#YA Retelling

[maggiekwest]

AHHHHHH LOOKIT THE PRETTIES!!! 🥹

I love my new covers so much 💕💕

[jessread-s]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

✩⚔️🔥Review:

A fast-paced, Pakistani romantic fantasy that leaves little to be desired!

“For She is Wrath” follows a talented swordswoman named Dania after she is framed for a crime she didn’t commit, which leads her down a path of vengeance against those who betrayed her—including the boy she used to love.

Using “The Count of Monte Cristo” as the foundation for her fantasy novel, Varga diversifies Dumas’ characters and carefully constructs a world with djinn magic to create something wholly new and her own. With magic thrown into the mix, a higher cost is attributed to Dania’s all-consuming vengeance to further emphasizes the idea that seeking retribution often does more harm than good. As a classic literature lover, I really enjoyed how Varga’s debut explores the same themes as its source of inspiration, but from the perspective of a strong, powerful female character! Picking up on the little easter eggs woven into the atmospheric prose was definitely an added bonus.

While not the main focus of the book, Dania and Mazin’s lovers-to-enemies relationship arc is intoxicating. The past and present dual timelines help to establish their palpable connection and the gut-wrenching events leading up to Dania’s false imprisonment. Despite the rage-inducing suffering she endured at his hand, she cannot escape the lingering feelings that rise to the surface whenever she is in his presence, adding sizzling tension. 

This standalone truly manages to have it all—characters you cannot help but root for, heart-racing twists, political intrigue, and a satisfying conclusion! I am hopeful that more books set in this world are to follow with the way things wrapped up. 

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

[kappabooks]

Can't Wait Wednesday | January 17th

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa A trans boy searches for a future―and a romance―in which he can live and love…

[ekbelsher]

Where you going with that axe, love?

[authoreverking]

🐦‍⬛ Raven Society 🐦‍⬛

The Raven Society is a secret society at the Academy of Magic, known for its unconventional methods and mysterious members. While rumors paint them as dark and dangerous, they’re more focused on unraveling the secrets of magic than anything else. Each member is hiding a secret that will have you questioning who the true villain of this story really is.

Author’s Note: I’m so excited to finally share the Raven Society with you all! These characters have been living in my head for years, and bringing them to life through writing and illustrations has been amazing. I can’t wait to share their Greek mythology-inspired love stories with you. There’s so much magic, mystery, and romance ahead! 😊🏛️🥀

📚 Book: Academy of Villains by Ever King

Learn More: Academy of Villains Series

[ireadyabooks]

Pre-Order WITCHKILLER!

"This dark, delicious retelling of Hansel and Gretel reimagines the world through the eyes of a girl awakening to her own strength." -- Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Gretel had no choice.

Her brother Hansel was in danger, and she had to kill the witch. Five months later, she is still ripped from her dreams and awoken by the noise of her sword tearing into the witch’s flesh. Her waking hours are no better. Hansel has grown more and more like their monstrous father by the day. The society she now inhabits has trapped her in an endless cycle of balls with nobles who sneer at her family’s new money. And worst of all, her greedy father has issued his newest ploy to increase his wealth. Gretel must marry, and soon.

Devastated at the prospect of a lifetime with an old, decrepit husband, she flees a ball…and runs right into Prince Wilfried. When Gretel divulges the reality of her situation, Wilfried comes up with a solution. He is also being pressured to find a suitable future queen -- they can both delay the inevitable by faking an engagement. Gretel agrees, and what starts as a ruse quickly deepens as she finds herself falling for the handsome prince.

But in the quiet of night, still trapped in her castle with her memories, Gretel feels the walls closing in and ventures into the neighboring woods. There, she meets Katharina, a beautiful witch who introduces her to the witch community. But these women aren’t evil -- they’re healers, and Gretel is drawn to them.

When information comes to light implicating her family’s involvement in a traitorous plot and endangering the lives of herself and those she’s grown to care about, Gretel must ask herself -- did the wrong person die in that cottage? And can the Witchkiller become a witch?

