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Assimilation
Assimilation tells the story of Kercy, a fragile and often isolated young woman whose life is split between the harshness of her family and the eerie beauty of the Soshone Islands. The calm of her summers fractures when she hooks a grotesque, severed limb in the lake, only to be visited that same night by strange beings who invade her room and her body. That moment becomes the axis of her entire life, leading her toward hidden truths about her parents, her own biology, and the horrifying forces lurking beneath the water. The book follows her journey from isolated child to self-possessed adult as she navigates love, danger, loss, and the long shadow of whatever visited her that night.
Reading it pulled me around emotionally in ways I didn’t expect. Some sections felt tender and slow, almost sleepy with the warmth of summer afternoons, then suddenly the story lurched into fear and chaos. I kept feeling this knot in my stomach because the writing toys with dread in such a quiet way. Busch’s descriptions of water and landscape are gorgeous and simple. They gave me a sense of calm. Then he ripped it away with scenes so bizarre I actually had to pause. The alien encounter scene hit me hardest. It felt weirdly intimate, almost like watching someone relive a trauma they barely understand. It made my skin prickle because it blended dream logic with physical detail in a way that felt too real.
But the part that stayed with me most wasn’t the creatures. It was the messy and painful bond between Kercy and her parents. Her father’s coldness stung every time he appeared. Her mother’s love felt too thin in some moments and heartbreakingly fierce in others. The whole time, I felt this quiet anger building under the surface. He disappears early in the book, yet his absence keeps shaping her life like a bruise that never fully heals. By the time the story reaches its later chapters, where Kercy reflects on the ruins of her past from adulthood, I felt this soft ache for everything she carried that nobody helped her set down.
Assimilation struck me as a story for readers who love emotional tension mixed with strange, unsettling mystery. Assimilation blends the emotional depth of The Girl with All the Gifts with the eerie, slow-burn dread of Annihilation and the intimate character focus of Room, creating a story that feels both tender and terrifying. If you like atmospheric fiction with sci-fi elements woven into human pain, or if you enjoy stories that linger in your mind, this one will absolutely grab you.
pages: 335 | ASIN: B0FSSJP5CP
Take My Hand
Take My Hand follows Trina, a guidance counselor in the magical and queer-rich Dark District, as she navigates danger, desire, identity, and the messy, tender work of becoming who she is. The story swings between an attack at a local bar, her growing attraction to a new teacher named Robert, and the deeper, rawer layers of her identity as Timothy. The book blends urban fantasy, queer longing, Filipino culture, and personal history into something that feels both intimate and loud. It’s a story about wanting connection. It’s a story about fear. It’s a story about what happens when desire and truth keep bumping into each other until something finally gives.
The writing feels hungry. Emotional. A little chaotic in the best way. The scenes in the school had me smiling. The quiet moments in Trina’s office hit me harder than I thought they would. And the flashbacks to the orphanage knocked the wind out of me. I felt the ache in her voice. I felt the weight of all those years she kept her real self tucked away. The book swings from funny to sensual to heartbreaking with this almost reckless energy. I loved that the author just lets the story breathe and swell without trying to make everything neat.
There were moments that made me squirm because they felt too real. The longing for Robert. The guilt. The shame. The humor she hides behind. All of it felt familiar. The writing is loose and bold. Sometimes messy. Sometimes sharp. And the queer representation, especially around desire and gender and the body, felt honest in a way that isn’t common. I liked how the magic sits in the background. Never overwhelming. Just shaping the world the way emotions shape a person from the inside.
By the end, I felt protective of Trina. I wanted her to win. I wanted her to love someone who actually sees her. I wanted her to stop tearing herself apart just to fit into a skin she didn’t choose. The book made me feel a lot, and I liked that. I didn’t want it to be safe. I wanted it to stay exactly as wild and vulnerable as it is.
If you enjoy queer urban fantasy with plenty of heat, heart, and personal struggle, this book will hit the spot. If you like stories that mix magic with Manila vibes and real emotional weight, you’ll feel at home here. And if you want a character who is flawed, yearning, dramatic, funny, and painfully human, Trina is a character you’ll remember.
Although Take My Hand works perfectly well as a stand-alone story, it’s actually the second book in an ongoing series set in the Dark District. Readers who want the full experience can follow the chronology starting with Take Me Now, and even go further back with its prequel Sojourn. Both earlier works were previously compiled as a duology in the Dark District Primer, so new readers can choose to jump in here or enjoy the series in order for a richer sense of the world.
