Rutabaga's Reads 2025: Part 19

A third adult fiction compilation post?! I’m surprised, too!

Dreadful (May 28, 2024) by Caitlin Rozakis.

<This is a standalone novel.>

You know it’s bad when you wake up in a partially-destroyed workshop with no memories and no eyebrows. There’s an abducted princess in a cell of the evil wizard’s castle and the goblin workforce fatalistically expects to one day be immolated on the whim of the evil wizard. Also, the evil wizard is ... him. What is his name? Others refer to him as Dread Lord Gavrax, but as he has no memories of the time before, he refers to himself as Gav. He plans to fake it until he makes it, but he might still die a horrible death at the hands of the evil wizard leader, Zarconar. Or maybe the moat squid will succeed in eating his face. Or he’ll self-immolate accidentally. He doesn’t want to die, and he also doesn’t want to be like Gavrax. He wants to be a, well, not a good wizard, but also not an evil wizard. He wants to be a wizard Orla will talk to about a hosting menu in her gamboling monster kitty apron that her granddaughter made her. And a wizard that Grrribeetle isn’t afraid of and will do more than mumble to. And a wizard that Princess Eliasha (apprentice name Wren) wants to be friends with. There is something truly evil at work. The princess is definitely only there for a nefarious purpose, which will assuredly mean her death. There’s a gathering of evil wizards, an upcoming summoning of demon evil, the arrival of hero types doing Artharno the White Wizard’s bidding and a village garlic festival. Candied garlic or garlic brittle, anyone? Gav has lots more to worry about than his flames-adorned cloak. He needs to decide who he wants to be going forward.

            I definitely judged this book by its sprayed edges, which are black and include skulls in the decorative edge-work, but I only bought it after I read the jacket copy and found myself intrigued. This adult fiction novel is a comedic fantasy with splashes of violence. There’s even a little gore, but it’s a quick scene, so it can therefore be sometimes spicy with dashes of darkness. Gav, with his missing memories, is more a bumbling fool than any threat to anyone – except the guy he turned into a chicken – so the story’s more entertaining than anything and not scary. I don’t know that I’d call it cozy, but it is genuinely funny. It contains wit, self-awareness and empathy, giving a fresh take on fantasy tropes. This book won’t bite, but if you’re not careful, something from the story might, so beware!

Gone Before Goodbye (Oct. 21, 2025) by Reese Witherspoon & Harlan Coben.

<This is a standalone novel.>

A renowned combat surgeon with a renowned combat surgeon husband and co-founder of a successful medical mission called WorldCures, Maggie McCabe was making a positive impact, and she had it all. Her reality now is a life where her medical license has been revoked, her husband is dead, her sister is going through a messy divorce, and both sisters are struggling financially. She’s thrown a mighty lifeline, and when she accepts, debts are erased, litigation against her is suddenly resolved, and she has a whole lot of money in her bank account, and that’s only half the payment. Absolute discretion is imperative, but she knows HIPAA. She arrives at a remote location in Russia. It’s a palace, and one of her clients is a reclusive oligarch. When he goes missing while he should still be under her care, Maggie becomes a fugitive herself around people who can afford Bugatti Tourbillons that cost $4.1 million (starting) and can jet-set in their own private planes with their own Michelin-star-level personal chefs. Her combat training as well as her medical expertise are going to be tested, and the truths she might uncover may cost her her life.

            There’s cutting-edge technology, state-of-the-art equipment and people who can live in gluttonously opulent luxury in this adult fiction, mystery and medical thriller by Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon and internationally bestselling thriller author Harlan Coben. The novel is action-packed, though it really didn’t pick up for me until an intense escape about 150 pages in. It’s also part globe-trotting adventure, part psychological thriller. The story contains twists and suspense, the plot is high-stakes, and the story is dynamic and pedal to the metal. It has me wondering what I’ve been missing out on since this is my first Coben novel, and I don’t know how much of the writing Witherspoon did, but this collab really works.

The Second Chance Convenience Store (June 17, 2025/US edition) by Kim Ho-Yeon.

   Janet Hong, translator.

<This is a standalone novel.>

The owner of the Second Chance Convenience Store, Mrs. Yeom, is a retired history teacher who keeps her store open in Cheongpa-dong to keep her few employees employed. She’s distraught over the loss of her purse until she receives a call from Seoul Station. Dokgo is an unhoused man who can’t remember his past or his actual name due to alcohol-related dementia. To thank him for returning her purse, she invites him to come to her store every day to receive an unexpired boxed lunch free of charge. He comes, but insists on only eating the expired boxed lunches. He even cleans up the picnic table, though it’s wintertime and very cold. When Dokgo saves the store from a robbery attempt, Mrs. Yeom offers the big, bear-like Dokgo the night shift. She requires him to stop drinking alcohol, but she buys him new clothes and a haircut. He learns fast and quickly wins over the denizens of the neighborhood, though his coworkers are slower to warm up to him. He’s grateful to his new boss, and business sees an uptick with his customer service, slow and methodical though it may be. The better business upsets Mrs. Yeom’s ne’er-do-well son, Minsik, who wants to try to convince his mom to back his latest venture (and they either tend to fail or turn out to be scams). Minsik hires a man to look into Dokgo’s past, because his mom’s convenience store is an inconvenience store to him.

