Review: The Invisible Spy by Thomas Maier

The Invisible Spy: Churchill's Rockefeller Center Spy Ring and America's First Secret Agent of World War II

by Thomas Maier

Release Date: March 25, 2025

2025 Hanover Square Press

Ebook ARC; 480 Pages

ISBN: 978-1335000606

ASIN: B0CW1HKMXV

Audiobook: B0D3RYDG1V

Genre: Non-Fiction / WWII

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

2.5 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

As a tough but smart Italian American kid, Ernest Cuneo played Ivy League football at Columbia University and was in the old Brooklyn Dodgers NFL franchise before becoming a City Hall lawyer and “Brain Trust'' aide to President Roosevelt. He was on the payroll of national radio columnist Walter Winchell and mingled with the famous and powerful. But his status as a spy remained a secret, hiding in plain sight.

During this time, Cuneo began a love affair with one of Churchill's agents at Rockefeller Center—Margaret Watson, a beautiful Canadian woman with a photographic memory ideal for spycraft. In one nighttime attack, Watson was nearly smothered to death by a Nazi assassin inside her women’s dormitory near Rockfeller Center. Cuneo’s transformation from a gridiron athlete into a high-stakes intelligence go-between and political influencer is one of the great untold stories of American espionage. He has remained “invisible” in the public eye—until now, with this unveiled look into his life.

 

My Thoughts

The Invisible Spy was a tough read for me and I actually had to put it down the first time as I couldn't finish it, but picked it back up again this year and was finally able to push through.  I actually felt the word 'spy' was used rather loosely for the tale being told in relation to Cuneo which is why I had such a problem with this book. In all honesty, I was much more interested in the rest of the people the book discussed because I felt like it was more of who Cuneo knew and associated with than what he actually did.  The overall information is good, but what Cuneo did was more in the veins of misinformation and redirection than actually spying.

 

As always with such a novel, we get a look into Cuneo's early life and how he developed his connections that would enable him to do some of the things he did during the war. And for pretty much three-quarters of the book, this is what we got.  Yes, some interesting historical figures popped into the book from time to time and although the book wasn't about them, I wish more details had been given about them as they were much more interesting and definitely had an impact on what happened with Cuneo's social circle of people.  There was actually a lot of good information that was included, but it got wrapped up in the mundane details of things going on in New York City as well as repetitive and commonplace goings-on that it was a challenge to push through at times. I think a lot of it could have been edited out to make for a tighter timeline of events that would have been more interesting for a reader. And I have a history background, taught it for over thirty years, and love this kind of stuff.  But when you introduce a person, you don't need to remind the reader over and over again who they are and what they do as it gets old, fast.  

 

The book was very detailed and I appreciated that, but I am not sure it really gave the reader the impression that was intended as the execution was uneven and sort of jumps around in a way that does not make it easy for readers who are not familiar with events to get a good grasp.  Although I am familiar with a lot of things from this book, there was some new information for me and I enjoyed learning about some of these things. However, I was always skeptical throughout the book as the author maintained it was because of his association with Cuneo that influenced Ian Fleming with regards to his 'Bond' books, but having read several biographies on Fleming, I feel like this information is not necessarily factual and nothing in this book convinced me otherwise.  However, the last quarter of the book was probably the best part and I did enjoy reading about the Cold War and the roles both Cuneo and Fleming played although the parts about Fleming were not new to me, Cuneo's role definitely was and I did appreciate learning more about that.  

 

Verdict

The Invisible Spy definitely had its moments and there were a lot of very interesting sections in this book, things that I learned in more detail and things that were new to me so I very much appreciated the amount of research and detail that were into those descriptions.  I'm still not convinced that Cuneo had a role to play with regards to Fleming and the influence he had on his writing the Bond books, but the last quarter of this book was the most fascinating and I wish the author had used that style throughout the book.  For the most part, I found the flow of the earlier sections to be quite different and tough to get through and the good information seemed to be shoved between unnecessary descriptions that could have been edited out. All in all, this really wasn't about a spy but more about spying, Cuneo's manipulations, his associations with actual spies and the people who ran the spy networks, and a very loose association with Fleming.  

 

Review: The Enigma Challenge by S.C. Godfrey

The Enigma Challenge

by S.C. Godfrey

Release Date: August 11, 2026

2026 Pamela Dorman Books

Ebook ARC; 336 Pages

ISBN: 979-8217059676 

ASIN: B0G1X3L12N

Audiobook: B0G1XPLKHF

Genre: Fiction / Thriller / Romance

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Zoe Wilder has the unflashy, solitary life of an academic, studying ciphers in literature at a California university. When her research takes her to a cryptology conference in Madrid, she’s not expecting to trigger the Enigma Challenge, a clandestine puzzle competition few dare to enter.

The Enigma Challenge is an infamous competition with impossibly high stakes: Lose, and your identity is wiped forever. It doesn’t take long for Zoe to realize that she’s in over her head. Enter Dane Seaver: the mysterious hacker who insists they team up. Dane knows the Enigma Challenge—its secrets, its players—and Zoe knows ciphers. For better or worse, they need each other.

Six days, five puzzles, three countries, and innumerable rivals. What’s more, the spark of attraction between them becomes harder to ignore, but distractions are dangerous. With twelve million dollars and multiple lives on the line, the Enigma Challenge is anyone’s game.

 

My Thoughts

The Enigma Challenge was a decent book and I did enjoy the actual challenge even if I found the romance cringey and didn't really feel the connection romantically between the two main characters. I definitely enjoyed the descriptions of the different locales having visited most of them (except Madrid), and could picture myself in each of the locations. And while I did enjoy the puzzles, I wish they had been a bit more challenging considering this was supposed to be a really difficult competition and only the best cryptographers would have a chance at winning. How difficult is it if someone can solve it in less than an hour?

 

I can't say the plot moved along that quickly as there were definitely some slower parts to this story, but while I was hoping for more thrills and action, I didn't necessarily find it boring. However Zoe's teenage crush on Dane quickly became annoying and the constant crushing on him grew old fast. The Enigma Challenge is supposed to be very difficult and people get hurt, and while Zoe and Dane did have a couple of close calls, most of those were avoided due to convenience and I never felt like they were in any danger. And in the wilds of Scotland, the author never really explained how Zoe, who has never hiked a day in her life, managed to get to the location in the wilds even if she was with someone else. As someone who hikes a lot, this sort of bothered me because this would not be easy to do and she was injured on top of it. So yeah, a bit of suspension of belief was necessary for some parts of this book.  

