Review: The Cure for Living -Part One & Part Two by Nicolas Lietzau

 

The Cure for Living - Part One & Part Two by Nicolas Lietzau
Independently Published
Publication Date: April 6, 2026
Hardcover. 770 pages & 384 pages.

About The Cure for Living:

"'I’ll tell you a story,' the Visionary said to the young woman. 'When I’m done, I promise I’ll undo these chains and let you go.' He met her gaze, his eyes as deep as the space between worlds. 'You will stay.'

In the oasis city of Qurrâb, wealth, power, and fame all bow to a single ideal: yâsh, the virtue of one's heart. There, a thirteen-year-old girl with a mind like no other resolves to become the brightest soul history has ever seen, inspiring others to follow her example. Her goal? To unite humanity and vanquish the Darkness, the destructive force within all of us that makes the world the wretched place that it is.

When veteran Jespar tre Moreste reaches the fabled City of Sages forty years later, his only concern is finding Loanne, the sister he once abandoned. Little does he know that his journey will soon lead him into the dark underbelly of the supposed paradise, where ruthless crime syndicates mingle with death cults and forbidden schools of philosophy. As old wounds resurface and reality fractures, Jespar realizes that even after the tumultuous events of Kilay, he still has demons of his own to conquer — and that often, the most charming masks hide the vilest of minds.

This is the first part of The Cure for Living, a single story told across two volumes.

Closing Jespar’s saga with a haunting blend of mystery, dark fantasy, and thriller, The Cure for Living examines the cost of obsession, the fragility of identity, and the dark side of humankind."

I read Dreams of the Dying back in 2021--which now feels like a lifetime ago--after some word of mouth recommendations, and I was thrilled when I heard that a sequel was ready to hit the shelves in 2026. The Cure for Living picks up after the events of Dreams of the Dying when Jespar once again becomes entangled in a new investigation. This time, we have a second storyline featuring a character named Qûriyanî, which adds many new layers. to this world and story. I probably won't be getting into too many specifics in this review since this is a sequel, but I was really excited to dive back in this world, and now I'm excited to share my thoughts with all of you!

The Cure for Living is initially a slow-moving story, but I don’t mean that as a criticism. Part One in particular spends a lot of time laying groundwork and allowing us to really settle back into this world and its characters, which I actually really appreciated since it has been quite a few years since I’ve read Dreams of the Dying. There is a lot to take in between worldbuilding, politics, culture, and everything else going on, and Lietzau isn’t afraid to take his time moving through it all. Both volumes have their own pacing that I think works for what they’re trying to accomplish, and although it took me a while to get through the entire story as a whole, I never really felt like there were huge sections that needed to be cut or that anything was extraneous. It all felt purposeful, and the eventual payoff made the investment worthwhile.

The story is split between Jespar’s present day storyline and Qûriyanî's story. I thought the two timelines worked really well together, and I thought it gave the story a very balanced feeling. I personally found myself slightly more invested in Jespar’s sections, that’s honestly pretty typical for me with dual timelines where I tend to end up preferring a one person’s timeline a bit more. That being said, I still really enjoyed Qûriyanî's chapters and never felt like they were something I had to  push through; they were still compelling in their own right and offered a lot to the storytelling.

I really enjoyed returning to Jespar as a character and seeing where his life has taken him since the events of Dreams of the Dying. His storyline immediately had me hooked back in, especially as he became wrapped up in his new investigations in this book, but I also appreciated the quieter explorations of his past experience and how those have continued to affect him. Lietzau handles a lot of trauma themes with a lot of nuance, which allows it to remain an important part of Jespar's experience without reducing his entire character down to what he’s been through. There are genuinely thoughtful and thought-provoking discussions surrounding trauma, healing, and what it actually means to continue living after experiencing things that can fundamentally change you.

