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Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 416 pages
Publisher: Hodderscape
Release Date: February 19, 2026
ASIN: B0DZ243W7W
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Brilliant Soul Duology
Source: eGalley from NetGalley
Rating: 3/5 stars

“In a holy walled city where sin and sanctity are revealed through touch, Csilla – a girl born without a soul – is worth little to the Church that raised her. But when a series of murders corrodes the faithful magic that keep the city safe, the Church elders see a use for her flaw: she can assassinate their prime suspect, a heretic with divine heritage, without risking the stain of sin.

The heretic, however, makes Csilla a counteroffer: clear his name by helping him catch the real killer, and he’ll use his angelic gifts to grant her very own soul. Meanwhile, ruthless Ilan, desperate to earn back his position as Church Inquisitor, sees the case as his chance at redemption: he’ll bring in the murderer – or, failing that, Csilla and the heretic – and regain his title.

But as the death toll rises, and their hunt pits them against the all-powerful and callous Faith, Csilla finds herself torn. Will her salvation come at the cost of everything she believes in?”

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in The Brilliant Soul Duology. I got a copy of this on ebook through NetGalley.

Thoughts: I enjoyed the atmospheric writing and the intriguing world here. This is a dark world, and the city we spend our time in runs off of religion, and not in a happy, positive way. However, the lack of any engagement with the characters and the slow pace of the story had me constantly putting this down. I ended up giving this up at 40% of the way in (adding to my rather large DNF pile so far this year).

The story follows two points of view. The first is that of Csilla who has been trained by the church as Mercy. She goes out into the city and helps the poor. She also doesn’t seem to have a soul, which makes her lesser in the eyes of the Church. She is tasked with the job of poisoning a troublesome religious rebel, something that goes completely against the healing nature of a Mercy but feels she has no choice but to comply. The second POV is that of Ilan, who is a church Inquisitor. Ilan has a fondness for order and torture but is slowly loosing his status within the church. With a serial killer on the loose in the city and the seal failing, Ilan is trying to root out the source of this evil without loosing his coveted position of Inquisitor.

Like the last book I read, I really struggled with the characters here. I just never engaged with them or enjoyed them. Csilla comes off as incredibly naive, I know she is supposed to be gentle and caring because she was raised as a Mercy. However, you can be those things without being naive. She has been going out and caring for the sick and injured for years; you would think she would be more worldly. Ilan, the church Inquisitor, is an intriguingly complex character but was also very creepy. Then there is the Izar, who is part angel and comes across as a creepy and manipulative jerk.

While I did enjoy the serial killer mystery in this, I was frustrated at how unfocused the story was and at how slow the pacing was. Are we trying to solve Csilla’s lack of soul?, are we part of an insurrection?, are we solving a series of murders?…who knows. This is more a soap opera about these characters rather twisted lives than it is a good mystery. In the end, the slow pace and wandering story was not for me, and I stopped reading this about 40% of the way in.

I did enjoy the setting here and this dark religious city steeped in tradition and lore. There is a lot about angels and demons lurking around the edge of this story, but all of that never seems to become a big part of the story. The serial killer leaving demonic messages on bodies was intriguing but kept falling to the wayside throughout the book. I just didn’t have the patience for this.

My Summary (3/5): Overall this book has some strong points; I loved the dark and atmospheric setting and this darkly religious world hiding from demons. Some of the plot points were intriguing, like the serial killer on the loose and Csilla’s lack of a soul. However, I did not enjoy the characters, felt like the story was poorly paced, and that the plot wandered a lot. I also just don’t generally like stories heavily based around religion. If you are looking for a dark fantasy that focuses on religious corruption, you might enjoy this. It just wasn’t for me.

One week from today, I’ll be doing the first quarterly virtual book recommendations event with the Ashland Public Library in Massachusetts of this year. Unlike last year, I’ll primarily be focusing on fantasy books instead of fantasy and science fiction. There may still be the occasional science fiction recommendation, but I’ll mostly be featuring fantasy and author Elizabeth Bear is focusing on SF recommendations this year (and just did her first event last night!). I’ll be sharing these fantasy book […]

The post February 2026 Virtual Fantasy Book Recommendations Event first appeared on Fantasy Cafe.

 

Daggerbound (Swordheart #2)by T. Kingfisher
Four hundred years ago, three warriors were trapped inside enchanted swords, cursed to be immortal servants of whoever wielded the blade. One of them is the Dervish, a restless, fiery soul who hates his captivity and hates his wielders even more, but has never found a way to escape the sword’s magic.
Then one day, a disillusioned scholar named Learned Edmund is tasked with delivering the sword to a distant city, and, in the greatest of peril, draws the blade. The Dervish finds himself bound to a sweet, brilliant, and above all kind young man. And while he may be able to protect Edmund from bandits, cultists, dragons, and strange inhuman diplomats, he may find it much harder to protect his own heart.
Expected publication August 25, 2026

 

FORMAT/INFO: Enchanting the Fae Queen was published on January 27th, 2026. It is 304 pages long and available in paperback, audiobook, and ebook editions.

