The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer

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Is Armand capable of murder?

Mallory is a tour guide for the haunted House Saphir, the home of Bastien Le Bleu, a man who murdered several of his wives over a century ago. She’s also a con artist, along with her sister Anais, and together they run their family shop of fake magical treasures. During one of her tours, a young man named Armand, claiming to be a descendant of Le Bleu, asks for Mallory’s help in ridding his family mansion of Le Bleu’s evil ghost. Mallory and Anais are barely scraping by, so she happily takes Armand up on his generous offer to pay her for her assistance, thinking it will be easy money. Mallory soon learns that she’s in over her head and she’s put herself and Anais in danger.

Likes/dislikes: The charming banter between Mallory and Armand is a lot of fun. The spooky setting is a perfect backdrop for the storyline. I enjoyed the mystery and the main characters, Mallory, Armand and Anais.
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: PG for 7 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody violence and bloody death.
Ethnicity: Mixed and the main characters fall to white.

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal, Book 1 of Blood and Tea

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Do you ever truly know someone?

Arthie has been on her own since she was ten. She eventually found another orphan named Jin and took him under her wing. Together they built Spindrift, a tea house by day for proper society and a blood house by night for vampires who want to be civilized and not harm others. When Spindrift is threatened, Arthie tries using her blackmailing skills to keep her place safe. When that doesn’t work, Arthie and Jin recruit other outcasts to pull of a scheme that will knock the threat to its knees!

Likes/dislikes: Arthie is mysterious and keeps to herself but she has fierce loyalty to those she cares about. Jin is a charming, fun character and adds a lot of life to the story. The mystery and scare of the half vampire, the Wolf of White Roaring, is extremely interesting.
Mature content: PG kissing.
Language: PG for 11 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody gunshot wounds.
Ethnicity: predominantly white with a mix of races as the main characters

His Mortal Demise by Vanessa Le, Book 2 of The Last Bloodcarver duology

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How much would you sacrifice for the one you love?

When Nhika gives all of her strength and health to save Kochin from a fatal gunshot wound, she is on the verge of death. Unknown to Nhika because she’s unconscious, Kochin takes her to her friends to keep her safe while he searches for a cure to bring her back. When Nhika wakes, Kochin is nowhere and the last she remembers is him dying after being shot. While Kochin searches for a way to heal Nhika, she searches for Kochin, retracing his steps. They both realize how much love they have for each other and will do anything to bring their relationship back together, if only war and danger doesn’t get in the way.

Likes/dislikes: The alternating narratives of Nikha in the present and Kochin six months prior create suspense, especially since the last time they saw each other was when Nikha sacrificed her life to save his. Kochin is searching for a way to bring Nikha back and Nikha is trying to find Kochin and this makes a sweet love story. Wonderful character development.
Mature content: PG for kissing.
Language: PG for 9 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody gunshot wound.
Ethnicity: brown, honey and tanned skin tones, Vietnamese-inspired.

Lovely Dark and Deep by Elisa A. Bonnin

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Spooky and mysterious!

Faith feels at home at Ellery West. She grew up in the Philippines and moved to the island school of magic for her high school years. She loves the school and the island until she ventures into the forest with Sydney but walks out alone after something takes Sydney’s life. Immediately, Faith is pushed into the group of exiled students who are on the verge of losing their magic if they make another misstep. Her new group of friends, known as the Red Stripes, band together and take care of each other. They also want to help Faith find out what took Sydney’s life and put a stop to the continued deaths. They discover a deep, dark secret that, when exposed, will change everything.

Likes/dislikes: I love how the Red Stripes care about each other and how they help each other. I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery behind the story. This book has several interesting characters.
Mature content: PG mention of drugs
Language: R for 28 swears, 5 f-words.
Violence: PG for deaths.
Ethnicity: mixed.

The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard

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Excellent spooky read!

Theo swerves to miss raccoons crossing the road. He stops to make sure the raccoons are fine but he is shaken by what he discovers. Freddie is logical and strives to find facts in all situations and when a dead man is found, she knows there’s an easy explanation and that the curse hanging over her community for centuries isn’t real. Theo and Freddie cross paths when Freddie calls the police after she hears screams and unknowingly alerts the police to a rival school teen party in the woods. She instantly becomes her school’s hero and hated by the rivals. Weird events keep happening that can’t be explained away and Theo and Freddie get completely wrapped up in the danger and the curse!

Likes/dislikes: An ominous poem at the beginning of the book lends to the creepy setting. Humor, charm, cleverness, strong friendship and the spooky vibe made this book fun to read and it’s a perfect YA book for getting into the Halloween spirit. I love the chemistry between Freddie and Theo. They’re from rival schools and have a rollercoaster relationship.
Mature content: PG-13 for fervent kissing, mention of teens smoking and drinking.
Language: R for 78 swears, (mostly hell and god) and 7 f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody deaths.
Ethnicity: predominantly white with side characters having different shades of brown skin and a Black girl.

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.

Wisteria by Adalyn Grace

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The ending of a perfect trilogy!

Blythe is marrying Aris, Fate, because he saved her father from being falsely accused of murder. Neither are happy about the marriage but their wedding rings force them to be together whenever they venture apart. To show Blythe’s father that they’re happily married, Aris creates a beautiful palace and village to convince him of the comfort and love the two of them share. The couple starts to enjoy each other’s company when Chaos, Solanine, arrives to wreak havoc. Chaos causes plagues and tragedies. Aris and Blythe must work together to stop disaster from happening.

Likes/dislikes: The prose is gorgeous! I enjoy reading what Blythe’s imagination creates. Humorous banter and fun world building make this book even better. Beautiful descriptions of scenery.
Mature content: R for on page sex.
Language: PG-13 for 23 swears, no f-words.
Violence: PG for fighting.
Ethnicity: falls to white.

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.