Anticipated March 2025 Releases

  

March is just around the corner, and that means a whole slew of new releases! I am looking forward to so many of these, though I am of course most excited for Stephen Graham Jones' The Buffalo Hunter Hunter. I've been fortunate enough to read a couple of these so far and it's looking like a great month; I also have ARCs of Let Only Red Flowers Bloom and When the Moon Hits Your Eye that I'm hoping to get started on soon and I can't wait. 
What March releases are you most looking forward? Let me know below, and be sure to let me know if I missed any of your most anticipated releases on this list as well.
Happy reading!

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones || March 18th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica || March 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Luminous by Silvia Park || March 11th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The House No One Sees by Adina King || March 18th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy || March 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Twist by Colum McCann || March 25th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami || March 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Rose of Jericho by Alex Grecian || March 11th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Let Only Red Flowers Bloom by Emily Feng || March 18th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar || March 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Stag Dance by Torrey Peters || March 11th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Guatemalan Rhapsody by Jared Lemus || March 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Death is Our Business by John Lechner || March 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Prince Without Sorrow by Maithree Wijesekara || March 18th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Mesopotamian Riddle: An Archaeologist, a Soldier, a Clergyman, and the Race to Decipher the World's Oldest Writing by Joshua Hammer || March 18th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Universality by Natasha Brown || March 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

A History of the World in Six Plagues by Edna Bonhomme || March 11th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

White Line Fever by KC Jones || March 18th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

When the Moon Hits Your Eyeby John Scalzi || March 25th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran || March 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie || March 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Strange Bedfellows by Ariel Slamet Ries || March 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

I Am Made of Death by Kelly Andrew || March 4th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

A Greek Tragedy: One Deadly Shipwreck, and the Human Cost of the Refugee Crisis by Jeanne Carstensen || March 25th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

What are your anticipated March releases?

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy & The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar

  

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights upcoming releases that we can't wait to read. 

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
Publication: March 4th, 2025
Flatiron Books
Hardcover. 320 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world’s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers. But with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants, packing up the seeds before they are transported to safer ground. Despite the wild beauty of life here, isolation has taken its toll on the Salts. Raff, eighteen and suffering his first heartbreak, can only find relief at his punching bag; Fen, seventeen, has started spending her nights on the beach among the seals; nine-year-old Orly, obsessed with botany, fears the loss of his beloved natural world; and Dominic can’t stop turning back toward the past, and the loss that drove the family to Shearwater in the first place.

Then, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman washes up on shore. As the Salts nurse the woman, Rowan, back to life, their suspicion gives way to affection, and they finally begin to feel like a family again. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting her heart, begins to fall for the Salts, too. But Rowan isn’t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers the sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realizes Dominic is keeping his own dark secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, the characters must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it’s too late—and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together."

I feel like I've been seeing this book around for so long, I'm excited it's finally being released soon! I'm really intrigued by this premise and am really curious to see what the author will do with this setting and concept. 

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar
Publication: March 4th, 2025
Tordotcom
Hardcover. 144 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"Follow the river Liss to the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, and meet two sisters who cannot be separated, even in death.

“Oh what is stronger than a death? Two sisters singing with one breath.”

In the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, dwells the mysterious Hawthorn family.

There, they tend and harvest the enchanted willows and honour an ancient compact to sing to them in thanks for their magic. None more devotedly than the family’s latest daughters, Esther and Ysabel, who cherish each other as much as they cherish the ancient trees.

But when Esther rejects a forceful suitor in favor of a lover from the land of Faerie, not only the sisters’ bond but also their lives will be at risk…"

Amal El-Mohtar is one of the authors of This Is How You Lose the Time War and I'm very curious to check out this new work from her! I have a feeling the writing is going to be gorgeous. 

Review: Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods

Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods

Tor Books

Publication Date: February 18th, 2024

Hardcover. 432 pages.

