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Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Historical Romance/Humor
Length: 378 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: July 23, 2024
ASIN: B0CLN6XSD7
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Love’s Academic series
Source: Borrowed ebook from library
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

“Beth Pickering is on the verge of finally capturing the rare deathwhistler bird when Professor Devon Lockley swoops in, stealing both her bird and her imagination like a villain. Albeit a handsome and charming villain, but that’s beside the point. As someone highly educated in the ruthless discipline of ornithology, Beth knows trouble when she sees it, and she is determined to keep her distance from Devon.

For his part, Devon has never been more smitten than when he first set eyes on Professor Beth Pickering. She’s so pretty, so polite, so capable of bringing down a fiery, deadly bird using only her wits. In other words, an angel. Devon understands he must not get close to her, however, since they’re professional rivals.

When a competition to become Birder of the Year by capturing an endangered caladrius bird is announced, Beth and Devon are forced to team up to have any chance of winning. Now keeping their distance becomes a question of one bed or two. But they must take the risk, because fowl play is afoot, and they can’t trust anyone else—for all may be fair in love and war, but this is ornithology.”

Series Info/Source: This is the 1st book in the Love’s Academic series. I borrowed this on ebook from the library.

Thoughts: This started a bit slow but picked up the pace about 25% of the way in. This is a Victorian alternate history sort of fantasy romance. It is set in England (mostly) but an England where the birds are deadly and magical, and ornithologists play a major role in the safety of people in general.

Beth is a rare female ornithologist professor and, when a contest to capture the rare caladrius bird is announced (with tenure as the prize) she must participate. Unfortunately, all the ornithologists dive right into this challenge, including the incredibly smart and handsome Professor Devon Lockley. As Devon and Beth are forced to team up, they are incredibly attracted to each other, and both are forced to admit there are more important things in life than winning Birder of the Year (of course, nothing is more important than the birds). As the chase for this rare bird continues, they both realize that there is more behind this contest than they initially thought.

This is a very fun and cute read. The beginning missed the mark for me a bit. Beth was just too timid and the characters felt a bit too stereotypical, however that was quickly remedied as we got further into the story. There is a lot of action here, and a lot of the story is a bit tongue-in-cheek. I mean the ornithologists are so famous and so important, at times it all feels a bit over characterized and silly, but in a fun way.

The story does jump between a few different POVs. However, the majority of the story is told from Beth’s and Devon’s points of view. I enjoyed both Beth and Devon as characters. At first, they seem a bit stereotypical to this type of alternate history Victorian story, but I think that is part of the point. As they get to know each other better, we also get to know them better. They are both exceptional characters with deep intelligence and interests.

This was a fun romp, was effortless to read, and was well written. I enjoyed it immensely.

My Summary (4.5/5): Overall, though the start of this was a bit rough for me, I thought the story really hit it’s stride about 25% of the way in and I really started to love it. I loved this alternate history Victorian London setting with deadly magical birds, the quirky characters, the fast pace, the romance, and the mystery that is unraveled. I would recommend to those who enjoy alternate history Victorian romance with some magic, adventure, and mystery in it. I will definitely be picking up the second book in the series, “The Geographer’s Map to Romance.”

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Length: 344 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: February 17, 2026
ASIN: B0F5PDG8NF
Stand Alone or Series: 4th book in the Haven’s Rock series
Source: Borrowed ebook from library
Rating: 5/5 stars

“Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are entering a new chapter of life as parents to their six-month-old baby. Their family is hidden away in the sanctuary town of Haven’s Rock where they can live safe and private lives. But when they encounter hikers too close to the borders of Haven’s Rock, they realize they’re in danger of being exposed.

When they find one of the hikers dead the next day, they realize that their paranoia was justified, but they’re no closer to finding out who these people were and what they were doing in the vicinity of Haven’s Rock. Only by tracing the hikers’ movements, as well as examining the recent behavior of their closest neighbors, the workers of a secretive mining camp, will they be able to figure out where the threat is coming from and shut it down. Otherwise, the lives of everyone in Haven’s Rock–and their safe, secure new existence–are at risk.”

Series Info/Source: This is the 4th book in the Haven’s Rock series. I borrowed this on ebook from the library.

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this continuation of the Haven’s Rock series. The mystery is well done, and it was great to see how the new sanctuary town of Haven’t Rock is progressing. I am a big fan of Armstrong and have read the majority of her other series and enjoyed them. I would recommend reading the Rockton series before reading this one because there is quite a bit of background there that ties in with this story. However, this whole series does stand alone fine on its own.

In this book, Casey and Eric are juggling being new parents while ensuring that Haven’s Rock runs smoothly. The autumn is in full swing and they are surprised when they stumble upon a couple of lost hikers. This makes them both a bit paranoid about why the hikers were really out in the middle of the Yukon forest this late in the year. When one of the hikers is found dead the next day, their worry deepens. Exposure is always a danger, and Haven’s Rock has already been dealing with a group of nearby miners, not to mention rumors about possible spies from Rockton.

This story is another wonderful blend of survival elements, combined with a good mysterious police procedural. We get some closure around the mystery of the nearby mining company and also get some insight into what has been happening at Rockton since Casey and Eric left there.

I really enjoyed watching Casey and Eric move onto a new stage of life with their young daughter. Many people seem to want their new baby to be a liability, but instead, they are approaching this new stage of life in a way that brings the people of Haven’s Rock closer together.

This was a quick and easy read that was fast paced, kept you guessing, and well written. I can’t wait to see what the fifth, and final, book of the series holds.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I really enjoyed this book and thought it did a wonderful job of progressing the story. I really enjoyed the police procedural and survival elements to this story. I also enjoyed seeing Casey and Eric enter a new stage of their lives together. I am eager to see what happens in the final book in the series. I would recommend to Rockton fans, or to those who think survival combined with a good murder mystery sounds intriguing.

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy/Manga
Length: 176 pages
Publisher: Kodansha Comics
Release Date: March 17, 2026
ASIN: B0FDJHS1ZP
Stand Alone or Series: 14th volume in the Witch Hat Atelier series
Source: Bought paperback
Rating: 4/5 stars

“At long last, Dagda and Custas are back together, reunited in the medical tower. All they should have to do now is wait for the doctors to treat them. But at that moment, Qifrey has a terrible premonition. Meanwhile, Coco has a plan to defend the town from the rampaging valance leeches. But it’s a long shot that’ll need all the town’s witches to work together…”

Series Info/Source: This is the 14th volume in the Witch Hat Atelier series. I bought this in paperback to read.
Thoughts: This volume continues the storyline of the valance leeches and follows our witches as they try to fight it. When Coco comes up with an amazing idea to defend the town her idea is challenged by the knights. While both the knights and the witches want to save people, they have very different beliefs on how that should be done. Unfortunately, for them, the valance leeches latch onto a new location to unleash their deadly chaos.

