Can't-Wait Wednesday: Birth of a Dynasty by Chinaza Bado, Predatory Natures by Amy Goldsmith, & Jules Verne and the Invention of the Future by Laurence Bergreen

   

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

Birth of a Dynasty by Chinaza Bado
Publication: July 29th, 2025
Harper Voyager
Hardcover. 384 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"We shall not forgive. We shall not forget. We will have our vengeance.

After witnessing the massacre of everyone he’s ever known and loved, M’Kuru Mukundi, the sole surviving member of the High Noble House Mukundi of Madada, vows revenge. M’kuru flees to a small village where he hides under the guise of farm boy Khalil Rausi… unaware that the real Khalil’s father is the bloodthirsty General of Zenzele army, and under the direction of the King’s scheming son, Prince Effiom, was responsible for the murder of M’kuru’s people. When an imposter claiming to be M’kuru shows up in the village, the real M’kuru—now Khalil—must bide his time amongst his enemies, pretending to be everything that he hates in order to get vengeance.

In another part of the country where giants roam free, young Zikora Nnamani, the only daughter of Lord Nnamani, knows nothing of political intrigue—she wants little more than to be a fierce Seh Llinga warrior. But a well-known prophecy places too much potential power on her small shoulders, and—as far as Prince Effiom and the King know—she is the only living threat to their dynasty ruling forever. However, when a messenger arrives to “invite” Zikora to stay at the palace, her family is not in a position to refuse. Before she is taken away, she begins The Rite of Blessing, a magical inheritance that she will need to learn how to use, but that may also bring the world one step closer to the completion of the prophecy that Prince Effiom so fears.

Between scheming ladies at court, backstabbing princes on the prowl, and paranoid kings, M’kuru and Zikora must do what they can, no matter how terrible, to save their people and claim vengeance for their families. But they are just two young people against an entire kingdom—and a prophecy destined to thwart their dreams—and the last thing they can do is trust anyone…even each other."

I'm not always a big fan of revenge stories (revenge just doesn't drive me, personally), but I do love a new dramatic epic fantasy with competing families. Count me in!

Predatory Natures by Amy Goldsmith
Publication: July 8th, 2025
Delacorte Press
Hardcover. 432 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"A teen girl's dream job aboard a luxury train derails when she discovers the strange cargo being transported—a mysterious and beautiful greenhouse—but its flowering façade may hide deadly thorns beneath, in this atmospheric and lush novel from the author of Those We Drown.

When Lara Williams gets a summer job aboard the luxury train the Banebury, she thinks she’s landed a five-star escape from her past. Even after she learns that her ex-friend Rhys, who she definitely did not have feelings for before their relationship imploded, is one of her coworkers, she’s determined to make things work.

But on the first day of their journey, the trip takes a strange turn. Two mysterious carriages filled with an array of beautiful and rare plants are attached to the Banebury in the middle of the night.

And with them comes a pair of siblings. Wealthy, mysterious, and charismatic, Gwen and Gwydion claim the plants they’re transporting are for research, but Lara can’t shake the feeling that there’s something . . . otherworldly about the strange blooms. Something that will stop at nothing to ensure the Banebury never reaches its destination.

Soon Lara will learn: You can’t outrun your troubles. You have to grab them by their roots. And if she can’t unearth the secrets of the Banebury, they might drag her down for good. . . ."

I'm always up for anything involving weird things happening on or around a train (thinking of The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands here), and I am so on board (...get it?) for this one!

Jules Verne and the Invention of the Future by Laurence Bergreen
Publication: July 22nd, 2025
Mariner Books
Hardcover. 304 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"From the acclaimed biographer of explorers Magellan, Columbus, and Francis Drake comes a unique exploration of life and influence of Jules Verne, the novelist whose mind spun the greatest adventures ever told and whose daring and prescient imagination sparked a lasting transformation of modern society and technology, inspiring everyone from J.R.R. Tolkien to Kurt Vonnegut to Jeff Bezos.

"We are all, in one way or another, the children of Jules Verne.” —Ray Bradbury

His stories inspired the greatest literary minds—J.R.R. Tolkien, Kurt Vonnegut, Ursula K. le Guin. He inspired real-world expeditions and discoveries, compelling undersea explorers, aviation pioneers, and astronauts to seek out the unknown. He’s one of the most widely translated authors in the world, outmatched only by Agatha Christie and Shakespeare. Jeff Bezos’s rocket factory includes a two-story replica of the spaceship from one of his novels.

Few writers have left such an enduring legacy on the world as Jules Verne. Widely considered the “father of science fiction,” Verne stands as the ultimate icon of inventiveness and applied imagination. His novels—including such revered classics as Around the World in 80 Days and Journey to the Center of the Earth—not only thrilled and entertained, but also predicted innovations and technological advancements that in time would become everyday realities. Brimming with intellect, science, adventure, and paradoxes, his work dared to imagine a world beyond the limits of what was thought possible and, in turn, inspired future generations to achieve the unthinkable.

