Uncategorized

August Book Releases

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well.

As it is a new month that means it is time to share just a few of the books coming out this month. Are you planning on buying any of these?
I can tell you that I have two pre-orders for August so I am excited for those to arrive.

A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid – 5th August

Return to the immersive, lush, and dreamlike world of the instantly bestselling dark academia fantasy A Study in Drowning as the aftermath of their first discovery pulls Effy and Preston on a final adventure and brings their haunting love story to its end in this stunning sequel and final book in the duology.

All stories come to an end.

Effy learned that when she defeated the Fairy King. Even though she may never know exactly what happened at Hiraeth, she is free of her nightmares and is able to pen a thesis with Preston on the beloved national fairy tale Angharad. She has finally earned a spot at the literature college, making her the first woman in history to enroll.

But some dreams are dangerous, especially when they come true. The entire university—and soon the entire nation—is waiting for her to fail. With the Fairy King defeated and Myrddin’s legacy exposed, Effy can no longer escape into fantasy. Who is she without her stories?

With Effy under threat, Preston is surprised to discover a rage simmering inside him, ringing in his ears like bells. He begins to dream of a palace under the sea, a world where he is king—visions that start to follow him even in waking.

As the war between Llyr and Argant explodes, Effy and Preston find themselves caught in the crossfire: Effy losing her dreams and Preston losing himself in his.

Are dreams ever truly just dreams?

The Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk – 5th August

New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk.

Mische made the ultimate sacrifice to save those she loves – and plunged the world into an eternal night. Now, imprisoned by the gods and obsessed with revenge, Asar is desperate to find her again.

When a goddess offers them a final path to redemption – and back to each other – Asar and Mische embark on an extraordinary mission. Together, they must seize the power of the god of death so Asar may do the impossible: ascend to true divinity.

Their journey will take them through mortal and immortal realms, alongside both old friends and ruthless enemies. But as the underworld teeters on the brink of collapse and the gods prepare for a war, Asar and Mische must decide what they are willing to sacrifice for the power to defy death. In a game of vengeful gods and ancient betrayals, there are some debts that even love may not be able to repay.

Accomplice to the Villain – 7th August

Once Upon a Time meets The Office in Hannah Nicole Maehrer’s laugh-out-loud viral TikTok series turned novel, about the sunshine assistant to an Evil Villain…and their unexpected romance.

REWARD OFFERED: Apprentice to The Villain wanted for treason (light), magical property damage (alleged), and one incident involving a weaponized scone (accurate). Frequently seen with a grumpy frog (crowned, judgmental). Answers to “Evie” or “Stop that.”

Evie Sage didn’t mean to become the right-hand woman to the kingdom’s most terrifying villain. One minute, she was applying for an entry-level position that promised “light paperwork and occasional beheadings,” and the next, she was knee-deep in magical mayhem, murder plots, and an entirely inappropriate crush on her brooding, sharp-jawed, walking disaster of a boss.

Now, with a magical prophecy unraveling, assassins showing up in the break room, and a suspicious amount of frogs wearing crowns, Evie has to figure out how to survive her job without setting the kingdom on fire—or her dignity, which is hanging by a very sarcastic thread.

Being evil-adjacent was never part of the five-year plan. But then again…neither was falling for The Villain.

A magical office comedy with grumpy bosses, snarky frogs, and definitely-not-feelings.

Alchemy and A Cup of Tea – 14th August

USA Today, Sunday Times, and Indie bestselling author Rebecca Thorne brings the Tomes & Tea series to a delightful, cozy close for our beloved lesbian book- and tea- sellers.

Reyna and Kianthe have no trouble ruling the Queendom, battling evil alchemists, and rescuing adorable baby dragons, but can they save their town from the ravening influx of…. tourists?!?

On the night of her kidnapping, all Reyna wanted was a relaxing cup of tea. She didn’t expect to be dropped in a hidden cell, but what the hells. She’s flexible.

When Kianthe “rescues” her wife, she expects they’ll be back at New Leaf having tea by noon. But there’s a problem: an alchemy circle marred Reyna’s cell. What does a radical group of alchemists want with the Queendom’s newest sovereign… and why did they think they could get away with this?

To make matters worse, Kianthe and Reyna’s hometown is having its own problems. Word of New Leaf Tomes and Tea―and its celebrity owners―has finally spread, and tourists are flooding into Tawney. As their friends struggle with the sudden influx, Kianthe and Reyna have to face a bigger conundrum than rogue alchemists: the fact that closing their bookshop might be the only way to save their town.

Things can’t just be simple, can they?