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: For years, the chaotic Queen Lorelei has flirtatiously sparred across ballroom floors with General Gerard de Moireul, the hero leader of a rival kingdom's army. Lorelei believes that underneath the stiff exterior and strict rule-following is a man who wants to do good - he just needs Lorelei to give him a little shove. So when tensions between the two kingdoms reach a breaking point, Lorelei does the only logical thing: she kidnaps Gerard to finally seduce him away from his king. As the two get caught up in a deadly fae tournament, they realize that their opposite personalities make them a perfect match - and only together can they stop Gerard's kingdom from spreading its cruel ways across the continent.

Enchanting the Fae Queen is a solid fantasy romance bolstered by the madcap energy of its lead heroine, Queen Lorelei. She's one of my favorite character archetypes: a person of seemingly pure whimsy and chaos who secretly has a crafty plan underneath. Her unpredictability and randomness mask her true actions and goals, outwitting many of her opponents until it's too late. I absolutely loved watching her work and found her a definite highlight of the book.

General Gerard is a great foil, exceedingly polite even while adhering to his unwavering moral code. Due to some past trauma, he believes he cannot put a single toe out of line, lest he bring dishonor on his family name. It takes the whirlwind force of Lorelei to force him to confront that goodness and blindly following the rules don't go hand in hand.

Although the characters themselves are enjoyable, I thought the romance itself was simply serviceable. I find it's hard to pull an audience into a romance where the characters have already been building romantic tension before the story begins. I like watching the build-up of a relationship, but here they're already halfway in love when we meet them - they just don't realize it yet. It made the story a pleasant escape, but not a romance that swept me away.

So far the Queens of Villainy romance stories have been a delight: powerful women refusing to be "put in their place" and finding men who whole-heartedly support them on that journey. I'm definitely looking forward to the upcoming third and final installment - a sapphic story no less!

 

 

Masquerade of Mirrorsby Samantha Hartwood
What is it about:The only thing more dangerous than falling for a lieis falling for the liar.

Don’t look at the desert. Don’t think about the desert. Never step onto the sand. Taera has followed these rules her entire life—until he arrives.
Impossibly gorgeous, with a face masked in magic, Nikolai kidnaps Taera and drags her deep into the dunes. He says she’s powerful and needs to be trained…if she ever wants to see her family again.
Thrust into a deadly school of illusions and lies, Taera can’t trust anyone. Especially not her breathtaking, ruthless captor. Top student and notorious liar, his secrets run deeper than the sand. He’s her worst nightmare—and everything she craves.
The cutthroat Halls of Glass have a mind of their own. Trapped within their looping corridors, Taera is surrounded by hostile students and forced to rely on Nikolai.
Taera knows she shouldn’t fall for his illusions. But magic requires a partnership, and he’s the only mage who can handle her wild, untamed power.
And the only way he’ll help her is if she pretends to be his.
What did I think of it:I totally fell for the fake dating trope and the story set at a school so had to give this book a try.
And I will confess I really didn't like Nikolai for at least 50% of the book. Yes, he's meant to be a grey hero/villain, but the least he could have done is actually explain some things to Taera, in my opinion. Would have made things easier for himself as well, but instead he decides to be an insufferable jerk.
I liked Taera, though, so I kept reading to see what would happen to her. Nikolai finally shaped up enough to understandTaera's feelings for him, and from that point on, I enjoyed the book a lot more.All in all, it's a nice read. Probably better enjoyed by readers who like their male main characters a bit more assholish than me.
I might read more books set in this world as the worldbuilding certainly lends itself to lots of other potentially interesting stories.
(received a digital ARC from the author)
Why should you read it:It's an enjoyable Fantasy Romance
Expected publication February 17, 2026

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Length: 615 pages
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: September 10, 2024
ASIN: B0DDKHNVWF
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Fae and Alchemy series
Source: Borrowed ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 2/5 stars

“Do not touch the sword. Do not turn the key. Do not open the gate.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen’s reservoirs for as long as she can remember. In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn’t much a girl wouldn’t do for a glass of water. But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently reopens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares…but it turns out they’re real, and Saeris has landed right in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist’s magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him… or her. Death has a name. It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. His past is murky. His attitude stinks. And he’s the only way Saeris is going to make it home.

Be careful of the deals you make, dear child. The devil is in the details… “

Series Info/Source: This is the first book in the Fae and Alchemy series. I borrowed this on ebook through Kindle Unlimited.

Thoughts: I didn’t finish this, which means I would usually give it 3 stars, but after writing the review, I just couldn’t go that high. I did get about 60% of the way through the story, but was really struggling with it. I disliked all of the characters in here. I thought the world-building was weak and the story was poorly paced; I just was not a fan.

The story follows Saeris a poor but fierce woman who steals a gauntlet (we will never understand why) and gets caught for that. She finds herself under threat of death in the castle when she is strangely able to melt the metal under her feet and ends up in a Fae realm. In the Fae realm she finds out that her ability to work with metal makes her a rare alchemist. The ruler of the Fae realm plans to hold her captive until she figures out who to awaken the Quicksilver that allows the Fae to travel through portals between worlds.

I hated the characters in this book with a vengeance. I kept forgetting Saeris was supposed to be in her 20’s because she acted like a horny teenager. She was overly angry, not too bright, and had the worst comebacks (they felt flat and made you feel like “oh poor girl, who wrote your dialogue”). The main love interest here is Kingfisher (aka Fisher), who was supposed to be a bad ass enemy-to-lovers type. He was an asshole (but of course he has excuses, so that is okay) and Saeris finds him super sexy right from the get go. She complains about him but is always hot for him, which felt very yucky to me.

