Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Length: 368 pages
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: April 15, 2025
ASIN: B0DC696XNV
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Eternal Path Trilogy
Source: Borrowed ebook from library
Rating: 5/5 stars

“Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, the reign of Bersun the Brusque has come to an end. In the dizzying heat of midsummer, seven exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists compete to replace him.

When one of them is murdered, it falls to Neema Kraa, the emperor’s brilliant, idiosyncratic High Scholar, to find the killer and fight for the throne. Neema believes she is alone. But we are here to help; all she has to do is let us in.

If she succeeds, we will win an empire. If she fails, death awaits her. But we won’t let that happen.

We are the Raven, and we are magnificent..”

Series Info/Source: This is the 1st book in the Eternal Path Trilogy. I borrowed this on ebook from my library.

Thoughts: This book is very well written and does an amazing job on both world-building and having complex characters. The writing flowed well and it was easy (if not quick) to read.

The Emperor Bersun is at the end of his reign, and the traditional contest for a new emperor is about to start. The story primarily follows Neema Kraa, High Scholar to the Emperor and part of the Raven clam. Neema is not well liked because of an action she performed early in her career that led her to becoming High Scholar. She is looking forward to retiring and being able to pursue her old research. Neema’s plans for a quiet future are interrupted when the Raven’s candidate for Emperor turns up murdered, and Neema is assigned the task of finding the killer. In addition, Neema has been nominated as the new Raven candidate and is forced to fight for the throne in her spare time.

This story jumps around between multiple POVs. The main POV we hear from is that of Neema, but some of the POVs are from the eight gods supporting this world. In particular, we hear from Raven who are doing their best to navigate the situation into one that will both benefit Raven and hopefully save the realm from further harm.

This is incredibly well written with a complex world, history, and mythos. The characters all have a lot of depth as well. There are very few characters that I would consider “good” in this story. Most of the characters are a bit morally gray and have done things that aren’t very admirable; even when they have the greater good in mind. So if you are looking for a story about heroes, this is not that story.

The story ends up being a combination mystery and political strategy. Neema is doing all she can to solve the mystery of the original Raven candidate’s death. In investing this mysterious death, she starts to stumble upon other strange things that put into question everything she knows about the current emperor.

This was a long read and took me awhile to get through. I rarely have the patience anymore to stick with a complex epic fantasy like this, however, I really enjoyed this story quite a bit. This is a unique epic fantasy that really feels like a classic. The story flows well and is easy to engage in, the characters are complex and easy to sympathize with despite their gray morality, and the mystery keeps you guessing. I am eager to see what happens in book 2.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I really enjoyed this. The world-building is top notch with a well thought out world and a complex history and mythos. The characters are also complex, a bit gray in their moral decisions, and strangely engaging. The plot and story are well done, engaging, and keep the reader guessing. If you are looking for an excellent mystery driven epic fantasy, I would highly recommend. I look forward to reading the second book in the series when it releases.

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Length: 5 hours and 9 minutes
Publisher: Sittin’ on a Goldmine Productions LLC
Release Date: February 02, 2022
ASIN: B09RNDVQYG
Stand Alone or Series: 9th book in the Mitzy Moon Mysteries
Source: Audiobook from Audible
Rating: 4/5 stars

“Mitzy Moon is happy to leave her painful past buried. But a thoughtful present turns her world upside down and forces her to abandon Ghost-ma and her fiendish feline to search for answers in the Southwest. Turns out her mom’s death was no accident, and proving it could be the last thing she does…

Local sheriff Erick Harper wants Mitzy to have a loving remembrance of her mother. But after calling in a favor to get the dead woman’s personal effects, he uncovers an unexpected skeleton hiding in the evidence. And now that the cat’s out of the bag, he can’t stop her from risking everything to dig up more clues.

Mitzy won’t rest until she slams her mama’s killer behind bars. And Erick is desperate to bring her back to Pin Cherry Harbor in one piece.”