 

So, let's talk about Zoe, a woman who wants to play the enigma challenge, but really has no clue what it is or what the consequences of the game could be. Yet, she goes along with a man she has just met and trusts him with her life to complete a challenge she really knows nothing about.  And gets upset when this same person doesn't reveal his whole life to her as they compete because you know, he should definitely trust a stranger with all his information as well as 'trust is so important'. Holy hell! You're in a game with someone you don't know, the stakes are super high, and you get 'mad' because this person doesn't trust you. I felt like we were in high school all over again.  And don't even get me started on the underwear thing. So cringey I almost DNF the book at that point.  What kept me going were the puzzles and the descriptions of the locations. But then, once they get the puzzles, they dine in public locations to solve the puzzles. The only good thing about this was the descriptions of the food. Considering Dane had played this game before you would thing he would be a lot more aware of how dangerous it could be and know how to take precautions in public areas. But no. Let's just take stroll down a road and hope no one else finds us on this busy street with cameras everywhere. 

 

Verdict

The Enigma Challenge was an okay book and I did enjoy the challenges even if I thought the romance was cringey at best and the suspense and thrills were somewhat lacking. There was little description of the other players in the game except for a couple of them so I have no idea about the game itself, its global power or anything else and for a corporation that is supposed to be everywhere, this information was seriously lacking in this book.  The puzzles were interesting but anyone fascinated with cryptology may find them not as difficult as they should have been considering the prize at the end of the game.  I don't really know to whom I would recommend this book as it's not really a romance, and personally, I hate stupid miscommunications as a trope and they were used a lot in this book, and I don't think there is enough action in it for action/thriller readers.  Perhaps this would be perfect for those readers just looking to start reading the action/thriller genre and are feeling overwhelmed. 

 

Review: The Doll House by D.W. Gillespie

The Doll House

by D.W. Gillespie

Release Date: July 28, 2026

2026 Delacorte Press

Ebook ARC; 288 Pages

ISBN: 978-0593814925

ASIN:B0FY4YDMJS

Audiobook: B0FY51QT9P

Genre: Fiction / Horror / Middle Grade

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Garrett never met his grandfather, Burke, but he’s heard the stories from his mother. Burke was an enormously successful writer, but he was also notoriously cruel, especially to his family. After he passes away suddenly, Garrett and his mother are told that his enormous fortune is hers…if they agree to spend a week at his estate.

The house is a monument to Burke’s obsession with puppet-like dolls, and the attic is packed with cryptic notes and ancient books. It’s clear that his grandfather was up to something, but Garrett can only guess what, and his fear only deepens when he finds a creepily detailed doll with 'Marion' written on the foot.  

As the week progresses, Garrett realizes that the house isn’t what it seems. An old typewriter clicks away on its own. There are sounds in the night that come from the basement. And strangest of all is Marion, who always seems to be watching...

 

My Thoughts

The Doll House was a lot of fun to read and for a middle grade horror novel, it definitely had its creepy moments. I know one of the things that has always creeped me out over the years has been dolls, especially the Bisque Porcelain era starting in the 1850s. I can handle a lot of things in horror novels, but keep those dolls away from me. Even as a kid I didn't like to play with dolls as I found them creepy. 

 

One of the things I really enjoyed in this book was the relationship between Garrett and his mom. Because it has always been the two of them, you could sense the easy camaraderie between them as well as the open lines of communication. So when things start getting a little weird around the house, Garrett doesn't feel afraid to tell his mom about what he sees or hears even though her response is somewhat lukewarm. I did really like that Garrett behaved like a twelve-year-old boy, full of curiosity, and disobeyed his mother once in a while even if it was not necessarily open rebellion. When you have this big, creepy old house that was lived in by a grandfather you did not know, what would any kid do? Explore, naturally. And if they explored in areas that shouldn't be explored? Well, that happens, doesn't it? I would have done the same. I explored my memere's basement even though I was told not to go into certain areas. A big creepy house would have been a gold mine for someone who was curious and wanted answers like Garrett. 

 

The plot moved along rapidly which is something I would expect in a middle grade novel in order to keep a young person engaged, but it certainly kept me engaged as well. There were definitely some creepy moments, and some things that happened to Garrett that were somewhat dangerous, but still at the level of a middle grade novel.  There were quite a few themes running through this book that an adult could unpack quite easily, but may be somewhat of a reach for younger children which is fine as they would enjoy the story quite easily regardless. Some of the themes were: childhood abuse, death, control, generational trauma, spousal abuse, communication, friendship, loyalty, parenting, family, and the list goes on. Most of the themes were not delved into too deeply and were at the level of this book, but they are still great launching pads for those who wish to have deeper discussions with their children. My only negative on this book is there are dozens of MG books that have dolls and a haunted house, so I would like to read something with a different take once a while, like maybe haunted technology or any other haunted item that does not feature dolls. Just a personal thought and this in no way reflects my enjoyment of this book. 

 

Verdict

The Doll House was a creepy MG novel with a fun plot and interesting characters. I did really like the setting as it was atmospheric and haunting, and definitely a kid's playground, especially for one looking for adventure and mayhem like Garrett.  I enjoyed the ending to the book and thought it all tied in nicely in the end although I did feel like the explanation for the motive for Garrett's grandfather was a bit loose and not fully explained.  However, the tension of the story was kept up throughout and I had a difficult time putting this book down. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is nostalgic for that Goosebumps creepiness or, not having read those books, just want a fun creepy book. 

 

 

 

Review: This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews

This Kingdom Will not Kill Me (Maggie the Undying, #1)

by Ilona Andrews

Release Date: March 31, 2026

2026 Tor Books

Ebook ARC; 470 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250377265

ASIN: B0F5PCSRGN

Audiobook: B0F6G5TRHV

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / Portal

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy, and naked in a gutter, it doesn't take her long to recognize Kair Toren, a city she knows intimately from the pages of the famously unfinished dark fantasy series she's been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel. Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic, and mayhem? Her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, the setting, and the characters' ambitions and fates. But while she quickly discovers she cannot be killed (though many will try!), the same cannot be said for the living, breathing characters she's coming to love—a motley band that includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, various outrageous magical creatures, and a dangerously appealing soldier. Soon, instead of trying to get home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes—and attentions—of dueling princes, dukes, and villains, all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the way she knows their stories will end: in a cataclysmic war.

