Can't Wait for Storm Breaker

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Storm Breaker (Storm Breaker, # 1)

By: Nisha J Tuli

Expected Publication: May 5, 2026 by Mayhem Books

416 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian, Fantasy, Romantasy

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--From the publisher who brought you Fourth Wing comes your next romantasy obsession...

For nineteen-year-old Poet Graves, New Manhattan has always promised safety―if she obeys. Raised within the ruling Houses and betrothed to a powerful heir, she enters Amery Academy knowing her future has already been decided.

But Amery is nothing like she imagined. Its trials are brutal, its loyalties conditional, and its rules designed to expose weakness. As Poet struggles to survive, she must hide the truth that could get her executed: the storms don’t fear her―they answer back.

When a dangerous outsider from beyond the city walls enters the academy, Poet is drawn to him despite everything she’s been taught to believe. He threatens the life she’s been promised. And choosing him could cost her not just her future, but her freedom.

A gripping dystopian romance filled with forbidden power, ruthless challenges, and a heroine who refuses to burn quietly―perfect for fans of Divergent and The Hunger Games.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Empire of Flame and Thorns - Review

Empire of Flame and Thorns (Flame and Thorns, # 1)

By: Marion Blackwood

Publication: October 21, 2024 by Black Dagger Publishing

366 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Dragons, Fae, Romantasy

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A fae rebel. A ruthless dragon commander.

And a deadly trial that will turn their lives upside down.

Trapped in the Seelie Court by a forest of thorns, Selena Hale lives at the mercy of the dragon shifters. Her only chance to gain her freedom is by entering the Atonement Trials: a deadly competition that pits fae magic users against each other. Only three people can win, and Selena intends to be one of them.

There is only one problem. Draven Ryat, the ruthless commander of the dragon shifter army, is determined to make her lose.

He symbolizes everything that she hates, and if he finds out that she is also a member of the secret fae rebellion, he will not only mess with her chances to win, he will kill her. But the more time she spends with him, the more she finds herself inexplicably drawn to him.

And nothing is more dangerous in a lethal trial than a distracted heart.

Especially one that beats for the enemy…

I know that not all main characters are going to be like me. But I always try to see myself in the characters. Or at the very least understand the character's actions. Selena is very different from me. And her decisions are very different from ones I would make. Selena is a fae that's roughly 160ish years old. In this world the fae who were once the ruling class have become subservient to the dragon shifters. The fae in Selena's city are assigned jobs and are alloted one meal per day. Selena is working for the rebellion, but she's never trusted with much outside of guard duty or lookout. Selena has emotion magic which means she can manipulate what people feel, not by creating emotion, but basically by turning up or down what they already feel. This can't be done without people knowing for the most part as when a fae uses their power, their eyes glow. Yet people continually accuse Selena of manipulating their emotions. She isn't trusted by nearly everyone. And that leaves her with a desire to connect to others. She ends up trying to be a people pleaser for the most part. She even has a non-existent relationship with her parents because she couldn't control her power when she was younger, and they blame her for the rifts in their marriage where they can't trust their own emotions.

Selena decides that joining the Attonement Trials will be the only way to prove her worth to the rebellion and earn their trust. The Attonement Trials are a set of trials/games that have three winners each year which are finally allowed to leave their home city to travel to other cities and anywhere they want. Basically they earn their freedom. I have a lot of questions about this because the Emporer and Emperess seem to have a lot more land and cities to rule over, why is it only this city that has the Attonement Trials? Is this where all the fae of the entire realm live? Also, how is there a forest under a forest? But that's a side note for another paragraph. I had questions that I wondered why these didn't occur to the characters, but you know...that would ruin the plot.

So then there's Draven. He is a dragon shifter from the Black Dragon clan. He's the leader of the clan, and the commander of the forces. He stumbles upon the rebellion meeting that Selena is a lookout for, Selena tries to distract him so the leaders of the rebellion can escape, and she throws a drink in Draven's face. He goes after her and of course recognizes her as one of the contestants of the Attonement Trials. He actively works to sabotage her. And he's attracted to her smart mouth and how she tends to treat him differently from how she treats everyone else. She doesn't like him so she doesn't care what he thinks about her, and therefore, she tends to think and speak however she wants without care of how he will receive it. The two have many interactions and I appreciate that the characters only "like" each other, not love each other by the end of the book. Because even though they do have enough interactions to create a like they have not have enough interactions of substance to create love. Obviously, there is more to Draven than we've seen up to this point. I am curious about what more there is to his story and his limitations.