I love the illustration in this manga series, it is absolutely beautiful and a joy to look at. I continue to enjoy the theme of family and teamwork throughout. This volume really drives home that idea that you need amazing ideas from a team of people to solve a complex situation. I also loved that a lot of our apprentice witches are gaining confidence and really stepping up to help solve complicated problems.

While I was happy to see this storyline make more progress, I was a bit disappointed that the valance leech storyline is still going strong at the end of this volume. I feel like it’s time to wrap that up. Although at this point, I am not even sure what would come next for our characters.

My Summary (4/5 ):Overall I really love the artwork throughout this volume and love that our characters are growing and becoming more confident. I am happy the storyline made some progress, but felt like it didn’t make enough progress. I definitely plan to continue with this series because I want to know if Coco’s plan will work! I would recommend this manga series to those who enjoy cozy magic fantasy stories.

Welcome to Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Reading Reality.

This is my haul of books that I bought and borrowed for the last 5 months! Click on the book image to go to Goodreads to learn more about them.  Hope you all got some great books and that you have a great week (or many months) of reading ahead of you! Purchased Books:

Audiobook Books:

Borrowed Books:

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Length: 4 hours and 25 minutes
Publisher: Sittin’ on a Goldmine Productions LLC
Release Date: November 05, 2021
ASIN: B09L55TBDK
Stand Alone or Series: 6th volume in the Mitzy Moon Mysteries series
Source: Audiobook from Audible
Rating: 4/5 stars

“Mitzy Moon struggles to put snooping on the back burner and help launch the Duncan Restorative Justice Foundation. But her good-girl routine leaves the station after a deputy crashes the Grand Opening with a search warrant. And she’s full-steam ahead on the case when she discovers her father’s railroad is the target for a heist.

Never one to play it safe, Mitzy blatantly ignores the warnings of her entitled feline and risks everything. She even cons her interfering Ghost-ma into helping her with an alarming undercover plan. And now she promises just a few more shifts at the seedy roadhouse and she’ll have the crooks stopped in their tracks.

Can Mitzy pull off the double cross of a lifetime, or will more than her investigation be derailed?”

Series Info/Source: This is the 6th volume in the Mitzy Moon Mysteries series. I got this on audiobook from Audible to read.

Thoughts: This was an entertaining and well-done installment in the Mitzy Moon series. While these books don’t really “wow” me, they are fun little diversions. I originally started this series because I wanted an audiobook to listen to during a regular 6 hr (round trip) car trip I need to do monthly. These are the perfect length to get done during that commute. I think this was my favorite book in this series yet. I really liked seeing Mitzy and Sheriff “too hot to handle” Erick starting to work together on cases.

Mitzy is trying to be a dutiful daughter and support her father during the launch of the Duncan Restorative Justice Foundation. Then Sheriff Erick shows up with a warrant! Mitzy’s father’s railroad is being targeted by a ring of thieves. Mitzy decides to go undercover at a seedy bar to help sort out the truth.

All of our favorite characters are in the story, I really enjoyed watching Mitzy continue to mature. I enjoyed even more watching her and Erick finally start to work together on cases. When poor Piwackett injures himself bringing Mitzy of piece of evidence, I was happy to see that Mitzy finally took Piwacket seriously and paid attention to his efforts!

I listened to this on audiobook and it is well done. The narrator does character voices well and consistently, and it’s fun to listen to. This book is an easy one to listen to while driving. I don’t have to pay attention too hard and there is some humor and fun.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I thought this was the best book in the Mitzy Moon series so far. I continue to enjoy the town of Pincherry Harbor and enjoy watching Mitzy find a place she can call home. I love that people are finally starting to accept Mitzy’s detective abilities and pulling her into cases. It was fun to watch her and Erick work together. If you are looking for a light-hearted novella paranormal mystery series, this is a decent one. It takes a few books to get moving, but once it does, it is a lot of fun.

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Length: 766 pages
Publisher: Dandy House
Release Date: May 12, 2026
ASIN: B0GJJDXG4L
Stand Alone or Series: 8th book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series
Source: eGalley from NetGalley for Review
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

“As chaos and mass panic spread outside the dungeon in the wake of Faction Wars, Carl and Donut find themselves on the tenth floor, where they’re forced to compete in a surprisingly normal set of tasks. Well, normal for the dungeon.

Races. Get from point A to point B, and don’t come in last. After each race, they pick an upgrade for their vehicle and the track gets more challenging. It all seems a little too normal, a little too simple.

Ignore those strange glitches that are occurring with increasing frequency. Don’t listen to those whispers about what’s happening on the mysterious eleventh floor, something the system AI calls A Parade of Horribles. Nobody, not even the showrunners, knows what that means. Just that the AI has ominously dubbed it “a coming-out party for the ages.”

Everything is fine, Crawler. I repeat, everything is fine.

Carl hates that it’s business as usual. The rules of this floor have taken away his agency. That just will not do.

So Carl is planning a party of his own. It’s a plan so dangerous, so insane, he can’t even consult his friends lest the AI put a stop to it. Because if it goes wrong, it’s not just the end of Carl and Donut. No. The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been.”

Series Info/Source: This is the 8th book in the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. I got this on ebook through NetGalley for review.

Thoughts: I was incredibly excited to get a review copy of this. This is fast-paced, action packed, and full of all the wonderful characters from throughout the series. However, I can’t help feeling like the story is a bit forced and contrived at points.

Carl and Donut are on the tenth floor. A strangely “normal” floor where they go through multiple heats of races. As more and more crawlers are eliminated Carl, Donut, and team desperately look for a way to help both NPCs and crawlers escape the dungeon completely. The AI has gone a bit wonky, and the Gods are free…so, things aren’t exactly going as planned. If they can make it through the races of the tenth floor they will have to face the mysterious eleventh floor, A Parade of Horribles.

I have a couple of small quibbles right from the start. First, the intro from Samantha’s point of view was confusing to say the least. Second, this series is starting to feel strangely repetitive despite the creative craziness. The formula is always the same…something crazy horrible happens, but our heroes figure out a way to survive! Then the situation gets even more crazy horrible…and yet they survive again!

