Book Review: Blood Rising by Markus Redmond

   I saw Blood Rising pop up on NetGalley in audio book form and I JUMPED at it. Thank you to RB media.  I was so excited to get approved for this one that I listened to it very quickly!  

This is Book two in The Blood Saga, which I think is going to be a trilogy.  Book One is Blood Slave.

Blood slave is set mostly in 1710 in the Carolinas on a horrific plantation- though one could argue that it was a typical plantation. We meet multiple characters including Rafazi, who is the lone survivor of the Ramanga, an ancient vampire tribe from Africa.  Vampires have very long lives and Rafazi has been enslaved - sort of - since 1407. Rafazi works to build a supernatural following that will challenge the status quo.  

It is a powerful book and highlights the absolute violence of daily plantation life. It's one that really brings up a lot of uncomfortable topics, and as it is historically inspired, and blended with the supernatural, it really opens up so many ideas. I really liked it. 

So of course, I was excited to get Blood Rising.  I've sort of sworn off requesting anything but audiobooks since I am still trying to review 8 regular net galley books. 

Blood Rising is narrated by Akin Omotoso and Waceke Wambaa who are both veteran voice actors- bringing the story to life.  While it isn't a graphic audio, the way that the characters were voices gave it a very "graphic audio" feel to me.  A movie in my head quickly developed and I could really SEE the characters as the audio book was playing. 

Blood Rising pick up on the reclaimed plantation- The Crimson Plantation and works through both external threats that are both human and supernatural, while working to resolve some internal disagreements. The intrigue was intense and I was never sure what was going to come next.  There was a lot of character development, especially for the character Kwadzo as he moves into more of leader position while navigating newly developed supernatural skills.  In addition we see introduction of new characters- both heroes and villains, and a dive into some of the background lore of these vampires, and their skills. 

My biggest sadness... Cliffhanger. There is a massive cliffhanger, that I can't wait to hear what happens in book 3! 

STATS

First Published: August 25, 2026

Pages: 432

Available as an Audio Book : YES! 

Trigger Warnings: violence, gore, slavery, systemic abuse, nudity, kidnapping, murder, medical trauma, torture, mental illness, supernatural abuse. 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

Book Review The Eye of Goliath by Diego Muzzio

 This book has been described as a new, inventive twist on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but frankly, I didn't see that come through. It may be that my familiarity with Hyde and Jekyll are a bit limited.  

This book was published originally in 2022 in Spanish.  It is now coming out in an English Translation on September 1! 

I've been reading a lot of weird girl books- and I was pretty happy to find this book nearly 90% populated with "weird" men. Also I love this dramatic cover, it was perfect. 

  We start with war  veteran Dr. Edward Pierce. He's a psychiatrist who's specializing in hypnosis, and treating well heeled war veterans with problems that lend themselves to being tucked into a Scottish manor well enough away from major city centers.  Dr. Pierce is attempting to use hypnosis for treatment, while most of the others in his profession are experimenting with electro-shock and other such treatments. Indeed a sort of subplot, or concurrent plot is Pierce's relationships with his colleagues across Europe, as he attempted to establish himself as pre-eminent. 

One day he admits a patient, a fellow war veteran, who had returned to his job as an Engineer, but after a subsequent traumatic experience on the job, has developed mutism and an inability to stop "swimming".

The patient is admitted and Pierce soon becomes fully committed to this unfortunate man, forsaking all other patients, and leaving them for his colleague.

Readers are given an opportunity to delve into the horror of war, and how it mangles all those it touches, and the subsequent horrors awaiting even those who came through that war unscathed.  I enjoyed this book, though I did find it a bit "dense" for only about 197 pages. I was personally a bit disappointed that certain parts of the story seemed to have very abrupt switches with little explanation, but such is the situation when one has multiple unreliable narrators! 

Will the be for everyone?  Maybe not.  But if one is looking for an atmospheric, somewhat terrifying horror novel that ties in both the supernatural and actual horror, this is one to check out.  I would LOVE to have this in an audiobook format, and that might have increased my enjoyment. In addition, reading it as a buddy read with a committed buddy might have also enhanced my enjoyment!  Many Many thanks for Pushkin Press for the advance E-Arc! I hope to see a lot of folks reading this for Spooky Season. 

STATS

First Published  2022  English edition 9/1/26

Pages: 192

Available as an Audio Book : hopefully 

Trigger Warnings: Animal cruelty, war violence, references to murder, actual murder, mental health, drug use, angry animals, hallucination.

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

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)