The way the “romance” is handled is sloppy and again gave me a bit of the yucks. Saeris pretty much throws herself at Fisher at one point (with an ulterior motive) and they both really get into it. However, the characters are so immature and this was so sudden that it made me feel squeamish…like I was reading about two kids making out. There was no tension, there was no getting to know each other, and this was totally not something I was in to.

There is an odd section of the book where Saeris strikes a deal with Fisher for him to rescue her brother. Fisher comes back with a guy Saeris slept with. Another yuck moment, like “OMG, was Saeris sleeping with her brother”? However, this is explained further on in the story.

The world-building is thin here. We are thrown into an alternate fey world that seems fairly generic. I did like the addition of alchemy, which we finally got into around 45-50% in. However, somehow, the author managed to make even alchemy feel really boring with repetitive scenes of Saeris failing at various experiments.

The pacing is all over the place, and the whole thing feels sloppy and unfinished. I kept trying to push through on this one, but I just did not enjoy it. So, I gave up. Sorry to the people who recommended this to me, but this is just not for me. It felt like poorly done dark fae romantasy fan fic.

I have been having more DNFs than normal lately. Not sure if I just don’t have the patience for these books or if my tastes are shifting. I know I don’t have the patience for adult romantasy that feels like badly done YA fantasy fanfic (with more explicit sex scenes of course).

My Summary (2/5): Overall I did not like this. I appreciate the alchemy that was brought into the world, but the rest of the world feels so generic. My main beef was the characters here; they were all mean, immature, and kind of stupid. The dialogue between them feels forced and awkward. The pacing was all over the place, with the beginning fairly fast-paced and the middle super slow. I really wanted to like this but really struggled to pick it up and read it. Unless you are super hard up for a dark romantasy fae read I would look elsewhere.

As a Bookshop affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Masquerade, O. O. Sangoyomi’s debut novel, is a rare instance of a book I read without really knowing what to expect. I believe it first came to my attention when it became a finalist for the Goodreads Choice Awards for Debut Novel, and after that, I saw some readers mention they enjoyed it. I knew it was loosely based on the myth of Persephone, that it promised politicking in a reimagined […]

The post Review of Masquerade by O. O. Sangoyomi first appeared on Fantasy Cafe.

 

Official Author WebsitePre-order Rising Gale on AmazonAdd Rising Gale on GoodReadsRising Gale ARC Sign-up formBetaReader Sign-up form


Lord Z. B. Steele (as seen in his gracious avatar above) has deemed us worthy to take part in the cover reveal for book 2 in his debut series Song Of The Damned. Checkout the amazing cover below...


OFFICIAL BLURB: My execution draws near...
The noose beckons. My days dwindle. And still, my story is unfinished.
Tears are left to be shed. Blood has yet to be spilled. Lend me your ear once more to hear of sins and failures. Of swords and shadows. Of violet lightning and black blood.
For it was I who began the war of the gods.

 

"I don't-" Elethior clears his throat. His voice is thinner.

(page 59, The Entanglement of Rival Wizards by Sara Raasch)

---------
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, previously hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their  TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Ballantine Books (February 10, 2026)

Length: 320 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

In all honesty, Jarod K. Anderson’s Strange Animals is not typically the kind of book I would stick with, which is why it surprised me as much as it did. The novel is a strange kind of beast itself, but now I use that term affectionately. As weird and metaphysical and quirkily magical as it is, it somehow managed to overcome my usual struggle with these types of stories.

The novel follows an ordinary guy named Green, whose life suddenly goes completely sideways after a near-death experience involving a bus that most definitely ran him over. But then it also kind of didn’t. Like, what? At the moment of impact, time experienced something like a reset, and Green finds himself alive and well, like his fatal encounter never happened. From then on, he feels pulled towards the Appalachian wilderness, eventually ending up alone at a remote campground with a mysterious little acorn appearing in his pocket and tucked away like a good luck charm.

Not long after arriving, Green also realizes the woods around him are hiding more than he thought possible. He starts seeing things like creatures that shouldn’t exist, such as giant death moths, a fawn that looks like its made of brittle glass, and of course, the terrifying horned wolf that seems intent on stalking him. Fortunately for our discombobulated protagonist, that’s when a fellow camper steps in, an ancient looking woman named Valetina who is clearly more than she seems. She informs Green that his ability to see impossible creatures makes him something called a cryptonaturalist, just like her. She then agrees to take him under her wing, teaching him how to observe and understand the strange new world around him, just as a very real threat begins to emerge from the mountains.

Not gonna lie, the beginning of Strange Animals nearly lost me. To say the intro to this one is completely bizarro is an understatement. Green’s accident and subsequent inexplicable survival read like a fever dream, I had no idea what was going on, and I wasn’t even confident there would be much of a story here. The abstractness made me come close to calling it quits, and if it hadn’t been for Anderson’s easy, welcoming writing style, I very likely would have. Even when things got weird (and trust me, they did), the prose and Green’s personable voice was what kept things grounded and approachable, so I stuck with it. And I’m glad I did. Once the pieces started coming together, it became much easier to settle in, and yes, a coherent plot did eventually materialize.

