Tag: fantasy

Book Review | The Talisman Series by Stephen King and Peter Straub

Posted June 15, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

The Talisman Series by Stephen King and Peter Straub

Jack Sawyer, twelve years old, is about to begin a most fantastic journey, an exalting, terrifying quest for the mystical Talisman—the only thing that can save Jack’s dying mother. But to reach his goal, Jack must make his way not only across the breadth of the United States but also through the wondrous and menacing parallel world of the Territories.

In the Territories, Jack finds another realm, where the air is so sweet and clear a man can smell a radish being pulled from the ground a mile away—and a life can be snuffed out instantly in the continuing struggle between good and evil. Here Jack discovers “Twinners,” reflections of the people he knows on earth—most notably Queen Laura DeLoessian, the Twinner of Jack’s own imperiled mother. As Jack “flips” between worlds, making his way westward toward the redemptive Talisman, a sequence of heart-stopping encounters challenges him at every step.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
The Stephen King Constant Reader Challenge
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (see below)

The Reason

For my Stephen King challenge and because the third book in this series is coming out this year!

The Quotes

“Everything goes away, Jack Sawyer, like the moon. Everything comes back, like the moon.”

“You don’t own a thing unless you can give it up, what does it profit a man, it profits him nothing, it profits him zilch, and you don’t learn that in school, you learn it on the road, you learn it from Ferd Janklow, and Wolf, and Richard going head-first into the rocks like a Titan II that didn’t fire off right.”

“A universe of worlds, a dimensional macrocosm of worlds—and in all of them one thing that was always the same; one unifying force that was undeniably good, even if it now happened to be imprisoned in an evil place; the Talisman, axle of all possible worlds.”

“That’s how craziness works. You make connections that aren’t real.”

The Narrator(s)

Frank Muller. He has a kind of inflection at the end of sentences that distracted me at first but I got used to them as I went further into the book and stopped noticing them. Other than that, I loved his narration! His voices and the way he portrayed the characters were amazing!

My Thoughts

These books were written years apart; The Talisman in 1984, Black House in 2001, and finally, Other Worlds Than These only coming out in October 2026 (so it’s not out yet at the time of this writing). I haven’t read many of Straub’s works (I very much intend to!), but everyone knows I’m a fan of King, and I love that he often writes stories where we see the protagonists as children and then later as adults (IT, The Shining and Doctor Sleep, etc.) and we still feel the continuity and consistency of the characters and their growth. This is my first time reading these books in The Talisman series so I’m seeing these characters for the first time. In hindsight, maybe I should’ve waited until the final book came out but I got caught up in the excitement and I wanted to be ready for it.

Book 1 – The Talisman
For the reading challenge(s):
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #9: Featuring a natural disaster)

As usual, the best part about King’s books is his characters. Meeting Jack Sawyer for the first time as a 12-year old, I love how realistic it feels to have a boy his age facing all the difficult things that happen, the way he handles them, and how he had to step up and grow up. I feel so much for Jack having to do difficult things but I also believe in the resilience and the adaptability of children his age. They learn fast, they adapt to new realities more easily, they bounce back and try again, and I loved seeing Jack do all of those things.

I also love the other characters; Wolf, Speedy, and even Richard Sloat. Wolf is the purest and best person in the world and if you’ve read the book, you won’t wonder why he has my heart. Richard was difficult to like at first but he grew on me, and maybe claiming love for him is a little too strong but I did like him in the end.

This book was such a journey. I love how King’s books transcend genres; it’s portal fantasy, which I love, but it’s also horror, epic fantasy, thriller, adventure. He just tells the stories and disregards categorizing them – as we all should. I also want to acknowledge Straub as co-writer, I don’t mean to ignore his contribution to the book, I’m just not familiar enough with his works and have no frame of reference to comment upon who he is as a writer in relation to this book. I mean to remedy that as soon as possible! I can definitely see the difference in voice with this book as compared with other King books though, and I’m attributing that to Straub’s contribution. I’m looking forward to more of this series, and more from both these authors!

