My Top 3 of the Month

⭐ 5.00 - Martyr! (Kaveh Akbar)
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. 

⭐ 4.25 - A Forbidden Alchemy (Stacey McEwan)
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! 

⭐ 4.00 - Assassin’s Quest (Robin Hobb)
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. 

Other Reads and Ratings:

⭐ 4.00 - The Phoenix Pencil Company (Allison King)
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!

⭐ 3.75 - The Vanished Birds (Simon Jimenez)
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.

⭐ 3.75 - Crier’s War (Nina Varela)
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. 

⭐ 3.50 - Black Salt Queen (Samantha Basil)
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!

⭐ 3.50 - Immortal Consequences (I.V. Marie)
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!

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!

My Top 3 Reads of the Month

⭐ 5.00 - Martyr! (Kaveh Akbar)
Martyr! was the star of this month and an absolute masterpiece of a book. Following an orphaned son of Iranian immigrants who is obsessed with the idea of martyrdom, Martyr! delves into themes of grief, addiction, mortality, morality, and family, 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. 

⭐ 4.25 - A Forbidden Alchemy (Stacey McEwan)
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. A Forbidden Alchemy 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! 

⭐ 4.00 - Assassin’s Quest (Robin Hobb)
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 Assassin's Quest slightly dragged at times, overall, this was a solid conclusion to the series and I was satisfied with Fitz’s story arc. 

Other Reads and Ratings:

⭐ 4.00 - The Phoenix Pencil Company (Allison King)
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 story. That said, 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!

⭐ 3.75 - The Vanished Birds (Simon Jimenez)

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 too 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.

• ⭐ 3.75 - Crier’s War (Nina Varela)

  • 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. 

• ⭐ 3.50 - Black Salt Queen (Samantha Basil)

  • 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!

• ⭐ 3.50 - Immortal Consequences (I.V. Marie)

  • The premise of this book caught my eyes months ago (boarding school at the edge of the afterlife is so intriguing), but this is another book that unfortunately didn’t work for me because the characters all felt stale and underdeveloped. That said, this is a fast-paced plot-driven YA dark academia fantasy, and I do think there are readers out there who would enjoy it!

JUNE 3RD:

A Forgery of Fate (Elizabeth Lim)
A romantic fantasy inspired by Beauty and the Beast about a girl who paints the future and a cursed dragon lord, bound by love and deception in a plot to bring down the gods.

My Thoughts & Rating:
⭐ 4.00 - This was one of the best YA books I’ve read in a while, and I loved how Asian folklore was woven into this Beauty and the Beast retelling. I also had no idea this was partially set in an underwater kingdom until I started reading it, but I really liked the enchanted, aquatic vibes and the various sea creatures and demons that made appearances in the tale. This is a super-digestible, action-packed book and I would definitely recommend it to fans of the YA fantasy genre!

A Song of Legends Lost (M.H. Ayinde)
An unforgettable tale of revenge and rebellion unfolds when a reckless king implements an ill-fated plan to end a thousand-year war in this relentlessly gripping epic fantasy debut.

My Thoughts & Rating:
⭐3.25 -  A Song of Legends Lost by M.H. Ayinde is an epic fantasy with an intriguing magic system based on invoking ancestors, a sci-fi element (techwork) that made the world feel distinct, and quite a few thrilling fight sequences. The book gets off to an exciting start as you are introduced to different parts of the world through the eyes of a few different characters, but overall, I felt like there was a little too much going on. I usually do like multiple POVs, but because several of the characters felt underdeveloped, I wish the book had spent more time fleshing select characters out, instead of expanding the scope of the story. That said, if you’re more of a plot-driven reader vs. a character-driven reader, this may not be a problem for you!

The God and the Gwisin (Sophie Kim)
In the sequel to The God and the Gumiho, a trickster god must work with his reincarnated lost love to solve his brother’s murder on board a luxury underworld cruise ship.

The Two Lies of Faven Sythe (Megan E. O'Keefe)
A search for a missing person uncovers a galaxy-spanning conspiracy in this thrilling standalone space opera.

[ON MY JUNE TBR]

The Phoenix Pencil Company (Allison King)
In a debut novel about a hidden and nearly forgotten magic—of Reforging pencils, bringing the memories they contain back to life—that holds the power to transform a young woman’s relationship with her grandmother, and to mend long-lost connections across time and space.