            In this adult, cozy, urban fiction story, already an international bestseller from Korea, readers will find a broken man who gets his life back, a store owner with a kind soul and a wayward son, a caustic morning shift employee and a mid-shift employee who’s questioning what to do next. The fiction is realistic and sometimes unpleasant, but it’s encouraging and compassionate, too. It’s a story of community and healing. Overall, it’s a soft, heartfelt novel.

"The Otherwhere Post" by Emily J. Taylor

The Otherwhere Post (Feb. 25, 2025) by Emily J. Taylor.

<This is a standalone novel.>

It’s been seven years since Inverly was lost and the Written Doors were destroyed. Maeve Abenthy became an orphan and was sent to the Sacrifict Orphanage, where she took a different name to avoid being associated as the daughter of a murderer, the “world killer.” Now 18 years old, Maeve has received a letter that’s seven years old. She has no idea who’s sent it, but it declares that, “Your father was innocent.” To uncover the truth, she dupes her way into Leyland’s College of Scriptomantic Arts, which houses the Otherwhere Post’s headquarters in Leyland, and becomes a courier apprentice to an infuriating mentor who’s handsome under his ink-splattered wardrobe. Tristan Byrne has secrets of his own. But it’s here that Maeve – attending as Eilidh Hill – will learn scriptomancy, “the art of enchanting any piece of existing handwriting, from a penned novel to a scribbled grocery list.” Couriers are able to enchant letters and deliver them to other worlds. Finding the sender of the anonymous letter will prove tricky and not least because she’s not yet a scriptomancer. Someone is threatening her, and although arcane magic isn’t infinite, it still has the power to do irreparable harm or even kill. She’s spent these seven years moving around and never letting anyone close to her. Her roommate at the Post, Nan Ferro, is determined that they will be friends and has the outgoing nature to persevere. Nan’s mentor, Shea Widden (she hails from a rich family which owns buildings across Leyland and Barrow, another of the known worlds), also has no problem counting Maeve as a friend. Tristan could be a friend, too ... or more, but Maeve doesn’t need friends. Because then their lives will be in danger, and she’ll have to share her biggest secret.

            Having loved the author’s previous YA novel, I expected to be enthralled by this YA dark fantasy that steps into a world of dark academia and does contain a multiverse. And enthralled I am by the ingenuity of a story that’s part mystery and a little bit romance. Taylor is a builder of worlds that I feel like I could easily live in. My only needle with the story is in Maeve’s underhandedness in landing an apprenticeship. I get that her character is desperate for answers, but that doesn’t make her deceit copacetic. Fortunately, the story, much like I’d expect scribing to be, is complex in its plotting and its characters. The mystery is high-stakes with the adventure rush-hour and perilous. The magical fantasy tale dazzles, the banter delights, and Taylor’s world-building is detailed without being convoluted. It was hard to put down. I loved it.

            Also from the author: Hotel Magnifique

"Dreamslinger" by Graci Kim

Dreamslinger (Apr. 29, 2025) by Graci Kim.

<This is the first novel in a series.>

Restrain. Contain. Maintain. Fourteen-year-old Aria Loveridge lives at Resthaven Home for Dreamslingers in Texas. It’s a safe haven for children born with a genetic mutation. It transports them to a magical realm while they sleep, but in its raw form in those untrained, it is unpredictable and can be deadly. Already a decade has passed since members of the Royal League of Dreamslingers caused the Great Outburst, a tragedy that killed many, including Aria’s mom. Aria’s dad, Jack, is the leading expert on dreamslinger welfare, but the Kingdom of Royal Hanguk in Seoul announces the first Dreamslinger trials to teenagers around the world, and Aria must join them. As the home of the Royal League of Dreamslingers, she pictures shutting it down from the inside by providing intel to her dad through butterflymail. But the trials introduce Aria to a world where her mutation doesn’t make her a villain; it is a gift that makes them exceptional. Bloom dragons, frost turtles, solar phoenixes and harvest tigers aren’t beasts, but dreampanions. She has friends in fellow trialeers Tui Walker from New Zealand and Lion Lee-Hendrick, a heritage trialeer. Her gung-nyeo (like a lady-in-waiting), Junghee, is a confidant and friend. Even her driver and his daughter fold them into their found family (Nam Samchon and Saemi). She finally feels like she belongs. She’s got work to do to gain the trust of her seedling, Rio, and there are secrets coming to light, including one that will cause Aria to question her own identity.