Qûriyanî's storyline took a little longer to fully grab me initially, but I found her increasingly compelling as I came to better understand who she was, her motivations, and the circumstances that shaped her. She truly ended up being such a highlight of this sequel and I was eventually so enraptured and devastated for her and everything she experiences. The connection between her and Jespar’s storyline also took some time to develop for me, but I thought the eventual payoff worked really and made everything feel worthwhile.

The worldbuilding throughout this story is incredibly detailed, especially when it comes to the cultures, politics, histories, and belief systems that shape the characters and their decisions. There’s a lot to take in, but I appreciated how Lietzau spent time explaining things through the plot and characters in ways that allow us as readers to understand these different elements rather than simply using them as background without a solid foundation. It’s the type of worldbuild and setting that makes everything feel as though it really existed long before the story took place, and will continue on existing long after the events of the story conclude, which is something I always really value in any fantasy.

There’s also a lot going on in this story regarding its themes, which span from trauma and identity, purpose, hope, friendship, mortality, belonging, and so much more. It honestly seems like a lot to tackle in one story, but I never felt like any of it felt like too much or was out of place. It all fit naturally within the type of story being told and the experiences these characters have gone through and are going through, and I found myself fascinated by many of the discussions around these ideas.

One thing that I really loved from this huge second installment--and what I love from any gigantic fantasy volume--was watching how things gradually came together. With two timelines and so many different threads developed across the entirety of the story, there was truly a lot of groundwork being laid and explored, and it took a while before it was possible to see how everything connected. Once it all started falling into place, however, I found the payoff incredibly satisfying. It made me appreciate even more how carefully everything had been constructed along the way, and by the end of it I felt like the time I’d invested was very much worth it.

I was fortunate enough to have received a stunning hardcover copy of The Cure for Living from the author and it is genuinely such a cool book. Not only is it beautiful physically, but the incredible amount of back matter included is amazing. We;ve got an explanation of the grammar of the language, a dictionary, notes, illustrations, and so much more additional information about everything in this world to sink into. It’s one of those things that’s not at all required in a story, but that adds so much to its vibrancy and really highlights just how much thought and work has gone into making this world feel fully realized and authentic. This hardcover edition is a bit pricier than the paperback, but if you can spare the extra money then I cannot recommend it enough--it’s truly worth the price, in my opinion (I believe you can buy them on the author's website!). And to clear up any possible confusion--both volumes make up a singular sequel to Dreams of the Dying, they are just so hefty they had to physically be split up!

The Cure for Living is certainly an undertaking (especially after reading Dreams of the Dying as well, which isn’t exactly a small book, either), and I found it to be one very much worth reading. This story asks for a lot of patience from its readers, but the characters, plot, worldbuilding, setting, and ideas featured and explored throughout makes it a truly memorable reading experience.

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

Review: Reliquary by Hannah Whitten

 

Reliquary by Hannah Whitten 
Orbit
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Hardcover. 300 pages.

About Reliquary:

"A young woman is lured to her late fiancé's remote island estate—only to uncover eerie family secrets, a haunting past, and a monstrous hunger stirring beneath the sea in this deliciously atmospheric horror debut from New York Times bestselling author Hannah Whitten.

When Claire’s fiancé mysteriously dies of an unknown neurological illness, she’s prepared to sink back into the lonely life she lived before. Orphaned by a freak boating accident in her childhood, she never expected to find connection like she did with Elias, anyway. Their relationship wasn’t perfect—his coldness, his secrets, his strange aversion to the ocean—but what relationship is?

When Elias’s family reaches out—his incredibly wealthy family, from whom he was estranged—and invites Claire to a three-day wake at Harrow Point, their family home on a private island, Claire is given the chance to find family again. To belong to something, just like she’s always wanted. Just like Elias knew she was desperate to have.

Even if that family is a little strange. Even if their coastal home stirs up memories of the accident that killed her parents and sister. Even if Ash, Elias’s older brother, seems insistent on Claire leaving as soon as possible.