Pages: 400 | ASIN : B0DJ7JTG4S
The Reality of the Broken
The Demon’s Deceit follows a washed-up addict who wakes up and finds herself under the control of a wealthy, manipulative demon, and is offered a deal: freedom from pain and fear, in exchange for becoming an assassin. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
It all started with the question of what would happen if an average woman suddenly found herself with superpowers. I was getting tired of reading fantasy books with suspiciously capable and barely adult protagonists, so I wrote a book that I wanted to read about older and imperfect women like me. The follow-up question then became: how would she get the superpowers to begin with? I can’t help but challenge religion, so I created a race of twisted supernatural beings who may or may not have inspired most religions and who laugh at humanity from the shadows.
There was a lot of time spent crafting the character traits in this novel. What was the most important factor for you to get right in your characters?
I wanted them to feel authentic and unique. I’ve had the privilege of being inspired by so many people from different backgrounds and ways of life, and I wanted to represent the beauty of the unconventional and the reality of the broken.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Redemption and recovery were the main themes revealed during my writing process. Having struggled with mental illness and addiction myself, I wanted my protagonist to “win” after dealing with grief and substance abuse for so long. It’s cathartic for me and hopefully for readers.
When will Book Two be available? Can you give us an idea of where that book will take readers?
The Angel’s Bane (Divine Evolution Book 2) is coming early 2026:
By all accounts, Jeanie Bennett is living the dream: money, power, love—but happiness comes at a cost. A growing paranoia threatens to ruin everything she’s worked so hard to build, because loving a divine means accepting that death lurks around every corner. And another loss is not something she can endure.
In addition to protecting Sam from demons thirsting for his angelic blood, she’s juggling the launch of two non-profits, working through her unresolved grief, and battling her mental illness and addictions. When the mounting challenges become too much to bear, she goes back to her roots to find the perfect second assistant. He’s more than qualified, but his motives might not be so pure.
Now they just have to contend with demons, rival angels, kidnappers, mobsters, and a mysterious foe who gives Jeanie her greatest challenge yet. Will she be able to stop him from taking everything she holds dear before it’s too late?
Author Links: <a href="http://22 Nov 2025 13:16:47 -0800 Andria Carver GoodReads | Website | Amazon
Jeanie’s day started off like any other—hungover in a back alley after another epic bender. But the one-way ride on her downward spiral was about to come to an abrupt end. Kidnapped by a bloodthirsty demon, she is thrown into the dark world of the divines, a supernatural species living secretly among humans.
As the new assistant to a divine intent on rising through the ranks, Jeanie is given an assignment: kill an angel so her demon can take his place, or die trying. In order to achieve the impossible, she’ll have to rely on the powers given to her by her new master, along with her quick wit and talent for bluffing.
But not all divines are what they seem, and Jeanie must choose to either defy her morality or die in utter agony. A dangerous incubus steps in and promises to help her, or is he just using her too?
Wickedly funny, unexpectedly moving, and delightfully twisted. The Demon’s Deceit slashes through genre conventions with a bloody dagger in one hand and a smoldering joint in the other. Think Fleabag as Buffy the Vampire Slayer with extra helpings of humor, peril, and passion thrown in.
Contains sexual content, references to drug addiction and abuse, and probably too many curse words (definitely too many)
Hypocrisy
The novel Hypocrisy drops you right into a wild mix of government secrets, alien power plays, and strange visions that blur the line between what is real and what is imagined. The story opens with Ché Anaconda, a UAP hunter who lives knee deep in lies and threats. From there, the book cuts across galaxies, following Alen Innocent, Honor, Charisma, and a cast of beings who shift forms, twist timelines, and chase after knowledge that could change everything. The plot swings fast, with violence, politics, and cosmic mysteries all happening at once, and it creates this feeling that the universe is breaking open in every direction.
The writing has this bold energy that keeps the scenes jumping. The author clearly loves big ideas. I could feel that passion on almost every page. Scenes would explode out of nowhere. But then I would get pulled back in by some strange image, like blood on a bedsheet turning into a vision. The book has a way of surprising you right when you start to doubt it, and that made the experience weirdly addictive. It felt like watching someone open doors faster than you can peek inside them.
