lindsey + Giveaway!!!

January 5, 2018 6 Comments Regina

For all of us who have been going through paranormal/fantasy withdrawal ever since superheros took over our television sets and movie screens, Haven is the perfect paranormal fix. In case you haven’t figured it out from the synopsis (or from other reviews), Haven is a story about werewolves, and I am so ready for supernatural creatures to be back in the YA book-world spotlight. This is the super sexy paranormal YA story that we’ve all been waiting […]

Blog Tour: The Librarian by Christy Sloat Review + GIVEAWAY!!!

June 15, 2017 1 Comment Regina

This book is for 21st century romantics who still believe in the magic of libraries to change lives and to transport them to different worlds. I recommend that readers who enjoyed Outlander, Lost in Austen, or The Librarians treat themselves to Christy Sloat’s novel the next time they have the pleasure of reading an afternoon away. The Librarian is a fast, absorbing, and atmospheric read that you will want to share with all of your […]

Worlds of Ink and Shadow ( A Novel of the Brontes) by Lena Coakley

March 18, 2017 0 Comments Regina

From the Bronte Parsonage Museum This is the kind of book that you want to plan a whole photo shoot for. Isn’t the cover fabulous!? Of course, the title of the book is pretty fabulous as well. And that, my friends, is exactly why I went into this novel with a little trepidation. Would the story be equally amazing, creating a trinity of bookish brilliance? I should know better than to ask so much […]

Blog Tour Review + GIVEAWAY: Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

August 8, 2016 4 Comments Regina

Don’t forget to ENTER TO WIN an awesome prize at the end of this post! Nevernight could be classified as a pop-up book because every character and detail leaps from the pages. This book has a PRESENCE albeit a sadistic one. I found myself compelled to finish Mia’s story in as few sittings as possible. When I first read Ann Rice’s Lasher series at the tender age of ADULT, I would hide the books in […]

Blog Tour: The Shadow Hour by Melissa + GIVEAWAY!!!

July 19, 2016 4 Comments Regina

The Shadow Hour by Melissa Grey Author: Melissa Grey Pub. Date: July 12, 2016 Publisher: Delacorte Press Pages: 432 Format: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook Find it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Goodreads Everything in Echo’s life changed in a blinding flash when she learned the startling truth: she is the firebird, the creature of light that is said to bring peace. The firebird has come into the world, but it has not come alone. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, and Echo can feel a […]

The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

July 18, 2016 1 Comment Regina

I am glad I read this book a year after it released. I originally wanted to read it upon release day because there was so much hype about it in the blogger world/twitterverse. But again, so glad I did not. I think I would have been monumentally disappointed if I had. Instead, I was just a little disappointed after reading it last week. The poetic name and aesthetic appeal of the novel set the bar […]

Blog Tour: The Secrets of Solace by Jaleigh Johnson

March 31, 2016 0 Comments Regina

A fantastic and fun middle-grade fantasy. The Secrets of Solace will inspire those who read it to observe the world around them with curious and magical minds. I wish I would have reviewed this book before Easter so I could have shared this piece of advice: This is the PERFECT book to add to your child’s or favorite friend’s Easter Basket. It’s such a fun book about finding cultural treasures and preserving them. It’s also […]

Bohemian Gospel by Dana Chamblee Carpenter

January 7, 2016 1 Comment Regina

BOHEMIAN GOSPEL WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS OF 2015. “A fast-moving, seductive read. A fascinating mix of dark fantasy and rich historical detail.” Author of The Bloodletter’s Daughter Like any good book, Bohemian Gospel is a book for all seasons. However, I suggest you hurry and go buy a copy to read now, during the Winter months, so you can cuddle up under a fuzzy blanket by a toasty fire. This book will make […]

Rebel Mechanics: All is Fair in Love and Revolution by Shanna Swendson

November 12, 2015 1 Comment Regina

” What if British Magic kept the American Revolution from ever occurring?” The premise of this book is pretty amazing. My synapses salivate at the thought of how Shanna Swendson conjured this story question. There are two story worlds in this novel. One is out in the open, filled with proper aristocrats and those who wish they were. The other is clandestine, filled with working-class folk who walk on the radical side. I loved how […]

