Book Review: Headlights by CJ Leede

 Headlights is many things, but it is primarily a novel about the reverberations of deep, overwhelming, profound grief and loss.

I am very grateful to Tor for the Advanced reader copy.  I was so excited to read this, I did not even wait to see if an audiobook would be available. I just went for it. I was thrilled at the prospect of a new novel from Leede, and honestly, this one, is so creepy and atmospheric that I am unsure if I could have done the audio without crawling out of my skin.

I would share some photos of new jumpscares I have encountered in my neighborhood, but... they literally are just bushes. Bushes that will NEVER BE THE SAME- thank you CJ Leede! 

                                                                               

Covers sometimes sell books,  and the artist for this one is located HERE   - just in case you are interested, after all.   I love the cover, it really embodies the book. 

Readers meet Daniel - a hard boiled FBI agent whose chosen name is Daniel because of King's The Shining. Daniel has had a harrowing past, full of intense grief. When we encounter him, he's ready to leave it all behind and take on another stint of military service, but then... he gets a message that "It's happening again" He's compelled to return to Colorado- and work through a series of bizarre crimes that had perpetrators that are also somehow victims, and absolutely gruesome details. As an avid reader of old school detective/murder novels I was ready for this. I quickly became a "ride or die" for Danny- which is maybe why the twists and turns in the second and third act were pretty devastating for this reader.

When he suddenly finds himself a potential suspect- things start to go absolutely sideways - not only is Danny running from his law colleagues, he appears to also be running from his own past demons. Of course, these aren't all mental demons, because this is CJ Leede. We've got mental demons but also... ones that manifest out the night - Voom!

What he finds unearths a reckoning with himself and others, and a final solution that honestly I am not so sure I loved.- the last - 3rd act if you will felt a little forced, and possibly not quite as clear/neat as I  would have preferred. But, honestly in some ways, the way that it devolved into utter supernatural chaos fit the novel and I found myself just sitting, staring into space, wondering how on earth I could review this one with elements of Splatter punk, horror, myth and legend,  all tied up in a bit of a hair. I feel like the chaos and confusion really drove home the chaos and confusion of Daniel and his crew as the supernatural collided with reality. 

It this a book for book clubs?  Probably not your Mom's local library book club. Definitely not my local library book club! 

But readers who enjoy horror, splatterpunk, and a good detective story will find that this one offers a chaotic but well crafted multilayered and elegant meditation on extreme grief- and those reverberations of such grief through a life. 

                        First Published :  6/9/26

                    Pages: 400

Available as an Audio Book:  yes ~ 9-12 hrs 

Trigger Warnings:  Violence, body horror, loss of parents, parental incarceration, divorce, alcohol use, accidental and on purpose cannibalism, more body horror, ghosts  (this is not a full list, read responsibly)

Book Review: Call Me Traitor by Everina Maxwell

 Call Me Traitor by Everina Maxwell is a new release for December from Macmillan/Tor. 

I was so excited about this book coming out that I requested a digital ARC from netgally and Tor.  I did not wait to see if an audiobook was coming, I just could not wait. It did take me... a hot minute to read it with my eyeballs, but I really really enjoyed the pleasure of sinking down into my couch, and opening this one up- instead of consuming this while traversing the highways and by ways. 

      Maxwell did not disappoint!  This book, for me is the whole package. It's Romantasy, but it's romantasy that really is a true fantasy. In other words, this is not a romance with a few castles and dragons added in. It really is a solid fantasy, and a solid romance, either could stand without the other. This book will reward fantasy readers with delicious, detailed unique world building, a plot with a bit of a mystery that slowly unravels and reveals itself, and complex characters that are really easy to fall in love with!  For romance readers, the world building may seem overly detailed, but the yearning between our two love interests in this slow burn will more than make up for any confusion over the world building. And, it's sapphic. 

  Now, with out any spoilers- because of course, spoilers are the worst - here's a synopsis. 

   En is a super soldier imbued with magic and programmed to obey orders no matter the cost. She's sent to support a team that is extracting traitors from a wild, rough area known as the upper peninsula.  Things, of course, do not go as planned! She encounters Tamol, who is also a soldier - who's got magic more of less in her soul. Tamol, in direct opposition to En is not programmed for anything, and seems to be the human embodiment of chaos. As events continue to push this unlikely pair together, they discover that together they have greater power. Can En and Tamol stand against all odds?  You'll want to read to find out. 