There are on-page physical scenes that I prefer to skim. That's not why I read books. Language was also high. The world seems to have religious "gods" that are referenced, but we know nothing about them except references to one of their body parts in a derogitory fashion. All of these things are drawbacks for me. But not dealbreakers necessarily.

Favorite quotes:

-I still remember the vicious smugness in my teacher's voice as he told us that this is what we deserve. That it is our turn to live in poverty. To live as slaves. Our turn to suffer so that we might pay for our ancestors' crimes.

This is so stupid. How can an entire society go along with doing to others what was done to them? This isn't "fair", if that's what is trying to be portrayed. I can tell the author and the character doesn't agree, but it's also just stupid that this is the backstory.

-But I don't. Because no matter how much I try to convince myself otherwise, I still desperately want people to like me. I want them to trust me. I want to be accepted. So I force a smile and pick up my plate and say, "Sure." Pain and frustration swirl like a restless storm behind my rib cage as I walk away with my plate. I hate that I am this way. I hate that I desperately want people's approval. I hate that I make myself less so that others won't feel uncomfortable around me.

Oh my goodness. I can understand...intellectually...how someone might feel this way. I think I might even know one or two people personally who feel this way. But it frustrates me to no end. Trying to get people to like you by not being truthful isn't helping those people to like you at all. I'm trying not to judge her too harshly. I'm trying to enter the stage of life where I love people where they are...characters in books as well. But since this is fiction, I don't have to read characters like this. But thankfully, this goes to further the plot between Selena and Draven that she doesn't act like this with him.

-Being slim and being fit are not the same thing.

I read Empire of Flame and Thorns quickly. I found most of the issue with the main character's decision making, and the things being used to build a relationship between the main characters. But I wasn't expecting too much, so the book exceeded my expectations. And my desire to keep reading and ability to do so in the moment helped my overall enjoyment of the book. I am giving Empire of Flame and Thorns a tentative 4 Stars. Have you read Empire and Flame and Thorns? What did you think? Let me know!

The Wicked and the Damned - Review

The Wicked and the Damned (Dark Inheritance Trilogy, # 2)

By: Rebecca Robinson

Expected Publication: February 24, 2026 by Solstice Books

416 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--In the exhilarating second romantasy novel in Rebecca Robinson’s Dark Inheritance Trilogy, a fiery couple forced apart must navigate a deadly maze of politics and power to reunite across a continent at war.

Torn from her husband Reid’s arms and dragged back to her homeland in chains, Vaasa is no longer a ruler, but a political pawn. Now under the control of Ozik—a cunning Zetyr witch with a stranglehold on her magic—she faces annulment, forced betrothal, and a kingdom that no longer feels like her own. As Ozik’s machinations aim to install himself as the true power behind the Asteryan throne, Vaasa is forced to take part in his game.

Meanwhile, across the continent, Reid is done playing politics. But waging war is never simple, and a soldier’s fury cannot stand up against Icruria’s bureaucracy. With allies fading and time slipping away, Reid may have no choice but to infiltrate Asterya on his own to find the woman he loves and bring her home.

As Vaasa’s magic begins to flare, she desperately seeks control, even if Ozik is the only one who can offer it. She then finds a cryptic final message from her mother about a precious missing necklace that might just be the answer to finally freeing her magic from Ozik. Yet when a ghost from Vaasa’s past reemerges among the suitors vying for her hand, escape might be within reach—but will it demand a betrayal that real love may not survive?

The Wicked and the Damned was one of my most anticipated books of 2025. I can't understand why I never hear anything about The Serpent and the Wolf because it was so much better than I was expecting. That being said, The Serpent and the Wolf ended on a negative cliffhanger. What I mean is that the characters we've grown to love weren't in a good place. As a matter of fact, Vaasa has been captured by her brother and taken back to her home to be used as a political pawn. She's to be married off...again...despite her current husband still being alive. Ozik seems to be running things, and he's as evil as she's ever thought. Vaasa is tired of being used by others. She's come into her own power, but she has to hide that power. As a matter of fact, Ozik has basically chained her power to himself. She can only use it when he gives her leave to do so.

In the meantime, the only man Vaasa has ever loved before Reid, who she thought was dead, is now the captain of her personal guard. Can Vaasa trust him?

Reid is on the way. He has to get Vaasa back. Yet, he can't just storm into the palace and demand his wife back. He'd be killed on the spot. He has to hide who he is and Vaasa's connection to him, all the while Ozik is trying to set her up in another political marriage. He can't let that happen.