I still enjoyed the characters and the ludicrous situations they are put into. A lot of the things that happen are unpredictable, weird, or just flat out gross. I also really liked that we get to learn more about the Primals and the AI. There are many previous plot points that really come to a climax in this book as well.

The chapters here are action packed and fairly short, which really pulls you through the story. It still took me over a week to read this massive book, but I did finish it, which is saying a lot. I have been struggling to stay focused on some of the books I have picked up, and I genuinely looked forward to sitting down and reading this one.

I have listened to the majority of this series on audiobook, and I definitely prefer that. I think the only books I have read in print form are the first book and then this one. While I do feel like I remember things better when I read them, I also am more prone to skimming things in print form. The audiobooks just bring a whole additional level of fun to the story because they are done so well. I already picked up a copy of the audiobook so I can listen to this as well.

My Summary (4.5/5): Overall I enjoyed this. I love the characters and the concept here; the story is fast-paced and action-packed. The story line is getting harder to follow and more convoluted, though. I am also starting to feel a tad bit irritated by how formulaic some of this is. Yes, there are surprises and crazy things that are constantly happening, but the core of the story is the same: something horrible happens, Carl comes up with a crazy plan to save the day, something more horrible happens, Carl comes up with a new, more dangerous plan to save the day…somehow these plans always work out in the end. Will I keep reading the series? Of course, I am this far in, and I am a huge fan of many of the characters in here.

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Length: 368 pages
Publisher: Hay House LLC
Release Date: June 9, 2026
ASIN: B0FQG3SPC1
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Tressport Magic series
Source: eGalley from NetGalley
Rating: 4/5 stars

“Struggling against a tide of anti-magic sentiment amidst the city’s rapid industrialization, the shop is slated to close in six short months unless Josie can save it. Luckily, she’s no stranger to impossible odd—she’s applying to study magic at the local university, something women are typically excluded from—even as the shop’s prickly apothecarist, Aufidius Reid, seems determined to dislike her.

Reid finds her unbearably insistent. She finds him infuriatingly uptight—nothing like the sensitive scholar Josie has been exchanging anonymous letters with as they study together for entrance to a graduate magic program. A scholar who just so happens to be Reid himself, unbeknownst to either of them.

Letter by letter, they fall in love. But at work, Josie and Reid clash constantly about the direction of the business. As pressure rises, they discover the threat to the shop is more dangerous than they could have ever imagined, and working together to save it might be their only chance at true purpose, and at each other.”

Series Info/Source: This is the 1st book in the Tressport Magic series. I got this on ebook for review through NetGalley.

Thoughts: This is the first book in the Tressport Magic series. I really love how much detail and thought the author puts into developing the magic system here. However, this is incredibly slow for the first 50% of the book, to the point where I almost set it aside. Luckily, the pace really picks up mid-book, and I ended up being very happy I stuck with the story and finished it.

The story switches POV between Josie and Reid. Our main heroine, Josie, practices the more structured form of magic (which is frowned on for women) and is determined to go to the magical university to advance her studies. However, she needs a job over the summer while she waits to find out if she’s been admitted. She ends up with a job at an apothecary to make ends meet. Reid is also trying to get into the same magical university but is stuck helping to run a nearly bankrupt apothecary shop while he waits for his admission response. Josie is a disruption to Reid’s summer that he was neither prepared for nor wanted.

This is set in a sort of generic Victorian city, but a city where magic is real. There are a couple types of magic, a more intuitive magic and a more structured magic.

Between each chapter, there are letters between Josie and a man that she met via correspondence. These alternate with intervals between chapters in which we read letters between Reid and a woman he met via correspondence. This was a unique way to format the book and enables us to get to know Josie’s and Reid’s internal thoughts much more quickly. Unfortunately, this is part of why the book was so slow. Some of these letters feel very drawn out, and it slows the story down. As you might guess, this gives the story a similar feel to Rebecca Ross’s “Letters of Enchantment” series. This book would have felt a lot more unique if I hadn’t already read “Letters of Enchantment,” which uses a similar mechanic of secret letters.

After the first half, I ended up enjoying this book and finished it very quickly. It took me four days to read the first 50% and one day to finish the rest. There are a lot of themes here I like; a woman pursuing research studies in the face of adversity, a tight family, and a sort of enemies to lovers relationship that grows from daily work and understanding. I liked the magic in here and found this to be an interesting world as well.

My Summary (4/5): Overall the first half of this book was painfully slow, but the second half made up for that. I enjoyed the magic system and world-building here. I also liked the idea of getting to know our characters’ inner thoughts through letters, but the way this was done was so similar to Ross’s “Letter of Enchantment” series that it felt copied. Reid and Josie were fun characters to read about and I look forward to spending more time with both them and this intriguing magical world in the next book in this series. I would recommend this to readers who enjoy a sort of magical alternate history Victorian setting, like a scholarly theme to their stories, and enjoy a good enemies to lovers sort of romance.

Welcome to Stacking the Shelves, hosted by Reading Reality.

This is my haul of books that I got for review over the last 5 months! Click on the book image to go to Goodreads to learn more about them.  Hope you all got some great books and that you have a great week (or many months) of reading ahead of you! Review Books:

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Length: 5 hours and 10 minutes
Publisher: Sittin’ on a Goldmine Productions LLC
Release Date: October 26, 2021
ASIN: B09KDGTDDS
Stand Alone or Series: 5th book in the Mitzy Moon Mysteries series
Source: Bought on Audiobook
Rating: 4/5 stars

“Mitzy Moon plans to take a break from snooping and learns to ski. And after receiving a mysterious gift from her travel companion, she feels light as a feather, but her heart goes stiff as a board when she faceplants into a corpse.

Racing back to the bookshop to consult her otherworldly helpers, Mitzy is horrified to discover her meddling Ghost-ma is missing. Her spoiled feline seems to ignore her pleas, and her alchemist attorney isn’t answering either. She can’t decide if she’s lost her powers or her mind….

Can Mitzy solve a murder without her extrasensory perceptions, or will one misstep put her in the killer’s crosshairs?”

Series Info/Source: This is the 5th book in the Mitzy Moon Mysteries series. I bought this for audiobook.

Thoughts: This was an entertaining and well-done installment in the Mitzy Moon series. While these books don’t really “wow” me, they are fun little diversions. I originally started this series because I wanted an audiobook to listen to during a regular 6 hr (round trip) car trip I need to do monthly. These are the perfect length to get done during that commute.

