Forestfall

 By: Lyndall Clipstone 

Location: FIC CLI

Genre: Romantasy

Series:  World at the Lake's Edge #2

Some oaths can never be broken...

The curse that haunted Lakesedge Estate has been broken, but at great cost. Violeta Graceling has sacrificed herself to end the Corruption. To escape death, Leta makes a desperate bargain with the Lord Under, one that sees her living at his side in the land of the dead.

But this world of souls and mist hides many secrets. And when Leta realises she is still connected to Rowan by a tethering spell, she will risk everything - even her soul - to try and reach him.

Torn between power and love, life and death, Leta struggles to keep hold of her humanity as she falls further and further under the spell of the world Below . . . and the Lord Under.

Review by Gloria

‘Lyndall Clipstone writes about monsters and the girls who like to kiss them’

Forestfall by Lyndall Clipstone is a romantic, gothic tale and takes off where Lakesedge finished. I found the story addictive, haunting and atmospheric and deeply enjoyed the lush writing and the memorable characters. Violeta’s (Leta’s) and Rowan’s fate is exposed in this sequel.

There’s an aura of blood, evil and horror as this book delves more into the dark underworld than in the World Above. Leta faces more monsters in the World Below and I was spellbound with her complex relationship with the charming Lord Under. The story revolves around her attempt to return to the World Above and back to Rowan.

Rowan is desperate to bring Leah back home and in this book he comes in as a second narrator.

Themes of a unique love triangle troupe amongst a forest of souls, Gods, mists, moths and dresses made of spider silk. A beautiful sequel to an enchanting duology.

The Book of Heartbreak

 By: Ova Ceren  

Location: FIC CER

Genre: Romantasy

Heartbreak is always devastating, but for Sare it's life-threatening.

Sare Silverbirch has already had her heart broken four times, and a fifth heartbreak will stop her heart forever. Such is the nature of the curse she was born under, which forces her to live a life without letting anyone get too close.

Then her mother dies unexpectedly, and Sare begins to question the curse. Where did it come from? Why her? And rather than accept it, could there be a way to break it?

Her questions lead her to Istanbul where she meets Leon, a seer who helps her track down the mysteries of her mother's past. But Sare's heart is a fragile thing and their blossoming relationship poses a great risk to her survival. Especially when she discovers that her fate is in the hands of celestials beyond this earthly realm. And now the heavens are stirring, for they have a stake in Sare's destiny and they don't like their plans being overturned.

Will Sare unravel the secrets of the past before the curse claims her forever?

A gorgeous romantasy of angels and curses, which will break your heart and mend it again, love and heartbreak, perfect for fans of Laini Taylor and Stephanie Garber.

💙YA Historical Romantic Fantasy
💜Forbidden Love
✨Middle Eastern Folklore
💙Coming of Age
💜Curses
✨Slow Burn
💙Emotional
💜Witty Banter

Review by Conine Fox

This romantic fantasy fictional book really captured my attention right away! This is also in the multicultural interest genre. It made me feel a lot of emotions! I was sad, happy, hopeful and heartbroken while reading this. It is dark, mysterious, reflective, sad and tense. It also came with some humor and romance. It is well written, flows well and is a medium paced read. It comes with a diverse cast of characters, both likable and unlikable. The book cover is absolutely stunning! I found this book to be a hidden gem. With this being the author’s debut novel, I was pleasantly surprised and greatly impressed!

“The Book of Heartbreak” is a story that revolves around a young woman named Sara, who gets her heart broken four times, since she was born. The fourth heartbreak was her mother, who unexpectedly passes away. Sara is left confused as to why she has this curse and is scared to get close to anyone because of it. She does not want her heart broken five times, that would just be too much for her to deal with. As the story unravels, this story digs into why she is cursed and she discovers if she can break it. Along the way, a romance starts to blossom. Overall, I rate this a 5 out of 5 stars!

Content warnings include death and grief. I think people that love to read fantasy novels about curses would enjoy reading this book!

The Wood at Midwinter

 By: Susanna Clarke

Location: FIC CLA

Genre: Fantasy

From the internationally bestselling and prize-winning author of Piranesi and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, an enchanting and haunting Christmas short story

“Sometimes new stories are just old stories badly remembered.”