 

My Thoughts

This Kingdom Will not Kill Me was a pleasantly enjoyable book, but that's not necessarily a surprise to me as I have enjoyed most of these authors' previous works although usually in the urban paranormal genre rather than portal fantasy. So it was an interesting surprise to see them expand to this type of fantasy, and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the world-building. I was not as big of a fan of the actual plot and although I did enjoy the main character, she did get on my nerves some of the time due to her reliance on the 'bestest book in the world'. I also think if you are a long-time reader of portal fantasies, you could see a lot of the twists coming, and you could definitely see the many tropes that were used to propel the story forward.

 

I thought Maggie was a fairly strong character and I liked her character development quite a bit. I liked how she thought things through before deciding on a mission, but didn't necessarily trust everyone around her. Even though she relied on the book-within-a-book situation, she realized quite quickly that things had changed with her entrance into this world and adapted by thinking her way through situations and strategizing. Yes, she made mistakes, big ones, but one of the things I liked about her was that she was quick to learn and didn't make the same mistakes over and over again, nauseatingly.  Because this is an isekai portal fantasy, Maggie does have the ability to speak, read, and write languages in the new world. However, one of the things that did annoy me was how much the authors used the 'book' trope to get Maggie out of situations as I found it a bit convenient at times and this did get to be irritating. Naturally, when a new person enters the fray, everything changes so Maggie should no longer be able to use that when dealing with situations. The world would become more unpredictable and those little changes create ripples that cause massive changes. This was not addressed as much in this book. 

 

This book is definitely not a cozy fantasy book as the MC does die violently several times in this book and I am not really giving anything away at this point. The world is grim, dark, and dangerous, but that is what I like in fantasy so this appealed to me. What can I say? I've been reading fantasy for over forty-five years. and have drifted to LitRPG for this reason.  The authors did a great job highlighting the fact there are dangerous tyrants and petty lords who do some awful things to people, including children.  But, the friendships and storylines in this book are decent and make up for some of the things that happen in this book, and the twists and turns kept me turning the pages quickly.  Yes, there are parts that are predictable, but those didn't bother me, and I even figured out the identity of one of the main characters quite early on.  This book is full of tropes, yes, and the authors did rely a lot on convenience (such as a person showing up to save the day or Maggie using something from the book where that should no longer be possible because the timeline changed), but they were used in such a way that allowed Maggie the time and freedom to develop what she needed in order to survive in this new world even if I wasn't necessarily a fan of how that was achieved some of the time. 

 

Verdict

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me was a decent book and I did enjoy it. To be fair, I did listen to the audiobook at a fairly fast speed so I don't know how I would have reacted had I been reading it although I think I would have been more annoyed at the uneven pacing.  I did enjoy the main characters as well as the secondary characters and thought they were the most interesting part of this book. I wasn't a fan of the tropes propelling this story forward as using a convenient event to get your MC out of trouble just speaks of lazy writing to me, but the story did move fairly quickly most of the time and I appreciated that. I don't particularly care about the ending having a cliffhanger ending as a lot of LitRPG books (here's looking at you HWFWM or DOTF) do the same thing, but at this point I will probably pick up the next book to see what happens, not necessarily to Maggie, but to another character I really like. 

 

Review: The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer

The Story Keeper

by Kelly Rimmer

Release Date: July 21, 2026 (First published July 30, 2025)

2026 MIRA

Ebook ARC; 352 Pages

ISBN: 978-1525805110

ASIN: B0CW1JH195

Audiobook:  ‎ B0D3RPCN1P

Genre: Fiction / Historical / Mystery 

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

In the aftermath of a tumultuous year, Fiona Winslow finds solace in the decaying grandeur of Wurimbirra, the rambling family estate she once called home. Intent on restoring it, she discovers the keys to more than just the dilapidated mansion—beneath the crumbling plaster and dust are secrets that have been buried for a generation.

When a curious book, The Midnight Estate, catches her attention in her late uncle’s library, Fiona is plunged into a tale that mirrors her own—a story of love, loss and betrayal. But as the lines between fiction and reality blur, Fiona must ask herself: Is the true mystery the one hidden within the walls of her ancestral home, or is it within the pages of a book that chose her as much as she chose it?

 

My Thoughts

The Story Keeper definitely had a premise that I have fascinating for over forty years, but this one lost its fizzle and oomph around the forty percent mark and I had to push myself to push through towards the end. It's too bad as it had everything that I like in a story including an old house, a mystery, a story within a story, a strained relationship between mother and daughter, a woman trying to figure out what she wants in life after divorce, and secrets, lots of secrets. And while I didn't mind the predictability of the story as you could see where this was going quite early on in the book, the execution fell flat for me, particularly about half way through.

 

I didn't really know what to think about Fiona as a character as I don't think her character development was particularly strong, one-dimensional at best. She had just come through a divorce, a nasty one from the sounds of it, but I found it difficult to empathize with her situation because the writing style didn't really make me feel like I could empathize with her too much.  Yes, she had a complicated relationship with her mother and it was only at the end of the story that I actually felt a stirring of compassion for the two of them as the 'secret' was revealed and Fiona finally understood a bit about what her mother went through. But still, as I think about her character, I can't really come up with too many adjectives to describe her.  Was she determined? To a certain extent, I guess. However, the best I can come up with is that she is bland. There just wasn't enough detail or context about Fiona to develop an idea about her personality for me to even think I have a handle on her personality.

 

The plot was interesting until perhaps about the forty percent mark even though it was predictable and I could easily sense where it was going.  However, the predictable part was not the problem as I can live with that; it's the fact that the details around the house, the secondary characters, the past, and other important things were noticeably missing as the story progressed and to me, this is more of an execution issue. I didn't have an issue with the story-within-a-story trope as I thought it was interesting and I did think the way the author highlighted the difficulties of spousal abuse in the 1950s was well done and quite accurate, but again, it lacked emotional depth.  

 

Verdict

The Story Keeper is not my favourite book from this author, but it was an okay read. I thought both the plot and the character development were one-dimensional and flat and the pacing was a bit uneven. I did like the descriptions of the house however, and I liked how the author highlighted the themes of generational trauma as well as abuse as they were well done.  Overall, this book had a lot of potential, but the uneven execution and the lack of character development did not really do it for me.  

