The Thorn Queen review

 

Book: The Thorn Queen

Author: Sasha Peyton Smith

Pages: 366

Date(s) Read: April 14^th, 2026 to May 5^th, 2026

Date Published: April14th, 2026

Rating: 4/5

Genre: Fae, Fantasy, Romantasy

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 4/5

Story: 4/5

Ending:  5/5

Cover: 4/5

Format: Hard Cover

Date Bought: April 14^th, 2026

Book Cost: $15.99

Review:

The Thorn Queen is just as good as the first part and ends the Rose Bargain duology well. Its a beautiful lush world full of vibrant characters, romance that will have you wanting more, and enough adventure that you'll have felt like you traversed a whole other world just upon finishing it.

 

In The Thorn Queen we see Ivy navigate a country ruled by Bram. As she tries to find her sister and Emmett she must hold England together while Bram destroys everything his mother built.

 

I enjoyed the family dynamics between the two sisters. Ivy sees tremendous character growth. I also liked the relationship between Lydia and Emmett.

 

This was a fun, fast paced faerie tale that fans of romantasy will enjoy.

Hollow review

 

Book: Hollow

Author: Celina Myers

Pages: 300

Date(s) Read: April 1^st, 2026 to May 4^th, 2026

Date Published: January 13^th, 2026

Rating: 4/5

Genre: Sapphic, Vampire

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 4/5

Story: 3/5

Ending:  3/5

Cover: 4/5

Format: Hard Cover

Date Bought: February 8^th, 2026

Book Cost: $19.40

Review:

Hollow is a hot mess but for some reason I am compelled to give it 4 stars.

 

In Hollow Mia joins the ranks of the undead after a car accident and must choose from two different vampire families to join.

 

This novel has major issues. No one is fully developed despite having a plethora of interesting characters to elaborate on. Even our heroine is given very little background info, really, the barest of minimums information is given.

 

The ending is rushed and happens over the span of less than 10 pages and the ending is incredibly ambiguous. All of these are glaring problems, and honestly, in any other book this work would be getting a 2 or 3 star but for some reason I have to give this one a 4. I felt a supernatural compulsion to keep turning the pages and continue reading. Why? I have no idea but for this and but for this reason alone I'm giving it four stars.

Us Dark Few review

 

Book: Us Dark Few

Author: Alexis Patton

Pages: 321

Date(s) Read: March 25^th, 2026 to May 4^th, 2026

Date Published: June 28^th, 2023

Rating: 4/5

Genre: Dystopian, Sci-fi

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 4/5

Story: 4/5

Ending:  5/5

Cover: 3/5

Format: Kindle

Date Bought: May 23^rd, 2025

Book Cost: $0.00

Review:

Us Dark Few is the third dystopian book I've read in the last two months and I have to say it is the best one yet.

 

In Us Dark Few Khalani is prisoner, newly sentenced to Braderhelm prison. There she meets the dangerous, tall, dark, and mysterious prison guard Takeshi. It's really hard to say more without giving away the plot, but the world-building, while not entirely fleshed out, is believable and interesting enough that you won't find yourself questioning as much about the society as you would reading other dystopian books like Daggermouth and To Cage a Wild Bird.

 

I enjoyed the characters in this novel. While none of the characters are particularly memorable I did find them engaging enough to be invested in their individual stories. Khalanis back story could have been fleshed out a bit more but overall she's a likable female lead. Takeshis background is interesting and he has a lot going for him despite being your usual brooding enigmatic male lead.

 

This novel was really well paced and the ending was very surprising. I find myself fully invested in what happens next to this motley crew of characters.

Hungerstone review

 

Book: Hungerstone

Author: Kat Dunn

Pages: 400

Date(s) Read: March 13^th, 2026 to May 4^th, 2026

Date Published: February 6^th, 2025

Rating: 4/5

Genre: Gothic, Vampire, Sapphic

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 4/5

Story: 4/5

Ending:  5/5

Cover: 4/5

Format: Hard Cover

Date Bought: May 23^rd, 2025

Book Cost: $19.70

Review:

Hungerstone is a decadent work of gothic fiction that is sure to please fans of the macabre.

 

In Hungerstone we follow Lenore who is the wife of a wealthy businessman. Desperate to please her husband, she has let life control her. She has spent years repressing her desires, wants, and needs until she meets Carmilla, a woman she takes in after an accident. Despite Carmilla's strange behavior, Lenore finds herself drawn to the enigmatic woman.

