Book Review: Demons and Diplomacy by Megan Frampton

 Oh how I have digressed from my outer space theme!  I sometimes cannot help just reading whatever strikes my fancy.

No fear- I am currently not happily reading an account of the Gemini missions and will report back on that as well.

But I digress. 

I picked this up as a "read now" from Berkley and I found it to be just a perfect summer read! 

Imagine you're living in Victorian England, specifically 1851.  Things aren't quite as the history books instruct. Yes, Prince Albert and Queen Victoria are present.  Yes the great exhibition is going to open. BUT - hear me out-  Victoria is a vampire...and she isn't the only supernatural creature in town! 

Readers meet Cora, who is an Ombudsman to the supernatural community. She's smart, savvy and organized.  She's the glue that holds things together and she enjoys making sure that everyone is treated equally. The Great Exhibition is too tempting for some Supernatural beings and Cora soon finds herself planning for, and escorting the actual Devil  for this event. 

And as luck would have it the Devil, has a devilishly handsome son- Marcellus. 

Sparks fly fairly early on in this novel, and once they do, things are complicated by the discovery of a secret plot to disrupt the peace, and she and Marcellus must join forces to combat this. 

I enjoyed this interesting mix of actual history with obvious "not history"  clearly Queen Victoria was never a vampire, but it's fun to think about what might be if she were! Cora is a fun main character, and I enjoyed her "can do it" attitude. Marcellus was an extremely typical broody, morally gray romance figure and fit very well into this novel. Neither character has a huge amount of depth, but the movel moved along without this character development. 

This was my first novel by Megan Frampton, and I think I would read more from her, especially when seated in a beach chair enjoying the breeze! 

STATS

First Published  August 25 2026 

Pages: 352

Available as an Audio Book : probably!  

Trigger Warnings: moments of questionable consent, insects

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

 

Book Review: One Shattered Crown By Rebecca Zanetti

   I picked this audiobook off of NetGalley in order to fulfill a prompt for a "re-re-re-telling" of a fairytale. 

In general I do not like Re-tellings. They just don't do it for me. Other LOVE them, but for me, I want something a little more original.  And YES- I know it's sometimes even more of a challenge to make a well know tale "fresh" or original. 

And thus we have One Shattered Crown

It does come with beautiful sprayed edges and a vibrant cover. Of course, my audiobook did not come with that cover! :) 

This is a Cinderella re-telling that is sure to be a big hit for Book Tok Romance readers.  We meet Ella and Justice, two young folk from two powerful tech companies and add in the Irish Mafia, and you may be seeing where this is going.

Ella is the disowned heir to a social media giant.  She's delicate like a Pixie, and a wild risk taker with a soft heart. She is stubborn and tough, but also of course, tiny and vulnerable. 

Justice is the tough Mob Boss who also heads up a different social media giant.  He's wary of Ella, as she is dangerous, but also- exceedingly attractive, so much so that the fact that she infected his brother with a virus that almost killed him doesn't really phase him. He has to have her. Justice is bound and determined to protect the reckless Ella, even when she requests that he cease and desist.

We can see where this is headed?  If you cannot, you have not read many of these romances. 

I enjoyed this novel.  It fits the mode of the mafia romance without any unusual twists or turns. I felt like the re-telling aspect was more of a nod to the basic Cinderella story, and this remake in the modern world, with  cell phones, high speed cars, and on-line presence really made it stand out as original in that sense. 

The Narration of this book by Emma Wilder and Lance Greenfield made the listen entirely enjoyable.  Both voice actors voiced the characters exactly as I imagined them in my mind!  I don't recall having either of these narrators prior to this book, so I am excited to discover new narrators that I enjoy! 

Readers who enjoy enemies-to-lovers, morally gray characters, and dark romance with power imbalances will want to add this to their shelves.  Many Thanks to RB Media for the Advanced Listener Copy. 

STATS

First Published  July 28, 2026 

Pages: 400

Available as an Audio Book : Yes  

Trigger Warnings: Animal cruelty, death of parent, gore, guns, drugs, kidnapping, assassination attempts, Dub Con.

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

 

Women in Translation Month

 I have been trying for two years to increase my reading in translation, and August is Women in Translation Month!

So while I haven't read ALL the translated literature, I feel like I can offer a variety of suggestions for all sorts of readers!  For variety sake- I have decided not to feature the most popular authors such as Isabel Allende, or  Olga Tokarczuk. Since anyone can easily discover those works.

For those interested in Horror and History-  I recommend Mariana Enriquez  Our Share of the Night. 

After a woman dies, her husband and son embark on a wild and chaotic journey with her unconventional, possibly demonic family. 

I loved this novel, and I like that it was also translated by a woman.  Although it is an investment in time, I was entranced by the writing and the bizarre twists and turns of the novel. 