From acclaimed biographer Laurence Bergreen, Jules Verne and the Invention of the Future is an engaging, vibrant, and richly researched account of a singular visionary who profoundly shaped our modern world."

I really don't know that much about Jules Verne himself and I think it'd be really interesting to read something about how much of a huge impact he's had, which I have no doubt of. This sounds like it'll have a lot of informative things to learn about Jules Verne and the sci-fi genre and its imapct. 

Review: Six Wild Crowns by Holly Race

 

Six Wild Crowns (Queens of Elben #1) by Holly Race

Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: June 10th, 2025
Hardcover. 416 pages.

About Six Wild Crowns (from the publisher):

"The king has been appointed by god to marry six queens. Those six queens are all that stand between the kingdom of Elben and ruin. Or so we have been told.

Each queen vies for attention. Clever, ambitious Boleyn is determined to be Henry's favourite. And if she must incite a war to win Henry over? So be it.

Seymour acts as spy and assassin in a court teeming with dragons, backstabbing courtiers and strange magic. But when she and Boleyn become the unlikeliest of things - allies - the balance of power begins to shift. Together they will discover an ancient, rotting magic at Elben's heart. A magic that their king will do anything to protect.

A captivating epic fantasy filled with dragons, court politics and sapphic yearning, perfect for fans of The Priory of the Orange Tree and House of the Dragon."

Six Wild Crowns is a surprising new historical fantasy that surprised me when I first started, but is one I ended up enjoying quite a bit. I think this will be a bit of a polarizing one, but I'm here to tell you that I actually really liked this. If you go into this expecting a fantasy version of the whole Henry VIII and all his wives account, then you might be slightly disappointed. While this is a story about Henry VIII and his wives, it's not one that's strictly based on the historical events; instead, it's very much entirely fantasy-based. The names are the same (or... similar), but not much else follows along with the history, so I'd recommend adjusting expectations if that's what you're anticipating.

Six Wild Crowns doesn't really have much at all to do with Henry VIII and actual historical authenticity or events. It takes the characters, the general setup, some historical elements, and twists them all into a unique fantasy world. In this world, their religion dictates that Henry VIII needs to have multiple wives in order for the kingdom of Elben and its magic to be maintained. Naturally, there's some rivalry between these queens. And just to note--the queens are referred to by their surnames, so Anne Boleyn is just Boleyn, and then there's Seymour and so on. Our story begins with Boleyn taking her place with Henry VIII, and slowly ramps up and becomes more interesting as Boleyn and Seymour begin to develop hints of a friendship and begin discovering some things about Elben's magic and it's sources and much more. Eventually, they decide they want to bring the other wives in on what they've discovered... and things get even more interesting. 

We focus mainly on Boleyn and Seymour, and I found both of these women fascinating. I do wish we'd spend just a bit more time with some o the other queens, but I am still quite satisfied with what he had. Boleyn is true to her historical portrayal as being extremely ambitious and someone who decides what she wants and then goes and gets it. Seymour is not quite a headstrong, but she does still have a strong sense of will that has been buried within her that was so satisfying to see slowly come out to play throughout this book. I actually felt like there was a good bit of growth with both of these characters and I very much enjoyed watching it happen. And of course, we do get some great themes and commentary on the role of women and, without giving spoilers, essentially how they are treated more as objects than as real people--which I'm sure is not an unfamiliar topic for any of us readers. I really like how Race explores her characters and writes them: they were often meaningful in an innocuous way, if that makes sense--things don't always seem that deep maybe in how they are portrayed, but there are many layers going on with every interaction, word of dialogue, and thought. 

There is some interesting world-building, and although I feel it could have been fleshed out a little more, I don't necessarily think it needed to be. Within this world, there are plenty of updates on the political happenings and wars, but for some reason these fell a little into the background for me. The politics are of course generally important and they do impact the plot in various ways, especially with some of Boleyn's storyline, but at the same time it felt like so much of it happened off-page and I was so invested in the time with the wives that it just didn't really linger in my mind. I almost felt like one of the wives waiting around at the castle or something while waiting to hear news of current events--but then ending up feeling a bit detached from outside happenings. I preferred focusing more on what the women were up to. I'm not sure if this is a pro or con because I feel like I followed the story well and still enjoyed it readily, but I also feel like I wasn't as connected or fully invested with everything as I could have been, so... I guess interpret that however you'd like. 

I did like that there were dragons in this, and I was so intrigued when they first showed up on the page as essentially... pets, of sorts? I'm not sure if pet is really the correct word here, but that's basically how they were presented. There's not a lot of dragon in this, but it felt like such a random and mildly underdeveloped component that fit well in the story, even though there wasn't all that much to it. One of our queens also ends up with a panther (gifted to her by Cleves) as a bit of a companion and I was immensely jealous of that. It's these little bits of fantasy type elements that are what I found myself enjoying in this book. It doesn't all make sense, but it all works together and fit in a weird way.  I think if I were expecting something a bit more finely detailed I'd be disappointed, but since I was more along for the ride, everything worked for me and I enjoyed it. I'm really not sure how else to describe it, and maybe my experience is just going to be very different from others, but that's how it felt to me. 

