literaryland_livin's reviews
578 reviews

Hollow by Karina Halle

3.0

Full review out soon🎃

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson

4.0

Full review out tomorrow ✨

It Will Only Hurt for a Moment by Delilah S. Dawson

4.0

ARC by NetGalley and the publisher. 

Sarah Carpenter is finally getting a fresh start after leaving behind her narcissistic ex and abusive mother.Trading her tumultuous life for the secluded artist colony of Tranquil Falls.Sarah can’t think of a better place to reconnect with her love of pottery than the isolated location.Just as Sarah begins her artistic journey she stumbles upon the body of a women buried in the grounds.Sarah notices that all around her everyone is behaving odd,add in the fact glass shards were found in her clay she begins to question how safe she is.Her nightmare fueled nights make matters worse as she wonders if she’s losing her mind.With questions begging to be unearthed Sarah begins a dangerous investigation into the chilling past. 

It Will Only Hurt for a Moment is a dark and twisted gothic horror that will have you feeling all the female rage that Dawson excels at creating.This was fast paced, horrifying,and immersive as we follow Sarah unravel the the haunted history that taints the surrounding area of Tranquil Falls.From start to finish this book was one wild dark read that is equal parts thriller,paranormal story,haunted history, and feminist horror. One aspect I truly enjoyed was how easily I could picture the setting with its isolated forest scenery and abandoned resort which truly added to eerie paranormal elements. This book does have quite a few tough subject matters that should be noted such as DV,misogyny, multiple references to SA, suicide,animal cruelty,and self harm. Dwason’s use of these themes are explored to show how women have historically been used and abused all throughout history to even today,as well as the disgusting nature of medical spas and asylums of the 1800s. While this subject matter was a bit hard to read at times I still found that I was able to continue reading because I was fully invested in the revenge that I wanted to see play out.Overall this was a fast paced intense horror that at its heart is a battle cry for women’s empowerment and reclaiming your sense of self.If you are not easily turned off by trigger warnings I definitely recommend this one for a spooky fall read. 

It Will Only Hurt for a Moment comes out October 22nd,2024.Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Isle of Sin & Shadows by Keri Lake

4.0

As a Louisiana native Céleste James is no stranger to the ghost stories of swampland spirits and voodoo rituals. However the ghosts that haunt her are more than just simple fiction, they are real. After witnessing the horrific butchering of all she had held dear she’s spent most her life hiding away, afraid to look her ghosts in the eyes. But not now. Nearly a decade has passed and it’s time that she get answers to the horrors that ended her peaceful childhood. Once Céleste steps foot in the humid air of her birthplace it becomes apparent others have taken notice to her return as well. Others who wish her harm for the forgotten knowledge she has locked away. The closer Céleste gets to answers the closer she gets to the dangers lurking in the alligator infested bayous. 

Isle of Sin & Shadows was my second Keri Lake read this month and here I am shocked I hadn’t found this author sooner because it’s now official she is going down as one of my favorites. This atmospheric dark slow burn southern gothic mystery had all the spooky swamplands and haunted house suspense that I had hoped for. Without a doubt the setting and immersive writing of this book truly made for the perfect backdrop to the books deliciously dark and spicy suspense. The whole time reading I could easily picture every spanish moss covered tree as we follow and piece together all the cult filled bayou horrors that are after our recklessly determined FMC. And when I say horrors I mean it, this book has quite a list of trigger warnings as this world of humid swamp filled hauntings are more than just the ones of ghostly variety with our MCs hunting down the secrets of a depraved cult. Isle of Sin & Shadows had a fantastic blend of creepy horrors, twists, and spicy dark romance. The MCs Céleste and Thierry were the perfect morally gray pair as they ruthlessly hunt for truth with a dash of violence. Lake also successfully had me at the edge of my seat many times as the farther I ventured into the books occult filled horrors the more twists began to reveal themselves. Simply put I thoroughly enjoyed this darkly addictive southern gothic mystery/romance and find myself again off in search of my next Keri Lake book to obsessive over. 

A Dance Macabre by Naomi Loud

3.0

Let me start by saying I went into this book completely blind I had no clue what the plot was about just that it had dark themes and the cover seemed an intriguing read for spooky season. Once I started reading tho I realized that regardless if I had went in blind or not I still would have been slightly confused as the world building isn’t full explained. You’re just sort of get thrown right in the middle almost as if your missing the whole first half of the book. But I continued to just go with it and at around 28% I was interested enough to continue reading and see where the story was going. This book definitely has dark moments and loads of spice. The author does do a wonderful job of alerting the reader to the slew of trigger warnings prior to reading, as well as letting you know in the dedication that these characters are without a doubt MORALLY BLACK. And she is wasn’t lying, these characters are ruthless killers who bask in their wickedness as our FMC and MMC both love to get their hands dirty. I honestly wish we could have found out so much more about this world and its dynamics, lore, and politics. I kept hoping we would get that but alas the further I read the faster the plot began picking up and yet I still felt like I knew so little of this darkly depraved world. I also have to say the closer the two MCs got to one another they slowly began to lose some of their cruel edge which felt off development wise considering how merciless they were early on in the plot. Overall this was a quick read with an interesting premise, however not really a stand out read for me. If you’re looking for a dark spicy romance book with MORALLY BLACK extremely wicked MCs in a perverse magical world where death and blood run rampant then this may be just for you. 

Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan

4.0

Rae’s life as she has known it has takeing a drastic turn with each day brining new challenges as she battles the cancer attacking her body. Her one source of solace is the books she lets her mind wander to, dreaming of a fantasy world while stuck in a hospital bed. Until one day she is suddenly offered the chance to save herself, to find a cure. This leads Rae into an adventure straight from her favorite book series as she suddenly is one of the characters, however instead of the hero she’s the villain. 

Starting this book actually came with a bit of irony as I was just talking about how I wished to read more books that in the genre of Isekai(an anime subgenre where the main protagonist gets sucked into another world.)Long Live Evil is definitely in that realm as we watched Rae quickly go from her life filled with sickness and hospitals to one filled with villains and adventure.Now I can see how some may not find this book to their liking, as you can’t go into this wanting to take it fully serious. Yes the FMC is using terms/slang from the modern world that don’t fit with this fantasy one, but how else would expect someone from this time period to talk whilst being sucked into a book’s magical one.Personally this campy element made me like the book more as it added a layer of sarcastic humor that I enjoyed.The plots format of multiple POV did take a bit for me to get use too with its amount of character switches.However once I did I found myself loving getting to know this wickedly fun and diverse cast of characters. At times the book did fall into info dumping territory but again it worked considering how Rae herself is thrown into this new world and forced to acclimate quickly. And despite bits of the book coming off as meta and campy it also deals with heavier topics such as terminal illness, mental health, morality, and the impact our choices make in our lives. Brennan’s author note at the end is something I highly suggest reading as it truly shows what heart and emotion went into this books creation. Overall this was a fun fantasy read that was just what I was looking for and I can’t wait to continuing the series. 

Stay in the Light: the chilling sequel to The Watchers, soon to be a major motion picture by A.M. Shine

3.5

ARC by NetGalley and the publisher.

Let me start this review with a warning that this may contain spoilers for the first book in the series, The Watchers as this book takes place after the ending events of the previous book.

I truly enjoyed reading The Watchers and I have to say as a sequel this was just as incredibly engrossing and creepy. Stay in the Light’s plot takes place one month after Mina has survived her ordeal with the Watchers, only to now be left hyper vigilant to every person she comes in contact with. And for good reason, for just as the Watchers powers begin to grow people begin to disappear forcing Mina to confront the horrors she just escaped. While this sequel takes the reader back into this twisted world following Mina, Ciara, and Madeline it differs from its predecessor in the fact that we are now spread out over multiple story locations rather than just the woodland forest one. Pacing wise the multiple locations do cause for a bit of a slower go, as you watch these characters acclimate to their new normal. However, this allowed the author to build amazing tension that had me holding my breath many times. Although this lacks the element of mystery that the first book had surrounding the Watchers, we are instead given a greater expansion on their mythology/history which I really loved unraveling. Honestly I found the Watchers to be even creepier in this book, so the mysterious “who are they” element wasn’t something I personally missed. And while the first half was slower the second half most definitely makes up for this. The ending is something I could see being a point of contention tho, it’s one of those you either love it or hate it kind of ones. I myself enjoyed the ending and as it seems there may even be a third installment. Overall this was a highly effective sequel and I absolutely recommend this series to horror fans and anyone wanting a bit of introduction into the creepy side of Irish folklore.

Stay in the Light comes out October 22nd, 2024.

Thank you NetGalley and Head of Zeus for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Anathema by Keri Lake

4.5

Maevyth Bronwick has resigned that her life will be spent full of solitude and scrutiny. As one of her town’s resident pariahs and rumored witches. Each day brings the possible threat of being thrown to the forest that lines the town’s perimeter. The Eating Woods as it’s so appropriately named, as sinners go in never to be seen again. But as unforeseen circumstances lead her to venture into the horror filled tress she soon finds herself enveloped in a new world where magic is wielded. She soon discovers this world longs for her blood as well. Where danger lurks behind mages, fyredrakes, and curses who can she truly trust. 

