The Sleepless by Jen Williams (Sleepless Duology book 1)

“Welcome to a world where gods and monsters roam the earth . . .

Elver is the guardian of the wild and dangerous monster forest. Saved from the brink of death by a god, her skin will poison anyone she touches.

Artair is on a mission—one that takes him face-to-face with Elver at her most ruthless. But her defenses are useless when she discovers he's the only human impervious to her deadly gift. For Artair isn't human: he's one of the Sleepless, cursed to share his body with an evil spirit.

Lucian inhabits their body while Artair sleeps, and he is hell-bent on manipulating Elver for his dark purposes. But Elver is harbouring secrets too, and she has her own reasons for feigning an alliance with these two souls.

Caught in the crossfire of gods, monsters, and a dangerous magic they can barely understand, it is only a matter of time before the paths the three of them choose to take will set alight the very foundations of their world.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a unique fantasy with a unique triangle. Elver is a monster. Her touch is deadly to the human touch. Artair is one of the Sleepless. His body is inhabited by an evil spirit when he falls unconscious or asleep. Lucian is the “evil spirit”. As the journey takes these three to find out the mystery behind the Sleepless, their worlds become entangled until the hard truth is discovered. Readers will be left waiting on the final book to see how the story ends.

The duology ends with The Dreamless out on May 7, 2026.

Visit Jen Williams’ website.

The Bronzed Beasts by Roshani Chokshi (The Gilded Wolves book 3)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, The Gilded Wolves and The Silvered Serpents, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“In love they breathed. In destiny they believed. In the end, will divinity be their demise?

After Séverin's seeming betrayal, the crew is fractured. Armed with only a handful of hints, Enrique, Laila, Hypnos and Zofia must find their way through the snarled, haunted waterways of Venice, Italy to locate Séverin.

Meanwhile, Séverin must balance the deranged whims of the Patriarch of the Fallen House and discover the location of a temple beneath a plague island where the Divine Lyre can be played and all that he desires will come to pass.

With only ten days until Laila expires, the crew will face plague pits and deadly masquerades, unearthly songs and the shining steps of a temple whose powers might offer divinity itself... but at a price they may not be willing to pay.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Ten days. That's all Lalia has left. The race is on to save her life. After the shocking cliffhanger of the second book, no one knows what the future holds. Without giving too much away, fans will be satisfied with how things wrap up for this rag-tag group of friends.

Visit Roshani Chokshi’s website.

All the Tides of Fate by Adalyn Grace (All the Stars and Teeth book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, All the Stars and Teeth, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Through blood and sacrifice, Amora Montara has conquered a rebellion and taken her rightful place as queen of Visidia. Now, with the islands in turmoil and the people questioning her authority, Amora cannot allow anyone to see her weaknesses.

No one can know about the curse in her bloodline. No one can know that she’s lost her magic. No one can know the truth about the boy who holds the missing half of her soul.

To save herself and Visidia, Amora embarks on a desperate quest for a mythical artifact that could fix everything―but it comes at a terrible cost. As she tries to balance her loyalty to her people, her crew, and the desires of her heart, Amora will soon discover that the power to rule might destroy her.: - taken from Goodreads.com

I enjoyed getting back into Amora's world. With the loss of her father, she is now queen but rules with a heavy heart. Not to mention a little curse she must deal with. Our heroine tries to stay strong but Amora eventually begins to allow her crew of friends in. With a heart-wrenching ending, fans will be thrilled with the journey. Hand this duology to fans of Tricia Levenseller.

Visit Adalyn Grace’s website.

The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi (The Gilded Wolves book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Gilded Wolves, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“They are each other’s fiercest love, greatest danger, and only hope.

Séverin and his team members might have successfully thwarted the Fallen House, but victory came at a terrible cost — one that still haunts all of them. Desperate to make amends, Séverin pursues a dangerous lead to find a long lost artifact rumored to grant its possessor the power of God.

Their hunt lures them far from Paris, and into the icy heart of Russia where crystalline ice animals stalk forgotten mansions, broken goddesses carry deadly secrets, and a string of unsolved murders makes the crew question whether an ancient myth is a myth after all.

As hidden secrets come to the light and the ghosts of the past catch up to them, the crew will discover new dimensions of themselves. But what they find out may lead them down paths they never imagined.

A tale of love and betrayal as the crew risks their lives for one last job.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Continuing after the devastating events at the end of book one, our characters find themselves in Russia. Once again, I found the story slow to start with but it did pick up as new characters and places were introduced. All of the reveals and plot twists that transpire by the time the story ends will have fans clamoring for the final book in the trilogy. 