If Horror isn't you thing and you'd prefer a spicy romance - Let me introduce you to Only After We Met  by Alice Kellen. 

Don't let the name fool you. Alice is a Spanish writer and the translator was A. Nathan West (not a female translator, alas) 

Our main characters Rhys and Ginger meet in Paris and spend one unforgettable night together.  Readers follow their lives, keeping in touch via email. I won't give away the ending, but it's sure to interest thos who like a HEA ending. 

In keeping with the Romance theme: Mona Kasten is a German author whose popular Maxton Hall Series has been translated into English by Rachel Ward! 

This is an intense enemies to lovers in an academic setting romance.  Just what Book Tok ordered! 

If steamy romance isn't your thing-  The Aunt who wouldn't Die  by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay. This was translated from Bengali by Arunava Sinha.  Somlata is recently married into a family of decaying wealth.  After an Auntie passes on, Somlata finds herself haunted by the Auntie.  

Readers experience several generations of women all living in close proximity. Fast paced, and funny at times, this one is one I am currently enjoying. 

And the Last one I'd recommend- but definitely not the least: Half a Lifelong romance by EIleen Chang, translated by Karen Kingsbury. 

Set in the 1930's Shanghai, an Engineer falls in love, but is thwarted at every turn, encouraged to marry for wealth, and family ties, he persists in his desire to marry his true love. Will the star crossed lvoers find each other?  You'll have to read to find out! 

There are so many good books in translation!  Which ones did I miss? 

Book Review: The Burn Line by Jonathan Sims

 I picked up the Burn Line by Jonathan Sims  as part of "Camp Net Galley 2026"  This is a fun little event where they put on offer 10-20 or so books  and if readers complete the book and review within the Camp time frame, they receive a cute badge.

Now, there were a lot of people saying "will this help me get approved on Net Galley more?"  and I do not think having the Camp Net Galley badge is prestigious but, I know it's a lot of fun.  in 2025, I discovered Canticle by Janet Rich Evans, and loved the book so much I purchased it as a gift for my Mom. 

SO this year, I was HYPED for Camp Net Galley.  Unfortunately my new job was also "HYPED" for me to work some incredible hours. 

I have still managed one book, though I wanted to read about 5 of them on offer. 

 

 I chose the Burn Line by Jonathan Sims. 

Did I choose this in part because of the cover?  HECK YES! 

Looks at the cover! The interesting thing about book covers is that there is an artist , but also a designer who brings that cover to life and makes it just JUMP out of a shelf to catch your attention. 

Cover Art: Andreea Dumuta

Cover Design: Erin Fitzsimmons  SO- KUDOS to these two individuals who made me want to select this one out of all the choices. 

I really enjoyed this slow burn, tension filled horror novel. 

As a "synopsis" with no spoilers: 

 

5 perfectly normal individuals-who are wildly divergent come together in a London Underground tube car during the hottest summer on record. As the story opens, the writing had me immediately picturing each character as they endured the ride while trying to maintain composure in the hear. 

Passengers experience a sensation of disorientation/disassociation which they all seem to chalk up to the heat.  They notice they have somehow gotten an oily gray film on their hands or other body parts, and also shrug that off as just part of the tube. Everyone is going about their daily life, but they all feel unsettled. Soon, the feeling grows, and these unlikely travel companions feel like they are being stalked by something very old and very evil. This of course is no way to live in the modern era.  This unlikely group of underground companions must somehow find each other again, recover those moments of disorientation and find a way to stop this evil before they become the next victims.   

I loved the character development in this novel, readers meet wildly divergent characters who must work deeply with each other, and each of them must move out of their comfortable circles to achieve even the possibility of success. 

Although there were some parts of the book that kind of dragged a bit for me, they seemed necessary for the ongoing character development over the course of the novel. 

 This is a very good combination of classic horror elements with a modern setting.  I enjoyed this one from Jonathan Sims and I would read more from this author. 

STATS

First Published  August 25, 2026 

Pages: 384

Available as an Audio Book : Unsure  (I hope so!) 

Trigger Warnings:  classism, death, death of parent, gore, guns, drugs, transphobia, mental health, vomit, racism 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

Book Review: Preaching to the Choir by Adrian Tchaikovsky

    Those who have followed my reading escapades know that I am a little lukewarm on Adrian Tchaikovsky.  As a writer, he's a master.  It's just that sometimes even though his Sci-Fi is masterful, and very well put together, I just, kind of don't love it. 

So, I can  not really explain why I decided I needed to read Preaching to Choir, but... if you take a gander at the stunning cover, you might understand. 

This Cover was done by the amazing Gemma Sheldrake (also known as petitecreme), Without this cover, I likely would have avoided it. 

So glad I spent the time to delve into this novella.  It was so very different when compared to Shroud, or Alien Clay. I LOVED it. and psst- there are some amazing illustrations/photos in the novella as well. 