About Upon a Starlit Tide:

"Saint-Malo, Brittany, 1758.
For Lucinde Leon, the youngest daughter of one of Saint-Malo's wealthiest ship-owners, the high walls of the city are more hindrance than haven. While her sisters are interested in securing advantageous marriages, Luce dreams of escaping her elegant but stifling home and joining a ship's crew. Only Samuel—Luce's best friend and an English smuggler—understands her longing for the sea, secretly teaching her to sail whenever she can sneak away. For Luce, the stolen time on the water with Samuel is precious.

One stormy morning, Luce's plans are blown off course when she rescues Morgan de Chatelaine, the youngest son of the most powerful ship-owner in Saint-Malo, from the sea. Immediately drawn to his charm and sense of adventure, she longs to attend the glittering ball held in honor of his safe return and begins to contemplate a different kind of future for herself.

But it is not only Luce's hopes at stake—the local fae are leaving Brittany and taking their magic with them, while the long-standing war with the English means Saint-Malo is always at risk of attack. As Luce is plunged into a world of magic, brutality, and seduction, secrets that have long been lost in the shadowy depths of the ocean begin to rise to the surface. The truth of her own power is growing brighter and brighter, shining like a sea-glass slipper.

Or the scales of a sea-maid's tail."

There are so many retellings out there these days that it’s sometimes hard to know which ones will end up being worthwhile. Fortunately, Kell Woods seems to deliver some consistently solid fairy-tale inspired stories. I read After the Forest, a Hansel and Gretel-inspired retelling that takes places years after the events of the story, and really enjoyed her take on that classic tale, despite having a few issues with Woods' writing.

This time, Upon a Starlit Tide draws from The Little Mermaid and Cinderella (I would assume specifically from the original Hans Christian Andersen versions due to the theming and style), and has created something imaginative, compelling, and spellbinding. What I really appreciate about Woods’s approach is that she doesn’t just follow the original stories, she instead expands on them and weaves familiar elements into something that feels fresh and new. I also appreciated how much this book blends a historical fiction style with fantasy, and I think fans of historical fiction and fantasy (or both) would enjoy it.

Upon a Starlit Tide has a darker atmosphere overall, but it doesn’t cross over that line into being too grim. There’s a serious tone underlying the story, but Woods balances it well with moments of whimsy, wonder, and intrigue. The world feels rich and vivid, and the writing has a beautiful fairy tale quality that enhances the storytelling. Her descriptions were incredibly immersive and vibrant, and I could practically the salty sea breeze myself and fully sense Luce’s grand ambitions of captaining her own ship while she observed other ships and imagined her life at sea. I also really felt like I could see how much Woods has grown as a writer since After the Forest and it makes me excited to see what else she will write. 

I thought Luce’s relationships with her sisters were particularly well done and was a surprise highlight for me in the story, especially considering I struggled with characters feeling more one note in her previous book. They fit into the classic Cinderella “evil stepsister” stereotype generally, but Woods added a lot of depth to their personalities and made them so much more than just “evil stepsisters,” which also added a lot of dimension to their characters. We see them be harsh to Luce at times, but they also have moments of intimacy and camaraderie with Luce and do manage to get along, much like regular sisters, and I appreciated this nuance in their relationship.

There is some romance in this story that plays a fairly large role in the plot, which makes sense given the fairy tale inspirations. There were moments where it felt like it focused more on the romance than I expected, but that’s probably on me for not anticipating that more. There’s also a little bit of a love triangle at play here, but I think it was handled carefully and well enough that it didn’t feel like your typical frustration love triangle. I thought the reasons behind having it and how it played out was well-developed, and it made sense overall within the framework of the fairy tales that inspired the story. While there were a few moments where it felt a bit overdone for my personal preference, I will say that overall I thought it had a good balance in execution and that it did add to the story in positive ways. 



I don’t want to give away any spoilers for this one so there are a few areas that I can’t comment on I’m much detail. However, I do want to mention that Luce has a physical disability that plays a fairly important role in this story, and I thought Woods incorporated it really well and took a lot of care in her portrayal. I loved how it showed that something that may be viewed as a struggle by some can have multiple facets and many different angles to view it, and not all negative ones.