Book 2 – Black House
For the reading challenge(s):
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #35: Character with a secret identity)

So many years have gone by since we first saw Jack Sawyer as a 12-year-old. He’s now 31 years old and a retired cop; he’s able to retire young because he’s got money from his family. He moves to a new place which is of course, in a crisis, from a serial child murderer, and is asked to come back from retirement to help catch the murderer. He resists but the killings are related to his childhood adventure and he is uniquely qualified to fix it.

I love seeing him as an adult and still recognizing the same spirit in him that we saw in the first book. Again, the characters are the best thing about this book, and one of the things I love most is how the characters are portrayed; now that Jack is an adult and the victims are children, we initially see the children as helpless and vulnerable (which is still true in a case such as this!), but we are later reminded by a 10-year old Tyler that children are also smart, resilient, and powerful. I just love that. Obviously, I don’t like that any child was hurt by a serial killer or put in any dangerous situation, but I love that King and Straub write Tyler as having his own agency and power and not just as a helpless victim.

The other characters are amazing too, no surprise there; Beezer, Doc, Dale, Judy/Sophie, and my darling Henry. I love them all. If I had read this series before knowing the third was coming out, I’d have been satisfied with the ending but definitely filling in the blanks with my own ideas of what happens next. Now I’m just anxiously waiting for the next book so I can have some questions answered.

As of this writing, I have not read The Dark Tower series but I’ve seen references to it on Stephen King’s various fan sites, and I’m so excited to see that this story has some connections to The Dark Tower series. I can’t wait to read TDT series next and see what all the hype is about!

Book 3 – Other Worlds Than These
For the reading challenge(s):
TBD

Coming in October 2026!

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this series? Would you read this series? Did you like the books or do you think you would like them?

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Book Review | Elevation by Stephen King

Posted June 12, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 2 Comments

Elevation by Stephen King

Castle Rock is a small town, where word gets around quickly. That’s why Scott Carey wants to confide only in his friend Doctor Bob Ellis about his strange condition: he’s losing weight, without getting thinner, and the scales register the same when he is in his clothes or out of them, however heavy they are.

Scott also has new neighbours, who have opened a ‘fine dining experience’ in town, although it’s an experience being shunned by the locals; Deirdre McComb and her wife Missy Donaldson don’t exactly fit in with the community’s expectations. And now Scott seems trapped in a feud with the couple over their dogs dropping their business on his lawn. Missy may be friendly, but Deirdre is cold as ice.

As the town prepares for its annual Thanksgiving 12k run, Scott starts to understand the prejudices his neighbours face and he tries to help. Unlikely alliances form and the mystery of Scott’s affliction brings out the best in people who have indulged the worst in themselves and others.

From master storyteller Stephen King, our ‘most precious renewable resource, like Shakespeare in the malleability of his work’ (Guardian), comes this compelling tale about finding common ground despite differences, a story with deep resonance for our time.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
The Stephen King Constant Reader Challenge

The Reason

For my Stephen King challenge, plus it was available immediately on Libby when I was looking for a quick read.

The Quotes

“He thought he had discovered one of life’s great truths (and one he could have done without): the only thing harder than saying goodbye to yourself, a pound at a time, was saying goodbye to your friends.”

“Why feel bad about what you couldn’t change? Why not embrace it?”

“Gravity is the anchor that pulls us down into our graves. There would be no grave for this man, and no more gravity, either. He had been given a special dispensation.”

“Sometimes he thought of a saying Nora had brought home from her AA meetings: the past is history, the future’s a mystery.”

The Narrator(s)

The author himself. Stephen King!

