Reading Roundup #36: Queens Among Witches

I wasn’t sure I’d have the brain capacity to write this post because it’s only Wednesday, but WOW WHAT A WEEK. Utter madness at the office, I tell ya. But things calmed down, I crashed for a few hours, ate lots of comfort food, and somehow found the energy to put down some thoughts. Everything else may have been crappy, but books! Books were my happy place! So many good stories in my hands, filled with magic and drama and humor!

The Vine Witch (The Vine Witch #1) by Luanne G. Smith: Told with the simplicity and darkness of an old fairy tale, The Vine Witch is atmospheric and moody in the best way. The clunky plotting leaves a little something to be desired, but I fell in love with this rich fantasy world and its characters. The sequels aren’t high on my TBR, but I will definitely get to them!

Subtle Blood (Will Darling Adventures #3) by KJ Charles: I’m sad to say goodbye to this delightful series. Charles’s writing is as sharp and incisive as ever, and the characters all get exactly the ending I wanted for them. It’s easy to imagine how their lives after “the end” will be – filled with adventure, as ever. My only disappointment in this book was that it didn’t have quite so much literal and figurative backstabbing, which was always such fun in the previous books, but I guess the characters have to reach a semi-healthy state at some point. And that’s really what this book is about – relationships and personal growth, which is lovely, if fairly peaceful.

But if Subtle Blood lacks betrayal and violent, The Viper (Highland Guard #4) by Monica McCarty more than makes up for it! This is one of my favorites in the series, which is… something I don’t feel like examining too closely because it is also one of the most disturbing and messed up, particularly in the romance department. I mean, these people need ALL the therapy. But watching Lachlan and Bella, two people who have every reason to distrust each other, learn to let their guards down and trust is so satisfying. Plus, it’s one of the books that covers a long period of time, so you really see the development through the years, which I always like. Still, trigger warnings for… pretty much everything. 😅

The True Queen (Sorcerer Royal #2) by Zen Cho swings us back in the other direction, though, with lightness and whimsy! I enjoyed the first book, but you can really tell this sequel has benefited from Cho’s growth as a writer. The plot is tighter, the characters stronger, and the zany humor is out in full force. And there’s even more of my favorite gentle dragon, Rollo!

And what about you, friends? What books have been brightening your days lately?

–b