Lastly, I wanted to note that I listened to the audiobook version and thought the narrator did a fantastic job capturing Luce’s voice and the emotions that she experiences throughout the story, and it left me feeling very captivated.

Overall, Upon a Starlit Tide is a gorgeous fairy tale-inspired story that is sure to be a hit for those who enjoy such magical tales. I think there’s a little bit of everything for everyone in this one, so be sure to have a look if it sounds like something you might enjoy.

*I received a copy of Upon a Starlit Tide in exchange for an honest review. This has no affect on my opinions.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica, Motherland by Julia Ioffe, & Luminous by Silvia Park

  

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 Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica, transl. Sarah Moses
Publication: March 4th, 2025
Scribner
Hardcover. 192 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"The long-awaited new novel from the author of global sensation Tender Is the Flesh: a thrilling work of literary horror about a woman cloistered in a secretive, violent religious order, while outside the world has fallen into chaos.

From her cell in a mysterious convent, a woman writes the story of her life in whatever she can find—discarded ink, dirt, and even her own blood. A lower member of the Sacred Sisterhood, deemed an unworthy, she dreams of ascending to the ranks of the Enlightened at the center of the convent and of pleasing the foreboding Superior Sister. Outside, the world is plagued by catastrophe—cities are submerged underwater, electricity and the internet are nonexistent, and bands of survivors fight and forage in a cruel, barren landscape. Inside, the narrator is controlled, punished, but safe.

But when a stranger makes her way past the convent walls, joining the ranks of the unworthy, she forces the narrator to consider her long-buried past—and what she may be overlooking about the Enlightened. As the two women grow closer, the narrator is increasingly haunted by questions about her own past, the environmental future, and her present life inside the convent. How did she get to the Sacred Sisterhood? Why can’t she remember her life before? And what really happens when a woman is chosen as one of the Enlightened?

A searing, dystopian tale about climate crisis, ideological extremism, and the tidal pull of our most violent, exploitative instincts, this is another unforgettable novel from a master of feminist horror."

I still think Bazterrica's Tender is the Flesh is one of the most memorable books I've ever read, but I really didn't care for her short story collection Nineteen Claws and Blackbird. I feel like it's 50/50 whether I'll like this one, but I'm really excited about it nonetheless and am hopeful for another one I like as much as Tender is the Flesh. 

Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy by Julia Ioffe
Publication: March 4th, 2025/October 21st, 2025
Ecco
Hardcover. 320 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From the publisher:
"Award-winning journalist Julia Ioffe tells the story of modern Russia through the history of its women, from revolution to utopia to autocracy.

In 1990, seven-year-old Julia Ioffe and her family fled the Soviet Union. Nearly twenty years later, Ioffe returned to Moscow—only to discover just how much Russian society had changed while she had been living in America. The Soviet women she had known growing up—doctors, engineers, scientists—had seemingly been replaced with women desperate to marry rich and become stay-at-home moms. How had Russia gone from portraying itself as the vanguard of world feminism to the last bastion of conservative Christian values?

In Motherland, Ioffe turns modern Russian history on its head, telling it exclusively through the stories of its women. From her own physician great-grandmothers to Lenin’s lover, a feminist revolutionary; from the hundreds of thousands of Soviet girls who fought in World War II to the millions of single mothers who rebuilt and repopulated a devastated country; from the members of Pussy Riot to Yulia Navalnaya, wife of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, she chronicles one of the most audacious social experiments in history and how it failed the very women it was meant to liberate—and documents how that failure paved the way to the revanche of Vladimir Putin.

Part memoir, part journalistic exploration, part history, Motherland paints a portrait of modern Russia through the women who shaped it. With deep emotion, Ioffe shows what it means to live through the cataclysms of revolution, war, idealism, and heartbreak—and reveals how the story of Russia today is inextricably tied to the history of its women."

I've been really enjoying more nonfiction lately, so I'm very curious to learn more about Russia's history/culture through this perspective! Also, I actually think the publication date may have just been pushed back to October because when I planned this post it said March, but it now might be October? Just a head's up!