            In a world where contemporary fantasy twines with Korean mythology rises the starting middle-grade adventure novel in The Slinger Series. Mythical creatures, deadly magical trials and meal options that appear based on your mood are just a few facets of this charming and inventive story. The main character enters Royal Hanguk boldly believing one thing but falters when what she’s been taught contradicts the appeal of the trials and what she wants. The drama is political and familial, and Aria is learning what it is to be an autonomous thinker. This is a bildungsroman that is executed brilliantly with world-building that is rich and thrilling. Highly imaginative and so wondrous to read!

"Remain: A Supernatural Love Story" by Nicholas Sparks with M. Night Shyamalan

Remain: A Supernatural Love Story (Oct. 14, 2025) by Nicholas Sparks.

   With M. Night Shyamalan.

<This is a standalone novel.>

New York architect Tate Donovan is in Heatherington, a [fictional] town on Cape Cod, meeting with his best friend, Oscar, and his wife Lorena. He’s designing their summer home and picking up Paulie, his cat. Tate’s aiming for a new start since losing his sister, Sylvia, to illness, then spiraling downward and being recently discharged from a swanky psychiatric facility. It’s said that Sylvia could see spirits trapped on this plane of existence, but he’s skeptical of her “gift” until he encounters a captivating woman doing yoga in the living room. After he speaks with Louise and Reece Gaston, the property’s caretakers, Tate learns that the woman is Wren Tobin ... and she’s been dead almost two years. Reece is Wren’s last-remaining blood relative. Tate comes to learn that there’s a Daytime Wren – who doesn’t realize she’s dead – and Nighttime Wren – who is terrifying and sometimes grotesque. Her death wasn’t gentle, and when Nighttime Wren finally communicates that she was murdered, Tate can’t help but do his own civilian investigation with Oscar’s help. He’s fallen in love with a ghost. Was it Griffin, Wren’s estranged, alcoholic husband whom she wanted to divorce? Or Nash, the business partner who was stealing money from her, and she was preparing a civil suit against him? What about Dax, the substance abuse counselor and Wren’s friend who wanted to be more than friends despite both being married? Tate will try to free Wren from what still tethers her here, knowing that that will mean the end of their strong, yet tenuous, relationship.

            A collaboration between romance author Nicholas Sparks and supernatural genre filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan? Talk about a plot twist! A collab such as this one I couldn’t pass by. Yes, I did find the paranormal love story to be a little weird sometimes, but the relationship remains a moving one. I did enjoy the supernatural element, and the contrast between Daytime Wren and Nighttime Wren is as different as a warm, sunny beach and a blizzardy winter night. There is strength in loving others, as this adult fiction standalone showcases. I’m pleased that I read this haunting and emotional love story. For those who startle easily, there are small sparks of horror. But worry not, for “Remain” is a reminder to “live well and love deeply. Look for reasons to be grateful. Treasure your friends. Embark on wonderful adventures.”

Rutabaga's Reads 2025: Part 18

Where there’s a YA fiction compilation, so there will be a Christian/inspirational fiction compilation close behind. Here is the third Christian/inspirational fiction post of 2025.

An Honorable Deception (Nov. 19, 2024) by Roseanna M. White.

<This is the third novel in a series.>

The leader of the Imposters (a private investigative firm that caters to the aristocracy), Lord Yates Fairfax, risks being recognized when his newest client, the beautiful Lady Alethia Barremore, is shot in the church they’ve met in. Lady Alethia is looking for her former nanny (or ayah), Samira, who’s gone missing. Their investigation digs up a truth far more sinister and dangerous than any of them imagined. But maybe Alethia isn’t truly surprised, given the terrifying truth that’s haunted her since she was a little girl being hidden in a locked wardrobe for her safety by her ayah.

            She may have spent years incredibly ill (scarlet fever), but Lady Lavinia Hemming highly suspects that her longtime friends and neighbors, siblings Yates and Lady Marigold Livingstone (née Fairfax), have more going on than meets the eye. When she discovers that they are the esteemed Imposters, she invites herself into the firm. Her own family’s secret continues to weigh on her, and she needs the distraction of an investigation. She wants to be useful and maybe, just maybe, she wants to let herself love Yates. But has Yates moved on from his childhood crush on Lavinia?

            In this final novel in The Imposters series, the Imposters dive into the dark side of society, where it’s obvious that titles don’t equate to noble thoughts and actions. Investigating those that they see in society is a balancing act, and despite the Edwardian-era setting, the struggle with finances is real in any timeline with characters that would be awesome to have as friends and neighbors in real life. The plot matter is not an easy topic, but it makes for a compelling story with a propulsive plot. White writes with the ease of a talented, seasoned writer, and I look forward to reading more of her stories.