The trilogy will conclude with book three, The Bronzed Beasts, due out on September 21, 2021.

Visit Roshani Chokshi’s website.

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi (Gilded Wolves book 1)

“Paris, 1889: The world is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. In this city, no one keeps tabs on secrets better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. But when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin will need help from a band of experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian who can't yet go home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in all but blood, who might care too much.

Together, they'll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive.” - taken from Goodreads.com

At the beginning of this book, I was heavily reminded of Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology and the sextuplet of main characters that everyone roots for. I kept comparing Severin to Kaz. The further you get into the story, these six characters begin to grow on you. Mythology, history, and math are woven throughout the story. Readers will soon be flipping through the pages to uncover the secrets everyone is hiding.

Needless to say, things don’t go exactly as our characters wish. WIth the ending chapters setting up the next book, readers will be ready to see where Severin and the gang go next.

Book two in the trilogy, The Silvered Serpents, is due out on February 2, 2020.

Visit Roshani Chokshi’s website.

Warrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller

“How do you kill a god?

As her father's chosen heir, eighteen-year-old Rasmira has trained her whole life to become a warrior and lead her village. But when her coming-of-age trial is sabotaged and she fails the test, her father banishes her to the monster-filled wilderness with an impossible quest: to win back her honour, she must kill the oppressive god who claims tribute from the villages each year or die trying.” - taken from Goodreads.com 

Once again, Ms. Levenseller crafts a flawed but preserving female heroine who stands up for what she believes in. In this standalone novel, Rasmira has everything going for her until the day she is betrayed and banished from her village. Set forth with what seems to be an impossible task, to kill an unrelenting god, Rasmira is determined to get back to her five sisters. Meeting two boys who were banished from a neighboring village, the three devise a plan to complete their tasks.

This was a book I quickly read to see how Rasmira and the boys fared. I can not wait to see what this author publishes next.

Visit Tricia Levenseller’s website.

The Midnight Star by Marie Lu (The Young Elites book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two book sin the series, The Young Elites and The Rose Society, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher on the first book.

“There was once a time when darkness shrouded the world, and the darkness had a queen.

Adelina Amouteru is done suffering. She’s turned her back on those who have betrayed her and achieved the ultimate revenge: victory. Her reign as the White Wolf has been a triumphant one, but with each conquest her cruelty only grows. The darkness within her has begun to spiral out of control, threatening to destroy all that she’s achieved.

Adelina’s forced to revisit old wounds when a new danger appears, putting not only Adelina at risk, but every Elite and the very world they live in. In order to save herself and preserve her empire, Adelina and her Roses must join the Daggers on a perilous quest—though this uneasy alliance may prove to be the real danger.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Mi Adelinetta! You are the evil villain but really no one understands you. In this final installment of the Young Elites trilogy, you and the other Elites face your greatest enemy and must put aside your differences and work together to not only save yourself but the world in which you live in. As with any great quest, not everyone will survive. As with Lu’s Champion, fans will be torn over the masterpiece that is the epilogue.

Visit Marie Lu’s website. Visit the Young Elites’ website.

Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch (Snow Like Ashes book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, Snow like Ashes and Ice Like Fire, Stop! I don’t want to ruin one of my favorite stories for you.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher on the series.

Check out Epic Reads if you need a recap on the series.

“Angra is alive, his Decay is spreading—and no one is safe.”

“Meira will do anything to save her world. With Angra trying to break through her mental defenses, she desperately needs to learn to control her own magic—so when the leader of a mysterious Order from Paisly offers to teach her, she jumps at the chance. But the true solution to stopping the Decay lies in a labyrinth deep beneath the Season Kingdoms. To defeat Angra, Meira will have to enter the labyrinth, destroy the very magic she’s learning to control—and make the biggest sacrifice of all.

Mather will do anything to save his queen. He needs to rally the Children of the Thaw, find Meira—and finally tell her how he really feels. But with a plan of attack that leaves no kingdom unscathed and a major betrayal within their ranks, winning the war—and protecting Meira—slips farther and farther out of reach.

Ceridwen will do anything to save her people. Angra had her brother killed, stole her kingdom, and made her a prisoner. But when she’s freed by an unexpected ally who reveals a shocking truth behind Summer’s slave trade, Ceridwen must take action to save her true love and her kingdom, even if it costs her what little she has left.

As Angra unleashes the Decay on the world, Meira, Mather, and Ceridwen must bring the kingdoms of Primoria together…or lose everything.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This series is tied up nicely but not everyone ends up with a happily ever after. Fans of Meira will enjoy going on last last adventure as she works to defeat Angra and save Primoria.

Visit Sara Raasch’s website.