Luminous by Silvia Park

Publication: March 11th, 2025
Simon & Schuster

Hardcover. 400 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"A highly anticipated, sweeping debut set in a unified Korea that tells the story of three estranged siblings—two human, one robot—as they collide against the backdrop of a murder investigation to settle old scores and make sense of their shattered childhood, perfect for fans of Klara and the Sun and We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.

In a reunified Korea of the future, robots have been integrated into society as surrogates, servants, children, and even lovers. Though boundaries between bionic and organic frequently blur, these robots are decidedly second-class citizens. Jun and Morgan, two siblings estranged for many years, are haunted by the memory of their lost brother, Yoyo, who was warm, sensitive, and very nearly human.

Jun, a war veteran turned detective of the lowly Robot Crimes Unit in Seoul, becomes consumed by an investigation that reconnects him with his sister Morgan, now a prominent robot designer working for a top firm, who is, embarrassingly, dating one of her creations in secret.

On the other side of Seoul in a junkyard filled with abandoned robots, eleven-year-old Ruijie sifts through scraps looking for robotic parts that might support her failing body. When she discovers a robot boy named Yoyo among the piles of trash, an unlikely bond is formed since Yoyo is so lifelike, he’s unlike anything she’s seen before.

While Morgan prepares to launch the most advanced robot-boy of her career, Jun’s investigation sparks a journey through the underbelly of Seoul, unearthing deeper mysteries about the history of their country and their family. The three siblings must find their way back to each other to reckon with their pasts and the future ahead of them in this poignant and remarkable exploration of what it really means to be human."

What a fascinating premise! This idea of a unified Korea in the future and everything else involved just sounds like it will be playing with a lot of interesting ideas and I can't wait to check it out. 

Review: Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3) by Heather Fawcett

 

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde #3) by Heather Fawcett

Del Rey

Publication Date: February 11th, 2024

Hardcover. 368 pages.

About Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (from the publisher):

"Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm—as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival—now fiancé—the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal How can an unassuming scholar such as herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in, for Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic—and Emily’s knowledge of stories—to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear."

Spoiler note: Although there will be no spoilers for this book in this review, there may be some inadvertent/minor spoilers for the previous two books in the series, so please be aware of that before reading this review if you've not read the previous two books! You can find my review for the previous book, Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands (#2), here!

The final book in the Emily Wilde series is finally here! I have really had a wonderful time with this series and I was so excited to dive into this final installment. If you've loved the first two books, you'll also love this one--it's more of the same, in the best way. 

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales picks up almost immediately after the events of the previous book. I actually didn't expect things to pick up immediately and as seamlessly as they did, and I'll admit that it took me a little while to get back into the story and remember everything that happened in the previous book since I read it about a year ago. I certainly could've benefited from a recap, but that's really more of a "me" issue with my memory than anything to do with the book.

Like most fans of this series, I've really loved watching Emily and Wendell's dynamic evolve and their relationship grow over the course of these books. They are fantastic foils to one another, yet they seem to share a core trait that I think makes them perfect for each other, and that is their sort of steadfast determination and ability to see what needs to be done in a situation and to do it. Both display this quality in different ways, which we can see in Wendell's more "lazy" exterior personality, but both do have this and I think it's what really works for them. I have found Wendell's personality, which is rather indulgent and animated, complements Emily's more serious, no-nonsense and non-frilly nature, which makes them a great time. I also loved getting to see Emily immerse herself in the faerie realm and really grapple with her feelings about staying there for a more long-term time. It's a big change for her, and I appreciated how Wendell tried to make it more comfortable for her and how they tried to work things out together. 

Despite how interesting the cast of characters in this book are--and we do get to meet a few new figures that bring a lot of interesting new developments with them--Shadow remains my favorite character of them all. He is simple one of the best book dogs. He plays a significant role in parts of this book, but I do wish he had had a bit more on-page time because I would always love more Shadow. 

One of my favorite aspects of this series, which remains a strong element in this book, is how Fawcett depicts the Fae and the Fae world. Fae are known for being quite cruel, brutal, and enigmatic, and also often treat mortals as little more than playthings, if they notice them at all. Fawcett captures this concept incredibly well, highlighting each of the unique Fae types and their personalities, as well as the myriad of endless dangers that lurk when interacting with them. This is how I like my Fae lore and I'm so pleased that Fawcett has captured it so well and has been so consistent across this series. 