My only highlighted quote:

-"All questions have answers, but not all of those answers are known."

I didn't feel like any of the twists or turns in the plot were a surprise. Mostly, I felt like I could see them all coming from a long way off. I read The Wicked and the Damned in two days, which isn't bad for 416 pages. I won't say that I was disappointed at all, but it can be hard for a book to live up to what you hope when it's one of your most anticipated releases of the year. I don't think the physical scenes were as frequent in this book, which is a pro for me. When the main characters are separated for a large portion of the book, it's hard to get around to those. Cursing was still very present and excessive enough for me to feel the need to mention it. Even still, The Wicked and the Damned gets 4 Stars. Have you read The Wicked and the Damned? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for Light Wielder

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Light Wielder (Fire & Metal, # 2)

By: Rachel Schneider

Expected Publication: May 19, 2026 by Saturday Books

400 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Magic

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--It’s been four years since Jovie betrayed Acker, fracturing their relationship. Her decision to take King Edmond’s magic, sparing his life at Acker’s request, has sparked a brutal war. The Kenta and Strou forces ally against the Roison and Alaha, with Maile perched dangerously on the edge of their battles.

Jovie is determined to keep the innocent Maile people from a conflict she helped start―even if it means suppressing the Matching Bond and sacrificing any hope of repairing her relationship with Acker. Yet, visions of him continue to haunt her dreams.

Acker is resigned to aid in his father’s war while in an arranged marriage with a wife who detests him. Though still pained by Jovie’s deception, he can’t stop his thoughts from turning to her. And Acker has found a way to slip into Jovie’s dreams despite her attempts to stifle the Matching Bond. There he watches her, torn between his loyalties and desire.

When he discovers the chilling reason behind the return of his father's magic, as well as Edmond’s dangerous new alliance, Acker must finally decide which war he wants to fight: the one for his king or the one for his heart.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

City of Gods and Monsters - Review

City of Gods and Monsters (House of Devils, # 1)

By: Kayla Edwards

Publication: January 25, 2022 by Independently Published

762 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romantasy

Source: Amazon Prime Reading

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Welcome to the city of Angelthene. We hope you survive.

Loren Calla has only ever been ordinary. As a human struggling to survive in a city that caters to the needs of vampires, werewolves, witches, and other supernatural creatures, she always assumed her life would remain simple, predictable, and as safe as her world would allow.

Until she barely escapes abduction at the hands of Darkslayers—supernatural bounty hunters that possess the Sight, a magical tracking ability that allows them to see a person’s aura—and one of her friends is taken in her place. The abductors are demanding a ransom: Loren's life in exchange for her friend's safe return. Loren will do whatever it takes to get her friend back—even if it means accepting help from Darien Cassel, the leader of the Seven Devils, the most feared Darkslaying circle in the city.

Darien specializes in tracking down demons and criminals that are better off dead than alive, so when he takes a job to track down Loren and finds out she is human—and couldn't hurt a fly if her life depended on it—he decides to protect her instead of turn her in for a reward. As much as Loren doesn't want to admit it, Darien is her best and only chance at finding her friend alive, if she can somehow manage to get along with him—and not fall head-over-heels in love with him in the process, which is far easier said than done.

When more women start disappearing, and some of them slowly turn up dead, Loren and Darien's search for answers takes them deep into Angelthene's corrupt underbelly, where they discover a dark secret that threatens to unravel their world. And when tragedy strikes, Loren learns that love can make an ordinary person do extraordinary things.

From the author of Dreams of Ice and Iron comes a new fantasy romance perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas, Ilona Andrews, and Cassandra Clare.

Please note: This book contains explicit content, including violence, mature language, drug abuse, and sexual assault. It is not intended for anyone under the age of 18.

Let me be honest. I read City of Gods and Monsters because someone I saw on Instagram said this was their top favorite book boyfriend of all time. That was high praise. I don't even follow this girl to know if we really have the same tastes in books. I finished this book on May 29, 2025, but I didn't write my review until September 17, 2025. So I won't have the most comprehensive review. I knew it would probably be a while before I wrote my full-length review so I wrote what I called a series of "rapid fire" reviews for books that I was behind on reviewing. This is what I wrote:

- FMC is annoying. MMC is a big softie that is supposed to be a big bad. The baddest group around, but the whole lot of them are softies. The twists kind of surprised me and kind of didn't. The will-they-won't-they drove the book but also drove me crazy. I'm not 100% sure why some rate the MMC as their top book boyfriend. Maybe I need to finish the series to find out. But they are so stinking long.

