Carina's Books

Waiting on Wednesday #756

2026-04-15T06:00:00.020+02:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

TEMPEST BY VICTORIA AVEYARD

Goodreads Description:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria Aveyard comes an epic adventure of love and betrayal, amid a brutal war for the high seas.

May the sea always sing for you

Cat Rose knows what it is to live in two worlds, in two times. Before—as Lady Catrine Rose of the Meridian Empire, chained to a loathsome lord with a dwindling fortune. And after—as the Widow Rose, queen of a pirate tavern in the Lyrian Sea, determined to be the master of her own fate.

But tides turn and winds change. The Meridian Empire looms on the horizon, the full weight of her navy falling on the Lyrian, bent on reclaiming the wealthy colonies and crushing the pirate republic once and for all. Ship after ship is captured, save for one, captained by a pirate who continually evades both noose and blade: the legendary Valerian Kane.

With his fearsome ship and uncanny connection to the song of the sea, Valerian is the only man who might rally the pirates who remain. The only man who threatens the Empire. And the only man Cat has ever loved, blazing in and out of her life like a star.

Desperate for victory, the Empire offers Cat a devastating choice: bring them Valerian or hang. In truth, no choice at all.

But Cat Rose is nothing if not a survivor.

A storm is rising on the Lyrian Sea—the question is, what will it leave in its wake?

Format: 464 pages, Hardcover
Expected Publication: September 8, 2026 by Harper Voyager
Pre-Order: Blackwells and Amazon US and Amazon UK

I have been following Victoria for years, despite only having read one book by her years ago. Oops :) She just seems like such a lovely person. And so I will be buying this newest book by her :D I do not read that much adult book, and I am a tiny bit unsure about this one, yet it sounds very exciting. Hope to love it :D
What are you waiting for on this brutal Wednesday?

In My Mailbox #753

2026-04-11T23:35:00.001+02:00

Ohh, this past week have gone by a bit too fast. I am fully exhausted. Not doing that well with my health. Ugh. But trying my best :) Was medicine day this week, which went fine, but so exhausting. I'm also not feeling any better. Rude. Time have just moved so fast. Had some spa baths outside, which have been the best :) And been playing too much of Pokopia, again, oops. Just love it too much :) Going to read a new book in the next few days, if I can manage. Just so little time in the days. How rude. Only one book this week in the mail. <3 But yeah. Getting a little more things next week, ahhh. Oh, well :D It makes me happy. <3 Buying too much :) This week I'm waiting on Skyshattered :D Hope you are all doing well. <3

Most Likely to Murder. Eee, new Lish book :D I am pretty sure that I will end up loving this one a lot. <3

More Instagram photos here. <3

Waiting on Wednesday #755

2026-04-08T06:00:00.021+02:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

SKYSHATTERED (Storm Dragons #3) BY JULIE KAGAWA

Goodreads Description:

An unlikely trio stands between a shattered world and the darkness that threatens to swollow it whole in the epic conclusion to the Strom Dragons saga!

Remy wants more than anything to become a valiant sky knight who patrols the skies with his dragon best friend, Storm. But that dream will never become reality if there’s no world left to protect. It’s a race against time to find the hidden dwarven mountain that houses "the machine"—a relic of the past that may be the only hope for the future. But finding the mountain is easier said than done, especially with an evil pirate and a ruthless True Dragon in constant pursuit.

Gem is determined to uncover the true history of the floating crystals that power her kingdom’s floating islands. Each passing day she grows stronger as a mage, learning from any magic users she meets along the way. When she’s abruptly summoned back to the kingdom, Gem takes the opportunity to plead her case to her father, King Gallecia. But when the royal court seems unfazed by her revelation, dark secrets are revealed that will forever change her.

Bound by friendship, fueled by courage, these friends will need to trust in each other more than ever. As their world ignites with magic and mystery, are Remy, Gem, and Storm ready to face their greatest challenge yet?

Format: 368 pages, Hardcover
Expected Publication: April 7, 2026 by Disney Hyperion
Pre-Order: Blackwells and Amazon US and Amazon UK

This beauty came out yesterday, but I had missed out on pre-ordering it. Oops. I do own the first two books :D And I will be getting this third one soon. Then I will hopefully find time soon to read this trilogy, eee. I adore Julie. Have loved her for years. This middle grade series just sounds all kinds of awesome.
What are you waiting for on this shattered Wednesday?

In My Mailbox #752

2026-04-04T23:44:00.000+02:00

Happy Easter :D Hope you are all having a good holiday. <3 I'm spending it at home with my family, with a few days of grilling food outside :) Which is always nice. But cold today. Brrr. And eee. I finally took up my spa bath this week :D And had my first bath of the year yesterday. <3 It was the actual best. Was in the water for way too long, though. Made me fully exhausted. But was the absolute best. Sigh. Love my 42c warm water baths outside the very most. And I managed to read a book this week too :D A shorter one, so easier to read, haha. Which is a plus. Have not managed to watch any tv yet, though, ack. But was at the cinema with my nephew, and saw the new Super Mario Galaxy movie :) Which I loved. <3 Got some gorgeous mail this week, ack :D Love it all so much. This week I'm waiting on Thorn Season :) And I shared my review of Red Star Rebels. <3 Hope you are all doing well :D What are you reading now? :)

Innamorata. New Ava Reid book :D Of course I had to buy this one. May have bought a few too many copies, though, oops. US hardcover, UK hardcover and paperback. Did not check first that the book is so huge. Ahhh. My poor space. I hope to read it one day soon; and that I love it. Seen some mixed thoughts on Threads, which honestly just hurt my heart, as I do not approve of all that bullying at all. Ugh. So rude.
Funko Nordic / Funtastic by Proxy. Eee! Newest free ambassador gifts :D Thank you so much lovely. <3 Loving them all so much. All but Winnie are new to me :D Excited to take new photos in the next weeks.

Funko Europe. Yeah. I could not resist getting all of these. Ahh. Two orders. Todd and Copper are the cutest. Love my mini easter pops. Love my new Oliver and Company, eee. Loved that movie so much. And new Princess and the Frog. And Castiel. And Stitch. And new Aristocats wallet. Love everything. <3

Pop Mart. Oh no. This new Mokoko Labubu cost me a small fortune from Whoopea. But I could not resist it any longer. Ahh! I had to have the beauty. <3 Eee. And I honestly do not regret it, haha :) Love Mokoko the very most. This one is smaller than the medium sizes, though. Yet much larger than the small. Weird. But so cute. And finally bought my Twinkle Twinkle confirmed, haha, since I did not get him in my boxes :)

More Instagram photos here. <3

Review: Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman

2026-04-04T13:24:00.002+02:00

Of course I had to read the newest space book by Amie. Been loving her books for years now. And this new one looked pretty epic, as always. It was such a quick read. Which was both good and bad. I loved how easy it was to enjoy this book. I did not like how fast it was over. Rude. I would have loved for it to be longer.

I'm ending up giving this one four stars. I liked it so very much. But I did not fully love it. There were parts that I loved, but there were some parts that I did not like all that much. But it was still such a great story. The writing was so wonderful. It was easy to get lost in this world. And I liked both main characters right away.

My small issues with this book came from the beginning, with the writing. I did love it most of the time. But it was a bit weird for me at first, with how Cleo was talking to the reader, in some way. Did not care for it much. There was some humor that just was not for me. But it got much better. And I just adored these characters. I very much liked that this book took place on Mars, in the future. But yes. I wish the book had been so much longer. It is less than three hundred pages, and short ones. And it truly took place in just eight hours. There was so much more I wanted to know. So I was a little disappointed that this book was not longer. Hmph. But it was such a fun read, even so. But the backstories could have been a bit more as the small memories we got felt rushed.

