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A Forbidden Alchemy
Stacey McEwan
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This stunning slow-burn romantasy follows a fated pair who uncover a world-changing secret and are thrust into a violent class war, navigating love, loss, and devastating betrayals.
Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson are twelve years old when they are whisked away from the shadows of their disenfranchised mining towns to dazzling Belavere City to discover their magical potential. Those who pass Belavere’s test will become Artisans, wielders of powerful elemental magic destined to fulfill the city’s grand ambitions. For Nina, the Artisan School symbolizes a dream and an escape from her harsh reality, while Patrick yearns to return to his Craftsman family, whose extraordinary physical strength serves the idium mines keeping the city alive.
And then they uncover a devastating truth: Artisans aren’t born, they’re chosen. They part ways on very different paths, leaving them to carry the burden of this secret alone. In the years that follow, a Craftsman revolution ignites, thrusting Nina and Patrick into opposing factions of a brewing war.
Now an elite Artisan with the very rare talent for charming earth, Nina has turned her back on the fight, haunted by the loss of her found family. But fate intervenes when she is captured by Patrick’s rebel group. Despite the years and conflict that separates them, Patrick hasn’t forgotten Nina. He desperately seeks her help for a mission that could shift the tides against Belavere City.
Reluctantly, she agrees, battling the sparks flying between them. But when Nina’s first love reappears, asking her to betray Patrick for the sake of the Artisans, Nina faces an impossible choice that could alter the fate of their world.
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Posts about this title from Celestial
Celestial\
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Steph\
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• Apr 25
recommending books using their opening lines (a series!)
recommending books using their opening lines (a series!)
📚 books mentioned:
- You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White
- Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews
- A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan
- Model Home by Rivers Solomon
- These Memories Do Not Belong to Us by Yiming Ma
- The Midnight Shift by Cheon Seon-ran, translated by Gene Png
- Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad
- I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea
- Beasts of Carnaval by Rosália Rodrigo
- These Vengeful Gods by Gabe Cole Novoa
thank you to Saga Press, Fierce Reads, Mariner Books, Bloomsbury Books, MIRA / HTP Hive, and Get Underlined for the gifted copies!
#bookrecsfromfirstlines #bookfirstlines #bookrecs #nycinfluencer #bookstagram @sagapressbooks @fiercereads @mcdbooks @marinerbooks @bloomsburybooksus @bloomsburypublishing @groveatlantic @readmirabooks @htp_hive @getunderlined
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book recs based on first lines • recommending books based on their opening lines • horror books • fantasy books • sci fi books • thriller books • literary fiction books • audiobooks • unique books • diverse books • MCD Books • Grove Atlantic
10 books
5
Celestial\
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Steph\
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• Aug 30 2025
fantasy books that i NEED YOU TO READ!!! hurry up.
fantasy books that i NEED YOU TO READ!!! hurry up.
📚 books mentioned:
- The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez
- The Ghosts of Rose Hill by R.M. Romero
- Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
- The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
- The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova
- Squire by Nadia Shammas and Sara Alfageeh
- Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott
- The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar
- The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
- The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter
- A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan
👗💄:
- eyeshadow is multiple @halfmagicbeauty sparklestiks
- glitter is from @lemonhead.la
- jumpsuit is from @shopcider
- (also if you have a question about my makeup or something i’m wearing, most of it is curated in my shopmy!)
thank you to Vintage/Anchor, Tordotcom, William Morrow, and Saga Press for the gifted copies!
#fantasybooks #fantasyfall #fantasybookrecs #fantasyrecommendations #bestfantasybooks #WilliamMorrow #TorPartner #SagaSaysCrew #sagapressbooks #SagaSays#starrysteph #nycinfluencer #diversebookstagram #nycbookstagram #bookstagram @delreybooks @peachtreeteen @abramskids @abramsbooks @orbitbooks_us @atriabooks @quilltreebooks @harpercollins @ireadvintage @tordotcompub @williammorrowbooks @sagapressbooks
11 books
Celestial\
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Steph\
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• Aug 2 2025
choose your (book) crisis!!
choose your (book) crisis!!
because a character never seems to have an easy, happy time in a book that i pick up.
📚 books mentioned:
- Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant
- The Eyes are the Best Part by Monika Kim
- Killer on the Road/The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones
- The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei
- Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
- Womb City by Tlotlo Tsamaase
- I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea
- A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan
- Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor
Thank you to Simon Teen, Saga Press, and William Morrow for the gifted copies!