[ON MY JUNE TBR]

Lady Knight (Amie Kaufman, Meagan Spooner)
An undeniably fierce, unforgettably funny, unapologetically queer feminist romp through the England of medieval legend that is an epic quest for valor, freedom, and, above all, love. A Knight’s Tale meets the Lady Jane series, with a dash of The Great!

The Beautiful Maddening (Shea Ernshaw)
A haunting romantic contemporary fantasy about a teen navigating her family’s love curse that blooms with their enchanted tulips every year.

A Master of Monsters (Liselle Sambury)
Ninth House meets Legendborn in this 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.

JUNE 10TH:

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil (V.E. Schwab)
A genre-defying novel about immortality and hunger, following three women whose stories intertwine over the course of 500 years.

My Thoughts & Rating:
⭐ 4.50 - Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a story of desperation, loneliness, all-consuming love, rage, betrayal, and the insatiable hunger for more, and feels like a darker version of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, but with toxic, sapphic vampires! I was admittedly slightly bored at the beginning, but this is a character-driven tale that gains momentum as the book progresses, and it wasn’t long before the story sank its teeth into me and refused to let go. The complexity of the relationships was so well-crafted, and I found myself pretty satisfied with the ending, which is not something I always feel with V.E. Schwab’s books. A great gothic standalone overall!

Six Wild Crowns (Holly Race)
A breathtaking epic fantasy of dragons, courtly intrigue, sapphic yearning, and the wives of Henry VIII as you've never seen them before. 

A Dance of Lies (Brittney Arena)
A debut fantasy romance filled with hope after heartbreak, secrets, and betrayal, as a dancer-turned-spy must decide how far she will go to secure her freedom.

Flight of the Fallen (Hana Lee)
Hana Lee’s gritty, queer Mad Max–inspired fantasy duology continues with more high-stakes political intrigue, monsters of all kinds, and a high-speed motorcycle adventure to find a refuge for humanity beyond the wasteland.

Realm of Thieves (Karina Halle)
Two thieves vie for dominance in the illegal dragon egg trade, putting both their lives and their hearts on the line in this scorching romantasy.

JUNE 17TH:

Goodbye, My Princess (Fei Wo Si Cun)
The only thing more dangerous than a king is his heir in this first English translation of the romantic tragedy that inspired the popular TV series from one of China’s best-known authors of heartbreak—perfect for readers of Captive Prince and Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation.

The Blood Phoenix (Amber Chen)
The sequel to Of Jade and Dragons, a thrilling and epic silkpunk fantasy inspired by the legendary Qing dynasty. With the world on the brink of destruction, will they find a way to defeat their enemies and survive? And will it be worth the cost?

A Far Better Thing (H. G. Parry)
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell meets A Tale of Two Cities in H. G. Parry’s A Far Better Thing, a heart-rending fantasy of faery revenge set during the French Revolution.

School of Shards: A Novel (Marina and Sergey Dyachenko)
The haunting final chapter of the modern classic Vita Nostra trilogy. The Dyachenkos’ magical dark academia novel brings the story of Sasha to a revelatory climax as she learns to take control of her powers and reshape the world...or destroy it forever.

JUNE 24TH:

A Treachery of Swans (A.B. Poranek)
An atmospheric fantasy based on Swan Lake, following Odile as her plan to restore magic to her kingdom gets disrupted by a murder—forcing her to beg for help from the young woman whose identity she stole.

My Thoughts & Rating:
⭐4.25 - I loved this sapphic twist in this Swan Lake retelling, the gothic vibes, and the lush and lyrical writing. I do wish this had been a duology rather than a standalone, because there was a lot of potential at the end to expand the story, rather than force a conclusion, but overall, I enjoyed my time with this one!

Embrace the Serpent (Sunya Mara)
In this sweeping romantic fantasy, a dangerous deal binds a young jeweler's apprentice to the mysterious Serpent King in a marriage of convenience, thrusting her into a deadly game between the cunning, fearsome ruler and his rebellious huntsman.

[ON MY JUNE TBR]

The Lady, the Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death (Helen Marshall)
A dark fantasy in which young woman is seduced by the glamour of the circus and drawn into a dangerous world of violence, cruelty and revenge. 

