It’s June 30, the last day of the month. Summer is fully underway and it has been hot. I’ve gotten to spend some time reading in the shade while my daughter splashes in her pool. I’ll admit there’s also been some hiding in the air conditioned spaces with books too. This week I read through an advance reader copy (ARC) of a novella, then started on some lovely “required reading” for another upcoming ARC. Here’s the full recap.

1. Bound in Violet Ink – Charlotte Mallory

CW: Misogyny, Imprisonment, War, Neglect, Forced Marriage, Prison Riot, Graphic Depictions of Violence & Injuries, Drugging, Graphic Sexual Content, Blood

Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the eARC! This one will be coming out on August 1st, so not too long of a wait now.

Summary:

As the adopted daughter of a Seelie lord, Victoria’s life looks good on paper. The truth is that she’s trapped within a gilded cage. So when she has a chance encounter with an Unseelie lord, she believes it’s only rebellion that causes her to obsess over him. When he’s captured and thrown in prison after protecting her, she can’t resist writing letters to him in secret. To her great surprise, he responds, and their connection begins to build.

My Thoughts:

This is a shorter story that you can probably breeze through in an afternoon. If you’re a fan of romantasies with fated mates, fae politics, and darkly star-crossed romance, this can be a good quick fix. It has some great yearning that builds up to a satisfying bit of spice. It leans on a lot of fae tropes that are frequent fan favorites. Anyone who can’t get enough of those will love this one as a palate cleanser, beach read, or travel entertainment.

Those who turn to novellas for more concentrated stories with greater intensity won’t find that, however. In some ways, this felt more like a teaser for a longer work still to come than a standalone work. While there’s certainly a lot going on around the characters in terms of a full world with major events, most of that is skimmed over. It’s clear the author has much more in mind for the relationship between the two main characters as well. Because none of these areas were tackled fully, the book came across more like supplemental material than the main story, or even really a foundation of a greater story to come. The novella format did not suit the scope of the story. That said, if this author experiments with longer formats for future works, I’ll be interested.

2. Lore of the Wilds – Analeigh Sbrana

CW: Classism, Loss of Parent, Large-Scale Natural Disaster, Captivity, Parentification, Kidnapping, Blood, Graphic Depictions of Violence and Injuries (likely more to come)

Summary:

Though they work hard to make the most of it, Lore and the other people of her village are trapped there. The ruthless fae who control the area make sure of it. Lore has grown to despise them, and not without reason. Still, when her village finds itself in dire need of aid, she’s willing to make a deal with a fae lord.

The library of the fae has remained magically sealed for the last millennium. No fae can survive crossing the threshold, but this lord suspects that a human could. He’s willing to take that risk. He also suspects that he can make use of the texts inside. For the promise of helping her village (and the allure of the knowledge she might discover), Lore agrees. Always be careful when bargaining with fae. She uncovers more than she signed up for.

My Thoughts:

I’m really having fun with this one so far. I received a copy from the publisher after signing up for an ARC of the second book in the duology. (Lore of the Tides will be coming out on July 8th). I’m almost halfway through this book and already know I’ll be excited to dive right into the next one when I’m done. I’m really enjoying the main character’s inner voice and the fresh take on the fae in fiction. They have a few characteristics I’ve seen in old folklore but not in modern fiction. The worldbuilding is immersive and it’s a place that will keep calling you back in as a reader. You can’t help but want to explore more. The characters around the protagonist are also extremely loveable. Villains are both realistic and easy to get riled up against.

I’m at a point where the plot feels like it’s really picking up and I’m looking forward to where it’s going. I’ll give an update on it next week along with my review for Lore of the Tides. If it continues like this, you can expect a lot of praise to come.

June 30 is Now in the Books

That’s everything up through June 30. I’ll probably close out the month by polishing off another beta read before I finish Lore of the Wilds. I’ve also got a bunch more ARCs on my list plus an ever-growing physical TBR from all my bookstore adventures. I plan to visit every single one in the state. Since I’m in Massachusetts, I’m lucky enough to have a lot of them. You can join in along with my partner and I in our explorations – we have a whole playlist of bookstore videos for you to check out!

Keep an eye out on my YouTube channel or the main updates page here to follow along on all my bookish adventures. My reading recaps go out on Mondays and bookstore adventure videos go out on Thursdays. Plus, there are lots of little shorts in between. As always, I want to hear from you! What have you been reading lately? Are you having fun with it? Have you read any of these titles, and if so, what did you think of them? Tell me everything, and follow along for more!