 

Review: Time to Play by Erin Ampersand

Time to Play (Apocalypse Parenting, #1)

by Erin Ampersand

Release Date: August 18, 2026 (Originally published independently in 2022)

2026 HarperCollins 

Ebook & Hardcover Editions; 375 Pages

ISBN: 978-0008857172

ASIN: B0H1DTBVXJ

Audiobook: B0BRBSG6BL

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / LitRPG

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars 

 

Summary

Congratulations! Your planet has been selected!

And just like that, Earth becomes the newest unwilling participant in a high-stakes intergalactic game show competition. What that means becomes terrifyingly clear as monsters drop onto the front lawn, an interface appears in your field of vision, and you—and your nine- and six-year-old sons and three-year-old daughter—are each offered a choice of supernatural abilities.

Part of you wants to laugh. Your husband’s away on business, coming home late tonight. Well, he was. But you clamp down on your rising panic. It doesn’t matter how much harder it will be. You’re a mom. Your kids need you; it’s up to you to keep them safe. You can do this.

Then, in quick succession, you discover: 1) your toddler has unilaterally decided her supernatural power should be for her beloved turtle stuffie to come alive. 2) every person on Earth will have to fight, no matter their age. You're going to have to teach your kids to stand on their own—and yourself to let them.

 

My Thoughts

Time to Play is one of those LitRPG book I've been meaning to read since it was first published several years ago, but never really had the time to read so when the publisher reached out and offered the first three books in the series, I was thrilled. And the first one did not disappoint.  And while I definitely enjoyed the LitRPG elements to the story, what I especially enjoyed was the way the MC navigated some difficult times while trying to keep her young children alive and healthy. 

 

Megan is the MC and everything is told through her perspective.  Personally I couldn't even imagine the terror and the other thoughts ripping through her head when the apocalypse happened and she lost all of the technology in her house and in the neighbourhood. Megan is tough, resourceful, a problem solver, and one who is willing to help others, but at the same time, she is cautious and doesn't take unnecessary risks. I like how she interacts with her kids and the conversations feel natural and at their level, but she doesn't accept everything at face value as we often see with her interactions with Pointy, a stuffed AI turtle who has an interesting story line with her three-year-old daughter. The secondary characters were interesting and I definitely hope to see more of them in the next couple of books as I would like to learn more about their backgrounds as well as what they are capable of in the context of this story. 

 

The plot moved rather quickly and I was glad it wasn't overwhelmed with stats and other things that can be typical in LitRPG books. It's not that I dislike stats as I find them fascinating, but the relationship between Megan and her children as well as how Megan interacts with the neighbourhood was the focus of this book and I liked that it wasn't overwhelmed with too many stats. There was just the right amount of tension in this book and there were some secondary story lines building within the main one that could prove interesting as the story progresses. There were lots of twists and turns, and I liked the countdown to when the next dangerous creature would be released as it raised the tension and the interest as I was reading. The actual skills were interesting and I liked how confusing they were for everyone. And there were some funny moments that occurred because of those skills.  Megan was far more stoic than I would have been by then as I think I would have sat down and just bawled my eyes out with frustration.  There were some things happening that do make you realize that indicate future events will be quite serious and potentially dangerous so I am curious as to how it will all play out.

 

Verdict

Time to Play was a fun book to read and while it was serious in tone, there were definitely some comic relief moments that made me laugh out loud.  The MC was somewhat sarcastic and I loved the snide comments that were made when her children laughed at her for the things she said, did, or wore. Kids will be kids even in a moment of crisis!!  While there were elements in the story that did slow down the overall pace and tension, overall I really enjoyed watching Megan struggle to figure out how to protect her family and interact with her neighbours while learning how to navigate the new system. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book in this series.  

 

 

 

Review: The Lost Child by Patricia Gibney

The Lost Child (D.I. Lottie Parker, #3)

by Patricia Gibney

Release Date: October 27, 2017

2017 Bookouture

Ebook Edition; 448 Pages

ISBN: 978-1786812377

ASIN:  ‎ B073SHHY6J

Audiobook: B076PPLZFX

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

An elderly woman is found murdered in her own home, and Detective Lottie Parker and her partner Detective Boyd are called in to investigate. When they discover that the victim’s daughter is missing as well, they start to fear for the safety of the whole family…

Two days later as a nearby house is set on fire and with the body count rising, Lottie and her team begin to unpick a web of secrets and lies, as the murders seem to link back to a case investigated by Lottie’s father before he took his own life.

With little knowledge of what really happened to her father, Lottie knows this is a case that could give her some answers. But how much does she want to know? And how far is Lottie prepared to dig to uncover the truth?

 

My Thoughts

The Lost Child is the third entry in the DI Lottie Parker series and this entry was just as intriguing as the previous books if for different reasons. Because this case has personal ties with the mystery of Lottie's father's death, it impacts Lottie on a personal level and causes her to behave erratically at times. While the mystery was quite intriguing, I really liked Lottie's development and her fall into bad habits to keep the emotional memories at bay and to keep herself from falling apart completely.

 

Okay, three books in and we've been watching Lottie spiral downwards the entire time, so I was waiting for this book to see how an investigation or a connection into her father's death would affect her emotionally and the author didn't disappoint.  If you are looking for a perfect DI, this you will not get as Lottie is flawed and somewhat emotionally unstable, dealing with her children who are also going through some difficulties. Personally, I think this reflects life a bit more and how challenging life can be with a job as difficult as the one Lottie has while trying to raise children as a single mom.  Lottie can be frustrating and she doesn't let anyone close to her, but at the same time, you can't help but root for her and want her to either talk to someone she trusts or get professional help before her decisions affect someone on her team.

 

The plot moves along quickly, but it certainly isn't easy to put everything together and get a clear idea of what is happening, especially with the dual timelines.  And honestly, the thread about Lotty's father has been woven throughout the books already, but it rears its ugly head in this one and creates a lot of havoc for everyone involved. I don't really care about how long the chapters are in books, but I do think the shorter chapters in this one kept me a bit more engaged as I kept wanting to read 'just one more'. As an aside, I do like how the author incorporated some of the history into the book with the insane asylum time line; it's definitely haunting and not something that we should forget. 