Space books are very much for me. Movies as well. And so this story was definitely something for me. And I loved all the space parts. I loved that it takes place at a station on Mars. I loved that small walk they did outside of it, though I wish there were more moments like it. I did feel like there was a too little space in this book, though. Possibly because it was so short. Still. I loved it very much. We learn a whole lot of this world too, despite the book being short. Not going to share, but it felt very real and was so well done.

This book tells the story of Cleo and Hunter. We get both point of views, which I liked. They were very much the same, in a way. Yet they came from completely different lives. Cleo grew up poor and did not have the best childhood because of this, when her dad got sick. Hunter grew up rich, living his very best life. Except that his mother was the worst and his twin sister ended up leaving him when they were small. And so his life was not perfect either. I loved getting to know them both, but again, it did feel a bit rushed.

Cleo has spent the past three months on this small space station on Mars, hoping to get a better life away from Earth and her mother's debts. But it is not easy, being a hitcher. She is unable to leave this place to go to somewhere better. Then Hunter arrives, wanting to surprise his mother and sister on Mars, trying to earn back his birthright in the company. As his family were the ones who settled Mars, years past. But the moment he arrives at this station, an alarm goes off, and everyone has to evacuate. Hunter is left behind.

Since he was not officially supposed to be there, so no one waited for him. And Cleo was left behind too, as she was very much not supposed to be there either. Which is what this book is about. They are both left behind on a station that is about to get rid of all the air. Hunter is full of panic. Cleo is prepared. Hunter tries to call for help, and shares who he is. Cleo decides her chances at a better life goes up if she saves him. She does her best. That is, until the criminals arrives and sets the station to explode in eight hours.

Okay, now I have shared way too much about this book. And that was just the beginning of it. It was also so short, which I am still sad about, ha. I wanted more time. This story was such a rush. But we get to see a lot of Cleo and Hunter together. They were both all kinds of stubborn. Yet they both very much liked the other right away, despite how different they were. Of course, there were secrets between them, which I did not like all that much. I felt like Hunter got the worst of it, and I wanted Cleo to apologize too. Hmph.

There is romance in this story. Despite it taking place over just eight hours. Yet I could not help but ship them so very much. As they were adorable together. I guess it is called shared trauma, maybe. They got to know each other pretty well in those hours, spending a lot of time together. And I thought they were so cute. Of course, they also did a whole lot of wrong during those hours, trying to stop the criminals. It was fun to read about the different traps they set for many of them. It was a bit dangerous but mostly just fun.

I was supposed to write a smaller review, since the book was short. I failed. Oh, well. Red Star Rebels was very much an excellent space story. Short but good. Full of excitement and danger. With a lovely romance as well, despite being a little rushed. It was cute. I just wish it had been longer. I did not fully love it, but I loved it well enough. I will always read books by Amie. I adore both covers for this book. So pretty. You should definitely give this book a try too. It was so easy to read and I enjoyed it so very much.

Goodreads - Blackwells - Amazon US - Amazon UK

Waiting on Wednesday #754

2026-04-01T06:00:00.018+02:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

THORN SEASON BY KIERA AZAR

Goodreads Description:

Shadow and Bone meets The Selection in this first book in Kiera Azar's sharp, sexy, and twisty debut YA romantasy trilogy!

In the Kingdom of Daradon, a persecuted few are Wielders, in possession of a magical Spectre–a shimmering thread that can extend beyond their visible body to give a loving caress, pick a lock . . . even kill. Feared for this ability, Wielders have always been Hunted.

Alissa Paine, heiress and daughter of a Hunter family . . . is also a Wielder. At eighteen, Alissa knows she’s escaped execution thus far only due to painful self-control and the efforts of her beloved father.

Summoned to the harsh and glittering royal court for the debutante season, Alissa finds herself caught in a web of intrigue and betrayal—and caught between two equally dangerous one a brutal ruler with the handsome face of a fairy-tale prince, who would destroy her if he knew the truth—and the other a beguiling foreign ambassador with secret agendas of his own.

With the threat of discovery lurking around every corner—and romance becoming an increasingly dangerous temptation—Alissa will find that she has more to lose than her secrets. It’s Rose Season at the palace, but to survive she’ll need to become the most vicious of thorns. . . .

Format: 464 pages, Hardcover
Expected Publication: September 2, 2025 by Storytide
Pre-Order: Blackwells and Amazon US and Amazon UK

Okay, so. This is another Fairyloot edition that I own. And it is definitely all kinds of gorgeous. I love the artwork. But I only just fully read the summary now, and I am pretty sure I will try selling this one. Oops. Very much sounds like a love triangle. And not really my kind of story. But I do own it right now, haha :)
What are you waiting for on this thorny Wednesday?

In My Mailbox #751

2026-03-28T23:28:00.001+01:00

Ack. Another very exhausting week for me. I am simply aching everywhere. Which truly sucks. But I'm doing my best. Still walking my treadmill daily. And outside walking with my pokemon go daily too. And I am still playing way too much Pokopia daily. Oops. So many hours. I just cannot resist this game. It is so wonderful. And I still have to play my daily one hour of animal crossing too. Ahhh. So yeah. I am so fully exhausted from all that playing too. But I managed to finish reading a book yesterday, finally :) Took ages. Maybe because it was a two star for me. Sobs. But still. I finished it. And wrote a 1700 words long review today. Siiigh. So yeah. I am especially dead today. Ack. Now need some stress free days :) Maybe finally watching Bridgerton season 4. Then I'm starting another book in just days. Ahh. Oh, well. I shall survive, haha :) I got some lovely mail. <3 Waiting on some great popmart things next week, but unsure if it will make it before Easter. Hmm. So maybe not until the week after. How rude. I'm too excited. Anyway. I'm hurting a bunch. But doing the best I can :) I also got the very best email this week, and gods, I am so so excited. <3 This week I'm waiting on Katabasis :) And I shared my review of Daughter of the Wind. <3 Are you doing anything for Easter? We are staying home and grilling outside. <3 Hope you are doing well :D

Fairyloot YA March. Her Hidden Fire. This one looks gorgeous. Love the artwork. And sounds good too.
Fairyloot Adult March. The Last Starborn Seer. So stunning looking. But maybe a love triangle? Hmhp.
The Fox and the Devil. New book by Kiersten :D A little unsure about it, but loved her last one so much.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder. New Switch 2 edition of this game :) Could not resist; barely played the first.
Pop Mart. Finally got some new mystery boxes, haha :D After 3 recent orders went missing. Siiigh. So had a break of ordering because of that. But then these Mickey beauties re-stocked. I love those I got :)

More Instagram photos here. <3

Review: Daughter of the Wind by Nora Carmody

2026-03-28T19:25:00.000+01:00

This was a book I knew I needed to read because I have loved the author for years now. And that cover sold me. It is simply so beautiful. It also sounded like such an exciting story, even though it was a little different from what I usually read. But giant eagles. Definitely a story that could be for me. But then it was sadly not.

I am going to have so much to say about this book. And I am not sure where to start. So I will begin by sharing that it was sadly a two star read for me. I wish I had loved it. I so wish I had liked it more. I tried my very best to, but it was simply not to me. But the plus side is that I did not hate anything about this. Which is good.

But yes. I have a whole lot of thoughts to share about this story. The things that I did not like. But there was no hate. There was not anything that made me dislike this book, it was just not for me. And so I shall begin by sharing the things that I did like, as there were parts that were good as well. I liked how very close the horse people were. With each other and with their horses. I loved that they didn't eat meat. I really liked the scenes of flying on eagles in the air. I have always dreamed of flying. I liked the horse riding scenes as well. And I especially love that gorgeous cover. It is simply stunning. That may be all the positive things that I have to share right now, ack. I just had too many small issues. But again, no hate at all for this book. It was simply not for me. For several reasons, though, which I will be describing.

