The Shadows Rule All by Abigail Owen

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Great ending to this fantasy trilogy!

Meren has been overcome by shadows that left Reven, her bondmate, and now they’re torturing her. The shadows take over her mind and appearance if she gets too stressed or they get upset. Reven has completely forgotten Meren and he has no memory of them being in love. Meren has collected most of the amulets needed to stop the king. She needs one more plus the help of her dedicated companions to save their kingdom. She’s determined to help save the kingdom and Reven’s memory, even if she has to sacrifice herself to do it.

Likes/dislikes: I like that the characters are complex and diverse. The characters are each flawed in their own way, which makes them interesting. The mythology created by the author is imaginative. This book is the third in the trilogy and it’s much better than the second book.
Mature content: PG-13 for implied sex, on page.
Language: R for 93 swears and 10 f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody fighting, deaths, and a bloody death.
Ethnicity: mixed.

Ruin Road by Lamar Giles

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Clever imagery in this intense YA horror!

Cade is a smart, kind young man who’s working towards an NFL career. He has received a scholarship to a prep school that will help him with his goals. He’s tall, muscled and Black and people seem to always be afraid of him even when he’s just trying to help. One night he gets off of the subway after being accused of trying to steal a lady’s purse when he was only trying to keep her from falling over when the subway lurched. He ends up in a random neighborhood where he’s watched with suspicion by a couple walking their dog and police officers driving by. He enters a pawn shop to get off the street, purchases a $5 Superbowl ring replica and as he’s leaving, he states that he wishes people weren’t scared of him. Little does he know, he made a wish that will come true that will cause tragic consequences.

Likes/dislikes: Cade and his family have integrity and humility even though they’ve done well. The family unit is represented as an important part of life throughout the book. The nuggets of wisdom from Cade’s father were refreshing. The struggle through Cade’s father’s terminal cancer is handled respectfully, honestly and tactfully. I enjoyed this mysterious and interesting YA horror story.
Mature content: G for parents kissing.
Language: PG for 5 swears, no f-words.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: Black and white.

Heir by Sabaa Tahir

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Return to the Empire!

Aiz has burn scars from an orphanage fire ten years prior and wants vengeance for the victims of the fire. Prince Quil is heir after the Empress, his Aunt Helene, and he loves to be under the radar and roams the streets with anonymity. Bani al-Mauth, the holy figure Chosen of Death, meets with Quil after a homeless boy is killed by having his heart burned out of his chest. She wants Quil’s help in stopping the murders that have taken place. Sirsha is a poor jewel thief trying to survive the slums and earn enough to move away someday. She’s running from a violent gang and barely escapes when she’s found by a man who wants her help. Their paths will cross and danger follows.

Likes/dislikes: It was nice to be in the world of An Ember in the Ashes again, over a decade into the future. Instead of learning about a new world and trying to navigate it, I was revisiting a world I was very familiar with. The new main characters are complex and each has a story to tell.
Mature content: PG-13 for implied sex on page.
Language: R for 37 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: mentions brown and white skin.

Soul of the Stone by Sharina Harris

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Egyptian mythology and vampires!

Raven, now known as Texas, is dealing with a powerful stone full of one hundred souls. These souls talk to Texas and drive her slightly crazy. Her mission is to get the tablet which will help end the evil Alexander once and for all. The souls want to help her with her mission but she gets pulled into the Underworld and has to face Egyptian Gods who will weigh her heart. If she’s found worthy she may just survive.

Likes/dislikes: I like the fact that there’s much less swearing in this sequel so there’s more room for character development and world building. I enjoyed the main conflict with Egyptian mythology. I found the Underworld very interesting.
Mature Content: PG-13 for sex.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody stabbing.
Language: R for 122 swears and 4 f-words.
Ethnicity: Khamari is Jamaican. Predominantly Black.

The Mirror of Beasts by Alexandra Bracken

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Unexpected turns!

Tamsin and Cabell continue on their mission but they seek different paths. Tamsin is with a group of like-minded and strong individuals searching for the Mirror of Beasts while Cabell is following Lord Death in the deadly and violent Wild Hunt. The Mirror of Beasts is not what they expected; it’s more remarkable than they ever imagined. Cabell faces the decision of leaving all he knows behind, including his sister Tamsin, to follow Lord Death. Tamsin discovers secrets about Emrys, Nash and herself that are shocking and completely change everything.