            P.S. I was thrilled with the connections to the Shadows Over England and The Codebreakers series, along with allusion to “The Lost Heiress.” I love story crossovers!

            Book 1: A Beautiful Disguise

            Book 2: A Noble Scheme

Serial Burn (Jan. 21, 2025) by Lynette Eason.

<This is the third novel in a series.>

Almost 20 years have passed since Jesslyn McCormick was robbed of her family in a fire when she was only seven years old. As a fire marshal in Lake City, North Carolina (fictional), she’s dedicated her career to investigating fires. Now she’s examining one at her own church. Old feelings are dredged up and planted evidence on-scene provides new clues. There’s been an attempted abduction and attempts on her life. She recently made a passionate and public statement about never giving up on finding her family’s killer. It could be that the killer has been in the area this entire time. FBI Special Agent Nathan Carlisle is called in to work with local law enforcement. He also has a past that involves a fatal fire, which he has no interest in rehashing. Searching for the arsonist is a great distraction, but protecting Jesslyn is likewise a distraction. The spark between them is strong enough to set their lives ablaze, but someone else is setting things alight in real time.

            The penultimate story in the Lake City Heroes series is an inferno of action, danger, investigation and quick-thinking soothed by faith, found family and camaraderie. It’s a Christian romantic suspense novel that grabs hold of you in a vice-like grip, snatching your attention as you race the characters to figure out who the arsonist is before they do. Guilt is a supporting theme of one of the supporting characters and his shining scene is gripping and emotional. From start to finish, Eason takes readers on a thrill ride. One aims for a reckoning; the other’s goal is retribution.

            Book One: Double Take

            Book Two: Target Acquired

Two Seconds Too Late (Apr. 29, 2025) by Dani Pettrey.

<This is the second novel in a series.>

A woman has vanished from a couples’ retreat at a swanky, luxury resort in northern New Mexico. Skip tracer Riley MacLeod and private investigator Greyson Chadwick pose as a couple to seek out clues to the missing woman’s location. Expressive Wellness Retreat and Spa is luxurious and comes with a luxurious price tag. The woman, Kelly Frazier, is on the run and being hunted. What should be a cut-and-dried tracking case takes a sharp turn when Riley becomes the hunted, too. Her home is ransacked, she finds herself stalked, and she and Greyson are somehow tracked to the retreat. The Kelly that Riley thought she knew isn’t the only side of Kelly. Kelly’s desperate for justice, but taking it into her own hands may end her life if Riley and Greyson can’t find her. As the pair work together, their mutual attraction ignites, but Greyson’s deep secrets prevent him from admitting his attraction. From a missing woman to hit men to a questionable retreat, survival is a fight. But so is love, when one’s found one’s soulmate.

            It’s hard to put Pettrey’s books down once I start them, but I do, because I’m one of those who reads multiple novels simultaneously (normally not more than three, but it’s been as many as seven). The second in Pettrey’s Jeopardy Falls series is high-octane and action-packed. The Christian romantic suspense novel barely lets readers get a breath in as the characters get their danger-filled spying on in this wholesome story. The writing is tight, and it gets the pulse pounding, even though you know the outcome will be good for the protagonists. It’s another victory for the author and her faithful characters and a victory; therefore, for her readers.

            Book One: One Wrong Move

Rutabaga's Reads 2025: Part 17

My third young-adult (YA) compilation post for this year features The Gilded Wolves trilogy. Prior to this YA set, I’d only read middle-grade books written by the author.

The Gilded Wolves (Jan. 15, 2019) by Roshani Chokshi.

<This is the first novel in a trilogy.>

The wealthy hotelier of L’Eden is a treasure seeker, heir of House Vanth, which was declared a dead line 10 years ago. Séverin Montagnet-Alarie wants his House back. In order to reclaim his birthright, he needs the Babel Fragment for the Order of Babel. To help him is a diverse group of rapscallions: Laila is an Indian cabaret dancer whose ability to read unforged objects that she touches has a sinister backstory, Zofia is a Jewish engineer kicked out of university for being Jewish with a Forging affinity for solid matter (mostly metals and crystals), Tristan Maréchal is Séverin’s brother-in-arms with a Forging affinity for liquid matter (specifically, that present in plants) who has an enormous pet tarantula named Goliath, and Enrique Mercado-Lopez is a Filipino historian banished from his home who wishes he could Forge, but no ability manifested by his thirteenth birthday. Helping with the heist is Hypnos, patriarch of House Nyx, the son of Haitian slaves and a French aristocrat, who, for all of his handsome bluster, really could use some good friends. They’re going to pull off a grand heist that’ll place them all in danger.  They need the Horus Eye, which mysterious rival Roux-Joubert does not want them to have, but to find the Fragment, they will need to locate Fallen House’s meeting place, and no one knew of it even before it was Fallen and had an actual name. Séverin wants the Fragment to become patriarch of the House he grew up in, but the Fragment can wield unimaginable power. Perhaps, even, the power of godhood, but they might lose themselves and break the world in the process.