This whole concept of powerful beings feeling lost, insecure, or tired struck me more than I expected. I liked how the book kept poking at the idea that knowledge can be both a gift and a curse. There is something human in the middle of all the chaos. Some moments made me feel a real ache, especially scenes that touch on memory and trauma. Other times, I felt thrown off by the heavy social commentary. Even so, those rough edges gave it a raw emotion that stuck with me.
I think Hypocrisy is perfect for readers who enjoy fast, unpredictable sci-fi with big stakes and messy characters who feel alive. It will hit the sweet spot for people who like their stories loud, strange, and full of cosmic drama, and who don’t mind a little narrative chaos in the mix. If you like to dive into a universe that punches first and explains later, you’ll have a good time.
Pages: 378 | ASIN : B0FV55K9F8
VALOR: A Magical Historical Romance (The Evensong Enchantments Book 2)
Valor continues the story of Ena, a young woman of Druidic blood who is swept into a dangerous world of prophecy, ancient magic, and political turmoil. The book follows her as she flees her old life, confronts both human threat and supernatural horror, and discovers the depth of her own power. We watch her wrestle with grief, her lineage, her unborn child, and the complicated web of loyalty and love surrounding her. The story gathers tightly around themes of sacrifice, rebirth, and the heavy cost of destiny, pulling together threads of family, faith, and the lingering shadow of Philip’s death.
I found myself unexpectedly swept up in the book’s emotional weight. The writing carries a kind of earnest intensity. Scenes of violence or magic arrive suddenly, hitting hard, and then soften into quiet reflections or tender moments. I felt especially moved by the contrast between Ena’s fragility and the raw force emerging within her. Author Helyn Dunn’s descriptions often lean mystical or dreamlike, and while that sometimes made me pause to catch my bearings, it also filled the story with a sense of secrecy and wonder. I kept feeling a tug in my chest during scenes where Ena faces danger she is not ready for, and again when she discovers just how much strength she truly has.
I also found myself reacting strongly to the characters orbiting Ena. The monks who help her after she fears losing her unborn child offer a warmth and gentleness I didn’t expect. Their presence creates an almost sacred pause in the narrative, and I felt grateful for it alongside her. Later, the emotional shift in her relationship with Bernard surprised me with its sincerity and ache. Their connection is written with a kind of quiet yearning that feels grounded and mature, especially in scenes where Bernard drops his usual stoicism and speaks from a wounded but hopeful heart . The book leans into love, romantic, familial, spiritual, in all the ways it can save or break a person.
By the time I reached the final chapters, I felt a sense of completion and forward motion. The story opens a door toward a larger quest, and I closed the book with the impression that Ena has stepped into a fuller version of herself. There is a feeling of promise, shaped not just by magic but by courage and heartbreak and the people who have stood by her, even after losing Philip. I would recommend Valor to readers who enjoy emotional fantasy, rich inner journeys, and stories rooted in mythic symbolism. Anyone drawn to mystical historical fiction or tales of spiritual transformation will likely find this book deeply rewarding.
Pages: 471 | ASIN: B0F7S8SZXC
The Broken Coil: Thomas Berenford Chronicles
The Broken Coil follows Thomas Berenford, a gruff wanderer who calls himself a humble agent of “pest control,” though his problems involve far more than vermin. The story opens with a brutal prison warden, a terrified magian girl, and the whispered threat of a man who once escaped her torment. From that point on, the novel winds through desert canyons, strange pilgrim camps, dangerous raiders, and the looming legends of the Noman. Thomas ends up pulled into rescuing a girl named Chloe, dealing with religious wanderers, and confronting echoes of his own past, all while dragging around a magical broadsword with a temper of its own.
Reading this book felt like sliding into a world that was equal parts dust, danger, and strange kindness. Schwartz writes in a way that hits the senses first. I could almost taste the grit and smell the smoke of campfires as Thomas trudged across the land. His voice is rough but warm, and I found myself trusting him even when he appeared one bad night of drinking away from total collapse. I liked how the dialogue crackled with personality. Chloe’s eerie calmness and odd humor weirded me out in the best way. Mother Endelyn’s scenes caught me off guard. They were tender and sad, and they made Thomas look smaller and more human than his reputation suggests.
At times, I caught myself grinning at the book’s stranger touches. Wilma, the sword with a pulse and an attitude, added charm to moments that could have slipped into gloom. The raiders, the relic, the pilgrims breaking branches, and the nightmarish memories of the rack created a mix of mystery and grit that kept my curiosity buzzing. I will admit I wanted a little more breathing room in some sections. The world bursts with ideas, and I sometimes had trouble keeping track of which belief or threat mattered most. Still, the ride stayed exciting and the characters carried the weight of the story with heart.