My Thoughts

I remember reading this one some years ago, but not paying much attention to it and not remembering much about it after. I enjoy it a lot more this time around. It’s light and whimsical, which is an interesting thing to say about a Stephen King story, but that’s what I love about King; you never know what you’re going to get but you are always going to be in for a great journey. I say journey, because honestly the story is a bit of a nothing-burger, nothing of substance really happens and it feels more like a fairytale than a serious story, but I always enjoy King’s storytelling. His easy way with words, even when you’re reading his scariest book, just keeps me going back to his books over and over again.

This book is a novella at only 146 pages; the characters are interesting but conflicts get resolved quickly and easily, and it’s more of a feel-good story which I’m perfectly happy with sometimes. I also like that there’s a race scene because I’ve been getting into running and reading a few running books recently. It was a really nice, fun read.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Posted June 12, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
N/A

The Reason

This series has been on my TBR ever since it came out years ago but I hadn’t managed to get my hands on the books until they went on sale on Audible recently.

The Quotes

“She wasn’t interested in telling other people’s futures. She was interested in going out and finding her own.”

“She recognized the strange happiness that came from loving something without knowing why you did, that strange happiness that was sometimes so big that it felt like sadness.”

“Watch for the devil. When there’s a god, there’s always a legion of devils.”

“People shout when they don’t have the vocabulary to whisper.”

The Narrator(s)

Will Patton. I love him as a narrator for Stephen King books and having him narrate this book gives it some Stephen King vibes for me.

My Thoughts

I’ve been wanting to read this book for a while because I love ravens and there’s a tarot deck based on the books, but I don’t actually know what the book is about so I went in blind. The story is a little messy and I’m struggling to follow the characters because there are so many of them and I get them mixed up sometimes. I bought the books on audio and I feel like I need to reread on print before I continue with the next books in the series.

In general, I love the vibes, maybe because of all the magic and prophecy, and also Will Patton’s narration, but I feel like I missed certain key details and I don’t know what is actually going on with the characters, and I don’t know who to root for. I haven’t connected with any of the characters either. I want to like the book and give it the benefit of the doubt, I don’t want to blame the book if my confusion is due to my poor listening skills, so I do want to try reading this book again before continuing with the next books.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Glass Library Series by C.J. Archer

Posted May 1, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 4 Comments

Glass Library Series by C.J. Archer

A librarian with a mysterious past, a war hero with a secret, and the heist of a magic painting. THE LIBRARIAN OF CROOKED LANE is an intriguing new fantasy from C.J. Archer, the USA Today bestselling author of the Glass and Steele series.

Librarian Sylvia Ashe knows nothing about her past, having grown up without a father and a mother who refused to discuss him. When she stumbles upon a diary that suggests she’s descended from magicians, she’s skeptical. After all, magicians are special, and she’s just an ordinary girl who loves books. She seeks the truth from a member of the most prominent family of magicians, but she quickly learns that finding the truth won’t be easy, especially when he turns out to be as artless as her, and more compelling and dangerous than books.

War hero Gabe is gifted with wealth, a loving family, and an incredible amount of luck that saw him survive four harrowing years of a brutal war without injury. But not all injuries are visible. Burying himself in his work as a consultant for Scotland Yard, Gabe is going through the motions as he investigates the theft of a magician-made painting. But his life changes when he unwittingly gets Sylvia dismissed from her job and places her in danger.

After securing her new employment in a library housing the world’s greatest collection of books about magic, Gabe and Sylvia’s lives become intwined as they work together to find both the painting and the truth about Sylvia’s past before powerful people can stop them.

But sometimes the past is better left buried…

The Reason

The whole series was on sale in Audible and I thought I’d give it a try.

The Quotes

“A hidden passage inside a library? Have you been reading my childhood diary and discovered all my favorite things?”

“Nobody could make anyone believe something they didn’t want to, no matter how compelling.”

The Narrator(s)

Marian Hussey. She was perfect for the whole series. I enjoyed her narration immensely!