And a special shout-out to the four Bindery titles that are being released this month (all on June 3rd)! 📚

Crueler Mercies (Maren Chase)
After nine years as the people’s beloved princess in the sun-soaked Kingdom of Carca, Vita witnesses the execution of her mother by her father’s hand. Forced into exile, Vita fades into obscurity with her only friends—the crows that visit her window. Eleven years later, Vita is given a choice: marry an enemy general, granting him legitimacy to take the throne, or die as the forgotten princess. With time running out, Vita meets Soline, an intriguing lady-in-waiting who introduces her to the powerful-but-unstable magic of alchemy. If Vita and Soline can learn to control it—and the undeniable spark between them—they could burn the world of men to the ground.

Of Monsters and Mainframes (Barbara Truelove)
Spaceships aren’t programmed to seek revenge—but for Dracula, Demeter will make an exception. Demeter just wants to do her job: shuttling humans between Earth and Alpha Centauri. Unfortunately, her passengers keep dying—and not from equipment failures, as her AI medical system, Steward, would have her believe. These are paranormal murders, and they began when one nasty, ancient vampire decided to board Demeter and kill all her humans. To keep from getting decommissioned, Demeter must join forces with her own team of monsters: A werewolf. An engineer built from the dead. A pharaoh with otherworldly powers. A vampire with a grudge. A fleet of cheerful spider drones. Together, this motley crew will face down the ultimate evil—Dracula. The queer love child of pulp horror and ​classic ​sci-fi, Of Monsters and ​Mainframes ​is a dazzling, heartfelt odyssey that probes what it means to be one of society’s monsters—and explores the many types of friendship that make us human.

Black Salt Queen (Samantha Bansil)
There can be no victory without betrayal. Hara Duja Gatdula, queen of the island nation of Maynara, holds the divine power to move the earth. But her strength is failing and the line of succession gives her little comfort. Her heir, Laya, is a danger—a petty and passionate princess who wields the enormous power of the skies with fickle indifference. Circling the throne is Imeria Kulaw—the matriarch of a traitorous rival family who wields recklessly enhanced powers of her own—with designs to secure a high-ranking position for her son and claim the crown for her family. Each woman has a secret weakness—a lover, a heartbreak, a lie. But each is willing to pay the steepest price to bring down her rivals once and for all. Filled with passion, romance, betrayal, and divine magic, Black Salt Queen journeys to a gorgeous precolonial island nation where women—and secrets—reign.

The Unmapping (Denise S. Robbins)
4 a.m., New York City. A silent disaster. There is no flash of light, no crumbling, no quaking. Each person in New York wakes up on an unfamiliar block when the buildings all switch locations overnight. The power grid has snapped, thousands of residents are missing, and the Empire State Building is on Coney Island—for now. The next night, it happens again. Esme Green and Arjun Varma work for the City of New York’s Emergency Management team and are tasked with disaster response for the Unmapping. As Esme tries to wade through the bureaucratic nightmare of an endlessly shuffling city, she’s distracted by the ongoing search for her missing fiancé. Meanwhile, Arjun focuses on the ground-level rescue of disoriented New Yorkers, hoping to become the hero the city needs. While scientists scramble to find a solution—or at least a means to cope—and mysterious “red cloak” cults crop up in the disaster’s wake, New York begins to reckon with a new reality no one recognizes. For Esme and Arjun, the fight to hold the city together will mean tackling questions about themselves that they were too afraid to ask—and facing answers they never expected. With themes of climate change, political unrest, and life in a state of emergency, The Unmapping is a timely and captivating debut.

My Top 5 of the Month

⭐ 4.50 - The Grace of Kings (Ken Liu)

I finally picked up The Grace of Kings this month after years of having it on my TBR and was NOT disappointed. The first book of the Dandelion Dynasty series, TGoK is a silkpunk fantasy tale of rebellion, treachery, sacrifice, and dynamic politics. One of my favorite things about this book was the minor characters - even though you don’t necessarily spend that much time with them, they all feel so three-dimensional, with rich lives of their own that piece together into the greater tapestry of the story. The book also featured exciting action sequences, fascinating biomimetic technology, and complex relationships that really brought the tale to life. I think this series will likely become one of my all-time favs, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the books!!!

⭐ 4.50 - House of the Beast (Michelle Wong)

I’m always on the hunt for a good standalone fantasy, and House of the Beast is the latest gem I wanted to share. Full of morally complex characters and set in an Asian-inspired world with an anime vibe that I really enjoyed, this was a captivating dark fantasy tale of revenge, codependency, and obsession that I could not put it down. The book also features illustrations done by the author herself (she was the illustrator of The Legend of Korra graphic novels!), and they were such a delight to look at throughout the course of the story. 