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY!

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[littlebluejaydraws]

Close your eyes, close your eyes and relax, think of nothing tonight ~

ID in alt text

[leslie-redirects-here]

A Traitorous Heart by Erin Cotter

Queer book published 2025

A noblewoman in the scandalous French court finds herself under the dangerous and watchful eye of the Parisian royalty when she falls in love with the handsome king who is betrothed to her former lover in this bisexual The Three Musketeers by way of Bridgerton and F.T. Lukens.

Paris, 1572. Seventeen-year-old Jacqueline “Jac” d’Argenson-Aunis is lady-in-waiting to her best friend and former lover, the French Princess Marguerite “Margot” de Valois, but she dreams of more. If Jac plays her cards right, one day, she’ll become a full member of the Societas Solis, a secret society of spies—just like her uncle and guardian, Viscount Gabriel d’Argenson-Aunis.

But it’s hard to think about her own ambitions while France is on the brink of war, and the only thing that might save the country is an alliance—a marriage between the Catholic Princess Margot and Henry, the awful son of the Huguenot queen. Who would be the perfect person to play matchmaker? Jac, of course.

Jac resents lying to her best friend almost as much as she resents the brazen and arrogant King Henry, but it’s her one chance to prove to the Societas Solis that she belongs among their ranks before her uncle can marry her off or worse. The more time Jac spends in the French Court’s clandestine corners, though, the more she starts to wonder if Henry is…not as terrible as she once believed. And the Societas Solis may not be what they seem.

Politics. Spies. Chaos in the French court. Perhaps even witchcraft? Everything’s more dangerous when love is involved.

All queer books | All queer books published 2025 | Main blog

[maggiekwest]

Pre-Release Readers Wanted!!

Greetings dear readers!! I’m looking for ARC readers for my upcoming book, Son of Lightning.

The bonus is, I’m giving you the first two books in the series for free ;)

What is an ARC reader?

ARCS (Advance Reader Copies) are unpublished copies of a book that go out to a select group of readers to read and review before the book launches to the public.

This is a super important step in the successful launch of a book, because it allows authors to gather early reviews and spread the word about their upcoming release!

Son of Lightning is book 3 in the Descendants of Robin Hood trilogy.

In order to review it, you probably want to read the first two in the series first. But, you don’t have to! In the ARC (advance reader copy) application, I’ve included the option to just receive a synopsis of each book.

So, you can choose whether you’d like to download the other books as ebooks, or just download a synopsis!

Click Here for the ARC Application!

But what’s the series about?

Eight hundred years ago, a powerful sorcerer laid a trap for Robin Hood. But the curse backfired, releasing a burst of pure magic. Robin Hood’s descendants carry this magic as elemental powers.

The two nations of descendants are on the brink of war. Jack’s North Wind power is about to manifest when the rival nation attacks. Now Jack is on the run from the Sheriff, sorcerers, and a mysterious girl of the shadows as he struggles to contain his chaotic power.

As the war deepens, a villain out of legend rises to crush any opposition and claim his immortal throne. But the Sorcerer Gisborne’s plans run much deeper than first believed, and Dark sorcery spreads like a plague.

Follow Jack’s adventure along with a swing-first-ask-questions-later Fire bender, a Lightning bender with a dark secret, and a talking baby panther who is maybe more than meets the eye.

In Book 3…

There’s two sides to every story.

Jack’s victory over Sorcerer Gisborne is bittersweet as he struggles with the grief of Nick’s death to the all-consuming Sorcerer. Nick, buried in his own mind, struggles desperately to maintain his identity as he is pushed deeper and deeper under Gisborne’s control.

Determined that no one else will die, Jack sets off to rescue Natanian from the monsters who kidnapped him. But what he discovers will set off a chain of events far worse than he could dream. As the Ealdra weave corruption through the world, Jack faces a choice between saving his nation, and saving his friends.