 

Verdict

The Lost Child was an engrossing entry into the series, and I like how the author is slowly revealing more depth to the characters as the series progresses. There is a lot going on in this book and at times, I almost felt like there was too much going on and the author wouldn't be able to keep a handle on all the straws, but with twists and turns a plenty, everything does come together in the end in an exciting way.  I thought the balance between plot and character development was good and the story was full of tension and high stakes. I do recommend that you start from the first book in order to grasp the nuances of the secondary plot line running through this story; however, you would probably still enjoy it as a standalone.  

 

Review: Try Not to Die in Slattery Falls: An Interactive Horror Gamebook by Brenna LaFaro

Try Not to Die in Slattery Falls: An Interactive Horror Gamebook (#22 Try Not to Die Series)

by Brennan LaFaro

Release Date: June 16, 2026

2026 Vincere Press

Ebook Edition; 404 Pages

ISBN: 978-1961740563

ASIN: B0GHJL4ZYL

Genre: Fiction / Horror / YA

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3.5 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Slattery Falls is home to the most haunted house on the East Coast, the one nobody's ever heard of. You're Matty Hargrove, a senior determined to become a great horror writer, so when your classmate Nate Tedeschi offers a chance to explore the infamous Weeks House, you'd be a fool to say no. Especially with his twin sister Bex coming along.

The moment you step inside, it's clear something is wrong. The house isn't empty. It never was. For years, something in there has been watching, waiting, feeding, and now it has you.

Every decision sets your fate. A few might keep you alive a little longer. Most lead to brutal, unforgettable deaths.

 

My Thoughts

Try Not to Die in Slattery Falls is the first book I've read in the Try Not to Die series, and when I finished this book I actually picked up the first three and read them pretty quickly as I enjoyed them quite a bit. I had heard of this series, but never really had the time to indulge so I took the opportunity to do so after finishing this book. This book brought me back to my childhood and my enjoyment at reading the Choose Your Own Adventure books, so I thought it was quite interesting to see a horror version of this type of book. And let's just leave it at the fact that I was no better at choosing my fate as an adult than I was as a kid as I died multiple times in this book.  

 

I was already a fan of this author's work having read the Slattery Falls Trilogy (Book 3 being my favourite) as well as The Demon of Devil's Canyon, so I was familiar with the town of Slattery Falls and some of its history.  Therefore, I am not really sure how this book would land with someone who has not read at least the first book in the trilogy. This was definitely an interesting read, but I wasn't surprised at how quickly the storyline went darker than you would think as I expected this, and it definitely did go dark very fast as the story twisted and turned until suddenly, oops, I made the wrong choice yet again, and faced some very severe and ouchy consequences.  And I thought I was actually making good and logical choices.  

 

I did enjoy the story and some of the character development, but I did think the character development was somewhat one-dimensional and I also thought the story ended rather abruptly. Now, could the abrupt ending be because of the choices I made rather than the intended purpose, I don't really know, but I did read the alternate endings and I rather liked the darker ending far more. However, I do like twisted stuff so perhaps that was just a personal response.  The twists and turns were quite fun however, and you do learn a bit about the characters, but I still felt like the overall story was not as in-depth as it could have been. 

 

Verdict

Try Not to Die in Slattery Falls was an enjoyable choose-your-own-path book and I do have to say I am no longer confident about my chances of surviving a haunted house after this book as I died pretty abruptly not too long after entering the house and multiple times afterwards. The chapters were the perfect length to get invested in the story, but not so long that you got bored and after several poor choices, I could feel the tension in my body going up a little bit as I really wanted to make a good choice.  While I didn't think the characters were greatly developed, they were still relatable and you wanted to root for all of them.  I do have to say that the sentient house was one of the highlights of this book though.  As I've already mentioned, I was intrigued enough by this book to read three more in the series, so if you want something that may remind you of your childhood, or just something a bit different, this may be for you.  

 

Review: Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs by Antony Beevor

Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs

by Antony Beevor

Release Date: April 14, 2026

2026 Viking

Ebook ARC; 371 Pages

ISBN: 979-8217061181

ASIN: B0FHJY48KC

Audiobook: B0FKQBN7DG

Genre: Non-Fiction / Historical / Biography

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

2 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

When Russia's Dowager Empress was pregnant with the future Tsar, she dreamed that a peasant would one day kill her son. The idea terrified her, and for the rest of her days she 'lived under the pressure of the prophecy'.

Rasputin had no official position. A barely literate moujhik from Siberia, he had no forces at his command. He was a devoted monarchist, not a revolutionary. And yet, through his uncanny seduction of the imperial household, he contributed more than any other individual to the collapse of the greatest autocracy in the world. 'This man was unique', observed one writer. 'Like a character out of a novel, he lived in legend, he died in legend, and his memory is cloaked in legend.' 

 

My Thoughts

Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs is one of those books I was looking forward to reading as I have had a lifelong fascination with Russia, all of the emperors, the politics, and the downfall of the Romanovs. However, what I was particularly looking forward to was this author's thoughts and viewpoints with regards to Rasputin, especially having read and loved Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege and The Fall of Berlin 1945, both more objective pieces of writing that allowed you to think and grasp the situations as they unfolded.  This one did not do that, implying the fall of the Russian empire had to do with one woman, as if all the other issues with Nicholas, the war, the political system, the plight of the peasants, the peasant revolt, the war with Japan, etc... had little value in what happened and this turned me off completely.

 

You can't have a biography about such a man and not invest time and effort into the political situation that existed, but I don't feel the author did either of those things justice. Maybe because the political situation was quite complex and goes back much further than Nicholas and Alexandra and you need a really good understanding of the people, the politics, the social structure, and so on in order to really understand why Alexandra reacted the way she did.  And believe me, I am in no way excusing her actions as the two of them together were a force of destruction, both being selfish, dysfunctional as well as incompetent. Face it, Nicholas made some really poor decisions, but the whole upper class was a lesson in dysfunctional at the time, and to throw them into a war for which they were completely unprepared would have thrown everything into chaos and allowed those who were waiting for a moment to strike to do so.  Who wouldn't? Do I feel sorry for how they met their ends? Of course, but I also understand why they died. War is a brutal time for everyone and a lot of people were suffering under Nicholas and Alexandra's rule so when you are desperate for change, you do what you must.  This is what the author failed to show in this book, placing the large part of the blame solely on Rasputin and Alexandra's shoulders when the issues are far more complex than that.  The cracks were already there, the people just broke them open.