⭐ 4.50 - The Devils (Joe Abercrombie)

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie is now what I would consider the best starting point for readers new to Abercrombie’s works, and is a delightful story of found family and adventure that somehow managed to be tragic, hilarious, and thought-provoking all at once. It’s grimdark fantasy, so yes, there is the violence, the brutality, the futility, but Abercrombie does a fantastic job amping up the humor and wit without losing the core of the story, which in The Devils, is about finding self, belonging, purpose in a cruel and chaotic world. Additionally, the book delves into the hypocrisy of the Church, the blurred lines of good and evil, and concepts of damnation and redemption. One chapter in particular, “A War in Miniature,” stood out to me as especially well-written, and it’s one of the most memorable chapters I’ve read in recent years. 

⭐ 4.25 - Coldwire (Chloe Gong)

I grew up during the peak era of YA dystopia (YA books in the early 2010’s just hit different), and Coldwire was a book that felt conceptually fresh, but also nostalgic of that time. Given the rise of AI, this book felt particularly fascinating and relevant, and my favorite thing about it was the premise of the world being separated into “upcountry” and “downcountry” - those with financial resources can escape the economic and environmental catastrophes of “downcountry” by living almost entirely in a virtual reality known as “upcountry”. I am eagerly awaiting book 2 of this series, because man, there were so many twists and turns in the last 30% of the book and I need to see how the full story plays out!!

⭐ 4.25 - Royal Assassin (Robin Hobb)

Robin Hobb sure knows how to write a compelling character-driven story, and I enjoyed this second leg of Fitz’s journey. This series has such a classic fantasy feel to it, and while I’m slightly terrified to see where this story is going (must protect Fitz at all costs), I am excited to see how this trilogy concludes in the next book!

Other May Reads & Ratings

⭐ 4.25 - A Treachery of Swans (A.B. Poranek) 

I grew up doing ballet and am a sucker for Swan Lake retellings, so I was super excited to pick up this book. The writing was so lyrical and lush, and the gothic atmosphere was perfect for the story. I loved this sapphic twist on the Swan Lake tale, and thought the writing was engaging throughout. I do wish this had been a duology rather than a standalone, because there was a lot of potential at the end to expand the story, rather than force a conclusion, but overall, I enjoyed my time with this one!

⭐ 4.00 - A Forgery of Fate (Elizabeth Lim) 

YA books are a hit or miss for me these days, but this was a hit! I loved how Asian folklore was woven into this undersea Beauty and the Beast retelling, and really enjoyed the enchanted, aquatic vibes. This is a super-digestible, action-packed book and is very suitable for those looking to get more into the fantasy genre.

⭐ 4.00 - The Incandescent (Emily Tesh)

The Incandescent features an older FMC (late 30’s), a highly detailed and well-developed magic system, and sapphic relationships all tied together in a story of self-discovery, belonging, and power. I have never read a dark academia fantasy book told from the perspective of the faculty, rather than the students, and I really appreciated this fresh perspective - if you're a teacher, I think you will especially like this one! 

⭐ 4.00 - My Friends (Fredrik Backman)

This was a beautiful story about how special childhood friendships are, and the beauty and power of art. I particularly loved the dedication of the book, so I wanted to share it below:

"To anyone who is young and wants to create something. Do it."

⭐ 3.75 - Behooved (M. Stevenson)

I was devastated when My Lady Jane was canceled on Prime Video after one season, but this book slightly eased the pain (yes, there is somehow another fantasy in which the MMC turns into a horse after sunset). Wish there was a little more depth to the story, but overall, this was a delightful romp of a story, and I had a lot of fun reading it!

⭐ 3.75 - A Man Called Ove (Fredrik Backman)

Stories about the elderly always wreck me, and this was no exception. That said, I didn’t find this one quite as moving as And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer, another one of Backman’s books about an elderly man, but thought it was still beautifully written overall.

⭐ 3.75 - The Summer Palace and Other Stories (C.S. Pacat)

This was a collection of short stories set in the same universe as the Captive Prince series, and I enjoyed getting to learn more about some of the side characters from the original trilogy, as well as glimpse the lives of Laurent and Damen following Kings Rising.