I also really liked Race's writing style. There was something to it that made it feel stylized, but nothing approaching intense literary prose that's overly dense to follow. It's also a fairly slow read, I'd say. There's not a lot of action, though there are some pretty dramatic and more intense scenes that occur and I found these highly compelling. But overall, the build-up to things is on the slower side for sure, so I would keep that in mind as well. 

This is a bit of a hard book to describe and talk about, but hopefully I've been able to share some of my thoughts with you. I was initially frustrated that it was so very much not what I was expecting, but it ended up being different enough that I actually really appreciated how unique this was. As I mentioned, I think I can see people being a bit disappointed with this initially, so I think knowing what you are going into could help with that. Holly Race really has done something that felt new to me and really captivated me. I just wanted to keep reading. I will definitely check out more from Holly Race because I'm curious about her ideas and how she tells her stories!

*I received a copy of Six Wild Crowns in exchange for an honest review. This has no affect on my opinions.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Review: The Loss of the Star's Tranquility (Star Tranquility #1) by Tobias Begley & Travis M. Riddle

The Loss of the Star's Tranquility (Star Tranquility #1) by Tobias Begley & Travis M. Riddle

Independently Published
Publication Date: June 12th, 2025
Ebook. 536 pages.

About The Loss of the Star's Tranquility (from the author):

"When guests set foot on the Star's Tranquility, a flying resort island, what they can expect is luxury. The best food and amenities...a dream vacation, guaranteed.

But their voyage has taken an unexpected detour, crashing in the Unclaimed Lands—an uninhabited forest teeming with deadly monsters and unknown magic. There won't be much-needed bonding time for the strained Harteus family, runaway Drea is farther from home than she ever planned, and reluctantly-retired filmmaker Raymond isn't sipping cocktails poolside any time soon.

Stranded in a place where even the plants want to kill you, there's no time to kick back and relax.

It's more than most of the wealthy guests can handle, and it's way above the waiters' pay grade, but they'll have to learn to work together if they want to survive.

'No one does a better job of putting everyday, ordinary, blue-collar folks into wild, insane fantasy situations than Travis Riddle. And getting to see him do that in one of my favorite fantasy worlds from another brilliant author, Tobias Begley? An absolute, unexpected pleasure.' - John Bierce, author of Mage Errant & More Gods Than Stars"

The Loss of the Star's Tranquility is the result of a collaboration between Travis M. Riddle--and if you're not new to my blog then you are most likely very familiar with that name--and Tobias Begley, which actually is a new name to me. Tobias Begley is the author of stories set in the Mana Mirror world, which is brand new to me, and Travis M. Riddle is the author of a whole slew of books that I've read and loved (and reviewed on this blog--if you're interested, just search his name!) including the most recently completed Jekua series. The result of both authors working together is this book, in which I've been told that Riddle created the characters, story, and wrote it, and Begley acted as an adviser to provide information on the world and magic system so that there is cohesion and continuity with the rest of the world. I think this sounds like a fantastic way to collaborate, and I'm thrilled to say that the result is awesome.

And just as a quick note before I dive into this review--I started reading this while on a plane flying over the ocean, so I think it definitely added a little to the experience of reading about a hotel and vacationers falling out of the sky onto an unknown land. Definitely gave me some ideas to consider about what could be in store for my trip.

We follow quite a cast of characters in this book, and we really dive deep into their respective backstories. We learn a lot about each one, and that depth gives us insight into how their pasts influence their personalities, actions, and motivations in the present, which made this book feel that much richer and alive. Our main cast includes a mix of employees of the hotel, such as Elsie, a porter; Seb, part of the cleaning crew; Lennela, a masseuse; and Poppalaj, a chef; as well as a number of the hotel's guests, including Felix and his sister Tori, Kikras, Noto, Drea, and Raymond.

Felix reminded me ever so slightly of Balt from Riddle’s Jekua series, mostly because he’s a young man right at the beginning of adulthood who is excited to get started on his next steps in life. Felix is caught up in all the thoughts that come with that--one of the biggest being his hope of developing his magical abilities. ...And then he's suddenly thrown into a survival scenario that gives him far more responsibilities than he could have ever bargained for--and far more deadly consequences. Felix was probably one of my favorite characters to follow because I liked how different his perspective felt from everyone else's. He's just a relatively "normal" guy who was vacationing with his family one moment and is suddenly thrust into this high-stakes experience without much in the way of hard skills to bring to the table.

