ARC Review: When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley

Title: When the Tides Held the Moon
Author: Venessa Vida Kelley
Series: Stand-Alone
Genre: Historical Fantasy/Mermaids/Romance
Publisher: Erewhon Books
Publication Date: April 22, 2025
Edition: E-book
Source: NetGalley
Pre-Order: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Bookshop | Powell's | 

Synopsis:

   Benigno “Benny” Caldera knows an orphaned Boricua blacksmith in 1910s New York City can’t call himself an artist. But the ironwork tank he creates for famed Coney Island playground, Luna Park, astounds everyone, especially the eccentric side-show proprietor who commissioned it. Benny’s work earns him an invitation to join the show’s eclectic crew of performers—his first welcome in the city—and share in their astonishing secret: the tank Benny built is a cage for their newest exhibit, a living, breathing, in-the-flesh merman stolen from the banks of the East River under a gleaming full moon.
   The merman is more than a mythic marvel, though. Benny comes to know Río as a clever philosopher, an observant traveler, and a kindred spirit more beautiful and compassionate than any human he’s ever met. Despite their different worlds, what begins as a friendship of necessity deepens to love, leading Benny’s heart into uncharted waters where he can no longer ignore the agonizing truth of Río’s captivity—and his own.
   A cage is no place for a merman to survive. Though releasing Río means betraying his new family, bankrupting their home, and losing his soulmate forever, Benny must look within for the courage to do what’s right, and find a love strong enough to free them both.

When the Tides Held the Moon is a beautifully illustrated novel with artwork throughout by Venessa Vida Kelley, known for her stunning romance and fantasy art. This novel includes two different full-color endpapers for front and back, fully-designed chapter headers, and twenty-six pieces of detailed illustrations throughout.

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Review: Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole

Title: Spark of the Everflame
Author: Penn Cole
Series: The Kindred’s Curse #1
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Publisher: Self-pub
Publication Date: June 1, 2023
Edition: Kindle
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Bookshop | Powell's | 

 

 

Synopsis:

   When old secrets catch fire, everything will burn.
In a mortal world colonized by the gods and ruled over by the Descended, their cruel offspring, Diem Bellator yearns to escape the insular life of her poor village.
   Her mother’s sudden disappearance—and the discovery of a dangerous secret about her past—offer Diem an unexpected opportunity to enter the dark world of Descended royalty and unlock the web of mysteries her mother left behind.
   With the dying King’s handsome, mysterious heir watching her every move, and a ruthless mortal alliance recruiting her to join the growing civil war, Diem will have to navigate the unwritten rules of love, power, and politics in order to save her family—and all of mortalkind.

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Review: The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan

Title: The Death of Dulgath
Author: Michael J. Sullivan
Series: The Riyria Chronicles #3
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Riyria Enterprises, LLC
Publication Date: October 15, 2015
Edition: 408 pages, Kindle Edition
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Powell's |

Synopsis:

   Three times they tried to kill her. Then a professional was hired. So was Riyria.
   When the last member of the oldest noble family in Avryn is targeted for assassination, Riyria is hired to foil the plot. Three years have passed since the war-weary mercenary Hadrian and the cynical ex-assassin Royce joined forces to start life as rogues-for-hire. Things have gone well enough until they're asked to help prevent a murder. Now they must venture into an ancient corner of the world to save a mysterious woman who knows more about Royce than is safe and cares less about herself than is sane.

From the best-selling author of The Riyria Revelations comes the third installment of The Riyria Chronicles. Although part of a series, it's designed to thrill both new readers looking for fun, fast-paced fantasy and Riyria veterans wishing to reunite with old friends.

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ARC Review: Malinalli by Veronica Chapa

Title: Malinalli
Author: Veronica Chapa
Series: Standalone
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Publisher: Atria/Primero Sueno Press
Publication Date: March 11, 2025
Edition: Ebook
Source: NetGalley
Pre-Order: Amazon US | Apple Books | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Bookshop |

 

 

Synopsis:

   A real-life historical figure, the woman known as Malinalli, Malintzin, La Malinche, Doña Marina, and Malinalxochitl was the Nahua interpreter who helped Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés communicate with the native people of Mexico. When indigenous leaders observed her marching into their cities, they believed she was a goddess—blessed with the divine power to interpret the Spaniards’ intentions for their land. Later, historians and pop culture would deem her a traitor—the “Indian” girl who helped sell Mexico’s future to an invader.
   In this riveting, fantastical retelling, Malinalli is all of those things and more, but at heart, she’s a young girl, kidnapped into slavery by age twelve, and fighting to survive the devastation wrought by both the Spanish and Moctezuma’s greed and cruelty. Blessed with magical powers, and supported by a close-knit circle of priestesses, Mali vows to help defend her people’s legacy. In vivid, compelling prose, debut author Veronica Chapa spins an epic tale of magic, sisterhood, survival, and Mexican resilience. This is the first novel to reimagine and reinterpret Malinalli’s story with the empathy, humanity, and awe she’s always deserved.

An imaginative retelling of the triumphs and sorrows of one of the most controversial and misunderstood women in Mexico’s history and mythology, perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Gods of Jade and Shadow and Zoraida Córdova’s The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina.

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Bulk Review: Manga Pt. 6

 

 

I've read *so* much manga this year. Hopefully next year I will actually read the books I own. It's been fun reading manga, and I love using my library, but I do want to get at least some of the books I own read. 

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