My Review for Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, read by Lauren Fortgang and Michael David Axtell

“Even alligators have parents, Dawes. That doesn't stop them from biting”

Ninth House 📚 was the book of choice for November's read for #thatindiebookclub. I didn’t really know what “Dark Academia” 🏛️ was all about when the theme for that month was revealed, and that’s exactly what I love about these book club reads—they push you to try things you might not have picked up otherwise! ✨

I decided to listen to the audiobook 🎧 for this one, and I really liked it. It was slow to start as we’re dropped into Alex’s Yale world—a world she was recruited into rather than earned through school achievements, all because she can see ghosts! 👻 The story is told across two timelines: Spring 🌸 and Winter ❄️. I’m still not entirely sure when Alex arrived at Yale and which timeline features Darlington training her versus after he disappears. But honestly, it doesn’t really matter—I don’t feel the need to understand every single detail to enjoy a story, and I absolutely did. 😄

I loved Alex’s ability to adapt to any situation. She fits in surprisingly well with both ghosts 👻 and humans 🧑‍🤝‍🧑, and she sets out to help solve everyone’s mysteries 🕵️‍♀️. I mean, who wouldn’t want to befriend a dead bridegroom 💀💍, right?!

It’s dark—very dark in places 🌑. Definitely read the trigger warnings ⚠️ before diving in, as it’s not suitable for everyone. Luckily, few things trigger me, and I was happy to lose myself in the secret societies 🏰 and mysterious goings-on 🔮 for a few days!

I’ll definitely pick up the sequel at some point 📖—I’m keen to read more about Daniel Arlington! 😉

About the Book

Galaxy "Alex" Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug-dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. In fact, by age 20, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most prestigious universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her?

Still searching for answers, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. Their eight windowless "tombs" are the well-known haunts of the rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street’s biggest players. But their occult activities are more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive. They tamper with forbidden magic. They raise the dead. And, sometimes, they prey on the living.

About Leigh

Leigh Bardugo is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Familiar, Ninth House and the creator of the Grishaverse (now a Netflix original series) which spans the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, the King of Scars duology—and much more. Her short fiction has appeared in multiple anthologies including The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy. She lives in Los Angeles and is an associate fellow of Pauli Murray College at Yale University.

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My Review for Within the Space of a Second by Elise Helliwell

'I would let him take me anywhere. Past, present or future. I would give hours of my life to have seconds in his.'

OMFG this book was amazing — addictive, awesome, and such a delight to read. I need the next one right now. How am I supposed to cope until next year??!!

Within the Space of a Second is Elise’s debut novel and she has absolutely hit the ground running. I love a time-travel story (because it’s real, right? People can actually time travel? I just need to crack the method). I was fully immersed in Mariella’s world from page one, and when she starts realising her dreams are actually a form of time travel, I immediately decided that my own incredibly vivid dreams must mean I’m time travelling too. 😂

It’s a love story packed with fantasy, possibilities, choices, and so much more. It’s beautifully written, brilliantly edited, and one of those rare books I already know I’ll reread. I’ve even grabbed it on LibroFM so I can try the audio!

Buy it, add it to your Christmas wishlist, borrow it from a friend or the library — whatever you do, just read it and then tell me you didn’t love it as much as I did.

Thank you to Elise Helliwell, Atria Books, and Simon & Schuster for the gifted copy of Within the Space of a Second.

About the Book

Every morning, Mariella Adams wakes with a strange electrical energy buzzing beneath her skin. Terrified she has inherited her late mother’s mental illness, she tells no one. But when Mariella discovers her mother’s lost journals with an entry dated after her death, she’s desperate for answers.

The mystery only deepens when Mariella is approached by two strangers, Rose and Parker, who claim to be time travelers from the future. They say that interfering with the past – and Mariella – is forbidden, but they need her help to restore Parker’s ability to time travel before they’re caught in Mariella's timeline.

Shocked, Mariella agrees to help them. After all, they might hold the answers she’s looking for. And the more time she spends with them, the more she finds herself drawn to Parker. As she fights to uncover the mysteries of her past and the secrets of his future, will Mariella discover the truth before time runs out – and Parker disappears forever?

