Reviews written by Jan Farnworth, Digital Manager/Blog Assistant and Staff Reviewer

I went into Red as Royal Blood by Elizabeth Hart expecting a fun, slightly dramatic royal story, and what unfolded was a twisty, tension-filled ride where literally no one feels safe—and honestly, I loved that. Ruby is such an easy character to root for right away. She...

I picked up Gilded in Vengeance by Lyssa Mia Smith, thinking I’d get a glamorous fantasy with a touch of drama… and instead I got something darker, sharper, and way more emotionally intense than I expected. And honestly? I loved that. From the...

I went into The Beautiful Maddening expecting something soft and magical… and instead got a story that felt way more intense, unsettling, and honestly a little heartbreaking in the best way. This book really hit that young adult sweet spot for me — where everything feels heightened. Every...

I went into Darkness Calling by Vic Liston expecting a fairly classic fantasy adventure… and while it does deliver that, it also surprised me in quieter, more meaningful ways. This is one of those stories that doesn’t rush to impress you—it slowly pulls you in, wrapping you in...

I’ve always loved puzzles and escape rooms, so picking up Escape Room by Christopher Edge felt like stepping into a story made just for curious, puzzle-loving readers. And honestly? It turned out to be a wild, imaginative ride that kept me guessing the entire time. The story follows...

I went into Devious Prey by Scott Reintgen expecting a fun fantasy adventure—but I didn’t expect such a tense, survival-filled story. This book quickly turns into a gripping mix of fantasy, mystery, and a little bit of monster horror, and I was completely pulled in. ...

Sometimes I’m just in the mood for a book that feels like an adventure from start to finish—something with mystery, cool technology, and a main character you can’t help rooting for. That’s exactly what I found when I picked up Chase: The Boy Who Hid by Z. Jeffries. ...

There’s something irresistible about a story set on a misty island where everyone seems to know your name—and your secrets. Heiress of Nowhere pulled me in with that exact atmosphere and didn’t let go. The story follows Lucy, a girl who quite literally washed ashore as a baby...

Eternal Ruin, the second book in the Immortal Dark trilogy, doesn’t just continue the narrative from Immortal Dark — it intensifies everything. The politics are more dangerous. The betrayals cut deeper. The romance simmers with even more tension. And at the center of it all is Kidan, who is forced...

Queen of Faces is the kind of debut that doesn’t just introduce a new fantasy world—it interrogates it. Bold, unsettling, and ambitious, Petra Lord crafts a story that blends dark academia aesthetics with sharp social commentary, creating a novel that feels both imaginative and uncomfortably relevant. Set in...

Starchaser is a thrilling follow-up to Nightweaver, packed with magic, danger, and romance. The story follows seventeen-year-old pirate Aster Oberon, who now has powerful magic — and a deadly curse that could turn her and her love interest, Will, into monstrous Underlings unless they find a cure. To do that,...

There’s something both exhilarating and bittersweet about reaching the end of a long-running fantasy series, and Witchlight delivers that exact feeling in spades. As the final installment in Susan Dennard’s Witchlands series, this book carries the weight of years of worldbuilding, character growth, and tangled political intrigue—and for the most...

S.F. Williamson’s A War of Wyverns is a sequel that refuses to stay small. Where A Language of Dragons introduced us to a world shaped by language, power, and dragons, this second installment widens the lens into full-scale war—testing not only nations, but the very ideals its heroine once believed...

Some stories don’t just ask what you'd sacrifice for love — they demand to know what you’d risk to end a legacy of harm. Heart’s Gambit, the debut novel from J.D. Myall, is a richly imagined YA fantasy that blends magic, time travel, and forbidden romance with themes of generational...

Moira Buffini’s Torchfire is the kind of middle book that refuses to be quiet. Rather than acting as a bridge between beginnings and endings, it widens the world, deepens the emotional stakes, and pushes its characters into darker, more complicated territory. If Songlight introduced us to a society fractured by...