            Having read Chokshi’s six middle-grade novels from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, I decided I was overdue to try one of her YA novels. The first in The Gilded Wolves trilogy is a YA fantasy with an alternate, magical history that’s tantalizingly dark yet extravagant, multiethnic and inclusive. It’s a confection of sumptuous prose, glittering (mis)adventure and dazzling imagination. The story is evocative and immersive, the characters devilishly charming, and the writing smartly takes on colonialism and cultural appropriation without bogging the story down. We’ve got societal outcasts saving the world, and I expect it’s going to be epic.

            Favorite line: “Secrets keep my hair lustrous.” --Séverin, p. 13

The Silvered Serpents (Sept. 22, 2020) by Roshani Chokshi.

<This is the middle novel in a trilogy.>

<Alert: Potential spoilers ahead.>

The Fallen House has been thwarted, but it’s come at a terrible price. It haunts all of them, Séverin most of all. He’s obsessed with finding The Divine Lyrics, a legendary book which would grant him immortality and godlike powers. Laila seeks it also, but she’s kept her true reason for wanting it a secret. They all think the garnet ring Zofia Forged for her is counting down the days until her birthday, which it is, but it’s way more than that. Séverin, Laila (acting as his mistress), Enrique (a historian), Zofia and Hypnos (House Nyx patriarch) miraculously calculate the coordinates of the Sleeping Palace near Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia. They go with Delphine Desrosiers, matriarch of House Kore, Ruslan Goryunov the Bald, patriarch of House Dazbog, which historically trades “in secrets and parchment,” and Eva Yefremovna, “blood Forging artist of impeccable skill” and Ruslan’s cousin. The Sleeping Palace is a near-forgotten mansion of crystalline, ice-Forged animals, broken Muses, mutilated statues without hands and a string of unsolved murders. Secrets are carried by ghosts of the past, and they’re coming to light. The path is gilded with diamonds and treasure, but it’s also inlaid with freezing cold and booby traps.

            The middle novel in The Gilded Wolves trilogy is alluringly dark and dangerous, exquisitely grand and glamorous. The center YA fantasy is a complex filling of smart writing, detailed worldbuilding and epic plotting, making what could be thorny and overwhelming into a story that’s fluid and graceful, even in its horrific moments. Chokshi doesn’t simply place words on the pages willy-nilly, but with the distinct skill of an artisan. It is sleek and diverse, but beware, it’s sometimes bloody, too.

The Bronzed Beasts (Sept. 21, 2021) by Roshani Chokshi.

<This is the final novel in a trilogy.>

<Alert: Potential spoilers ahead.>

Godhood is coming, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie can feel it, but the group is fractured. Séverin has seemingly betrayed his friends: Enrique Mercado-Lopez, Hypnos Leclair, Zofia Boguska and Laila. Laila thinks the others are dead until they stir to life, and Hypnos’ face falls when he sees the Mnemo bug smashed. Without those clues, they must locate Delphine Desrosiers’ safe house and wend their way through the twisted waterways of Venice on their own. They will find each other, Séverin is determined that this will be so. He’s in possession of the Divine Lyre, and he’s balancing the unhinged whims of Ruslan Goryunov, Patriarch of the Fallen House. They know that the location of the temple where the Divine Lyre can be played is Poveglia (a.k.a. Plague Island), but they don’t know how to access the temple. Laila’s time is winding down. 10 days and counting and already there are times where she can’t feel – not the breath in her, sometimes not even a cut deep enough to cause blood to course down her arm. There are gondola rides on the canal, cemeteries, hidden masquerade balls (courtesy of House Janus), explosions (courtesy of Zofia), siren skeleton songs and shining ziggurat steps. There’s making and unmaking, possible remaking, and there’s always a price to pay.

            Readers return to the darkly alluring, intriguing world in the final installment in The Gilded Wolves trilogy. It’s a beautiful YA fantasy with sparkles and blood, elegance and manipulation, love and angst, mythology and realism, fantastical truths and harsh realities. “The Bronzed Beasts” wraps up a dazzling and dangerous treasure hunt with clues, introspection, history, diversity and inclusion. There’s colorism and its lasting effects on their characters, though readers see that all of these main characters are beloved and worthy of love. To immerse oneself in this trilogy is to have one’s heart wrenched, feel the enduring power of emotion and laugh aloud at Hypnos’ comic relief. What a compelling farewell to a masterfully-imagined, thoughtful fantasy series.

Halloween 2025

Rutabaga's Reads 2025: Part 16

It’s been a push to piece together a third middle-grade compilation post, but I made it. In this round, you’ll find Never After heroes vs. Never After ogres, Feast vs. Famine and feisty Mayan gods vs. at least one desperate godborn.

