Blood of the Bound (Heirs of Lirien #2) To Be Updated...

I don't fear the darkness inside you...
I fear the dark world I would face without you beside me.

Available at Amazon.com

Blood of the Bound
Annabelle McCormack
Heirs of Lirien, book two
ebook, 505 pages
Published November 17, 2026
ASIN B0CZ48WS6J
ISBN 9781960883391
ARC


The crown of Lirien rests where it never should have—and its true heir has just returned from the grave.

Rykr Westhaven has survived exile, betrayal, and the death of his name. But returning to Lirien as king means facing a court that no longer recognizes him . . . and a wife they refuse to accept. To reclaim his throne, he must confront who he once was—and what he became to survive.

Seren Ragnall awakens in enemy lands, bound by love to the man her people are sworn to destroy. The rebellion that once welcomed her now brands her a traitor, and her new powers may cost her everything. As war brews, one truth

She is the blade they will use to break him. He is the crown they will use to crush her. And their love may cost them everything they still have left to lose.

Blood of the Bound is the second book in the Heirs of Lirien series, romantic fantasies set in a mythical land. Content includes violence, battle scenes and wounds, strong language, and open door, steamy romantic content.

5 out of 5 stars.

This content of this post is redacted for containing spoilers and will be updated upon the book's release.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

Previously in the series:

2026/49

The Bone Debt: A Pirate Romantasy Standalone

What sound do you think a vow makes when you break it?

Available at Amazon.com

The Bone Debt
Leah Mara
A Pirate Romantasy Standalone
ebook
Hardcover, 580 pages
Independently published November 5, 2026
ASIN B0H7CK5H18
ISBN 9781965527061
ARC


A poisoner. A pirate. The marriage they never wanted. And the dangerous quest they must complete.

Elayna Velore hates the idea of a husband. But when her mother tries to force one on her, she marries a pirate instead. One who owes her his life and leaves her alone, just the way she likes it.

Three years later, Elayna is busily curing women of their nasty husbands when one of those jobs lands her on a pirate lord’s kill list. Which brings her own husband, Captain Crimson Dyre, back to her doorstep with his smoldering smile… and a deal.

She must board his ship and help him hunt for a treasure that will free them both from the pirate lord.

But neither of them want this marriage—or to share a bed and a strange magical bond that grows stronger with each danger they face.

As they realize there is more to this treasure hunt than they thought, they risk losing their ship, their crew, and each other.

For here on the treacherous waters of Eloren Isles, every debt must be paid.

A marriage of convenience pirate romantasy standalone (no pre-reading, no cliffhanger!) that gives readers a flirty pirate captain, a vigilante poisoner, all the banter, a magical bond with mind speak, a lovely found family crew, a pet sea dragon, and so much more!

I don't have auto-buy authors. But Leah Mara is dangerously close to ending my stance on that.

A standalone tale featuring a pirate romance from the same mind that brought me Kiera and Aiden in the Rellmira Duology?

Say. No. More.

Now... my first (and admittedly, lasting) impression of Elayna: She's an arse. But, oh, how fascinated I was with the way she morally justified, and completely downplayed, that she is, at the morally grey heart of it, a serial killer. A poisoner. A savior? A woman who has unapologetically weighed, judged, and executed, to the benefit of the weak and oppressed among her society. Vengeance is the oxygen in her blood.

It's a slow burn with instant attraction and flirtatious banter between Elayna and Crimson, an MMC who maintains a backbone, can call out the bs, and is still devastatingly smitten with his wife. Magic, humor, and fast-paced action all wrapped around a cast of characters with varying moral codes. In a world of pirates, would one expect any less?

I fell completely in that moment.
Between one breath and the next,
between the stars and the sea,
I lost my heart to my wife.

Come to the dark side, Mara. Write dark fantasy romance for us.

4 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback

2026/48

Threshing Day (The Empyrean #3.5)

May their souls be commended to Malek.

Available at Amazon.com

Threshing Day
Rebecca Yarros
The Empyrean, book three point five
Audiobook, ~6 hours
Hardcover, 224 pages
Published September 29, 2026
ASIN B0GZ14SN6W
ISBN 9781682818084


Welcome to Threshing Day, the brutal, high-stakes trial where would-be riders at Basgiath War College fight to earn the bond of a dragon or die trying. Amid ruthless competition and dragon fire, these thirteen cadets must survive a battlefield where desperate rivals will do anything to gain an advantage and dragons decide one’s ultimate fate―and where a single choice can forge a rider…or destroy them.

