Tag: fantasy

Monthly TBR – November 2025

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I’ve got just a few books left to complete my Goodreads reading challenge, and I’m optimistic! I had a bit of a reading lull in October. However, November’s progress is already off to a great start. Long may it continue. The great news is, I’ve got an exciting upcoming monthly TBR to share today!

As of drafting this monthly TBR, I’m still reading one carryover from October. It’s a long audiobook, so not unexpected in the circumstances. Otherwise, though, I’ve already finished two books this month and we’re just a few days in. I’ve already read Wizard of Ends and The Angel Prophecy. 

Let’s take a look at what’s left, shall we? 

 

Fixed Reads 

 

The God of the Woods 

I’m not completely out of the woods (pun intended!) with my reading obligations. In order to accommodate both blog tour posts for Wizard of Ends and The Angel Prophecy, I postponed our work book club. As things stand, I have only just started the book today and read the first 80 pages so far. I’ve got a busy weekend ahead! 

Even still, I’m looking forward to reading this one! The synopsis is intriguing and one of the ladies who also comes to book club raved about the book after she finished it. Naturally, I really hope it lives up to expectations now! 

 

The Shadow of What Was Lost

My audiobook carryover from October is The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington. I’m already about eight hours into the audio and I have about fifteen hours yet to go. 

So far, my experience of the book is a good one. It’s following a bit of a classic ‘coming-of-age’ storyline, and the characters aren’t who we think they are exactly. However, I’ve enjoyed how the main protagonists haven’t been protected from the harshness of the world they live in. It has been wondering what’s next. 

 

Mood Reads 

 

Empire of the Dawn 

I just received my pre-ordered copy of Empire of the Dawn. It’s also the last book of the Empire of the Vampire trilogy by Jay Kristoff. Needless to say, I’m both super keen and also somewhat not looking forward to getting to the end. 

It’ll be a bittersweet moment, but I have high hopes the series will have an epic conclusion. The earlier books have set my expectations very high, and I have no idea which way it’ll end up…

 

The Housemaid’s Secret 

With darker nights now in full swing, I’m in the mood for more mystery and thriller books. 

I read The Housemaid earlier this year, and it was a fun read. We picked that up as part of book club and I’m keen to continue the series. 

The last book was also a pretty easy listen, so I’ve already got my audiobook copy ready to go. As I have some longer fantasy books on this TBR, I’m hoping something shorter and a change of genre will make a refreshing change. 

 

The Murder Box

Sticking with the shorter and lighter theme, I’ve added a second mystery to my November monthly TBR. 

The synopsis of The Murder Box caught my eye nearly three years ago now. On the one hand, I’d say it’s time I got to it. However, the reality is that I’ve got books on my TBR that have been there far longer… 

 

Beyond Redemption 

If I get through all of the above books, I’m going to start the next book in my ChatGPT challenge. 

I’ve already got a copy of Beyond Redemption through Kindle Unlimited. Given I’m reading the other books on this list in either physical or audiobook format, it’ll be nice to get my Kindle back out. 

 

Summary 

I’m 41/45 books into my Goodreads challenge. Even if I only make a solid dent in November’s monthly TBR, I’m almost set to reach my target before the end of this month, and definitely by the end of the year. 

I’ve got some great books on the list to help me get there! Have you read any of the books on this monthly TBR? Are any of the books on your list? 

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Monthly Wrap-Up – October 2025

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On the surface, I didn’t have as productive a reading month as September. However, as today’s monthly wrap-up post has shown me, it’s still been decent. I wouldn’t have said that before this post. Honestly, I’d forgotten about some earlier progress in the month. After a bit of a lull and a push to meet some deadlines at the last minute, I’d have said it wasn’t the best. 

That said, I’ve actually picked up a few books! Granted, I didn’t get to EVERYTHING on my list. But, frankly, how often does that happen?! 

Let’s recap what I did read and make progress with in today’s monthly wrap-up for October! 

 

Books Read 

 

Among the Burning Flowers

As of the beginning of October, I was 40% of the way through the audiobook Among the Burning Flowers. 

