Tag Archives: Romance

Review: Sidequested by Ale Presser and K.B. Spangler

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SideQuested: Book 1 by K. B. Spangler and Alexandra Presser

Sidequested: Book 1
Ale Presser
Illustrated by K. B. Spangler
Andrews McMeel Publishing
Published March 17, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Sidequested: Book 1

The course of true love never did run straight…For fans of The Owl House and Critical Role comes the first volume in the lighthearted and epic adventure SideQuested!

Magic makes the world go ’round, but no one in Charlie Goldskin’s world knows precisely where magic comes from. This isn’t Charlie’s problem. She’s the adopted daughter of a woodcarver and is training to be a librarian. It’ll be a quiet life, but that’s fine with Charlie as magic is summoned through conflict and she would like to avoid that, thank you very much!

Then her birth father shows up to take her from her village and bring her to the King’s court.

Prince Leopold is gifted in the noble arts of diplomacy and combat, but he’s never met anyone like Charlie. Falling in love with her wouldn’t be an issue, except he’s already engaged, and his fiancée is the daughter of a very powerful evil witch. Charlie, panicking, decides to break the news to Princess Robin…but then she finds love at first sight, too. To resolve this love triangle, the teens are sent on a quest to discover the source of magic! So much for Charlie’s plans for a quiet life…

My Review

This was so much fun to read! I love that it starts out as if an NPC (non-playing character) has gone on a quest in a tabletop adventure. The early scenes especially seemed to harken back to role-playing game rules and expectations. I loved the playfulness of that approach, and the fact that the first other character Charlie meets is a vulture who thinks Charlie is about to be eaten.

The story takes some common fairytale tropes and turns them upside down while still delivering stakes and great characters. I’m a huge fan of this book. It looks like it began as a webcomic, and now I even want to look that up and find out more about that, too.

Dungeons and Dragons fans and readers who enjoy upbeat fantasy graphic novels will not want to miss this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Romantic tension between characters.

Spiritual Content
Some characters can do magic. Some animals can talk. Dragons exist.

Violent Content
Situations of peril.

Drug Content
An adult character drinks wine.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Guardians of Dawn: Ami by S. Jae-Jones

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Guardians of Dawn: Ami (Guardians of Dawn #3)
S. Jae-Jones
Wednesday Books
Published August 6, 2024

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Guardians of Dawn: Ami

When the Pillar blooms, the end of the world is not far behind.

Li Ami was always on the outside—outside of family, outside of friendships, outside of ordinary magic. The odd and eccentric daughter of a former imperial magician, she has devoted her life to books because she finds them easier to read than people. Exiled to the outermost west of the Morning Realms, Ami has become the sole caretaker of her mentally ill father, whose rantings and ravings may be more than mere ramblings; they may be part of a dire prophecy. When her father is arrested for trespassing and stealing a branch from the sacred tree of the local monastery, Ami offers herself to the mysterious Beast in the castle, who is in need of someone who can translate a forbidden magical text and find a cure for the mysterious blight that is affecting the harvest of the land.

Meanwhile, as signs of magical corruption arise throughout the Morning Realms, Jin Zhara begins to realize that she might be out of her element. She may have defeated a demon lord and uncovered her identity as the Guardian of Fire, but she’ll be more than outmatched in the coming elemental battle against the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons…unless she can find the other Guardians of Dawn. Her magic is no match for the growing tide of undead, and she needs the Guardian of Wood with power over life and death in order to defeat the revenants razing the countryside.

The threat of the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons looms larger by the day, and the tenuous peace holding the Morning Realms together is beginning to unravel. Ami and Zhara must journey to the Root of the World in order to seal the demon portal that may have opened there and restore balance to an increasingly chaotic world.

My Review

I can’t remember how the first book in this series ends. I’m not sure if this second book picks up right where the first ends, or if there’s a little time between them. In any case, this book jumps right into the action from the beginning chapter. From there, I felt like the characters hurtled from one crisis to another. They consistently pursue their goal of sealing the demon portal.

This book has a huge cast of characters. The Bangtan brothers, whom Zhara travels with are all named characters with distinct personality traits. They mostly only appear in the early chapters of the book. Zhara also travels with her celestial companion, Sajah, and Han, with whom she has a romantic connection. Yuli, a spirit-walker, also contacts Zhara and her party, sometimes appearing at funny moments.

The story also follows Ami, a bookish girl who meets Gaden, also called Beast, because of the mask they wear to cover their face. Ami’s story has some Beauty and the Beast vibes, which I didn’t pick up on immediately as I read the book. There’s a short section at the end of the story that reminds readers about the connection, and it’s hinted at in the cover copy, too.

I enjoyed the book. It’s action-packed, and full of engaging characters and relationships. One of the things I really appreciate about this series is that it feels targeted to a younger YA audience. This is a book you could absolutely give a middle school reader. They’ll get some young adult storytelling while still getting some more gentle content.