#chooseyourcrisis #chooseyourbookcrisis #chooseyourcharacter #fantasybooks #horrorbooks #scifibooks #bookrecs #bookrecommendations #SagaSaysCrew #sagapressbooks #SagaSays #SimonTeenInfluencer #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #bookstagram #nycbookstagram @simonteen @erewhonbooks @sagapressbooks @flatiron_books @delreybooks @kensingtonbooks @fiercereads @henryholtbooks @williammorrowbooks
10 books
Celestial\
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Steph\
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• Apr 26 2025
thank you SO much to my Saga Crew family!
thank you SO much to my Saga Crew family (Savannah and Cam are the BEST) for a wonderful in-person Forbidden Book Club! ⚗️
it was super exciting to visit the Simon & Schuster offices for the first time, meet new bookish friends who traveled from all over, and yell at Stacey as a group for hurting our heart and leaving us on a brutal cliffhanger. there was even an attempted tattoo prank which made us all belly laugh!
this influencer program is truly one of the most welcoming and inclusive i’ve ever experienced. Savannah, Cam, and the whole Saga team are legends and made us all feel special.
i can’t wait for next time!!
📚 books mentioned:
- A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan
#aforbiddenalchemy #bookclub #SagaSaysCrew #sagasays #sagapressbooks #romantasybooks #fantasybooks #staceymcewan #bookcommunity #starrysteph #nycinfluencer #bookstagram
1 book
Posts about this book from across Bindery
Diva Down Books\
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Joe\
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• Jul 27
Join for free
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I had an amazing time celebrating the release of A Forsaken Prophecy by Stacey McEwan at The Ripped Bodice!\
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I fell in love with Nina and Patrick last year when I read A Forbidden Alchemy, and I think I’m even more obsessed with them now. This was an amazing sequel that I was lucky enough to read early, and I’m so happy it’s officially out in the world.\
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If you haven’t started The Artisan Trilogy yet, what are you waiting for?! Pick it up already!\
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Below is a link to a video of some snippets from the event, which is exclusive for my bindery subscribers for one week before it hits YouTube! I hope you enjoy!\
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https://youtu.be/yjGZUF3hCGg\\
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Join for free or login](https://joezawadareads.binderybooks.com/item/gARqkfo4KQm6w5yeyubm/)
Stacey McEwan talks about A Forsaken Prophecy at her NYC tour stop!
Below is a link to a video of some snippets from the event, which is exclusive for my bindery subscribers for one week before it hits YouTube! I hope you enjoy!
1 book
2
1
chronicallybookish\
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Kaley\
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• Jul 1
Join for free
JUNE** reading wrap up
Ignore the eyebrows I just dyed them this morning they fade a lot after the first 24 hours #booktok #readingwrapup #fantasybooktok #romancebooktok #yesnomaybe
13 books
Infinite Realms Book Club \
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Nozomi \
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• Jun 23
Join for free
Poll:\
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July voting \
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Hi everyone!! I can’t believe we are already going into July… so it’s time to vote for which books we will be reading next month! \
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Everyone will get two votes, so that if you want to read in both genres, you can vote for both!! \
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Voting will end on 6/30 \
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July Voting
6 books
Infinite Realms Book Club \
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Nozomi \
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• May 25
Join for free
Poll:\
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June Voting\
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Hi everyone! It’s time to vote for the books we will be reading in June :) as always we will have three fantasy and three thriller/horror reads to choose from. Everyone will get two votes, one for each category. Voting will end on May 31st! \
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Join for free or login
June Voting
6 books
5
Celestial\
\
Steph\
\
• Apr 25
recommending books using their opening lines (a series!)
recommending books using their opening lines (a series!)
thank you to Saga Press, Fierce Reads, Mariner Books, Bloomsbury Books, MIRA / HTP Hive, and Get Underlined for the gifted copies!
.
10 books
5
Celestial\
\
Steph\
\
• Aug 30 2025
fantasy books that i NEED YOU TO READ!!! hurry up.
fantasy books that i NEED YOU TO READ!!! hurry up.
thank you to Vintage/Anchor, Tordotcom, William Morrow, and Saga Press for the gifted copies!
11 books
Celestial\
\
Steph\
\
• Aug 2 2025
choose your (book) crisis!!
choose your (book) crisis!!
because a character never seems to have an easy, happy time in a book that i pick up.
Thank you to Simon Teen, Saga Press, and William Morrow for the gifted copies!