About Elise

Elise resides on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, with her husband and two young girls. An avid romance reader, Elise writes contemporary and sci-fi/fantasy romance, juggling themes of love, anticipation and emotional angst. 

Part time scientist/radiographer and full time hopeless romantic, Elise’s writing combines her love of science and the romance genre to produce suspenseful, swoon-worthy love stories that will keep the reader falling until the very last page.

When Elise isn’t parenting or writing, she’s either in her head watching characters and storylines come to life, or curled up at home with a glass of wine in hand, reading romantasy or contemporary romance.

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My Review for Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood, read by Evie Hargreaves

“You see? We don’t bite,” Bronwyn added. “Unless you’re a biscuit, then I’m afraid you are in trouble.”

Rewitched was our October pick for #ThatIndieBookClub, and I absolutely loved it! From the very first page—well, the first chapter (I listened to the audiobook, so you know what I mean!)—I was completely hooked. 🙃

Belladonna Blackthorn… honestly, what a name for a witch! But despite sounding all dangerous and spiky, Belle’s actually not like that at all. She’s just a mostly normal girl trying to get by, deal with her nightmare boss, and figure out if this is really what adult life is supposed to look like. Spoiler alert: it’s definitely not. There are ups and downs, laughter and tears, a sprinkle of magic, and maybe even a dash of romance.

Belle’s mum was adorable. She’s wild, chaotic, and hilarious—half the time I don’t think she even knows which way’s up, but she’s adorable all the same. Between her, Ariadne (Belle’s brilliant bestie), and Rune—the “hot wizard” 🧙🏻‍♂️ as our book club lovingly nicknamed him—Belle’s got a solid little team around her. Rune took a minute to grow on me, but once he did, I was sold.

I’ll 100% be picking up the next book. I think we’ve even got it lined up for our 'Sequel Shelf' early next year, and honestly, I can’t wait to dive back into this world.

About the Book

Belladonna Blackthorn hasn’t lost her magical spark . . . but she hasn’t seen it in a while, either.

Balancing work at her beloved Lunar Books with protecting it from her toxic boss, who’s running it into the ground, and all the while concealing her witchcraft from the non-wicches around her – Belle is burnt out. Perfecting the potential of her magic is the last thing on her mind.

But when her 30th birthday brings a summons from her coven, and a trial that tests her worthiness as a witch, Belle risks losing her magic forever. With the month of October to fix things, and signs that dark forces may be working against her, Belle will need all the help she can get – from the women in her life, from an unlikely mentor figure, and even an (infuriatingly handsome) watchman who’s sworn to protect her . . .

With found family, slow burn romance and an uplifting message about self-love, this is the cosy, autumnal read that you've been waiting for.

About Lucy - by Lucy

Oh, hey! I’m Lucy, author of Rewitched, Uncharmed, and perhaps some other mysterious, magical projects bubbling away in the background. I’m originally from the Wirral, UK, but these days you’ll find me living in London, giant coffee in hand, probably being headbutted by my cat.

Being a bookworm has always been a fundamental part of my personality, and I found myself falling into the world of writing almost by accident. After happily stumbling into my first paid writing position for a teen website back in 2013, I've been lucky enough to write freelance for titles like Marie Claire US, Cosmopolitan UK, MTV and Metro amongst others. Since then, I’ve also popped up online to overshare across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, where you can expect to find me chatting about important things like books, writing, and snacks.

Rewitched and Uncharmed were both written to be cosy, comforting, joyful books that envoke the 90s witches I loved so much growing up. They’re soft, kind stories (full of absolutely terrible jokes) to lead you by the hand into spooky season and rewind your mind back to a precious, nostalgic time. 

Best enjoyed with a spiced latte and a cat on your lap

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My Review for Soulslayers by Colin Sephton

"You are nothing more than a midge on the backside of a dung beetle."

Well, the ending of this was unexpected — but hang on, I’ll get to that!