I also always enjoy the scholarly aspect of this series and how Emily approaches with an academic mindset. I felt like I could really relate to her curiosity and how every new experience sparked a question rather than an emotional reaction, much as a true scholar does. She constantly analyzed her experiences and the faerie realm she is surrounded by, always considering the historical or folkloric significance of things. I especially loved how the folktales she studied played such a major role in this book's events, as well. No matter how dire a circumstance may be, Emily always had a researcher's perspective, and I appreciated that about her. In line with this, I also still do enjoy the journal format of this story, as I think it works well for Emily's personality. I'm still a fan of footnotes being included in fiction books, though since I read this as an eARC they are can be a bit tough to read since they tend to show up as endnotes rather than footnotes (and as we all know, footnotes are far superior to endnotes). 

With all those positives being said, there was something about this book that made it harder for me to get through. I worked my way through this book for nearly a month, which is far longer than I expected and longer than it usually would for a book like this that I like and was looking forward to. I don't have that many specific criticisms, which makes it hard for me to pinpoint why it was so hard for me to stay engaged, but my assumption is that it was due to the slower pacing of this book. It really did move rather slowly, especially in the first half to two-thirds of this book, and I also felt like there were a lot of overall repetitive elements and plot beats. It was a lot of something happening, Wendell and Emily having some sort of discussion about it, Emily going off to research, Wendell missing her, and repeat. There were, of course, many other things happening during all of this, but that's just one example of an area that felt a bit repetitive.

The plot itself also felt a bit lacking at times. When interesting things happened, they were really interesting. But when there wasn't something immediately compelling happening, my interest waned. This stood out to me only because I tend to really like books that are "boring" and where "not much happens," so it was a bit of a surprise that I wasn't as hooked as I usually am.  I would also say that anytime an issue of any kind arose, the resolution often felt a bit too... easy? Solutions were a little too convenient, which therefore lowered the stakes and probably then lowers the compulsion to keep reading about find out what would happen. I don't think the stakes are meant to really be that high in this series, so I think that works for it, but I thought it was worth noting. This is one of those books where I actually want things to work out well for everyone, so I'm not mad about things working out overall. 

Overall, I've really enjoyed this series and think it's the perfect "cozy" Fae fantasy story to get lost in during the winter months. There is a perfect balance of warmth and some slightly more serious/darker elements at times given the Fae subject matter, and I think Fawcett excellently captures all of those elements. I know this if the final book in the series, but I do feel like there was a bit of a setup for more books if she wanted to continue, maybe even as a novella or something here or there--I certainly wouldn't say no! If you haven't started this series yet, then you probably shouldn't have read this entire review, but even if you did I'd still recommend checking it out. If you have started this series and have liked what you've read so far, then be sure to pick up this final installment that makes a wonderful conclusion to well-loved series. 

*I received a copy of Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales in exchange for an honest review. This has no affect on my opinions.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Blog Tour + Review: Symbiote by Michael Nayak

Welcome to my stop on Angry Robot Books' blog tour for Symbiote by Michael Nayak! I'm excited to join my fellow book lovers in sharing some information about Symbiote, as well as my own review for this claustrophobic thriller set at the South Pole. Thank you to Angry Robot Books for inviting me to join this tour and providing me with a review copy of Symbiote. Above you can find the full blog tour schedule and where to find other creators who are participating, and below you'll find some info about the book and author, as well as my review. Happy reading!

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: SYMBIOTE
Author:  Michael Nayak
Pub. Date: February 11th, 2025
Publisher: Angry Robot Books
Pages: 400
Find it: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Angry Robot Books | Target | Goodreads

SYNOPSIS:

"'As World War III rages, the scientists in Antarctica are thankful for the isolation – until a group of Chinese scientists arrive at the American research base in search of help. In their truck is a horrifying sight, the first ever murder victim in Antarctica. The potential for a geopolitical firestorm is great, and, with no clear jurisdiction, the Americans don’t know what to do. But they soon realize the Chinese scientists have brought far more with them than the body…

Within seventy-two hours, thirteen more lie dead in the snow, murdered in acts of madness and superhuman strength.