I will absolutely continue with this series, though I suspect my reviews will post out of order. The second book released during the Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s Press boycott in 2024, so I missed it. I read them in order, though.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Three instances of profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Some characters have the ability to perform magic. A few characters are Guardians of Dawn, specific magic-wielders tasked with protecting the world. One character has the ability to compel others to do things. The narrative includes references to reincarnation. The characters pay close attention to the ki of others and the world around them. An evil force which some refer to as anti-ki, or demonic energy, seems to be spreading and causing harm, such as causing undead to rise and attack others.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Some scenes include battle violence. The descriptions of the undead can get a little icky, but they’re short and not a central part of the story.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed a copy of this book from the public library. All opinions are my own.

Review: Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom by Jasmine Skye

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Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom (Witch Hall #2)
Jasmine Skye
Feiwel & Friends
Published February 24, 2026

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About Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom

Two girls, bound by magic, must work together to stop an oncoming war, while grappling with unresolved feelings and terrible secrets in Daughter of the Cursed Kingdom, the thrilling conclusion to Jasmine Skye’s queernormative romantasy duology.

“If I ask you to walk into danger with me, Rosamund Holt, will you do it?”

Born a bone witch, with the power to raise the dead, Shaw has spent her life preparing to take her place as Death’s Heir, so she can lead her people to victory in an unavoidable, prophesied war. But then she met Rosy, sweet, stubborn Rosy, the most powerful bone familiar she’s ever known, and the only person Shaw has never been able to predict. Rosy, who doesn’t believe in the prophesied war that has consumed Shaw’s entire life.

“I won’t be their weapon, but I will be yours.”

Shaw has won Rosy’s loyalty, but Rosy has made it very clear she’s not willing to share her heart, a fact that Shaw is determined to respect… no matter how much it hurts. But now, as tensions with Vinland rise and secrets about the Witch King’s motivations are revealed, Shaw needs Rosy and her entourage more than ever. Will Shaw become the conquering warlord she was prophesied to be, or will she be strong enough to find a new path forward?

My Review

I loved the first book in this duology and really looked forward to the conclusion of Shaw and Rosy’s story. Weirdly, it took me most of this book to notice that Shaw’s perspective is written in first person and Rosy’s is in third person. I’ve read books like this before, and obviously, it didn’t bother me. It didn’t register with me until I was hundreds of pages in.

Rosy is my favorite character of the two, but I loved Shaw more and more as the story progressed. She faces such hard decisions and grows so much as a character. The relationship between her and Rosy stays largely in subplot territory throughout the book. Considering the threats the two girls face, it’s unsurprising that this would be the case. I liked the balance between the romance arc and the rest of the story.

I couldn’t always keep the magics sorted in my head, but I love the attention to the different types and how they work together. That made the story world feel rich and full to me. The cast of characters is inclusive in terms of gender identity and the relationships represented. One character also becomes disabled during the course of the story. At first, the others focus on healing their friend. When it becomes clear that even magic cannot provide a total physical healing, their focus shifts to addressing pain management and mobility needs. This character maintains an active role in the story until the conclusion. I appreciate that Skye not only included a character with a disability but also showed the experience of injury and recovery.

All in all, a conclusion worth reading. It’s a little longer than I’m comfortable with these days (470 pages), but I managed to make my way all the way through the story, and I’m glad I did.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Characters have the ability to perform magic. Some can shift into animal shapes. Some characters encounter ghosts. A ghost can become angry and attempt to possess someone. This is dangerous and harmful. The fix is to soothe the ghost and help their spirit find peace. A bonding ceremony can relationally join two people and allow them access to one another’s magic.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Shaw and her classmates have been raised to serve in the military and attend an elite magic military school. Characters face battles and ambushes in some scenes. References to the death of a comrade. One character becomes disabled as a result of injuries from an attack. One character violently ends their life in one scene.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Ramin Abbas has MAJOR Questions by Ahmad Saber

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Ramin Abbas has MAJOR Questions
Ahmad Saber
Atheneum Books
Published March 3, 2026

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Ramin Abbas has MAJOR Questions

An intensely brave, beautifully honest, and wryly funny story about a gay Muslim teen who has to choose between being true to himself or his faith—and his realization that maybe they aren’t as separate as he thought.

Ramin Abbas has spent his whole life obeying his parents, his Imam, and, of course, Allah—no questions asked. But when he starts crushing on the ridiculously handsome captain of the soccer team, so many things he’d always been so sure about are becoming questions:

1. Music is haram. But what if the Wicked soundtrack is the only thing keeping you sane because you’re being forced to play on the soccer team? With Captain Handsome?!

2. A boy crush is double haram, and Ramin’s parents will never accept it. But can he really be the only Muslim on Earth who feels this way?

3. Allah is merciful and makes no mistakes. Then isn’t Ramin just the way Allah intended him to be?

And so why should living your truth but losing everything—or living a lie and losing yourself—have to be a choice?!

My Review

I really appreciate that authors are writing stories that boldly ask hard questions about the intersection of faith and identity. These kinds of questions aren’t easy to answer, no matter what age someone might be, and it’s easy to oversimplify or lean on easy answers when those answers don’t directly impact one personally.

I think it’s also brave to write a novel featuring a protagonist who still feels positively about his faith despite having questions. That’s a real experience that a lot of people are having, and to find that reverently reflected in literature is so important.

