Novel Notions -

Book Review: The Devils (The Devils, #1) by Joe Abercrombie

October 17, 2026 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Devils is irreverent, vulgar, gruesome, and some of the most fun I’ve had in a very long time. Abercrombie gives us a cast of unforgettable but definitely gray characters, high stakes paired with intense action, and some of the wittiest, most hilarious writing I can ever remember reading. And when you pair all of that with the brilliant audio narration, it’s absolute perfection. Steven Pacey and Joe Abercrombie are a match made in some funhouse mirror version of heaven. …

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Book Review: Dead Beat (Ninth House Trilogy, #3) by Leigh Bardugo

October 1, 2026 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Magic is real, but safe is make-believe.”

Wow, what an ending. Bardugo absolutely nailed the landing with this final installment in the Ninth House trilogy. I loved Ninth House and didn’t know how she could follow it up. And then there was Hell Bent, which blew me out of the water by surpassing its predecessor—I positively adored it. Honestly, I don’t think it was possible to continue that insane trajectory. But Dead Beat absolutely measured up, and was an immensely satisfying ending to the best dark academia/urban fantasy mash-up I’ve ever encountered. …

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Book Review: Half the World (The Shattered Sea, #2) by Joe Abercrombie

September 16, 2026 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

Cover art designed by Micaela Alcaino

Half the World by Joe Abercrombie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: The Shattered Sea (Book #2 of 3)

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Post-Apocalypse

Pages: 512 pages (Paperback Edition)

Word Count: 108,000 words

Published: 3rd February 2015 by Del Rey and Harper Voyager

Half the World is potentially the strongest installment in The Shattered Sea trilogy.

“Fools boast of what they will do. Heroes do it.”

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Book Review: The Demon Star by Jesse Aragon

July 25, 2026 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

ARC provided by the publisher—DAW Books—in exchange for an honest review.

Cover art illustrated by Kieran Yanner

The Demon Star by Jesse Aragon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Science Fantasy

Pages: 448 pages (Hardcover Edition)

Word Count: 157,000 words

Published: 28th July 2026 by DAW Books (US) and The Broken Binding Publishing (UK)

The Demon Star has great potential to become one of science fantasy readers’ favorite ambitious debuts of the year.

“Darkness is refuge. Chaos is clarity. Power is freedom.”

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Book Review: Again Behold the Stars by Jessie Latimer

July 23, 2026 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

Again Behold the Stars by Jessie Latimer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an advance digital copy of this novel from the author. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

While YA and its many subgenres has been hit-or-miss for me in the past, I’ve read a lot of truly excellent young adult sci-fi and fantasy over the last few years. Again Behold the Stars is among the very best. The story is cleverly written, compelling, and loaded with humor and heart and heartbreak, with characters who grow and change and win you over. I was excited from the very first page, when we were introduced to our snarky, unusual narrator: the book itself. And that excitement never wavered, as Latimer never lost the plot or the structure or a solitary character. She was juggling so much, and yet she never dropped a single ball. …

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Book Review: Galahad and the Grail (Merlin’s Isle, #1) by Malcolm Guite

July 15, 2026 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

Galahad and the Grail by Malcolm Guite
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Exquisite. Timeless. Exceptional. This is a masterpiece of the highest caliber. And it’s to be treasured in all of its formats. Reading Galahad and the Grail, Guite’s introductory volume in his four-part Merlin’s Isle, feels like uncovering a treasure lost to antiquity, one that is somehow fresh and vibrant in the light of the 21st century sun. His presentation of the search for the Holy Grail is captivating, and it left me so excited to experience the rest of his Arthuriad as he plans to release them over the next few years. Every line, every word, every syllable was chosen with such care and intention. Though this is epic poetry, a form little read in modern society, the story being told through the verse is easy to follow. This could easily be experienced as a family read aloud. It truly feels not only timeless, but ageless in its appeal. …

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Book Review: A Lady’s Handbook to Gadgets and Guile by Angela Bell

July 7, 2026 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

A Lady’s Handbook to Gadgets and Guile by Angela Bell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Lady’s Handbook to Gadgets and Guile is an absolutely delightful story. Drawing inspiration from Little Women, Inspector Gadget, and Victorian England, it is also something uniquely and wonderfully its own. Bell’s sophomore novel is funny, heartfelt, faith-filled, and a joy from start to finish. It also delivers some wonderful disability representation that is going to provide solace and soothing affirmation to those struggling with chronic pain and severe anxiety. …

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Book Review: Perplexity (The Sceptre and the Stylus, #2) by Chawna Schroeder

June 18, 2026 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

Perplexity by Chawna Schroeder
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I was charmed by Illuminary, the first installment in Chawna’s A Little Princess-inspired fantasy trilogy. The world she has created is rich in color and culture and variety. The characters populating the story might faintly echo their Hodgson Burnett counterparts, but they are even more wonderfully themselves, full of charm and personality and nuance. The inclusion of faith is vital, prevalent, and beautifully portrayed. But, as much as I loved that first installment, the aforementioned inspiration from one of my favorite children’s classics felt minimal. That was no longer the case in this followup. Perplexity delivers on the promises of Illuminary, reimagining A Little Princess in a brilliant fantastical setting while also being very much its own powerful story. …

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The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer

June 3, 2026 Celeste Comments 2 comments

The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“All stories are love stories if you love stories.”

The Book Witch is one of my very favorite things: a book about books that actually remains a book about books all the way through. There’s also great banter, housed in a wonderful but star-crossed romance where the romantic interest is also a charming friend, one who makes an excellent partner in crime. And there’s a multilayered mystery to be solved. But at its very heart, The Book Witch is a love letter to all stories, but especially to the ones that make us brave. …

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Book Review: The Poet Empress by Shen Tao

May 25, 2026 Petrik Leo Comments 0 Comment

ARC provided by the publisher—Tor Books and Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review.

Cover art by Kelly Chong

The Poet Empress by Shen Tao

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Pages: 398 pages (Hardcover Edition)

Word Count: 139,000 words

Published: 20 January 2026 by Tor Bramble (US) and Gollancz (UK)

I am in awe. The Poet Empress is absolute greatness manifested. This is a must-read epic fantasy standalone masterpiece for fans of The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang, The Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu, and Daughter of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts.

“You were born second, so you never learned the meaning of duty. You never learned that there is no glory without sacrifice. There is no greatness without suffering.”

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