 

Lenore is easy to empathize with. She has fallen to the whims of a husband who sees her as nothing more than a tool, in a society that views women as less than. Watching her character growth is enthralling. You really find yourself hoping she is able to break out of the way in which the world has constrained her. I wish I felt as invested in Carmilla and the romance, but found both to be lacking. Carmilla never quite feels like a fully realized character. Because of this, I constantly found myself questioning Lenore's desire to be with Carmilla. The writer spent so much time making Carmilla mysterious it's like she forgot to make her interesting.

 

The First half of the novel is pretty slow, it takes half the book for things to pick up beyond a meandering pace. A good portion of the book goes through the very mundane and routine life that Lenore lives, which does help build up her background and set a lot up but can make for a very long-winded reading experience.

 

Overall, Hungerstone is great but the romance leaves a lot to be desired as does the character of Carmilla. If you're looking for a good vampire novel this one certainly fits the bill but its nothing new, unique or stand out in the genre.

Heir of Twisted Lies

 

Book: Heir of Twisted Lies

Author: L.J. Andrews

Pages: 499

Date(s) Read: March 25^th, 2026 to May 3^rd, 2026

Date Published: March 24^th, 2026

Rating: 4/5

Genre: Fantasy, Norse Inspired, Romantasy

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 4/5

Story: 4/5

Ending:  5/5

Cover: 5/5

Format: Hard Cover

Date Bought: March 24^th, 2026

Book Cost: $27.96

Review

Heir of Twisted Lies is an imperfect sequel to the Stonegate duology. While fun and fast-paced it also felt a bit chaotic.

 

In this sequel, we see Lyra, Roark, and their friends battle against the malevolent melder Fadey. There's a few revelations, but nothing shocking or groundbreaking here. Still, I enjoyed this end to the duology.

 

Lyra and Thane see the most character development. It's interesting to see her grapple with her darker inclinations. Thanes friendship with Roark is a highlight still in this found family.

 

The pacing felt very uneven; the first half of the book is much slower paced than the last half, where it feels the ending is thrown at you relatively quickly. Not only does it feel a bit rushed, but the last few chapters are utter chaos. That being said, I really enjoyed the ending after the final battle. Everything wraps up exceedingly well.

 

Problems aside, this was still a fun romantasy. If you liked the first one you will like this one. Nothing ground breaking or particularly memorable but it is a good time while you're reading it.

Zoey Matthews the Cursed Doll, and the Ghost Men review

 

Book: Zoey Matthews, the Cursed Doll, and the Ghost Men

Author: Heather Elizabeth King

Pages: 302

Date(s) Read: February 28^th, 2026 to April 30^th, 2026

Date Published: February 12^th, 2026

Rating: 5/5

Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Story: 5/5

Ending:  5/5

Cover: 4/5

Format: Kindle

Date Bought: February 23^rd, 2026

Book Cost: $4.99

Review:

Another fun book in this fantastic series. I loved the character development with Zoey. This series is a must read if you like urban fantasy.

Lady Tremaine review

 

Book: Lady Tremaine

Author: Rachel Hochhauser

Pages: 339

Date(s) Read: March 5^th, 2026 to April 29^th, 2026

Date Published: March 3^rd, 2026

Rating: 5/5

Genre: Fantasy

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Story: 5/5

Ending:  5/5

Cover: 3/5

Format: Hardcover

Date Bought: March 1^st, 2026

Book Cost: $16.99

Review:

Lady Tremaine is a brilliant feminist novel that is an ode to women and mothers everywhere.

 

In this reframing of the classic fairytale Cinderella we see the story through the perspective of the stepmother, Etheldreda. In this novel the stepmother is a rich, multi-faceted character; she is resourceful, quick-witted, and driven. You may know the classic story, but you don't know this story.

 

The characters are layered and diverse in personality. I loved Etheldreda, she was fierce. In this novel she is a struggling widow doing what she must to keep a roof over the heads of her family while trying to preserve the illusion of wealth for the sake of the girls, lest they not withstand society's stringent expectations of women. Elin was a very realistic Cinderella who is high-maintenance, dainty, and unwilling to pull her own weight in the family while she waits for a prince to whisk her away from her circumstances.

 

This is a fantasy you must read if you love the classic story, it's also one to read if you want a novel about the realities and truths of being a woman in a patriarchal society. This is a deep and empowering novel that shouldn't be missed.