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed the alternating narrative between Tamsin and Cabell. Beautiful prose. The mystery of Nash is fun to see unravel. This story is full of great characters!
Mature content: PG-13 for non-detailed sex.
Language: R for 68 swears, no f-words.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: fair skinned, blue-gray and leaf-green skin, brown skin, and tan skin make up the ethnicity.

Two Sides to Every Murder by Danielle Valentine

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Whoa! That ending!!!

Olivia is curious about who her biological father is after she finds out her parents have been keeping secrets from her. Reagan continues to move with her mother who is a suspect in the Camp Lost Lake murders of 2008. Olivia and Reagan both end up at Camp Lost Lake looking for answers and meet by accident. Little do they know that they’re walking into another murdering rampage as the Witch of Camp Lost Lake returns. They will get answers but will they survive?

Likes/dislikes: Creepy, twisty, mysterious fun! I couldn’t put the book down after chapter 5! The ending was intense and a shocker and left me wanting more to read!
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: R for 75 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: The ethnicity is predominantly white and Jack is Asian. Hazel is a Jewish Jamaican. Sawyer has tan skin.

Our Deadly Designs by Kalyn Josephson

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Spellbinding fantasy meets Jewish Mythology!

Mikira, Damien, Reid, and Ari have growing problems in Enderlain. The community is searching for the lost heir while Damien seems to be pushing his friends away. Mikira is interested in joining the rebels, Reid keeps scientifically investigating enchanted cells, and Ari struggles to control her building power that’s becoming even more dangerous. The friends seem to be going their separate ways while they try to find their own paths. A darker force is growing in Enderlain. Will the group pull together and fight or be defeated separately?

Likes/dislikes: The dynamics of the relationships are so different from the first book of this series. Even with their struggles, the characters learn to appreciate each other more. The story takes a different turn from what the series originally had but character development is still good.
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: PG-13 for 17 swears, no f-words.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: The mixed ethnicity includes olive, golden brown, white, and bronze skin tones.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

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“Ghosts have warm hands.” World War I historical fiction!

Laura receives her brother’s dog tags and uniform in the mail. This means that Freddie has died in World War I. She’s devastated but has a feeling that he isn’t dead. She leaves her Canadian home and travels back to World War I and takes up her mantle as a war nurse again to search for any information she can find about Freddie. What she discovers will change her life forever.

Likes/dislikes: Laura’s strength, perseverance, and love for her brother makes her a great character. My heart warmed as Freddie and the German soldier helped each other and became like brothers. I appreciated the World War I setting and learned quite a bit about its history. I didn’t know about the Halifax explosion before I read this book.
Language: R for 93 swears and 3 f-words.
Mature Content: PG-13 for adults drinking.
Violence: R for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: falls to white.

This Dark Descent by Kalyn Josephson

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Tale of horse-racing, magic, and power!

17yo Mikira secretly races her horse to earn money for her father and sisters and to save their business of raising strong racing horses. Rezek makes a bargain with her; if she wins the dangerous race coming up, he will leave her family in peace. 20yo Damien sponsors Mikira because he hates Rezek and will do almost anything to spite him. Damien hires 18yo Ari to create a racing horse golem that has speed, endurance, protective instincts and strength. It’s against the rules of the race to use an enchanted horse so they must keep the fact that the horse, Atara, is a magical golem a secret. The race is dangerous and everything is on the line for Mikira, Ari, and Damien.

Likes/dislikes: Jewish mythology adds an interesting factor to the story. I like that Damien wants to help others even though he could use his money and power for anything he wants. Reid is unusual and I want to learn more about his background.
Language: PG-13 for 25 swears, no f-words.
Mature Content: PG-13 for implied sex, off page.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death.
Ethnicity: a variety including dark, alabaster, olive, light brown, tawny, pale, brown, fair, deep bronze, and golden-skinned people.

A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur

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“It is imperative to confront history because it repeats itself when ignored.” -June Hur

A young woman in 1504 Korea, 17yo Iseul, and her older sister are orphaned by soldiers who killed their parents on orders from the king. They live with their grandmother until 1506 when the king collects the eldest for one of his own concubines. Iseul will do anything to save her sister but she has to learn patience and observation skills to do it wisely and as safely as possible. An investigator for the soldiers is helping her gain these skills, even though it will mark him as a traitor. Iseul unexpectedly meets Prince Daehyun and eventually they help each other as the Prince plans a coup to take down the tyrant king. Full of intrigue and determination!

Likes/dislikes: I appreciate the research the author took the time to do for this book about a dark part of Korean history. Magnificent character development and world building. I fell in love with Iseul and the prince.
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: R for 31 swears and 1 f-word.
Violence: R for repeated bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: Korean