• Book Reviews,  Featured,  G,  Gill, Nikita

    Hekate Book Review

    coffeestarsbooks November 21, 2025 1:12 pm Hekate Release date: 16th Sep 2025 Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers Genres: YA Fantasy ⊹ ⋆ YA Poetry ⊹ ⋆ YA Mythology ⊹ ⋆ Add to Storygraph Add to Goodreads Join the conversation: Bluesky Instagram Twitch Discord “A woman they cannot control, whether Goddess or mortal, is a dangerous woman.” ― Nikita Gill, Hekate ☕✨ CONTENT WARNINGS: (click to reveal) War, violence, death, rape, death of a parent, blood, grief, torture, genocide, forced marriage Synopsis: Born into a world on fire, Godling Hekate has never known safety. After her parents are on the losing side of the war between the ruling Titans and…

  • Book Reviews,  L,  Lim, Elizabeth

    Six Crimson Cranes Book Review

    From Goodreads: Shiori, the only princess of Kiata, has a secret. Forbidden magic runs through her veins. Normally she conceals it well, but on the morning of her betrothal ceremony, Shiori loses control. At first, her mistake seems like a stroke of luck, forestalling the wedding she never wanted, but it also catches the attention of Raikama, her stepmother. Raikama has dark magic of her own, and she banishes the young princess, turning her brothers into cranes, and warning Shiori that she must speak of it to no one: for with every word that escapes her lips, one of her brothers will die. Penniless, voiceless, and alone, Shiori searches for…

  • Book Reviews,  D,  Deonn, Tracy,  Featured

    Legendborn Book Review

    From Goodreads: After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus. A flying demon feeding on human energies. A secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down. And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw. The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother…

  • Book Reviews,  L,  Lim, Elizabeth

    Spin the Dawn Book Review

    Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim From Goodreads: Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping YA fantasy about a young girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars. Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but…

  • Book Reviews,  L,  Leake, Jessica

    Beyond a Darkened Shore Book Review

    Beyond a Darkened Shore by Jessica Leake From Goodreads: The ancient land of Éirinn is mired in war. Ciara, Princess of Mide, has never known a time when Éirinn’s kingdoms were not battling for power, or Northmen were not plundering their shores.  The people of Mide have thankfully always been safe because of Ciara’s unearthly ability to control her enemies’ minds and actions. But lately, a mysterious crow has been appearing to Ciara, whispering warnings of an even darker threat. Although her clansmen dismiss her visions as pagan nonsense, Ciara fears this coming evil will destroy not just Éirinn, but the entire world.   Then the crow leads Ciara to Leif, a…