In this book Rory wins a vacation at a nearby ski resort and asks Mitzy to accompany him. Of course the first thing Mitzy does on her virgin ski run is to face plant into a corpse. Oddly Mitzy is struggling to use the very powers she thought she was finally gaining control of. Now Mitzy is on the case and is uncovering things both about this ski resort and about Rory she wish she never knew.

All of our favorite characters are in the story along with a few new ones. I enjoyed the mystery here and enjoyed watching Mitzy mature a bit more and open her eyes to some of the manipulations happening around her. I have complained in previous books that Mitzy seems a bit naive for her upbringing, and she makes progress in being a bit more savvy in this book. I hope at some point she will learn that when her cat, Piwackett, brings her clues she needs to listen!

I listened to this on audiobook and it is well done. The narrator does character voices well and consistently, and it’s fun to listen to.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I thought this was a very solid addition to the Mitzy Moon series. I enjoy the town of Pincherry Harbor and really enjoy the quirky characters here too. It was fun to see Mitzy grow more as a character and become a bit more savvy. I am excited to see what happens in book 6. If you are looking for a novella paranormal mystery series, this is a decent one. It takes a few books to get moving, but once it does, it is a lot of fun.

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 139 pages
Publisher: Tordotcom
Release Date: May 5, 2026
ASIN: B0FMSCH3V2
Stand Alone or Series: 7th book in The Singing Hills Cycle
Source: eGalley from NetGalley
Rating: 5/5 stars

“On the banks of the Ya-lé River, the town of Luntien gathers to celebrate the start of the rainy season, but the celebration is marred by the arrival of refugees from the sea. Everyone has a story about the foreigners newly in their midst―lazy, violent, unwanted―while the refugees themselves grieve the loss of the home they loved.

Cleric Chih, very recently still Novice Chih, is a stranger in Luntien. A moment of carelessness and bad luck leaves them waiting tables as they struggle to establish themself as a real cleric. A cleric’s job is to listen and record, but the stories emerging in Luntien are ugly and violent, as hard to predict as the river itself. With their hoopoe companion Almost Brilliant by their side, Chih must help the refugees while also unraveling a mystery that may have roots in their own faraway home in the abbey of Singing Hills.”

Series Info/Source: This is the 7th book in The Singing Hills Cycle. I got a copy of this on ebook for review from NetGalley.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this volume in The Singing Hills Cycle a lot more than the sixth book in this series. I continue to love the theme of the value of stories and a clerical order that makes it their mission to make sure stories are told and recorded.

In this volume, Cleric Chih (no longer a novice but out on their own) journeys to the town of Luntien where they find themselves waiting tables while they await their next disbursement of money (after they were unfortunately robbed). While this is in progress, they stumble upon a mystery that may link back to their own history and also try to help with an influx of refugees. Of course, the whole time they are determined to record the stories of, not only the village, but of the refugees who seek shelter there.

I really continue to enjoy this book series about the importance of story. Chih has grown throughout their travels, and it was fun to see them on their first solo mission as a full cleric. I think everyone can relate to Chih’s internal struggles. As they take on this new responsibility, Chih wonders if they are good enough to be a full cleric and if they are helping things or just making them worse.

We meet some entertaining new characters in this town. Of course, I continue to enjoy Almost Brilliant and her cutting humor and remarks. Almost Brilliant and Chih work together beautifully.

This book was very engaging, well done, and a breath of fresh air after the last couple of mediocre books I have read.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I really enjoyed this next volume in The Singing Hills Cycle. The stories behind the town are intriguing. I enjoyed watching Chih strike out on their own as a cleric and watching them work through the types of feelings and concerns you have when you strike out on your own in your field. I also enjoyed learning more about both Chih’s history and about the history behind The Singing Hills clerics. The discussion around refugees and their struggles was thoughtfully done as well. If you are a fan of this series, I think you will love this book. If you enjoy stories about the importance of stories, I think you will enjoy this whole series.

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Length: 417 pages
Publisher: S&S/Saga Press
Release Date: June 20, 2017
ASIN: B01LYPZUI5
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club
Source: Borrowed ebook from library
Rating: 2/5 stars

“Mary Jekyll, alone and penniless following her parents’ death, is curious about the secrets of her father’s mysterious past. One clue in particular hints that Edward Hyde, her father’s former friend and a murderer, may be nearby, and there is a reward for information leading to his capture…a reward that would solve all of her immediate financial woes.

But her hunt leads her to Hyde’s daughter, Diana, a feral child left to be raised by nuns. With the assistance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Mary continues her search for the elusive Hyde, and soon befriends more women, all of whom have been created through terrifying experimentation: Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherin Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein.

When their investigations lead them to the discovery of a secret society of immoral and power-crazed scientists, the horrors of their past return. Now it is up to the monsters to finally triumph over the monstrous.”

Series Info/Source: This is 1st book in The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club. I borrowed this on ebook through my library.

Thoughts: I got about 70% of the way into this and finally set it aside. I am a fan of Theodora Goss; I have read “In the Forest of Forgetting” (loved it), “The Thorn and the Blossom” (liked it), “Red as Blood, White as Bone” (liked it), and “Come See the Living Dryad” (liked it). So I was really looking forward to a series by Goss, and the theme of this series (a mash-up of a bunch of Victorian horror/monster stories) is right up my alley. Unfortunately, this ended up feeling protracted and boring with jarring interruptions that are initially confusing and later just annoying. It was taking me forever to read this, and I realized I was dreading sitting down to continue it, so I set it aside.

The series follows numerous female characters. We start primarily by reading about Mary, who is left destitute after the death of her mother. Through various circumstances, she finds out she has a half-sister and gets entangled in helping Sherlock Holmes with a series of murders that are very Jack the Ripper like. Along the way, she starts to acquire other young women who are bound together by their strangeness and their fathers’ link to a secret society.

Throughout the book, there are strange “current” conversations between the girls interjected in the middle of the story. These are very confusing at first because we haven’t met any of the girls yet. As a result, reading about them talking to each other without any context doesn’t make much sense. As you continue and you start to understand who these girls are, the conversational interjections switch from confusing to jarring and a bit annoying. I think they are meant to be funny and cute, but to me, they were just repetitive and annoying.

I love the idea of a mash-up between a whole bunch of Victorian monster horror fictions. This story touches on Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, The Island of Dr. Moreou, as well as Sherlock Holmes. It is very Penny Dreadful-esque and I love the idea behind it. I enjoyed the idea behind a lot of the characters as well. We are mainly dealing with the daughters of these infamous men, as they try to recover from the monstrous transformations performed on them by their fathers. Unfortunately, the girls are introduced fairly quickly and don’t have a lot of depth to their personalities. I found it hard to engage with them and really get drawn into their stories.