Alongside Indigo and Ignatius, we’ve searched for The Book of Consciousness, The Book of Shadows, and now, in Soulslayers, the third book in the series, we’re hunting the Flaming Celestial Pearl and the secret it holds.

These two don’t lead dull lives, that’s for sure. Fancy travelling to the other side of the world — and it taking ten days by air! Personally, I think I’d rather go by luxurious cruise ship. 🛳

I really enjoyed Soulslayers, and having read the previous two books, I now feel I’ve got a firm grip on who the characters are and what their purpose is in the cosmos. The author has a fantastic imagination, and the story moves along at a great pace — there’s never a dull moment! I’d have liked a bit more of a battle at the end, though — violence is always good in a story, in my opinion! 😂

The Charon were definitely put in their place towards the end — serves them right, was my first thought!

And that ending… it’s been left wide open for another book, with a real cliffhanger. Here I was thinking this was a trilogy!

About the Book

Ignatius and Indigo find themselves struggling mentally to come to terms with the complex nature of the cosmos and their newfound supernatural powers obtained through their prior encounters with gods and demons. In their quest for another relic from the Creation, they are aided by the secretive thirteenth Chapter of the Union Jacks. In search of the secret of the Flaming Celestial Pearl, they must travel to Tibet in the great airship, HM Spirit of the Empire.

Pursued by fanatical knights sworn to protect the relic, they must reluctantly call upon the Charon, the seven merciless demons from the underworld to assist them. Piecing together the map that will lead them to a fabled city hidden deep within the Himalayas, they must defend themselves from air pirates, a previous foe from Oxford, mountain beasts and elementals.

Discovering the correct path through the mountains, Indigo realises her soul may never be the same again. Regardless, they enter the Great Void where using the Sword of Wisdom, they discover the truth about the cosmos.

About Colin

Colin was born in Coventry and worked in the automotive industry for over twenty years before becoming an Engineering teacher. Obtaining his first library card at the age of thirteen, he became an avid reader of Fantasy and the mysteries of the Universe. He has an inbuilt curiosity for lost knowledge and ancient texts that may help to unlock the secrets of consciousness and the universe. Living in Oxford for many years, he has now moved back to his home county of Warwickshire where he enjoys creating and working with his wife on their garden in which he writes and entertains their two grandsons. He has always been an artist and writer and is inspired by the worlds created by Robert E Howard and Michael Moorcock, with the artwork of Frank Frazetta.

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My Review for The Case of the Dreaming Dragon: an Elemental Detectives Mystery by Patrice Lawrence

'What if a dragon started the Great Fire of London?'

I regularly return to the books I read as a child—especially when I'm feeling a bit down or stuck in a reading slump. There's nothing quite like rediscovering that first love of losing yourself in a world within a book. So when I was asked if I wanted to read Patrice's new book, I jumped at the chance, knowing I'd love it—I mean, just look at that cover! Sometimes, even as an adult, it’s fun to step back into childhood and just 'be'.

Anyway, back to the book. It was fun, fast-paced, and full of weird and wonderful fantasy creatures—most of them good! (The human-like characters were the villains, of course.) I loved the idea of the elemental spirits who helped Marisee and Robert—our two brave adventurers—and always had their backs. Whether ensuring they landed safely after jumping into a well or sweeping them away with the help of the wind, the spirits were always there.

Patrice’s imagination is astounding. I was completely drawn into her strange and magical version of London; I could picture myself right there with the mudlarks on the banks of the Thames, and with the giants at the bottom of the riverbed.

Although The Case of the Dreaming Dragon is the third book in the series, it reads perfectly well as a standalone. I had no trouble following Marisee and Robert’s latest adventure—though now I definitely want to go back and read the earlier books!

Thank you to Scholastic for the gifted copy of The Case of the Dreaming Dragon by Patrice Lawrence. I’ve already passed it on to my granddaughter, and she’s excited to read it too.

