Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Blackfire Blade by James Logan & The Merge by Grace Walker

     

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! 

The Blackfire Blade (The Last Legacy #2) by James Logan
Publication: November 4th, 2025
Tor Books
Paperback. 496 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"Winter has come early to Korslakov, City of Spires, and Lukan Gardova has arrived with it. Most visitors to this famous city of artifice seek technological marvels, or alchemical ingenuity. Lukan only desires the unknown legacy his father has left for him, in the vaults of the Blackfire Bank.

But when Lukan’s past catches up with him, his key to the vault ends up in the hands of a mysterious thief known only as the Rook. As Lukan and his companions race to recover the key, they soon find themselves trapped in a web of murder and deceit. In desperation, Lukan requests the help of Lady Marni Volkova, scion to Korslakov’s most powerful family.

Yet Lady Marni has secrets of her own. Worse, she has plans for Lukan and his friends. Plans that involve a journey into Korslakov’s dark past, in search of a long-lost alchemical formula that could prove to be the city’s greatest discovery . . . or its destruction."

I had such a wonderful time with the first book in this series, The Silverblood Promise, and I cannot wait for this sequel. Easily one of my most anticipated 2025 releases!

The Merge by Grace Walker
Publication: November 11th, 2025
Mariner Books
Hardcover. 320 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"A thrilling and ominously prophetic debut set in a world when Earth and its resources have been pushed to breaking point, giving rise to a revolutionary—and highly controversial—procedure in which two people’s consciousness can be combined to exist in one body.

How far would you go to never say goodbye?

Laurie is sixty-five and living with Alzheimer’s. Her daughter Amelia, a once fiery and strong-willed activist, can’t bear to see her mother’s mind fade. Faced with the reality of losing her forever, Amelia signs them up to take part in the world’s first experimental merging process for Alzheimer’s patients, in which Laurie’s ailing mind will be transferred into Amelia’s healthy body and their consciousness will be blended as one.

Soon Amelia and Laurie join the opaque and mysterious group of other merge teenage Lucas, who plans to merge with his terminally ill brother Noah; Ben, who will merge with his pregnant fiancée Annie; and Jay, whose merging partner is his addict daughter Lara. As they prepare to move to The Village, a luxurious rehabilitation center for those who have merged, they quickly begin to question whether everything is really as it seems.

An exhilarating, immersive debut from an astonishing new voice, The Merge is a personal story of love, family, and sacrifice, as well as a thought-provoking examination of the limits of control, resistance, and freedom in our modern world."

This is such an interesting concept and I definitely need to explore it!

Month in Review: September 2025

 

October is one of my favorite months, so I'm excited that it's finally here! Life's been weird and busy and frustrating lately--so much so that I even skipped my August wrap up post--but I'm finally back enough that I am here to share my wrap-up for September. 

In personal news... I don't know, guys, life's rough. 🤣We've been back pretty full force on the job hunt and boy is it the most demoralizing and frustrating thing ever. I am grateful that I have at least some work still, but it feels hard to move to anything new. Outside of that, nothing crazy going on! My husband and I would like to plan some travel for the fall, I'm still loving my aerial training, and... that's all, I guess. I'm actually really excited and relieved to be able to spend this fall in a different house, so that's something I'd say is really positive!

In reading news, I actually managed to get back on track (a little... somewhat) with some of my reading! I read some great books and some not so great books, but I did manage to get to some ARCs and books from publishers, so that always feels great. I also managed to read a few backlist titles that popped up (although many weren't priorities or even ones I had on my radar, haha), so that felt good, too. 

How was your September (and August!) and what books have you been reading?  Let me know how your month was below and what you've been reading!

   

# books read: 12

The Summer War by Naomi Novik ★★★★

Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC
Thoughts: This was a solid novella from Novik and I loved getting to sink into her writing again.

Midnight Timetable: A Novel in Ghost Storiesby Bora Chung ★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: I always enjoy checking out Bora Chung's work, and this was particularly intriguing set of stories about a mysterious workplace. Definitely odd, and it did drag in a few places, but overall an entertaining reading experience.

Carapace by Travis M. Riddle ★★★★

Source: | Format: 
Thoughts: I loved this weird and kinda gross body horror!

An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence by Zeinab Badawi ★★★★

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This was a well-researched attempted dive into the history of Africa as a whole from an African perspective. I think this is a great starting point for anyone interested in learning more about Africa's history!