 

Rasputin is certainly one of those people whom people should have been leery of as here comes this peasant, is invited to court, is invited to the inner circle of the most powerful people of the last autocratic society left, whispers in people's ears and they listen him, and Nicholas and Alexandra not only use him to look after their sickly child, but begin seeking his counsel for matters of state and other political policies. This man had really weird sexual relationships with other women, but Alexandra has no problem leaving him alone with your imperial princesses and doesn't wonder what he may be up to?  Don't forget, the Tsarina was German, so no wonder people thought Rasputin may be a spy. Who knows? And there is so much more. So much more that was convoluted and not explained in this book, something that was disappointing.  But what is clearly done? The woman is blamed for everything.  Does Alexandra deserve the roasting? Absolutely. Does Rasputin deserve the roasting? Yes. But that is such a simplistic view it is almost laughable.

 

Verdict

Rasputin: The Downfall of the Romanovs is one of those books in which I was really disappointed having really enjoyed this author's previous works. I felt this was convoluted and a bit messy, and while there were some interesting facts about Rasputin woven throughout the book, there was nothing really new. And I know this author knows his history and has done a lot of research about the time period so it was disappointing the work wasn't more detailed as it felt choppy as if the author couldn't get a grasp as to why the fall of the empire should fall squarely on Rasputin and Alexandra's shoulders. And I think if you try to simplify such a complex subject, or try to eliminate other factors involved, you get exactly that, a piece of work that is simple and somewhat boring.  Will I read more of this author's works? Yes, definitely as I have read four of his non-fiction books, not including this one, and really enjoyed the amount of research and thought that went into them and hope future ones will continue to have the same great content. This one, I can't recommend. 

 

 

Review: When the Wolves are Silent by C.S. Harris

When the Wolves are Silent (Sebastian St. Cyr, #21)

by C.S. Harris

Release Date: April 14, 2026

2026 Berkley

Ebook & Audiobook ARC; 381 Pages

ISBN: 978-0593953891

ASIN: B0FHJSWHTV

Audiobook: B0GD2GYH4V

Genre: Fiction / Historical Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

London, 1816: When a notorious young aristocrat is burned alive on a windswept hill popular with neo-Druids, former cavalry officer Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, finds himself plunged into a murder investigation shadowed by tales of ancient human sacrifices and long-buried secrets.

The victim, Marcus Toole, was the only son and heir of a prominent nobleman. His closest friend—Sebastian’s own nephew, Bayard—claims to have passed out drunk before the attack and remembers nothing. But when Sebastian and his brilliant wife, Hero, delve deeper into the sordid activities of Bayard and his friends, they come to realize that Bayard may not be as innocent as he pretends. Following a tangled trail that leads from a disaffected former soldier-turned-highwayman to a beautiful, courageous journalist and a Jamaican-born fencing master with ties to a radical political movement, Sebastian begins to suspect that Bayard and his friends are being targeting in revenge, by victims who believe they have no other recourse. 

 

My Thoughts

When the Wolves are Silent is the next entry in the long-running Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series and I enjoyed this one quite a bit simply because the author focused on how the privileged can abuse their power during this time period rather than world politics. It's not that the impact of what was happening in the world wasn't mentioned, discussed, or described as that is the purpose behind Hero's actions in most of these books, but it wasn't the center of the story which was a bit of a relief as I needed a bit of a break from the political intrigue. Simply put, I found this one quite intriguing as it gave me a lot to think about in terms of abuse by the wealthy and how the spoiled offspring of the wealthy can have detrimental effects on a society.

 

I have always enjoyed the relationship between Hero and Sebastian, and while it was not really the center of the story it was always good to revisit them and see how they are doing. Because this series has been so long-running, it is not really necessary for the author to develop these characters the way it was done in the first few books as those of use who have followed the books are aware of who they are, what they have done, and their relationships. So, I enjoyed the focus on the secondary characters or the ones who are just appearing for the first time in these pages. I thought the author did a great job highlighting how wealth has come to be seen as a right rather than a privilege and how it has been abused throughout the generations. But what I found particularly interesting is the way people were now fighting that right and demanding answers for injustice against the abuse.  The early nineteenth century was certainly a time of change, especially after the Napoleonic Wars, and people were no longer willing to put up with 'privilege' in the same way. It would take a long time for the thinking to change, but I liked how the author developed the characters to showcase the fight and the tragedy when things go really badly.

 

The plot moved along quickly, and I was glad to see Sebastian involved in a case that did not involve the government, a government plot, treason, and so on. This was more about how young spoiled men abused their wealth and privilege to create havoc and destroy lives when they do not get their way. I liked how this theme was woven around other crises such as drought and the plight of soldiers returning from the war. The theme of slavery in the colonies also rose to the surface in this book through some of the characters and it was interesting to see how the author wove that throughout the story as well.  There were a lot of themes running through this books as well: poverty, abuse, rape, abuse of power, privilege, wealth, war, slavery, drought, helplessness, and so on.  

 

Verdict

When the Wolves are Silent was quite enjoyable and featured the type of storytelling that I think is one of the strengths of this author's as it focused more on the society, the time period, and some of the difficulties the people experienced during this time period without having to focus on the political leaders. The themes running through this book also gives the reader a lot to think about and to reflect on as you read about the plight of the people.  I did struggle with the previous two books in this series, which happens in long-running series, so I was quite happy to see the author focus on what I think are strengths of this series, the plight of everyday people and their fights for justice.

'  

 

Review: 14 by J.T. Ellison

14 (Taylor Jackson, #2)

by J.T. Ellison 

Release Date: May 19, 2026 (Originally published January 1st, 2008)

2026 Thomas & Mercer

Ebook Edition; 346 Pages

ISBN: 978-1662541407

ASIN: B0GHZM7J8R

Audiobook: B003JOAK6S

Genre: Fiction / Mystery / Suspense

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Lieutenant Taylor Jackson is no stranger to brutality, but her latest case shakes her to the core. The victims—with their pale skin, black hair, and ruby-red lips—recall a nightmare Nashville suffered decades ago. The Snow White Killer slaughtered ten princess look-alikes and was never caught.

A copycat is methodically recreating the Snow White murders, studying the original crimes and perfecting the craft. As Taylor fights to identify him before he completes his twisted homage, the investigation pulls her into a conspiracy that hits closer to home than she ever imagined.