My Thoughts

Book 1 – The Librarian of Crooked Lane
Book 2 – The Medici Manuscript
Book 3 – The Untitled Books
Book 4 – The Dead Letter Delivery
Book 5 – Secrets of the Lost Ledgers
Book 6 – The Journal of a Thousand Years

I had never heard of the books nor the author, but I love bookish books and the titles of the books and series drew me in immediately. The whole series was on sale and a preliminary search of the books made me feel good about an impulse buy. I wasn’t disappointed, it was such an enjoyable series! I especially loved the pacing and the way the stories flowed from one book to the next. To the point where it makes it hard for me to talk about the books one by one (which I initially wanted to do) because I don’t remember where a plot ended and another began, so I’ll just talk about all of them as a whole.

Apparently, this series is a spin-off from the Glass and Steele series by the same author. I was initially interested in reading them too but there are 13 books in the series, and unless I get lucky with another sale, I don’t think I’ll be doing that!

As for this series, they give me dark academia meets magical fantasy meets historical romance vibes. I loved how we get to know the characters more with each book and how their relationship progressions grow naturally. There are references to things that I assumed happen in the Glass and Steele series but doesn’t leave us with questions in this series and, as far as I know, doesn’t seem to spoil the Glass and Steele series.

I listened to the whole series on audio, one right after the other, and I thought it was just the perfect series to listen to during a time where I couldn’t be a hundred percent focused. It was light-hearted and easy to follow, yet also interesting and thrilling enough to keep my attention throughout all six books. I loved the whole experience and I was transported into another world for a wonderful time.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this series? Would you read this series? Did you like it or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | The Founders Trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett

Posted April 10, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 2 Comments

The Founders Trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett

Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is nothing her unique abilities can’t handle.

But unbeknownst to her, Sancia’s been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. The Merchant Houses who control this magic–the art of using coded commands to imbue everyday objects with sentience–have already used it to transform Tevanne into a vast, remorseless capitalist machine. But if they can unlock the artifact’s secrets, they will rewrite the world itself to suit their aims.

Now someone in those Houses wants Sancia dead, and the artifact for themselves. And in the city of Tevanne, there’s nobody with the power to stop them.

To have a chance at surviving—and at stopping the deadly transformation that’s under way—Sancia will have to marshal unlikely allies, learn to harness the artifact’s power for herself, and undergo her own transformation, one that will turn her into something she could never have imagined.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #24: Uneven number of chapters – in Book 1)

The Reason

I’d read the first couple of books a few years ago but never finished the series. I remember enjoying it though and I’m rereading all of them to refresh my memory and finally finish it!

The Quotes

“They said I was one thing. But I have changed my mind.”

“Traditional,” she echoed. “What a curious word that is. So bland, and yet often so poisonous.”

“Gregor Dandolo did his utmost to follow the laws: both the laws of the city, and his own moral laws of the universe. But more and more these days, one seemed to disagree with the other.”

“Reality doesn’t matter. If you can change something’s mind enough, it’ll believe whatever reality you choose.”

The Narrator(s)

Tara Sands. She was wonderful! I love all her voices and characterizations.

My Thoughts

Book 1 – Foundryside
I don’t usually remember very many details of books I’ve read, especially ones I read years ago, but for some reason I remembered more than usual about this book. Sancia’s abilities, Clef’s personality, the way they connected with each other, and then how they joined forces with Gregor, Orso, Berenice, and everyone else. It was all very exciting for me, and I loved how the characters’ personalities worked and clashed with each other in such organic ways. My favorite thing about this book was how everyone had their own agendas and how messy they all were in each of their own ways, and how reluctant they were to work with each other but became allies out of necessity. I got very invested in all of the characters and I wanted to know what happened next for them.

Book 2 – Shorefall
Although this is also a reread, I didn’t remember as much about it as the first book in the series. I did check my notes from my first read and apparently I was a little disappointed because it didn’t give me what I wanted out of it.