Series Info/Source: This is the 9th book in the Mitzy Moon Mysteries. I got this audiobook through Audible.

Thoughts: This was an excellent installation in the Mitzy Moon Mysteries series. In this book, we get to travel back to Mitzy’s hometown and uncover the mystery of her mother’s death. It was wonderful to visit Mitzy’s hometown and learn more about her past.

Erick gives Mitzy a very thoughtful gift; he tracks down her mother’s personal effects from the funeral home that has them. However, when he gives these to Mitzy they discover unexpected information. Mitzy’s mother’s death wasn’t accidental; it was murder. Now Mitzy is determined to find her mother’s killer and get her revenge. Erick is determined to not let Mitzy get herself into too much danger and trouble and decides to accompany her on her mission.

I really enjoyed learning more about Mitzy’s background and history. It was also fun to see Erick out of his normal element. The relationship between the two of them makes some progress but, Mitzy especially, is still very much trying to avoid any actions that might be seen as taking their relationship to the next level.

I missed having Piwacket and Ghost Ma in the story; they are still there but only check in occasionally because this story takes place outside of Pin Cherry Harbor. I also missed some of our regular quirky characters from Pin Cherry Harbor.

There is a lot of humor and craziness in the story, and the mystery is well done. I listened to this on audiobook, and the narration is awesome, it is a joy to listen to. This series overall has been well done and fun. While it’s not my top paranormal mystery series, these books are just the right length for me to finish on a monthly road trip I need to do for work. They are light and entertaining and easy to listen to while driving or doing other activities.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a well done addition to this series. I missed Pin Cherry Harbor, but it was wonderful to learn more about Mitzy’s past and venture into her childhood home. It is fun to watch Mitzy and Erick navigate their way into a relationship. I continue to enjoy the humor, well-done mysteries, and quirkiness of this series. I plan to continue reading it.

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Length: 368 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: July 21, 2026
ASIN: B0FX849753
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eGalley from NetGalley
Rating: 4/5 stars

“Anne Boleyn is going to die, and neither her cleverness nor her witchery can save her. So when her late rival, Catalina de Aragón, miraculously appears in her cell at the Tower of London on the eve of her execution, very much alive and offering a daring escape plan, no one is more surprised than Anne.

Lina doesn’t have Anne’s magic—but she has just as much hate for England’s wretched king. Severed from her daughter and stripped of all her influence, Lina breathes only for the Hellebore Sisterhood, a clandestine and powerful society with a vested interest in keeping both queens alive . . . and using their particular skills to advance womankind.

Anne and Lina’s old rivalries pale in comparison to a common enemy. And they’re not alone. Anna von Kleve, Kat Howard, and even Catherine Parr all have their own bones to pick with the king. One by one, they capture their pawns, infiltrating the court and eliminating the men who plotted against them. Always inching closer to their true target . . .

And they want his head.”

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

Thoughts: I enjoyed this historical fantasy about all of Henry the VIII’s wives. This is an alternate history set in England during Henry’s reign, where magic is real. I found the characters engaging and enjoyed their unique voices. However, this does jump around a lot between characters, which disrupted the flow of the story. There are also a lot of footnotes which really took you out of the story (especially when reading on Kindle and having to click a link and then go back to the main story).

This follows the stories of Henry’s displaced (secluded, beheaded, etc) ex-wives. On the night before her beheading, we find out that Anne Boleyn is part of a secret society aimed at making the lives of women throughout Europe better. She is rescued by Catalina de Aragon (Lina), who is also part of this society. As time goes on, it is decided by the society that Henry must die; he is doing too much damage to both Europe and England.

This story jumps around a lot. At first, we hear mainly from Anne and Lina, but then other ex-wives of Henry and some other European rulers are drawn into the mix. I did enjoy that each woman whose POV we read from has a very distinct voice (I think my favorite character was Catharine Parr). However, the way the story is put together holds the reader at a bit of a distance from each woman we read about.

