Happy Book Birthday to The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro

 

The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro is available as of today from Del Rey.

from the publisher:

Alejandra no longer knows who she is. To her husband, she is a wife, and to her children, a mother. To her own adoptive mother, she is a daughter. But they cannot see who Alejandra has become: a woman struggling with a darkness that threatens to consume her.
 
Nor can they see what Alejandra sees. In times of despair, a ghostly vision appears to her, the apparition of a crying woman in a ragged white gown.
 
When Alejandra visits a therapist, she begins exploring her family’s history, starting with the biological mother she never knew. As she goes deeper into the lives of the women in her family, she learns that heartbreak and tragedy are not the only things she has in common with her ancestors.
 
Because the crying woman was with them, too. She is La Llorona, the vengeful and murderous mother of Mexican legend. And she will not leave until Alejandra follows her mother, her grandmother, and all the women who came before her into the darkness.
 
But Alejandra has inherited more than just pain. She has inherited the strength and the courage of her foremothers—and she will have to summon everything they have given her to banish La Llorona forever.

I'm looking forward to reading this book. I like that while she is unhappy, there is a chance for change and redemption plus the folklore aspect. Are you looking forward to reading this one too?

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #458: Cult Classic by Stephen Blackmoore

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher: Eric Carter has a lot on his plate.

He's hunting the Oracle of Las Vegas, a literal talking head that manipulates the future to make its prophecies come true. But it has a new trick. It can change the past, too.

Now Jazz Age Los Angeles is invading the present. Long gone buildings suddenly restored, decommissioned Red Car trains appearing on paved over tracks, miles of the city changing back to orange groves.

Throw in a hundred-year-old doomsday cult, time magic, and a terrifyingly powerful spell to raise the dead and it makes for a busy week. Carter knows the Oracle is behind it all but he can't figure out how. Or why.

But he better figure it out soon or he, the city, and everyone he knows might be wiped from existence.

Cult Classic is noir urban fantasy at its finest, with a cutting voice, sharp wit, and a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Cult Classic by Stephen Blackmoore is expected out July 11th, 2023 from DAW.

Why am I waiting on this book? I haven't read this series yet, but I am a fan of urban fantasy. This sounds like an interesting premise with the past impinging on the present. It might not be the best jumping in point for me, but it definitely puts the Eric Carter series on my radar. I'm excited to give it a try.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Book Review: Heir of Uncertain Magic by Charlie N. Holmberg

 

From the publisher:

Thanks to house tamer Hulda Larkin, the mischief infesting Whimbrel House has calmed. But if Hulda’s job is done, what does that mean for Merritt Fernsby, inheritor of the remote Narragansett Bay estate, who’s only now coming to terms with his enchanted place in the world?

Merritt has realized his own burgeoning powers, which draw the thoughts of every plant, insect, and dog. His nights are sleepless, with an uncontrollable cacophony of voices that compel a long-overdue search into his uncanny bloodline. It’s not the only puzzle uniting Merritt and his ex-housekeeper, Hulda. Her friend and former employer at the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms has disappeared. Hulda herself is up for the now-vacant position of institute director, and her rival for the role is a stranger who’s suspiciously curious about Whimbrel House—and could have connections to an old foe.

As Merritt struggles to face his estranged family and Hulda dives into the institute’s secrets, the two are brought intimately closer than ever into the mysteries of wizardry, chaos, and love.

Heir of Uncertain Magic by Charlie N. Holmberg is expected to be released April 11, 2023 from 47North.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this follow up to Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N. Holmberg. Once again we are following the adventures of Hulda Larkin and Merritt Fernsby. We get to see how their relationship grows and how they feel about each other deepens.

While the villain in this one is less physically active than the previous, he is still a bad egg. He affects people's emotions and how they feel about what they are experiencing or thinking. He's still villainous. And I hesitate to say that there may be a small opening for the villain from book one to return at some point in a future volume. There is definitely room for a book three in the series.

