In an effort to help you keep that to-read list updated, I’ve compiled the hot urban fantasy and paranormal romance releases for May 2021. All dates are U.S. and tentative. Also: Click the title of any book to visit the Amazon page for pre-order or purchase goodness. (Note: If you end up buying the book from one of these links, VBC will get a tiny bit of revenue to cover our overhead.)

I’ve included genre classification with each book: UF is urban fantasy, PNR is paranormal romance, F is fantasy, SF is science fiction, SFR is science fiction romance, FR is fantasy romance, H is horror, YA is young adult and NA is new adult.

MAY 4

• Blade of Secrets by Tricia Levenseller (Bladesmith #1) YA
• Ember of Night by Molly E. Lee (Ember of Night #1) YA
• Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace SF
• Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir SF
• Prom House by Chelsea Mueller YA
• Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard (Realm Breaker #1)
• The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwynne (The Bloodsworn Saga #1) F
• Shadowed Steel by Chloe Neill (Heirs of Chicagoland #3) UF
• Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon F
• The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He YA SF

MAY 11

• Black Water Sister by Zen Cho F
• Illusionary by Zoraida Córdova (Hollow Crown #2) YA
• A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark (Fatma el-Sha’arawi #1) F
• Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa (The Nameless Republic #1) F
• We Are Satellites by Sarah Pinsker SF

MAY 18

• Blood Martinis & Mistletoe by Melissa Marr (Faery Bargains #1.5) UF
• In the Ravenous Dark by A.M. Strickland YA F
• Mister Impossible by Maggie Stiefvater (Dreamer Trilogy #2) YA

MAY 25

• The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman (Blacktongue #1) F
• Darkness Betrayed by Alexandra Ivy (Guardians of Eternity #17) PNR
• The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley F
• Shadow Storm by Christine Feehan (Shadow Riders #6) PNR
• Spells Trouble by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast (Sisters of Salem #1) YA
• A Touch of Malice by Scarlett St. Clair (Hades & Persephone #3) FR

MAY 27

• The Devil in My Bed by Juliana Stone (His Return #1) PNR

Victories Greater Than Death (Unstoppable #1)
Charlie Jane Anders
Published: April 13, 2021 (Tor Teen)
Purchase at: Amazon or Bookshop
Review Source: Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by: Amy

Rating (out of 5): 4 stars

Tina has known for years that she’s not just an average teenager, but she’s been waiting (im)patiently for the day when she will be called upon to complete her purpose. Tina holds the embodiment of a highly regarded alien space Captain within herself. She was cloned and sent to Earth for her safety, to be called upon when the time came to finally defeat the one who threatens the universe. When Tina’s day finally arrives, she’s got her best friend Rachael by her side and assembles a team of extraordinary humans. But when her destiny doesn’t run the course she’s set up for herself, Tina begins to question who it is she’s supposed to be, and how she can save anything.

As I’m reveling in the finishing of this book and working on getting my thoughts onto the page, I really have to give it to Charlie Jane Anders for creating such a popping sci-fi adventure. The story starts off with a bang and hooks you right away.

The problem is that eventually things have to slow down and we have to take a little time to breathe. Besides having rollicking action sequences, I understand the importance of slower moments to really take in this new outer space world, but it’s in those moments that I felt things dragged a tad bit and for me that initial momentum was difficult to regain.

Keeping with the story, however, I absolutely loved the commentary on destiny and identity. Tina has been so set on who she believes she’s supposed to be, that she’s never really taken time to figure it out for herself. Despite things not going to plan for Tina, I loved that readers get the opportunity to see her come into her own and have this well of opportunities place before her, on her own terms, not ones preset for her based on her DNA.

What’s more the bond between the “Earthlings,” especially that between Tina and Rachael, is a wonderful thing to behold. Having this group of unknowns from varying backgrounds, band together, work together, and lift each other up successfully was such a bright spot. To that end, however, there were times when I would stop and think about how we still only got a surface level insight into many of these characters. Charlie Jane Anders definitely doesn’t pull punches in going for emotional impact. Unfortunately, the gut-punch feeling didn’t always come through for me and I wanted more of that emotional connection.