The Witcher: Crossroads of Ravens by Andrzej Sapkowski ★★★.75

Source: Publisher | Format: Hardcover
Thoughts: This was a great new installment to the Witcher series. I'm still very hit or miss on this series as a whole, but I found this new prequel fairly entertaining.

Girl Dinner by Olivie Blake ★★.75

Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: I don't tend to like Olivia Blake books, but I wanted to give this one a try because the premise sounded interesting... and I still don't think I'm an Olivie Blake fan. That being said, if you do like her work, you'll probably like this one. (My review for this will be up soon!)

The Uproar by Karim Dimechkie ★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Hardcover
Thoughts: I absolutely raced through this one. It's one those books that are incredible stressful to read, but a pretty solid story that tackles some great topics.

Batavia's Graveyard: The True Story of the Mad Heretic Who Led History's Bloodiest Mutiny by Mike Dash ★★★★

Source: Owned | Format: Paperback
Thoughts: This was a fascinating nonfiction telling of the shipwreck of the Batavia, a great read for anyone interested in shipwrecks and survival stories. 

The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir★★★★

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This was a quick little thriller that I'm not sure entirely worked for me, but might appeal to some thriller readers who are looking for something short and quick. 

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu ★★★★

Source: Library | Format: Paperback
Thoughts: This is a solid satire that has a neat overall style. It was a bit hard to stay connected to at times, but still a worthwhile read. 

Rental House by Weike Wang ★★

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: I'm not going to lie: I hardly remember anything from this book, and I only read it about two weeks ago. I'm not sure what that says about it. 

Blob by Maggie Su ★★

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This was a mix of weird, fun, and surprising thoughtfulness. Not sure I'd exactly recommend it, but it's wroth a quick read if you want something a bit random.

To-Be-Finished:

None! (that I recall, at least)

 

A Tangle of Time (The Hexologists #2) by Josiah Bancroft
The Uproar by Karim Dimechkie
An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence by Zeinab Badawi
Batavia's Graveyard: The True Story of the Mad Heretic Who Led History's Bloodiest Mutiny by Mike Dash
Carapace by Travis M. Riddle
The Summer War by Naomi Novik
The Witcher: Crossroads of Ravens by Andrzej Sapkowski

 Posts:

Anticipated October 2025 Releases

Blog Memes:

Can't-Wait Wednesday:
9/3: The Night That Finds Us All by John Hornor Jacobs & Tom's Crossing by Mark Z. Danielewski
9/10: Atlas of Unknowable Things by McCormick Templeman & The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson
9/17: The Devil is a Southpaw by Brandon Hobson & The Hong Kong Widow by Kristen Loesch
9/24: The Graceview Patient by Caitlin Starling & All That We See or Seem by Ken Liu

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Strength of the Few by James Islington & Beasts of the Sea by Iida Turpeinen

    

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! 

The Strength of the Few (Hierarchy #2) by James Islington
Publication: November 11th, 2025
S&S/Saga Press
Hardcover. 736 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"This highly anticipated follow-up to The Will of the Many—one of 2023’s most lauded and bestselling fantasy novels—follows Vis as he grapples with a dangerous secret that could change the course of history across alternate dimensions.

OMNE TRIUM PERFECTUM.

The Hierarchy still call me Vis Telimus. Still hail me as Catenicus. They still, as one, believe they know who I am.

But with all that has happened—with what I fear is coming—I am not sure it matters anymore.

I am no longer one. I won the Iudicium, and lost everything—and now, impossibly, the ancient device beyond the Labyrinth has replicated me across three separate worlds. A different version of myself in each of Obiteum, Luceum, and Res. Three different bodies, three different lives. I have to hide; fight; play politics. I have to train; trust; lie. I have to kill; heal; prove myself again, and again, and again.

I am loved, and hated, and entirely alone.

Above all, though, I need to find answers before it’s too late. To understand the nature of what has happened to me, and why.

I need to find a way to stop the coming Cataclysm, because if all I have learned is true, I may be the only one who can."

This is probably my most highly anticipated release of 2025 and I am genuinely so excited to finally read this one! I can't recommend the first book, The Will of the Many, enough.

Beasts of the Sea by Iida Turpeinen
Publication: November 18h, 2025
Little, Brown and Company
Hardcover. 288 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"In the spirit of Richard Powers and Daniel Mason, a novel spanning three centuries and tied together by the tale of Steller’s sea cow—a long-extinct denizen of the northern oceans—at once intimate and sweeping about the tragic clash between man and nature.