My first problem with this book was the writing. I did not like it. I was not able to connect with the main girl, Zara, at all. I simply didn't care for her one bit. Which was so depressing. The writing also kept changing, which was a little annoying. It ended up telling more instead of showing. There was nothing that kept me interested in the girl or the story. I just did not feel any emotions at all. It switches between Zara, and the boy, Talon. And I did not like him much either, to be honest. I am not sure if the writing is to blame for it.

It also did not help that they both felt like teenagers, around sixteen years old. And I have no idea how old they were actually supposed to me. It is not mentioned, which also bothered me. Talon looks at Zara once and thinks she is in her early twenties. I'm guessing he is older, since he was the eagle army commander. But it is never said. But yes. They felt so very young. It is supposed to be an adult book, but I did not get that feeling from it at all. The word sexy is mentioned twice, which also didn't fit in at all. It was a bit weird.

Anyway. This book tells the story of Zara. She lives with her people on the plains, doing their best to hide from the eagle riders. As their people have been at war for over a hundred and fifty years. I do wish there were some more details about that, as it was a bit too easy to get a treaty done. Zara is a First Daughter. And her mother was Queen of All Queens. And they were Children of Earth. It was a bit too much for me. I liked their customs. I did not like their names at all. I also did not like Zara's mother very much, honestly.

Zara has a horse bonded to her, called Shazeera. It bothered me at first, these bonded horses. For so long they are always mentioned by name by Zara in her thoughts. And they are everywhere with them. Inside all their homes, sleeping with them many times as well. It seemed like it would be so messy, haha. But that is not mentioned. Zara has a mind connection with Shazeera. They have been together since they were small. She calls them heart sisters. And I did like their close bond. But at the same time, not.

Because the horse did not feel like a horse. And that was disturbing. With all the thoughts being shared, it felt like it was a human inside of a horse body. I wish it had been a little more horse like, somehow. Then the eagle riders have that same connection with their eagles. The other point of view is Talon, with his eagle Neo. Also felt like a human inside of an eagle. It was a little weird. I liked the eagle more than the horse, though, oops. But yes. It all felt a little weird to me. Yet I did like their connection to their animals.

Okay. I have written way too much without mentioning the plot. Zara is supposed to have magic powers like her mother, to keep their people safe. But she does not. She feels nothing. Until suddenly she gets the power of the wind instead of the earth. Which she discovers when an eagle rider is trying to kill her, and she blasts him out of the sky. Which was pretty exciting to read about. I wanted more about the wind power. It was too little of it. Because of this, she is now being forced to marry the emperor to get peace.

Which was a little weird. Especially when she knew nothing about their way of life in the city up in the mountain. And so the first part of the book is her on the plains, then it's her in the mountains. Which was a depressing place. And honestly just boring to read about. Not going to share too much more, just that it is about Zara somehow falling in love with Talon, who is guarding her. It was too sudden and no actual romantic moments. It is about a monster being in this place, and them trying to kill it to save everyone.

The villain of this story is a being that they call Ozul. It was a little creepy, but it was also just so weird and I did not get this story much. The Emperor, Altair, had sort of allied with this creature. Whom is somehow eating the souls of people. And then they are all calling these soulless people for a walking corpse. That honestly bothered me as well, since they all called them that. It was a little weird. But it was an interesting villain, in a way. But their plan to get rid of him was honestly all kinds of terrible, ha. And ended so badly.

I have to mention the romance as well. It's meant to be enemies to lovers. I did not see that at all. Yes, their people were enemies. And for one second they tried to kill each other. The next second they were pretty much in love with each other. They were not enemies at all, not in that way. And I did not get the romance at all, sadly. I wish I had loved it. But it was too soon. There was no reason for either of them to like the other. It was so sudden, without any scenes spent together. To me, the romance was not good.

It was also barely there. A few kisses. And sadly not written very well, as I did not feel anything for them. It might just be a problem that I have, of course. I do think others will love this book. I'm just way too picky when it comes to writing. Talon kept thinking he would hurt his cousin to keep Zara safe. This made zero sense to me. Ugh. And to me, everything felt so distant. I did not care for any of the characters or for this world. Though I was curious about the world and the small part of magic it had. I wanted to know more.

A few parts of the writing that bothered me, that I simply have to share about. From the beginning, Zara always thinks about her blood freezing to ice. In several different ways. And way too often. This bothered me. And then later, after they are suddenly in love, she keeps seeing heat in the eyes of Talon. It just felt so awkward, in a way. When the eagles take off the ground it is mentioned as their wings pumping. Which may be the way to describe it, of course, but felt like it was so weird every time. Oops. I failed to ignore it.

Will end my review by mentioning the ending. Some people died, and I did not care one bit. And I did not get why Zara cared about them at all. She had not spent time with them, except having them as guards. Yet she mentions that she trusts them. It was just odd. The deaths were weird, but made sense. Then it ends pretty badly. But it sets up the next book very well. And there was one thing that I liked very much. There was a new eagle being mentioned. And that was my favorite part of the whole book. It was great.

The biggest thank you to the author, Nora, for gifting me this most beautiful ARC copy of this book to read. It means the world to me. I am sorry I did not like it more. But I am so glad that I read it, and I will still be getting my pre-ordered finished copy, as I truly love that cover. And I am curious about the next two books. I will be reading them too. Daughter of the Wind was not as amazing as I had hoped it would be, but it was still a stunning story to read. And I am glad I gave this a chance. I think you all should too.

Goodreads - Blackwells - Amazon US - Amazon UK

Waiting on Wednesday #753

2026-03-25T06:00:00.021+01:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

KATABASIS BY R. F. KUANG

Goodreads Description:

Dante’s Inferno meets Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi in this all-new dark academia fantasy from R. F. Kuang, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface, in which two graduate students must put aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul—perhaps at the cost of their own.

Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek:

The story of a hero’s descent to the underworld

Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality: her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world.

That is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.

Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams….

Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the very same conclusion.

With nothing but the tales of Orpheus and Dante to guide them, enough chalk to draw the Pentagrams necessary for their spells, and the burning desire to make all the academic trauma mean anything, they set off across Hell to save a man they don’t even like.

But Hell is not like the storybooks say, Magick isn’t always the answer, and there’s something in Alice and Peter’s past that could forge them into the perfect allies…or lead to their doom.

Format: 541 pages, Hardcover
Expected Publication: August 26, 2025 by HarperVoyager
Pre-Order: Blackwells and Amazon US and Amazon UK

Another recent Fairyloot edition for me :) And this one had such stunning artwork, as usual. <3 It has made me curious about the book. Seen it talked about often too. Did not actually read the summary until now. Oops. But now I'm more curious :) School books are not for me. But a journey to hell? I am curious.
What are you waiting for on this dark Wednesday?

In My Mailbox #750

2026-03-21T22:53:00.003+01:00

Oh. This week have been a goddamn pain. I'm not sleeping well at all. And I'm not getting nearly enough sleep either. Ugh. It's driving me nuts. I'm also fully exhausted at all times. Rude. But I'm trying my best. Finally made myself start reading; though have not made that much progress. But will read a little more before bed :) Was also so sick last night, been having the worst headache. Shudders. Have also played Pokopia all week long. Again. Oops. I just cannot stop playing it, haha :) There is still so much to do. Ahh. I love it to pieces. But yeah. Need to read some too :) And maybe finally watch Bridgerton with my mom next week, ack. Just hope my health starts getting better too. Hmph. Got some lovely mail, always. <3 This week I'm waiting on Victorious :) Hope you are all doing well. <3 I am waiting for spring to arrive :)

Divine Rivals. Ohh, special edition out already. And it is all kinds of gorgeous, eee. I loved this so much.
A Rose of Blood and Binding. My stunning US hardcovers have made it :D I so loved this final book. <3
SanDisk. Had to get more memory for my Switch 2; expensive. Got 100 Funko Pop stands; need more :)
Plush. Had to share a photo of this cutie too, haha :) Bought a cow last time. But needed this pink too. <3
Funko Pop. Yeah. I couldn't resist all the new Kpop Demon Hunters ones :D So cute. Love Stitch + Rolly.

