This series has consumed my life
Books I COMPLETED
I read a lot of books in June, trying to catch up on some recent ARCs and do some Hugo reading. I read the entirety of The Chronicles of Osreth in 1 week. I had such a reading hangover that I read almost nothing the week after. I kept trying to get my thoughts in order to write a long review, which is still in draft.
I’ve included snippets from my reviews and additional thoughts.
Silent Paths of Night (6/9/26) by David R. Slayton (eARC)
Phoebe has returned, the tides are back, and the Grief is slowly disappearing. Things are looking better for Versinae with new trade and less death. Of course something goes very, very wrong. A demon came through when Raef resurrected Phoebe and makes its presence known. And then Hyperion’s hierophant calls all of the princes to Ilium. Raef and Seth must once again travel the seas on a quest.
I love the soft, doomed relationship between Seth and Raef.
All Hail Chaos (5/12/26) by Sarah Rees Brennan (eARC)
Gripping and funny sequel that ends with another cliffhanger. The sequel is even more concerned wth the power of narrative. It is so meta (compliment) that each chapter starts with quotes from the original storyline, the new storyline, fanfic, and/or fan commentary.
Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance (7/7/26) by Chiara Bullen (eARC)
Cozy romantasy with low stakes, featuring a M/F romance in a queer-normative world. I chose this book for its cover. It just seemed a little off, and that intrigued me.
Cherry Baby (4/14/26) by Rainbow Rowell (eARC)
Cherry’s work life is great; her personal life is not. She claims that she is over her ex, but most of his belongings are still in her house. She finally gets some momentum after hooking up with her college crush. And then her estranged husband returns to town. Technically, there is a love triangle, but Cherry is not pressured into choosing one man over the other.
I almost stopped reading it because I am not interested in stories where a woman is obsessed with her weight. But I trusted Rainbow Rowell, and I am glad for it.
Brown-Eyed Earl (10/26/26) by Jenny Holiday (eARC)
Simon Courtenay’s two friends have both married, so he suggests some changes to this year’s Earls Trip. The women, including Miss Brown, will now join them for week 2. Simon values his friendship with Miss Brown and cares for her well-being. Will Simon, who is very much neuro-divergent coded, realize that he is in love with her? Of course, this is a fun romance.
Manic-Pixie Dream Earl is still my favorite book in this series.
Kill All Wizards (6/16/26) by Jededian Berry (eARC)
Although I liked the characters and the setting and the worldbuilding, it didn’t fully click for me. I think it is because I had unmet expectations from reading the blurb. Not sure whether I will read the next book in the series.
Normally, I love first-person plural narration, but I kept changing my mind about who was actually telling the story. The narration itself was great–lots of frills and asides and arch references. Gotchimus remained a cypher. Perhaps that was the point, since the narration was obsessed with his Other-ness.
The Chronicles of Osreth (2014-2025) by Katherine Addison
Read in this order: The Goblin Emperor; The Orb of Cairado (audiobook); The Witness for the Dead; Lora Selezh; The Grief of Stones; The Tomb of Dragons; Min Zemerin’s Plan
Who could have known? This Hugo-nominated series is really good. The Goblin Emperor has been on my TBR since I heard about it on Be the Serpent podcast.
Books I’M currently reading
- Everybody’s Perfect (6/30/26) by Jo Walton (eARC)
JuLy TBR
Every year I believe that I will have lots of time to read in July. And then I remember that the Tour de France and Comic-Con also happen this month. Oops.
Backlist
Really, truly I want to read these Hugo and Eisner Award nominees:
- The Incandescent (2025) by Emily Tesh
- The Everlasting (2025) by Alix E. Harrow
- Absolute Wonder Woman, vol. 1: The Last Amazon (2025) by Kelly Thompson, Hayden Sherman, and Mattia de Iulis
- Absolute Martian Manhunter (2025) by Deniz Camp and Javier Rodriguez
Recent and Upcoming Releases That I Want to Read
- Moss’d in Space (7/7/26) by Rebecca Thorne
- The Dragon Has Some Complaints (7/14/26) by John Wiswell
- Witch Below the Dreaming Wood (7/21/26) by H.G. Parry
Already read:
- Sea of Charms (7/28/26) by Sarah Beth Durst (eARC)