Blog Tour: An Inheritance of Ashes by Leah Bobet

September 29, 2015 3 Comments Regina

(WARNING: To my Southern friends- I may use a couple of Northern slang words in place of ”awesome” or ”super cool”. I don’t know why. Can you spot them?) I’m not really a Fantasy fan but damn, this book was wicked good. An Inheritance of Ashes is one of the BEST BOOKS I’ve read so far this year. I was completely taken by the atmospheric story world and the haunting characters. Hallie, the female […]

Dark Metropolis (Dark Metropolis #1) by Jaclyn Dolamore

August 24, 2015 0 Comments Regina

“Cabaret meets Cassandra Clare-a haunting magical thriller set in a riveting 1930s-esque world.” When I was 16, there was this movie that came out called Dark City. The trailer looked so nouveau-weird and mysterious. It looked like the coolest kind of psychological thriller. I went to see the movie and felt more than a little confused but still thought the film was a cool concept. That’s what Dark Metropolis reminded me of. Both have the […]

ARC Review: Lamp Black, Wolf Grey by Paula Brackston

August 12, 2015 0 Comments Regina

In the latest from Paula Brackston, a young artist goes to the Welsh mountains in search of love, but is faced with ancient legends and a mysterious man from the past – Merlin himself. You can find my reviews of other Paula Brackston novels HERE. All I have to do is see Paula Brackston’s name on a novel and know that I’m going to love it. Her writing is so rich and engrossing, and as […]

ARC REVIEW: This Broken Wondrous World by Jon Skovron

July 24, 2015 0 Comments Regina

I didn’t realize this was the second book in a series when I got it for review. Otherwise, I would have read Skovron’s Man Made Boy before diving into TBWW. This book was like reading a graphic novel for me- something completely out of my comfort zone and my predictable preferences. The fact that I ended up enjoying this book (a lot, actually), makes me question how well I know myself. TBWW is rife […]

Once Upon A Crime: A Brothers Grimm Mystery by P.J. Brackston

July 15, 2015 0 Comments Regina

You can find my other reviews of Paula Brackston’s novels HERE. I was sent a copy of Once Upon A Crime from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, so I have not had the pleasure of reading the first book in this series. In fact, I didn’t even know this series existed until the publisher emailed me. I’m going to have to start stalking Paula Brackston so I can stay in the loop […]

The Silver Witch by Paula Brackston Review + Giveaway!!!

May 21, 2015 2 Comments Regina

If you’ve ever had any interest in Welsh or Celtic mythology or ancient Welsh culture, you will be obsessed with this book. The Silver Witch was AWESOME. I was enthralled with how Paula Brackston wraps up her fantasy/supernatural narratives in solid, mesmerizing historical research. You can find some of the historical artifacts she writes about in this novel here. With spellbinding craft, Ms. Brackston weaves the life of a contemporary widowed woman with the life of […]

The Ring and The Crown by Melissa De La Cruz + GIVEAWAY!!!

August 13, 2014 10 Comments Regina

Magical Realism in a historical setting makes me HAPPY. Think “The Young and The Restless” meets ” Camelot” on steroids. TR & TC unfolds against the unstable historical setting of London during the Franco-British empire and Melissa De La Cruz immediately dazzled me with the sensibilities of her characters just as much as she did with the story setting. There are several key players in this book that move around like pieces on […]

The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

April 5, 2014 0 Comments Regina

If I gave this book a rating strictly based on my enjoyment of the novel it would be closer to 3 stars. Unfortunately, I think I had a bad case of The Reader’s Curse while reading The Winner’s Curse. I read TWC about a week after reading Tsarina by J.Nell Patrick. These books have the same bones. I couldn’t help myself from comparing them while reading TWC. I decided to call my conundrum The Reader’s […]