To be fair, I made good progress with this audio, finishing it mid-month. It helps that I was motivated to continue this series whilst it was fresh in my mind. I’ve read all three of the books in this series in the last 12 months. It’s a completely different experience from my usual habit of waiting 2/3 years before returning to an ongoing series. Hazard of the ‘job’ when I have so many on the go, I suppose 😅 

It’s been a refreshing change keeping up, and I’ve loved the stories and wider world of the books. It really appeals to my fantasy-loving, feminist heart! 

 

HR Disrupted 

In last month’s monthly wrap-up, I confided that I’d only just started HR Disrupted. I think my worlds were, “it’s barely worth a mention, but…”. 

Needless to say, most of my progress fell in the month of October, and this was an interesting read. Would I like to see some of the changes to HR practices suggested in this book? Absolutely. Who likes appraisals as they are? If anyone puts their hand up, I’m calling you a liar! 

 

Shield of Mercia

An early book I needed to prioritise on my October Monthly TBR was Shield of Mercia. As of my last monthly wrap-up post, I’d made a cursory start and read the first 13%. 

With my review of the book due on 4th October, I had to get my skates on. Even still, it was a close thing! I was sat up pretty late drafting my post after finishing the book the night before. It’s definitely a key contributor to my overall feelings of not having it together this month. It’s not the only example where I’ve had to rush either. If I had to pick one word to describe October in this monthly wrap-up, it would be ‘oversubscribed’. 

Despite the circumstances, I genuinely enjoyed this latest instalment of M. J. Porter’s Eagle of Mercia Chronicles. I’m not going to rehash my thoughts here. Instead, if you want to find out more about this action-filled historical adventure, here’s a link to my full review! 

 

Woden’s Storm 

My repeat performance of rushing a read for a blog tour happened again on the 22nd of the month. I blitzed reading Woden’s Storm between the 19th and 22nd October, with another late (but not AS late) night getting everything ready for that obligation. 

This is no reflection on the book. Again, I really enjoyed this second book in Donovan Cook’s The First Kingdom historical adventure. By this point, I’d had a bit of a slump in reading and I was firefighting to keep up.

Again, if you want to see more on this book, here’s a link to my review. 

 

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping 

Last month, I was well ahead reading A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison. It’s where I wanted to be, and I’d sorted out my library loan to be able to start this early. 

Alas, it didn’t happen. On the contrary, I had to extend my library loan on the last day before it was due back. I’d tried to read the last half of the book in one sitting, to no avail. 

Technically at the end of the month I had around 100 pages left. However, I finished it on the 1st November. I’ll include in this monthly wrap-up post as it’s not worth mention in my November reading stats given the timing. 

It can also make me feel better about reading progress last month, right?! 

 

The Shadow of What Was Lost 

Finally, the last book to feature in my October monthly wrap-up is my audiobook listen of The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington. I started this audiobook after finishing Among the Burning Flowers. 

Progress has been slow but steady. I’m enjoying the book and the world, magic and setting that’s unfurling. As of this monthly wrap-up post, I’m about 30% or eight hours into the audio. It’s a long one! Needless to say, this will be carried forward and be my majority listen throughout November too.

 

Summary 

In the end, progress was better than I expected. Even if there were some last minute reads to meet deadlines, progress was good overall. 

As of this monthly wrap-up, I’m also in a healthy place with my Goodreads reading challenge. I’m currently set to finish the challenge about a month early. That’s if I keep up current reading progress. 

I wished for that last month and didn’t quite deliver. However, I have a new release in the post coming that I’m excited to pick up, and generally less in terms of obligations. With more time for ‘fun’ reading next month, I’m optimistic for some good news! 

Thanks for reading today’s monthly wrap-up post. 

What have you read recently? 

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Blog Tour Review – Wizard of Ends: United Army – Vanessa Finaughty

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 I’m super excited to share today’s fantasy novella review with you. Wizard of Ends: United Army is the third book in Vanessa Finaughty’s Wizard of Ends series. Whether or not you have read the earlier books in the series, this third book is an enjoyable read. I didn’t get the time to pick up books 1 or 2 before reading and sharing my thoughts on this latest book. However, I hope this offers a unique perspective compared to other reviewers on the tour. 