Spoiler
I wanted to see more about how the main characters build their Foundry together, worked together strengthening their relationships, using their skills and outwitting the other Foundries. I also felt like we didn’t see enough of Clef until much later.

Rereading it now, I feel the same way, but I went in trying to be more open-minded about what we actually got and I was able to get behind what actually went down. The story this time was still very exciting, and much bigger than previously. There are a lot more magical constructs and inventions that I thought was incredibly imaginative and a little complicated for me, but it works for the story.

I stopped here the first time I read this series, but at this point I’m still in it and I’m excited to finally read the last book!

Book 3 – Locklands
I just finished the book and I am very sorry to say I am very disappointed with it. In fact, I was already disappointed with the second book but trying to give the series the benefit of the doubt. I hoped this book would bring the story home but I felt like it really lost focus and meaning and I didn’t even know what we’re reading anymore. I kept hoping it would finish strong, but at about 80% of the book it got so difficult for me to get through that I seriously considered a DNF. I didn’t because it’s hard to let go of the last 20% of the last book after I’ve read everything before it so I pushed through.

I’m glad I finished so that I can know for sure that I don’t like it, but I am really disappointed it turned out this way. Also, I promise I’m not doing this out of pettiness but I’d like to talk about the editing of the book. The overuse of “rather” and the manner of speaking; “It wasn’t like this, rather, it was like that” happens A LOT. Another one was the use of “wasn’t it?”, “aren’t I?”, “can’t you?” etc., as in; “I can do this, can’t I?”, “The worst is going to happen, isn’t it?”. Obviously these are normal ways of speaking, but it happened a lot and at weird places in the conversation/narration, and with different characters.

It’s possible that these happened in the first two books as well but I didn’t notice as much because it’s a gradual buildup and I only noticed after being exposed for three books and/or I was more immersed in the stories in the first two books and bored with the third so I notice its flaws more. Either way, it’s still a disappointment. I loved the concept, the world-building, and the magical system in this series, but the story now seems so trivial and meaningless to me.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐/5 stars. An overall rating for the series.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Top Ten Tuesday | Portal Fantasy

Posted March 2, 2026 by Haze in Top Ten Tuesday, Weekly Book Memes / 37 Comments

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl that features a different bookish topic every week.

Today’s topic is Genre Freebie  

I decided to go with “portal fantasy” for today’s genre freebie. Portal fantasy is when people from the “real world” suddenly find themselves transported into an alternate reality, a fantasy world, via some sort of portal like a book or a wardrobe. Some of these are well-known and loved, and others less so, but I realized I enjoy portal fantasy a lot. What other books have you read and loved that fall into the portal fantasy genre? Please share them with me!

Top Ten Portal Fantasy Books

  1. Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan – The MC is sick and unwell in real life and finds herself transported into one of her favorite books as a villain. It was one of my favorite surprises; I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did but I’m obsessed and eagerly waiting the next one.
  2. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster – This book probably doesn’t need an intro since I only read it because so many of you gushed about it! I’m so glad you did because I loved it and I kind of feel like rereading it now.
  3. Oz: The Complete Collection by L. Frank Baum – Dorothy goes from the real world into Oz via hurricane. Not really the portal I would choose to go through if I had a choice, but I love the Oz stories and was surprised that Dorothy is only a small part of the whole collection!
  4. The Neverending Story by Michael Ende – This is one of my favorite books (and I loved the movies too!) but it’s been a while since I read it. I’m mixing up a lot of the book details with the movie details so it makes sense that I should just go ahead and reread it and rewatch the movies soon!
  5. Fairy Tale by Stephen King – If King wrote it and it fits the prompt, it sits on the list! This is one of my favorite King books, but I love so many King books I don’t know if being my “favorite” King book carries weight anymore. This one is fantasy, not horror, has found family and a dog, and is just really good.
  6. The Astral Library by Kate Quinn – I’ve been wanting to read more of Kate Quinn and this is on my TBR. It’s probably the most recently released book on the list and I’m very excited about it, because it’s about a hidden library where you can go inside your favorite books and visit those worlds!
  7. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke – In the same vein, this one is also about being transported into a book world. Full disclosure, I’ve only watched the movie but I love the idea and I’ve been thinking that I should probably read the book.
  8. Her Majesty’s Wizard by Christopher Stasheff – I loved this book as a child. It’s a series of 8 books but I’ve only read up to book 4 because I didn’t know there were more at the time! In the first book, the “wizard” is just a normal guy from the real world who gets transported into a world with a rhyming magical system, and he becomes a powerful wizard in that world just because he’s good with rhymes. I love it and I’m going to reread it all over again!
  9. The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher – I love Kingfisher and I loved this book. I found it so creepy but in a good way, and I jumped at shadows for a while, but it was worth it!
  10. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis – I feel like this is another one that doesn’t need an intro because it’s probably one of the most popular portal fantasy and everyone knows about the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe. However, I realized suddenly as I was writing this, that this is another one of those stories you think you know because it’s so popular, but I’ve only read the first book and not any of the others! I need to rectify this.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them? Would you read any of these books?