More Instagram photos here. <3

Waiting on Wednesday #752

2026-03-18T06:00:00.019+01:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

VICTORIOUS (Villains #3) BY V. E. SCHWAB

Goodreads Description:

The triumphant conclusion to the Villains trilogy from V.E. Schwab, the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil.

The ExtraOrdinary of Merit City, a secret group of individuals gifted with a power connected to their manner of near-death experience, have been keeping a low profile, avoiding the ever-watchful eye of EON in the wake of the showdown with Marcella, Eli, and Serena.

But when EON―and its relationship to the ExtraOrdinaries― begins to change under the leadership of a new director with a terrifying agenda, the time for hiding is over. The path to the truth of what happened to EON leads Victor, Sydney, Mitch and the rest into the enemy’s lair at EON headquarters, where they encounter unexpected allies, shocking new abilities, and the ultimate confrontation.

Against all the years, the betrayals, and the odds―the arch rivals and their allies will meet for a final time, on a chess board laid out by a rival they didn’t expect.

Format: 592 pages, Hardcover
Expected Publication: October 6, 2026 by Tor Books
Pre-Order: Blackwells and Amazon US and Amazon UK

Ohh, I am curious about this third book :D It has been ten years since I read Vicious. I have not yet read book two. But I adore this author. So I am excited to read all three books together after this comes out :)
What are you waiting for on this vicious Wednesday?

In My Mailbox #749

2026-03-14T23:50:00.003+01:00

Yeah. This week have been a little crazy busy. Oops. I started playing Pokemon Pokopia almost a week ago now. And I cannot stop playing it. I play for hours each day. Ahhh. I just love it the very most. It's my favorite game since Animal Crossing. Which I also still play daily. Oops. So my days are even more busy than before. Sigh. I'm exhausted at all times. But I also love it so much. Pokopia is just the very best, eee. There is too much to do, though, ahh. But so good. Sigh. I need to start a new book in the next few days. If I can manage to stop playing for a bit, haha. Also have so so many things that need tidying. Ugh. Soon, maybe. Anyway. Not much mail this week, but loving it :) Waiting on some great pop mart items, though, but won't be here for a few weeks. I finally got the activity thing taken off this week. It was such a pain to have on for more than a week. Ugh. But now done, at last :) I'm still tired and hurting at all times. Rude. But doing my best. This week I'm waiting on Immortal Consequences :) Hope you are all doing well. <3

A Rose of Blood and Binding. Finished copies have arrived :D My two UK paperback editions. <3 Love :)
Stranger Things. I tried again to get Max. No luck. But at least it was not another Steve, ha. Love Eleven.

More Instagram photos here. <3

Waiting on Wednesday #751

2026-03-11T06:00:00.036+01:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

IMMORTAL CONSEQUENCES BY I.V. MARIE

Goodreads Description:

Six students at Blackwood Academy, an enigmatic boarding school located at the edge of the afterlife, must compete for the once-in-eternity chance to change their fate—or risk remaining stuck in purgatory forever. An unputdownable debut full of hairpin twists, shock betrayals and world-defying love, for fans of The Atlas Six.

Welcome to Blackwood Academy: the legendary school located at the fringes of the afterlife, where students are fated to spend the rest of eternity shepherding lost souls. Once a pupil enters the school’s arched gates, there is no way out…except for the Decennial, a once-in-a-decade celebration that rewards nominees who pass its trials with a choice: formally graduate and join Blackwood’s magical elite, or venture into the unknown and cross over to the mysterious Other Side.

Wren Loughty is certain that this Decennial, she has what it takes to earn the nomination—unless, that is, her academic archrival Augustine Hughes steals her spot.

Irene Manette Bamford has never cared about playing by the rules. She’s willing to break whatever (and whoever) stands between her and getting the hell out of Blackwood, including her best and only friend, Masika Sallow.

Olivier Dupont gave up on securing the nomination ages ago. But after he meets Blackwood’s newest student, Emilio Córdova, he’ll do anything to keep Emilio from leaving him and crossing over to the Other Side—even if it means claiming the victory for himself.

All of them are determined to be Blackwood’s chosen candidate–and all of them would do anything to win. But none of them are prepared for what’s to come. Because this Decennial will be different. This time, the Decennial isn’t a celebration…it’s a competition. And there can only be one victor.

Six nominees. Four trials. Untold danger. Wren, August, Irene, Masika, Olivier and Emilio are about to learn: there are some fates worse than death.

Format: 445 pages, Hardcover
Expected Publication: July 31, 2025 by Electric Monkey
Pre-Order: Blackwells and Amazon US and Amazon UK

Another older Fairyloot book I had not shared about. <3 Hmm. I am very unsure about this book. I think the Fairyloot edition I got is gorgeous. And I think the book sounds exciting too. But oh so many different characters? I do not think that would be for me, ack. But I shall have to peek at it some, to be fully sure :)
What are you waiting for on this chosen Wednesday?

In My Mailbox #748

2026-03-07T22:41:00.000+01:00

This have been the longest week. Hospital trip on Monday, to take part in a research. Which lasted for hours and hours. It was exhausting. But I survived it, haha. But have to have an activity sensor on my leg for over a week. Which have been such a pain, as I am allergic to tape, which is painful and itchy. But I'm trying my best to make it this week. But yeah. It was a long day and it made me exhausted for the rest of this week. But I managed to finish reading A Rose of Blood and Binding. <3 Which was perfect, eee. Will start a new book in the next few days :) I took more instagram photos this week too; happy with those :) This week I'm waiting on Bing's Cherries :) And I shared my review of A Rose of Blood and Binding. <3 Also got a bunch of mail, ack. <3 I'm also hoping to feel better next week. Hope you are all doing well :)

Fairyloot. February YA. The Sun and the Starmaker. This one is looking gorgeous. Love the artwork :D
Fairyloot. February Adult. Weavingshaw. This cover has too dark artwork for me, but it still look pretty.
The Forgotten Five: Forever Rogue. Final book in this series. Have yet to start it, but they all seem great.
Red Star Rebels. US hardcover and UK paperback editions :D So excited to read this book very soon. <3
The House Saphir. German edition; which a most gorgeous artcard, eee. I love it so much. Loved this :)
iPhone 17 Pro Max. Eeee. Finally a new gorgeous color for my iphone. Had dark purple for too long, ha.
Pokopia. Yesss. New Pokemon game for my Nintendo Switch 2. <3 I'm so excited to start this one soon.
Funko Pop. Finally got Pennywise, after my order never arrived. And he is awesome :) I love Iron Man.
Stranger Things. Tried again to get Max. I got my third Eddie and third Dustin. Siiigh. But Vecna is new.

Pop Mart. Only one popmart item this week, haha :) But a full set of the new Skullpanda My Little Pony plushes, eee. And they are just the cutest. I love the colors. I love their hair at the back. Just beautiful.

Bukowski. Eee. Look at that huge bear :D Ahhh! My biggest plush. <3 Bought it at the airport. I just had to have him, haha :) Love my Bukowski plushes the most. <3 Got a new owl too. And my orca keychain :) Then I got a cute little pink and white cow plush at my grocery store. It's small and heavy and adorable.