We also meet characters like Kikras and Seb, who clearly seem to be far more than they appear on the surface and both maintain an air of mystery that leaves some other characters--and the reader--wondering what's really going on with them. Fortunately, as readers we get to learn a bit more about them than some of the other characters do (at least yet), and every bit of it is intriguing.

It’s no small feat for authors to successfully develop a large cast. It can be difficult to spend enough time with each character to make them feel like meaningful players in the story, let alone make them memorable and emotionally compelling enough for readers to remember and care about them. This is something that I think this book did really well--I not only remembered who everyone was (which I really should get an award for given the state of my brain lately, just saying), but I also actively cared about them and felt invested in each character's storyline. What I think is the coolest part is how distinct each character feels and how each one has such a unique background. Every one has a unique background and voice, and all of it is done in a that feels genuine and not as if the author was simply trying too hard to create variety, which I feel sometimes happens.

Each character also brings their own skills to the table: Lennela is a masseuse who knows minor healing spells that can help the injured; Poppolaj is a chef, so naturally he can be in charge of the cooking and meals; Noto is a mental mage who can use his skills to maybe figure out what's going on--and help with unexpected attacks, and so on.

There are some similarities between characters, such as Raymond and Drea's general shared interests and their subsequent bond that is created naturally, and I liked how we saw that natural gravitation occur between different characters for different reasons. Felix finds comfort in Elsie, for example, and the two quickly form a friendship out of general companionship, and he also gravitates toward Noto because of Noto's mental magic, which is the type of magic that Felix has and is hoping to learn more of. Kikras and Seb also seem to end up getting paired together because of previously mentioned sense of mystery that surrounds them and makes them feel slightly more comfortable around one another (in that way of people who sometimes have secrets tend to be). But for every similarity that connects characters, there are just as many, if not more, that set them apart. That comes through most strongly in their reactions to the events that keep happening around them, as well as in their individual backstories.

I’m fascinated as hell with this world. From my understanding, this book takes place in a part of the world that's entirely different and new from Begley's previous work, and I have to say that this part that we explore--the Unclaimed Lands, in particular--is so intriguing and fills me with so much curiosity and so many questions. This is land that is generally unexplored by the rest of the world, so its new reluctant inhabitants have no idea what to expect, which really makes for the best type of story. I also  am not sure how Riddle manages to make a floating island that carries a hotel and hundreds of guests and employees and travels to other locations feel realistic, let alone the additional idea that it crashes onto unexplored and unknown lands below it, but it absolutely is something that I was immediately on board with and loved every second of. There's also a whole slew of unknown variables at play with whatever may already inhabit the land they've ended up one, and as more is discovered about this land, it gets more and more terrifying. 

I definitely am curious about the rest of the Mana Mirror world now, but as someone brand new to this setting, I think Riddle did an amazing job making it accessible and easy to get into. There's a strong sense of mystery and uncertainty that lingers in places, but it's all done in a way that works perfectly for the story and I never felt lost at any point. The magic system is just as fascinating, and I had a great time learning how it functions within the world. I think there is far, far more to learn about this magic, and I can't wait to do just that.

I really liked how Riddle handled the pacing and structure of the plot.  We start off with a bang (or, perhaps with a crash, if you'd like to be literal), and from there, the story takes off. We follow the characters as they grapple with the aftermath: the shock, the loss, the grief, and eventually the struggle for survival. Then, partway through, there’s a break in the present timeline and we’re taken back to the time just before the crash. We get to see the characters during a period of normalcy, enjoying their trip and time at the hotel. I actually loved this shift in the narrative because it allowed the story to cut into the heaviness of the current situation after the crash, and it was fascinating and satisfying to see all these same characters we've met interacting normally in everyday (well, everyday on vacation or at work) scenarios. There's a fantastic mix of some adventure, some tension and fear at what lies in wait for our characters, lore of the world itself, and some great character work.

It also added some fantastic depth and insight, since by this point we already knew how each person was going to respond once everything crashed and fell apart, so seeing who they were before provided much more of a look into who each character is. It made me think more about how much had changed and how they may have changed... and even what might have led to the crash in the first place. And, of course, it raised some compelling questions—like whether some of the seemingly “good” people may have been keeping secrets all along.

Lastly, I just love how Riddle really seems takes his time in his writing. His writing never feels rushed. I can see how that might sound like I’m calling it slow-paced, but it doesn’t necessarily feel that way. It's what I describe as thoughtful rather than slow-paced, where scenes feel thought-out and thoroughly explored rather than dragging along or rushed through, and it really lets the story and its characters breathe. It's evenly paced and has a wonderful balance of action, description, character exploration, and more. I actually don't know if I've mentioned that in this review yet, but there is indeed plenty of action in this book to balance out all of the character development and world-building/magic system exploration, so don't worry about getting bored with this plot, because I promise you won't.