10 books
The Inkborne Society\
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Azhangia\
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• Jul 1 2025
Join for free
JULY 1ST: \
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A Forbidden Alchemy (Stacey McEwan)\
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Set in a world in which children are whisked away to the capital city to get tested for magical potential at the age of 12, a fated pair uncover a world-changing secret and are thrust into a violent class war, navigating love, loss, and devastating betrayals.\
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My Rating & Review: \
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⭐ 4.25 - Romantasy is a hit or miss for me these days, but I ate this one up!! Overall, I thought A Forbidden Alchemy was a well-paced book with characters that felt alive, an intriguing class war, relationships that were dynamic throughout, and betrayals that kept me on my toes. I know some people hate the love triangle, but the tension in this one was SO good and I think it's definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of the romantasy genre! \
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The Nightblood Prince (Molly X. Chang)\
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Two kingdoms on the brink of battle. One prophesied empress to unite them, who finds herself caught between two princes, and the fact that love alone may not stop the coming war.\
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Tenderly, I Am Devoured (Lyndall Clipstone)\
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A gothic romantasy in which a young woman must bind herself to a dangerous chthonic demon with the help of the son of a rival family to save her family's legacy―and herself―from ruin.\
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JULY 8TH: \
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Predatory Natures (Amy Goldsmith)\
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A teen girl's dream job aboard a luxury train derails when she discovers the strange cargo being transported—a mysterious and beautiful greenhouse—but its flowering façade may hide deadly thorns beneath.\
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Lore of the Tides (Analeigh Sbrana)\
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The conclusion of The Lore of the Wilds duology, as Lore must navigate threats on the ship and beyond, into the ocean’s magical and mysterious depths, in order to find the sun book herself and help free the humans. All the while, Lore can’t help but feel the intense pull of one Fae male who has been helping her all along. But is she willing to risk her human heart for creatures that have burned her in the past, and jeopardize her people’s future?\
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JULY 15TH: \
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The Memory of the Ogisi (Moses Ose Utomi)\
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The epic conclusion to Moses Ose Utomi's critically acclaimed Forever Desert series, The Memory of the Ogisi shatters every truth, destroys every lie, and is a story of oppression no one shall ever forget.\
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Fateless (Julie Kagawa)\
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Deep in the forgotten city of the Deathless Kings, an ancient relic of untold power waits—for one bold enough to steal it. A death-defying adventure ensues as unlikely allies find themselves battling ancient forces within the tombs and facing the unwavering hold of fate.\
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Climate of Chaos (Cassandra Newbould)\
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An exhilarating dystopian YA recalling The Last of Us and Divergent—Climate Of Chaos is a hard-hitting survival story featuring a disabled protagonist that explores the chilling effects of climate change and medical debt.\
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Ghost Cell (Zac Topping)\
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Blade Runner meets John Wick in this sci-fi action adventure following a super-soldier whose very existence has been outlawed by the same society that created him.\
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JULY 29TH: \
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Immortal Consequences (I.V. Marie)\
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Six students at Blackwood Academy, an enigmatic boarding school located at the edge of the afterlife, must compete for the once-in-eternity chance to change their fate—or risk remaining stuck in purgatory forever.\
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My Thoughts & Rating: \
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⭐ 3.50 - The premise of this one caught my eye months ago, and I went in with high hopes that this was going to be a new dark academia x fantasy staple. While the worldbuilding and backbone of the story made sense, I struggled with the character development, or lack thereof. I wish the book had taken some moments to breathe and establish the personalities and backstories of each of its characters instead of barrelling through plot points, because the flatness of the characters caused me to lose interest as the story progressed even when there was a lot of action happening. That said, if you’re more of a plot-driven reader, you may still enjoy your time with this one!\
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The Last Tiger (Julia Riew and Brad Riew)\
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Inspired by true stories from the authors’ grandparents’ lives during one of the darkest periods in Korean history, The Last Tiger is a debut young adult fantasy novel about the power of love to give voice to a silenced people.\
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Birth of a Dynasty (Chinaza Bado)\
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Combining the political intrigue of She Who Became the Sun with the gorgeous world-building of Children of Blood and Bone, Birth of a Dynasty is the start of a thrilling epic fantasy trilogy centered around three families’ fight for power in Ahkebulin, a land where magic is feared, giants are real, and prophecy holds sway.\
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Soulmatch (Rebecca Danzenbaker)\
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In a world where past lives determine your future, a sharp-witted girl confronts a major twist of destiny, embroiling her in a high-stakes game of danger, corruption, and heartbreak in this young adult speculative romance perfect for fans of Scythe and Matched.\
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A Mastery of Monsters (Liselle Sambury)\
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Ninth House meets Legendborn in this thrilling first book in a dark academia fantasy series about a teen who’s willing to do anything to find her brother—even infiltrate a secret society full of monsters.\
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Join for free or login
July 2025 Book Releases (+ My Thoughts & Ratings)
Please note, this is not a comprehensive list of every SFF book coming out in July, rather just a compilation of ones that caught my eye! Reviews of ARCs I have already read are included in the post.