   Some readers may note that many of Maxwell's books do contain a steady solemn partner and one who's a bit flighty. Despite this similar set up- the story is wholly original and the characters are wildly different than her previous two books- Ocean's Echo and Winter's Orbit. The strength lies in the deep character development that Maxwell creates.  She doesn't info dump a tragic story over her character, instead her characters show through actions, and little moments how their life has created each flaw or strength possessed.  I felt like I'd recognize not just En and Tamol but a few of the supporting characters as well- if I saw them in line at my local coffee shop.  

On top of being a grand adventure, and romantic story, I did take some inspiration that even when one feels weak or damaged, it's still possible to make good choices and uphold what feels right. I think we need more of this in our world. So Cheers to Call Me Traitor being out in the world soon! 

STATS

First Published: 12/1/26

Pages: 480

Available as an Audio Book :  Yes 

Trigger Warnings:  Violence, magical coercion, mind control, Deception, physical injury and pain 

(this is not a full list, read responsibly)  

 

Book Review: Seek the Traitor's Son, by Veronica Roth

 OH My,  reader friends....

This IS a book for your TBR.  I'd put it on top of your TBR.  It comes out in May- and I'd reserve that week for just this one. 

I requested this audiobook on NetGalley  and I was pretty sure I wouldn't get it, but it popped into my email and I thought, let's see about this one.  I had not read anything by Roth, but I knew I had enjoyed the Divergent films, and it's set sort of in space, this clearly was a book written for me. 

Without any spoilers- The basic plot is that two women are given a prophecy- one of them is to lead their people to victory in a decades long conflict. One is a feared, legendary General, the other a respected soldier. They are on opposite sides of this conflict and at the start, unequally invested in success.  The prophecy is neither expected, or wanted, but it cannot be ignored. 

As they move forward, everything changes in an instant, lives are changed, unravelled, and remade in unpredictable ways. Having read so many "dystopian romances"  I thought I knew where this was headed, and then it literally took off in many different directions which surprised and delighted me as a reader! While there is a familiar feeling to this story of a "chosen one" this one heads in unique directions, with characters that are so unique and well developed that they become friends (or enemies!) to the reader as the novel unfolds. To say I was invested may be an understatement. As a reader I was entranced, obsessed, and entirely locked in for the duration. 

   Although this is set in space, I found that the space setting was fairly loose as far as Sci-Fi goes. There's very little in this novel about the mechanics of humans in space, but there are- occasional aliens, and some very cool spacecraft. In some ways, Roth took the best parts of Space Opera, and dismissed the rest, and I found I was there for the experience. I could not put the book down.  When I was not listening, I was thinking about what I thought might happen next. I loved it. Roth then combines this space setting with a sort of "magical science" and all the elements we love from other heroic novels.  Thus, readers are treated to sword fights in space, travelling to strongholds on horseback- in space, alien communication devices, and ways to explore time in the past and the future as well as the present. 

    It sounds a little messy, but, it works. It works PERFECTLY. 

The balloon Zénith at sunrise or sunset, with five passengers during a long distance flight from Paris to Arcachon in March. , None. [Between 1875 and 1880] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2002716356/.

Not only does it work, it works beautifully. The writing just draws the reader in. I suspect that this is a book that works, mostly because Roth knows how to execute a story. This is not a story that could have been told by another author, it would not have come together properly and I cannot emphasize how much of the success of this has to do with Roth's imagination, and skill.  I could vividly see all of the characters, and their strange environment. The audiobook is narrated by Imani Jade Powers, Max Meyers, Rebecca Soler and Steve West.  This full cast brought a cinematic feel to my listening experience.  Roth provides just enough detail to create an immersive scene, and the full cast used tone, inflection and pacing to further allow me to know these characters. Hella's snark popped off and had me grinning while Theren's genuine aching gentleness spread over my mind like a warm blanket, an actual chill snuck down my spine when Rava's cold tones hit the page (airwaves). 

   Interestingly, at the end of the novel, Roth notes that she never intended to publish this story.  It was mostly a novel for her own enjoyment! I'm glad she was convinced to share it with the world, because my world was made much richer from the experience.

STATS

First Published :  5/12/2026

Pages: 432

Available as an Audio Book :  YES ( ~ 19.5 hrs) 

Trigger Warnings: violence, death, death of parent, death of child, death of spouse, references to disease transmission, (this is not a full list, read responsibly)