I'll do my best to write a little more in-depth from there.

Loren is friends with two other girls at her magic school. They were out partying one night and ended up walking home after dark. Apparently, in this fantasy world, being out after dark is extremely dangerous. All mythical creatures seem to be open to this fantasy world. But someone has put a target on Loren's back. Instead of kidnapping Loren, some bad guys kidnap her friend instead. Loren feels terrible that her friend has been taken instead of her. Loren is supposed to be a completely normal human in a world of supernatural beings. She can't understand why anyone would want to kidnap her.

Darien gets the target request. He typically hunts down criminals, but he quickly realizes Loren isn't that. He reluctantly decides to protect her and help her find her friend instead. Darien is supposed to be this big scary boss of a big scary gang, as I mentioned above. But I just didn't see it at all. He wasn't scary, and neither was his gang. I don't doubt they could put a hurting on some bad guys, but they're supposed to also be some of the bad guys. This wasn't a situation where the bad guys happen to do something good but are still bad. This was one of those cases where they are good all along but just supposed to look bad. Convenient.

As for the trigger warnings, I don't really remember much of any of them being included in the book. I definitely remember that the scenes weren't as frequent as I expected give the title, the trigger warnings, and the build up of this big bad gang. All of the things mentioned in the trigger warning were included, except I don't remember much about the SA mentioned. They just weren't the pieces I remember. I have a good ability to block that stuff out as I tend to skim it while reading anyway.

I don't remember too much of the twists and turns. I remember being somewhat surprised and somewhat not. I mostly remember that this book was so stinking long. I know fantasy books often need extra pages for world-building. I remember some pieces felt conveniently handled and not the best writing or plotting. I am intrigued about what will happen next, but I'm also not dying to know, especially given that book two is 778 pages. I am in no rush to pick up book 2, and at this point, I can't even say that I ever will. All of that being said City of Gods and Monsters gets 3.5 Stars from me. Maybe my expectations were too high going into it? Have you read City of Gods and Monsters? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for Brimstone

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Brimstome (Fae & Alchemy, # 2)

By: Callie Hart

Expected Publication: November 18, 2025 by Forever

672 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Fae, Romantasy

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Duty. Blood. Honour. Power.

Saeris Fane doesn't want power. The very last thing she needs is her name whispered on an entire court's lips, but now that she's been crowned queen of the Blood Court, she's discovering that a queen's life is not her own. A heavy weight rests upon her shoulders.

Her ward - and her brother - need her back in her homeland . . . but the changes that have strengthened Saeris have also made her weak. Born under blazing suns, Saeris will surely die if she makes her way home through the Quicksilver. Which means that, once again, she must send someone else in her stead . . .

'Keep your mouth shut. Stick to the shadows. And for the love of all seven Gods, do NOT crack any jokes.'

Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate has defeated armies and survived all manner of horrors, but traveling back to Zilvaren with Carrion Swift might just be the death of him. The male just will not shut up. Hidden dangers await them down the narrow alleyways of the Silver City. Unfolding secrets pose impossible threats. Fisher must wrangle the smuggler and accomplish his goals quickly if he wants to see his mate again.

A darkness falls across Yvelia. The realm and their friends are in danger. Together, Saeris and Fisher will pass through fire and brimstone to save them.

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Tale of the Heart Queen - Review

Tale of the Heart Queen (Artefacts of Ouranos, # 4)

By: Nisha J Tuli

Publication: November 26, 2024 by Forever

672 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Fae

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--After Lor makes the biggest mistake of her life, she finds herself on the run from the Aurora King and decides it's time to end this, once and for all. But when a new enemy emerges to claim her freedom, the entire fate of Ouranos comes to rest on her shoulders.

As the land continues to rebel, Lor must admit she is the key to saving the continent, whether she likes it or not. To fight for Nadir, she must lie, steal, and do whatever it takes to hunt down the remaining arks. Growing more and more desperate, she worries her actions are turning her into something she doesn't recognize, dooming her to repeat her grandmother's mistakes.

When the Aurora King finally comes for her, Lor ventures into the Underworld's shadowy depths, where, once again, she finds herself at the heart of another deadly test. Only this time, she’s competing for everyone's future, not just a crown.

The only thing Lor ever wanted was to be free, but she may soon find she was always destined for a cage.