The End of the Story (Dec. 3, 2024) by Melissa de la Cruz.

<This is the fifth and final novel in a pentalogy.>

<Alert: Potential spoilers ahead.>

The Never After crew are back together for one more world-saving adventure. Queen Olga isn’t vanquished. They are looking to locate Sabine, the last surviving fairy, before Queen Olga and her minions do. Sabine is also known as ... Tinker Bell! She must be protected. If the last surviving fairy dies, so does all of Never After. Filomena, Gretel, Jack and Alistair join friends new (like Captain Hook, an adventurer, not a pirate, with a flying ship courtesy of the fairies and a good history with crocodiles) and old. Their search will take them to Neverland and the forever boy, Peter Pan, who’s nothing like the fairy tale mortals know in the human world. There’s an impressive blacksmith’s shop “straight down till morning” in a little-known place called Everland, and the nymphs know all the tea. The Dragon Realm refuses to help them, stating that it’s too soon since they last helped them. Filomena knows what battle they’re referring to, but Jack, Alistair and Gretel do not. Filomena has time-jumped and retains her memories, but few others remember Before, and it’s shredding Filomena up keeping that secret to herself. With evil closing in and mischief afoot, the good friends must figure out how to protect the magic of Never After and conquer Olga once and for all. Then, and only then, might it come to the End of the Story.

            What’s a middle-grade fantasy adventure without some world-saving? There is drama and friendship, ogre-slaying and compassion, dragons and swoop holes. There are hellos to be had and big decisions to make, not only leading up to the End of the Story, but what might happen beyond The End. (As of this posting, there’s no rumor of a spinoff series, but I’d love one.) As with the book’s predecessors in the Never After series, the heroic characters are relatable, courageous and diverse, the plot rapidly unfolds, and Jack eventually remembers. This final tale is exhilarating and the conclusion is satisfying. The author’s given a fresh take on twisted fairy tales, and I’ve enjoyed every spellbinding moment.

            Book One: The Thirteenth Fairy

            Book Two: The Stolen Slippers

            Book Three: The Broken Mirror

            Book Four: The Missing Sword

The Fire Keeper (Sept. 3, 2019) by J.C. Cervantes.

<This is the middle novel in a trilogy.>

<Alert: Potential spoilers ahead.>

The Maya gods required him to write a book, but he’s the one who snuck a secret message in it, visible only to other godborns. Zane Obispo currently resides on a secluded tropical prison, er, island. His family (his mom and Uncle Hondo) and closest friend (Brooks) are there, but life feels far from picturesque. His dog-turned-hellhound, Rosie, isn’t the four-legged companion she was pre-hellhound, and that rift hurts. He’s ready to bust out and go save Hurakan (his godly parent), but there’s the matter of getting off an island that keeps other gods out, but also keeps him trapped inside. Before Zane and Brooks set their plan in motion to leave, a godborn arrives in a boat steered by no one with shadows surrounding her. Renata “Ren” Santiago saw his secret note in the book (she checked it out from the library). Unfortunately, he learns that in inserting that note, he unintentionally put other godborn youth at risk. On top of finding Hurakan, he must find the godborns before the gods do, because they will kill them. And, bonus note, Hurakan is scheduled to be executed. The Fire Keeper may be able to change the future if the god can be located. Zane will do whatever it takes to save his dad, even if it means interacting with Ah-Puch. Even if it means sort of dying.

            I love learning about mythology, especially mythology that’s still new to me, but I struggled with Zane. Yes, he’s desperate to save Hurakan and juggling also saving the godborn children, but his thoughtless haste, while youthful, irritated me. The pacing started off slow, but picked up. This Mayan mythology, middle-grade fantasy is fiery, the plot is busy, and the gods are as feisty as ever. As the middle story in a trilogy, it does fall a bit to middle-book syndrome, like there’s more verbiage than helps move the story along. But with secrets and lives to save, it should satisfy the most voracious of mythology fans.

            Worthy of note (to me): Itzamna, a Maya creator god of the moon, bringer of writing and culture, creator of the calendar, and father to the Bakabs: “I’d much rather read great works, write poetry, play the flute, and float across the starry sky.” Me, too, Itzamna. Me, too.

            Book 1: The Storm Runner

The Last Great Heir (Jan. 28, 2025) by Carina Finn.

<This is the first novel in a series.>

With their thirteenth birthdays around the corner, the fated duel between Merriment Feast and Rue Famine is about to commence. Raised as rivals, Feasts are adept at charms, while Famines excel at potions. Fauret has been under Feast rule for generations, and only Feasts benefit from Feast rule. Their feasting is gluttonous, and those beyond Fauret’s walls are starving. Merriment’s life has been like one big party, filled with beautiful attire and no shortage of delectable pastries. Rue’s life has been monotone in comparison, filled with studies and learning how to use her magic to help others. One has grueling studies under a tyrannical aunt, the other studies without the guidance she needs. They’ve never met, but they have more in common than they realize, including a common enemy.