As she dives deeper into the world of Harrow Point, she will uncover the nature of her own traumatic connection to the ocean. There is something swimming in the bowels of Harrow Point, and it is hungry…"

There is something about an unfathomably wealthy family who has a mysterious mansion on a secluded private island that just screams that nothing good can possibly come from this, and Reliquary is here to explain just why that is the case. We follow Claire as she travels to meet her late fiancé's family for the first time--after his death, which is already an uncommon circumstance--only for her to discover that, of course, things are not quite as they seem. I had no idea what to expect from this book going into it, and I have to say I pleasantly surprised by what Whitten managed to pack into these pages. 

Claire is a very... thought-provoking protagonist, and I found her rather unlikable in some aspects, while also acknowledging that she was very much the low player in the power dynamics at play in this story, so I couldn't always blame her for the circumstances she found herself in. She's been through some truly traumatic experiences in her youth, and I think the defense mechanisms she's built to protect herself and attempt to move on are relatable, understandably, and quite compelling to follow. 

That being said, I was admittedly unbelievably annoyed with Claire at times and with how passively she seemed to move through her life, even when what appears to be clear red flags and danger are staring her in the face. I understand being vulnerable when grieving, but there were just too many things that felt so obvious that she completely ignored and it drove me a bit crazy. She could be incredibly willfully ignorant and almost unbelievably incurious as a person. And look, I also understand that's largely the point here: she's completely vulnerable and so desperately wanted to be loved and wanted by a family that of course she'll turn a blind eye to the red flags for even a taste of that. I painfully understand that. But as a reader, it really was frustrating to watch at times. Also, I get her hatred of submarines, and I agree they can be pretty freaky, but I regardless of my feelings on them I would be so fascinated by everything happening and what the family is involved with that I'd want to absolutely everything I could and would be Googling everything nonstop, so it bothered me on a personal level that Claire didn't seem interested, haha (and sure, let's not even have the slightest curiosity about the weird octopus thing her fiancé has that some happens to die right around when he does... but I digress). With all that, however, I will say that watching Claire learn more about herself, her fiancé, his family, and so much more by the end of the story made for some great character growth and overall development. 

I loved the horrors of the sea, this family, and everything wrapped up in both. Whitten did a fantastic job of creating the sense there is some mysterious, incredibly powerful entity constantly lurking behind everything, along with followers who will do just about anything for even a taste of power. This book really explores those lengths that people will go to in order to attain that power, and it does so in a very visceral, hard-to-read-but-impossible-to-look-away-from way. There are some very squicky, body horror-esque, and downright disturbing pieces of imagery in this book, so definitely keep that in mind before going into this one. 

I am also perhaps just a little bit in love with the idea of the private island Claire visits due to what sounds like the most incredible mansion built into its cliffs. It seems like an awesome feat of engineering, and I would explore the absolute heck out of that place if I could--though preferably without Claire's fiancé's family present, if I could request that. Whitten did an exemplary job of capturing the suffocating, smothering feeling of being physically trapped in a place while simultaneously being trapped by family obligations and seemingly evil, otherworldly forces. It truly made for what seemed like an absolutely horrendous time!

There are aspects of this story that felt exceptionally predictable, and I can't say there were too many overarching elements to the plot that surprised me, but it was more so about how this story unfolded and the details utilized that made it feel more unique and enjoyable. Tried and true tropes and cliches often because those things for a reason, so I never think it's inherently bad to have something that feels like you're always peeking around the corner knowing roughly to expect, but just not entirely sure what form it's going to take. And I think that's what was more successful about this story, as there was just enough uncertainty and unease in those details to make it a more thrilled read.

While Reliquary isn't necessarily destined to become a new favorite for me, I think it's a fantastic horror that touches on some raw themes and emotions surrounding grief, family, trauma, and the desire to belong, while also incorporating more classic terrifying horror elements. It's unsettling, visceral, and incredibly easy to keep turning the pages on, even when you might occasionally want to yell at Claire through them. Which I wanted to do... a lot. If the premise sounds like something you might be interested in, then I'd absolutely encourage you to give it a read!