The pace of the book is somewhat faster than book one. There are still lulls, but they are naturally occurring, make sense, and don't detract from the story. The closer the story gets to the end of the book,  the faster the action goes. It is very difficult to put down as it approaches the climax.

Overall, I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It's a well written historical fantasy. I would recommend it to people who enjoy tales of magic, historical fantasies, and historical urban fantasies. I enjoyed reading how the magic in this world works. Everything has a price. The more fantastic the magic, the bigger the price. This is a must-read if you've read book one in the Whimbrel House series. I'm already looking forward to the third book. This is definitely worth a read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinions.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #457: Dread and Buried by Angie Fox

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher:

Dead men tell no tales.
Until they meet ghost hunter Verity Long.

Verity Long is proud to say she gets along with just about anybody—dead or alive. But she’s put to the test when her well-meaning boyfriend and her sweet-as-pie sister con her into a remote island “double date” weekend with her sister’s new flame and Verity’s long-time nemesis, Alec Duranja.

Her plans to avoid the uptight police officer go up in smoke when the four of them team up for a weekend treasure hunt competition based on the island’s legendary pirate past. And it doesn’t take long for Verity and her team to discover more than game clues. Someone is using the game to dig up real pirate gold...and they’re willing to kill to keep it.

There’s no escaping the island or the game. And when the killer targets someone Verity loves, she realizes she’s the only one who can uncover the truth behind the legend. She must stay one step ahead of the dangers of the island and two steps ahead of Frankie’s new ghostly pirate buddies—all in a race against time to solve a centuries-old puzzle and take down a real live killer before he strikes again.

Dread and Buried by Angie Fox is due out April 18th, 2023 from Moose Island Books.

Why am I waiting on this book? I've enjoyed other books in this series in the past. I've missed a few of them and hope to catch up on them one day. But in the mean time, this one sounds like it will be a good read. I like the idea of real treasure, modern day pirates, and pirate ghosts. Frankie the ghost will fit right in no doubt. And this sounds like Verity and her boyfriend will get to use their mystery solving skills. I'm hoping it can be read as a standalone as well as part of the series. There is usually at least a little humor in these books. And at least I don't have a long wait before it's available.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Book Review: Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

 

From the publisher:

Find a gateway to the underworld. Steal a soul out of hell. A simple plan, except people who make this particular journey rarely come back. But Galaxy “Alex” Stern is determined to break Darlington out of purgatory—even if it costs her a future at Lethe and at Yale.

Forbidden from attempting a rescue, Alex and Dawes can’t call on the Ninth House for help, so they assemble a team of dubious allies to save the gentleman of Lethe. Together, they will have to navigate a maze of arcane texts and bizarre artifacts to uncover the societies’ most closely guarded secrets, and break every rule doing it. But when faculty members begin to die off, Alex knows these aren’t just accidents. Something deadly is at work in New Haven, and if she is going to survive, she’ll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university’s very walls.

Thick with history and packed with Bardugo’s signature twists, Hell Bent brings to life an intricate world full of magic, violence, and all too real monsters.

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo was released January 10th, 2023 by Flatiron Books. This is the second book in the Alex Stern series.

My thoughts:

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo is an excellent read. I give it 5 stars out of 5 possible. 

Among other things, this book is well paced right up to the ending. The end leaves off in such a way that a sequel is definitely called for. I can't wait for it!

The characters are interesting. I liked Alex, Turner, and Dawes the best. They were the most well-rounded characters. We did learn a little about Tripp and Alex's roommate Mercy, but not as much as we do about Stern, Turner, and Dawes. I especially liked the commitment that the characters showed to getting Darlington out of Hell.

I liked the definition of what vampires are supposed to be and what affects them. It was different. At first I was surprised at that inclusion of a vampire character. As the book goes on though, it makes sense to have the character type introduced when it was. 

So, overall this was a really great read. I would recommend it to people who enjoy dark academia novels, horror, or dark urban fantasy. The ending is a little bit of a cliffhanger, but it makes sense and has me looking forward to the next book in the series.