Admittedly, I am extremely late to the game when it comes to Yael van der Wouden’s 2024 debut novel The Safekeep (Simon & Schuster); however, I now regret not picking this one up sooner. The Safekeep has the lasting impact of an instant classic alongside the gripping and propulsive plot of any good story. Set in 1961 inRead More
Monsters Above and Below the Waves: They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran Review
After a banger debut with She is a Haunting, I was eager to get my hands on Trang Tranh Tran’s sophomore novel They Bloom at Night. Tran delivers another gripping story, with atmospheric tension intertwined with the struggle to fit in to your own body and community. This book dragged me in as relentless the tides, and thenRead More
Power, Politics, and Passion: Black Salt Queen by Samantha Bansil Review
Black Salt Queen had everything I want out of a fantasy novel right now. It’s a story steeped in political intrigue, lush world-building, and dynamic characters who feel as real as they are formidable. At the center of the story, we’ve got Hara Duja Gatdula, the aging queen of Maynara who can literally move theRead More
A Fraught, Erotic Fever Dream: Mrs. S by K. Patrick
Bookshop.org Affiliate Link Every so often I read a novel that just has the perfect summer energy about it—and even though I read a review copy of Mrs. S by K. Patrick (Europa Editions, 2023) in the spring, I was thinking of summer the entire time. Perfect for fans of novelists like Emma Cline, Mona Awad, orRead More
Maggie reviews The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling
Amazon Affiliate Link | Bookshop.org Affiliate Link I have been really into horror lately, and finding a lesbian sci-fi horror was a real boon for me, and The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling was a real page-turner. With a spine-tingling atmosphere, a killer setting, and a cast of two, The Luminous Dead draws you into the story as steadilyRead More
Sam reviews The Thousand Eyes by A. K. Larkwood
Amazon Affiliate Link | Bookshop.org Affiliate Link When I reviewed The Unspoken Name by A. K. Larkwood, this is what I wrote: The novel ends with the promise of more adventures to come, and I would certainly love to see more of these characters and this world. But if it turns out this was aRead More