Xaden Riorson, the powerful leader.
Rhiannon Matthias, the clever friend.
Dain Aetos, the dutiful rule-follower.
Liam Mairi, the kindhearted protector.
Ridoc Gamlyn, the jokester.
Sawyer Henrick, the underdog.
Garrick Tavis, the dependable aide.
Imogen Cardulo, the impulsive fighter.
Bodhi Durran, the second-in-command.
Mira Sorrengail, the fearless rider.
Brennan Sorrengail, the brilliant tactician.
Aaric Graycastle, the restless royal.
Sloane Mairi, the determined sister.

On Threshing Day, there’s only one rule: don’t die.

Brennan

Brought tears to my eyes. How dare Yarros start it off like that? "Are you a bird, Sorrengail?" Ahhh. The audio was everything. This story had a bit of it all. Humor. Emotion. Danger. Marbh is excellent.

Mira

Meh. After reading this, I fully expect Mira to die.

Xaden

Did we know the truth of what happened to the heir? Because my mind blanked. And now I know a reread of Onyx Storm is necessary before continuing to book four.

Garrick

He's pining. But not hard enough.

Dain

The baggage this man is carrying.

Bodhi

"Your climbing skills are superior to your reasoning skills." Yeah. That about sums it up.

Xaden was in the wrong here, and elsewhere. I don't know what game Sgaeyl and he were playing at, but telling Bodhi who his dragon bond was supposed to be with absolutely stole a moment from him. Whether it's meeting their eyes or hearing their voice in his head, that first intro to the dragon he would spend the rest of his life forged with should have been a pivotal life experience. Instead, Xaden is all, Not that one. You get Cuir. I didn't like it. And kudos to Bodhi for at least trying to make his own choice.

Imogen

One of the better stories. Third favorite. Garrick shines here. However...

"Say the word and I won't so much as look at another woman. Ever."

Why does she need to say anything?

Rhiannon

Forgettable.

Sawyer

Dull.

Ridoc

Ridoc's story is everything you'd expect from Ridoc, in a good way.

Liam

Always an honor with that boy.

Sloane

Second favorite. And probably the most foreshadowing of the book. I am wholly invested in seeing where her role in this saga goes. Page 197 had me. 

Aaric

I loved Aaric in Onyx Storm. I hope he continues to shine.



The posts are flying up. Theories are running wild. I'm enjoying the chaos.

4 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | audiobook

Previously in the series:

2026/47

The Death Father (The Featherfall Duology #1)

You're mine to love.

Available at Amazon.com

The Death Feather
Jessica Govrin
The Featherfall Duology, book one
ebook, 400 pages
Independently published November 17, 2026
ASIN B0HDZSW22M
ARC


Crows are known to hold grudges. Noa’s kind turn them into death sentences.

Raised among the crow-shifting assassins of Nazir, Noa has never questioned the Grudge Binding. Blood names the Marked. Magic binds the assassin. And the oath ends only when a life does.

Noa has never failed.

Until the man chosen by her newest Grudge turns out to be nothing like the monsters she was raised to hunt.

Determined to discover what makes this Grudge different from all the others, Noa follows him into a world that begins to challenge everything she was raised to believe. And every step draws her closer to Nate, his best friend, sworn protector, and a powerful mage who notices far too much and protects even more fiercely.

He should be an obstacle.

Instead, Nate has an unsettling way of slipping past every defence she raises, and staying away from him proves considerably harder than killing ever was.

But Noa was raised to obey.

And the Grudge will have a life.

The one it came for.

Or hers.

The Death Feather is the first book in the Featherfall Series, an atmospheric dark romantasy filled with crow shapeshifters, deadly magic, assassins, forbidden bonds, sharp banter, political intrigue, undeniable chemistry, and meaningful spice.

This book started off so innocently that I managed to forget about the page of trigger warnings. We meet Liam. Nice guy. A kind of weird. Then there's Nate. Magical. Protective. I could see the butterflies.

It's Found Family with a Fast Burn. Rivalry, where? Blink, and you just might miss it. We're going from rivals to friends to lovers within a third of the book. This story is for readers who swoon at the romance of finding their person while surrounded by a cast of friends and family working together towards a mutual goal.

Liam. That sticky-fingered wormer was my favorite by far. Charm. Humour. Top-tier supporting character. He's just adorable.

3 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook

2026/46