I did appreciate that we don’t get a case of “us vs. them” in regards to humans vs. aliens, with aliens being the villains. That villainy of megalomania transcends species and even knowing that this person truly believes that what they want for the universe is right, doesn’t mean they aren’t a villain and sometimes the real test is being able to confront these truths within people that you would otherwise care about.

Charlie Jane Anders definitely leaves things in a position where I’m eager to find out what happens next. While there is a certain amount of resolution, there’s also a can of worms that’s undeniably just been opened as well. Hopefully, we’ll continue to see Tina becoming ever more comfortable in her own skin.

Sexual Content: Kissing

Content Warning: References to abuse and bullying

In an effort to help you keep that to-read list updated, I’ve compiled the hot urban fantasy and paranormal romance releases for April 2021. All dates are U.S. and tentative. Also: Click the title of any book to visit the Amazon page for pre-order or purchase goodness. (Note: If you end up buying the book from one of these links, VBC will get a tiny bit of revenue to cover our overhead.)

I’ve included genre classification with each book: UF is urban fantasy, PNR is paranormal romance, F is fantasy, SF is science fiction, SFR is science fiction romance, FR is fantasy romance, H is horror, YA is young adult and NA is new adult.

APRIL 6

• Blessed Monsters by Emily A. Duncan (Something Dark and Holy #3) YA F
• House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland YA F
• Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff VanderMeer SF
• The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman (The Infinity Courts #1) YA
• Oculta by Maya Motayne (Nocturna #2) YA
• The Siren Saves the Billionaire by Kristen Painter (Nocturne Falls #13) PNR

APRIL 13

• The Girl and The Mountain by Mark Lawrence (The Book of Ice #2) F
• Malice by Heather Walter F
• The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni (The Prison Healer #1) YA
• The Serpent’s Curse by Lisa Maxwell (The Last Magician #3) YA
• Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders (Universal Expansion #1) YA SF

APRIL 15

• The Kiss & The Killer by Melissa Marr (Faery Bargains #2) UF

APRIL 20

• The Crown of Gilded Bones by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Blood and Ash #3) F FR
• The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers #4) SF
• Lover Unveiled by JR Ward (Black Dagger Brotherhood #19) PNR
• Popisho by Leone Ross F
• These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy (These Feathered Flames #1) YA
• The Warlord by Gena Showalter (Rise of the Warlords #1) PNR
• Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart (Witches Steeped in Gold #1) YA

APRIL 22

• The Jaguar Knight by Ann Aguirre (Ars Numina #6) PNR

APRIL 27

• The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-Baird SF
• Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells (Murderbot Diaries #6) SF
• Gilded Serpent by Danielle L. Jensen (Dark Shores #3) YA

Namesake (Fable #2)
Adrienne Young
Published: March 16, 2021 (Wednesday Books)
Purchase at: Amazon or Bookshop
Review Source: Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by: Amy

Rating (out of 5): 4 stars

Note: While this review will be spoiler free, it will reference events from the previous book. If you haven’t yet started, check out VBC’s review of Fable.

The end of Fable saw Fable and her newfound family freeing their ship the Marigold from being indebted to Fable’s father Saint—a notorious trader in the Narrows—and ready to start fresh on their own. However, before they can do so, Fable is kidnapped to a fate left unknown.

Namesake begins right away where things left off. Fable finds herself being taken to the port city of Bastian, where she comes face-to-face with the indomitable gem trader Holland. Holland is much more than she seems, and her scheme to use Fable as a pawn to gain more power will force Fable to confront secrets that died along with her mother all those years ago.

I appreciated that Namesake picks up right away, and I think it’s a testament to my love of Fable that I knew exactly where things stood and what was happening that I didn’t need to go back and refresh my memory.

The two stories really go hand-in-hand. You could probably enjoy Fable without reading Namesake but the reverse would definitely not be true.

Whereas the first book dealt a lot with Fable and her relationship (or lack thereof) with her father, I think it’s extremely fitting that we would get more about her mother this time around. It all kind of comes full circle, and you can also see that in how Fable’s life unfolds very similar to her mother’s yet still remains her own journey.