I will catch up with the earlier books at a later date. I expect they will be as easy to read as United Army. In fact, I read this novella in one day. It’s super approachable. Are you looking for a short story that doesn’t compromise on world-building and setting? If so, Wizard of Ends: United Army (and no doubt the earlier books too) are a strong recommendation. 

Thank you to Vanessa for allowing me to take part in the tour. It’s a pleasure to feature a new author, and really to read a book at a completely different pace to those I pick up. 

For the sake of transparency, it’s also prudent for me to declare that whilst I received a copy of the book in order to provide my review, the views expressed within are entirely my own. Now, let’s get to it! 

 

Wizard of Ends: United Army – Vanessa Finaughty

Genre: Fantasy novella

Pages: 147

Audience: Adult

Publisher: 

Original Publication Date: 20 Oct 2025

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Goodreads – Wizard of Ends: United Army

 

Purchase Links –

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King Lanaran Dragonsbane of Ends ventures into the mysterious, unexplored Mountains of Eclador in search of his kidnapped long-time friend and ally, the King of Storher. Not expecting the rescue to be an easy one, Lashlor Leaflin, Rune Arcana and the captain of his army travel with him.

In Lanaran’s absence, a united army rides for Ends.

With the King of Ends away and aid not forthcoming, the looming war seems lost before it’s begun. Ends has no hope of defeating the enemy’s vast numbers. The enemy also appears intent on using magic for this war – something never done by any army in all the known lands.

In a desperate bid to save her kingdom, Queen Narraki Dragonsbane enlists the aid of the magic users of Ends. With their combined power, her kingdom might just stand a chance. It’s a risk, of course. Magic users have let her down before and, already, she defies tradition by not standing back and allowing the temporary Captain of the Army of Ends to take the lead in the pending war. She cannot fail.

 

My Thoughts 

 

Plot

There’s a lot going on in Wizard of Ends: United Army. No Queen would wish to hear the news that an army is on the way to take your city. However, Queen Narraki keeps a level head even when she finds herself in peril and surrounded by those who doubt her authority. It’s a common scenario in this modern world of ours, so something that was easy to relate to. Yet, I loved seeing Queen Narraki fight against those who would challenge her to do her best in a time of great danger. 

I also enjoyed seeing multiple plot lines throughout this short books. Characters split across the map are all given a balanced amount of airtime. I’m intrigued as to what has happened to date that separated these people, and it means I want to go back and recap the earlier books. As a fan of multi-perspective books like George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series and Robin Hobb’s Realm of the Elderlings series, I got this same feel without the heady commitment these series entail.

And, naturally, Wizard of Ends: United Army makes it clear that we are only seeing the beginning of trouble. The cliffhanger at the end has us wanting more already… 

 

Setting

For a book with a relatively short page count (at least, compared to some of the tomes I’m known to pick up…), the novella doesn’t scrimp on world-building. Whilst I would have benefited from reading the earlier books in the series to understand the underlying magical principles and character arcs, it wasn’t necessary. I was still able to follow what was going on and understand critical events and points of tension. 

Wizard of Ends: United Army balances action with storytelling in harmony with one another. This must be very hard to do when writing a more condensed narrative. However, in practice, I think Vanessa strikes the balance just right. There is plenty of action from the perspectives of multiple characters. Yet, readers still get the backstory and context of the wider world. 

 

Characters 

There are a number of character’s and perspectives that influence the narrative in Wizard of Ends: United Army. Again, even though I effectively joined this narrative parkway through, I was able to follow characters and who they were in the grand scheme of events. 

Wizard of Ends: United Army left me wanting to know more about the characters that make up the story. Coming into this series where I did, I have left off with questions about the characters of the narrative. Could those be answered in books already written or in books yet to follow? I sincerely hope so! It’s made me very curious and has me wanting to invest more time with this series. If that doesn’t tell you how much I want to sell the series to other readers – that I actively want to pressure reading more in my own time without obligation – then I don’t know what will! 