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Book Review | Brigands & Breadknives (Legends & Lattes #2) by Travis Baldree

Posted February 17, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 4 Comments

Brigands & Breadknives (Legends & Lattes #2) by Travis Baldree

Return to the cozy fantasy world of the #1 New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes series with a new adventure featuring fan-favorite, foul-mouthed bookseller, Fern.

Fern has weathered the stillness and storms of a bookseller’s life for decades, but now, in the face of crippling ennui, transplants herself to the city of Thune to hang out her shingle beside a long-absent friend’s coffee shop. What could be a better pairing? Surely a charming renovation montage will cure what ails her!

If only things were so simple…

It turns out that fixing your life isn’t a one-time prospect, nor as easy as a change of scenery and a lick of paint.

A drunken and desperate night sees the rattkin waking far from home in the company of a legendary warrior surviving on inertia, an imprisoned chaos-goblin with a fondness for silverware, and an absolutely thumping hangover.

As together they fend off a rogue’s gallery of ne’er-do-wells trying to claim the bounty the goblin represents, Fern may finally reconnect with the person she actually is when there isn’t a job to get in the way.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #26: Title in a serif font)

The Reason

I wanted more of the Legends & Lattes world!

The Quotes

“Sometimes the storm clears away the wreckage.”

“”We goes when is time to be somewhere else,” said Zyll.”

“I could wish you hadn’t seen the worst of me, but I’m glad you looked past it until you saw the back of me.”

“Always remember, although the unimaginative see life as a thread stretched from one point to another, birth to death, a life truly lived is a glorious tangle. One is never lost. And if one is lucky, one is never found, either.”

The Narrator(s)

The author himself. I enjoy his narration in general but I had trouble understanding many of the made-up words and names, a common problem with fantasy stories, so I ended up switching to a physical copy of the book.

My Thoughts

Full disclosure, I didn’t like this book as much as the first two. The author mentions in the acknowledgement that he worried people might not enjoy this book as much because it was not as cozy and was higher conflict than the first two books, but that he didn’t want to write the same book over and over, and frankly I respect that. This wasn’t the issue for me.

My issue was that I didn’t like Fern very much here because she was so wishy-washy and uncertain about everything, and yet constantly complaining and imposing her opinions on others. On the one hand, I recognize that I don’t like seeing these traits in her because I really didn’t like seeing these traits in myself, so I get that I have work to do for myself. But it was just really annoying to be shown a mirror.

I did enjoy the rest of the book, and I love Zyll’s character so much! As mentioned, the author said he didn’t want to write the same book over and over, and that actually makes me look forward to more books in this series because I’d love to see how these characters and their stories change and evolve as we go!

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Hierarchy Series (Books 1-2) by James Islington

Posted January 17, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 2 Comments

Hierarchy Series by James Islington

AUDI. VICE. TACE.