 

 

My Thoughts

14 is the second book in the Taylor Jackson series, and when I was offered books 2-4 of the series, I immediately jumped at the chance having read the first book all those years ago. It's funny how certain books stick in your mind all these years later as I had no trouble remembering some of the details of Taylor's relationship as well as parts of the first mystery having of course forgotten the minute details. This book grabbed my attention right from the get-go and didn't let up until the end although I could have done without the chapters from a certain person.

 

Taylor is a strong lead and I liked how determined she is. She's intelligent and doesn't put her team into danger by doing stupid things and taking unnecessary risks.  I've always enjoyed it when an author takes things on a much personal level, making cases an emotional and psychological investment and this is exactly what happens with this one, raising the stakes for Taylor both personally and professionally. Because of this, the decisions she made would have profound effects on everyone around her, not just on her personally so the stakes are much higher. I didn't think the secondary characters were as developed in this one and I developed a hatred for Charlotte's chapters which is why I didn't rate this one higher as I didn't see the need for her chapters other than to add silly drama.  I understood why they were there, but they did take away from the tension of the story for me and made it more predictable.

 

The plot moved along quite rapidly which is often the case when you have multiple murders and kidnappings.  However, while I did enjoy the book and it was full of tension, it was a bit on the predictable side.  There were some good twists and turns and there were some that you could see coming a mile away, but it definitely went in a way I thought it would go towards the end. This didn't affect the tension in any way and I did have trouble putting down the book as I was invested.  There were a lot of themes running through this book; abuse, death, murder, the breakdown of family relationships, father-daughter relationships, loyalty, trust, lack of parenting, selfishness, wealth, and the list goes on and on.  

 

Verdict

14 was a decent mystery with a lot of tension even if there were moments that were quite predictable. I do think the newer version was more tightly woven than the older book one that I had read years before so reading the updated version was well worth it. While this was definitely plot-driven, the author didn't ignore the character development, in particular with regards to Taylor and the impact this was having on her as she was analyzing her relationships with her non-existent parents. I am looking forward to continuing this series with Judas Kiss. 

 

Review: Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe

Stay for a Spell 

by Amy Coombe

Release Date: April 14, 2026

2026 Ace

Ebook & Audiobook ARC Editions; 373 Pages

ISBN: 978-0593955536

ASIN: B0FHJSXKT4

Audiobook: B0FHLHG1YR

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / Cozy / Romance

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Princess Tanadelle of the Widdenmar is disillusioned with life as a princess. She longs for real conversation, the chance to build a life of her own making, and uninterrupted reading time.

During a routine royal visit to the town of Little Pepperidge, Tandy’s dream comes true when she finds herself cursed to remain in a run-down bookshop until she unlocks her heart’s desire. Certain that someone will figure out how to break the curse eventually, and delighted by the prospect of an entire bookstore of her own, Tandy settles into life among the stacks.  
There's just one, minor problem: as Tandy's royal duties go unfulfilled, her frantic parents start sending princes to woo her, each one of them certain their kiss will break the curse. After all, what more could a princess want but a prince?

 

My Thoughts

Stay for a Spell is the first in a planned trilogy, and while I did enjoy this, I did find it a bit predictable and honestly, other than a whole series of princes showing up to kiss the princess, nothing really happened. I understand this a cozy fantasy, but I have read a lot of cozy fantasy as fantasy is one of the genres I read a lot, and I do feel there should be more happening than Tandy crying every time she thinks she has to return to her duties.  She is a princess of the realm after all.  

 

I didn't mind Tandy as a character and I liked the fact she got drunk and went a little wild as I appreciated the fact she was alone for probably the first time in her life and was able to do things she was forbidden to do.  It kind of reminds me of university students let loose the first week and have no parental supervision for the first time in their lives and realize they don't have to answer to curfew or whatever.  I don't really feel like her character was fully developed however as she felt so superficial in her responses.  

 

The secondary characters were interesting, but again, I didn't really feel like I got to know them or understand them as they were developed on a one-dimensional level with little depth. Yes, I know the characters had issues, but they were minor and I didn't really empathize too much as I couldn't really connect with them. And this isn't just because this book is a cozy fantasy as I have read other cozy fantasies where the characters were written in-depth with a lot of personality.  The pirate had so much going for him that he could have been the most interesting character. I understand there is going to be another book, but to withhold too much information for this reason seems sort of silly to me. 

 

The plot was simple and predictable and you could tell exactly what Tandy needed to do to break the curse from the minute it happened. Being a cozy fantasy doesn't mean there aren't any stakes or issues for the MC, but this just rolled along as if Tandy could just ignore the fact she was a princess and just have her greatest desire and this didn't sit right with me.  There were some fun things in this book and I don't want to ignore those as I enjoyed the scene when she gets drunk and I did think some of the scenes with the princes were funny as well, but I did wish the author had spent more time describing the world and how it worked, especially how Tandy's family fit into it.

 

Verdict

Stay for a Spell was a low-stakes cozy fantasy that was quite predictable and had a very simply plot. While I enjoyed it, I did wish both the characters and the plot had been more developed; the characters were one-dimensional with little depth, and the plot just rolled along with little happening and Tandy whining about how she doesn't want to be a princess.  I just felt like there should have been more stakes involved considering she was a princess and it wouldn't be that easy to get away from your duties. That being said, as a whole, the book worked, was fun, and would definitely appeal to those looking for a light fun read.  The next book in this world will be published in 2027, The Dark Wizard Falls in Love. 

 

Review: First Sign of Danger by Kelley Armstrong

First Sign of Danger (Haven's Rock, #4)

by Kelley Armstrong

Release Date: February 17, 2026

2026 Minotaur Books

Ebook and Audiobook ARC Editions; 337 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250351821

ASIN:  ‎ B0F5PDG8NF

Audiobook: B0F6FTWB73

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are entering a new chapter of life as parents to their six-month-old baby. Their family is hidden away in the sanctuary town of Haven's Rock where they can live safe and private lives. But when they encounter hikers too close to the borders of Haven's Rock, they realize they're in danger of being exposed.

When they find one of the hikers dead the next day, they realize that their paranoia was justified, but they're no closer to finding out who these people were and what they were doing in the vicinity of Haven's Rock. Only by tracing the hikers' movements, as well as examining the recent behavior of their closest neighbors, the workers of a secretive mining camp, will they be able to figure out where the threat is coming from and shut it down. Otherwise, the lives of everyone in Haven's Rock--and their safe, secure new existence--are at risk.