What really worked for me were the themes. At its heart, Strange Animals is about humankind’s connection to nature and the idea that there’s more to the world than we notice in our day-to-day lives. As we have the ability to adapt the environment to ourselves and not the other way around, we also have the responsibility to act as its guardians. The cryptids in this book aren’t spectacles or monsters to be hunted down; they’re just like the more mundane and earthly animals around them that need conservation and the basic needs to survive. The best part is that none of these messages come across all that heavy-handed since they are universally relatable or simply common sense.

Of course, the characters also helped to sell it. Green is a likeable protagonist, and even as part of the supporting cast, Valentina easily stood out. The dynamic between them is fun, with the two of them playing their respective roles as the slightly in-over-his-head apprentice and the world-weary mentor. While their conversations frequently turn into philosophical discussions, the light humor keeps things from getting too tedious.

In the end, Strange Animals really caught me off guard. Admittedly, it’s a little odd and difficult to categorize, but somehow the novel made its little eccentricities work in its favor. Crazy to think how close I came to abandoning it, but I’m glad I didn’t. For some, it might take a bit of patience to get into, especially if you’re like me and not into the abstract or weird fiction. But stick with it, and you might also be surprised.

GraphicAudio will release the second half of their full-cast dramatization of Speaks the Nightbird on May 5, 2026. It can be pre-ordered from their site. Part 1 was released on January 13, 2026. They plan to produce dramatizations of the entire Matthew Corbett series. If you purchase from GraphicAudio, you can choose MP3 or FLAC downloads.

GraphicAudio has a 50% off sale running through February 15!

Speaks the Nightbird Part 2 of 2 at GraphicAudio

And if you missed it: Speaks the Nightbird Part 1 of 2 at GraphicAudio and at Audible

I’m delighted to reveal that those good people at Subterranean Press have decided to let me play once more in the world of the Seven Swords. The Tomb of the Corpse King and Other Stories – Tales Set in the World of the Seven Swords will be released in September this year. The spectacular cover art is once again by the inestimable Didier Graffet. 

Here’s the table of contents:

The Ballad Of Lorent And Ihlene

The Scarlet Ziggurat

The Beast Of The Sundered Forest

The Tomb Of The Corpse King

Fans of the series will note that the short story The Scarlet Ziggurat has been available as a free download on the Subterranean Press website for a while. The other stories are all novella length and original to this collection. 

Those new to the series should check out Volume One: A Pilgrimage of Swords. 

No pre-order page yet, or news about an audio version, but watch this space for further details. 

Speaking of Didier Graffet, I thought you would like to see his cover for the French edition of A Tide of Black Steel – Une Maree dAcier Noir. 

Une Maree dAcier Noir, translated by Olivier Debernard, will be published by Bragelonne on April 8th. 

In other A Tide of Black Steel news, the German edition, Flut aus Schwarzem Stahl, will be published by Hobbit Presse on Frebuary 14th. Translation by Sara Riffel. 

Those of you who have been following me for some time may recall that I was fortunate enough to have two stories published in Deep Magic Magazine, edited by fellow fantasist Jeff Wheeler. Deep Magic is no longer publishing, but Jeff is putting together two special edition hardcover compilations of the best stories from the magazine, including my interlinked short story and novella The Hall of the Diamond Queen and Fire Wings. Click the banner below for more details:

And finally, I’m please to report that most of my self-published ebooks are now available on Bookshop.org. Readers who prefer not to feed the Amazon monster can now order from the following links, a percentage of every sale goes to local bookshops:

Fire Wings

Songs of the Dark

Slab City Blues: The Collected Stories

The Book Burner’s Fall

I have a very good friend, also a writer, with whom I often discuss the depressing state of the writing world at this point in history. We have a sort of gallows humor about the whole thing — a lot of joking comments about low pay, the dearth of readers, the way New York publishing has basically lost interest in the midlist author, and the generally low quality of self-published works that we encounter when we dare to dip our toes into those murky waters. (No slight intended to anyone — seriously, if you are self-published, please don’t tell me that I have insulted you. There are good self-published books out there. But let’s be honest: The self-pubbed gems tend to be overwhelmed by the dross. Too many self-published books have had no serious editing or proofing, leaving them overlong and filled with errors that might easily have been avoided.)

Writers starting today face formidable obstacles that did not exist when I began my career (you know, back in the day when we carved novels into stone tablets….). There are more wannabe writers hawking their wares on various online platforms now than there have ever been. The democratization of publishing technology has convinced many that they can be professionals simply by writing something, slapping it into the appropriate app, and putting it up for sale. Again, some of those books might be very good, but none of them have had to make their way through any vetting process. I am a dedicated amateur photographer, and I am pretty good. I have even sold some of my work and had images published. But I am not truly a professional. I know professionals. Most of them are far, far better than I am. But I have access to digital photo equipment that has helped me elevate my skill. I have access to printing services that make my photos look professional. I have even put together a book of my work that looks like any other coffee table photography book. In short, I have benefitted from the same sort of democratization in photography that I am describing with respect to publishing, even though I KNOW that I am not nearly as good a photographer as most professionals.

So, anyway, that is one obstacle: The sheer number of authors out there these days, competing for the attention of an ever-shrinking pool of potential readers.

Why ever-shrinking? That’s obstacle number two. I actually think the absolute number of devoted readers has remained roughly the same over the course of the past, say, fifty years. But if that number is remaining relatively static while the population grows, and while the number of would-be authors grows… well, you do the math.