In 1741, thirty-two-year-old naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller joins Captain Bering's Great Northern Expedition to scout out a sea route from Asia to America. Plagued with hardships, captain and crew never reach their goal, but they do make a unique discovery, a gentle giant that will be named for the young explorer who described Steller’s sea cow.

In 1859, the governor of the Russian territory of Alaska sends his men to seek the skeleton of the massive marine mammal rumored to have vanished a hundred years before, while his sister curates the settlement’s peculiar natural science collection. Two years later, a revered Helsinki professor hires a talented illustrator—a woman!—to make precise drawings of a set of bones sent from afar. The ill-fated beast will help introduce to a skeptical public the concept of human-caused extinction.

Finally, in 1952, the Museum of Zoology assigns its most talented restorer the task of refurbishing the antique skeleton, a testimony to the sea cow's fate that will fire the imaginations of future generations.

Beasts of the Sea is a breathtaking literary achievement and an adventure that crosses continents and centuries. Told through the stories of the men and women touched by the long-ago discovery of a curious and placid creature, it is a tale of grand human ambition, the quest for knowledge, and the urge to resurrect what humankind has, in its ignorance, destroyed."

I am absolutely loving the sound of everything about this! Although, I'm always a bit hesitant when I see something less than 300 pages but described as "spanning three centuries," but I have faith and can't wait to check this one out. 

Review: The Witcher: Crossroads of Ravens by Andrzej Sapkowski

The Witcher: Crossroads of Ravens by Andrzej Sapkowski, transl. David French

Orbit
Publication Date: September 30th, 2025
Hardcover. 400 pages.

About Crossroads of Ravens:

"Witchers are not born. They are made.

Before he was the White Wolf or the Butcher of Blaviken, Geralt of Rivia was simply a fresh graduate of Kaer Morhen, stepping into a world that neither understands nor welcomes his kind.

And when an act of naïve heroism goes gravely wrong, Geralt is only saved from the noose by Preston Holt, a grizzled witcher with a buried past and an agenda of his own.

Under Holt’s guiding hand, Geralt begins to learn what it truly means to walk the Path – to protect a world that fears him, and to survive in it on his own terms. But as the line between right and wrong begins to blur, Geralt must decide to become the monster everyone expects, or something else entirely.

This is the story of how legends are made – and what they cost."

I've always found The Witcher books to be a bit hit or miss for me, and I still feel like I'm missing something about them. I really love the short story collections, such as The Last Wish, but the sequential novels are ones I always struggled more with. Crossroads of Ravens felt like a bit of a mix of both, which I think worked well and ended up being what allowed me to read through and enjoy this book.

Crossroads of Ravens is an exciting new installment into the series that I think gives some intriguing backstory to Geralt's experiences. Crossroads of Ravens is technically a prequel to the rest of the series, so you don't need to be familiar with the earlier books to read it. However,  I do feel like having some knowledge of the Witcher world and its characters would help, as I found it helped me feel a bit more settled and grounded in this world. But if you want to just jump right in, I think that works, too!

This book captures what seems to be the classic Witcher rhythm: Geralt traveling the lands, slaying monsters and doing his Witcher-ly duties, and encountering strange people and situations--often ones that he ends up getting into trouble with. The writing is deceptively light and fast-paced, and I'm always thrown off by how initially unserious it is. It's ridiculously easy to read through this book quickly, and I finished much sooner than I anticipated, which was a nice surprise to find I was that entertained. This also means that this book didn't feel like it had quite the drama or gravity that I necessarily expected, but it still acted as a really accessible prequel that adds another angle to Geralt's story.

That's not to say that this book doesn't touch on any more serious notes or themes, as it certainly slows down in certain moments and builds some more atmosphere and contemplative aspects. Sapkowski is good at ending chapters on notes that either poignant or a bit humorous, but often something that keeps you hooked and wanting to keep reading. The world itself is much grimmer than the tone of the book, so it's one those that I think catches readers off guard at times with various events that happen in the book. I think these moments helped to break up the otherwise lighter flow of the book and kept things feeling a bit more focused.

Something that always stands out to me is Sapkowski's usage of dialogue, as he often utilizes a very "matter of fact" style that I think works well with the story he tells. It's exceedingly sharp, and somehow the sparseness of detail and description around his dialogue does not at all affect how much emotion can be heard in the words, and somehow seems to even enhance the tones in which I would read what is being said. Geralt, of course, is the same old classic Geralt with his dry tone, though he is a bit less knowledgeable in this book, and I really appreciated seeing this earlier version of Geralt.