⭐ 3.25 - A Song of Legends Lost (M.H. Ayinde)

This book had a really intriguing magic system centered around ancestral summoning and featured a cool sci-fi element called techwork, but I had a difficult time getting emotionally invested in the story because of how flat the characters felt. That said, if you’re more of a plot-driven reader, you may still really enjoy this one!

I am moving into a studio apartment at the beginning of June and need to downsize my book collection (tragic, I know), so I'm hoping some of you will be able to give these books a good home :) This is also my way of saying thank you to those of you who have joined me here at the beginning of my Bindery journey - seriously, I appreciate it!

I have split these special edition, advanced reader copies (ARCs), and signed books into two categories: Adult and Young Adult (YA), and to enter, all you have to do is comment which one of these stacks you are interested in (giveaway open to U.S. only). I will be randomly selecting one winner for each stack and reaching out to the winners by 10pm EST on Sunday, May 25th.

Without further ado, here are the books!

ADULT STACK

• If We Were Villians (M.L. Rio) - Special Edition Paperback with Sprayed Edges

• Immortal Dark (Tigest Girma) - First Edition Hardcover with Sprayed Edges

• Summer in the City (Alex Aster) - First Edition Hardcover with Sprayed Edges

• The Scorpion and the Night Blossom (Amelie Wen Zhao) - Fairyloot Special Edition

• Faebound (Saara El-Arifi) - Signed Fairyloot Special Edition

• A Feather So Black (Lyra Selene) - Signed Fairyloot Special Edition

YOUNG ADULT (YA) STACK

• Capitana (Cassandra James)- ARC

• After Life (Gayle Forman) - ARC

• Eleven Houses (Colleen Oakes) - ARC

• Prince of Fortune (Lisa Tirreno) - ARC

• The Scarlet Veil (Shelby Mahurin) - Signed Paperback

• This Woven Kingdom (Tahereh Mafi) - Signed Paperback

• Shatter Me (Tahereh Mafi) - Signed Special Edition Hardcover with Sprayed Edges

• Nightbane (Alex Aster) - Signed First Edition Hardcover with Page Overlays

Thanks so much again for being a part of my Bindery community! And thank you to everyone who voted in the poll last week for my May Bindery exclusive video - the "My Favorite and Least Favorite Book Tropes" prompt won, so I'll be posting that some time before the end of the month. See you then!

Thank you all for being here! Here's the poll for my first Bindery exclusive video - let me know which one of these you'd be most interested in seeing (how to film & edit book transition videos, how to request ARCs, or my most and least favorite book tropes), and the video will be posted soon! :)

Welcome to the Inkborne Society ✨- I'm so glad you're here! To kick things off, I’ve put together a few Q&As to share a bit more about me, what this space is for, and what you can expect around here. Can't wait to build this community together!

Why are you excited to join Bindery?
The best stories are the ones we experience together, and I’m thrilled to join Bindery to connect and build community in a new way, share a broader range of content, and uplift diverse voices across all genres, especially fantasy, sci-fi, and dark academia.

What can members expect?
Expect a space to connect, share, and celebrate the books we love, access to a community Discord, buddy reads, and exclusive Bindery content including editing tutorials, long-form reviews, monthly lists of new SFF releases, book recommendation articles, thoughts on book-to-screen adaptations, and more!

What are some of your favorite books and series?

• Piranesi (Susanna Clarke)

• Blood Over Bright Haven (M.L. Wang)

• The Broken Earth Trilogy (N.K. Jemisin)

• The Poppy War Trilogy (R.F. Kuang)

• Circe (Madeline Miller)

• The Sword of Kaigen (M.L. Wang)

• The Paper Menagerie (Ken Liu)

• Best Served Cold (Joe Abercrombie)

• This is How You Lose the Time War (Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone)

• A Song of Ice and Fire (George R.R. Martin)

• The Spear Cuts Through Water (Simon Jimenez)

• The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)

  

What’s in the Discord, and how do I access it?

The Inkborne Society Discord is linked at the top of my site and features channels to discuss books, film/tv, content creator tips and tricks (including ARC requests and influencer programs), and much more! To make sure your Bindery subscriber tier transfers over to Discord, please integrate your account.

What is Bindery?
Bindery is a community-powered book publisher - think of it as part publishing house, part Substack, part Patreon, and part content hub all rolled into one. It gives creators a place to bring everything together: they can link content from across social platforms, share exclusive Bindery content (like articles, rec lists, videos, and polls), and connect with their audience more directly. There are also perks like Discord communities, book clubs, and whatever else creators dream up!