About the Book

Step into a London lit up by the Elemental spirits: the fiery Dragons, the airy Fumis, the watery Chads and the earthbound Magogs. Marisee and Robert - the Elemental Detectives - are back to solve another mystery on the streets of multi-cultural eighteenth century London. A dragon is dreaming of a time when plague blighted the city, when a mysterious cauldron was used for wicked magic and what this would mean if it fell into the wrong hands now...

On a mission from the shores of the Thames, to the ghost-filled gardens of Hyde Park and the forbidding Tower of London, Marisee and Robert must use every ounce of ingenuity they possess to defeat the most villainous foe yet... and find out some secrets about their own families.

About Patrice

Patrice Lawrence was born in Brighton and brought up in an Italian-Trinidadian household in Sussex. Her first novel ORANGEBOY was one of the most talked-about YA books of 2016 and won the Waterstones Children's Book Prize for Older Fiction and the Bookseller YA Book Prize that year. Ever since, her work has consistently featured on prestigious prize lists. NEEDLE has recently been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal. Patrice has been awarded the MBE for services to literature in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.

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My Review for The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake, read by Andy Ingalls, Caitlin Kelly, Damian Lynch, David Monteith, James Patrick Cronin, Munich Grace, Siho Ellesmore and Steve West

“The problem with knowledge, is it's inexhaustible craving. the more of it you have, the less you feel you know”

Chosen for September’s read for #thatindiebookclub, I’m still unsure how I feel about The Atlas Six. I listened to the audiobook, and since the story is told from multiple viewpoints, the full cast definitely helped keep track of the numerous characters.

The story was unlike anything I’ve experienced before—there was so much to take in and work out, and I got lost many, many times. Figuring out who each character was and what their magical power entailed was… complicated. I liked some characters, hated others, and felt ambivalent about the rest. I did like the plant lady—Reina, I think—but the voice of the plants was a bit sickly-sweet and weird (you wouldn’t get that if you’re reading the print version!).

There’s a lot going on, but at the same time, not much actually happens—yes, I know that sounds contradictory, but that’s exactly how I felt 😂. Will I read the next one? Probably, but I won’t be rushing. Hopefully it’ll be easier to follow now that I already have the world built in my head!

About the Book

The Alexandrian Society, caretakers of lost knowledge from the greatest civilizations of antiquity, are the foremost secret society of magical academicians in the world. Those who earn a place among the Alexandrians will secure a life of wealth, power, and prestige beyond their wildest dreams, and each decade, only the six most uniquely talented magicians are selected to be considered for initiation.

Enter the latest round of six: Libby Rhodes and Nico de Varona, unwilling halves of an unfathomable whole, who exert uncanny control over every element of physicality. Reina Mori, a naturalist, who can intuit the language of life itself. Parisa Kamali, a telepath who can traverse the depths of the subconscious, navigating worlds inside the human mind. Callum Nova, an empath easily mistaken for a manipulative illusionist, who can influence the intimate workings of a person’s inner self. Finally, there is Tristan Caine, who can see through illusions to a new structure of reality—an ability so rare that neither he nor his peers can fully grasp its implications.

When the candidates are recruited by the mysterious Atlas Blakely, they are told they will have one year to qualify for initiation, during which time they will be permitted preliminary access to the Society’s archives and judged based on their contributions to various subjects of impossibility: time and space, luck and thought, life and death. Five, they are told, will be initiated. One will be eliminated. The six potential initiates will fight to survive the next year of their lives, and if they can prove themselves to be the best among their rivals, most of them will.

Most of them.

About Olivie 

Olivie Blake, the pen name of Alexene Farol Follmuth, is the author of internationally bestselling speculative fiction for adults. She is a lover and writer of stories, many of which involve the fantastic, the paranormal, or the supernatural, but not always. More often, her works revolve around the collective experience, what it means to be human (or not), and the endlessly interesting complexities of life and love.