The third obstacle I mentioned above: New York publishing — a moniker used to refer to what some might call legacy publishing — basically means the publishing houses that have dominated the industry for so long: Alfred A. Knopf, Random House, Saint Martins (which includes my old publisher, Tor Books), and other such behemoths. When I started writing, these big publishing houses were still (mostly) independently owned. They ran their businesses with at least some sense of the mission of their founders. They understood that publishing was not simply another profit-maker. The success of big-name authors allowed these houses to nurture the careers of beginning writers, and of those in the so-called midlist who had solid readership but who were probably never going to break into the ranks of those bestsellers. (And allow me to say here that legacy publishing was far from an idyllic business world. Yes, it supported authors in a range of sales categories. But the vast, vast majority of its authors were male and White.) Around the turn of the millennium, New York publishing began to consolidate. Mergers and buyouts disrupted that old model, and when the dust settled, many of the remaining publishing houses were subsidiaries of larger corporations that had no interest in sustaining the careers of authors who didn’t sell all that well. They still gave contracts to the big names, and they still gave contracts to young writers who showed promise, but they had little patience if those young voices didn’t catch on quickly, and they stopped maintaining the midlist pretty much entirely.

The publishers also squeezed out a lot of editors, feeling that editing was a luxury, and an expensive one at that. “Look at all those self-published titles selling online,” they said. “They’re not edited, and their readers don’t seem to care. Why should we spend so much when most readers just aren’t that discerning?” My editor at the start of my career was, to put it mildly, a problematic character. He was difficult to work with, unreliable, and slow. And eventually, he was fired for cause. And yet, I learned a ton from him. He taught me about the business. He taught me to be a much, much better writer, simply by working with me to improve my craft. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I owe much of my career to his peculiar brand of wisdom. Young writers need that sort of mentorship. And in today’s world, few of them get it.

I should also say (in a post that is already lengthy) that today’s young writers also have to compete with a faceless, soulless technology that can produce passable stories at virtually no cost, in virtually no time. How the hell are human authors supposed to compete with that? Yes, AI generated characters and stories are not very good (yet). But again, many readers have come to accept mediocrity as entertainment, so long as it has a plot and serviceable characters. It may not be great, but it will divert my attention for a little while.

And all around us, civilization collapses….

That brings me to the larger point of this post. Last year, at ConCarolinas, I was given the Polaris Award, in large part for the mentoring of young writers I have done, and continue to do. Right now, I have no fewer than half a dozen writers who consider me a mentor. Over the course of my career, that number is far, far higher. I benefitted from the wisdom of many established authors when first I began my career. I have always felt that it was my duty, and also my privilege, to offer the same guidance to those coming up after me. I love mentoring.

But in recent years, I have come to wonder how I can offer encouragement to young writers knowing how difficult a path they face in this profession. I have discussed this at length with the friend I mentioned at the beginning of this post. He feels much the same way, and yet he continues to mentor, too. Why do we do this?

At the risk of speaking on his behalf…. We do everything in our power not to mislead our mentees. We tell them all that I have said in this post about the state of the publishing world. We try to make certain that they understand fully the challenges laid before them. We make sure they know that there are many easier careers available to them, all of them more lucrative. But the truth is, this litany of obstacles usually does little to dissuade them. Which also begs that simple question: Why?

I believe the answer is the same for those seeking mentorship as it is for those of us who mentor. And I find hope in that answer. Storytelling is fundamental to being human. So is the act of receiving stories. Yes, that explains the glutting of the marketplace. But it also explains why so many of us continue to write for a world that seems less and less interested in the tales we create. Many of my friends who are writers tell me that they can’t not write. Writing is an imperative. It is as fundamental to their (our) being as breathing, eating, sleeping. This has been true for me for as long as I can remember. And it is also true for those seeking mentorship today. Just as reading (or listening to books and stories) is essential to those who still seek out books at cons and in bookstores. I have said repeatedly in this post that many readers are not all that discerning. They will accept stories that are just so-so in the absense of anything else. But I also believe that when they encounter a story written with passion and elegance, they recognize it, and they celebrate it.

This is a difficult time for the arts — not just writing, but also music, photography, painting, theater, dance, etc. Our digital world competes with those endeavors for our time, our ears and eyes, our money. And with the digital in our palms all the time, it has a huge advantage. And yet, new creators, with new creations, emerge from obscurity every day. Because at an elemental level, we yearn for art, for story and narrative, for beauty. These things are part of what make us human. I refuse to believe that they won’t remain so for generations to come.

Have a great week.

I have a very good friend, also a writer, with whom I often discuss the depressing state of the writing world at this point in history. We have a sort of gallows humor about the whole thing — a lot of joking comments about low pay, the dearth of readers, the way New York publishing has basically lost interest in the midlist author, and the generally low quality of self-published works that we encounter when we dare to dip our toes into those murky waters. (No slight intended to anyone — seriously, if you are self-published, please don’t tell me that I have insulted you. There are good self-published books out there. But let’s be honest: The self-pubbed gems tend to be overwhelmed by the dross. Too many self-published books have had no serious editing or proofing, leaving them overlong and filled with errors that might easily have been avoided.)