*I received a copy of Reliquary courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating or enjoyment.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Ship of Death by Kyle Winkler, The Paradox Club by Charlie Lovett, & The Cutting Garden by Darcy Van Poelgeest

  

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 Ship of Death by Kyle Winkler

Publication: September 29th, 2026

Avon a

Paperback. 256 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"“Mind f*cking melting.' —BENJAMIN PERCY 

'Cosmically creepy as hell. A nightmarish experience.' —DAN CHAON 

'Every turn of the page is a creepy as f*ck critical success D20 roll. Winkler warmed my nerd heart while draining its blood.' — SEQUOIA NAGAMATSU 

The dice roll. Darkness answers. 

House of Leaves meets Jumanji in this brilliantly original and twisted novel composed entirely of found documents, following an unwitting couple ensnared by a sinister tabletop role-playing game 

Cole and Lorraine playtest board games for some extra cash as they save up to buy a home. But after a series of bizarre coincidences, and signing a strange NDA, the couple finds on their porch a mysterious indie developer’s tabletop role-playing game called The Ship of Death. The game relies heavily on the players’ imaginations, and takes up an ever-growing amount of space: in their kitchen, and in their minds. As its true sinister nature becomes clearer, and its forces capture more in its web, the boundary between the game and reality begins to dissolve. . . and the pair are instructed to possess a stranger’s soul. 

Told entirely through game reports, emails, game forum posts, personal journals, and police reports, reading The Ship of Death feels like a dangerous dice roll. It’s a sleep-stealing, possession-inducing work of intense, intelligent found cosmic horror that announces Kyle Winkler as a spectacular voice in the genre."

This sounds like a blast, and even though "House of Leaves meets Jumanji" sounds like its overpromising, it's still absolutely selling me!

The Paradox Club by Charlie Lovett

Publication: September 1st, 2026

Hyperion Avenue

Paperback. 432 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"In this genre-bending mystery, a brilliant yet troubled young woman uncovers the truth about her father’s death and her family’s involvement in a secret society protecting knowledge that could alter the course of human history. 

In a nondescript brownstone in Manhattan, the members of the Paradox Club quietly guard information with dangerous implications from the rest of the world. But as one rogue member hatches a plan to exploit the club’s secrets for personal gain, this group of brilliant minds begins dissolving into warring factions. 

Unaware of her family’s involvement in the Paradox Club, Tess Maxwell grew up fascinated by the stars and enthralled by her father Harry’s stories and his scientific lessons. But ever since Harry’s tragic death ten years ago, Tess has felt out of sync with the world and has a nagging feeling that there’s something more to her father’s work—and death—than anyone has let on. When she discovers Harry has left behind a puzzle for her to solve, Tess unearths hidden truths about her family and becomes a pawn in the battle for control of the Paradox Club and so much more. As deadly danger closes in, Tess must confront the paradox at the heart of her father’s work and her own fractured past to solve the mysteries of her identity, Harry’s death, and the universe. 

The Paradox Club is a page-turning read blending intellectual intrigue, personal mystery, and the tension between loyalty and ambition that makes us question the cost of learning the truth in a world where knowledge can be both a gift and a curse."

I mean, I'm always up for a secret society, and this sounds like such a fascinating premise. 

The Cutting Garden by Darcy Van Poelgeest, Erin Connally, Aditya Bidicar

Publication: September 29th, 2026

Image Comics

Hardcover. 128 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"'This hauntingly beautiful chiller creeps up on the reader like the vines spreading over Adeil and Josette’s house.' —Publishers Weekly 

A mysterious young girl seeks out a florist to deliver a painful truth that will forever change them both in this tender, gothic drama about our need for love and the creatures we become in its absence. 

On a quiet street in early twentieth-century New Orleans, a florist works through the night to craft a floral arrangement for a peculiar customer—a precocious young girl named Adeil who pays the florist in stories. For every new flower the florist adds to the bouquet, Adeil offers another dissonant detail in her narrative: a chance meeting with a disillusioned jazz singer, a dilapidated family home, an idyllic life on the fringes of an imperfect world. As dawn approaches and the arrangement takes shape, the florist is left to piece together the final details of Adeil’s mysterious life and ponder what this means for her own story. 