​Olivie tripped and fell into writing after abandoning her long-premeditated track for Optimum Life Achievement while attending law school, and now focuses primarily on the craft and occasional headache of creating fiction. Her New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling The Atlas Six released in 2022 from Tor Books, with The Atlas Paradox and The Atlas Complex rounding out the bestselling trilogy in 2024. The re-release of her viral literary romance Alone With You in the Ether was followed by backlist titles One for My Enemy and New York Times bestselling Masters of Death, with brand new titles Gifted & Talented and Girl Dinner to release in 2025. She has also been published as the writer for the graphic series Clara and the Devil and a variety of other adult SFF books. As Alexene, she is the author of young adult fiction.

Olivie lives and works in Los Angeles with her husband and son. She has trained in boxing for the last seven years and enjoys dinner conversation, art made by humans, and overindulging her sweet tooth.

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My Review for Shaedes of Beasts by Jenny Grimes

'Watch where you are going, you glorified pincushion!'

I'm finding it difficult to begin this review. Not because I hated the book (absolutely not!) but more because I can’t quite pin down how I feel about it yet.

For a change, let's work backwards.The last chapter was so good. I’m already itching for the next book just to see how this new character is going to shake things up (don’t worry—no spoilers). The final battle was less fighting and more of an intense rescue mission. It was heart-wrenching and scary, whilst being fully immersive, as we trudge through the forest in the rain, and the mud, with an incredibly novel way to stop the storm from raging and the rain from pouring down. 😉

Shaedes of Beasts was slow to begin with, as Jenny takes her time reintroducing old faces and bringing in new ones, whilst slowly recapping earlier battles. However, once it gets moving you are once again thrown into the magical lives of the members of the Shaede Court, as they attempt to save their worlds and their friends. 

Depressed - that's how I felt when I was reading this. Not because I wasn't enjoying it (I was), but because it basically never stopped raining, inside the book and outside my window. Zero sunshine. But hey, not all battles can be fought under a blazing sun! 🤣 

Thank you so much to Jenny Grimes for including me on her ARC team for Shaedes of Beasts.

About the Book

One love will make her. One spell will break her. One choice will save her.

The consequences of everything that happened in Corynthia haunt the High Shaedes as they attempt to savor the peace their sacrifices purchased on behalf of the Seam. While everyone seems to be moving on, Opal remains shattered—broken in ways that no one else can even begin to understand.

Edmyn and Farris are more than willing to distract her battered heart, but soon are faced with more troubles of their own. The Moon King must continue to rebuild what the dragons destroyed, while Farris must deal with the return of an unwanted figure from his past, come to wound him anew.

What will happen when a mysterious and alluring purple Shaede appears at court and offers Opal a taste of something she’s never had before?

And will the Shaedes be able to maintain the frail peace they’ve secured even when faced with suspicious talking beasts from Jovii’s Isle invading their lands and making soul magic demands?

About Jenny

Jenny Grimes writes fantasy romance novels that focus on the blurred lines between worlds, the darkness you’ll find in all of them, and the love that resides there too. She creates her characters and spins her stories from her home in the human realm, where she raises her three little book dragons with her husband, and spends a healthy amount of time reading, travelling, and creating art.

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My Review for IT by Stephen King, read by Steven Weber

“What can be done when you’re eleven can often never be done again.”

I enjoyed IT a whole lot more than Carrie. Even though it was a stonker of a listen at 45 hours, I was invested in the story, the kids, as they navigated their way through their traumatic teenage years in Derry. Twenty-eight years later, when they returned to their hometown to fight whatever the monster is, all over again. 

Occasionally I got lost in the narration as the story skipped from the past to the present and occasionally somewhere in-between, but aside from that, I did actually like it. I definitely wouldn't like the movie version, but I treated the monster as some sort of paranormal fantasy creature that I've encountered in numerous other books, and it was all good.

I'm sure I'm not the first person who's thought this, but whether intentional or not, I think some of J.K. Rowling's ideas came from this book. The monster is eerily reminiscent of Aragog, and, she moves around in the pipes, just as the monster does in Chamber of Secrets. Anyone else??

Thank you to #thatindiebookclub for the decision to try a Stephen King club for people who were maybe a little sceptical!