More Instagram photos here. <3

Review: A Rose of Blood and Binding by Claire Legrand

2026-03-05T14:46:00.000+01:00

Such a thrilling end to an incredible trilogy. I loved this final book with all my heart. What is left of it, that is. As this one completely ruined me. At all times. It was much darker than the others. Yet so full of love as well. And I loved every moment of it. As always, the writing was fantastic. Five stars, of course. Loved it so much.

Finding the words for this book will not be easy. I have loved this trilogy so very much. I love that the books are from the point of view of a sister each. That the story of them all fits together so well. That we still see much of all three of them in all the books. The world created was full of magic and danger and creatures.

This third book tells the story of Mara. The middle child. And the one who had it the worst of the three sisters. I still love Gemma more than anything. She was the youngest and the more happy one, but fully broken inside even so. Farrin was the oldest sister, and the angry one. Yet so full of softness inside. And Mara, the middle one, is the one who is truly broken. And it hurt so much to read her story. Yet I loved it so much. She might be the one whose story I love the most. Though, to be honest, I love all three sisters the same, in a way. They are different and yet not really. And their stories have been truly amazing to read about. But yes. This third book hurt the most. It is also the book where the war is truly happening for real. Which was so exciting.

I'm going to try to stop myself from writing down all the plot that happens. Though, knowing myself, I am going to write way too much even so. I simply loved this trilogy so very much. The writing was so good. I truly loved reading about this magical world. And how it was falling apart. How dangerous creatures were coming out of the olden country. How Mara had to fight so many of them. One scene in the beginning hurt my heart a whole bunch. When the Warden pretty much tricked them all to kill so many. I did not approve.

There is so much going on in this book. We learn so much more about Mara and what it means to be a Rose of the order. What it means for her to protect the Middlemist and everything around it. We get to see how sad she is. How much she does not wish to be alive any longer because of the pain. Which was so very sad to read about. Yet I loved it so very much too. Mara was so real. So very broken. And I adored her to pieces. She deserved all the happiness. But oh, she went through so much pain in this book. Rude.

This third book is very much Mara's story. We get to know her so well. She is so broken. And I loved her so much. It was so exciting to read about her life as a Rose. I loved reading about when she transformed into a beast. It was so interesting. She was such a great fighter too, which was awesome. I loved being inside her head. Even though it was also so very painful. As she had so much heartbreak in her life. But I also loved it. Sigh. Mara tried her best. She just wanted to be able to go home. Which was not possible.

This book is about them all trying to fight Kilraith. To hunt for the final cursed objects, trying to weaken him. To also find the other gods that are waking up. That part I loved a whole lot. The place in the woods was so awful and sad and so good. There were so many moments that I loved in this book. Many dark ones. But many hopeful ones too. Mara and Gareth together gave me so much joy. But much sadness too. Getting to see Gemma and Talan and also Farrin and Ryder in the background made me so happy.

There is truly so much I want to say about this book. And I am writing too much, adding in a little more at different places. Oops. I simply cannot stop writing about this book. And so I am not going to. One of my favorite things was Gemma and Farrin and Mara together. Reading more about their magic powers. And how they got stronger after they learned the secret about their mother. Which was such a great plot twist. Fully exciting but also so sad. But yes. Them being together and fighting together were my favorite parts.

Much of this book is about Mara and Gareth together. When I first read book two, I did not see how they could end up together. But when I read it a second time, I saw it better. And I liked reading about them getting to know each other in this third one. As they did not know each other from before. And they had so much to learn. I loved getting to know more about Gareth. He was such a sweet person. Full of love. And full of hurt and so broken. We learn about what he went through as a captive. Fully heartbreaking.

And so I very much loved the romance in this book. These two were a little more crazy in love than the other couples, in a way, haha. But I did not mind it. They were so sweet together. Although Mara kept trying to ruin it. Again and again. I didn't blame her, though. As she was so scared. And so broken. I just loved reading about her slowly changing her way of thinking. Slowly getting better. Well, except for that one scene at the very end of the book. That was not getting better at all. So very rude. But so well done.

We learn a little more about the villain of these books, Kilraith. Though he was not that much in this one. Yet he did a lot of damage. And I liked reading about him and Ankareth. Getting to know a little more of their story. We get to see if she comes back or not. And that was such an exciting moment to me. I loved it so much. We see more of Mara's familiar bird, Freyda. Which was all kinds of cute. I so loved Mara's friendship with Brigid. And how all the Roses cared for each other, how they were all close like a family.

One thing I must talk about is the Warden. The woman who controls all of the Roses. The woman who teaches them all to fight. Who takes care of them. Who is always there. Sort of like a mother to them all. Yet she was not a kind mother at all. Mara loves her. But to me, it is a twisted love. Because the Warden was truly the very worst person in these books and I just hated reading about her. Yet it was always very interesting too. But oh, this woman caused so much hurt. And it made me so angry. But mostly just sad.

There were some scenes that were so hard to read about. First a small moment with Nerys the harpy. That hurt. But then the scene with Posey came. And I am not sure I will be able to forget that moment. Shudders. It was truly the most heartbreaking. Yet fully exciting too, and written so well. Even though it was so cruel and so awful, I still loved it. Sigh. That poor girl did not deserve all of that. Oh, and the part with the fire nymphs in the beginning. That scene hurt. And something that was done to Mara at the end.

That was just so cruel and evil. Yet so very well done as well. Rude. I did not like the Warden at all. I kept wishing for her to die a gruesome death. Oops. I must confess that all the heartbreaking moments were some of my favorite parts. I love reading about sad things. But it hurt an awful lot. Some other characters that are in this book were their mother and father. And they are finding their way back together. And like the sisters, I did not like it one bit. I honestly felt like those two did not deserve happiness together. Hmph.

There is so much that I wish to write about this book. Yet so much that I am not going to mention. It is a long story. And so very much happens. I always write too much. Yet I just can't stop myself from sharing. One of my favorite moments of this book was a fae hunt they took part in. It was so awesome yet so rude. There was a part where Mara was running in the snow. So very sad and so very good. Then another part where she was running even more, and it was so heartbreaking yet so thrilling at the same time. Loved it.

The ending was so very bittersweet. I loved it so very much. Yet it was a little sad too, and broke my heart a little more. And even though the story of these three sisters is over, it does not feel over. There are still things that I want answers to. Still things that need doing in this world. But yes. I do think the ending was good. I just want more, haha. Always. As this world was so exciting to read about. Honestly, I just loved these books so much. They are so very long. Yet not long enough. I so loved all of the smaller moments.

A Rose of Blood and Binding was everything I had hoped it would be. I loved it with all my heart. Mara's story was just perfection. This third book was full of hurt and evil people. Yet it was full of love too. I loved reading about Gemma and Farrin and Mara being together the very most. They were just such excellent sisters. And it just made my heart happy to see them together. These books are also full of smut. Which I keep forgetting to write about, haha. But there is a lot of it in all three books. And it is all written very well.

The biggest thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, for sending me a free ARC of this book to read and review. It means everything to me. It is fully gorgeous and I love it the very most. A treasure for me. My Claire Legrand book collection is the biggest and I love it so much. Now to wait for Claire to write even more perfect books. She is truly the best. And such a kind person too. Which makes me the happiest. You need The Middlemist trilogy in your life. It is such a perfect and sad and oh so good story.

Goodreads - Blackwells - Amazon US - Amazon UK

Waiting on Wednesday #750

2026-03-04T06:00:00.023+01:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

BING'S CHERRIES
BY LIVIA BLACKBURNE & JULIA KUO

Goodreads Description:

A modern American tall tale woven by a girl and her father about Ah Bing, the Chinese immigrant behind the Pacific Northwest's most delicious cherries.