2 books
1
The Inkborne Society\
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Azhangia\
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• Jun 29 2025
Join for free
My Top 3 of the Month \
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⭐ 5.00 - Martyr! (Kaveh Akbar)\
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Martyr! was the star of this month and an absolute masterpiece. Following an orphaned son of Iranian immigrants who is obsessed with the idea of martyrdom, Martyr! delves into themes of grief, addiction, mortality, morality, family, and more, all brought to life through writing that is deeply evocative and piercing. I am still processing the last few chapters, but wow, what a book. \
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⭐ 4.25 - A Forbidden Alchemy (Stacey McEwan)\
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I ate this romantasy up!! Set in a world in which children are whisked away to the capital city to get tested for magical potential at the age of 12, a fated pair uncover a world-changing secret and are thrust into a violent class war, navigating love, loss, and devastating betrayals. This book had solid pacing, dynamic relationships, betrayals that kept me on my toes, and overall, was an exciting and engaging read. I know some people hate the love triangle, but the tension in this one was SO good and I think it's definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of the romantasy genre! \
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⭐ 4.00 - Assassin’s Quest (Robin Hobb)\
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And so, my journey with the Farseer trilogy comes to an end. Robin Hobb’s character work really brought this story to life, and by the time I finished this book, I felt like I had lived several years with these characters. While I thought the pace slightly dragged at times, overall, this was a solid conclusion to the series and I was satisfied with Fitz’s story arc. \
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Other Reads and Ratings: \
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⭐ 4.00 - The Phoenix Pencil Company (Allison King)\
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The Phoenix Pencil Company features a hidden and nearly forgotten magic - of Reforging pencils, bringing the memories they contain back to life. I was really interested in how this book was going to explore generational storytelling, and I loved the family saga aspect of the tale. However, I thought other elements (mostly those involving the romance) were not well-executed and detracted from the impact of the story. Overall, still a solid debut!\
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⭐ 3.75 - The Vanished Birds (Simon Jimenez)\
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In The Vanished Birds, a mysterious child lands in the care of a solitary woman, changing both of their lives forever. I really enjoyed the lyrical prose, but the book felt disjointed at times, with the first chapter feeling almost like a completely different story. That said, this is a space opera that takes readers across space and time, and I did appreciate Jimenez’s innovative storytelling.\
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⭐ 3.75 - Crier’s War (Nina Varela)\
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Crier’s War is a sapphic YA sci-fantasy book about the impossible love between two girls - one human, one Made - that could birth a revolution. I first added this book to my TBR back in November when I was looking for books like Arcane, and I am happy to report that the main character in this book did have some Cait and Vi vibes! However, this story wasn’t particularly original or memorable, and I do not plan on continuing the series. \
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⭐ 3.50 - Black Salt Queen (Samantha Basil)\
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I really wanted to like this one, but ultimately, I struggled with how flat the characters felt and the surface-level storytelling. I did appreciate the Filipino cultural inspirations and thought the story had a lot of potential though!\
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⭐ 3.50 - Immortal Consequences (I.V. Marie)\
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The premise of this book caught my eyes months ago (boarding school at the edge of the afterlife sounded so intriguing), but this is another book that unfortunately didn’t work for me because of how stale and underdeveloped the characters all felt. That said, I do think there are readers out there who would enjoy this fast-paced, plot-driven YA dark academia fantasy!\
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Note: June has been a very busy month for me on the personal side of things, so I apologize for the lack of activity on my Bindery. July will also unfortunately be a busy month for me, but hopefully I will have more time to post in future months. Thank you for sticking around, and let me know if there's anything you want to see!\
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June Reading Wrap-Up: Ratings & Reviews
Some thoughts on the eight books I read this month!
8 books
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2
Celestial\
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Steph\
\
• Apr 26 2025
thank you SO much to my Saga Crew family!
thank you SO much to my Saga Crew family (Savannah and Cam are the BEST) for a wonderful in-person Forbidden Book Club! ⚗️
i can’t wait for next time!!
📚 books mentioned:
- A Forbidden Alchemy by Stacey McEwan
1 book