About the Book

Stephen King's terrifying, classic #1 New York Times bestseller, "a landmark in American literature" (Chicago Sun-Times)—about seven adults who return to their hometown to confront a nightmare they had first stumbled on as teenagers…an evil without a name: It.

Welcome to Derry, Maine. It's a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real.

They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But the promise they made twenty-eight years ago calls them reunite in the same place where, as teenagers, they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city's children. Now, children are being murdered again and their repressed memories of that terrifying summer return as they prepare to once again battle the monster lurking in Derry's sewers.

About Stephen

Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947, the second son of Donald and Nellie Ruth Pillsbury King. He made his first professional short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories. In the fall of 1971, he began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels. In the spring of 1973, Doubleday & Co., accepted the novel Carrie for publication, providing him the means to leave teaching and write full-time. He has since published over 50 books and has become one of the world's most successful writers. King is the recipient of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to the American Letters and the 2014 National Medal of Arts.

Stephen lives in Maine and Florida with his wife, novelist Tabitha King. They are regular contributors to a number of charities including many libraries and have been honored locally for their philanthropic activities.

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My Post for Shadowslayers by Colin Sephton

'She is your darkest thoughts, your darkest fears. She will feed off your fear and hatred and grow stronger.'

The second book and another mission for the Union Jacks, only these time, there appears to be more than one of each of them! Doppelgängers, spirit doubles, alter ego or ethereal twin, call them what you like, but ultimately it means double the trouble, or double the support, depending on whose point of view you're looking at!

Shadowslayers is a fast-paced, exciting second book from new author, Colin Sephton. The many battles are charged with excitement, blood-soaked detail, and nail-biting anticipation, as Indigo, Ignatius, and their allies fight to uncover the elusive Book of Shadows, contain its horrors, and keep each other alive. 

With a tense and open-ended finish, we are left with the potential for another mission. What will come next for our Union Jack agents? Can just the two of them be expected to keep the entire universe safe.

Thank you to Colin Sephton and Cinnabar Moth Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Shadowslayers.

About the Book

When doppelgangers start appearing in Oxford, Union Jack agents Ignatius and Indigo find themselves on another cosmic quest, one they didn't set out to investigate.Drawn into the search for the elusive and dangerous Book of Shadows, they find themselves traveling across the cosmos once again, racing against other versions of themselves, and visiting the Oracle to be given prophecies of terrible destruction that will engulf the cosmos in darkness. Only these two heroes-or their doubles-can open the book, which would lead to dreadful consequences for themselves, the world and the whole of creation. The agents must outwit their own mirror souls and invade the impregnable Administorium, which holds the answers they need but also fearsome enemies of both the Union Jacks and the entire cosmos. In this quest, Ignatius and Indigo must protect not only England and the Empire, but the world and the cosmos.

About Colin

Colin was born in Coventry and worked in the automotive industry for over twenty years before becoming an Engineering teacher. Obtaining his first library card at the age of thirteen, he became an avid reader of Fantasy and the mysteries of the Universe. He has an inbuilt curiosity for lost knowledge and ancient texts that may help to unlock the secrets of consciousness and the universe. Living in Oxford for many years, he has now moved back to his home county of Warwickshire where he enjoys creating and working with his wife on their garden in which he writes and entertains their two grandsons. He has always been an artist and writer and is inspired by the worlds created by Robert E Howard and Michael Moorcock, with the artwork of Frank Frazetta.

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My Review for Luminiferous: The Darkness Within #2

'But bear in mind, using a dragon as a weapon comes with the risk of its bite'.

I'm hooked! When is the next one out? The Luminiferous series is fast becoming my favourite fantasy series. I adore Lilly. She's sassy, she's fearless, she's brave and she doesn't suffer fools. In this one, Lilly sets out on some more adventures with her friends, in an attempt to find the second emanation of Luminiferous. On the way, she encounters enemies, many, many enemies, some who may become friends and inevitable death - thankfully not hers because we still have another five more books to go!