Despite the Marigold being Fable’s new found-family, she still kind of sits on those relationships very precariously, knowing they could be taken away from her at any minute, and this partially stems, I think, from the loss of her mother. Losing someone so important to you at such a young age leaves its mark. So by uncovering these new facets of Isolde’s life, Fable can kind of have a reckoning.

I do wish that the character of Holland was fleshed out a little bit more. I would have liked to have seen more reasons for her motivations, and basically learned more about her life before she decided to become this power-hungry gem trader. She’s a bit of a stock character with so much potential. I understand the reasons why there’s not more focus, because this is Fable’s story through and through, but I certainly wouldn’t mind a short story about Holland’s past somewhere down the line from Adrienne Young.

Also, as much as I enjoyed this book and its predecessor, many of the twists landed pretty softly. I wasn’t thrown or surprised, instead I was content that things worked out pretty much the way I had them pegged to, but I will say Adrienne Young has a wonderful way of keeping the story going and pulling the readers in page after page. Just when I thought we would get to a place and stay there for a bit, things would turn and we would be off in another direction. There’s very little down time, but the moments—mainly some wonderful ones between Fable and West—that were more contemplative were made all the more important because of the time they took to develop.

Overall, I’ve really enjoyed this duology and, as I said, I certainly wouldn’t mind getting a few short stories here and there from other characters’ points of view. Adrienne Young has a reader for life in me, and I cannot wait to see where she takes us next.

 Sexual Content: Kissing; sex

In an effort to help you keep that to-read list updated, I’ve compiled the hot urban fantasy and paranormal romance releases for March 2021. All dates are U.S. and tentative. Also: Click the title of any book to visit the Amazon page for pre-order or purchase goodness. (Note: If you end up buying the book from one of these links, VBC will get a tiny bit of revenue to cover our overhead.)

I’ve included genre classification with each book: UF is urban fantasy, PNR is paranormal romance, F is fantasy, SF is science fiction, SFR is science fiction romance, FR is fantasy romance, H is horror, YA is young adult and NA is new adult.

MARCH 1

• Wings of Fury by Emily R. King (Wings of Fury #1) F

MARCH 2

• Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare (The Last Hours #2) YA
• The Conductors by Nicole Glover (Murder and Magic #1) F
• Covet by Tracy Wolff (Crave #3) YA
• Dead Space by Kali Wallace SF
• A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine (Teixcalaan #2) SF
• Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft YA
• Infinity Reaper by Adam Silvera (Infinity Cycle #2) YA
• The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu YA F
• Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro SF
• Lightning Game by Christine Feehan (GhostWalkers #17) PNR
• Phoenix Flame by Sara Holland (Havenfall #2) YA
• The Queen’s Secret by Melissa de la Cruz (The Queen’s Secret #2) YA
• Red Tigress by Amélie Wen Zhao (Blood Heir #2) YA
• When He’s an Alpha by Suzanne Wright (Olympus Pride #2) PNR

MARCH 9

• The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst F
• Ravage the Dark by Tara Sim (Scavenge the Stars #2) YA
• From Shadow and Silence by Carrie Ann Ryan (Elements of Five #4) F
• Sing Me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson YA
• Sweet & Bitter Magic by Adrienne Tooley YA

MARCH 16

• Last Stand by Jennifer Estep (Elemental Assassin #19) UF
• Namesake by Adrienne Young (Fable #2) YA
• A Queen of Gilded Horns by Amanda Joy (A River of Royal Blood #2) YA
• Wild Sign by Patricia Briggs (Alpha & Omega #6) UF

MARCH 23

• The Fall of Koli by M.R. Carey (Rampart Trilogy #3) SF
• The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers F
• Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas YA
• The Unbroken by C.L. Clark (Magic of the Lost #1) F

MARCH 30

• Bone Crier’s Dawn by Kathryn Purdie (Bone Grace #2) YA
• Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo (King of Scars #2) YA

Wicked All Night (Night Rebel #3)
Jeaniene Frost
Published: February 23, 2021 (Avon)
Purchase at: Amazon or Bookshop
Review Source: Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by: Amy

Rating (out of 5): 4 stars

Note: While this review will be spoiler free, it will reference noteworthy previous events in the series. If you haven’t yet started, check out VBC’s review of Shades of Wicked.