 

Narrative Style

Multi-perspective fantasy books re my absolute favourite, so Wizard of Ends: United Army ticks all the boxes for me. What’s better is that this book gave me all my favourite elements of fantasy books in a smaller page count. From someone who can pick up several hundred page books on a semi-regular basis, this made a refreshing change. United Army doesn’t require a lengthy commitment, but still appeals to fans of the genre through its complex magic system, conflict and tension.  

 

Summary

Although Wizard of Ends: United Army is the third book of Vanessa Finaughty’s Wizard of Ends series, it can be read as a standalone. That’s how I’ve enjoyed the book. Based on my great experience, I have every intention to go back and read from the very beginning. No doubt this will help fill in my understanding of where character’s have come from and what they have experienced so far. 

If you are looking for a fun, short read and are a fan of fantasy novels and novella’s, I can’t recommend Wizard of Ends: United Army enough. Having made slow progress with reading lately, and juggling self-imposed deadlines, it made a refreshing change. I picked up this book and was engaged with the story from start to finish. 

 

Author Bio

Vanessa Finaughty is a multi-genre author who has published more than 20 books, including school books published by Oxford University Press Southern Africa. Vanessa grew up in Cape Town, South Africa, and still lives there with her husband and their four children (two human and two furry, four-legged).

Vanessa has always been passionate about books, and knew from a young age that she wanted to write them one day. She loves animals, coffee and the smell of wet grass, and hates excessive weather, long queues and liars. Her interests include reading, photography, the supernatural, mythology, aliens and outer space, ancient history, life’s mysteries and martial arts, in which she has five years’ experience in Ki Aikido.

Author animation: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPbiHY3Mj9F0mU_Kkph2ZbrAq1srb2Zbi)

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Sunday Summary – 3rd November 2025

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It’s been a little odd taking a step back this week. However, it’s made a nice change and to be honest, a refreshing break. Today’s Sunday Summary is very light on content sharing, because I deliberately put a halt on content production so I could prioritise some reading. 

Speaking of which, shall we take a look at the books I’ve read this week? 

 

Books Read

 

The Shadow of What Was Lost

Progress with The Shadow of What Was Lost is a little slower than last week. Compared to last Sunday’s four and a half hour progress, I have only half that to share in this Sunday Summary. 

That said, I am still enjoying this audiobook. I’m intrigued as to where this narrative is going to take (and I hope, reconnect) characters. If I have one criticism, it’s that events in the book seem a little convenient. It’s a hard one to explain without giving away what’s happening in the story so far. Given the feats the characters are having to go through to fulfil a vague quest, people and events crossing their paths are timed just a little bit too… right… to feel realistic. 

Nevertheless, it’s common in the fantasy genre. I’m determined to not let that hamper my enjoyment of the book. Maybe it won’t last, or maybe it will. Only time will tell.

Hopefully next week’s update will be able to delve into this idea a little more. 

 

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping

With my more immediate review obligations out the way, I had hoped to finish A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping pretty early on this week. However, it wasn’t meant to be. I had an original return due date back to the library on Tuesday this week. Despite furiously reading to meet this deadline, I still had 230 pages left to go and one night to do it. I made a noble effort and got through half that in one evening. However, with time running out, I admitted defeat and extended my loan. 

Despite the renewed and increasingly lengthened timeline to now finish this book, I was still determined to finish it this week! Whilst it’s fresh in my mind, I wanted to read Sera’s story and discover if she was ever reunited with her magic. No spoilers here friends – if you want to know that, you’re going to have to get your own copy (or borrow it from your local library). What I can say is that for a book I wouldn’t have picked up of my own volition, I really enjoyed it. Naturally, that made finishing the final 100 pages or so in the second half of this week a very easy thing to do. 

 

Wizard of Ends: United Army

With a review coming up on the blog tomorrow, my final read of the week has been Wizard of Ends: United Army. 