From Eisner Award-winning writer Darcy Van Poelgeest (Little Bird, Precious Metal) and rising-star watercolor artist Erin Connally comes The Cutting Garden, a gorgeously rendered meditation on companionship, family, and sacrifice."

I love this concept and really hope to have a chance to check this out!

Review: A Plagued Sea by Kim Bo-Young

A Plagued Sea by Kim Bo-Young, trans. Sophie Bowman
Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Hardcover. 112 pages.

About A Plagued Sea:

"First the flood
Next the sickness
Last the change

Visionary Korean author Kim Bo-Young unleashes a Lovecraftian nightmare of infection, transformation, and abomination.

“[Kim Bo-Young's] fiction is a breathtaking piece of cinematic art.” ―Bong Joon Ho, Academy Award-winning director of Parasite

While waiting for a train to Haewon, an isolated Korean seaside village, bodyguard Mu-young gets a disaster alert on her phone. Screens throughout the station report breaking news of a massive earthquake on the coast. Despite the danger, Mu-young boards the train with her niece: she’d rather face the earthquake than leave the girl in her mother’s care. That choice haunts her for the rest of her life.

Three years later, Haewon Village is home to horrors. The earthquake unleashed an ancient plague that transforms its victims into fishy monsters, and the government’s lockdown has cut off any hope for help. Mu-young’s niece is dead, and all that’s left for her is to hunt villagers who break isolation. When an officious bureaucrat from Seoul arrives in the village, he stirs up even deeper trouble. Will Mu-young survive? Does she even deserve to?"

A Plagued Sea is a weird, captivating story that blends plague horror, body horror, and some Lovecraftian influences into a thoughtful exploration of transformation, isolation, and how easily people can be treated as something fearful and detestable.

We follow Mu-young, a woman was traveling in the seaside village of Haewon when a major earthquake struck the coast. As a result, a strange land mass emerges from the sea...and with a mysterious disease spreads throughout the village. Some die, but others instead undergo disturbing physical transformations. The government's response to this is simple to quarantine the entire. village, which leaves the village's inhabitants--include Mu-young, who was only visiting--trapped and cut off from the rest of the world.

The majority of the story takes place three years after this major event occurs when Mu-young, who has not succumbed to this disease, is still trapped in Haewon and has taken it upon herself to essentially patrol the village in order to attempt to keep order and make sure those who have the disease and should be quarantining are indeed following quarantine. One day, an outsider arrives who claims to want to find out more about the disease, and who also doesn't really seem too concerned about contracting it, either. His arrival then sets off a chain of events where we all learn much more about the plague, the village, and what exactly emerged from the sea after the earthquake.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere Bo-Young created. I really felt that sense of isolation, a veery quiet, forgotten feeling that really permeated the entire story. You really get the sense that this village has been fully abandoned by the government and left to deal with problems on their own until they deem it no longer a risk. There's no real understanding of how this disease spreads, what exactly happens to those who are infected, or what the long-term outcome is, and there's no real effort to find out the answers to any of those questions. There's an aspect where it's understandable to want to isolate a potentially deadly plague when there's so much unknown about it, but there's also a need to still treat people as humans.

And that idea is one of the themes that I found most compelling in this story: how we treat people who are sick or perceived as "different" or "other" or "dangerous." There's plenty of horror around the transformations themselves and the idea of unknown creatures, but the real horror seems to be how people view and treat one another on a more human (well.. maybe human?) level. This is almost the horror that seems to be explored in one aspect of this book, and the other is the much more in your face type: body horror, creatures, and transformation. You can definitely see the Lovecraftian inspiration in this book, and that adds a level of intrigue and entertainment to this story that was very welcome.