This does a great job of looking at the chaos of Henry the VIII’s reign and how much that damaged the lives of the people around him. This is a timely book because it parallels what we are seeing in the current American government; one unstable person in power can cause so much chaos.

This book has a lot of footnotes; they are both informative and snarky comments from the French queen (Marguerite). The French queen is heading up the secret society that Lina and Anne work for. I appreciated the informative ones and thought the snarky ones were unnecessary. Having to click a link to go to a footnote, read it, and then click back to the story was very disruptive to the story. I found these footnotes more annoying than anything.

Some of the magical things included felt a bit jarring as well. Anne’s magic is never well explained, and it is odd that she is really the only one we see a lot of magic from. One of the other characters is a seer, and this felt a bit weird as well. It was like these magical bits were thrown into the story to make it work rather than being an organic part of this world.

I did enjoy this alternate historical look at King Henry’s reign but I found the flow of the story to be a big off because of all the character POVs and the footnotes.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I am happy I read this; it was entertaining and engaging and an interesting re-imagining of this time in history. I did struggle a bit with the flow of the story because of the POV changes and footnotes. I also thought the world-building was a bit clumsy; the way things like magic and seer abilities were included just felt contrived. While I probably won’t immediately pick up new books by Laine, I will definitely give them a look. This was decently done if you are looking for a historical retelling of Henry’s reign with a feminist bent to it and some magic.

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Length: 4 hours and 58 minutes
Publisher: Sittin’ on a Goldmine Productions LLC
Release Date: December 21, 2021
ASIN: B09NZM6HXN
Stand Alone or Series: 8th book in the Mitzy Moon Mysteries
Source: Audiobook from Audible
Rating: 4/5 stars

“A flamboyant funeral. A dashing gigolo. Can this psychic sleuth beat the odds on murder?
Mitzy Moon is never one to celebrate death. But a compelling invitation to a 1920s-themed memorial service abo
ard a riverboat casino entices her to take a gamble. And the only thing hotter than the tables is the newly wealthy widower – until he disappears.

Despite the extravagant decor, Mitzy smells a rat in designer clothing. And warnings from the sexy sheriff, her meddling Ghost-ma, and a spoiled feline all fall on deaf ears, as the list of greedy suspects grows with every spin of the wheel. She’ll have to play her cards just right, or end up on a fatal losing streak!

Can Mitzy win against the house, or will she double down on death?”

Series Info/Source: This is the 8th book in the Mitzy Moon Mysteries. I got this audiobook through Audible.

Thoughts: This was another entertaining, well done book in the Mitzy Moon Mysteries. I continue to enjoy the mystery, fun characters, and general quirkiness of this series.

In this volume Mitzy is making an appearance at the funeral of a wealthy older woman. When she runs into the woman’s ghost, she knows there is unfinished business afoot. Then there is another mysdterious death. This mystery seems to be wrapped up in family trauma and infighting over assets. However, could there be more going on underneath it all?

I don’t have much to say about these books in general. These are fun short reads with entertaining characters, a lot of humor, and a decent mystery. I’ve enjoyed watching Mitzy build a new life for herself and grow in her power, I have also enjoyed watching the relationship develop between her and the sheriff. We get to learn more about Silas in this book, and that was pretty fun.

I get these to read during a monthly road trip I have to do for work, the round trip is about 5 hours total so these are the perfect length for me to listen to. These are light reads, that are fun to listen to but don’t require much concentration to follow. The narration on these is very well done. Character voices are distinct, and Marlo does an awesome job making them fun to listen to.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I continue to enjoy this series. The story had a fun mystery; I enjoy the characters and the small town of Pin Cherry Harbor. The dialogue is witty, and each story has an entertaining mystery that is solved, as well as a broader story that makes progress from book to book. I plan to continue with the series.