Ramin is a perfect protagonist for a story like this. His relationships with his family members are tense and complicated by grief. He attends a private school for Muslim students, which is an experience many readers may not be directly familiar with, but I thought the descriptions and situations would be easy for anyone familiar with other private religious institutions to understand.

In the course of the story, he joins a soccer team and finds a place among the players. This gives the story some additional structure and offers more experience that will resonate with readers.

I also really appreciate that through the course of the novel, Ramin encounters lots of different views on practicing Islam. Some views were more restrictive, while others challenged his thinking. Ramin began to examine different parts of his faith alongside one another. He began to question whether ideas that appeared contradictory were a paradox or evidence of a need to update his ideas. I love the sensitivity with which the author explored these topics.

If you enjoyed The Golden Boys Guide to Bipolar by Sonora Reyes or Only This Beautiful Moment by Abdi Nazemian, add this remarkable debut to your reading list.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing. Vague reference to sex. Brief mention of masturbation in the context of asking if it’s permissible in Islam.

Spiritual Content
References to some verses in the Quran. References to daily prayer practice. Ramin is a person of deep personal faith. He speaks with the Imam, asking questions about the intersection of faith and identity. He wrestles with questions about Allah’s love and judgment for sinners.

Violent Content
References to harsh judgment for sinners, such as having boiling lead poured into their ears. Some homophobic comments and statements. A student threatens to out Ramin. In an angry outburst, Ramin kicks a soccer ball through a window.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Postscript by Cory McCarthy

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Postscript
Cory McCarthy
Dutton Books for Young Readers
Published February 17, 2026

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About Postscript

From Stonewall Honoree Cory McCarthy, a heartbreaking, joyful, read-it-in-one-sitting YA novel about the last of us.

“I’m not sure the how-pocalypse changes anything. I don’t think about it; this is hard enough.”

This is a depopulated archipelago off the coast of Massachusetts, home to a tiny handful of sapiens sifting the remnants of civilization for scraps of comfort and joy. 

There’s no sense in trying to figure out exactly how humans got to this place of endless gray skies and so many mass graves—that’s a very long letter no one has the heart to read again. What matters is this fleeting postscript, a strangely joyous house of bones built by an unlikely quintet of survivors.

My Review

I haven’t read a book by Cory McCarthy in a while, but as I started reading this one, I immediately remembered why I love their work so much. They have this incredible ability to summarize so much in a few cleverly chosen words. I kept having to stop and marvel at the writing.

The book isn’t all that long, and the story feels lean, but in a really good way. It’s almost like the story cuts right to the heart of what’s happening with each character, which feels right in an apocalyptic story.

The characters, like the setting, are a little strange. You can feel the marks the trauma they’ve faced has left behind on them. Despite the grim landscape, the story is filled with these unexpected bursts of joy, from someone meeting a dog to falling in love for the first time. There’s also raw, messy grief and misunderstandings. For a short book, this story captures a lot!

While the unusual topic and tone of this story probably won’t appeal to everyone, I think fans of Before Takeoff by Adi Alsaid or They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran will really enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat frequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief descriptions of sex. Reference to sex work.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
References to human trafficking. Suicide (not shown on page). References to death. Death of a loved one.

Drug Content
One character is an alcoholic.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

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Legendborn (The Legendborn Cycle #1)
Tracy Deonn
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Published September 15, 2020

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Legendborn

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus.

A flying demon feeding on human energies.

A secret society of so-called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.

And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin” and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.

She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.

My Review

This series has been on my reading list for a long time, but I finally made the time to read Legendborn this year. I’d heard great things about it, so I was excited to get straight into the story.

Right away, I loved Bree. She’s still processing her mom’s sudden death, which happened right before the story began. All the way through the story, she’s driven by this yearning to connect to her mom, to understand what happened, and why. I found that intensely relatable.

The magical world that she infiltrates is deeply ritualistic and tradition-centric, and very white, as you might expect from something based on King Arthur and his knights. I loved the way that Tracy Deonn unapologetically relates Bree’s experience as a Black girl in those spaces. Connecting that history down through the American colonies and the Confederacy, all the way to Bree’s present, gave the story a rich, sometimes painful, context.

I also love the character arcs between Bree, Nick, and Selwyn. I think I know where the story is headed, and I love that the shifts in the relationships feel natural and experiential. I’m so eager to read more of this series. All the praise I’ve heard has been well-deserved.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Several different branches of magical ability exist and are conducted in different ways. One group borrows power from ancestors, repaying it with their own energy or sacrifices. Another group steals power from elsewhere, accruing a debt that will someday come due.

A line of magic wielders descended from King Arthur and his knights continues to use magic to fight demons who slip through gates from other worlds.

Violent Content
Brief racist statements and microaggressions. References to a car accident that killed Bree’s mom. (Happens off scene.) Situations of peril. Battles against creatures called demons made of dark magic from another world. References to assault (not shown on scene).

Brief battle scenes with injuries.

Drug Content
References to drinking alcohol at formal social gatherings.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I borrowed a copy of this book from the library. All opinions are my own.