Writers starting today face formidable obstacles that did not exist when I began my career (you know, back in the day when we carved novels into stone tablets….). There are more wannabe writers hawking their wares on various online platforms now than there have ever been. The democratization of publishing technology has convinced many that they can be professionals simply by writing something, slapping it into the appropriate app, and putting it up for sale. Again, some of those books might be very good, but none of them have had to make their way through any vetting process. I am a dedicated amateur photographer, and I am pretty good. I have even sold some of my work and had images published. But I am not truly a professional. I know professionals. Most of them are far, far better than I am. But I have access to digital photo equipment that has helped me elevate my skill. I have access to printing services that make my photos look professional. I have even put together a book of my work that looks like any other coffee table photography book. In short, I have benefited from the same sort of democratization in photography that I am describing with respect to publishing, even though I KNOW that I am not nearly as good a photographer as most professionals.

So, anyway, that is one obstacle: The sheer number of authors out there these days, competing for the attention of an ever-shrinking pool of potential readers.

Why ever-shrinking? That’s obstacle number two. I actually think the absolute number of devoted readers has remained roughly the same over the course of the past, say, fifty years. But if that number is remaining relatively static while the population grows, and while the number of would-be authors grows… well, you do the math.

The third obstacle I mentioned above: New York publishing — a moniker used to refer to what some might call legacy publishing — basically means the publishing houses that have dominated the industry for so long: Alfred A. Knopf, Random House, Saint Martins (which includes my old publisher, Tor Books), and other such behemoths. When I started writing, these big publishing houses were still (mostly) independently owned. They ran their businesses with at least some sense of the mission of their founders. They understood that publishing was not simply another profit-maker. The success of big-name authors allowed these houses to nurture the careers of beginning writers, and of those in the so-called midlist who had solid readership but who were probably never going to break into the ranks of those bestsellers. (And allow me to say here that legacy publishing was far from an idyllic business world. Yes, it supported authors in a range of sales categories. But the vast, vast majority of its authors were male and White.) Around the turn of the millennium, New York publishing began to consolidate. Mergers and buyouts disrupted that old model, and when the dust settled, many of the remaining publishing houses were subsidiaries of larger corporations that had no interest in sustaining the careers of authors who didn’t sell all that well. They still gave contracts to the big names, and they still gave contracts to young writers who showed promise, but they had little patience if those young voices didn’t catch on quickly, and they stopped maintaining the midlist pretty much entirely.

The publishers also squeezed out a lot of editors, feeling that editing was a luxury, and an expensive one at that. “Look at all those self-published titles selling online,” they said. “They’re not edited, and their readers don’t seem to care. Why should we spend so much when most readers just aren’t that discerning?” My editor at the start of my career was, to put it mildly, a problematic character. He was difficult to work with, unreliable, and slow. And eventually, he was fired for cause. And yet, I learned a ton from him. He taught me about the business. He taught me to be a much, much better writer, simply by working with me to improve my craft. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that I owe much of my career to his peculiar brand of wisdom. Young writers need that sort of mentorship. And in today’s world, few of them get it.

I should also say (in a post that is already lengthy) that today’s young writers also have to compete with a faceless, soulless technology that can produce passable stories at virtually no cost, in virtually no time. How the hell are human authors supposed to compete with that? Yes, AI generated characters and stories are not very good (yet). But again, many readers have come to accept mediocrity as entertainment, so long as it has a plot and serviceable characters. It may not be great, but it will divert my attention for a little while.

And all around us, civilization collapses….

That brings me to the larger point of this post. Last year, at ConCarolinas, I was given the Polaris Award, in large part for the mentoring of young writers I have done, and continue to do. Right now, I have no fewer than half a dozen writers who consider me a mentor. Over the course of my career, that number is far, far higher. I benefited from the wisdom of many established authors when first I began my career. I have always felt that it was my duty, and also my privilege, to offer the same guidance to those coming up after me. I love mentoring.

But in recent years, I have come to wonder how I can offer encouragement to young writers knowing how difficult a path they face in this profession. I have discussed this at length with the friend I mentioned at the beginning of this post. He feels much the same way, and yet he continues to mentor, too. Why do we do this?

At the risk of speaking on his behalf…. We do everything in our power not to mislead our mentees. We tell them all that I have said in this post about the state of the publishing world. We try to make certain that they understand fully the challenges laid before them. We make sure they know that there are many easier careers available to them, all of them more lucrative. But the truthis, this litany of obstacles usually does little to dissuade them. Which also begs that simple question: Why?

I believe the answer is the same for those seeking mentorship as it is for those of us who mentor. And I find hope in that answer. Storytelling is fundamental to being human. So is the act of receiving stories. Yes, that explains the glutting of the marketplace. But it also explains why so many of us continue to write for a world that seems less and less interested in the tales we create. Many of my friends who are writers tell me that they can’t not write. Writing is an imperative. It is as fundamental to their (our) being as breathing, eating, sleeping. This has been true for me for as long as I can remember. And it is also true for those seeking mentorship today. Just as reading (or listening to books and stories) is essential to those who still seek out books at cons and in bookstores. I have said repeatedly in this post that many readers are not all that discerning. They will accept stories that are just so-so in the absense of anything else. But I also believe that when they encounter a story written with passion and elegance, they recognize it, and they celebrate it.