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Historical Fantasy / Time Travel
Length: 310 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: May 19, 2026
ASIN: B0FLYRFYZW
Stand Alone or Series: 5th book in the A Rip Through Time series
Source: Borrowed ebook from Library
Rating: 4/5 star

“Modern-day homicide detective Mallory Mitchell has grown accustomed to life in Victorian Scotland after travelling 150 years into the past into the body of a housemaid. She’s built a new life for herself. Even though she works as an assistant to forensic-science pioneer Dr. Duncan Gray and Detective Hugh McCreadie, she considers them true friends. And with Gray in particular, perhaps, someday, something more.

Late one night, Gray and Mallory are summoned urgently to the home of Lady Adler, a patron of Gray’s undertaking business, and they assume there’s been a death in the household. But instead, they arrive in the midst of a seance with a ghost demanding Gray’s presence. The ghost is Lady Adler’s former maid, who had gone missing but now requests that Gray investigate her murder. Although Gray and Mallory are skeptical, they agree to look into the matter, whether she’s dead or alive. But unsure if there’s been a murder or not, unable to call out the medium as a fraud, and concerned for the fate of the young maid, Gray and Mallory are once again drawn into a mystery much more puzzling–and more dangerous–than it first seems.”

Series Info/Source: This is the 5th book in the A Rip Through Time series. I borrowed this on ebook from my library.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this 5th book in the A Rip Through Time series. I didn’t think this was quite as good as the last book in the series, but it was still entertaining, and I like the Gray and Mallory make some progress in their relationship.

Gray and Mallory are urgently summoned to a seance in Lady Adler’s home. The ghost of Lady Adler’s former maid has demanded that Gray be fetched in order to solve her murder. The catch is that no one knew the maid had been murdered, and of course, ghosts aren’t real…are they? When they find out about another girl drowning in the same area as this girl, they start to wonder if there really is a pattern to these murders.

I have never been a huge fan of murder mysteries, but this series continues to engage me. I do find some of the parsing and re-parsing of facts as the characters try to figure out the mystery a bit tedious at times. However, that is a “me” thing, I think. That has also been the biggest downside of this series to me. It just gets a bit wordy as the characters think through their evidence.

I do continue to really enjoy the characters here and enjoy watching Mallory get better at navigating aspects of Victorian life. I love the direction the story is taking with Mallory and Gray and am eager to see where things go with them (both romantically and professionally) in future books. This book has heavy themes around social and women’s rights, as might be expected when a modern woman ends up in Victorian times. I also greatly enjoyed the cameo by the Queen.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this and thought it was a good addition to this series. The mystery was well done, although I found some portions of the story that rehashed those facts a bit tedious. I really love the characters, the overall story concept, and watching Mallory adjust to a life in Victorian Scotland. I am eager to see what the next book in the series adds to the story.

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Historical Fantasy/Romance
Length: 364 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: April 8, 2025
ASIN: B0D93DMT11
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the Love’s Academic series
Source: Borrowed ebook from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars

“Professor Elodie Tarrant is an expert in magic disasters. Nothing fazes her—except her own personal disaster, that is: Professor Gabriel Tarrant, the grumpy, unfriendly man she married for convenience a year ago, whom she secretly loves.

Gabriel is also an expert in magic disasters. And nothing fazes him either—except the walking, talking tornado that is his wife. They’ve been estranged since shortly after their wedding day, but that hasn’t stopped him from stoically pining for her.

When magic erupts in a small Welsh village, threatening catastrophe for the rest of Britain, Elodie and Gabriel are accidentally both assigned to the case. With the fate of the country in their hands, they must come together as a team in the face of perilous conditions like explosions, domesticated goats, and only one bed. But this is easier said than done. After all, there’s no navigational guide for the geography of the heart.”

Series Info/Source: This is the 2nd book in the Love’s Academic series. I borrowed this on ebook from my library.