You've heard of a Bing cherry, but did you know the story of the Chinese American immigrant for whom the dark, luscious cherry is named?

Long ago, Ah Bing was a father who travelled across the sea from China looking for work. It was in Oregon where he met a man who hired him to work in his orchards, where eventually, Bing cultivated the delicious cherries we know of today.

But what was it that made this man and the cherries he made so special? a young girl wonders as she sits together with her father, enjoying cherries from their backyard. Weaving together cultural memory, historical fact, and her own imagination, the young girl imagines a narrative of Ah Bing that is as larger than life and as sweet as his namesake.

With touching text and lush illustrations, Livia Blackburne and Julia Kuo forge an unforgettable Chinese American folktale that has largely been untold. The backmatter includes a letter from the author and illustrator, as well as a recipe!

Format: 48 pages, Hardcover
Expected Publication: March 10, 2026 by Alfred a Knopf Inc
Pre-Order: Blackwells and Amazon US and Amazon UK

Another historical tale by Livia. <3 I think it's another picture book, and I am so excited for it. I so love reading books by Livia. And her illustrated history stories have been awesome :) This sounds so good.
What are you waiting for on this delicious Wednesday?

In My Mailbox #747

2026-02-28T23:31:00.004+01:00

Meh. I'm not doing that much better this week. All of me hurts. But finished taking the pills, and I guess I got better with them. Not fully fine, but better. Hoping I don't get worse now that I am out of pills, though. Ack. But the rest of me is still exhausted. Ugh. But I'm trying my best :) Still walking daily on my treadmill. And doing my daily walks outside too. But nothing is working. Ruude. This week I took instagram photos outside twice. So 24 photos total. Happy with that. <3 And ahhh. I got all the best mail, eee :D Loving it all so so so much. <3 And started reading A Rose of Blood and Binding :) Which I am loving to pieces. Sigh. Finishing it early next week :) This week I'm waiting on A Dance of Lies :) Hope you are all doing well. <3

Empire of the Dawn + The Rose Field + The House Saphir + Better in Black + Unraveled + A Rose of Blood and Binding ARC + Claire Legrand Swag + Six of Crows Swag. Eeee! Big package arrived from America, from my lovely friend Theresa. <3 Thank you so, so much love for helping me get all of these goodies to Norway, eee :D You are the very best. All the hugs. <3 I am so happy and so thankful. Loving it all so much :) I bought all the books at the top from Barnes and Noble, all exclusive editions. I miss the days when they shipped to Norway. Sigh. Loving all these editions, though :D And ahhh! The ARC of A Rose of Blood and Binding I got from the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca. <3 Thank you so so much. I am so excited and so happy to complete my Claire collection, eee. I'm currently reading it and loving it so very much :) Then the gorgeous swag from the first two books. Sigh. From publisher, shipped to my US friend. <3 So precious. Same with the Leigh Bardugo swag, eee. Such great quality. I love it to so. <3
K-Pop Demon Hunters. Bought a full set of the pins to get all six; they are gorgeous :D So glad that I got them. Hope to sell my doubles, though, ack. And last week I bought the chase Jinu at a local store, for over twice the price.. and then this week my toy store suddenly got in tons of the pop figures. Several chases. And so cheap. Siiiigh. That hurt my heart, haha. And so I could not resist. Now own two, haha :)
Funko Europe. Oops. I could not stop myself from buying more pop figures, haha :D New The Lord of the Rings, eee. And I love them so. And Pikachu. And Olaf. And Harry Potter too. I just love all of them. <3
Super Mario. Almost forgot these. Was a sale at my toy store, and I love Mario, so I bought them. Oops :)

Pop Mart. Eeeee. I got too much goodies this week, ha :D I bought three more Disney cube figures. Got three new ones. So cute. Got one of my favorites, Tigger :D Love. I got the Skullpanda x My Melody from Whoopea, as aliexpress pop mart never shipped it to Norway. And she is beautiful. And a small pop bean figure. Not the one I wanted, but cute and tiny. Bought a third Pucky Tap Tap Babies, and got more lucky this time. No pink, but I got the cat one. It is gorgeous. And then.. new Zimomo :D AHHH! My baby. He is precious. I know, not the best colors. But I love him even so. He is so huge. And so perfect. Sigh. I love these large Labubus :D And got the medium sized Naughty Cashier; which is just so very cute. Love it all.

More Instagram photos here. <3

Waiting on Wednesday #749

2026-02-25T06:00:00.023+01:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

A DANCE OF LIES BY BRITTNEY ARENA

Goodreads Description:

A debut fantasy romance filled with hope after heartbreak, secrets, and betrayal, as a dancer-turned-spy must decide how far she will go to secure her freedom

My protector is gone, revealed to be a monster. But I remind myself that I am not a damsel. I’m no princess bound within a tower.

I am a shadow.

Vasalie Moran was once a dancer in King Illian’s court, until he framed her for murder. Barely surviving her two years in the dungeons, she’s suddenly called to face her king. He offers her a deal: become his spy at the six-week royal Gathering and he’ll grant her freedom.

As Illian’s orders grow bloody and dangerous, forcing her to harm and betray those around her, Vasalie discovers that the monster she serves may be aligned with a bigger monster—one far closer to home. With her world threatened, Vasalie enlists the help of Illian’s brother and greatest adversary, the infamous King of the East.

As the rivalry between brothers escalates, with Vasalie caught in the middle, the horrifying truth of her past comes to light. If she wants to survive, she must decide who to trust, who to fight for, and how much of her soul she’s willing to damn in the process.

Format: 448 pages, Hardcover
Expected Publication: June 10, 2025 by Del Rey
Pre-Order: Blackwells and Amazon US and Amazon UK

Another Fairyloot book from this past summer that I had yet to share about. I'm also unsure about this one, ack. But the edition I got is so beautiful with stunning character artwork. Sigh. Which I love, haha. And I think the story sounds exciting. Worried about the romance, as always. Will do some peeking :)
What are you waiting for on this dancing Wednesday?

In My Mailbox #746

2026-02-21T22:54:00.001+01:00

Sleepy. Been taking the antibiotic pills for a week now, have five days left. I'm somewhat better. But I'm also not good at all. Sigh. Driving me a little nuts. So I'm trying to take it easy. I did manage to finish my re-read earlier this week, finally. <3 And getting book three on Monday, eee. I am so excited. Also need to take a bunch of instagram photos next week. Ack. Hope that will go well. I am just exhausted these days. Rude. Got some precious mail. <3 And much more next week. Ahhh. But I am so excited for it all, eee :D A couple of new blog posts. I shared my second review of A Song of Ash and Moonlight. <3 Just so good. And this week I'm waiting on The Nightblood Prince :) Hope you are all well. <3 What are you reading? :)

The Wolf and the Crown of Blood. I very much adore Elizabeth May. So I had to get her newest book :)
The Moorwitch. Huh. This book went missing in November. And here it is. Weird, ha. Now I have two.
This is Not a Test. Eee! Finally got this new paperback version :D I loved this book so much years back. And also my signed bookplate, eee. From the pre-order offer. <3 Which is just awesome. I love Courtney.
Funko Pop + Figures. Finally got to buy Monstera. Love the Stitch keychains. Got Baloo; not my favorite.
Funko Nordic / Proxy Toys. Eeee. Newest ambassador gift :D And I am so happy with it all. Love all the pop figures. And some bitty pops and a mystery figure. <3 Will be taking several photos of these soon :)
Pop Mart. This week I got a second Have a Good Run set, to get the Twinkle Twinkle plush. Did I get it? No. No, I did not. I got the secret, AGAIN. Hoooooow. No Twinkle a second time. How very rude, haha :) So now I'm trying to sell this whole set. Ugh. It's going badly. Oh, got a free Twinkle pen. Haaa. Ruude :D
Nintendo Switch 2. Couldn't resist getting these new controllers, haha. As my original have power issues.