The ending gets a little chaotic as everything comes together (or rather... falls apart? It depends on your perspective, perhaps), but I still found the directions it took interesting and fitting for the story. There were a few odd moments here and there that didn't entirely click for me, but the fact that this was already such an inherently strange tale that they never bothered me too much.

Overall, A Plagued Sea is a short, wonderfully strange piece of horror that manages to pac quite a lot into its relatively small novella-size page count. I particularly enjoyed the isolated coastal setting, the mystery surrounding the plague, and the commentary found within it. If you enjoy any of these things, as well as body horror and Lovecraftian creatures, then you may want to be sure to pick this one up.

*I received a copy of A Plagued Sea courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating or enjoyment.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Month in Review: July 2026

We're (somehow) already almost a week into August, but I still need to take a second to take a look at July. It was a weird month in the sense that I can't immediately place what happened in July (it was a long month, but where did it go??), but I also had some pretty great times. Life is definitely still throwing a lot of ups and downs at me and it's a struggle at times, but we're hanging in there! Was July weird for anyone else? I hope you all are having a really lovely summer so far!

In personal news, not a lot to report! Work's been really busy despite summer being the slower season (or so I've been told, haha), but I'm getting used to things and I think figuring out a decent routine these days. I'm still doing aerial regularly, and I also added in a few dance classes during the week at a local studio, and--as someone who has zero dance background--it is the most humbling thing I've done, haha--and also a lot of fun! I really love a challenge (and it's definitely a challenge), but I'm having a great time and hoping it can transfer over to aerial as well. 

In reading news, it was overall a pretty good month! I read a lot of really great books this month and I finally feel like I'm getting back into a bit of a groove with readings, so (fingers crossed) hopefully it continues in August. I had a blast reading Islington's upcoming sci-fi debut, Scion, and I was also really pleasantly surprised by Jen Julian's The Winter Folk. The book I least enjoyed was probably Orbital, and I feel like it's just because it didn't click with me for some reason, which was a bit of a bummer because I love the concept (and the cover!). I'm also finally almost finished up with a hefty tome I've been working my way through, The Cure for Living, so I'm hoping to finally have that review up in August, as well! I have so many great books lined up for August, though, so things are feeling good. 

How was your July and what books have you been reading? Any reading-related goals?  Let me know how your month was below and what you've been reading!

   

# books read: 12

A Plagued Sea by Kim Bo-Young

Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC
Thoughts: This was a super thought-provoking and weird little read that wasn't quite what I expected! I still generally enjoyed this one, though--I also still really love this cover!

Scion by James Islington

Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: I had such a fun time with this! I'm very used to Islington's huge epic fantasy stories, so a shorter sci-fi thriller felt very different, and I found it be a huge page-turner. 

The Winter Folk by Jen Julian

Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: I really loved this delightfully weird and horror-ish tale! I'm definitely going to try to prioritize getting around to Jen Julian's previous release that I've been meaning to read now!

The Lord of the Wood by E.M. Anderson

Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC
Thoughts: This was described as "cozy horror," and I'd probably agree that that's pretty much what it felt like! Definitely a worthwhile read if that's your vibe.

The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood by H.G. Parry

Source: Publisher | Format: eARC
Thoughts: I always enjoy Parry's reads, and this one was no change to that. This is also probably the first Arthurian-themed story that I actually enjoyed and followed along with, so that's also a win!

The Inevitable Ruin (Dungeon Crawler Carl #7) by Matt Dinniman

Source: Owned | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: I finally got around to getting through this one and while I'm still enjoying the Dungeon Crawler Carl books, I definitely have found the last couple books to be a bit lackluster compared to the earlier ones. 

Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham

Source: Library | Format: Paperback
Thoughts: I read the first volume of Fables years and years ago, but I remembered none of it so I decided to revisit it and give it a re-read in the hopes of finally continuing on with the series!

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This one had a really great premise, but unfortunately missed the mark a bit for me and I couldn't really get into many of these stories. 