I'm going to leave this review here because I feel like they always end up being far too long, but I'm sure once this is published I'm still going to end up kicking myself for forgetting to say something about it that I wanted to, so just know that I enjoyed the hell out of this book. Travis M. Riddle somehow magically consistently writes things that just work so well for my brain and I'm not sure what type of black magic it is, but I'm here for it. I cannot wait for more (which, based on the ending, hopefully happens soon)! This is a brand new book and you don't need to have read any previous book to enjoy it, and it's out today, so be sure to go pick up a copy!

*I received a copy of The Loss of the Star's Tranquility in exchange for an honest review. This has no affect on my opinions.*

Buy the book: Amazon

Can't-Wait Wednesday: One Yellow Eye by Leigh Radford, Red Rabbit Ghost by Jen Julian, & The Beast in the Clouds by Nathalia Holt

  

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

One Yellow Eye by Leigh Radford
Publication: July 15th, 2025
Gallery Books
Hardcover. 352 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"In this heartrending spin on the zombie mythos, a brilliant scientist desperately searches for a cure after a devastating epidemic while also hiding a monumental secret—her undead husband.

Having always preferred the company of microbes, British scientist Kesta Shelley has spent her life peering through a microscope rather than cultivating personal relationships. That changed when Kesta met Tim—her cheerleader, her best friend, her absolute everything. So when he was one of the last people in London to be infected with a perplexing virus that left the city ravaged, Kesta went into triage mode.

Although the government rounded up and disposed of all the infected, Kesta is able to keep her husband (un)alive—and hidden—with resources from the hospital where she works. She spends her days reviewing biopsy slides and her evenings caring for him, but he’s clearly declining. The sedatives aren’t working like they used to, and his violent outbursts are becoming more frequent. As Kesta races against the clock, her colleagues start noticing changes in her behavior and appearance. Her care for Tim has spiraled into absolute obsession. Whispers circulate that a top-secret lab is working on a cure, and Kesta clings to the possibility of being recruited, but can she save her husband before he is discovered?"

I’ve mentioned many times that I am not a fan of zombies, but I am pretty intrigued by the sound of this one, so I think I’ll have to check it out!

Red Rabbit Ghost by Jen Julian
Publication: July 22nd, 2025
Run For It (imprint of Orbit)
Paperback. 384 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"The town of Blacknot is not what it appears, and a place on its desolate edge known only as The Night House is calling...

What remains of Jesse’s mother can fit inside an old jerky tin. Photos, postcards, a single, worn-out bracelet. But nothing that can explain why she was found dead eighteen years earlier on the bank of a river, her infant son left wailing by her side. When Jesse starts to receive anonymous messages promising him answers, he returns home to the regressive town of Blacknot, North Carolina so that his lifelong obsession can finally be laid to rest.

But Jesse’s investigation is stirring up trouble with the locals, including his well-armed ex-boyfriend and the mysterious daughter of a local businessman, each with their own inscrutable agendas. They will soon find that this backwater town holds a power more volatile than any of them could have imagined, and that the answers they seek might be better left buried."

This cover really grabs me, and when Orbit offered the chance to read an early copy I couldn’t say no to this premise!

The Beast in the Clouds: The Roosevelt Brothers' Deadly Quest to Find the Mythical Giant Panda by Nathalia Holt
Publication: July 1st, 2025
Atria
Hardcover. 288 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"'For lovers of history, nature, and adventure, the stunning true story of Theodore Roosevelt’s sons and their 1929 Himalayan expedition to prove the existence of the beishung, the panda bear, to the western world, from the New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls.

The Himalayas—a snowcapped mountain range that hides treacherous glacier crossings, raiders poised to attack unsuspecting travelers, and air so thin that even seasoned explorers die of oxygen deprivation. Yet among the dangers lies one of the most beautiful and fragile ecosystems in the world.

During the 1920s, dozens of expeditions scoured the Chinese and Tibetan wilderness in search of the panda bear, a beast that many believed did not exist. When the two eldest sons of President Theodore Roosevelt sought the bear in 1928, they had little hope of success. Together with a team of scientists and naturalists, they accomplished what a decade of explorers could not, ultimately introducing the panda to the West. In the process, they documented a vanishing world and set off a new era of conservation biology.

Along the way, the Roosevelt expedition faced an incredible series of hardships as they disappeared in a blizzard, were attacked by robbers, overcome by sickness and disease, and lost their food supply in the mountains. The explorers would emerge transformed, although not everyone would survive. Beast in the Clouds brings alive these extraordinary events in a potent nonfiction thriller featuring the indomitable Roosevelt family.

From the soaring beauty of the Tibetan plateau to the somber depths of human struggle, Nathalia Holt brings her signature “immersive, evocative” (Bookreporter) voice to this astonishing tale of adventure, harrowing defeat, and dazzling success."

Okay, so I've read quite a bit about Teddy Roosevelt going into the Amazon, but I certainly have not read about this particular adventure! I am really curious to find out more about the historical context and everything involved in this quest. 