More Instagram photos here. <3

Waiting on Wednesday #748

2026-02-18T06:00:00.026+01:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

THE NIGHTBLOOD PRINCE BY MOLLY X. CHANG

Goodreads Description:

Two kingdoms on the brink of battle. One prophesied empress to unite them, who finds herself caught between two princes, and the fact that love alone may not stop the coming war. A thrilling romantasy from the bestselling author of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods.

Two princes. One prophecy. A fate she cannot outrun.

The night Fei was born, a prophecy was made: she would one day become the Empress of All Empresses.

Torn from her family as a child and raised in the palace to one day marry the Crown Prince of the most powerful empire in the land, Fei has only ever known loneliness. When the opportunity arises to seize her own destiny for the first time in her life, Fei sets out to hunt a legendary tiger, knowing it might cost her everything. What she doesn’t expect is to fall under the mercy of Yexue, the beautiful runaway prince from a rival kingdom. Blessed by the night, harboring a dangerous magic, and capable of commanding an army of deadly vampires, Yexue could be the key to Fei gaining more than just her freedom.

But to outrun destiny, Fei must spark a wave of events that will change the world as she knows it. Torn between two princes and plagued by nightmares of bloodshed, she finds that the stars might be more inescapable—and more irresistible—than she ever considered before. . . .

Format: 384 pages, Hardcover
Expected Publication: July 1, 2025 by Gollancz
Pre-Order: Blackwells and Amazon US and Amazon UK

Another recent Fairyloot book that I haven't shared about yet :) But also another one I am unsure about. Oops.The Fairyloot edition is absolutely gorgeous. And the plot of this book sounds pretty exciting. But. A love triangle? Sigh. Sure sounds like it. So not for me. Will have to peek to be sure. The rest looks great.
What are you waiting for on this dangerous Wednesday?

Review: A Song of Ash and Moonlight by Claire Legrand

2026-02-18T01:04:00.001+01:00

It has been two years since I first read this second book. And I seem to have forgotten several details. So rude. And I may have loved it even more this second time that I read it. Sigh. I am just so fully in love with this world and these sisters and their stories. I am even more desperate for book three. Not long to wait now.

This time I'm not writing such a long review, for real now. As I'm not sure what to write at all. I had forgotten many of the smaller details, despite also remembering all of it. And oh, how much I loved reading this book this second time. Maybe more than the first time I read it. The writing was, as always, perfect. So good.

I am trying so hard not to go back and read my review from two years ago. I do not want to get distracted. So I may write some of the same things. Oh, well. This book takes place right after A Crown of Ivy and Glass ends. But this time we get to read from the point of view of Farrin. The oldest of these three sisters. And she is so very much different from Gemma. And while I still love Gemma the most, I started loving Farrin even more this second time. She is more grumpy and less sweet. Yet she has such a big heart. And I do relate to her a whole lot as well. Farrin is a whole lot of broken. Yet strong, having had to run their house for so many years pretty much by herself. Farrin does not have much love in her life. And she deserved all of the love in the world.

There is so very much that I could write about this book. But I am going to try to keep it short. So I shall just mention some of my favorite things. But not all of them, as that would take forever, haha. I honestly just love these books so very much. I am so excited to finally get to read book three shortly, eee. I must know how it all ends, ack. These books are adult romance, telling the stories of three sisters in their early twenties. The romance is a big part, but there is so much story and magic and so much else. I love it all.

One of my favorite parts was the world created. I so loved reading more about it and learning all of the secrets. I love the fantasy part of this place. I love the pieces of magic. Most of all I love the three sisters of this story. Gemma and Mara and Farrin. They are not as close as they should have been, as they were when they were children. Things came between them. But they are now getting close again, which I loved reading about so much. And their love for each other was just the best. I loved all three of them together.

This second book belongs to Farrin. She was a complicated woman. Yet I loved her to pieces. It takes a little while for her to open up. And she is full of dark thoughts and feelings. She has no love for herself at all. Which is so sad and depressing. But she is trying. Somewhat. And there is love around her. There are people who care about her. Which was the best. Farrin needed all the love. And I love how she got better at it. Well, mostly. She overreacted a bit at a secret near the end of the book. That hurt. But was needed.

Another complicated thing was the relationship between Farrin and their father. He was such an idiot. And I still do not like him at all. I just cannot. But she loves him. Well, she tries to. He doesn't make it easy. He got better at the end of the book. And I do hope he continues to get better. But even so. He wasn't a nice person, honestly. But Farrin tried her best. I loved that about her. I loved how she took care of everything. But she needed a break as well. This book was a lot about Farrin. With her learning more about herself.

I'm not sure where to begin with the plot. There is too much of it. Something was happening from the very beginning to end in this second book. And I am not going to share about all of it. Farrin spends a lot more time with the Basks. Especially with Ryder. He teaches her to fight. Which I loved. He was so obviously in love with her. It took her a little longer to realize it. But oh, how much I loved them together. Ryder was a huge man. A little wild. But so soft and gentle and loving with Farrin. I just loved that the very most. Sigh.

I think I did not love the romance as much the first time I read this book. But now, two years later, I loved it much more. Their love is more gentle, especially compared to Gemma and Talan. But their love is so very good, even so. It's slow, because Farrin is so unsure of herself. Yet she wants love so badly. And I just loved reading about them together. Sigh. We get some of Gemma in this book as well, although the focus is more on Farrin. And more of Mara too, and I simply cannot wait to finally get to know her better.

There is honestly so very much going on in this book. We get to see more of the Queen, Yvaine. She is somewhat going insane. And possibly dying. It's all such a mystery. Loved it so. I loved how Farrin and Yvaine were such good friends. I loved their small moments together. And I really loved reading about this queen and getting to know her more. The sisters visit a place called Wardwell. Which messed with my head a little. Unsure how I feel about it. So very interesting, though. Some secrets about their mother.

There was a scene with a Harpy, that also bothered me. It was so dark. Yet kind of excellent too. Oops. It made me even more excited for Mara's story. Yet nervous too. I hope to love her very much. Then there was the place called Moonhollow. It is such a big part of this story, though we do not officially see it until closer to the end. And it was so dark and ohh. I loved every part of it. So exciting as well. I just loved this entire world. And these characters were the absolute best. I loved reading the story of Farrin and Ryder.

This whole second book was dark. Their world is falling apart. And they need to figure out why and then how they can save everyone. As people are disappearing. People they know and love. Which was pretty heartbreaking. But all kinds of exciting. I wanted to know what was going on. Especially the ending was so thrilling. So much was happening at once. And then it ended. How rude. I need to know what happens next. So very excited for the final book in this series. It is going to be the best one, I think. I love them all.

Of course I forgot to mention the firebird. So now I'm writing about it when I had almost finished putting my review together. I could of course not talk about it. But I have to mention it. As this firebird was both awesome and creepy. Maybe a friend, maybe an enemy. Her name is Ankaret. And oh, I loved getting to know this bird on fire so very much. Full of secrets. Full of magic and power. I loved trying to figure out if she was actually helping Farrin or maybe trying to kill her. Both could be true, ha. Such a great character.

I have already written way more than I was going to. Sigh. That always happens. Yet there is very much that I did not write about, that I probably could have. Just, oh. A Song of Ash and Moonlight was all kinds of wonderful. Such an excellent second book. With a thrilling story and a lovely romance. I so love these sisters the most. And this story is honestly so exciting. And so dark at times. Shudders. I love it so much. I can't wait to see how it all ends. You really need this series in your life as well. Claire is the best author.