Captives and Companions: History of Slavery and the Slave Trade in the Islamic World by Justin Marozzi

Source: Library | Format: Ebook
Thoughts: This was really fascinating--definitely a lot of information to take in, but extremely informative. 

The Girl from the Other Side: Siuil A Run, Vol. 4 by Nagabe

Source: Library | Format: Ebook
Thoughts: My hold finally came in at the library so I'm continuing the series! It's still grabbing me enough that I want to keep reading, but it's definitely a very slow one. I adore the illustrations, though!

The Bone Snatcher by Charlotte Salter

Source: Owned | Format: Hardcover
Thoughts: This was SO wonderfully creepy and weird. This is one of those middle grade books that makes me feel like it might terrify some young readers, but unlock a whole new world for others. Really fun read, and I'd recommend it!

Trash!: A Garbageman's Story by Simon Pare-Poupart

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This was an entirely random read that I grabbed because it showed up as a recommendation on Libby! I often end up listening to very random audiobooks because if I finish one without something immediately planned to read after, I tend to just pick the first thing I see that seems interesting on Libby, which has mixed results. Fortunately, this one was really interesting and has given me a new appreciation for garbagemen!

Wormwood Abbey by Christina Baehr

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This was another random Libby read! It was cute and I can see a lot of readers enjoying it, but it didn't really grab me that much or stand out and I won't be continuing the series, probably. 

To-Be-Finished:

None! (that I can recall...)

 

Prince of Swords (Arcana Academy #2) by Elise Kova

The Winter Folk by Jen Julian

The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood by H.G. Parry

The Lord of the Wood by E.M. Anderson

The Infinite State by Richard Swan

 Posts:

Month in Review: June 2026

Anticipated August 2026 Releases

Blog Memes:

Can't-Wait Wednesday:

7/1: Mulai by Munir Hachemi, Reliquary by Hannah Whitten, & Etna by Paul Yoon
7/8: The Dungeon Book by Gareth Hanrahan, The Salt King by Natasha Pulley, & Portrait of a Witch Undone by K.S. Shay
7/15: Bury Your Dead by Ana Paula Maia & Kitten by Stacey Yu

7/22: A Trade of Blood by Robert Jackson Bennett, Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher, and Freight by Ryan Lowell
7/29: A Plagued Sea by Kim Bo-young, The Calamities by Chuck Wendig, & Hiroshima, 8:15: The Lost Memoir by Kiyoshi Tanimoto

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Blacktail by Scott Hawkins, Beyond the Graves Waits Mist and Sea by Kathleen Kaufman, & Fallow by Sarah Anderson

 

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

Blacktail by Scott Hawkins

Publication: September 1st, 2026

Crown

Hardcover. 288 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"The long-awaited second novel from the author of the cult hit The Library at Mount Char, a one-of-a-kind dark fantasy in which a wolf sets out on an epic journey of revenge. 

The wolf Blacktail is faithful to his Forest God, but in these times, faith is not enough. His world is besieged by men. Soon his territory will be overrun, and then there will be nowhere left to go. When his mate, a house dog, is killed, Blacktail rebels. He invades the house of her owners, seeking vengeance. 

Blacktail’s fury catches the notice of an ancient and terrible feline witch, who makes an offer. What if Blacktail could end the human race responsible for the death of his family and for the destruction of the natural world, altogether? To do so, Blacktail must find and wake the Forest God. Only He might stand against the plague of men. Blacktail knows that his north woods are dwindling to nothing. He sees no other choice. 

As Blacktail journeys farther from his wild home and deeper into the world of man, he encounters strangers—animal, mortal, and otherworldly—who, for their own reasons, want to help Blacktail rid the world of humans. Along the way, it becomes clear that he is more than just a wolf. The Forest God is sleeping, yes. But what will be the price of waking him?

'A tale of lupine vengeance—at first—whose stakes escalate to degrees I never saw coming. Unexpected, blood-soaked, and vividly told.'—qntm, author of There Is No Antimemetics Division"

This sounds wonderfully weird and intriguing, and given Hawkins in the author of The Library at Mount Char, I have a feeling this is going to be one hell of a read. I have an ARC that I'm dying to get started on, so hopefully I can get to it soon! I'm also quite obsessed with this cover.