Thoughts: This was an adorable read full of romance, magic, and adventure. This series has definitely been romance heavy but in a very cute and cozy way, and it really focuses on the enemies to lovers trope.

This story follows Elodie Tarrant and Gabriel Tarrant, a husband and wife couple that got married in a spur of the moment decision and then haven’t spoken to each other in a year because of some pretty heavy misunderstandings. Unfortunately, they have been paired together on a geographical team sent out to deal with a magical eruption in a small Welsh village. If they can’t solve this magical mystery, it could tear the rest of Britain apart.

This is a very light-hearted and humorous story. This follows very much in the same vein as the first book of this series but focuses a new couple. Gabriel was in the first book a bit, and this is the story of him and his estranged wife, Elodie.

I really enjoyed both characters. Elodie is a hurricane of enthusiasm and disorganization but incredibly brilliant. Gabriel is a very straight-laced, by-the-books type and also very brilliant. To say that the two don’t see eye to eye on things is putting it mildly. However, they find that their original wedding of convenience could turn out to be something more.

The plot is very tongue-in-cheek and a bit hilarious. The small Welsh town they are sent to is taking full advantage of the magical leak. Who cares if tourists occasionally turn into cows? Them seem to turn back into humans eventually.

This story was pure fun with some steamy romantic scenes sprinkled throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed it. My only complaint about this series is that the world-building is a bit light and inconsistent. Also, feel a bit corny and over-the-top at times.

This was a breeze to read and almost reads itself. The dialogue is witty and fun and the characters are easy to engage with. You never know what crazy magical conundrum our characters will stumble into next.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a lot of fun to read and practically reads itself. This is a very humorous and entertaining story with some magic and a heavy dose of romance. I enjoyed our characters, this crazy world, and the witty dialogue. This does get a bit silly and over-the-top at times, but I still found myself smiling a lot while I read it. I will definitely be picking up “The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire” at some point soon; this third book in the series will follow Gabriel’s sister.

“Osric is a member of the Fyren Order, a guild of assassins who gleefully murder for money. Aurienne is a Haelan, a scholar-healer whose Order’s motto is Harm to none. Clear-cut absolutes separate them: good and bad, right and wrong, light and dark . . .

Until they don’t.

When Osric first bribed Aurienne to heal him, he never imagined those lines would begin to blur. But every healing session draws them closer together. He finds himself developing unwanted feelings for Aurienne as her capable hands heal his body—and his heart.

Aurienne’s perfect life has been flung into chaos in the form of a devastatingly handsome assassin. She should be in her research lab, not illicitly healing a Fyren every full moon—nor wrestling an attraction to him that threatens to slip into something else.

Things go superbly sideways when Osric and Aurienne discover more about the deadly Pox deliberately unleashed through the Tīendoms. The plague may be the work of another Order—an Order far nastier than either of them can handle.

As the lines between Osric and Aurienne continue to blur, the balance between peace and war, and love and hate, trembles, shifts, and hinges on a heartbeat.”

Series Info/Source: This is the 2nd book in the Dearly Beloathed duology. I got a copy of this on ebook from NetGalley.com.

Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoyed this conclusion to the Dearly Beloathed duology. This is primarily a star-crossed lovers type of romance, but there is a solid back story and our characters have other important commitments as well. This was easy to read, and I enjoyed every moment of it.

Aurienne is still committed to healing Osric after he funded the research for the deadly Pox that is killing children. However, they are still trying to figure out why the Pox is spreading again. As the Pox continues to spread and Aurienne continues to help Osric heal, they ending up stumbling upon information that the Tiendoms themselves have deliberately unleashed the Pox. It is a deadly web that Aurienne is desperate to unravel and Osric ends up along for the ride. As Osric realizes he is besotted with Aurienne, he does what he can to help her from the shadows, but Aurienne is the only one who can save herself from her past emotional damage.