It’s not common for me to read and review a book in a series without reading the earlier books to date. However, circumstances meant I didn’t have time to read those first. So, I picked up Wizard of Ends: United Army as a standalone book. And you know what, the world didn’t collapse. I was able to understand events and invest in the characters and action as it was taking place. Sure, I have questions about who is who and how they got there, but that just makes me want to read books 1 and 2 after the event. As things go, Wizard of Ends: United Army was a fun, short fantasy novella. Given my reading progress has been a little slow of late, it was refreshing to read a book in a day. 

Do I have my reading mojo back? Well, as of this Sunday Summary maybe not quite. However, a quick win is always a great motivator! Lord knows I need it! 

 

Books Discovered

After finding a Waterstones book voucher earlier today, I may have taken a wander into our local and made an… exchange. The books I picked up are books I’ve read already. They’re books on my re-read list that I don’t have physical copies of. I got myself the deluxe sprayed-edge box set of Hunger Games; I’ve had my eye on those for a while. The best part is, I want to re-read these very soon. Perfect timing!

I also got myself a hardback anniversary edition of The Handmaid’s Tale, an absolute classic! 

So, technically as of this Sunday Summary I don’t have anything NEW on the TBR… but I do have another box set and a hardback on my physical shelves. 

 

Coming Up… 

I’m not exactly phasing myself back into making content next week. On the contrary, it’s a mental week and I’m starting early. My review of Wizard of Ends: United Army goes live tomorrow morning UK time. Thankfully, that’s already prepared ready to go! I hope you’re as intrigued by this fantasy novella as I was! 

Next, I’m sharing my monthly wrap-up for October’s reading progress. I expect this post to drop mid-week, likely Wednesday. It’s not been quite the productive month that September was, but that was perhaps a little ambitious and hopeful on my part! 

Thursday also sees another review on the blog. This time, I’m reviewing The Angel Prophecy by Rob Jones. You may recall I reviewed an earlier book in the series, The Atlantis Covenant, at the beginning of September. I have yet to start this book, so again, need to get my skates on! 

Finally, I’m back next week with another Sunday Summary update post. Fingers crossed for some reading miracles this week and I can meet all my reading obligations! I also have work book club coming up (after a one week delay already). 

Wish me luck! 

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Sunday Summary – 26th October 2025

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Somehow it’s the end of another weekend, so today’s Sunday Summary is all about catching you up on everything I’ve read this week. 

Firstly, let’s recap the blog posts I’ve shared. 

On Patreon, I shared a Shelf Control regular feature on Friday. This week’s feature is a horror/thriller novel I’ve got on my bookshelf and owned for about five years! 

On the blog, I started early with a guest post on Monday. Ahead of reviewing Vanessa Finaughty’s third Wizard of Ends book shortly, I featured her AI Image Writing Prompts post. 

On Thursday, I reviewed Woden’s Storm by Donovan Cook. I enjoyed this historical fiction book and second instalment to his The First Kingdom series. If you want to take a look at that post, here’s a link to my review. 

 

Books Read

 

The Shadow of What Was Lost

I’ve progressed with four and a half hours of audio of The Shadow of What Was Lost this week. 

I’ve had fun with this audio and I’m looking forward to recording a video of my thoughts on this book soon. I’ll be recording that as part of my ChatGPT reading challenge. It’s been a great start and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.

 

Woden’s Storm

My priority this week was to finish Woden’s Storm ahead of reviewing the book on Thursday. Thankfully, I finished the book just on time on Wednesday night so I could share my post first thing Thursday morning. 

If you enjoy historical fiction based in Britain with lots of action and in-fighting. If you’re a fan of the lines of Bernard Cornwell, Matthew Harffy or M.J. Porter, Woden’s Storm would be a great fit! 

I’ve already outlined my thoughts in full detail, so I won’t re-hash them here. Instead, I’ll point you to my review. 

 

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping

The last book I’ve got progress to share in this Sunday Summary is A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping. So far, I’ve read the first 100 pages of the book and I’m enjoying it so far. 

I’m hoping Sera figures out what’s happened to her magic and maybe gets it back. Already, I’m invested in her personal story and I’m enjoying the whimsical cast alongside her… especially Roo-Roo and Clemmie! 