The Catenan Republic-the Hierarchy-may rule the world, but they do not know everything.

I tell them my name is Vis Telimus. I tell them I was orphaned three years ago, and that only good fortune has got me into their most prestigious school. I tell them that, when I graduate, I will allow my strength and drive-what they call Will-to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as everyone must do.

I tell them that I belong, and they believe me.

But the truth is that I have been sent to the Academy to solve a murder. To search for an ancient weapon. To uncover secrets that may tear the Republic apart.

And that I will never cede my Will to the empire that executed my family.

To survive, though, I will have to rise through the Academy’s ranks, and win. Because if I cannot, those who know my real name will no longer have any use for me.

And if the Hierarchy finds out who I truly am, they will kill me.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 
(Prompt #5: Featuring a conspiracy and #14: Includes a character list)

The Reason

A friend talked about these books recently and I got curious!

The Quotes

“Silence is a statement, Diago. Inaction picks a side. And when those lead to personal benefit, they are complicity.”

“There comes a point in every man’s life where he can rail against the unfairness of the world until he loses, or he can do his best in it. Remain a victim, or become a survivor.”

“They know the system is wrong, but they choose not to think or speak up or act because they ultimately hope that in their silence, they will gain. Or at the very least not have to give more than they have already given.”

“They ask something small of you. A thing you would prefer not to do, but is not so terrible. You think you are working your way up, but in fact they are changing you. Moulding you into what they think you should be, one compromise at a time.”

The Narrator(s)

Euan Morton. He did an amazing job for both books! I loved the narration and the different voices for each character. It was very immersive.

My Thoughts

Book 1 – The Will of the Many
It reminded me a lot of Red Rising to an extent. Vis was a little bit of a Gary Stu character, to be honest, but it’s also somewhat understandable because of his background and I’ll accept it and hold my suspension of belief. I love the worldbuilding and the concept of the hierarchy magical system. I also love the bromance between Vis and Eidhin. Those were my favorite parts. I find it difficult to trust anyone else in the book for Vis at this point, but I’d trust Eidhin with my life. I do feel like the story was trying to do too much; there were too many things happening and not enough follow-through, but hopefully these are things that will be addressed in future books. Overall, I’m loving the story and characters.

Book 2 – The Strength of the Few
This book was a little confusing to listen on audio because now there are several different worlds to follow, and I found it difficult to keep track of them. It got better later into the book once I got a clearer idea of who, what, and where, we were reading about. There were a lot of exciting moments, the chariot scene was so thrilling, but again, I’ll state that we are in danger of Vis becoming too much of a Gary Stu. I also didn’t like the hypocrisy of his actions no matter his justification. Everyone has their justification on why it’s okay for them to do the things, and it doesn’t make it right, much less for Vis. As with the first book, a lot happens and it’s a bit overwhelming. I don’t know where this story is going and how many more books there’s going to be, but a lot of the plot seems overcomplicated at this point. I still really loved the story and I’m still curious about how the story’s going to go, but I may or may not finish the series depending on what comes next.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

Posted January 17, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 2 Comments

The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

When COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls “an animal rights organization.” Tom’s team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit. Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on.

What Tom doesn’t tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at least. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm and human-free world. They’re the universe’s largest and most dangerous panda and they’re in trouble.

It’s not just the Kaiju Preservation Society that’s found its way to the alternate world. Others have, too–and their carelessness could cause millions back on our Earth to die.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #33: A standalone fantasy novel)

The Reason

I’ve been loving John Scalzi’s works and impulsively bought a couple of his books on audio.

The Quotes

“It was stupidly perfect how all my problems were suddenly solved with the strategic application of money.”

“There is a certain type of person who feels like they must be armed at every moment of the day or else the world will come for them in some way. Back home, this is very much not a good way to live.”