View Content Warnings

Sign me up!

If this series sounds like the perfect read for you, or you’ve read the first two books and can’t wait to see how the story concludes, click the button below to fill out the short Google Form. ;)

Google Form Sign Up

I don’t have any restrictions on who can ARC read for me. As long as you love fantasy, or you’re willing to take a chance on a young adult elemental fantasy, go for it!

If you’d like to review the book before it launches, it comes out on June 25th, which is 7 weeks away. 

But, it’s important to know that if it takes you a couple weeks after launch, or a couple months after launch, you’re not going to hurt my feelings! I know life happens, so just get to it when you can.

I hope you dive into this adventure with me, and see you over at the sign up form!

[jessread-s]

✩⚔️🏰Series Review:

⋆ Adventure and suspense ⋆ Political intrigue ⋆ Romance ⋆ Multiple pov

What started out as a twist on Robin Hood turned into an action-packed, high-stakes adventure with brooding pirates, power-hungry consuls, and warring kingdoms that I could not put down. With each book in the series, I grew closer to Kemmerer’s characters and further immersed myself in the world they inhabited. All the tears I shed were worth it in the end and I look forward to reading Kemmerer’s next project. 

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

[books-as-mood-boards]

ᴘᴇʀᴄʏ ᴊᴀᴄᴋꜱᴏɴ & ᴛʜᴇ ᴏʟʏᴍᴘɪᴀɴꜱ // rick riordan

[ekbelsher]

How many ways can I draw this couple kissing? I found a ton of these while putting together my 2023 artvsartist grid. Way more than what's here, but these are the ones that I like, that have no background, and won't get me banned on social media haha

[aroaessidhe]

2025 reads / storygraph

The End Crowns All

sapphic YA reimagining of the fall of troy, from Cassandra & Helen’s POVs

Cassandra is offered the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but backs out on sleeping with him, and he curses her so that nobody believes her visions

Hera came to Troy for love, bringing a war in her wake, and while they initially hate each other, slowly a friendship and romance develops

as the war and political situation gets worse, they desperately try and save their city through the strands of fate they have access to, despite the fact that Troy is destined to fall

ace lesbian & bi MCs

[the-weed-and-read]

Finished Bloodmarked (book 2 in the Legendborm cycle).

My only request for Oathbound is NO MORE LOVE TRIANGLE. Please give me a “why choose” trope. I need a beautiful poly pairing to be established. Please. I’m begging. 🙏🏼

[lgbtqreads]

Exclusive Cover Reveal: This Wretched Beauty by Elle Grenier

Not to play favorites, but I have been waiting for this book since the dawn of time, so I am wildly excited to be revealing the cover today of This Wretched Beauty by Elle Grenier, a transfeminine YA remix of The Picture of Dorian Gray releasing from Feiwel & Friends in their Remixed Classics series on February 17, 2026! Here’s the story: Happiness needs to be earned in the face of impossible…

[fictionadventurer]

Blue: A Retelling of "The Blue Castle" by M.J. Rednow

Valancy is not a rebel. Every moment of her day is controlled by the artificial intelligence that monitors her movements, but she doesn't dare to resist strict rules of Stirling Society. Any who object are cast out of their safe city and banished to the toxic, dangerous Wilderness. Yet Valancy dreams of freedom, inspired by the secretly subversive writings of John Foster. His supposedly scientific texts speak of the beauty of nature and spark thoughts of society beyond Stirling control--yet, for Valancy, these can be nothing more than dreams. Then the infallible AI medical doctor informs Valancy that she has less than a year to live. Valancy realizes that she doesn't want to die never having lived, and she begins to push back against the restrictions of her life. She speaks out against the pointless rules, helps an invalid deemed useless to society, and is eventually cast out into the Wilderness, where she marries a mysterious outcast who teaches her to brave the wonders and terrors of nature--and maybe, to bring down the Stirling society once and for all.