 

My Thoughts

First Sign of Danger had an interesting story line in the fact that you can be both paranoid and overly cautious to the point where your paranoia sees things that aren't really there.  I like this book far better than the previous installment as it clears up several loose threads that have been on-going for several books and it always delves into the psychological aspects of living in secrecy and the impact that can have on its people. There was a lot to explore in this book.

 

I have been following Casey and Eric since book one of the Rockton books and reading about them as parents is quite interesting. As one of the only children in the community, it did make me wonder about the child growing up, their teenage years, and how Casey and Eric would cope with that as they are so isolated.  It was fun to see them coping with a teething baby while they still had to investigate the strangers in the forest and how that discovery would impact them. While the author doesn't ignore the character development, because we are so many books into the series, I don't think it is as relevant as it would be at the beginning of the series and the author can focus on the ensemble as well as the psychological elements of being so isolated.

 

The plot was interesting and like I already mentioned, it did clear up some threads that have been continuing throughout the series, and it definitely was not what I was expecting.  The Yukon wilderness comes alive in these books and as an avid hiker myself, I love the descriptions of them in the woods and how they track and search for people and clues.  I am personally deathly afraid of grizzly bears so I don't think I would hike there myself, but I the descriptions were vivid and I could picture myself there.  While the territorial dispute is central to the story, there is underlying plot that has been seeping through the books for a while now and it is finally rearing its ugly head as Casey and Eric realize they have a much bigger problem than they were anticipating.  The author does a great job at building suspense and tension, balancing procedural work with creepy scenes (such as the one with the bear), and when I thought I had it figured out, another twist came along. 

 

Verdict

First Sign of Danger was a step up from the previous book where I had to suspend belief way too much. It was full of twists and turns and the author definitely showed how dangerous the elements in the Yukon (Canada's boreal forest) could be in this one. If you hike, you know how quickly things can turn ugly and I like how she showed that, no holding back.  While I do think this could be read as a standalone, I do recommend you start with the Rockton series to get a full understanding of the characters, their paranoia, and why they live where they live for a richer experience. 

 

Review: Jake's Magical Market by J.R. Mathews

Jake's Magical Market (Jake's Magical Market, #1)

by J.R. Mathews

Release Date: June 30, 2026 (Originally published independently in 2021)

2026 Aethon; Vault 

Hardcover & Ebook Editions; 576 Pages

ISBN: 978-1638493464

ASIN: B09HWX11N9

Audiobook: B09MDLDT2C

Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / LitRPG

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

4.5 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Jake is working at the neighborhood market under his apartment when the world ends. He expected nuclear war, a computer virus, or even climate change burning everyone to a crisp to bring about the downfall of civilization. But cruel and arbitrary gods from another world? Who would have guessed that?

Jake, wasting his day slacking off in the cooler, as he usually did, found himself alone in a completely new and very dangerous world. Can he learn to survive? Can he collect enough cards and create a good enough deck to fight back against the monsters that have overtaken his former home? And why are these strange people that look a lot like elves knocking on the door of the market he is hiding in and asking to buy some of his goods?

 

My Thoughts

Jake's Magical Market was quite a bit different from what I was expecting.  I have read a lot of LitRPG from progression fantasy to portal fantasy to cozy ones to dungeon-core ones, but what I first thought was going to be a nice slice-of-life fantasy turned out to be something a bit different.  Yes, I was drawn in by the more cozy elements at the beginning of the novel, but that did change when Jake's life took a major turn about a third of the way into the book, and I was there for the ride.  

 

One of the things I enjoyed was Jake's personal growth. You can have all the great worldbuilding you want, but if the characters don't grow and develop, the book always falls short for me. Jake is one of those characters who was at a crossroads in his life, not really caring about his job and not really sure where his ambitions lay after leaving college to take care of his mom. With the collapse, Jake was forced out of his comfort zone to do things he would never have done and we see him slowly develop from this lackadaisical figure to one who takes charge and takes chances. He also reflects on his growth as a person and discards those things he doesn't like about himself and works on improving himself so he can do better in the future.  He learns to cultivate friendships and to understand how his depression impacted his life. I actually thought the theme of depression was very well depicted in this novel as well as trust and Jake struggled with both throughout the book.  And some of the things that happened to him definitely would have impacted both of these.  It was interesting to see how Jake dealt with a lot of the things that happened to him in this novel and I thought the author did a great job at showing his growth as well as the challenges his faced while dealing with things. Yes, he may have done some questionable things while suddenly dealing with new threats, but he was the type of character who didn't really do stupid things and learned from his mistakes so I liked that about him.  

 

The secondary characters were also well done, and while not quite as well developed as Jake, were still interesting in their own right.  

 

And now, the plot.  I understand why the author chose to do things the way they were done and I understand the title of the book is more of a play on words as it certainly led me into a false sense of what was going to happen in this book. But that is what reading is all about, isn't it? To get caught off guard. To be unpredictable? And the story definitely sent me in a spiral and caught me off guard. But it was fun!!! I didn't know what to expect from about one-third of the way in and just enjoyed the journey Jake was on and the characters that were introduced.  I thought the world-building was great and liked how the story and what was happening developed. Yes, he does some questionable things in order to do what needs to be done, but Jake also develops as a person as he realizes he doesn't want to be the person who does these things and makes choices that are good for him.  Of course he makes mistakes, otherwise how would he learn for the future. That whole concept bothers me to no end as there is not one person in this world who doesn't make mistakes. It's how we learn from them that shows our character and our growth. The only thing I found to be a problem is that I never really felt that Jake was in real danger or worried that anything would happen to him, and he definitely developed his powers quickly.  But that is more a me issue than an issue with the book. There are a lot of themes to unpack in this book as well, including depression, self-isolation, loss, death, growth, family, trust, found family, abuse of power, and the list goes on. 

 

Verdict

Jake's Magical Market was a fun read, and yes, it totally caught me off guard, but that was why it was so much fun.  I expected a slice-of-life book and got something a bit different; once I wrapped my head around that fact, I really enjoyed the world-building and the characters.  I would have liked to have seen a bit more use of the cards as I found them fascinating, and I did think Jake's growth in the second half was a bit much, but I personally like the struggle as much as I like the action so it's probably just a me issue. Highly recommend this book if you are looking for an interesting post-apocalyptic fantasy litrpg.