Beyond the Graves Waits Mist and Sea by Kathleen Kaufman

Publication: September 26th, 2026

Kensington

Paperback. 384 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"A marine biologist’s search for an undiscovered species of octopus leads her to an isolated island where long-buried memories rise like specters from the deep, intent on dragging her darkest truths to the surface… 

From the author of The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey, this hauntingly evocative novel is perfect for fans of Emilia Hart’s The Sirens, Sarah Penner’s The Amalfi Curse, and Adrienne Young. 

Twenty nautical miles off the coast of Boston lies Bell Island, shrouded in fog, mystery, and legend. Historically a refuge for women fleeing the hysteria of the Salem Witch Trials in the 1600s and a way station on the Underground Railroad for runaway slaves in the 1800s, the island is isolated and rumored to be haunted by spirits and . . . other things. 

It is to Bell Island that microbial biologist Harper Hafdóttir ventures in search of evidence of a new species of octopus, Thalassa, possibly lurking below the swirling water’s surface. Along with her equipment, and her luggage, Harper carries with her the burden of past trauma and vivid, recurring dreams. 

Swept up in unexplained phenomena ranging from increased seismic activity and a boat-capsizing rogue wave to encounters with island creatures that defy explanation, Harper looks to the island’s venerated if mysterious mayor for answers. Lady Loreana Bell comes from a single matriarchal line that has ruled the island for 400 years—and seems to have been expecting Harper’s arrival. 

It is within the walls of Bell Manor—its gothic grandeur matched only by the intensity of Harper’s deja vu—that she discovers the 1690 journal of a young woman in the grips of a religious cult. As a tsunami threatens the island, Harper finds herself on the verge of a revelation that will ultimately unlock the mystery of her haunted dreams and disclose her true purpose on Bell Island..."

I am loving the sound of just about everything about this one and cannot wait to check it out!

Fallow by Sarah Anderson

Publication: September 15th, 2026

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Hardcover. 416 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"Slyly funny and disarmingly tender, Fallow is the story of a young woman who signs up to be the world’s first in-house corporate surrogate, then finds herself caught up in a social experiment of another kind. 

Natalie knows one truth: there is no such thing as a good job. 

As the clock ticks away at the call center where she logs complaints of workplace harassment, she tries to ignore the increasing pain in her jaw. She has no dental insurance. She has no skills or ambitions. She has student loans. And, minute by minute, she hears the many ways workers are not just not getting by, but actually getting hustled. 

Then, at the blood bank where she sells her plasma, a mysterious flyer leads her to The Company. Natalie turns out to be the perfect candidate for their pilot program, pitched as an opportunity to help women access greater gender equity. She will be their in-house surrogate, delivering seven babies in ten years and enabling their executives to have motherhood without maternity leave. Finally, she will be adequately―generously―compensated. 

For years, her every need is met: stacks of healthy meals in the refrigerator of a luxury condo, fitness coaches and nutritionists, around-the-clock health care. Between deliveries, she takes time off―a fallow period, with no obligations or expectations. For the first time in her life, she is good at her job; for the first time, she feels free. 

But just as she’s about to fulfill the terms of her contract, a staffing decision upends everything. Natalie is pulled into an entirely different kind of social experiment, one that raises new questions about her future, her freedom, her purpose, what she can expect from the world, and what she can offer to it. 

Woundingly funny and genuinely moving, Sarah Anderson’s Fallow is a tender, alarmingly real vision of a woman balancing on the knife-edge of capitalism as she comes to realize who she wants to be."

Look-did this book pique my interest because of the cow on the cover? Yes, I'll admit that that's the main reason I decided to check this book out--but fortunately, it also has a really intriguing premise. I'm seeing this marketed as horror, satire, dystopia, etc., so I'm very curious to see what it'll be like.