Where things really started to fall apart for me were around the wordiness and the pacing. Things are over described, often repeated, and very drawn out. The huge issue of Mary’s finances is somewhat brushed to the side. Where initially she was worried about making it a week financially, suddenly she has a number of other girls living with her, and they are going to be okay for the near future. Strangely, the matter of how Mary was going to pay to support this collection of monstrous girls was more compelling to me than the main murder mystery…and that right there was part of what was wrong with this story.

At about 70% of the way in, I realized I just didn’t care anymore. I know Mary and Sherlock will solve the murders. Given all the foreshadowing and jarring conversational interjections by the girls, I know that they find a way to make it financially. We know all this very early in the story. I realized I was skimming the pages and just reading the main story dialogue between characters (skipping the annoying interjections and all the lengthy drawn out descriptions) and decided it was time to put this down. According to my kindle, I had another nearly two hours of reading to get through the rest and I just didn’t have it in me.

My Summary (2/5): Overall I love the premise here and find some of the characters intriguing. However, the jarring interjections throughout and the incredibly long repetitive descriptions made this a horrible slog to get through. I struggled on for quite awhile because I really, really love the idea of a Victorian horror mash-up like this; especially since it features the daughters of the infamous men from these stories. I just couldn’t get through it, and finally decided that I had struggled enough and set it aside 70% of the way in. I won’t be reading anymore of this series (obviously) and will be more careful about which Goss stories I pick up in the future. Maybe Goss is a better short story writer than a full length novelist.

In April I read 6 books. You can see the reviews for all of them, which ones were my favorite, etc. below. Hope you all had a great month of reading!

I started the following series:

• None

I finished the following series:

• None

My Favorite Books of the Month Were:

• Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (5/5 stars)
• God’s Junk Drawer by Peter Clines (4.5/5 stars)
• Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings (5/5 stars)

– Goodreads Reading Challenge (Progress: 39/150)

The full list of books that I read this month are shown below:
1. Platform Decay (The Murderbot Diaries, Book 8) by Martha Wells (4/5 stars)
2. Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (5/5 stars)
3. Dating After the End of the World by Jeneva Rose (2/5 stars)
4. Sparks and Landmarks (Mitzy Moon Mysteries, Book 4) by Trixie Silvertale, Narrated by Coleen Marlo (4/5 stars)
5. God’s Junk Drawer by Peter Clines (4.5/5 stars)
6. Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Steampunk/Historical Fantasy
Length: 3 hours and 59 minutes
Publisher: AIBHS
Release Date: June 06, 2022
ASIN: June 06, 2022
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Inspector Davidson Steampunk Mysteries
Source: Audiobook from Audible
Rating: 3/5 stars

“Alternate France, 1871. Art historian Veronica Devine dreams of putting her husband’s betrayal behind her. So she’s grateful for the somewhat distracting mission to transport a valuable collection from a French chateau across the Atlantic. But before her voyage even begins, she’s attacked by thieves and saved by a mysterious stranger.

Luc, the Marquis de Monceau’s, fate is bound to an enchanted ancestral painting. After fleeing the Prussian invasion, his survival hinges on protecting an alias that preserves the rumor of his death. So when the beautiful woman he saves insists she has permission to remove his portraits, he has no choice but to escort her aboard a luxury airship.

Within the confines of the majestic vessel, Veronica and Luc soon discover they have more in common than a love of art. But cryptic messages, a clockwork automaton, and conniving passengers threaten to ground their romantic aspirations.

Will Veronica and Luc unravel the mystery of the masterpiece before dark forces from his past send their ship into the depths?”

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Inspector Davidson Steampunk Mysteries. I listened to this on audiobook.

Thoughts: This book had a lot of elements I thought I would like. I did like them, but everything felt underdeveloped and not a lot actually happened.

Veronica is an art historian that gets attacked by pirates while “acquiring” some art. Her team is saved by a mysterious man. Luc is the Marquis of Monceau and is searching for an enchanted ancestral painting and he needs to take a look at some of Veronica “acquired” paintings. When Veronica ends up on an airship to America with the artwork in question, Luc follows her. While on the airship, they encounter others who are after the same powerful piece of art.

This is supposed to be an adventurous steampunk romance. However, I found all the elements of the story to be a bit lacking. There are mentions of intriguing things in this world; gods, enchanted artifacts, automatons, etc. Nothing is really explained or built out; it leaves reader with a glimpse of a world that could be intriguing, if only we got a chance to learn something about it. This is something many novellas struggle with and few do well. Unfortunately, this book really struggles with this.

The characters are very stereotypical and lack depth. Veronica is the strong-willed widow who was suppressed by men her whole life and intends to take the reins of her life and make the best of it. Luc is a long-lived Marquis who lost an eye and is scarred from the loss. Luc doubts his worth because of his marred features, but Veronica sees beyond his surface to his bravery and honesty. The bad guys are just as cookie cutter. The “relationship” that develops between Veronica and Luc seems like it’s supposed to be slow burn, but then feels very abrupt by the end of the book. Again, there was potential here but it just wasn’t executed well.

Additionally, the pacing is not great. The beginning is exciting, the middle is horribly boring, and then the ending gets exciting again. There are so many ways this story could have been amazing; the bones of a cool world are here, and these characters could be interesting with a bit more. Everything just feels sketched out and unfinished.

I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook was not very well done. The narrator slipped between character’s voices a lot (accidentally using the wrong voice for the wrong character). In general, the narrator’s voice didn’t seem well suited for this story. I would recommend reading this book and not listening to it.

Based on other reviews it looks like the full length novel in this series is more well received. Unfortunately, I was looking for a quick audiobook to listen to on a shortish road trip and I just didn’t enjoy this. My husband was in the car as well and actually flat out stopped listening to it about an hour in because he was bored.

My Summary (3/5): Overall this was okay, I think the world has potential and a lot of the themes are ones I like. Everything about this is underdeveloped, though. The characters are stereotypical, and we get faint glimpses of a potentially fascinating world that is never well developed. The audiobook narration was just plain old bad. I don’t plan on reading any more books in this series, which is a shame because I am always on the look out for a new fascinating steampunk world.