            A tale of female heirs dueling to the death reminds me of Kendare Blake’s Three Dark Crowns series, but the comparison ends there. Whereas Blake’s series is YA and quite dark + violent, this story is middle-grade and only mildly gloomy. The Feast and Famine series opener receives much fanfare, but what should be a fantastical, sparkling debut loses some of its luster in its lack of smooth plotting and a later-in-the-story reveal that needs more backstory. There definitely could’ve been more worldbuilding, but I do feel I was able to distinguish between Rue’s and Merri’s voices. There are sincere moments, the setting is charming, and the premise has great promise. My favorite characters just might be the fickle, mercurial demons, with specific shoutout to Jahi.

"The Court of the Dead" by Rick Riordan & Mark Oshiro

The Court of the Dead (Sept. 23, 2025) by Rick Riordan & Mark Oshiro.

<This is the second novel in a series.>

Months have passed since Nico di Angelo and Will Solace returned from the depths of Tartarus. Life at Camp Half-Blood has been filled with initiating new demigod campers and doing breathing exercises with Mr. D (a.k.a. Dionysus). When Nico’s half-sister Iris-messages from Camp Jupiter on the West Coast, they jump at the chance to help Hazel Levesque manage a situation that can’t be explained via message and must be seen. It should only take a couple days. (Famous last words.) It turns out that Nico and Will showed some of the Underworld’s denizens that they don’t have to be inherently evil. These reformed monsters are calling themselves mythics. There’s Asterion (the minotaur whom Percy Jackson has a past with and which Asterion would like to rectify his past actions), Semele (an eidolon made of smoke), Johan (a blemmyae, a headless monster with a chest-face), Orcus (a griffin, mocked by his family for his diminutive size), Arielle (an empousa, a winged, bloodsucking monster) and Quinoa (a karpos, a grain spirit, who dares you to call him a pseudo-grain).

            These mythics are seeking refuge at Camp Jupiter, but the legionnaires are having trouble accepting outsiders whom they’ve been trained to kill on sight. The mythics begin disappearing, but it isn’t until one of their own demigods is threatened that the other legionnaires admit that, perhaps, these mythics are the exception and really do want a non-demigod-killing life. Between the mistreatment of the mythics and the mysterious dark force threatening to punish monsters for their past crimes, Nico feels in over his head. He’s so tempted to summon an army of undead skeletons to kick some legionnaire backside. Fortunately, Will is there as “the balm to his scattered soul.” And he packed Kit Kats.

            Collaborating, bestselling authors Riordan and Oshiro send readers on another dynamic, fast-moving adventure involving shadow travel, begging Cocoa Puffs (a.k.a. cacodemons, manifestations of a person’s worst memories) and battle dancing Lavinia-Asimov-style (Fifth Cohort leader and a daughter of Terpsichore, the Muse of Dance, so “...be prepared to square-dance at a moment’s notice!”). It is a riot of chaos that only Riordan can help create, thoroughly entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny that isn’t without self-doubt and a lot of empathy. This middle-grade fantasy, action novel is inclusive, and while it’s surely not going to be to everyone’s liking, I flew through the story. It’s still a must-read for mythology fans and dedicated Riordan readers.

            P.S. My new favorite character is Johan. I would happily drink tea with him.

            P.P.S. Asterion is another new favorite. He could start up a knitting group. And don’t be alarmed. He’s the Minotaur, but he’s reformed!

            Book 1: The Sun and the Star

Rutabaga's Reads 2025: Part 15

This compilation brings a second round of picture book adventures. The Bakery Dragon returns and Sloth & Squirrel go on vacation. There’s a snail on a path and a sheep with a bad hair day. There’s a farm full of animal characters. Do you ever pick up picture books? If so, what grabs your attention?

The Bakery Dragon and the Fairy Cake (Oct. 7, 2025) by Devin Elle Kurtz.

<This is a sequel book.>

Little Ember is back! He’s been busy making mounds of golden breads, baked to perfection, and even if he forgets to set the timer, his fellow dragons remain encouraging: “A really unique flavor!” “I love the undertones of charcoal.” He’s grown so much as the bakery dragon and gained so much confidence in breads that Beatrice the baker will leave him to run the shop when she’s got to deliver orders far away. When Beatrice is away, Ember is asked to make a cake for a fairy queen, and he soon learns that cakes are no cakewalk. His attempts are disasters, not because they taste horrible, but because he only knows how to make bread. The fairy princess/sentient vegetable (Princess Turnip) who put in the order isn’t giving up on Ember, though. She will get that cake, and she will not be disappointed! But how will Ember get the right recipe for a confection he’s never made?