I think this is a great book for Witcher fans who are wanting just a bit more Geralt in their lives, or even those looking to check out the series. It's not a book that I feel demands all too much from the reader, although I will say that there are a lot of names and places thrown about that makes things feel a bit confusing at times, but as long as you stick with it, it all works out excellently. 

*I received a copy of The Witcher: Crossroads of Ravens courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.*

Buy the book: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Mini-Review: The Summer War by Naomi Novik

The Summer War by Naomi Novik

Del Rey
Publication Date: September 16th, 2025
Hardcover. 144 pages.

About The Summer War:

"In this poignant, heartfelt novella from the New York Times bestselling author of Spinning Silver and the Scholomance Trilogy, a young witch who has inadvertently cursed her brother to live a life without love must find a way to undo her spell.

Celia discovered her talent for magic on the day her beloved oldest brother Argent left home. Furious at him for abandoning her in a war-torn land, she lashed out, not realizing her childish, angry words would suddenly become imbued with the power of prophecy, dooming him to a life without love.

While Argent wanders the world, forced to seek only fame and glory instead of the love and belonging he truly desires, Celia attempts to undo the curse she placed on him. Yet even as she grows from a girl to a woman, she cannot find the solution—until she learns the truth about the centuries-old war between her own people and the summerlings, the immortal beings who hold a relentless grudge against their mortal neighbors.

Now, with the aid of her unwanted middle brother, Celia may be able to both undo her eldest brother's curse and heal the lands so long torn apart by the Summer War."

I found The Summer War to be a compelling, compact, and beautifully told tale that was vibrant and engrossing. Novellas are often hit or miss for me because I find that authors seem to either excel at telling something truly complete in a shorter form, or they struggle to fit enough development of world, plot, and characters into a smaller amount of words. Fortunately, The Summer War is a successful novella that showcases many of the strengths of Novik's writing skills and reminds me how much I enjoy her work and recommend it to those who also enjoy thoughtful magical stories. 

What I liked: The sibling relationships were easily the stand out parts of the character relationships, and I really liked exploring this dynamic throughout this story. There are a lot of tensions, loyalties, and both spoken and unspoken emotions between our protagonist and her brother, Argent, that was captivating to discover. This novella felt very much Naomi Novik-flavored in style with her perfect blend of myth and folktale elements, magic, emotional and thoughtful aspects, and compelling characters. The worldbuilding was also intriguing and I found myself really enjoying learning about some of the different lore and details of those involved in the story. Despite the fact that I would love to see a longer form of this story, I think it works excellently at novella length and I thought it was plotted and paced really well overall. 

What I didn't like: I don't have many complaints about this story! The biggest one that I can think of is that there was a rather surprisingly large info dump near the start of the novella that really slowed down my immersion into the story. It just felt a bit overloaded near the exposition and felt a bit abrupt when the story had already started off so smoothly for me. That being said, I still very much enjoyed this story, and this was an easy hurdle to get past. I also wanted maybe a little bit more development with some of the characters, but given that this is a novella, I also understand where there simply isn't time for more exploration of deeper dives. 

*I received a copy of The Summer War courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.*

Buy the book: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Anticipated October 2025 Releases

October is right around the corner and that means the October releases are coming! There are so many amazing books coming out--as usually--and I'm excited to check them out. As always, I've compiled a list of some incredible new books coming soon below, so be sure to check them out and let me know what your most anticipated October releases are!

Atlas of Unknowable Things by McCormick Templeman || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Devil is a Southpaw by Brandon Hobson || October 28th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Unveiling by Quan Barry || October 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson || October 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Hong Kong Widow by Kristen Loesch || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Women of Artemis by Hannah M. Lynn || October 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

If the Dead Belong Here by Carson Faust || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Kill the Beast by Serra Swift || October 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

All that We See or Seem by Ken Liu || October 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Graceview Patient by Caitlin Starling || October 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Psychopomp & Circumstance by Eden Royce || October 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Futility by Nuzo Onoh || October 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder that Inspired the Abolition of Slavery by Siddharth Kara by  || October 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow || October 28th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong || October 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Ordeals by Rachel Greenlaw || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Night is Not for You by Eman Quotah || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

American Grammar: Race, Education, and the Building of a Nation by Jarvis R. Givens || October 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri || October 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Her Wicked Roots by Tanya Pell || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Girl Dinner by Olivia Blake || October 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Savage Blooms by S.T. Gibson || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

I Am Cleopatra by Natasha Solomons || October 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

What are your anticipated October releases?