I was torn on even wanting to start Tale of the Heart Queen. If you haven't read the previous books in the series, be warned that spoilers for the previous books will be involved in this review.

Lor and Nadir start this book separated. Lor thinks she's killed Nadir by accidentally striking him with her lightning power that she can't control while trying to strike his father instead. Nadir is kidnapped by Zerra and held for ransom to get Lor to steal some objects that Zerra needs from one of the other kingdoms. Lor has to go on a mission to find that object. At the same time, Zerra plans to marry Nadir herself as a replacement for Herric, who hurt her many years ago. 

Gabriel is also a narrator. He's left in the Aphelion to pick up the pieces after exposing Atlas for stealing the crown from his brother, Tyr. Tyr isn't in a place to be the king after his ordeal. Yet, he is still the reigning king. Gabriel is needed for the support of the kingdom as well as stability for Tyr. He has a romance building with Hylene, but there isn't too much time spent on that. His story was in place mostly for resolution for the Sun Kingdom, which is where a large portion of the story takes place over the series. 

I have enjoyed Nadir and Lor's story, but when things went to a higher level to include Zerra, Heric, and Lor's grandparents, I lost interest in that part of the story. I thought the series probably would have been just as enjoyable without the higher level of conflict. Had Nadir's father just been evil and attempted to steal Heart's power for himself to become a more powerful king than the others in Ouranos, I would have enjoyed that more. Zerra and Heric were particularly unnecessary in my opinion. Lor's grandparents' story could be arguably necessary because it adds to the conflict of Heart regaining its power and Lor and Nadir being Primaries over their respective territories. 

Now I need to discuss Rion, Nadir's father. I don't want to spoil anything for readers who haven't read this book yet. So highlight for spoilers: I'm all for a redemption story. But this happened way too quickly. Nadir's father has been built up as the pinnacle of evil throughout this entire series. And all of a sudden, we find out that it is really because he had his heart broken. He was in love with a woman, Rachel. But he slipped up and got another woman pregnant, Nadir's mother. He ended up marrying and bonding with Nadir's mother for his crown, despite not caring for her at all. And he proceeded to hate her over time, as well as the two children she bore him. He tortured Lor for years while she was in prison. Yet we learn he's been prodded by Herric all this time. And he basically loses it in this book. He goes from the ultimate bad to a sniveling pawn. Again, I'm all for a redemption story. No one is incapable of being redeemed. Everyone is capable of change through Jesus. Yet this happening was so jarring and out of character development that I couldn't get on board with it. I can't believe the path Nisha J Tuli chose for him. It didn't feel honest. It didn't feel authentic. It felt like a convenient plot hole filler. 

While I'm in spoiler mode: what about the innkeeper that Nadir and Lor stayed at. Is that not Rachel in truth? Rion believed her to be dead, but I wondered if she were really alive and if Herric was lying to him about her being in the Underworld. Nothing was said about it, so either this was left unaddressed on purpose, this was a hole, or I was reaching.

Another thing I want to address is a pet peeve of mine. I don't drink alcohol. It feels like I'm in the minority when it comes to like the entire world, although Google says only 32% of the world population drinks (how they know, I have no idea). But I get so frustrated in literature when drinking alcohol to forget or escape problems is used. I suppose there are times when we are discussing alcoholism where this would make the most sense to include, but it's mentioned so often in books in this way that I feel like the world has begun to believe that this is how one handles one's problems. Escaping through alcohol and/or drugs. It isn't healthy. And I'm kind of tired of seeing it in books. Is this a case of life imitating art or art imitating life? Do people drink to drown their problems because that's what's natural to them, and thus, people write about it? Or do people do it because they've seen it so much on TV and in literature that they just do it because that's what they're told is supposed to be done? Getting off my soapbox now.

Only to hop back on. I have always struggled with books that focus on diversity for diversity's sake. I suppose this can be done in a way that isn't as in-your-face, but this series checks nearly every diversity box available. If this is something that bugs you, I thought you might like to know. If you like this to be in your books, now you know. 

Tale of the Heart Queen was okay. I am glad that I finished the series. I did prefer the first two books in the series over the last two. It wasn't without problems for me. I felt like the conflict was forced in some areas and would have been better served to have been simplified a bit. Even though I love a redemption story, Rion's character path was so jarring and felt inauthentic with his journey up until this book. I still rooted for Lor and Nadir. Overall, Tale of the Heart Queen gets 3 Stars. Have you read Tale of the Heart Queen? What did you think? Let me know!