Reading Round-Up: April 2025

A woman with no magic—only a void—finds herself trapped in a political scheme and an unwanted marriage after the Grand Vizier seeks revenge. Her new husband, Ihsan, is a powerful mage scarred by loss and wary of trust. As war, famine, and rebellion sweep through Tamar and Sarkum, both are forced into a fragile alliance. In a world of deception and ruin, warmth flickers between them—but neither knows if it’s salvation or destruction.

Some broken things aren’t meant to be whole… and some bonds are forged in the fire of what remains.

Cazaril, a war-torn man scarred in body and spirit, returns to the noble house he once served and is named tutor to Royesse Iselle, sister to the heir of Chalion. But protecting her means facing the royal court where his enemies now hold power. A deadly curse haunts the royal family, and to save Iselle, Cazaril must risk using forbidden magic.

Doing so could brand him a divine instrument—or doom him to a perilous fate shaped by gods, demons, and impossible choices in a land where miracles come at a terrible cost.

Tress has always lived a quiet life on her island, collecting cups and listening to her friend Charlie’s stories. But when Charlie is taken on a voyage by his father and doesn’t return, Tress sets out to rescue him. She stows away on a ship bound for the deadly Midnight Sea, where pirates rule and a single drop of water can kill.

To face the Sorceress and save Charlie, Tress must abandon her safe life and discover her courage on a sea where survival means becoming something more than she ever imagined.

Brishen, a Kai prince with no claim to the throne, agrees to marry for alliance, not love. His bride, Ildiko, a Gauri noblewoman of little value to her court, is just as resigned—until their unexpected bond begins to grow. Though neither is what the other imagined, they find comfort, humor, and surprising affection in their arranged union.

But as tensions rise between kingdoms and enemies close in, their unlikely partnership may be the key to survival—or the target of destruction. In a world of politics and duty, love might be their greatest rebellion.

I came to Pelion, Maine, to escape the past—the gun, the blood, the loss of my father. For six months, I’ve just been trying to breathe. Then I meet Archer Hale, a silent, reclusive man whose quiet world draws me in. He speaks with his hands, but his eyes say even more. As we grow closer, passion blooms—but so do the town’s buried secrets, with Archer at the heart of them.

In his silence, there’s pain, longing, and maybe even hope. And together, we might finally find the healing we both crave.

When Nikki’s estranged grandmother calls with an urgent request to visit her in the mountains of North Carolina, Nikki goes seeking answers about her family’s long silence. But instead of the recent past, she uncovers a hidden legacy: a once-thriving kingdom founded by freed people, ruled by her ancestor, Queen Luella.

As Nikki explores the ruins and stories of the Kingdom of the Happy Land, she realizes her family’s history—and identity—is deeply rooted in this land. Now, it’s up to her to protect what remains before it’s lost forever.

Breaking up is bad. Being stuck with your ex’s pampered show cat? Worse. But nothing compares to an alien invasion that destroys Earth and forces survivors into a deadly, dungeon-crawling reality show watched by the entire galaxy. Now, Carl—a Coast Guard vet—and Princess Donut must navigate trap-filled levels, battle exploding goblins, and dodge drug-dealing llamas, all while keeping viewers entertained.

Because in this twisted game, survival is secondary to putting on a good show. Welcome to the Dungeon, Crawler. Your only job? Stay alive—and make it entertaining.

Lily found escape in her email exchanges with her favorite fantasy author—until he vanished without a word. Months later, still heartbroken, she’s trying to move on and needs a date for her sister’s wedding. Her charming new neighbor, Nick, offers to help. What she doesn’t know? Nick is her favorite author, the man who ghosted her.

Struggling with guilt and secrets, Nick agrees to play matchmaker—though he’s falling for her all over again. As sparks fly, their past and present collide in a story neither of them saw coming.

In a crumbling world ravaged by climate catastrophe, a woman writes her story from a locked convent cell—using ink, dirt, even her own blood. Deemed unworthy by the Sacred Sisterhood, she longs to join the revered Enlightened. Life inside is strict, punishing—but safe. When a new arrival stirs memories and questions long buried, the narrator begins to unravel the truth about the Sisterhood, her past, and what “ascension” really means.

A chilling feminist dystopia exploring environmental collapse, control, and the dark cost of obedience. Safety, she learns, may come at the highest price.

Ophelia, a fiercely independent young woman with the power to read objects’ histories and travel through mirrors, is forced into an arranged marriage with Thorn, a powerful stranger from a distant ark. Uprooted from her peaceful life, she’s thrust into the icy court of Citaceleste, where deceit rules and danger hides behind every smile.

As Ophelia uncovers the political schemes at play, she realizes she’s a pawn in a much larger game—one that threatens the fate of her fractured world, a realm of floating arks and ancient, godlike ancestors. Survival will require wit, resilience, and trust in no one.

Kinch Na Shannack, a thief burdened with a massive debt to the Takers Guild, plans to rob the next traveler on the old forest road. But his target, Galva, is no ordinary mark. A battle-hardened knight and handmaiden of the goddess of death, Galva is searching for her missing queen after a giant attack. After a failed robbery, Kinch’s fate becomes tied to hers.

Together, they must face goblins, krakens, and ruthless enemies on a perilous journey where survival is hard, and honor even harder to keep.