This is a difficult time for the arts — not just writing, but also music, photography, painting, theater, dance, etc. Our digital world competes with those endeavors for our time, our ears and eyes, our money. And with the digital in our palms all the time, it has a huge advantage. And yet, new creators, with new creations, emerge from obscurity every day. Because at an elemental level, we yearn for art, for story and narrative, for beauty. These things are part of what make us human. I refuse to believe that they won’t remain so for generations to come.

Have a great week.

I’m auditioning to be library lion!

Lion? You? Srsly?

No, I think he’s got this.

The only lion he’ll ever be is lyin’ around.

Gifts Between Usby C.C. Adams
What is it about:Elderly Londoner Augustus has lived a long, miserable life. Having driven his few remaining loved ones away years ago, he now whiles away his time drinking rum and hoping for the end.
One night his death wish is nearly granted by a mugger, but a local youth called Michael intervenes. Much to the old man’s horror (and fascination) Michael promptly begins to devour the mugger’s body.
Slowly, Augustus and his mysterious saviour form an unlikely friendship, one built on sharing the gifts of trust, camaraderie, and acceptance.
And one last a secret. It is the cause of Michael’s cannibalistic nature. And, perhaps, a reason for Augustus to go on living…
What did I think of it:I was offered a review copy, and it sounded like I might enjoy it.
Well...
It had some unnecessary gross scenes in my opinion. I was left slightly nauseated and not so much horrified. The parts that weren't totally Eeeeew! were interesting, so if you can handle the ick, this might be for you.
Why should you read it:If nauseating horror is your thing, go for it!

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Time Travel/Historical Fiction/Mystery
Length: 158 pages
Publisher: K.L.A Fricke Inc
Release Date: December 2, 2025
ASIN: B0F8YP6JWM
Stand Alone or Series: 4.5th book in the A Rip Through Time series
Source: Borrowed ebook from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars

“A year ago, twenty-first-century detective Mallory found herself in 1869 Edinburgh, in the body of Catriona Mitchell, a housemade working for Dr. Duncan Gray, pioneer in forensic science. Shortly after she arrived, she made the unfortunate acquaintence of Catriona’s former criminal mentor, Davina, an entanglement that nearly got Mallory killed. Now she’s about to meet Davina again.

Greyfriars Bobby has disappeared. The little terrier is already a legend, and Davina has made a tidy living showing him off on graveyard tours…while picking the pockets of her guests. When the elderly dog vanishes, Davina calls in a favor from her old student. Mallory agrees to help find Bobby in return for the one thing she’s been unable to get from Davina—the mysterious Catriona’s life story.”

Series Info/Source: This is a novella in the A Rip Through Time series and takes place after book Book 4 of that series. I borrowed a copy of this on ebook from the library.

Thoughts: This was a decent novella. This is set after Book 4 in the series and focuses on the disappearance of a famous dog named Greyfriars Bobby. While nothing super exciting happens, this was a well-done mystery and I enjoyed it.

This story brings in some additional aspects of Catriona’s past as one of Catriona’s “friends” Davina who is upset about Greyfriars’ disappearance because she was making money off of using the dog as part of her graveyard tour. The story focuses around the disappearance of this dog and Mallory (in Catriona’s body) working to solve this mystery. We do get a bit more character development both around Mallory and Duncan’s relationship and by learning more about Catriona’s past. Some small progress is also made on Duncan’s sister’s relationship with policeman Creedy.

This was a well done and quick read. I enjoy the setting of Victorian Scotland and enjoy watching Mallory try to unravel Catriona’s past. The mystery was well done and cute and gave some incite into this time in history.

This would be an okay stand alone read, but I think you will enjoy it more if you have read previous books in this series.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this short jaunt, it is a cute and well done mystery. I continue to enjoy the setting and premise here and love the characters. We do get to learn more about Catriona’s past, which was fascinating. I think you will enjoy this more if you have read the previous books in the series. I would recommend this whole series to those who enjoy police procedurals that are set in a historic period (with some weird time travel stuff thrown in). This series does have a tad of romance, but it is more in the background.

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Sibylline by Melissa de la Cruz

Mogsy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers (February 3, 2026)

Length: 304 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

I find myself a little torn on my feelings for Sibylline by Melissa de la Cruz. I would say check it out if you’re a sucker for dark academia fantasy, but also be aware of the other major themes in the story. It doesn’t always seem to know what it wants to be, and in the end, that indecision is what dampens what could have been a much better read.

The story follows Atticus, Dorian, and Raven, three childhood friends with magical abilities who have always dreamed of attending the Sibylline school of magic together. However, when all three are sent rejection letters, they refuse to accept this as the end of the line and come up with a way to get inside the university anyway. After all, if they can’t enter as students, what’s stopping them from doing it as employees instead? After securing jobs as a professor assistant, a lab aide, and a library worker, the three begin sneaking into lectures, secretly auditing classes, and stealing access to restricted books. By slowly piecing together a magical education through unofficial means, they hope to better understand their own powers, which seem to grow stronger the longer they spend time on campus.

But their underground efforts soon uncover something rotten at the heart of Sibylline. Ancient magic stirring beneath its grand halls and rumors of a student’s mysterious death hint at a threat that may be tied to the very foundation of the school. As the trio are drawn deeper into their investigation, long-standing feelings and unspoken attractions between them also begin to surface, causing no small amount of friction within their relationship. Caught between keeping their heads down and confronting a danger they barely understand, Raven, Atticus, and Dorian must decide how far they’re willing to go for magic, even if it might tear their friendship apart.