It’s a complete change of pace from Woden’s Storm in a narrative sense. In a more literal sense, it’s similar in that I have a deadline to read the book. It’s a library loan due back in just a couple of days. So, skates are on and I’ll have more to tell you next week. 

 

Books Discovered

I’m back to a quiet week of no news! The focus is more on getting books read and off the TBR than building it up. So, as of this Sunday Summary, we’re aiming in the right direction. 

 

Coming Up… 

I’ve got some catching-up on books to do this week. I’ve got a few bookish obligations coming up. I need to finish my library loan and return it very soon. Our work book club is fast coming up and I may need to push it out a week as I’ve yet to start the book. Then, I’ve got two reviews scheduled for early November. 

With this in mind, I’m parking content online this week but for another Sunday Summary next week. I’m hoping that gives me the space I need to catch up on my reading. This month hasn’t quite been the productive reading month I wanted. However, there’s time to rectify that! 

That’s all from me in today’s Sunday Summary. What have you read this week? 

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Guest Post – 36 AI Image Writing Prompts by Vanessa Finaughty

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I’m really excited to share today’s 36 AI Image Writing Prompts guest post with you. When Vanessa got in touch to ask me to feature Wizard of Ends on my blog, I was keen to say yes! I have a book review coming up at the beginning of next month. The third books of the series is new out and I’ll let you know my thoughts on this one on the 3rd November. 

Have you seen the epic new Wizard of Ends book trailer?

As a teaser for that, Vanessa Finaughty has given me a guest post to share with you today. If you are a creative writer looking for some writing prompts, then look no further. Today, Vanessa has put together 36 AI Image Writing Prompts that she created during the creation of Wizard of Ends.

I’ll hand you over to Vanessa, and I hope you’re excited for today’s post! 

During the creation of my Wizard of Ends book covers, while playing around with the Night Café AI image generator, I generated hundreds of AI images for which I have no use. That doesn’t mean these images aren’t totally amazing, though! So I decided to share them as writing prompts to help other writers who might have writer’s block or who might simply find it a fun challenge to write to a visual prompt. (You may share them and use them however you wish, with credit: Vanessa Finaughty @ Night Café.)

Since my Wizard of Ends fantasy series virtual book tour is in process, I’m sharing fantasy writing prompts today. (In the future, I’ll share more writing prompts for other genres too.) If you write anything inspired by these prompts, I’d love to spotlight it on my blog!

 

About the author

Vanessa Finaughty is a multi-genre author who has published more than 20 books, including school books published by Oxford University Press Southern Africa. Vanessa grew up in Cape Town, South Africa, and still lives there with her husband and their four children (two human and two furry, four-legged).

Vanessa has always been passionate about books, and knew from a young age that she wanted to write them one day. She loves animals, coffee and the smell of wet grass, and hates excessive weather, long queues and liars. Her interests include reading, photography, the supernatural, mythology, aliens and outer space, ancient history, life’s mysteries and martial arts, in which she has five years’ experience in Ki Aikido.

Author links

Author blog
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Amazon
Smashwords

Sunday Summary – 19th October 2025

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It’s been an eventful seven days, so I’m glad I planned a low-content week. After a somewhat more relaxed day, I’m looking forward to sharing my latest Sunday Summary and catching you up on the news!

As always, let’s recap what I’ve shared so far before getting into the bookish updates! 

On Patreon, I shared a First Lines Friday post featuring an author I’ve not long read. I’ve enjoyed one series of hers, and she has another well-known and loved I’ve yet to try! That’s the topic of that feature! Haven’t seen it yet? Here’s a link to go check it out! 

I was also intending to share a review on Patreon this week, but it didn’t quite make it to publication. Don’t worry though, it’s on its way very soon! 

On the blog, I shared a Top Ten Tuesday post, albeit a day later than planned. I’ll explain more as to why in just a bit, but it was a fun post to share. The topic – books I wish I could read again for the first time! What’s one book you wish you could read again for the first time?