Review: The Palace of Illusions by Rowenna Miller

 

The Palace of Illusions by Rowenna Miller

Publisher: Redhook
Publication Date: June 10th, 2025
Paperback. 480 pages.

About The Palace of Illusions (from the publisher):

"The Palace of Illusions brings readers to a Paris breathless with excitement at the dawn of the twentieth century, where for a select few there is a second, secret Paris where the magic of the City of Light is very real in this enchanting and atmospheric fantasy from the author of The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill.

In the run up to the 1900s World’s Fair Paris is abuzz with creative energy and innovation. Audiences are spellbound by the Lumiere brothers’ moving pictures and Loie Fuller’s serpentine dance fusing art and technology. But for Clara Ironwood, a talented and pragmatic clockworker, nothing compares to the magic of her godfather’s mechanical creations, and she’d rather spend her days working on the Palace of Illusions, an intricate hall of mirrors that is one of the centerpieces of the world’s fair.

When her godfather sends Clara a hideous nutcracker for Christmas, she is puzzled until she finds a hidden compartment that unlocks a mirror-world Paris where the Seine is musical, fountains spout lemonade, and mechanical ballerinas move with human grace. The magic of her godfather’s toys was real.

As Clara explores this other Paris and begins to imbue her own creations with its magic, she soon discovers a darker side to innovation. Suspicious men begin to approach her outside of work, and she could swear a shadow is following her. There’s no ignoring the danger she’s in, but Clara doesn't know who to trust. The magic of the two Parises are colliding and Clara must find the strength within herself to save them both."

I'll be honest, The Palace of Illusions felt a bit weird at first to be reading in June since it is a Nutcracker-inspired story and also starts out taking place just around Christmas time, and I am not someone who tends to enjoy mixing my seasons. But once I got into the story, I soon settled in and found myself enjoying it too much to care about the seasonal mismatch.

The Palace of Illusions is set in early 20th-century Paris, just before the World's Fair is set to take place. We follow Clara Ironwood, a clockworker from America who was offered a rare and exciting opportunity to work on a project for the World's Fair and so subsequently packed herself up and moved to Paris on her own. Clara learned her clockmaking skills from her godfather, a somewhat prickly man with whom Clara has a bit of a mixed relationship as his apprentice.

At Christmas, Clara receives a nutcracker from her godfather, which seems like a somewhat detached and random gift that lacks much meaning to her. But then she finds something inside... something that lets her see and explore an entirely different Paris, a mirror-world where many creations can come to life--including her godfather's. Clara slowly learns more about this other Paris and tries to figure out her own place in it, but eventually some other dangers and obstacles start popping up, and Clara suddenly has much more to deal with than she ever expected.

Clara was a delightful character to follow. I liked getting to know her, and I appreciated her work ethic and dedication to getting everything right. She recognizes the opportunities presented to her and does her best to make the most of them. Her job also means she has to continuously be aware that she is a woman in a traditionally male field and has to be extra careful to show her worth and maintain respect. She's a bit naïve about things and I generally found this about her to be endearing as we get to stumble along with her to learn more about her world. I also really enjoyed getting to know many of the supporting characters and thought they added so much color and excitement to the story. Annabelle in particular was a fantastic foil for Clara, and I loved seeing the two interact and help one another.

Rowenna Miller always has very beautiful, flowing prose. Her descriptions are enchanting and really made this 1900s Paris--both the real world one and the mirror one--come to life in the most vivid, magical ways. You could feel the atmosphere and beauty of it all, and I could especially feel that the other Paris world was overflowing with magic and a beauty that can only come from creativity and imagination. Her writing really made this setting feel vivid, lived-in, and exciting, and there was plenty of whimsy littered throughout.

The pacing of this one definitely leans on the slower side. I found myself consistently engaged in individual scenes, but when I would sit back and think about the book and its pacing, I found that I struggled to feel like much of the plot was really consistently moving forward. I found myself sometimes wondering what had really been happening and if there needed to be as much filler as it sometimes seemed like there was. But, just to contradict myself, I'm also not entirely sure what I would cut out if I had the option, as everything generally provided something to the story. It just often felt like there was a lack of forward movement to really propel the story. Then, in the very last third or quarter of the book, things started to get quite intense and a lot more seemed to start happening, which led to a somewhat rushing-feeling ending. There was a lot of slow, gradual build-up, then a pretty quick intense climax, and then a fairly nice ending. I'm not mad about the ending at all, but I did find the pacing slightly stilted. That being said, I still very much enjoyed it.

Overall, I really don't think you can go wrong with The Palace of Illusion. It's a delightful lighter fantasy set in a historical setting that I think will appeal to previous Rowenna Miller readers, as well as many new to her writing. 

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

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Beasts of Carnaval by Rosália Rodrigo, Pan by Michael Clune, Volatile Memory by Seth Haddon, & Nothing More of this Land by Joseph Lee

 

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

Since I didn't post a Can't-Wait Wednesday last week, I'm sharing four books this week in efforts to make up for that (that, plus July is packed with new releases so I just want to be able to share more!). 