While the premise holds a lot of potential with a setup that is undeniably fun, the execution doesn’t quite hold together. Just when the plot feels like it’s settling into a dark magic school mystery with just a sprinkling of romantic tension, it takes a sharp turn toward emotional angst to become a full-blown relationship drama—and one that is messy and distracting as hell at that. Of course, this was before I realized, at its core, Sibylline is actually a throuple romance. The sexual tensions burning between our three protagonists aren’t part of a supplementary side story running alongside the main narrative as I’d initially thought, but they are in fact THE main focus.

As you can imagine, the dark academia aspects and even the central mystery surrounding the school itself often take a backseat to entire chapters spent belaboring who is in love with whom. For those keeping track, Raven has been quietly pining for Atticus since they were children, but Atticus is in fact secretly love with Dorian, while for years Dorian has been carrying a torch for Raven. The tragedy is that all three are deeply invested in the wrong person, with none of their feelings fully returned. Cue the jealousies, hurt feelings, and overall an exhausting amount of mental turmoil born of unrequited love.

The result is that the mystery and horror elements get pushed out just as they’re starting to become interesting. This lack of balance is especially noticeable when the characters’ actual investigation is frequently interrupted by long stretches focused on their emotional spiraling, bringing the pace to a crawl. The shift feels even more jarring if you went into this novel expecting a very different kind of story, or even one aimed at a different age group. It’s interesting to note that Sibylline is published under a YA imprint, but it feels like it should be categorized as New Adult, given its mature themes and a sexually explicit threesome scene near the end that makes it less appropriate for younger teen readers.

In the end, Sibylline feels like a book full of good ideas that never quite come together. To be fair though, I wasn’t at all prepared for the primary focus of the story to be an overwrought and emotionally complicated three-way romance, but readers who are into that kind of dynamic will likely get way more out of this one than I did.

As the time draws closer for the Wrath & Desire book release, I've prepared a refresher for readers so they can dive back into the Realm of Zadrya world more easily. In this post, you'll also find details on a hardcover sale for Oaths & Vengeance, updates on ARCs, and other news.

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Science Fiction
Length: 448 pages
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: February 10, 2026
ASIN: B0F88XYTZF
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eGalley from Netgalley
Rating: 3/5 stars

“All colonist Oliver Lewis ever wanted to do was run the family ranch with his sister, maybe play a gig or two with his band, and keep his family’s aging fleet of intelligent agriculture bots ticking as long as possible. He figures it will be a good thing when the transfer gate finally opens all the way and restores instant travel and full communication between Earth and his planet, New Sonora. But there’s a complication.

Even though the settlers were promised they’d be left in peace, Earth’s government now has other plans. The colossal Apex Industries is hired to commence an “eviction action.” But maximizing profits will always be Apex’s number one priority. Why spend money printing and deploying AI soldiers when they can turn it into a game? Why not charge bored Earthers for the opportunity to design their own war machines and remotely pilot them from the comfort of their homes?

The game is called Operation Bounce House.

Oliver and his friends soon find themselves fighting for their lives against machines piloted by gamers who’ve paid a premium for the privilege. With the help of an old book from his grandfather and a bucket of rusty parts, Oliver is determined to defend the only home he’s ever known.”

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got a copy of this on ebook from NetGalley from review.

Thoughts: I am a huge fan of the DCC series, so I was super excited to see Dinniman coming out with another book. I have also read Kaiju: Battlefield Surgeon, which I thought was okay but not great. This book is fairly different from either DCC or Kaiju; I thought it was okay but had some pretty big issues with it.

The premise here is that humans have colonized on different planets; on New Sonora they are mainly farmers. There is a lot of excitement when the gate is finally connected to Earth; this will allow easy travel between New Sonora and Earth. Unfortunately that is also when the strange battlemechs start showing up to decimate the population of New Sonora.

This is fast paced and reads fine. Dinniman can tend to spend a lot of time explaining mechanics and this book does suffer some from that. I struggled with the premise because it felt like is a mash up of a lot of sci-fi themes that have been overdone (Earth wiping out a settlement planet, gamers as soldiers, etc).

I had two main issues with this book. The first is that it just doesn’t have the humor of DCC, I mean it is a pretty serious situation but so is the situation Carl is in in DCC and this book doesn’t have much humor at all. Any humor it does have is a kind of teenage sexual humor that missed the mark for me.

The second issue is the characters. There are a lot of them introduced quickly, and all of them (except for maybe Oliver’s sister), feel very interchangeable. Oliver, the main character, doesn’t feel like a main character at all. For the majority of the story things just happen to him. Oliver’s super vanilla and seemed to be along for the ride. The only good character in here is Roger the AI; he is actually occasionally funny and has quite the agenda.

I also didn’t love the ending. It felt super rushed and unfinished. It had this very overdone theme of humanity making circular errors in judgment. I both felt like I didn’t get closure around what happened with the characters on New Sonora and that I wasn’t exactly sure what was happening on Earth.

My Summary (3/5): Overall this is okay and I finished it. However, I almost stopped reading it multiple times because I just didn’t like the premise or the characters. I kept hoping it would get better but it really didn’t. It was fine if you are looking for a sci-fi romp with a lot of mech battle type fights and don’t care if the story doesn’t have a lot of depth.