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.

Binding 13 review

 

Book: Binding 13

Author: Chloe Walsh

Pages: 611

Date(s) Read: February 28^th, 2026 to April 27^th, 2026

Date Published: September 26^th, 2023

Rating: 5/5

Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Story: 5/5

Ending:  5/5

Cover: 3/5

Format: Kindle

Date Bought: November 28^th, 2025

Book Cost: $1.99 

Review:

I just finished reading Binding 13 at 3:30 am and am bawling my eyes out. What a whirlwind, moving novel. I have to admit, I did not expect to like a teen novel like this as much as I did.

In Binding 13 we follow 15-year-old Shannon as she transfers high schools after severe bullying. Shannon has a tumultuous family life, which makes matters worse. On her first day of school, she is hit with a rugby ball and meets the school star rugby player, Johnny, whose world is forever changed after accidentally injuring her. As they both slowly fall for one another, they both contend with the trials and tribulations of family and school expectations as well as their growing feelings for one another.

I was not prepared for how stirring this book would be. I haven't been 16 in 20 years, and yet all those elevated feelings and emotions of being that age rushed back to me. This novel really conveys the ups and downs of being a teenager, especially one who deals with an abusive father and severe bullying, both of which I went through. 

I found Shannons family dynamic interesting because this novel sheds light on something no one talks about that comes from abusive households, and that is the complicity of the enabling parent who tolerates and allows the abuse. My father was verbally and mentally abusive. As much as I loved my mother, when I look back on those years, I realize, like Shannons mother, my mom allowed it. To get to see it from an outside perspective is really earth-shattering because when you're in it you don't really see it as much as you should; you're so hyper-focused on the abusive parent. I thought her relationship with her brothers was also interesting as well and made me think a lot of how my brother and I have bonded and become close after the trauma we went through with both our father and the loss of our mother after her death.  

This is a book that is funny and engaging at times with really witty banter and a wonderful slow-burn romance, but there's also a lot of emotional devastation. Definitely bring a tissue box to your read-through of Binding 13. It's not my usual thing, as I'm not really a fan of contemporary romance, but I could not stop thinking about this novel throughout my time reading it. If you have even a passing interest in romance, this needs to be on your radar, especially if you're in high school.

From Blood and Ash review

 

Book: From Blood and Ash

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Pages: 622

Date(s) Read: March 2^nd, 2026 to April 12^th, 2026

Date Published: March 30^th, 2020

Rating: 4/5

Genre: Romantasy, Fantasy, Vampires, Werewolves

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 3/5

Story: 4/5

Ending:  4/5

Cover: 3/5

Format: Kindle

Date Bought: January 3^rd, 2026

Book Cost: $8.00

Review:

From Blood and Ash can sometimes be a slog to get through but more often than not it is interesting and compelling.

 

In From Blood and Ash, we follow the Maiden, named Poppy. The Maiden is not allowed to be seen or heard; she has no freedom whatsoever. All of that changes when she gets a mysterious but enigmatic guard named Hawke. As she is pulled into Hawkes orbit, she begins to break away from the rigid rules and expectations that have previously shaped her life.

 

This book was pretty fast-paced for the most part (though it had its moments of being slow). I loved Poppy, she's a gal you can really get behind. Fun, feisty, and fierce, Poppy is a force to be reckoned with. I thought the love interest was your typical broody and mysterious male main character but his secrets I did not guess. The ending reveal will shock you to your core.

 

From Blood and Ash isn't brilliant, but it offers a new take on vampires that will stay fresh in your mind for weeks after reading. When I have the money, you best believe I will be getting the next installment of this addictive series.

The Fox and the Devil review

 

Book: The Fox and the Devil

Author: Kiersten White

Pages: 353

Date(s) Read: March 11^th, 2026 to April 18^th, 2026

Date Published: March 10^th, 2026

Rating: 4/5

Genre: Gothic, Sapphic, Supernatural

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 5/5

Story: 3/5

Ending:  5/5

Cover: 4/5 (Naked Hard Cover)

Format: Hard Cover

Date Bought: March 10^th, 2026

Book Cost: $29.00

Review

The Fox and the Devil is a really hard novel to rate and pin down. I'd say truly it's a 3.75 so I'm bumping it up to a 4 here. It's a unique novel with an interesting mystery and premise, but it's also very dry and dull at times. Despite that, I love the writing style. Lucy Undying, though, this is not.

 

In The Fox and the Devil Anneke Van Helsing chases down the woman responsible for a rash of insidious suicides all over Europe. As she gets closer to the mysterious woman she becomes consumed by the obsessive chase, much to the detriment of those around her.

 

It's an intriguing premise, the romance was engaging but the book as a whole is extremely slow. There are large swaths of time where nothing really seems to happen. At Times I felt like I was slogging through the novel. Again it's well written, I just found the pacing off. That being said, the ending was satisfying, and I felt a sense of accomplishment finishing this novel.

 

If you like sapphic supernatural mysteries, this is definitely worth your time, but if those aren't your jam, you may want to pass on this novel, which, although good, really makes you work for it.