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Length: 476 pages
Publisher: Entangled: Rebellion Publishing Ltd
Release Date: May 10, 2022
ASIN: B09SVVVXKR
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Borrowed ebook from library
Rating: 5/5 stars

“Fleeing the final days of the generations-long war with the alien Felen, smuggler Jereth Keeven’s freighter the Jonah breaks down in a strange rift in deep space, with little chance of rescue—until they encounter the research vessel Gallion, which claims to be from 152 years in the future.

The Gallion’s chief engineer Uma Ozakka has always been fascinated with the past, especially the tale of the Fortunate Five, who ended the war with the Felen. When the Gallion rescues a run-down junk freighter, Ozakka is shocked to recognize the Five’s legendary ship—and the Five’s famed leader, Eldric Leesongronski, among the crew.

But nothing else about Leesongronski and his crewmates seems to match up with the historical record. With their ships running out of power in the rift, more than the lives of both crews may be at stake…”

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed this on ebook through my library.

Thoughts: I ended up thoroughly enjoying this sci-fi story about time travel and its inevitability. The characters are very well done, and the story is cleverly woven together. The mystery really pulls the reader along, and there are fun twists throughout the story, even up until the very end. This is action packed and hard to put down.

Jereth Keevan’s freighter breaks down in a strange rift in deep space during the final days of a war with the Felen. The Gallion (a research ship) finds themselves trapped in the same strange rift. When the two ships discover each other in the rift, they find out that their timelines seem to be 152 years apart. Keevan’s crew should be from the past, and the Gallion crew should know that past well, however nothing is matching up. Both crews are forced to put aside this mystery to escape this rift alive.

This book jumps back and forth between current time (in the rift) and each of the characters’ pasts. This was very well done and really allows us to get to know the individual characters and the reasons behind their actions better. The jumps back in time relate to something happening in present time, so the switches in POV and time worked really well together and didn’t seem jarring or hard to follow.

I found this book incredibly engaging, fast-paced, and surprising. I enjoyed every second of reading this and looked forward to picking it up to read. Between this book, “God’s Junk Drawer”, and “Light from Uncommon Stars”, I have been on a bit of a sci-fi kick, I guess. I have read some excellent sci-fi reads this month.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I really loved this. I loved the unique way the story was put together, the characters, the fast-pace, and the constant surprises. This book kept me very engaged and was hard to put down. I loved the way everything came together in the end and enjoyed the twists and turns that were thrown at the reader. I definitely plan on checking out Hutchings’ other novels.

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Length: 628 pages
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Release Date: November 11, 2025
ASIN: B0DVJNMD3C
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Bought on ebook
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

“Forty years ago, the Gather family—James, his daughter Beau, and his son Billy—vanished during a whitewater rafting trip and were presumed dead.

Five years later, Billy reappeared on the far side of the world, telling an impossible tale of a primordial valley populated by dinosaurs, aliens, Neanderthals, and androids. Little Billy became the punchline of so very many jokes, until he finally faded from the public eye.

Now, a group of graduate astronomy students follow their professor, Noah Barnes, up a mountain for what they believe is a simple stargazing trip. But they’re about to travel a lot farther than they planned …

Noah—the now grown Billy Gather—has finally figured out how to get back to the valley. Accidentally bringing his students along with him, he’s confident he can get everyone back home, safe and sound.

But the valley is a puzzle—one it turns out Noah hasn’t figured out—and they’ll need to solve it together if there’s any chance of making it out alive.”

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I bought this for ebook.

Thoughts: I enjoyed the puzzle behind this strange story. It has elements of time travel, dinosaurs, aliens, and general strangeness. It moved along at a decent pace and kept me guessing as to where the story was going.

The Gather family disappeared on a whitewater rafting trip and, five years one of the Gather family members (Billy) returned on the other side of the world. Billy had stories about a valley of dinosaurs and Neaderthals, but of course everyone assumed he was a traumatized kid. Billy changed his name to Noah, became a professor, and spent his career learning quantum physics. Now it’s time to for Noah to go back to the mysterious valley of his childhood. Unfortunately, he accidentally drags some grad students along with him. Noah was confident he could get them all home, but things have changed in the valley and now he is not so sure.

There were a few things about this story that really grabbed me and kept me turning pages. The first was the mystery of the valley and how (and why) it had changed over time. The second was the pure wonder of strange things that were found within the valley; you never really knew what you were going to find when you turned the next page.

I enjoyed the characters here. They don’t have a ton of depth to them, but they are entertaining. There is a pretty high (and swift) body count in this book, so it’s best not to get too attached to anyone. Noah/Billy is a bit of a puzzle and I found his stubbornness in admitting things had changed a bit frustrating. Although to be fair, he had been planning this return to the valley his whole life, and to have it all go so amiss had to be mind boggling.

I ended up liking how the story wrapped up. At first I wasn’t sure how aliens, dinosaurs, Neaderthals and robots were going to come together in a cohesive story but Clines made it work. He made it work in a way that was cohesive, easy to follow, and entertaining. Whenever I want something a bit weird and quirky, I pick up a Clines book and am never disappointed.

My Summary (4.5/5): Overall I really enjoyed this. This story is a bit weird and different, but I liked that it kept me guessing and really enjoyed the wonder of all the weird surprises throughout. If you are looking for an odd mystery adventure story that involves dinosaurs, Neaderthals, aliens, and robots, I would recommend. Trust me, it all works together great and will keep you on your toes. Can’t wait to see what Clines comes up with next!

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Paranornal Mystery
Length: 4 hours and 55 minutes
Publisher: Sittin’ on a Goldmine Productions LLC
Release Date: February 28, 2022
ASIN: B09TLF5FJ1
Stand Alone or Series: 4th book in the Mitzy Moon Mysteries series
Source: Bought on Audiobook
Rating: 4/5 stars

“Mitzy Moon’s clairvoyant abilities are growing, but she never predicted arson. After waking to a towering inferno and loading her mentor into an ambulance, she thought things couldn’t get worse. But when the sheriff links her father to the blaze, she’s forced to take the case.

Coming up empty on love and leads pushes Mitzy to unnecessary risks. Now her otherworldly helpers, a nosy Ghost-ma and a fiendish feline, are the only ones who can save her bacon. But with break-ins, Bingo, and big storms stalling out her investigation, she may not be able to keep her dad out of jail.

Can Mitzy dig up the right clues, or will she fall for a sinister plot that puts her six feet under?”

Series Info/Source: This is the 4th book in the Mitzy Moon Mysteries series. I bought this for audiobook.