Warrior Princess Assassin – 14th August

New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer makes her adult debut with this irresistible and steamy fantasy about three characters whose paths will collide in surprising ways – two royals pushed into a political engagement, and the assassin tasked with hunting them down.

WARRIOR. King Maddox Kyronan’s fire magic has earned him a ruthless reputation on the battlefield, but now his kingdom is slowly burning. Ky’s only chance to save his people is to enter a marriage alliance with the neighboring nation of Astranza, and hope that the royal family’s power to manipulate the weather will help his land flourish once more. He just needs to ensure no one finds out how the blaze began.

PRINCESS. With war looming on the horizon, Princess Jory’s home needs the protection of the fearsome warrior king, but she is hiding a dangerous her family’s magic is fading. Tempting as it is to reject her duties and run away with her childhood friend, Asher, Jory knows that she is the kingdom’s last hope. When she meets her intended, Jory is surprised to discover that beneath Ky’s daunting exterior is a compassionate and sharp-witted man who sets her heart aflame. But what will he do when he realizes she’s deceiving him?

ASSASSIN. Asher’s done what he must to survive, even if that means getting his hands dirty. Once a young nobleman in Astranza’s palace, where he and Jory caused mischief together, now he’s part of the Hunter’s Guild, employing much darker skills. When a lucrative job comes his way, Asher can’t say no—until he discovers the targets. Someone wants Ky and Jory dead. With the Guild watching, Asher must decide what he’s willing to do to protect the woman he loves.

A tale of three complex characters torn between chasing, betraying, and falling in love with each other, Warrior Princess Assassin marks the beginning of a thrilling new fantasy trilogy filled with enchantment, adventure, and passionate romance.

Hemlock and Silver by T Kingfisher – 21st August

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.

Once A Villain – 21st August

The final book in the lauded Only a Monster trilogy is here—where the unstoppable love and high stakes of Divine Rivals meets the propulsive thrills of This Savage Song in a last-ditch, breathless race against time.

Joan has failed to stop Eleanor.

Now Eleanor rules over a cruel new timeline where monsters live openly among humans, preying on them and subjugating them.

Nick—once a hero to humans, and Joan’s first love—is tormented by the choice he made to save her over the timeline itself. And Aaron—the ruthless heir to a powerful monster family—now finds himself in a world where monsters have power beyond imagining while his feelings for Joan grow.

Wrenched between love and rivalry, the three of them must negotiate their fractured pasts to survive the new world and restore what was lost. Because only they remember that there was once a better timeline.

But how will they defeat a whole world of monsters with control over time itself?

Monthly TBRs

December TBR!

Happy Friday bookish people! And welcome to December, I can’t believe we are this close to Christmas already. It seems to have flown by this year.

There are so many birthdays for my family this month, my Dad, my sister and my Nan so this will be a really busy month.

Anyway, onto the TBR!

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

Lore by Alexandra Bracken

Nine Lives by Peter Swanson

Emma by Jane Austen

European Travels for the Monstrous Gentlewomen by Theodora Goss

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

Down Comes The Night by Alison Saft

My Fine Fellow by Jennieke Cohen

Only A Monster by Vanessa Len

Love On The Brain by Ali Hazelwood

That’s it for my December TBR, have you read any of these books?

Monthly TBRs

April Wrap Up!

Happy Sunday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day. Today I am bringing you my April wrap up and I’m so glad to say that my reading has been a little bit better this month, not amazing to the extent that I was at this time last year but so much better than March and February. So I’m going to get straight into which books I did and didn’t read in April!

  • Small Favours by Erin A Craig – I did not read this book – I just wasn’t in the mood for this style of plot this month
  • Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas – I finally managed to read this book, my review for it will be up soon but I really enjoyed it
  • Daughters of Night by Laura Shepard-Robinson – I have started this book but I haven’t finished it yet, it’s a pretty big book so it might take me some time
  • Rose by Holly Webb – I did read this book
  • there was a non-bookish prompt and for this I had a nice warm bath and I watched some videos
  • Lily by Rose Tremain – I did read this book too so a review of this book will also be up soon
  • The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros – I did not read this book
  • The Mapmakers by Tamzin Merchant – I read this book too!
  • Down Comes the Night by Alison Saft – I did not read this book
  • Nine Lives by Peter Swanson – I did not read this book and I’m sad about that because I am really excited for it
  • Queenslayer by Sebastien de Castell – I am currently 3/4 of the way through this book and it is also on my May tbr so I will be finishing it in the next few days
  • An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir – I did not read this book
  • The Five – I did not read this book
  • A Marvelous Light by Freya Marske – I did not read this book but it is on my May tbr
  • Cecily by Annie Garthwaite – Again I didn’t read this book but it is on my May tbr
  • Only A Monster by Vanessa Len – I didn’t read this book
  • Assassins Apprentice by Robin Hobb – I did not read this book
  • Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore – I did read this book!
  • An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson – I did not read this book
  • Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody – I did not read this book – I did take it all the way to London with me and then still didn’t read it
  • House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas – I did not read this

So that was what I did and didn’t read in April. I ended up reading 5 books and started two others, one of which I will finish in a few days so I am really happy with that.