            Put on your toque blanche and don your chef’s whites, because Ember the Bakery Dragon is back in this feel-good follow-up picture book sure to encourage anyone with a sweet tooth and/or a love of carbs (like me!). Like its predecessor, this story is cheerful, decadent and sumptuous with enticing, bright, warm illustrations by author-illustrator Kurtz. Each page is dusted in whimsy like powdered sugar over a cake and magic shimmers like edible glitter. It’s a story of new friends and learning from mistakes, learning something new and working under a deadline, but with pictures awash in golden tones and adorable, determined Ember, this sweet story with its grit and its learning goes down smooth like extra chocolatey hot chocolate.

            Book One: The Bakery Dragon

Forever Kind: Forever Friends Farm (May 6, 2025) by Annie Auerbach.

   Luke Flowers, illustrator.

<This is the first book in a series.>

When Jasper the cat arrives at Forever Friends Farm, he’s only looking out for himself. He’s selfish, prickly, unhelpful and doesn’t think he wants friends because, “Where I come from, you take what you can, or you get nothing.” He doesn’t understand throwing a party simply because PJ the goose, the youngest member of the group, has read a book all by himself. Jasper’s antics eventually lead to catastrophe, but instead of being shamed and cast out, he’s met with understanding and kindness.

            The illustrations are eye-catching with their bold, loud, cartoonish colors, which should capture kids’ attention, but I think the dialogue and overall story fall short. There’s someone giving Jasper the occasional side-eye, but there’s never any actual discussion around Jasper’s ill behavior or how they feel about it. Jasper’s behavior, if one reads between the lines, may be a result of a tough life, perhaps having to fend for himself until now, but there’s no backstory. Forgiveness comes easily and the support is effortless, which is pleasant, but it feels unrealistic. My understanding is that this story encourages social-emotional learning, so perhaps the focus on friendship, kindness, teamwork and inclusion over depth is the intent. I don’t plan to continue the series, but for those families looking for friendly, gentle picture books, this may be right for them.

My Path (May 6, 2025) by Jana Curll.

For a little snail, every day is an adventure on its very own path. Sometimes the little snail has company and sometimes not. Sometimes the journey needs to be extra slow and extra careful, and when the path looks impossible, the snail emphasizes that it’s okay to ask for help. What the snail does is always keeps on going, “Whether I’m ready or not!”

Author/illustrator Curll gives young and young-at-heart readers a joyful picture book that encourages everyone to stay true to themselves and to understand that “every path is special. So choose yours ... and keep going!” The illustrations are simple-yet-colorful and straightforward-yet-thoughtful with their smudge-like quality and bring a calming complement to the reassuring text. I am captivated by this plucky, charming snail, and hopefully plentiful readers are, too.

Sheep Dog and Sheep Sheep: Baaad Hair Day (June 30, 2020) by Eric Barclay.

<This is a sequel book.>

The wool’s over the eyes – literally! Sheep Sheep loves her naturally curly wool. She can style it in a bun, into pigtails or in a fancy updo. Now it’s grown too full, and she can’t see. She splashes into the duck pond (she refers to the ducks as “water chickens”), steps through cow poo (eww) and winds up in the mud with the pig. When Sheep Dog tells her she needs a haircut, she hides. What will convince her that a shearing is what she needs?

            For any children who’ve resisted haircuts, this spirited, silly story is perfect for them. It’s relatable, but the story is so entertaining that it shouldn’t trigger any barbershop or salon scaries. The relationship between Sheep Dog and Sheep Sheep is serious in a lighthearted way with uncomplicated dialogue leading up to the shearing tent, and the cartoon illustrations are colorful, animated and fun. This haircut caper is amusing and charming.

Sloth & Squirrel on Vacation (May 6, 2025) by Cathy Ballou Mealey.

   Kelly Collier, illustrator.

<This is a sequel book.>

Their pickle pop stand is doing great, but Sloth and Squirrel are always busy. They want an adventure (or a “l-o-n-g nap”). When a bench ad promotes Paradise Park, where there is “Something for Everyone!,” they decide that’s the perfect place for the two to vacation. Squirrel is overjoyed by all of the activities, but Sloth wants to lounge (nap) on his floatie first. While Sloth lounges, Squirrel gets distracted by rock climbing, kayaking, paragliding and more. When he realizes he misses Sloth, Sloth wakes up ready to have fun with Squirrel but cannot find him. After they finally reunite, they enjoy something together, but it’s something that should be done FAST!

            One high-octane Squirrel and one laid-back Sloth are an unlikely but lovable pairing of mismatched friends in this winning story. The tame but fun adventure with bright, colorful beach illustrations makes for an engaging book well-suited for young audiences. The story doesn’t always go smoothly, so problem-solving, being a caring friend and being adaptable are good lessons to go over. Nothing in life is perfect, nor are the characters’ vacation in this story, but it shines with positivity and togetherness.