One of the coolest parts of The Bindery is that Tastemakers (that’s what content creators are called on the platform) who grow strong, engaged communities have the chance to launch their very own imprint. Even better? The community gets to be part of the entire journey — from acquisition all the way to publication.

Some incredible books have already come out or are soon coming out of Bindery imprints, so if you spot them out in the wild, definitely take a closer look! Below are just a few that I’m looking forward to checking out:

A Little More About Me

Hi! My name is Amanda - I’m in my mid-twenties and based in New York City. I started creating book content about two years ago using the moniker "azhangia" and it’s been such a joy to connect with others who love stories as much as I do.

Fantasy, mythology, sci-fi, dark academia, and literary fiction are some of my favorite genres, and I often find myself gravitating towards sad books (the more devastating, the better). When I am not reading, I can be found listening to film scores, attending dance classes, or lurking around in dessert spots around the city!

Thank you so much for being here, and once again, welcome to The Inkborne Society.

Here is a list May 2025 book releases across the sci-fi and fantasy genres, including a short publisher synopsis for each book as well as my thoughts + ratings of the ones I've already read (tagged to this post). As I read more of these throughout the month, I'll update this list with additional reviews. Happy reading! :)

MAY 6TH: 

Silver Elite (Dani Francis) 
In the first book of a sizzling dystopian romance series, psychic gifts are a death sentence and there are rules to survival: Trust no one. Lie to everyone. And whatever you do, don’t fall for your greatest enemy.

My Thoughts & Rating:
⭐ 3.75 - This book was A LOT of fun (especially in the first 50%), and reminded me of Tris and Four from Divergent (the banter was ON POINT). Unfortunately, the characters continued to feel one-dimensional as the story progressed, and the plot armor got a little too thick for my liking. That said, if you’re just looking for a good time, this may still be for you! I also feel like this will be the next big "booktok book" given how commercial it is so I'm curious to see if it does blow up after its release... 👀

His Face is the Sun (Michelle Jabès Corpora)
A new reign is coming...romance, magic, adventure, and horror collide in the start to this lush, epic, Ancient Egyptian inspired trilogy. Four strangers—a princess, a young priestess, a rebel, and a tomb robber—are ripped from their lives and thrown into the conflict. Amid murder and betrayal, magic and monsters, gods and visions, love and war, these four unlikely heroes find themselves connected by a forgotten oracle that whispers insistently across the land. Only together can they save the kingdom from destruction, but when the bloodshed is done, who of Khetara’s children will sit on the throne?

The Lost Queen (Aimee Phan)
A heroine like no other, ancient magic unleashed, a fated epic battle–the first book in an enchanting YA fantasy duology inspired by Vietnamese lore, weaving magic, sisterhood, and self-discovery.

Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame (Neon Yang)
With an armored, oath-bound hero reminiscent of The Mandalorian and the Asian-inspired epic fantasy of She Who Became the Sun, Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame is a stunning queer novella about a dragon hunter finding home with a dragon queen.

The Survivor Wants to Die at the End (Adam Silvera)
In this third book of the They Both Die at the End series, two strangers—each with their own complicated relationship to Death-Cast—help each other learn to live.

For Whom the Bell Tolls (Jaysea Lynn)
A hotter-than-hell romantasy about forbidden love, dark magic, and a young woman’s fiery adventure in the Afterlife, perfect for fans of Sarah A. Parker and Callie Hart.

Shield of Sparrows (Devney Perry)
A slow-burn, high-stakes romantasy where enemies become lovers, monsters stalk a cursed realm, and a forgotten princess finds the strength to tear off her crown and become the warrior she was never meant to be.

A Letter from the Lonesome Shore (Sylvie Cathrall)
The charming conclusion to the Sunken Archive duology, a heart-warming magical academia fantasy filled with underwater cities, romance of manners and found family, perfect for fans of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

MAY 13TH: 

The Devils (Joe Abercrombie)
An epic fantasy featuring a notorious band of anti-heroes on a delightfully bloody and raucous journey…holy work sometimes requires unholy deeds.