Coming in at a cool 176 pages this is a perfect read for "Summerween" It gives off the most delicious creepy gothic vibes, and I had a great time reading this. 

Without any Spoilers- Readers meet an international couple, Elena And Ross. Ross is British and well heeled, Elena's had to work hard to get where she is- which is attending a prestigious American med school.  Elena and Ross are headed to his old family estate for some sort of once in a lifetime family gathering.  As they approach the house, things get creepy- but Elena's sure she's just imagining things.  She breathes a sigh of relief when the doors swing open- only to get the most unwelcoming welcome ever. Elena, being tough, decides to stick around, until it becomes apparent she's Hotel California'd herself and well... can she leave?  Should she leave? Reader's will want to pick up this slim volume to find out. 

  Readers can expect signature Tchaikovsky Macabre moments, as well as incisive commentary on power, influence and money as well as the lengths people will go to obtain said things. 

This reader wants more of this from Adrian Tchaikovsky.   Thanks to Solaris, a division of Simon and Schuster for the advanced reading copy. 

STATS

First Published  August 11, 2026 

Pages: 176

Available as an Audio Book : Unsure  

Trigger Warnings:  violence, murder, death, monsters, racism, classism, creepy house vibes. 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

Book Review: The Jewel and The Comet

 This book was quite a surprise for me. It was advertised as "A quirky new space opera featuring charming characters and sarcastic spaceships"  SIGN ME UP. 

I am going to add in that this book also has quite a lot of reference to gendered-ness, pronouns and the kink community, which I did not expect from the description. While I didn't have an issue with this, somehow, I did not really expect it to be essentially the main focus at the beginning while we are also setting up the story.  I especially didn't expect it to feature so heavily in most of the chapters. I think that this is mainly just sort of an expectation issue rather than it not working for the story.  

Tim Pratt expands on his prior novel "The Knife and The Serpent" but this book can be read as a Stand-alone. Readers meet Vivy  ( a super spy!) and Gwen/Glenn (a gender-fluid grad student who's perfectly normal, except for being trained for a super-secret society, and being active in the kink community.) While these two items don't readily pair up like Peanut Butter and Jelly, I feel that Pratt does make it work. 

Glenn/Gwen and Vivy are dispatched on high stakes missions and separated from each other. For Vivy this is pretty standard, but for Gwen/Glenn, it is completely new and they only have a sentient space ship for help.  Of course, the Space Ship is one snarky ship as well. 

This is a wild ride- a character focused adventure where it seems like anything can happen. I did like that despite the heavy character growth focus, this isn't just a book using Space as a backdrop- the multi-verse is unique and fascinating, in fact I found the descriptions of the multiverse and it's workings to be my favorite part of the novel! 

   I appreciated they way Pratt draws a character and really brings the characters to life on the page.  The plot moves at a very fast pace, and the story is well imagined. If you're interested in a futuristic story with a bite (a kinky bite that is) - this will eb one you'll want to put on your TBR. 

I am so appreciative to Net Galley and Angry Robot for the Advanced Reader Copy for me to read and review. 

STATS

First Published  August 18, 2026 

Pages: 400

Available as an Audio Book : Unsure  

Trigger Warnings:  violence, murder, death, references and descriptions of kink community.

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

July Reading Wrap Up

  I KNOW we are 4 days into August but I think I still have time for a quick reading wrap up. 

This "new job" has really got me turned around.  I broke my own rule about requesting audio only, and thus I find myself buried in actual books that I need to read with my actual eyes. And then, I also have to make various reviews. Whew. 

I am not doing the request-a-pal-loo-za again. Because it means I am doing...small videos like this. 

Instead of more interesting ones like THIS. 

And... I'm behind on all sort of reviews. 

So here we are. In July I finished 14 books. 

Books in Translation:  ZERO  I took NONE. I am so sad about this, and since August is Women in Translation Month, I am hopeful for my August. 

Books by Diverse Authors: Also seems to have taken a huge hit.  I read 4 books by authors who I could discern that they are Diverse in some way 28% Not terrible, but I wanted it to be better. 

One of my favorites was indeed Road to Ruin by Hana Lee.  This book is criminally underrated.

Books that relate to my Outer Space Theme: 4/14 or another 28%  I'm disappointed that although I tried I failed to finish any instructional, non-fiction books about space, and mostly stuck to the Space Opera style novels.  

Otherwise I read a romance with my Book club which was not the best and not the worst. 

And some top Notch regular fiction.  A Penance for Crows by Shannon Morgan was amazing, as was The Raven Scholar, and Whalesong! 

So while it wasn't a month that moved my goals along that well, it was a very enjoyable one for reading. 

August looks to be a month ot tidying up, and so hopefully there will be plenty of reviews forthcoming!  I want to clear out my NetGalley list!