Ian and Veritas finally defeated their arch nemesis, the demon Dagon, and both came out of it (mostly) unscathed. Now, they’re dealing with the fallout from Veritas tearing an opening in the netherworld and they’ve begrudgingly turned to golden-deity Phanes—who also happens to be betrothed to Veritas—for help.

When a double cross frees two gods into the world, both ready to stake their claim no matter the cost, Ian and Veritas will have to bring together vampires, ghouls, and ghosts alike to save the humanity that unites them.

Whenever a main villain is taken out before the end of a series, I’m always interested to see where the author plans the story to go next. Such is the case with Wicked All Night. The delicious twist at the end when we find out Phanes is Veritas’s betrothed was icing on the cake.

Suffice it to say, Wicked All Night starts off running and doesn’t really let up until the very end. There were honestly times I had to slow myself down while reading because I wasn’t quite ready to be done with Ian and Veritas.

Jeaniene Frost, and most especially her Night Huntress and various spinoffs, will always be an auto-read for me. Hands down, no question. While Wicked All Night kept me entertained, there’s really not so much more behind it, for me, beyond being a chance to catch up with beloved characters and see them kick a little ass. Jeaniene Frost masterly figures out how to give most everyone a cameo or a mention which is quite a feat with such an extensive list of characters. While some loose ends do get tied up, I have no doubt that we’ll see all these characters again as we have for nearing the last decade and a half so I didn’t feel much weight behind this ending as being the be-all-end-all.

Mind you, I’m writing this with the assumption that Wicked All Night ends Ian and Veritas’s trilogy. At this point that is true, but I think the phrase “Never Say Never” is always apt to add. Even if this is, in fact, the last book to feature Ian and Veritas I have no doubt that they would pop up again in any other spin off that might occur in the Night Huntress world as we’ve seen all other featured characters do. Honestly, I would love for their story to expand a few more books. They may be my favorite couple—outside of Cat and Bones of course. I feel like there are certainly more places they can go and things to explore together. Part of me wonders if Jeaniene Frost has that same feeling and that’s why Wicked All Night feels more like a bridge or breather book.

Regardless, it’s highly entertaining, fun, and fast-paced. I think there’s something to be said for getting lost in the familiar and Wicked All Night provides that. I’m extremely motivated to do a massive reread of the entire Night Huntress Universe to keep these characters with me a bit longer until we know where things are going next.

 Sexual Content: Sex

In an effort to help you keep that to-read list updated, I’ve compiled the hot urban fantasy and paranormal romance releases for February 2021. All dates are U.S. and tentative. Also: Click the title of any book to visit the Amazon page for pre-order or purchase goodness. (Note: If you end up buying the book from one of these links, VBC will get a tiny bit of revenue to cover our overhead.)

I’ve included genre classification with each book: UF is urban fantasy, PNR is paranormal romance, F is fantasy, SF is science fiction, SFR is science fiction romance, FR is fantasy romance, H is horror, YA is young adult and NA is new adult.

FEBRUARY 2

• The Afterlife of the Party by Marlene Perez (Afterlife #1) YA
• All the Tides of Fate by Adalyn Grace (All the Stars and Teeth #2) YA
• A History of What Comes Next by Sylvain Neuvel (A History of What Comes Next #1) SF
• Muse by Brittany Cavallaro (Muse #1) YA
• This Golden Flame by Emily Victoria YA
• Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell SF

FEBRUARY 9

• The Absolute Book by Elizabeth Knox F
• Curse of the Divine by Kim Smejkal (Ink in the Blood #2) YA
• Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard F
• The Future is Yours by Dan Frey SF
• The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna (Deathless #1) YA
• The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey: Evenfall #1) YA
• Rafael by Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #28) UF
• Stormbreak by Natalie C. Parker (Seafire #3) YA
• The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec F