After the world-building in book one, we are catapulted straight back into all the worlds that Lilly travels through, and of course she has Hairito by her side once again, such a cheeky, yet loyal gargoyle! Lilly is being forced to grow up fast and for a nineteen-year-old, she really is doing an awesome job of carrying the world's outcome on her shoulders! The book is full of selkies and sirens, and all sorts of fantasy creatures. Each with their own role and each bringing their own set of skills - sometimes good ones and sometimes, very, very bad! 

I cannot recommend this series enough. It's soooooooo good. If you love Fourth Wing, ACOTAR, The Serpent and the Wings of Night and anything in between, please give it a go. It's honestly incredible, there are apparently five more books to go - get writing Yana. I need more Lilly, Will and Faolen in my life!

Thank you to Yana Metro for the gifted copy of Luminiferous: The Darkness Within.

About the book

The riveting second book in the seven-part LUMINIFEROS saga of romance, self-discovery and two worlds on the brink

CURSED. HUNTED. CAUGHT BETWEEN TWO LETHAL SHAPESHIFTERS

Lilly White is poisoned. Venom marks on her wrists spread daily, threatening to consume her body and soul. As the last hope against Noxohit’s destruction of the Human and Spirit Worlds, Lilly must find a cure before she turns into one of his monsters – or her own allies kill her first.

Her one beacon is Will, a Raven Guardian with deadly power and seductive charm. He is her sworn protector, but he’s also duty-bound and hiding secrets of his own.

As they race against time and despair, Lilly falls under the jade gaze of a being so powerful, he can bend reality at will. His touch is as cold as dragon scales and just as lethally beguiling.

With his perilous guidance, Lilly might find salvation. But to break the curse, she must embrace the darkness within, risking her life… and testing her love.

About Yana

A PhD in Physics, Yana spent years as a nano-researcher before diving into exploration of existential mysteries through fictional characters and magical worlds. Her debut series LUMINIFEROS unites contemporary fantasy and romance in a thrilling seven-part journey of self-discovery. She lives in the urban jungles of London but dreams of lush coniferous forests stretching beneath leaden clouds that almost constantly curtain the sky.

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My Review for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling, read by Stephen Fry

'Why spiders? Why couldn't it be "follow the butterflies?'

I've just re-read my review for the audiobook of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. I didn't write much about the actual storyline! 🤣 However, I'm presuming that anyone who is reading this, knows the ins and outs of each book!

This one, is slightly more scary than the first, and I remember correctly, as the series progresses, they each get a little darker. I remember taking my stepdaughter to watch this at the cinema - I was frightened - never mind her!

The Chamber of Secrets introduces us to a variety of new characters, ranging from teachers, to students, to ghosts. There is also that extra magical spark that comes with being taught that little bit extra in the second year of Hogwarts.

In this one, I took a liking to Moaning Myrtle, I mean come on, if you'd been killed whilst you were minding your own business on the toilet, you'd be moaning too! All she needed was someone to listen to her and understand. 😜

I must admit that when Tom Riddle takes out his wand and rearranges the letters in his name, I reenacted that part of the movie whilst I was hanging out the washing - I hope my neighbours weren't in! 🤣

If you're a fan, try the audiobook version if you haven't already. I guarantee you'll be hooked.

About the Book

The Dursleys were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls' bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny.

About Joanne

Joanne Rowling was born on 31st July 1965 at Yate General Hospital near Bristol, and grew up in Gloucestershire in England and in Chepstow, Gwent, in south-east Wales.

Her father, Peter, was an aircraft engineer at the Rolls Royce factory in Bristol and her mother, Anne, was a science technician in the Chemistry department at Wyedean Comprehensive, where Jo herself went to school. Anne was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when Jo was a teenager and died in 1990, before the Harry Potter books were published. Jo also has a younger sister, Di.

The young Jo grew up surrounded by books. “I lived for books,’’ she has said. “I was your basic common-or-garden bookworm, complete with freckles and National Health spectacles.”

Jo wanted to be a writer from an early age. She wrote her first book at the age of six – a story about a rabbit, called ‘Rabbit’. At just eleven, she wrote her first novel – about seven cursed diamonds and the people who owned them.

