ARC Review: A Bargain So Bloody by Vasilisa Drake

Title: A Bargain So Bloody
Author: Vasilisa Drake
Series: Kingdom of Dark Magic #1
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Publisher: Scarlett Press
Publication Date: Augaust 4, 2026
Edition: Digital
Source: NetGalley
Pre-Order: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's | 

 

 

Synopsis:

   Imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit, Samara is bullied by guards and tormented by the screams of her fellow prisoners. She’s resigned herself to enduring her fifteen-year term…until she learns the freedom she’s been promised is nothing but a cruel lie.
   Now Samara is faced with a brutal choice: die within the cold walls of Castle Greymere or do the unthinkable and escape. But no one leaves Greymere alive. So to break out, she’ll need help from one of the undead.
   Raphael is the worst kind of monster: a vampire with a thirst for blood—and the same breed that killed her mother. He’s also unspeakably powerful, his supernatural strength tamed only by the enchanted cuffs forced on him. Most importantly, he is Samara’s only chance at a life outside the prison walls.
   The deal is simple: Samara unlocks his shackles, and Raphael helps her escape. But he never promised to let her go once they flee the castle. 

 

(Special Edition Hardback)For the first printing only! This hardcover features gorgeous sprayed edges while the special edition supply lasts. 

 

 

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Bulk Review: Manga/Graphic Novels pt. 12

 I am proud of how many novels I've read in the time that I've also been reading manga and graphic novels. The last couple of years as well as earlier this year I've read far more of one than the other. (I have still not been great at reading my owned books, it's just too easy to use the Libby app.)

 

 

ARC Review: Splintered Kingdom by Gretchen Powell Fox

Title: Splintered Kingdom
Author: Gretchen Powell Fox
Series: Shattered Crown #2
Genre: Fantasy/Romance/Adult
Publisher: Scarlett Press
Publication Date: Aug 11 2026 
Edition: Digital
Source: NetGalley
PreOrder: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's | 

 

Synopsis:

    Elyria Lightbreaker may have survived the Arcane Crucible, but the scars of the deadly trials remain. Haunted by betrayal, Elyria must master the darkness within her and reclaim the Crown of Concord before the human and fae realms are plunged back into war. Yet every step forward brings her closer to Cedric Thorne, the human knight who poses an entirely new danger to her heart.
   Cedric sacrificed everything to claim victory for humankind, only to be burdened with powers he cannot control—and bound to Elyria, the fae warrior he cannot forget. But as tensions rise and his kingdom splinters, the truth of his past may just be the hardest thing to face.
   Secrets divide. Loyalties fracture. And desire, reckless and consuming, threatens to shatter the fragile alliance between Arcanis and Havensreach.
   In a land where shadows whisper and enemies lurk in plain sight, Elyria and Cedric must decide whether their connection is salvation…or the spark that will set their world ablaze. 

 

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Review: Drumindor by Michael J. Sullivan

Title: Drumindor
Author: Michael J. Sullivan 
Series: The Riyria Chronicles #5
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Riyria Enterprises LLC
Publication Date: August 5, 2025
Edition: eBook
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's | 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

HE PLANNED TO OBLITERATE AN ENTIRE CITY. HE THOUGHT NO ONE COULD STAND IN HIS WAY. BUT HE HADN'T HEARD OF RIYRIA.
   When a master-craftsmen dwarf is fired, he threatens retaliation. The rogues-for-hire known as Riyria are commissioned to find and stop him. Traveling to the paradise resort of Tur Del Fur, the two are granted a lavish allowance that, along with the easy job, promises to turn the trip into a vacation. Everything would have been perfect except that the disgruntled employee’s last name is Berling and the target of his wrath is the legendary towers of Drumindor. 

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Review: Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon

Title: Tusk Love
Author: Thea Guanzon 
Series: Standalone
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance
Publisher: DelRey
Publication Date: July 1, 2025
Edition: Digital
Source: Library
Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop | Kobo | Powell's | 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

  As the daughter of an ambitious merchant, Guinevere’s path has been predetermined: marry into a noble house of the Dwendalian Empire, raise her family’s station, and live quietly as a lordling’s obedient wife. But Guinevere longs for a life unbounded by expectations, for freedom and passion and adventure.
  Those distant dreams become a sudden reality when her caravan is beset by bandits, leaving her guards slain and Guinevere stranded alone on the dangerous Amber Road. Her only chance of survival is to travel alongside Oskar, the aloof half-orc who saved her during the attack.
  Unlike Guinevere, Oskar’s path is not so set in stone. With his mother dead and his apprenticeship abandoned, all that’s left is a long, lonely walk to a land he’s never seen to find family he’s never met. The last thing he needs is a spoiled waif like Guinevere slowing him down – even if the spark between them sizzles with promise.
  Despite his cold exterior, Oskar is brave and thoughtful and unlike anyone Guinevere has ever met. And while Guinevere may be sheltered, she brings out a softness in him that he has never dared to feel before. As the flames of their passion grow, they realize that soon they’ll need to choose between their expected destinations or their blossoming romance.

 

 

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