This was a highly anticipated read for 2025, and somehow I let an overwhelming number of ARCs (advance reader copies) get in the way of me finishing a beloved series. I started to buddy read it over the summer and then kept pausing as priorities shifted. I’ll be honest, I probably also put it off because I just didn’t want it to end. I finally made time to enter Emily’s world one more time and I’m so glad I did. My first read of this trilogy was in print, although I reread books 1 and 2 as audiobooks before diving into this one. As I read this with my eyeballs, I couldn’t help but continue to “hear” the excellent narration of Encyclopaedia and Map and I think a reread to actually hear it all over will be in order shortly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the digital review copy and the opportunity to be an early reader. This book hit shelves on October 14.

Clía is certain when Prince Domhnall arrives at her home it’s to make their betrothal official. They’re kingdoms are neighbors and they’ve been friends from childhood. A political alliance between them seems beneficial for everyone. But Domhnall comes with the message that she’s not strong enough to serve as queen to his kingdom. She’s too focused on parties and frivolity. Clía sets out to prove him wrong by arriving at the military academy where Domhnall is also studying.

Thank you to the author for the advance reader copy and the opportunity to be an early reader. This book makes its debut in the world on October 17.

This is the story of two societies. In one, a Sacred Mirror that chooses a new Paragon/ruler every 10 years appears to be broken. Doha, a brilliant engineer, and a small group of people who know the Mirror chose wrongly this holiday, attempt to understand and repair the artifact. In another, Isla is a Mage with a tragic past. As prejudice against magic rises, she and those around her must decide whether to fight for the future.

Because I’m such a big fan of Emily Henry’s adult novels, one of my goals is to work through her young adult backlist. Because my brain works in an odd way, I feel like this should be done in publication order. That may be because I read all of her adult novels in that order too. In any case, I’ve finally read Emily Henry’s original debut as a young adult author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saturday Book for the digital review copy of this book in advance. It hits shelves on September 2.

Set in the same world as Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows, this is another stunning novel from Rebecca Ross. This one can be read without reading the other duology as it shares a few characters but actually serves as a prequel with events occurring far before those of the other books.

I said in my review of Divine Rivals that I had hopes for this installment in the duology to make up for some of my unmet expectations. That was certainly the case here. My main disappointment came from my desire for more worldbuilding and fantasy elements in the first one, and it wasn’t even a large concern because the book still got over 4 stars from me. This one gave me everything I wanted and more.

I’m so late to the game with the hype surrounding this duology. I kept intending to read it, borrowed it from Kindle Unlimited multiple times and somehow kicked it down the road over and over again. Then I got an email offering for me to read Wild Reverence (releasing in September 2025) as an early reader. I said yes, knowing that I really enjoyed Rebecca Ross’s writing in her Elements of Cadence duology. What I didn’t realize at the time was that the new book is set in the world of Divine Rivals. So here we are, finally picking up a book I always intended to read eventually.

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I read the first installment of this duology (A Letter to the Luminous Deep) last year, and while I enjoyed it, I wasn’t enthralled. I liked the worldbuilding and the letter-writing and journal style of it, but the pacing was slow and I had trouble with differentiating the numerous characters’ voices. The story was mysterious, a bit romantic, imaginative, and funny, but I had a few qualms.

This was a great finish to the Mistborn trilogy. I put off reading it for a while because Sanderson books take me so long to read.

This book was so much fun. It had some twists and turns with clues along the way. I try to be along for the ride with this type of book, but I couldn’t help but make some predictions. I wasn’t completely caught off guard by the ending, but I was surprised enough that I’m eagerly awaiting the second book in the series.

I think I liked this book even more than the first one, but here's the deal. I love the characters and this world, but I don't reach for the book. I'm not sure if it's a pacing thing, or just a "me" thing, but I feel like I read so long only to make very little progress. My experience was the same with The Final Empire.