Jo studied at Exeter University, where she read so widely outside her French and Classics syllabus that she clocked up a fine of £50 for overdue books at the University library. Her knowledge of Classics would one day come in handy for creating the spells in the Harry Potter series, some of which are based on Latin.

Her course included a year in Paris. “I lived in Paris for a year as a student,” Jo tweeted after the 2015 terrorist attacks there. “It’s one of my favourite places on earth.”

After her degree, she moved to London and worked in a series of jobs, including one as a researcher at Amnesty International. “There in my little office I read hastily scribbled letters smuggled out of totalitarian regimes by men and women who were risking imprisonment to inform the outside world of what was happening to them.” She said later. “My small participation in that process was one of the most humbling and inspiring experiences of my life.”

Jo conceived the idea of Harry Potter in 1990 while sitting on a delayed train from Manchester to London King’s Cross. Over the next five years, she began to map out all seven books of the series. She wrote mostly in longhand and gradually built up a mass of notes, many of which were scribbled on odd scraps of paper.

Taking her notes with her, she moved to northern Portugal to teach English as a foreign language, married Jorge Arantes in 1992 and had a daughter, Jessica, in 1993. When the marriage ended later that year, she returned to the UK to live in Edinburgh, with Jessica and a suitcase containing the first three chapters of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

In Edinburgh, Jo trained as a teacher and began teaching in the city’s schools, but she continued to write in every spare moment.

Having completed the full manuscript, she sent the first three chapters to a number of literary agents, one of whom wrote back asking to see the rest of it. She says it was “the best letter I had ever received in my life.”

The book was first published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books in June 1997, under the name J.K. Rowling.

The “K” stands for Kathleen, her paternal grandmother’s name. It was added at her publisher’s request, who thought a book by an obviously female author might not appeal to the target audience of young boys.

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My Review for Silver Elite by Dani Francis

'I’m the one who decides whether you walk out of here alive'

'Obsessed, cliffhanger, Team Uprising, Team Crazy Redden Brothers, Team Sane Cross' - just a few of the words and phrases that #thatindiebookclub used to describe this stunning novel by Dani Francis. Silver Elite is the first book in the dystopian romance trilogy, which has taken the fantasy book world by storm.

I'm thrilled that our book club chose Silver Elite for their July read. The world-building is light and easy to understand, the characters are a mixture of badass and kind, as well as badass and evil! I fell in love with Wren, maybe not quite from the start, but definitely as soon as she joined the training program which shapes her into the formidable warrior she is to become. 

Who knew that we needed another fantasy series in our lives! With similarities that you'll possibly notice from others such as Fourth Wing and Hunger Games, Silver Elite has enough unique aspects to make it into a series that is sure to be adored by many. 

Hopefully we won't have to wait long for the next book.

About the Book

TRUST NO ONE.

Wren Darlington has spent her whole life in hiding, honing her psychic abilities and aiding the rebel Uprising in small ways. On the Continent, being Modified means certain death—and Wren is one of the most powerful Mods in existence. When one careless mistake places her in the hands of the enemy and she’s forced to join their most elite training program, she’s finally handed the perfect opportunity to strike a devastating blow from inside their ranks.

LIE TO EVERYONE.

But training for Silver Block can be deadly, especially when you’re harboring dangerous secrets and living in close quarters with everyone who wants you dead.

AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T FALL FOR YOUR GREATEST ENEMY.

As the stakes grow ever higher, Wren must prove herself to Silver Block. But that’s easier said than done when your commanding officer is the ruthless and infuriatingly irresistible Cross Redden, who doesn’t miss anything when it comes to her. And as war rages between Mods like her and those who aim to destroy them, Wren must decide just how far she’s willing to go to protect herself . . . and how much of the Continent is worth saving.

About Dani

Dani Francis is the New York Times bestselling author of Silver Elite. She is an avid reader, a lover of all things breakfast, and a hopeless romantic. When she is not creating high-stakes fantasy worlds and complex characters, you can find Dani spending time with family or trying to figure out why the printer never works.

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