Goodreads - Blackwells - Amazon US - Amazon UK

In My Mailbox #745

2026-02-14T21:50:00.000+01:00

Hi. I'm even more exhausted today than past weeks, ha. Ugh. Went to the hospital this week, to change back my medicine. Went okay. But an exhausting day. Not feeling any different yet, though, which sucks. Then I got a cold. Again. And ahhh. It is the absolute worst. Sigh. Feeling very poorly. So yeah. I'm still re-reading book two. Only halfway done. Just have so little energy. Sigh. Also feel so bad because my entire face is a mess. Sort of rash, all over. It is so red and painful and burning and itching. Driving me nuts. It gets worse every day. Sigh. Maybe Rosacea. Maybe not. I have no idea. Just remembered today that I have ten days of antibiotic pills left, so I just started those. Please let them help my face get better. Ouch. So yeah. I'm exhausted. And tired. And sick. And just so goddamn tired of it all. Hmph. But I am doing okay. <3 Got a little bit of pretty mail, eee. And might get some most exciting mail next week, eee. Fingers crossed. And I will finish my re-read in the next days. Hmph. Just, yeah. It is taking a long time. I'm so very tired. Anyway. This week I'm waiting on Heir of Storms :) Hope that you are all doing well. <3

Daughter of the Wind ARC. EEE! Thank you so so much Nora for this personalized ARC :D Ahh. I love it the very most. <3 It is so gorgeous. Sigh. I cannot wait to read it in early March. Sounds like a good one.
Mario Tennis Fever. New Mario game :D No idea when I'm going to play this on my Switch 2, haha. Soon.
Funko Pop. The penguin got sent to me by mistake, with some others. But I'm keeping it, haha. Adorable. And I bought the Jinu chase from Kpop Demon Hunters from a local store. Expensive. But I needed him.
Pop Mart. Oh no, only one item this week, haha :D An adorable Twinkle Twinkle. Not the one I wanted, but it is still fully adorable. Not getting more, though. But love this one. Getting more next week, maybe.
Plushes. Eee. First two Jellycat plushes that I just had to order. Sigh. The new bear. So cute. Love the pink pig. Then I got three Bukowski plushes at the airport, eee. They are just the cutest. <3 Best plush.

More Instagram photos here. <3

Waiting on Wednesday #747

2026-02-11T06:00:00.020+01:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

HEIR OF STORMS BY LAURYN HAMILTON MURRAY

Goodreads Description:

RED QUEEN meets SHADOW AND BONE in this explosive start to a YA romantasy trilogy about dangerous magic, forbidden love, and a cut-throat competition for the throne in an empire where crowns are not inherited -- they're won.

The very day Blaze came into the world, she almost drowned it. A Rain Singer born into one of the most powerful fire-wielding families in the empire, Blaze's birth summoned a devastating storm that left thousands dead. She's been hidden away ever since with a dark secret: the same torrential power that branded her an outcast disappeared that fateful day. And she’s not sure she wants it back.

When an unexpected invitation arrives for Blaze and her twin brother, Flint, to compete as future rulers of the empire, she’s suddenly thrust into the limelight again -- and into battle. Threats abound at the Golden Palace, where intrigue and romance await with not one but two handsome suitors: the enchanting Crown Prince and a dangerously alluring newcomer at court.

As Blaze explores her untapped power, she discovers the throne may be within her grasp. But in order to take it, she’ll have to leave behind the stories that others have told about her, and find the courage to write her own.

Format: 416 pages, Hardcover
Expected Publication: June 3, 2025 by Roaring Brook Press
Pre-Order: Blackwells and Amazon US and Amazon UK

Time to share more about the recent Fairyloot books that I have gotten and not read :) This came out last summer, and the edition I got is so very gorgeous. But.. sounds like a love triangle? So this may not be a book for me. Sigh. But the story do sound exciting. I do have to peek more at this, to see if I will read it :)
What are you waiting for on this powerful Wednesday?

In My Mailbox #744

2026-02-07T23:27:00.000+01:00

Meh. Short update this week too. I have just been hurting too much lately. It is driving me insane. My joints are the absolute worsts. I have small fevers now all day long, which feels so bad. Sigh. I am still walking on my treadmill daily. And doing my daily pokemon go walks outside. But it is so painful. I'm not getting better at all. But, thankfully hospital visit next week and switching back to my old medicine. I just hope it makes me better right away. Fingers crossed :) Anyway. Got some lovely mail this week too, as always. <3 And waiting on some more goodies. Sigh. I buy too much. But shall be better from now, ha :) But so excited too. I started my re-read of A Song of Ash and Moonlight; just took me some extra days. But loving it. This week I'm waiting on Divergent. <3 Special edition, eee. Hope you are all doing well :D

Funko Pop. Of course I had to place another small order.. Sigh. But worth it. New Pokemon :D All cute. Love Charlotte from The Princess and the Frog. Love Kuromi and Hello Kitty. Love the Persian cat, eee.
Pop Mart. And, yeah. Then a bunch of other popmart items, haha. <3 Not pictured: several double items that I got that I have put up for sale. I didn't bother to take photos of those items, since I am not keeping them, and have already gotten them before. Some bad luck sometimes, haha. Tried three more exciting macaron labubus. Still no secret for me. Sigh. It is getting annoying. Oh, well. I did get some other cute blind boxes, though :D Love the anniversary figure of Molly that I got. Wanted the Labubu ornament, got Skullpanda. She is cute, though. Then I got three free gifts with three different packages, eee. So excited. A precious Skullpanda ornament bell. So cute. A Skullpanda metal bookmark. Also fully adorable. And a Twinkle Twinkle pen, which is too cute. Love them all. Got a Coffee Factory.. something. No idea what it is, haha. But all I wanted was the Labubu. And this time I actually got it on first try, eee :D So cute. Got the Have a Good Run bracelet. Also just wanted the Labubu. And I got this one too :D Eee! Some good luck as well, haha. <3 So happy about that. Then got a second whole set of the Crybaby bathrings, to get that one I was missing from my first box. Hoping to be able the sell the other five extras. So far not, ack.

More Instagram photos here. <3

Waiting on Wednesday #746

2026-02-04T06:00:00.024+01:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

DIVERGENT BY VERONICA ROTH

Goodreads Description:

An unmissable, hardcover deluxe limited edition of the first book in Veronica Roth's #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent series: the story that inspired a major motion picture and captivated millions of teen and adult readers worldwide.

This collector’s edition features a stunning, completely foiled case, shimmering unique endpapers, a metallic reimagined cover, gorgeous designed edges, and bonus exclusive content.

One choice can transform you.

Beatrice Prior's society is divided into five factions:

Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). Beatrice must choose between staying with her Abnegation family and transferring factions. Her choice will shock her community and herself.

But the newly christened Tris also has a secret, one she's determined to keep hidden—because in this world, what makes you different makes you dangerous.

“A memorable, unpredictable journey from which it is nearly impossible to turn away.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“With brisk pacing and lavish flights of imagination, Divergent clearly has thrills, but it also movingly explores a more common anxiety—the painful realization that coming into one’s own sometimes means leaving family behind.” —New York Times Book Review

Format: 512 pages, Hardcover
Expected Publication: April 21, 2026 by HarperCollins
Pre-Order: Blackwells and Amazon US and Amazon UK

This book have been out for 15 years. But a new special edition is coming out this year, eee :D And I am so excited to own it. Divergent was my favorite book for years. It's so special to me. Been forever since I last re-read it, though. May have to do so one day soon :) Can't wait to see how beautiful this will be. <3
What are you waiting for on this brave Wednesday?