Beasts of Carnaval by Rosália Rodrigo
Publication: July 29th, 2025
MIRA
Hardcover. 400 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"When night descends, el Carnaval de Bestias rises.

They come chasing paradise…

Within the shores of Isla Bestia, guests from around the world discover a utopia of ever-changing performances, sumptuous feasts and beautiful monsters. Many enter, but few ever leave—the wine is simply too sweet, the music too fine and the revelry endless.

Sofía, a freedwoman from a nearby colonized island, cares little for this revelry. Born an enslaved mestiza on a tobacco plantation, she has neither wealth nor title, only a scholarly pragmatism and a hunger for answers. She travels to el Carnaval de Bestias in search of her twin brother, who disappeared five years ago.

There’s a world of wonder waiting for her on the shores of this legendary island, one wherein conquerors profit from Sofía’s ancestral lands and her people’s labor. But surrounded by her former enslavers, she finds something familiar in the performances—whispers of the island’s native tongue, music and stories from her Taike’ri ancestors…a culture long hidden in the shadows, thrust into the light.

As the nights pass, her mind begins unraveling, drowning in the unnatural, almost sentient thrall of Carnaval. And the sense that someone is watching her grows. To find her brother and break free, Sofía must peel back the glamorous curtain and face those behind Carnaval, before she too loses herself to the island…"

How eye-catching is that cover? I am also completely entranced by the premise of this one and am so eager to go check out this magical island!

Pan by Michael Clune
Publication: July 22nd, 2025
Penguin Press
Hardcover. 336 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"A strange and brilliant teenager's first panic attacks lead him down the rabbit hole in this wild, highly anticipated debut novel from one of our most distinctive literary minds.

Nicholas is fifteen when he forgets how to breathe. He had plenty of reason to feel unstable already: He’s been living with his dad in the bleak Chicago suburbs since his Russian-born mom kicked him out. Then one day in geometry class, Nicholas suddenly realizes that his hands are objects. The doctor says it’s just panic, but Nicholas suspects that his real problem might not be a psychiatric one: maybe the Greek god Pan is trapped inside his body. As his paradigm for his own consciousness crumbles, Nicholas; his best friend, Ty; and his maybe-girlfriend, Sarah, hunt for answers why—in Oscar Wilde and in Charles Baudelaire, in rock and roll and in Bach, and in the mysterious, drugged-out Barn, where their classmate Tod’s charismatic older brother Ian leads the high schoolers in rituals that might end up breaking more than just the law.

Thrilling, cerebral, and startlingly funny, Pan is a new masterpiece of the coming-of-age genre by Guggenheim fellow and literary scholar Michael Clune, whose memoir of heroin addiction, White Out—named one of The New Yorker’s best books of the year—earned him a cult readership. Now, in Pan, the great novel of our age of anxiety, Clune drops us inside the human psyche, where we risk discovering that the forces controlling our inner lives could be more alien than we want to let ourselves believe."

I feel like I've been seeing this book around for quite a while, and every time I see it I feel like it's one that I just have to check out. I mean, a protagonist who thinks Pan is trapped inside his body? I'm in on that alone. 

Volatile Memory by Seth Haddon
Publication: July 22nd, 2025
Tordotcom
Hardcover. 176 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"'Ex Machina meets This is How You Lose the Time War: Seth Haddon's science fiction debut, Volatile Memory, is a heart-filled, vengeful sapphic sci-fi action adventure novella.

With nothing but a limping ship and an outdated mask to her name, Wylla needs a big pay day. When the call goes out that a lucrative piece of tech is waiting on a nearby planet, she relies on all the swiftness of her prey animal instincts to beat other hunters to it.

What you found wasn’t your ticket out—it was my corpse wearing an AI mask. When you touched the mask, you heard my voice. A consciousness spinning through metal and circuits, a bodiless mind, spun to life in the HAWK’s temporary storage. I crystallized, and I was alive.

Masks aren't supposed to retain memory, much less identity, but the woman inside the MARK I HAWK is real, and she sees Wylla in a way no one ever has. Sees her, and doesn’t find her wanting or unwhole.

Armed with military-grade tech and a lifetime of staying one step ahead of the hunters, Wylla and HAWK set off to get answers from the man who discarded HAWK once before: her ex-husband."

I've been looking for some good sci-fi lately, and this seems like a promising one with a really intriguing concept. 

Nothing More of This Land: Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity by Joseph Lee
Publication: July 15th, 2025
Atria
Hardcover. 256 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"'From award-winning journalist Joseph Lee, an exploration of Indigenous identity that builds on the author’s experiences and questions as an Aquinnah Wampanoag from Martha’s Vineyard.

Growing up Aquinnah Wampanoag, Joseph Lee grappled with what it means to be an Indigenous person in the world today, especially as tribal land, culture, and community face new threats. Starting with the story of his own tribe, which is from the iconic Martha’s Vineyard, Lee tackles key questions around Indigenous identity and the stubborn legacy of colonialism.