An extremophile parasite from the truck, triggered by severe cold, is spreading by touch. It is learning from them. Evolving. It triggers violent tendencies in the winter crew, and, more insidiously, the beginnings of a strange symbiotic telepathy.

A small group of survivors try to resist the siren call of the growing hive mind and stay alive long enough to solve the mystery of the symbiotic microbe’s origins. But the symbiote is more than a disease – it could be the key to shifting the balance of power in a time of war.

The survivors cannot let anyone infected make it to the summer season, when planes will arrive to take them – and potentially the symbiote – back to civilization."

Review:

I've been fascinated by all things relating to Antarctica and the South Pole for a number of years, so I'm always excited to read a new book centered around that setting, whether it's fiction or nonfiction. Symbiote is a fictional thriller set in Antarctica, and I was most excited about it because the author himself, Michael Nayak, was actually stationed at the Amundsen-Scott Research Station and has therefore been able to draw from him own experiences (well, sans the horrifying contagion aspect, of course!) which adds so much credibility and intrigue to the story for me.

Symbiote has a pretty terrifying premise: World War III is underway and Americans working at an isolated Antarctic station are suddenly under threat of an unknown contagion that has begun sweeping through the station--and there's nowhere to hide.

I love an isolated, locked-room type of story, and Symbiote absolutely delivers on that front. Our story kicks off when a group of Chinese scientists show up unannounced at the American station with a dead body in tow and are unable to adequately explain what has happened. The South Pole's jurisdiction on these matters is unclear during this world war, which leaves everyone in a precarious situation--especially when not even days later more people begin dying at the hands of those who appear to have gone mad with no explanation. Symbiote novel excels in building a sense of isolation and anxiety with its slow, creeping dread that constantly increases the tension. This is a story that I would have expected to be (and maybe preferred) a quieter, slow build sort of story, but it's actually surprisingly action-packed and there are rarely any dull moments. This relentless feeling of action certainly mirrored what I'm sure many of the characters were feeling while these terrifying events were occurring.

Despite the fact that I enjoyed myself for a majority of this novel, it wasn't without a few areas that didn't work for me. Some of my biggest frustrations, however, were with the characters themselves. As the story progressed, some characters made some truly absurd decisions, and while I understand that people panic in emergencies and aren't always able to think clearly, the sheer number of reckless choices felt excessive. There was also a surprisingly large cast of characters that we follow throughout and that made it difficult to become fully invested in anyone's survival, which for me did lessen some of the tension and emotional impact of what each one's fate would be. Some of their reactions to events of this book also felt a bit overdramatized at times, but I'll admit that it's hard to really know how anyone would behave in such an extreme situation, so this was more understandable.

Additionally, the way female characters were handled didn’t really work for me. There was a strong sexual overtone surrounding almost every woman in this book and it ended up feeling a bit overdone and left me a little disappointed. I'm not sure if this was done with the intention of critiquing the way women are often objectified under patriarchal setups and male-dominated areas, but if so I think could have been executed in a much  more effective way that felt a bit less awkward and out of place. It felt like so much of the focus of this book was on the relationships and who was sleeping with whom, and while I can see where relationships play into a tense situation like this, it just focused too much on that and not as much on other relationship dynamics that could have been more interesting.

Overall, this was a fast-paced, action-packed, and terrifying thriller that is sure to get you wondering about what might happen if a contagion such as the one in this book actually occurred in real life. It didn't end being as serious in tone as I'd expected, but I think it worked incredibly well as a page-turning thriller that will surely keep readers engaged .

If you’re looking for a high-energy thriller with a claustrophobic setting and plenty of action, then Symbiote should be next on your TBR!