“I mean, I don’t know that I was actually planning to possibly die tonight in order to protect a kaiju,” Kahurangi said. “But I might be willing to possibly die to save a kaiju and ten thousand Canadians.”

The Narrator(s)

Wil Wheaton. I did not like his narration at all, to the point that I wanted to DNF and/or finish the book on a print copy. I only hate-listened to the audiobook because I bought the it on a promo and I couldn’t even return it. I didn’t like his inflections and it was incredibly difficult to differentiate the characters so a lot of the time I don’t even know who said what. It also felt like he was reading the book to children with exaggerated voices and expressions, it’s not how natural conversation sounds like. I like Wheaton as an actor and have listened to some of his narration before without much issue, but his work with this book for some reason is horrendous.

My Thoughts

I don’t know if I can give a fair review for this book seeing as how my experience of listening to it on audiobook was so bad. However, I have read a couple of Scalzi’s other works and loved them, and I think I got the gist of this book too and loved parts of it that I got. I will probably reread this book on a print copy some time soon.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

Posted December 15, 2025 by Haze in Book Reviews / 1 Comment

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

Vampires and vaqueros face off on the Texas-Mexico border in this supernatural western from the author of The Hacienda.

As the daughter of a rancher in 1840s Mexico, Nena knows a thing or two about monsters—her home has long been threatened by tensions with Anglo settlers from the north. But something more sinister lurks near the ranch at night, something that drains men of their blood and leaves them for dead.

Something that once attacked Nena nine years ago.

Believing Nena dead, Néstor has been on the run from his grief ever since, moving from ranch to ranch working as a vaquero. But no amount of drink can dispel the night terrors of sharp teeth; no woman can erase his childhood sweetheart from his mind.

When the United States attacks Mexico in 1846, the two are brought abruptly together on the road to war: Nena as a curandera, a healer striving to prove her worth to her father so that he does not marry her off to a stranger, and Néstor as a member of the auxiliary cavalry of ranchers and vaqueros. But the shock of their reunion—and Nena’s rage at Néstor for seemingly abandoning her long ago—is quickly overshadowed by the appearance of a nightmare made flesh.

And unless Nena and Néstor work through their past and face the future together, neither will survive to see the dawn.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2025 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #15: Includes Latin American history)

The Reason

I needed a book for the Latin American history prompt, and I love vampire stories. I saw this book listed as a possible fit for the prompt and was immediately intrigued!

The Quotes

“He was a man of dust who served men of silver: it was impossible not to know his place in the world.”

“She became more and more tightly bound by the ropes of womanhood; he roamed free, unburdened by responsibilities.”

“This creature, whether it was made by God’s hand or the Devil’s, whether it was born of its own foul will in the shadows of the chaparral, would feed as it had been born to feed. That alone did not make it evil.”

The Narrator(s)

Jose Nateras, and Krysta Gonzales. The narrators did a really good job!

My Thoughts

This might be one of my least favorite books of the year. I had high hopes for the book; I mean, vampires in such a rich cultural setting! There was so much potential and I really wanted something good! But it was just so disappointing.

Some people have mentioned being disappointed because it seemed like it was more of a romance story than a horror one, and I agree because it really seemed like the vampires were barely there except as a weak plot point because in the end, the vampire storyline really fizzled out and the way it was resolved seemed like such a cop-out. But let me tell you, I have been craving romances and I wouldn’t have minded that if it was a good romance story, but it wasn’t that either!

This book is about two very immature adults (I couldn’t believe they were freaking adults and not children!) having a really long, drawn-out argument about something that happened when they were children, that honestly shouldn’t have been as big a deal as they made it. It was the same argument, over and over and over again throughout the book, and I was so sick and tired of them! The only reason I finished this book is because I’m really close to finishing the 2025 52 Book Club Reading Challenge and wanted to cross this prompt off my list. I’m not sure if it was worth it or if I should’ve just tried to find another book for the prompt.

My Rating

⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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