Monthly TBRs

April TBR!

Happy Friday bookish people! Today I am bringing you my April TBR which includes what books I will be reading for the prompts of the Easter readathon I am co-hosting this month.

Once again, my TBR game gave me a lot of rolls so there are quite a few books to read this month, I am hoping that my reading will improve this month.

So, onto my TBR!

  • Flower – first book you look at: Small Favours by Erin A Craig – I read her first book, House of Salt and Sorrows and really enjoyed it so I am looking forward to this one
  • Chocolate – Plot twist: Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas – this is a book that I have been putting off but I am looking forward to reading it
  • Cake – Multiple POV: Daughters of Night by Laura Shepard-Robinson – I think this book has multiple points of view but also, it is a haunting, dark victorian mystery so it sounds right up my alley
  • Bunny – a short read: Rose by Holly Webb – I read this book when I was younger but I love this story
  • The sun – a non-book, self care prompt: I am not sure what I will do for this, probably watch some bookish videos and have a warm bath
  • Moon – a mystery: Lily by Rose Tremain – I am so excited to read this book
  • Carrot – a title starts with a c: The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros
  • The Mapmakers by Tamzen Merchant – I loved the hatmakers so I am very excited to continue this series
  • Down comes the night by Alison Saft – I love Victorian, gothic themed novels
  • Nine Lives by Peter Swanson – I love his books and the premise of this book sounds really good
  • Queenslayer by Sebastien de Castell – I am two books away from finishing this series so I would love to read this one soon
  • An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir – this is another book that has been on my TBR for a long time
  • The Five: the untold story of the victims of Jack the ripper – I love anything about the jack the ripper mystery and I think it is great to see the women he killed as women
  • A Marvelous Light by Freya Marske – I got this in my Illumicrate box and it sounds very interesting
  • Cecily by Anne Garthwaite – I am looking forward to reading historical fiction again
  • Only A Monster by Vanessa Len – this sounds very dark and fantastical
  • Assassins Apprentice by Robin Hobb – I am excited to start reading the Hobb books
  • Bringing down the duke by Evie Dunmore – this will be interesting to try and read another genre outside of my comfort zone
  • An enchantment of ravens by Margaret Rogerson – the cover is beautiful and I love this author’s writing
  • Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody – this book looks like it has a morally grey male lead that I think i will like
  • House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas – carrying on over from March TBR

That’s it for my April TBR!

Book Tags

Birthday Book Tag!

Happy Friday bookish people! It is my birthday! I am 23, which feels very strange – sometimes I still feel like I’m 20 but I think that may just be because of the Pandemic. So, I thought it would be a good idea today to do a fun bookish tag so I found the Birthday book tag. I found it on pagesplots.com but on their tag it says they found it on Always Books.

Let’s get to the tag!

Birthday Cake – A Book With a plot that seems cliché but you adore it anyway

For this I went with Get A Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

I felt like I had read this plot a few different times but there were some new aspects to it in this book and I still really enjoyed this book.

Party Guests – Your most anticipated book release for this year

I think there are two for me, which are Only A Monster by Vanessa Len and Crescent City House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas and I now already own both! I have read neither but I am very excited to.

Birthday Presents – A book that surprised you with how much you loved it

For this one I am choosing Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz

I knew I would like this book because it has an intriguing mystery but I ended up surprising myself with how much I loved it.

Happy Birthday Song – A book that certainly deserves all the hype it got

The Caraval series by Stephanie Garber, definitely!

Happy Music – A book with some very beautiful and truly memorable quotes

I have to choose the Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, it’s just so magical and fantastical. The quotes are beautiful.

Getting Older – A book that you read a long time ago but you think you would appreciate more if you read it as a more mature reader

This is a really tough one, I am not sure what I can answer this with. I am thinking probably any book by Philippa Gregory because I read them all a few years ago but I think they would mean more to me if I read them now.

Sweet Birthday Memories – A book that kept you incredibly happy during a sad or demanding period of your life

I have to choose the lady in the Tower by Marie Louise Jenson, all her books kept me going throughout my high school period, there was a lot of things going on that I was struggling with and reading was the only thing that made me feel better.

That’s it for this book tag, I hope you all enjoyed it!