This was a very well done story. I love some of the plot twists and the way that the whole mystery behind the Pox is resolved in this duology. This book provides a very well done resolution to the duology.

The scenes between Aurienne and Osric are at turns heart-breaking and beautiful. Knightley did an amazing job of having these star-crossed lovers fall in love while pushing to stay true to the other commitments of their Orders. This is beautifully written, and yes, sometimes the language gets a bit flowery and overdone at points, but I thought the style worked well for the story.

This is easy to read and engaging, and I breezed right through. This is a highly emotional ride; there were laughs, snorts, and tears throughout.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I really loved this book and this duology overall. If you are looking for a unique dark fantasy that has heavy themes of romance but doesn’t sacrifice the plot or world-building for that romance, I would definitely recommend this. I loved the amazing characters, the well done romance, the action, the magic, and the unique world-building.

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: May 5, 2026
ASIN: B0FMSBQ4TM
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Borrowed ebook from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars

“When Mercy Chan washes up on the shores of Hong Kong with no family, no money, and no memories, the only refuge she finds is the infamous, ghost-infested slum of Kowloon Walled City. Since then, she has rebuilt her life, working for the local triad as a ghost talker and dealing with the angry and bitter spirits who haunt the district. The filthy gutters and cramped alleyways of Kowloon have become her home.

But the past Mercy can’t remember isn’t done with her. An unusually powerful ghost has infested Kowloon’s waterways, drowning innocents and threatening the district. It claims to know Mercy—and secrets from her past that are best left forgotten.

As Mercy is drawn into a deadly cat-and-mouse game with this malignant spirit, she begins to realize that the monster she fights within these walls may well be one of her own making.”

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed this on ebook from my library.
Thoughts: This was a unique read that I really enjoyed the beginning of, I didn’t really realize what this was going to turn into and didn’t enjoy the second half as much. The story jumps between many timelines and characters, but is never hard to follow. There is a lot in here about WWII which I wasn’t expecting.

Mercy Chan wakes up with no memory or resources as a young woman on the shores of Hong Kong. She ends up making her living ghost talking for a slum lord. The slum of Kowloon Walled City is rife with ghosts, and she works to talk them to peace and help keep the slums safe. When Mercy and her boss are contacted by a city official, they are made aware of a ghost that has been drowning innocents. This ghost must be caught before the city destroys the slums completely in a campaign of making Hong Kong “safer”. As Mercy gets deeper into the case, she finds out that her past has literally come to haunt her.

I really loved the first part of this book. I loved that this is an alternate history that jumps mainly between the 1940’s and the 1970’s and adds ghosts into the infrastructure of the world. It’s a very cool world. I loved the idea of Mercy having a ghost talker/detective striving to help these ghosts find rest. Mercy is also in her early 50’s and I always love to read about older heroines.

The story takes quite the turn about midway through, and the story switches from Mercy’s perspective to that of her niece. At that point, we spend a lot more time in the 1940’s during WWII. This book turns into an alternate history about WWII where ghosts have a large role in the Chinese resistance against the Japanese. I wasn’t expecting to revisit the history of the Nanjing Massacre in this book (something so horrible I really never want to read about it again). I started to enjoy the story a lot less at this point.

I came into this expecting a book about a cool alternate world with ghosts and a murder mystery; what I ended up reading was something much heavier, much sadder, and much less entertaining. This really delves into a lot of WWII and the horrible things that happened there. It also delves into the topics of selfishness, revenge, and what war can drive people to.

The writing here felt a bit stiff and stilted at times, but it was an intriguing story, and I finished it. I also thought the jumping around between so many timelines and people was distracting. Although this worked okay for telling the story and managed not to be too confusing.