Thoughts: This was a well written book in the Mitzy Moon Mysteries. I do think that this book is better written than the previous books were. Mitzy is starting to really grow on me as a character and I enjoy many of the side characters as well. The mysteries are well done, and the supernatural elements are subtle but getting more intriguing with each book.

Mitzy wakes up to find the building next to the bookshop on fire and a dead body is found in the blaze. Of course, Mitzy’s father is linked to the incident. Mitzy must work double time and use all of the illegal scrabble facts she learned from her Ghost-ma to solve the mystery and make sure the truth is known.

While this series is a bit too fluffy for me at times, I am growing to enjoy it. I originally picked up the first three book set for audiobook because I was looking for a 4-5 hour audiobook I could read on my monthly road trips for work, which are about 4hrs total (there and back). This whole series has been a easy, quick listen that I don’t have to focus on too hard.

Initially I was not a fan of Mitzy, but she is rapidly maturing and growing as the series continues. She’s learning from her mistakes and really starting to put her newfound fortune to great use. I still enjoy some of the side characters a bit more than Mitzy but I am starting to really like Mitzy as well. We learn a bit more about her background in each book and she starts to show a bit more emotion and vulnerability as well.

There is a well-done mystery here. You have the main mystery with the building that burned down and the body found there, which I enjoyed. However, the side stories around Rory coming to town and Mitzy’s powers growing also both make progress as well. I love a good mystery that has a contained story and progresses a larger story that spans multiple books as well.

The narration for this is well done. There are a couple of small incidents where the narrator seems to confuse voices for a moment or two, but overall, this is easy to listen to and is done well.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I thought this was the most enjoyable book of the series so far. I am really growing the love Mitzy and continue to enjoy all the side characters. I like the shorter mysteries in each book but enjoy that the broader story behind Mitzy’s powers is making progress as well. I look forward to the next book in this series, “Charms and Firearms”.

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic
Length: 300 pages
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: October 1, 2025
ASIN: B0DW4HPCMF
Stand Alone or Series: Sttand Alone
Source: Kindle First Reads
Rating: 2/5 stars

“Casey Pearson grew up with a doomsday-prepping father. At eighteen, tired of living an unconventional life, she left home, vowing never to return.

More than a decade later, a mysterious viral outbreak changes everything, including the people it infects, turning them into zombielike creatures. It’s the end of the world, and no one saw it coming—well, except for Casey’s father. With no place left to run and danger lurking around every corner, Casey is forced to return home.

Upon arrival, she’s surprised to find that her dad has hunkered down with a group of survivors, including her archnemesis, Blake Morrison, the high school bully who made Casey’s teenage years a living hell.

While struggling to live on the compound, face outside threats, and survive alongside her handsome enemy, Casey will learn that although the world has ended, hers is just beginning.”

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got this on ebook from Kindle First Reads.

Thoughts: This was an easy and quick read, and I appreciated how Rose tried to combine a zombie apocalypse story with an enemies to lovers comedy romance. The characters were immature, and the action scenes poorly written. The ending was just unhinged…and not in a good way.

After the death of her mother, Casey’s father changed into a huge doomsday prepper. Casey, unlike her classmates, spent every hour of her free time digging trenches and prepping for an apocalypse. Her classmates, especially Blake Morrison, teased her relentlessly. Fast forward to present day where Casey is doing her residency as a medical doctor. She hasn’t talked to her dad in years and is engaged to a perfectly nice fellow doctor. Then the world ends, and Casey is left running for her life to seek shelter at the very compound she helped build, only to find her worst enemy (Blake) is also taking shelter there.

This is a cute story with some gruesome zombie apocalypse elements. I enjoyed the premise of their being different types of results of this viral infection (biters, nomes, and nothing). I also enjoyed Casey’s background being raised as a prepper; it left her much more aware and able to survive, and explained her ability to “make it” in this world. After the beginning of the book, there isn’t a ton of plot here.

There were a number of things I thought were just okay or flat out didn’t like. Casey acts very immature for her age and makes some bad decisions that are very out of character and seem to be there only to move the plot forward (especially at the end of the book). When she and Blake are reunited, Blake acts like a colossal asshole, which is odd for someone who wants to apologize and get to know Casey better. It seems borderline abusive, and I didn’t really enjoy their relationship. The characters in here have very little depth and are all stereotypes of characters you have already read about. The dialogue is immature, more like middle-schoolers arguing, than snappy or witty.

The way weapons were used throughout was silly and inaccurate. Casey using throwing stars to “one-shot” everything is a fantasy that doesn’t even happen in fantasies. This bothered me throughout the story, throwing stars just don’t do that much damage. The action scenes in general needed work and were poorly written and hard to follow.

The end of this book made absolutely no sense to me. I am not sure if it is setting up for a sequel or trying to make the point that this is a treacherous world now. It felt clunky and awkward. I thought I had missed a chapter or something and went back to make sure I hadn’t accidentally missed a part, but no….it was just a really awkward ending.

My Summary (2/5): Overall this was a quick, mildly entertaining read with an intriguing premise around zombies that quickly gets dropped and wanders into a somewhat absurd rom-com tale instead. I thought the characters were immature and didn’t like the chemistry between Blake and Casey. The action scenes are poorly written with a lot of inaccuracies (even trying to look past my disbelief that you can kill someone with a ninja star to the head from a long distance). The ending was the worst part, not making sense and stopping completely in the middle of a scene. This needed better editing. It was a quick read, so I didn’t waste a ton of time on it, but I don’t plan on picking up any more Jeneva Rose books in the future.

I guess if you aren’t fan of zombie/fantasy literature and are looking for a gory rom-com that dips a toe into the zombie/fantasy world you might enjoy this. Anyone who has read a lot of zombie stories or is big into fantasy will be frustrated by all the inaccuracies and poor portrayals here. I actually didn’t like the romance that much either, but some people might be into “that big strong man being verbally abusive when he really wants to apologize” vibe…I am not one of those people.

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Length: 365 pages
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: September 28, 2021
ASIN: B08QGJDSCK
Stand Alone or Series: Sttand Alone
Source: Borrowed ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 5/5 stars

“Shizuka Satomi made a deal with the devil: to escape damnation, she must entice seven other violin prodigies to trade their souls for success. She has already delivered six.

When Katrina Nguyen, a young transgender runaway, catches Shizuka’s ear with her wild talent, Shizuka can almost feel the curse lifting. She’s found her final candidate.