FEBRUARY 16

• A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas (A Court of Thorns and Roses #4) F
• The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey SF
• The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers (Wayfarers #4) SF
• Of Silver and Shadow by Jennifer Gruenke YA

FEBRUARY 23

• A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth (A Dark and Hollow Star #1) YA
• The Desolations of Devil’s Acre by Ransom Riggs (Miss Peregrine’s #6) YA
• Kingdom of Shadow and Light by Karen Marie Moning (Fever #11) UF
• The Russian Cage by Charlaine Harris (Gunnie Rose #3) F
• The Shadow War by Lindsay Smith YA
• The Warlord by Gena Showalter (Rise of the Warlords #1) PNR
• Wicked All Night by Jeaniene Frost (Night Rebel #3) PNR

Blood Heir (Aurelia Ryder #1)
Ilona Andrews
Published: Jan. 12, 2020 (NYLA)
Purchase at: Amazon or Bookshop
Review Source: Purchased

Reviewed by: Amy

Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars

Note: While this review will be spoiler free, it will reference previous events in the Kate Daniels series. If you haven’t yet started, check out VBC’s review of Magic Bites.

Eight years ago Julie Olsen left Atlanta in order to figure out who she wants to be and where she feels she belongs, to figure out her magic.

Now, she’s back, with new power, a new face, and a new name: Aurelia Ryder. All this helps with the reason she’s returned which revolves around thwarting a prophecy that would mean Kate’s death if it’s allowed to come to fruition. As we all know, the future’s path is malleable, but if Julie interacts with Kate, the prophecy is guaranteed to happen.

However, trying remain low-key will prove difficult as she’s pulled into investigating the murder of a beloved Priest. Things are further complicated when Julie comes face to face with Derek Gaunt, her onetime childhood crush, who also left Atlanta a couple years after Julie, except no one knew where he went – he didn’t come looking for her that’s for sure.

Julie has more pressing matters than dealing with a blast from her past, but seeing that Derek has entangled himself in the same mystery, they just might have to put their animosity aside and work together.

So, truth, the early serialization of this book on Ilona Andrews’ website really got me through the early waves of the pandemic when me trying to sit down and read most anything felt more like a chore than escape. While this finished copy is not exactly the same as what was started all those months ago, I’m still brought back to that, much-needed, feeling from the first time I started reading through the Kate Daniels series years and years ago.

I loved every minute I spent reading Blood Heir and it’s certainly a book I wish I could go back and read for the first time again.

I think the nostalgia factor fits well into the overall story where we have Julie coming back to Atlanta. Seeing as how she was raised, and heavily influenced by, Kate it makes complete sense that she would carry herself in a similar fashion. I loved the subtle differences in the way Julie embraces her power, the fact that she actively seeks out her grandmother (Erra) and grandfather (Roland) as her mentors.

Of course there is no way I can go through a review without mentioning Julie and Derek. Longtime fans of the series will know this for the slow-burn it’s meant to be. Despite having waited through so many books at this point, I really do appreciate Ilona Andrews’ taking their time to build these characters up as individuals first. Seriously, though, each scene they have together simply sparks. A whole book of them bantering back and forth would have been sufficient for me! Honestly, though, I liked seeing how they’ve grown, yet still remain true to the characters we’ve known from the beginning. Since the book is from Julie’s point of view, Derek still has this slight air of mystery about him that I’d love to see explored in future books (fingers crossed!).

The only nitpicky thing I have is the mystery got a little too tangled for me in places. I’d have to stop periodically and reconnect the dots about who what looking for whom and why. It does help that the story is full of exposition. If you haven’t done a re-read of the OG series in a while you won’t be lost, but it’s also very welcoming for new readers.

Overall, I loved getting back into this world. Seeing what favorite characters are up to, seeing that next generation come to the forefront. It’s a wonderful, natural progression for a series I hold very near and dear.  

 Sexual Content: None

In an effort to help you keep that to-read list updated, I’ve compiled the hot urban fantasy and paranormal romance releases for January 2021. All dates are U.S. and tentative. Also: Click the title of any book to visit the Amazon page for pre-order or purchase goodness. (Note: If you end up buying the book from one of these links, VBC will get a tiny bit of revenue to cover our overhead.)