Lee weaves his own story—and that of his family—with conversations with Indigenous leaders, artists, and scholars from around the world about everything from culture and language to climate change and the politics of belonging. As he unpacks the meaning of Indigenous identity, Lee grants us a new understanding of our nation and what a better community might look like."

I have really liked learning more about the indigenous community and their experiences, and this sounds like it will be an incredibly insightful and informative read. 

Month in Review: May 2025

I, like many others, as it seems, cannot believe it's already June! How are we feeling about that? Do you have any summer plans you're looking forward to? Despite being born in June, I don't typically consider myself a big summer season fan, largely because I don't do well in heat, haha, but I know many love it.

In personal news...  My husband and I took a trip to Norway in May! It was absolutely beautiful and we had an amazing time. I'll try to include a couple of (many) amazing photos we took, though videos really did some of it more justice. It was nice to take some much-needed time away from everything and just explore a new place together. In addition to that, I also took my first flying trapeze class at the end of May which was absolutely incredible and so much fun.

In reading news, this was not my strongest month, haha. But that is largely due to the aforementioned trip to Norway. Then once home it took me a while to get back into my regular routine and catch up on everything (how can I possibly get so many emails in just one week!?) Because of this, I fell quite behind on my reading, my posting and reviews, and reading everyone else's posts and reviews, so I'm doing my best to get caught back up. 

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

   

# books read: 8

Overgrowth by Mira Grant ★★★★

Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC
Thoughts: This was generally an interesting read, but overall I was fairly disappointed with it. I feel like it felt a bit too YA for me and I feel like it lacked something to really make it stand apart in the ways that Mira Grant's work usually does. This is a solid sci-fi, but definitely not a favorite for me. 

Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay ★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: This was my first Guy Gavriel Kay and I had a good time with it. I wouldn't say it really stood out to me as anything overly special, but I have a feeling that some of his past work is probably his stronger stuff and will be sure to check that out. 

The Loss of the Star's Tranquility by Travis M. Riddle & Tobias Begley ★★★★

Source: Author | Format: eARC
Thoughts: This is the latest release from Travis Riddle, and this time it's a collaborative effort where he wrote the entire story set in a world created by Tobias Begley. I had a fantastic time with this one (as seems to be the typical case with books from Riddle) and I'm really looking forward to more!

Six Wild Crowns (Queens of Elben, #1)  by Holly Race★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: This was really not quite what I was expecting, but I think I liked it quite a bit. I really appreciated this incredibly unique take on incorporating some historical aspects into this fantasy story and world, and I liked seeing how all the women's relationships developed and how they interacted. 

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1 by Alan Moore ★★★★

Source: Library | Format: Paperback
Thoughts: I think I might have read this many, many years ago, but I didn't really remember any of it so this basically felt like the first time I've read it. I had fun with it and I'll probably check out volume two since it's clearly a classic and I want to see if I'll like it more as I get more into the series. 

Tilly and the Bookwanderers (Pages & Co., #1) by Anna James ★★★★

Source: Library | Format: Hardcover
Thoughts: I've had my eye on this middle grade series for years and I finally decided to give it a shot. I'll be honest that I felt rather underwhelmed by this, but still thought the general concept and story was pretty fun. It read a bit younger than I expected so I think that was the main problem for me, and it lacked some of the whimsy I was looking for, but overall I think this will be a huge hit for its intended audience and many others.

The Lost Fairy Tales (Pages & Co., #2) by Anna James ★★★★

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: Despite feeling 'meh' about the first book, I decided to see if I'd like it more with this second book.. and not really! I felt similarly average about this one and was a bit bored at times, but I still appreciated the ideas. I also switched to the audiobook versions because they were just fun to have going while I worked on other things.

Tilly and the Map of Stories (Pages & Co., #3) by Anna James ★★★★

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: ...And just to be sure, I went ahead and read the third one as well, and... I felt the same as the first two. I think I'm going to learn at this point and set this series down for now, haha, but if I ever need something fun, quick, and light, maybe I'll try out more of them. 

To-Be-Finished:

None! (that I can recall, at least)

 

The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig
Overgrowth by Mira Grant
Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay
The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewater Kingdom, #1) by Rachel Gillig

 Posts:

Month in Review: April 2025
Anticipated Monthly Releases: June 2025

Blog Memes:

Can't-Wait Wednesday:
5/7: School of Shards by Marina & Sergey Dyachenko & Flashlight by Susan Choi
5/14: Kuleana: A Story of Family, Land, and Legacy in Old Hawai'i by Sara Kehaulani Goo & The Palace of Illusions by Rowenna Miller
5/21: A Far Better Thing by H.G. Parry & Best of All Worlds by Kenneth Oppel

Norway (it's hard to just pick a couple, and none of them really do it justice)!