A church is a sort of wood.
A wood is a sort of church.
They’re the same thing really.”

It may take a couple of hours to warm up after delving into this enthralling, chilling tale. Merowdis is an unusual young woman, caught at the gates of indecision. A life devoted to the church? To George, who proposed? To the woods, where her soul resides? It's a fascinating tale that ties Christian elements with ancient natural folklore. I recommend this to my friends who are mood readers to read on one of the cold, dark, short days of winter.

Mirror Mirror

 By: Disney 

Location: FIC DIS

Genre: Fantasy- Retelling

DISNEY TWISTED TALES!

Review by Gav

My first Disney Twisted Tales book and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

In this, we follow the well-known Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs story from the original 1937 animated classic - but with several deviations. Firstly, Snow is 17 in this, and she is way more three-dimensional. The Evil Queen receives a name and a backstory, as did the Magic Mirror. One of the things I loved about this is the story behind the Magic Mirror and its influence.

Even though I thought this was too easily wrapped up, it was a good twist on the tale and it pleasantly surprised me. I can’t wait to read more Disney Twisted Tales now!

What if the Evil Queen poisoned the prince?

Following her beloved mother's death, the kingdom falls into the hands of Snow White's stepmother, commonly referred to as "the Evil Queen" by those she rules. Snow keeps her head down at the castle, hoping to make the best of her situation.

But when new information about her parents resurfaces and a plot to kill her goes haywire, everything changes for Snow. With the help of a group of wary dwarfs, a kind prince she thought she'd never see again, and a mysterious stranger from her past, Snow embarks on a quest to stop the Evil Queen and take back her kingdom. But can she stop an enemy who knows her every move and will stop at nothing to retain her power... including going after the ones Snow loves?

The Miraculous Sweetmakers

 By: Natasha Hastings  

Location: FIC HAS

Genre: Fantasy

A bewitching and powerful tale of sparkling magic, spellbinding mystery and a friendship worth risking everything for, perfect for fans of Tamzin Merchant, Abi Elphinstone and Anna James. Thomasina and Anne are looking for adventure when their friend, Henry, disappears – snatched by a mysterious creature, and dragged into the depths of the River Thames. Determined to save him, the girls venture into the deep, and discover the enchanting Free Waters: a vast, glittering underwater city, home to mermaids and sirens. But the Free Waters are threatened by an evil Sea Queen. It is she who has Henry – and the girls must complete three treacherous and impossible magical tasks if they are to save his life … An unputdownable and exciting new tale from the bestselling author of The Miraculous Sweetmakers: The Frost Fair.

The Last Word

 By: Patricia Forde  

Location: FIC FOR

Genre: Dystopia

A world devastated by climate change. A society ruled by fear. And a girl brave enough to take a stand.

Now an outlaw, Letta's world is more dangerous than ever. The new ruler of Ark has limited language to under five hundred words and there are terrible whispers of babies disappearing in the night.
Letta devotes herself to keeping language alive, teaching in secret illegal schools, but at great risk. And when disaster strikes, she takes the blame. Haunted by grief and hunted by gavvers, she and Marlo are forced to flee, in the process discovering the terrible plan to wipe out language for good.

I was a Teenager Slasher

 By: Stephen Graham Jones

Location: FIC GRA

Genre: Horror

1989, Lamesa, Texas. A community driven by oil and cotton – a town where everyone knows everyone else’s business.

Tolly Driver, seventeen, a good kid with more potential than application, exists on the outskirts with his best friend, Amber. They navigate the hellscape of the teenage social scene, sticking together in a place that doesn’t know how to be different.

But when they go to a fateful party at Deek Masterton’s house – a party that ends in a series of gruesome, brutal and extravagant murders – Tolly’s world gets flipped upside-down. Because some slashers are born in violence and retribution, some were born that way – and some were just in the wrong place, at the wrong time…

Review by Esta

Trigger warnings abound—Extreme gore, blood, murder, bullying, suicide contemplation, animal deaths and more—so be aware and mind your triggers.

Ultimately, this book is a humorous, heartfelt, and surprisingly poignant love letter to the slasher genre. I really think it deserves 5 stars for how creative, original and brilliant it is and I’m looking forward to getting way more familiar with more of SGJ’s stories.