My Thoughts & Rating
⭐ 4.50 - The Devils by Joe Abercrombie features what I now consider to be one of the best chapters written in fantasy ("A War in Miniature") and somehow manages to be tragic, hilarious, and thought-provoking all at once. It’s grimdark fantasy, so yes, there is the violence, the brutality, the futility, but something Abercrombie does well, especially in this book, is amp up the humor and wit without losing the core of the story, which in The Devils, is about finding self, belonging, purpose in a cruel and chaotic world. It’s also about the hypocrisy of the Church, the blurred lines of good and evil, damnation and redemption, and is overall a highly entertaining, rambunctious adventure that also had some really moving moments of found family.

The Incandescent (Emily Tesh)
A razor-sharp sapphic dark academia fantasy told through the eyes of the faculty in a story of self, belonging, and power.

My Thoughts & Rating
⭐ 4.00 - The Incandescent features an older FMC (late 30’s), a highly detailed and well-developed magic system, and sapphic relationships all tied together in a story of self-discovery, belonging, and power. I have never read a dark academia fantasy book told from the perspective of the faculty, rather than the students, and I really enjoyed this fresh perspective - if you're a teacher, I think you will particularly love this book! I listened to an advanced listener copy (ALC) of this book on Netgalley and thought the audiobook narrator, Zara Ramm, was wonderful - would highly recommend the audio version of this book if you’re interested in it!

Anji Kills a King (Evan Leikam)
An unlikely assassin struggles to escape a legendary bounty hunter in this breakneck fantasy debut that will grab you by the throat—perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie, R.F. Kuang, and Christopher Buehlman.

A Curse Carved in Bone (Danielle L. Jensen)
A shield maiden fights to break the shackles of prophecy—and to overcome the betrayal of the man who broke her heart—in this searing conclusion to the Norse-inspired fantasy romance duology that began with the bestselling A Fate Inked in Blood.

MAY 20TH:

The Knight and the Moth (Rachel Gillig)
A gothic, mist-cloaked tale of a young prophetess who is forced on an impossible quest with the one infuriating knight whose future is beyond her sight. 

My Thoughts & Rating:
⭐ 4.25 - I loved the atmospheric setting, lyrical, prose, and unique magic system (based on six magical objects that grant users a specific set of abilities), and thought this was a well-paced story with clear stakes and defined conflicts. I wasn’t totally convinced by the romance of the two main characters, but overall, I really enjoyed my time with this one!

Behooved (M. Stevenson)
A charming slow-burn fantasy featuring a duty-bound noblewoman with a chronic illness, a prince who would rather be in a library than on a throne, and a magical ride through a world of cozy enchantment.

[ON MY MAY TBR]

The Starving Saints (Caitlin Starling)
A transfixing fever dream of medieval horror following three women in a besieged castle that descends ravenously into madness under the spell of mysterious, godlike visitors.

Cruel is the Light (Sophie Clark)
A star-crossed, enemies-to-lovers saga about a war between demons and exorcists . . . and the forbidden love that could change the course of history.

MAY 27TH: 

Written on the Dark (Guy Gavriel Kay)
Both sweeping and intimate, a majestic novel of love and war that brilliantly evokes the drama and turbulence of medieval France.

A Fate Forged in Fire (Hazel McBride)
To become the first queen in centuries, a powerfully blessed blacksmith must use her wits and fire magic to overthrow the corrupt powers ruling her kingdom—while also fighting her growing desire for one of her dragon-riding adversaries—in the first book of a sizzling Celtic-inspired fantasy romance duology.

The South Wind (Alexandria Warwick)
A sizzling standalone fantasy of second-chance love inspired by Sleeping Beauty and the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur from the author of The North Wind.

When Devils Sing (Xan Kaur)
Four unlikely allies in a small town investigate a local teen's disappearance, and what they discover festering at the core of their community is far more sinister and ancient than they could’ve ever imagined. For fans of She is a Haunting, True Detective, Mexican Gothic, and Midsommar.

Harmattan Season (Tochi Onyebuchi)
A new standalone novel that is hard boiled fantasy Raymond Chandler meets P. Djèlí Clark in a postcolonial West Africa…”Fortune always left whatever room I walked into, which is why I don’t leave my place much these days.”

The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association (Caitlin Rozakis)
Two parents and their recently-bitten-werewolf daughter try to fit into a privileged New England society of magic aristocracy. But deadly terrors await them – ancient prophecies, remorseless magical trials, hidden conspiracies and the PTA bake sale.