But in a donut shop off a bustling highway in the San Gabriel Valley, Shizuka meets Lan Tran, retired starship captain, interstellar refugee, and mother of four. Shizuka doesn’t have time for crushes or coffee dates, what with her very soul on the line, but Lan’s kind smile and eyes like stars might just redefine a soul’s worth. And maybe something as small as a warm donut is powerful enough to break a curse as vast as the California coastline.

As the lives of these three women become entangled by chance and fate, a story of magic, identity, curses, and hope begins, and a family worth crossing the universe for is found.”

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed this from Kindle Unlimited on ebook.

Thoughts: This is one of the odder books I have read. I thought I was starting some sort of sci fi read, and it kind of is that, but it is so much more too. There is an ex-violin player cursed to send souls to hell, an alien running to Earth to protect her family by getting them set up to run a donut shop, a violin maker who is plagued by her family past, and a transgender runaway trying just to get people to accept her for who she is. It was a lot, but I was impressed with how seamlessly the story was woven together and by how hard this was to put down. It is a very different story, and I was impressed by how unique it was. I loved the ending as well.

The story follows three main characters. Katrina Nguyen is transgender and has runaway from an abusive home; she is incredibly talented at playing violin but struggling to make ends meet. Shuzuka Satomi is looking for her last victim; she made a deal with the devil and has delivered six of the seven souls she promised. Lan Tran is trying to run a donut shop, which is tougher than it sounds since she is an alien refugee fleeing a war and she is trying to provide for her whole family. All three women become entangled together, and things don’t turn out how any of them expect.

The writing is very well done and flows well. We jump between three main different viewpoints (with a couple others thrown in), but the story never feels fractured or hard to follow. This was a story that kept me interested and guessing; I struggled to put it down. I have honestly been struggling a bit with finding books that really grab me; sometimes, everything I read seems like something else I have already read. This book stood out from the crowd by being unique and different as well as thought-provoking and entertaining.

I really loved everything about this book. The characters have a lot of depth and are interesting; the story had a lot of different threads and they are masterfully woven together; and I just never knew what was going to happen next, so the story kept me interested.

There are heavy themes here around being people cruel to things/people they don’t understand (especially regarding people from a different background, women, or people with different sexuality) and around being true to yourself and finding a family and place where you belong. They were addressed very thoughtfully and wrapped in with an intriguing story.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I really loved this strange book about donuts, aliens, music, and souls. This was very well written, had excellent characters, and a unique storyline that was masterfully woven together. I would recommend this if the synopsis sounds intriguing to you and will definitely keep my eye out for future books by Aoki.

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Length: 256 pages
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: May 5, 2026
ASIN: B0FMSC5S4W
Stand Alone or Series: 8th book in The Murderbot Diaries
Source: eGalley from NetGalley for Review
Rating: 4/5 stars

“Having someone else support your bad decision feels kind of good.

After volunteering to run a rescue mission, Murderbot realizes that it will have to spend significant time with a bunch of humans it doesn’t know.

Including human children. Ugh.

This may well call for… eye contact!

(Emotion check: Oh, for f—)”

Series Info/Source: This is 8th book The Murderbot Diaries. I got an eGalley of this from NetGalley to review.

Thoughts: The last book in the Murderbot Diaries was published in Nov of 2023, so it’s been quite awhile since we’ve seen a new Murderbot book. As a result the beginning of this book, which jumps straight into action, is incredibly confusing. As the story continues, we do get clarification about what is going on, but I was nearly 30% of the way in before I figured out why Murderbot was doing what it was doing and why it was where it was.

The beginning of this book has Murderbot and Three infiltrating a massive rotating space station shaped like a torus, things go sideways when Barish-Estranza troops show up. I was quite sure why Murderbot and Three were infiltrating this space station until much further into the story. You are plopped straight into the action, which was a bit confusing.

Once I got about 40% of the way in, I was fully engaged in the story, understood what Murderbot was doing, and didn’t want to put the story down. However, that first third was pretty clunky and confusing. If you are going to take years between publishing books in a series, you have to give at least a few sentences of recap at the beginning. Not all readers go back and re-read the whole series before the next book or even have access to the previous books in the series.

I enjoyed Murderbot’s normal sardonic comments and also enjoyed the new “emotion check” functions. I didn’t feel like Murderbot grew much as a character in this book. This story felt very much like filler to me and was a bit disappointing. I didn’t feel like it progressed Preservation’s story much or really progressed any larger storyline at all. It was a very compact and separate story from the rest of the series. Additionally, the way the book wrapped up was incredibly abrupt. I was left feeling like, uh, okay I guess the book’s done then.

I would love to feel like that is a broader story arc here that is making progress, but at this point, I think we are just reading about instances in Murderbot’s existence. Which is fine, I guess. I just really loved where some of the previous books were going, and this feels so much like filler to me.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed revisiting Murderbot and this world. I was disappointed at how confusing the first part of the book was and at how abruptly the story ended. The second half was action-packed, and the book was very hard to put down for that portion. All of this left me a bit confused about how to rate this book. The first part 3 stars, the middle to end portion 5 stars, then the end 3 stars…so I settled on 4 stars. I will definitely continue to read this series but feel like this book wasn’t as good as come of the previous books.

In March I read 10 books. You can see the reviews for all of them, which ones were my favorite, etc. below. Hope you all had a great month of reading!

I started the following series:

• None

I finished the following series:

• Redemptor (Raybearer, Book 2) by Jordan Ifueko (5/5 stars)

My Favorite Books of the Month Were:

• Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett (5/5 stars)
• Redemptor (Raybearer, Book 2) by Jordan Ifueko (5/5 stars)
• Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross (5/5 stars)

– Goodreads Reading Challenge (Progress: /150)

The full list of books that I read this month are shown below:
1. The Glowing Life of Leeann Wu by Mindy Hung (3/5 stars)
2. Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett (5/5 stars)
3. So Far Away by Kat Mellon (4/5 stars)
4. Silver and Lead (October Daye, Book 19) by Seanan McGuire (3.5/5 stars)
5. Hollow Gods (Monstress, Vol 10) by Marjorie Liu, Sana Takeda (4/5 stars)
6. Redemptor (Raybearer, Book 2) by Jordan Ifueko (5/5 stars)
7. Wings and Broken Things (Mitzy Moon, Book 3) by Trixie Silvertale, Narrator Coleen Marlo (4/5 stars)
8. Keeper & Kindred (Meow: Magical Emporium of Wares, Book 2) by Toni Binns (4/5 stars)
9. Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross (5/5 stars)
10. The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst (4/5 stars)