Anathema was my first Keri Lake read and now here I am running to the store to pick up more of her works because I’m fully obsessed! When I tell you this book delivers all the dark gothic fantasy energy and oozes all the spooky witchy magic vibes it isn’t an understatement. The human world in which our FMC Maevyth lives in is bleak and cruel. With “holy” reckonings sending outcasts to their deaths along the cursed  forest’s entrance, only to be devoured by ghastly creatures that stalk the haunted fauna. Watching her survive in this horrifically grim prejudiced world had my stomach in knots as I admired her quiet resilience. Admittedly the beginning is a tad on the slower side pacing wise, however this section has incredibly crucial character back stories and truly eerie atmospheric descriptions that set the tone for the entire book. Once you hit that 25% tho there’s no turning back, as you will be completely engrossed in this macabre fantasy world as the plot continues on a steady intense crescendo. I’d also say this is more world and plot driven rather than romance as it is definitely a slow burn. I myself love a good slow burn romance with all the tension, simmering chemistry, stolen glances, and banter and this wholly served that! Our tortured, broody, protective, and domineering MMC was deliciously fighting his inner emotional instincts the whole way and reading his POV had me screaming, it was just too good! Overall this just filled my gothic romance obsessed heart with true happiness! If you’re looking for an intricate gothic fantasy world, grim and haunting horrors, sizzling slow burn romance, immersive writing, and complex characters then you absolutely have to pick this book up! 

Tomb of the Sun King by Jacquelyn Benson

5.0

ARC by NetGalley and the publisher. 

Activist and suffragette Ellie Mallory is off on another adventure to find and save precious and mysterious ancient artifacts from the hands of those who seek to exploit them. With the help of her charming and dashingly rouge friend Adam Bates they set out for the arid desert land of Egypt. As Ellie and Adam arrive in Egypt they are met with danger and adventure as they race against ruthless villains. The two-some is soon joined by Ellie’s best friend Constance as well as her step-brother and Adam’s best friend, Archeologists Dr. Neil Fairfax. Needless to say Neil is less than happy to see Ellie and Adam off gallivanting around the world unchaperoned. However they have more pressing matters to attend to like the search for another arcanum artifact. But as the group closes in on the three thousand year old clues left behind from the necropolis of Saqqara so to does their aggressive counterparts. With danger lurking at every corner how will the group manage to save history as well as their lives.

If I thought the first book in the Raiders of the Arcana series, Empire of Shadows reminded of my immense love for the 90’s film The Mummy then this book 100% transported me there! Tomb of the Sun King without a doubt brought an entire Egyptian world filled with action, adventure, wonder, mysteries, and magic to life. This sequel absolutely had everything I had hoped it would and then some! Following Ellie and Adam again on another adventure was highly satisfying. These two are just beyond perfect together, I loved watching their relationship progress farther and seeing Adam’s unwavering support of Ellie warmed my heart. The banter in this one is just as good if not better than the first, as we now are joined by Ellie’s step brother and her best friend who bring their own new level of tension to the group. One of the highlights is that while reading I found myself fully transported to this ancient world. As someone who once longed to be an archaeologist (specially an Egyptologist no less) I couldn’t help but smile the entire time while reading this. The amount of work and research Benson put into this sequel shines thru, which she even talks about in greater detail of the accuracy in her after-notes (which I highly suggest reading after completion.) This truly shows how dedicated an author she is to her work and I know moving forward in the series I can count on this accuracy to be a consistent theme as well as alittle magically spin on it of course. Bottom line I simply can not wait to see what book 3 has in store for these amazing characters and all the adventures they will continue to find themselves in.  

Tomb of the Sun King comes out October 1st, 2024. 

Thank you NetGalley and Crimson Fox Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

4.0

Ophelia always promised her mother she would never make deals with devils but never did she think she’d be making one with a phantom. Especially one with such strikingly enticing green eyes and alluring mouth. However Ophelia is out of options and out of time as she races to find her younger sister Genevieve who has entered into the horror filled trials of Phantasma. Once you enter you are lucky if you make it out with your life as devils, ghouls, and other ghastly creatures haunt the halls of the so appropriately named Devil’s Manor where all of Phantasma is held. The only hope Ophelia has of surviving and locating her sister is with the help of Blackwell, a charmingly arrogant phantom. As each night passes it brings Blackwell and Ophelia closer to victory as well as to one another. Making Ophelia realize her life may not be the only thing she risks losing but also her heart.

Reading Phantasma was like hanging out with Caraval’s darker, edgier, and way spicer sister. Very earlier on your met with these similarities as we follow sisters that enter into the treacherous game of Phantasma where only one can be victorious. Now this is where it gets darker and more adult then Caraval, because the trials that our FMC Ophelia has to overcome are centered around the nine gates of hell, with each night featuring a new horror filled experience. The trials are most certainly not for the weak and bring a plethora of blood and death with them. The pacing of this is fast and easily bingeable as each trial progresses rather quickly. The romance between our two MCs served all the paranormal spice and banter that I expected and was hoping for. My only complaints as far as characters go is that I wish we could have gotten a dual POV with Blackwell’s view, rather than just third person from Ophelia only. I also wish we could have seen just a tad bit more world building but as this seems to be a series I anticipate more of that in the future. Overall this was a fun fast read that is perfect if you are looking for a gothic romantasy that absolutely delivers all the ghostly spicy goodness along with being filled demons, witches, necromancers, devils, phantoms, and even a ghost kitty then you have to give this book a read this spooky season!