When The Universe Sings (Universe #1)

But I could fall or I could fly,
and at least that much would be my choice.

Available at Amazon.com

When The Universe Sings
Gillian Eliza West
Universe, book one
ebook, 318 pages
Independently published August 6, 2026
ASIN B0GX2SL16C
ISBN 9798990138995


There is only one rule in the galaxy: trust no one.

Juniper knows it all too well. After her home planet was destroyed and eleven years on Ebyd III, a Galactic Federation mechanical prison, the only thing she might fear now is death. Taking a chance at freedom, she climbs into the ventilation shaft of a docked pleasure barge only to be discovered by the mistress of the ship. Given the choice between certain death on Ebyd III and the unknown, she joins as their new silks dancer.

When Captain Asher Ruciyah seeks someone to complete his crew for a mysterious mission, Juniper is hired as their climber to round out their numbers. As part of this new crew intent on stealing one of the universe's most powerful weapons, Juniper discovers she wants something more than freedom: revenge on the man who took everything from her.

But nothing and no one is as it seems, especially in a galaxy filled with lies, deceit, and false identities. Juniper will learn that revenge isn’t as simple as she thought it would be and sometimes it’s not one person, but an entire universe against you.

This one had a grasp on me from the start.

Juniper has been caught as a stowaway on a pleasure ship and, instead of being turned in to the authorities, is offered the position as an aerialist, performing for the many customers who partake in the flesh trade upon the Daskquah. (Inez, anyone?) But Juniper's services are a look-never-touch production, and she spends the next year perfecting her skill.

The day has finally come when Juniper has earned enough credits to balance out the cost of her keep and training. It's also the day Captain Ruciyah arrives, seeking a specific skill set to balance out his team.

But Asher and Juniper have crossed paths before.

On the day of her ascent, when June would partake in the customary climb into adulthood, her home was attacked. And it was Asher who helped lead the charge and gave the haunting command to "burn it to the ground".

Oh, she hates him.

But that's only the beginning.

Twists. Turns. Blindsides. Trust no one and question everything.

The dead are alive, and the villain is your saviour.

Burn it to the ground.

Leave no evidence behind.

Juniper is stuck, trying to make sense of what she's always believed and what she's come to know. It doesn't help that Asher is a man of secrets. And I found myself feeling so bad for her as she reeled from what her body wanted and what her brain was telling her. As she fought the simultaneous urges to both kiss Asher and kill him. For that... when the spice came, it didn't feel right. The timing was off. Her emotions were a mess.

If you want a fated mates and found family tale, this is it. But if you also want an FMC that will find herself, grow, and heal... it falls short. Perhaps, if it wasn't a standalone. Perhaps, if she'd been given more time. Alas, it is what it is and ends where it ends.

3.5 out of 5 stars. Of all the moments for a mating bond to snap into place... smh.

Available in ebook | paperback

2026/43

The Pawn and The Puppet (The Pawn and The Puppet #1)

If you’re going to be stupid,
then I want you to be stupid with a good right hook.

Available at Amazon.com

The Pawn and The Puppet
Brandi Elise Szeker
The Pawn and The Puppet, book one
ebook, 347 pages
Independently published April 1, 2022
ASIN B09RSSMRBZ
ISBN 9798985593419


The Emerald Lake Asylum is not a place most desire to go. Nineteen-year-old, Skylenna, however, made a promise that she must keep. Once hired, she only has one purpose—prove to the council that barbaric treatments, such as waterboarding, scalding baths, and beatings, are no longer the answer. But that all takes pause when she meets the source of terror in the asylum. A patient with a split personality—on one side, he’s the bloodthirsty genius, Dessin. On the other, a hidden persona that is buried deep in his subconscious.

When Dessin is caught in an attempted cell break, he faces execution if Skylenna can’t bring out his core personality and reveal his humanity. She has ninety days to save his life, and the only way to do that is to let him consume her into his world of moves, counter-moves, and master puppeteering.

With each passing day, their bond deepens, a forbidden attraction forming against her best judgments. Little by little, Skylenna uncovers the sinister secrets of his past that turned him into the monster everyone else fears. And Dessin proves to have one weakness despite the terrifying, indestructible persona he presents to the world: her.

Disclaimer: This book contains explicit content and dark elements and may be considered offensive to some readers. Check trigger warnings before reading. It is not intended for anyone under 18 years of age. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by underage readers. This is the revised edition.