While I am glad to have read this, I still feel a bit like I got the bait and switch here. This just ended up so different from what I was expecting, and the ending felt pretty unsatisfying.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a unique read. I loved the world-building and alternate history here and really enjoyed the first part of the story. Unfortunately, I wasn’t expecting the deep dive into WWII (something I have read a ton about and am ready to take a break from for a few years). All the jumping between timelines and characters was a bit distracting and made it tough to really sink into the story. While I probably won’t seek out more books from Dean, I don’t regret reading this either.

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Length: 7 hours and 2 minutes
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Release Date: February 24, 2015
ASIN: B00TIXW5AI
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Fred, the Vampire Accountant series
Source: Audiobook from Audible
Rating: 4/5 stars

“Some people are born boring. Some live boring. Some even die boring. Fred managed to do all three, and when he woke up as a vampire, he did so as a boring one.

Timid, socially awkward, and plagued by self-esteem issues, Fred has never been the adventurous sort. One fateful night – different from the night he died, which was more inconvenient than fateful – Fred reconnects with an old friend at his high school reunion. This rekindled relationship sets off a chain of events thrusting him right into the chaos of the parahuman world: a world with chipper zombies, truck driver wereponies, maniacal necromancers, ancient dragons, and now one undead accountant trying his best to “survive”. Because even after it’s over, life can still be a downright bloody mess.”

Series Info/Source: This is the 1st book in the Fred, the Vampire Accountant series. I got a copy of this on audiobook from Audible.

Thoughts: This was a fun and cute collection of stories about an accountant named Fred who gets turned into a vampire. He has adjusted to vampirism fairly well but his life gets further turn upside down when he goes to his high school reunion and meets his old friend Crystal. She has changed…a lot…and ends up drawing Fred into a world of paranormal that he never knew existed.

This was a set of stories that were connected and progressed through time. The first couple of stories have us meeting people that become Fred’s “crew”; the later stories involve Fred and his crew going on a series of unexpected missions to help our various paranormal people.

This whole book basically features paranormal creatures that are the opposite of their tropes. It was cute and fun and a bit predictable as well. I enjoyed it. I didn’t realize this was the first book in a series and am unsure whether I will continue the series or not.

I listened to this on audiobook and it was well done. At the beginning, the narrator struggled a bit with some of the female voices but then seemed to find his stride. This was a great book for listening to while driving; it didn’t require too much concentration and was entertaining.

My Summary (4/5): Overall this was a fun collection of loosely related stories about an unlikely vampire accountant and his unlikely crew. There is a lot of turning typical paranormal tropes on their heads. It was a cute, fun read, with a decent amount of action. If you like humorous paranormal reads, I would recommend. Right now I have a lot on my plate to read, and liked this but didn’t love it. Still, it was fun and I liked the characters, so I might pick up the series again at some point in the future.

In June I read 8 books. You can see the reviews for all of them, which ones were my favorite, etc. below.

Hope you all had a great month of reading!

I started the following series:

• The Inheritance (Breach Wars, Book 1) by Ilona Andrews, Narrated by Hillary Huber, James Konicek (4/5 stars)

I finished the following series:

• None!

My Favorite Books of the Month Were:

• The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden (5/5 stars)
• Sea of Charms (The Spellshop, Book 3) by Sarah Beth Durst (5/5 stars)

– Goodreads Reading Challenge (Progress: 71/150)

The full list of books that I read this month are shown below:
1. The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden (5/5 stars)
2. Mudlark by Mary Helen Specht (3/5 stars)
3. The Inheritance (Breach Wars, Book 1) by Ilona Andrews, Narrated by Hillary Huber, James Konicek (4/5 stars)
4. Green City Wars by Adrian Tachaikovsky (3/5 stars)
5. Swords and Fallen Lords (Mitzy Moon Mysteries, Book 7) by Trixie Silvertale, Narrated by Coleen Marlo (4/5 stars)
6. The Last Contract of Isako by Fonda Lee (4/5 stars)
7. Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher (4/5 stars)
8. Sea of Charms (The Spellshop, Book 3) by Sarah Beth Durst (5/5 stars)