I would recommend The Broken Coil to readers who enjoy fantasy with a rough edge and a good sense of humor. Anyone who likes wandering heroes, dusty landscapes, and stories that blend heart with hard choices will find plenty to enjoy here. It is a book for folks who want adventure that refuses to sit still, and for readers who like characters who are wounded yet stubborn enough to keep walking.
Pages: 181 | ASIN: B0DVQFDW5S
Heritage Mountain
Heritage Mountain is a heartwarming blend of cozy fantasy and wilderness adventure, following botanist Anita and survivalist Marco as they reunite for an archaeological expedition in the Adirondacks. Alongside their close-knit friends, Maria and Chase, and a delightful cast of supernatural beings like pixies, elves, and a telepathic cat, the group embarks on a journey that’s as much about discovery as it is about connection, both with nature and each other. The story gently weaves folklore, love, mystery, and magic into the everyday, creating a world where firepits reveal ancient tools, and a simple forest walk may bring you face-to-face with stargazers or nymphs.
I genuinely enjoyed reading this. There’s a quiet, comforting kind of magic in the way author Karen Black writes. She gives the characters space to breathe, laugh, stumble, and grow close. I loved the humor between Chase and Maria. It felt like watching old friends tease and support each other without missing a beat. Marco’s protective, grounded energy made him instantly likable. And Anita. I loved Anita. Her blend of practicality and wonder, her quiet strength and openness to magic, made her feel real and relatable. And the worldbuilding? It’s so gentle and subtle, the supernatural just slips in like a whisper. Nothing is overexplained or flashy. And that makes it feel real.
Everything feels safe, and sometimes I find myself wishing for a little more tension or stakes. But then again, that’s probably the point. Heritage Mountain tells a different kind of story. One about trust, connection, and ancient magic hidden in plain sight. It’s quiet but rich, like the kind of story you’d tell around a fire under the stars. It made me want to go hiking. Or at least take a walk and keep an eye out for little footprints in the moss.
I’d recommend Heritage Mountain to anyone who loves stories about found family, soft magic, and wilderness tales that feel like a warm blanket on a chilly morning. If you liked Practical Magic or The Bear and the Nightingale, or just need a break from the world, this book will meet you gently and invite you in. Fans of cozy fantasy, magical realism, and wilderness adventure will find Heritage Mountain a gentle, enchanting read full of heart, hidden magic, and unforgettable charm.
Pages: 264 | ASIN : B0FGVT464K
Heirs of Empire
S A Melia’s Heirs to Empire is a sprawling space opera of loyalty, survival, and rebirth. The story sweeps through twelve human worlds known as the Dodecahedral Empire, where young King Teodor, once presumed dead, claws his way from slavery on a plague-ridden world to reclaim his crown. Alongside him are soldiers, nomads, and lovers bound by webs of duty and betrayal. Melia threads political intrigue, biological warfare, and deep personal transformation into a story that feels both intimate and epic. It’s part military science fiction, part mythic hero’s journey, and part meditation on power and belonging.
Reading this book, I felt pulled between admiration and awe. Melia’s world-building is stunning, dense, and alive with detail. Her writing has a cinematic rhythm, with scenes that pulse between horror and beauty. There’s a strange poetry in how she describes destruction, especially the plague-ravaged London and the living forests of Sas Darona. The characters feel raw and human, even when they’re riding giant spiders or waging interplanetary wars. I loved the contrast between Teodor’s noble stoicism and Guy Erma’s rough-edged loyalty.
What struck me most was how personal the story feels beneath all the spectacle. This isn’t just about empires rising and falling, it’s about what happens to people when the idea of “home” burns down. Melia writes grief and hope side by side. Her characters are always torn, always trying to choose between love, survival, and duty. I found myself angry with them one moment and rooting for them the next. That unpredictability kept me turning pages, even when the politics grew thick. There’s a pulse of emotion here that feels tender, painful, and real.
Heirs to Empire is a bold, emotional ride. It’s perfect for readers who love the grand scope of Dune but crave the grit and heart of Battlestar Galactica. If you enjoy stories that blend science fiction with myth, politics with passion, and chaos with redemption, this book will grab you and not let go. It’s ambitious, heartfelt, and riveting.
Pages: 466 | ASIN : B0FCCX2672
LITERARY TITAN 