This is a dark dystopian society that is intended to be problematic. Please note that this is a fictional world and in no way reflects on the author’s personal beliefs. We will see the society grow and correct its moral compass over the series.

Triggers: gratuitous violence, depression, suicide, torture, domestic violence, eating disorders, hallucinations, misogyny, poisoning, sexual assault, rape, pedophilia, romanticized mental illness, gore, death of a loved one, child abuse, decapitation, female oppression, hostage situation, body shaming, panic attacks, emotional trauma, child sexual assault, child sex trafficking

Does anyone care to weigh in on why books will depict both misogyny and misandry, and yet only misogyny is listed within the content warnings? Or why, when a man touches a woman, and she says, "No," then it's assault, but when a woman touches a man, and he says, "No," then it's seduction?

But putting that aside...

Patient 13 is a gentleman, and the sanest person in this whole book.

And, unfortunately, it takes a quarter of said book to finally meet him. Before that, it was a serious contender for a DNF. I was bored. And my eyes, they were a-rolling. Patient what's-his-name hasn't spoken in twenty years despite numerous torture sessions, and all FMC needs to say is "I think you loved your family and it was an accident," and behold! he speaks.

Don't do that.

Why would you write that?

Cupid is cringe. He's the source of the more serious trigger warnings. Although... Kane's trauma is certainly equally devastating.

But Dessin, as he calls himself, is the intriguing and plot carrying MMC. Bonds can't hold him. Torture doesn't faze him. But if someone hurts Skylenna, then there is no mercy to be found from him.

I had my suspicions of where the story was leading. How he knew things. His backstory. And how his past linked to hers. And it kept me reading, albeit at a snail's pace. I was wrong. So very wrong. My mind was on a whole other plane of fantasy than where this story dwelled.

But what this story lacked, and desperately needed, and I believed it would contain... was spice.

Their linked backstory was, in the end, anticlimactic.

But I did appreciate their final exchange.

3 out of 5 stars. So many unanswered questions!

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

2026/42

Bound by Maynight (Sacred Wilds #1)

Available at Amazon.com

Bound by Maynight
Iris Grimwood
Sacred Wilds, book one
ebook, 66 pages
Independently published July 12, 2026
ASIN B0H8MBHSJP


In the ancient meadows of Eldrynn Hills, where Maynight fires burn and wild magic stirs, Nymera, a free-spirited Fae huntress, collides with Aelric, a battle-hardened border warrior.

Drawn together beneath blooming hawthorns and starlit skies, their unexpected bond awakens something ancient and powerful. As the sacred night unfolds with dancing flames, nectar-sweet promises, and the forest’s watchful gaze, they discover they may be far more than mere revelers.

An ethereal Fae romance full of magic, longing, and the wild beauty of surrender. Book One of the Sacred Wilds series.

Fated mates • Instant attraction • Huntress × Warrior • Magical bonding • Nature magic • Sacrifice • Inspired by Beltane

Holy descriptors, Batman! And an unexpected end as well.

3 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook

2026/41

Steelborn (The Steelborn Saga #1)

To after. To now. To eternity.

Available at Amazon.com

Steelborn
Taylor J. LaRue
The Steeborn Saga, book one
Hardcover, 432 pages
Published August 4, 2026
ASIN B0FJZ75K5G
ISBN 9780316599412


Enter a world ruled by tyrants and thieves, where magic is outlawed, revolution brews, desire is dangerous, and an impossible cure may prove deadlier than the curse. This deluxe hardcover publication features stunning edges, illustrated endpapers, foil-stamped case cover, and special effects on the jacket.

Never run. Never bow. Never die.

Reya Connery became the Crimson Dagger, the most notorious thief in Rhiterra, by following a strict set of rules. There is no honor among thieves. A good blade is key to any negotiation. Only the dead keep secrets. And Reya has a secret that must be kept at all costs. But when a heist goes wrong on the eve of paying off her debt to a ruthless crime lord, Reya may need a new set of rules. And a lot of coin. Fast.

Enter Caelan Halcyon, an immortal warrior whose magic makes him a valuable target – if the curse inching closer to his heart doesn’t kill him first. There’s just one person who might be desperate enough to try and get their hands on the fabled cure in time to save his life, someone whose legend claims they can steal the Crimson Dagger. A male of honor, Caelan loathes everything the beautiful, cocky thief represents, yet knows that Reya is his last hope for survival.