*I received a copy of Symbiote from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.*

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (from the publisher):

Mikey was born in Los Angeles and now lives in Washington D.C.; he has worked as a planetary scientist, pilot and skydiving instructor, and most recently as a Program Manager with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). He has logged 1,000+ hours of flight time in 30+ aircraft including the F-16, T-38 and BE-76, is a US Air Force Test Pilot School graduate, and former NASA Space Shuttle engineer. (Author photo from Goodreads)

Find Michael Nayak online: Author Website | X | Goodreads

Mini-Review: The Dollhouse Academy by Margarita Montimore

The Dollhouse Academy by Margarita Montimore

Flatiron Books

Publication Date: February 11th, 2024

Hardcover. 320 pages.

About The Dollhouse Academy :

"Ivy Gordon is living a borrowed life on borrowed time. For the past eighteen years, she has been the most famous star at the Dollhouse Academy, the ultra-secretive, elite boarding school and talent incubator that every aspiring performer dreams of attending. But now, at age thirty-four, she is tired of pretending everything is fine. In secret diary entries, Ivy begins to reveal the sordid truth of her life at the strange medical exams, mysterious supplements, and something unspeakable that’s left Ivy terrified and feeling like a prisoner. As she forces herself to confront the most painful parts of her past, she begins to realize that something truly sinister might be powering the Dollhouse’s success.

Ramona Halloway and her best friend, Grace Ludlow, grew up idolizing Ivy. Now both twenty-two, neither has made much headway in showbiz, until a lucky break grants them entry to the Dollhouse. They’re enchanted by the picturesque campus and the chance to perform alongside their idols—though nothing prepares them for the fiercely competitive training bootcamp. When Ramona begins to receive anonymous, threatening messages, it’s easy to dismiss them as a prank from a rival. Her bigger concern is Grace’s skyrocketing success, while Ramona falls ever further behind. But the messages grow more unsettling, as does life at the Dollhouse. Can Ramona overcome her jealousy and resentment to figure out what’s really going on? And can Ivy finally find her voice, before another young performer follows her catastrophic path to stardom?

With dark academia twists and enormous heart, The Dollhouse Academy is a novel about the complexities of friendship, our desire to be seen and understood, and the true cost of making our dreams a reality."

The Dollhouse Academy is a twisty, emotional, and at times dark look into a world that focuses heavily on appearance and success--to the detriment of almost everything else. In The Dollhouse Academy, we follow Romance, Grace, and Ivy as each one tells their story and experiences the realities of being invited to and surviving in the Dollhouse Academy.

What I liked:  I really enjoyed getting to know Ramona and Ivy and exploring the glamorous, secretive, and dark world of the Dollhouse Academy alongside them. This was a book that skillfully balanced so many different elements, from Romana's inner struggles with her identity and figuring out who she is to her conflicts with a toxic environment and toxic people, all while slowly unfolding the mystery of what's really happening behind the scenes at the Dollhouse Academy. I thought the author did a really great job telling this twisty story, particular with how it interwove the present day experiences of Romana and Grace with some of Ivy's epistolary-style chapters about her own experiences in the Dollhouse Academy. I'd also like to note that I listened to the audiobook version and thought the narrators did an excellent job of capturing the voice and emotions of the characters within. 

What I didn't like: It hard to describe what exactly didn't work for me without giving spoilers, but I'll do my best to describe it. As the story progresses, there are some rather... disturbing ideas that being to come to light, which I thought added a lot of intrigue and certainly grabbed my attention. However, as the story dove deeper into some of these ideas, there was an element of it that didn't feel like it quite made sense and veered ever so slightly into some slightly absurd aspects that took away some of the believability for me. That being said, I think the story still managed to convey some deep meaning in regards to the pressure placed on young stars in the entertainment industry and how much they are forced through in order to always appear perfect and at their best, and the elements I've vaguely referred to do that really well. I think that as much as this book did, it still felt like certain elements were a little lackluster in the end, as well. 

Overall, The Dollhouse Academy is a compelling read and perfect fans of complex relationship dynamics, mysteries or thrillers, or anyone who is interested in the entertainment industry. 

*I received a copy of The Dollhouse Academy in exchange for an honest review. This has no affect on my opinions.*

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