I’ve included genre classification with each book: UF is urban fantasy, PNR is paranormal romance, F is fantasy, SF is science fiction, SFR is science fiction romance, FR is fantasy romance, H is horror, YA is young adult and NA is new adult.

JANUARY 1

• Shadow’s Legacy by Julie Kagawa (Iron Fey: Evenfall #0.5) YA

JANUARY 5

• Crown of Bones by A.K. Wilder (Crown of Bones #1) YA
• Lore by Alexandra Bracken YA F
• Persephone Station by Stina Leicht SF

JANUARY 6

• Lost in Las Vegas by Kristen Painter (Frost & Crowe Mystery #1) UF

JANUARY 12

• Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire (Wayward Children #6) F
• Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews (Aurelia Ryder #1) UF
• The Conjurer by Luanne G. Smith (Vine Witch #3) F
• Every Single Lie by Rachel Vincent YA
• The Frozen Crown by Greta Kelly (Frozen Crown #1) F
• The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner F
• Tales from the Hinterland by Melissa Albert (The Hazel Wood) YA

JANUARY 19

• Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift (Wickery #1) YA
• A Complicated Love Story Set in Space by Shaun David Hutchison YA
• Hall of Smoke by H.M. Long F
• The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick (Rook & Rose #1) F
• Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor SF
• Rise of the Red Hand by Olivia Chadha (The Mechanists #1) YA SF
• We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal (Sands of Arawiya #2) YA
• Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore (Graceling Realm #4) YA

JANUARY 22

• Love Code by Ann Aguirre (Galactic Love #2) SFR

JANUARY 26

• Big Bad Wolf by Suleikha Snyder (Third Shift #1) PNR
• The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon (The Bone Season #4) YA
• The Unchosen by Katharyn Blair YA
• A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer (Cursebreakers #3) YA
• We Could Be Heroes by Mike Chen SF
• Wings of Ebony by J. Elle (Wings of Ebony #1) YA

JANUARY 31

• Fall of Night by Lara Adrian (Midnight Breed #17) PNR

Across the Green Grass Fields (Wayward Children #6)
Seanan McGuire
Published: Jan. 12, 2020 (Tor)
Purchase at: Amazon or Bookshop
Review Source: Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by: Amy

Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars

Note: While this review will be spoiler free, it will reference previous events in the series. If you haven’t yet started, check out VBC’s review of Every Heart a Doorway.

Reagan has grown up always believing she knows what a young girl’s destiny should be. She’s tried very hard to navigate her life to stay within these parameters because she knows what happens to little girls who stray: they become outcasts.

When Reagan learns something about herself that changes her perspective on her potential destiny, she’s thrown, but as happens in such cases, a door appears, and Reagan walks through.

She finds herself in the Hooflands. Taken in by a heard of centaurs, Reagan’s presence (as it is when any human shows up in the Hooflands) portends a great change to the world. A change that will force Reagan to become a hero because that is the way.

Again faced with a destiny laid out for her, Reagan isn’t so quick to want to follow the rules this time.

I always look forward to heading back into this series. Across the Green Grass Fields feels like the most contained story of the series thus far. It’s so separated Eleanor West’s and any other characters from previous books that it would be a very easy read to pick up for anyone to enjoy.

The book is heavily commentating on destiny. On those constructs put in place by whomever that dictate how we’re supposed to live. I love how seamlessly Seanan McGuire makes these commentaries as this whole series has always dealt with such things on such a deep yet straight-forward level. 

I can think of no other land more fitting for Reagan than the Hooflands. In particular the fact that she’s taken in by the centaurs, creatures whose very nature is that of duality: half human, half horse. Reagan find herself struggling a bit with this idea about herself as well, and it causes her to question who she knows herself to be at her very core.

I loved seeing her learn that she is who she wants to be, she defines herself and that she deserves love no matter. I loved seeing her gain her strength, however I wish we got a little more at in the end in the way of “what happens next” for Reagan since she is now confident in her own path, but I guess that’s all the closure we need. She’s on her way where she’s supposed to go.

 Sexual Content: None