Their search takes them to the edge of the known world, where Reya discovers that there is far more at stake than her and Caelan’s own lives. Now, Reya must confront deadly foes, her growing attraction to the immortal who is as lethal as his jawline is perfect, and the rage she’s spent a lifetime trying to bury. This time, her daggers aren’t going to cut it, and the fate of all magic-born hangs in the balance.

Introducing an epic, slow burn enemies-to-lovers romantasy novel about a heroine forged in steel and rage, and the cursed immortal who might turn out to be as much her salvation as she is his, perfect for fans of Danielle L. Jensen and Callie Hart.

The sprayed edges sold me on this one. That, and the reverse dust jacket. (That so happened to arrive damaged. Why, Waterstones? Whyyyy?)

There's something about a FMC having a biological response to the MMC upon first glance that makes me smile. Tall. Broad. Deadly.

It's not love at first sight. It's an attraction. A captivation. An undeniable gravitation.

And, Reya, our stabby, defiant, and passionate leading lady, knows exactly what her type is.

Sweet Mother above, he did have calluses.
The situation was not at all funny, but she laughed anyway—right in his gorgeous face.
“Something funny, thief?”
She hummed. Hoping it might throw him off guard, she answered truthfully. “If this were any other circumstance, this would absolutely be doing it for me.”

Same, gurl. Same.

Reya has been stifling her powers with a Kellstone for most of her life. Once Caelan gets his fire fingers on it, into the river it goes. No more dampening. She's forced to feel more, smell more, hear more, and, by her own efforts, suppress the cataclysmic forces that electrify her veins.

Fighting nausea all the way as she endeavors to aid Caelan in his quest for Kraken blood, a legendary cure that will save him from impending death after five hundred years of life and wars as a result of a Fae's curse.

A former general of the Shadow Legion, Caelan is cunning and lethal. He's figured her out. Deduced her name. And watches her shamelessly.

She flirts. He does not.

She inquires. He deflects.

Every page is either a nod to Six of Crows or Aelin and Rowan of ToG.

I do love a solitary and reluctant MMC.

He heals her. He feeds her. He eventually is permitted to train her. And only then does he proceed to flirt with her. But we can't get overly excited at this stage because he's convinced she's everything, while he doesn't 'do more'. They are both riding the "he/she's too good for me" mindset. For those who love a slow burn, you'll get a (arguably dub-con) first kiss at about fifty percent.

And if we can hold that thought for one moment so that I may curse Omira for her cock-blocking. You were saving no one, mi'lady. You gave Caelan shit for kissing a drunk woman who has spent weeks parading an open invitation to him to do that and more. Dub-con, my arse. That was wholly consensual.
This is a story built on an epic scale. Legends and prophecies. Wars and genocide. So many plot lines, characters, and moving pieces.

And a magic system fashioned around a pantheon of long-dead gods. Caelan's a trium with the powers of Fire, Healing, and Raven-shifting. Reya is, at the very least, a duo. A perceptor (able to read minds) and a... light wielder? Colorful bands-called Ire-signifying their powers appear upon their skin. Reya, being a demi-Sage, is able to subdue hers. She's a Guardian. With god-powers.



It's not so much enemies to lovers as it is reluctant allies. Definitely slow burn. The attraction is real, but their relationship is given time and room to evolve into true allies and friends with behavior evident that crossing the line into lovers' territory is inevitable.

She saves him. Damn, does she save him. In return, he's opened her eyes. He's given her the push to seize her future for her own. And they operate with the understanding that their paths are merely crossing right now. He's bound for war. And she deserves some peace. But, there is hope in after.

This is a five star read. Strong FMC with a MMC that backs her up the whole way. Such a strong message. It's reminiscent of Aelin and Rowan of ToG (if Rowan sought out Aelin instead)... a bit of Six of Crows (Pekka Rollins/Lennox Raulins).. and Caelan, being the legendary general that he was, very much had my mind drifting to Maxantarius Farlione of the War of Lost Hearts series. And it's because of its so many similarities to my other highly esteemed reads that it lost the bit of excitement that comes with the anticipation of what would come next. It felt as if I'd read this before.

4 out of 5 stars.

Reluctant allies | He trains her | Age gap | Stabby FMC | One damn-right-you-are saddle

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

2026/40