The reason things have been a little slow on content, but more hectic behind the scenes is we rescued a kitten last Sunday! This week has been busy juggling two young kittens, trying to introduce them to one another and generally figuring out how best to get our new ex-feral girl comfortable in her new home. It’s been a lot, but worth it already to see the progress she’s made! 

 

Books Read

Among the Burning Flowers 

I swore this week I’d complete Among the Burning Flowers, and I did. Thank goodness! 

This audiobook was a fun listen and I’m glad I decided to keep up with the series pretty much as it came out. It meant events were fresh in my mind so I could appreciate the timeline better. 

Among the Burning Flowers takes place just a couple of years before The Priory of the Orange Tree, but also references events in A Day of Fallen Night. It was a nice in-between, but also works well if you read the books in any order. 

Among the Burning Flowers is considerably shorter than the other books, so it’s an approachable start! Not that you’d know it for how long it took me to finish it… 

 

HR Disrupted 

Another longer read I finished this week is HR Disrupted. There isn’t any real reason why this took so long to finish either. However, I did finish this and return the book to its rightful owner on Thursday. 

I would love to see some of the suggested changes in HR practice come in. I agree that current systems don’t work and infantilise/demoralise staff. It’s a tall order though. Our HR lady is all for some of these, so hopefully we can work towards some radical change in the future… 

 

The Shadow of What Was Lost

After finishing Among the Burning Flowers, I picked up The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington. This is the first read of my ChatGPT recommendations feature. I’m looking forward to recording some of my thoughts on this book soon. 

It’s a little early yet, as I’m just a few chapters in. In terms of audiobook time, that’s 2 hours out of a total 25.5 hours. That said, it’s a really interesting start and I’m intrigued as to where the story is going to go! More on this in the next week or so! 

 

Woden’s Storm

Finally, the last book I feature on this Sunday Summary is a book I’m reading for an upcoming blog tour next week. 

Woden’s Storm is the second book in Donovan Cook’s The First Kingdom series. My review is due Thursday next week, so priority goes to this book for the next few days! 

I’ve made a great start, even pushing onwards today to get to 25% of the way through. It’s been nice and easy to get back into. With plenty of reminders of the story to date integrated in the narrative, plus action to keep us in the present timeline, it’s an engaging historical fiction read! 

Again, you’ll hear more on this one VERY soon! 

 

Books Discovered

I’ve finally broken my ‘no new books’ streak, but thankfully my bank balance remains unmolested… for now. 

I came across an upcoming future release of The Midnight Train by Matt Haig. It seems reminiscent of The Midnight Library, albeit from a different context. I loved that book so much I’ve read it twice in quick succession. My hope is The Midnight Train delivers on my hopes that it will live up to that book. 

That book comes out in May next year. There isn’t even a cover published for it yet, so plenty of time! 

Coming Up… 

Patreon 

I didn’t get to my review of House of Frank this week. However, I promise to get to it this week. You may recall I picked this up alongside the Cotteagecore Fantasy Book Club. It was a stretch out of my comfort zone, but I’m glad I tried it. 

Next Friday brings another instalment of my Shelf Control regular feature. Next on the list is  a horror/thriller about a placid character with a devastating alter-ego. Dark, with a flawed cast and described as pacey, I can’t wait to share more! 

Finally, next Sunday brings my usual Sunday Summary personal round-up of the week. How many books can I finish in the next seven days? 

 

Blog 

My first post of the week goes live tomorrow. In anticipation for an upcoming review, I share a guest feature post prepared by Vanessa Finaughty. If you’re an aspiring fantasy writer and want some fun writing prompts to play with, look no further! 

Thursday is tour day and my deadline to review Woden’s Storm by Donovan Cook. If you love historical fiction set in early British history (450AD), this will be perfect for you! Stay tuned to read up more on this story in the coming days. I promise to do my best to upsell this book to you! 

Then, last but by no means least, I’ll update you on my reading progress and other updates in my Sunday Summary going live in a week’s time. I’m hoping for a more settled week and lots of reading progress. I can only keep my fingers crossed… 

 

Thanks for reading today’s Sunday Summary! I hope you have a great week ahead? What books are you taking into next week? 

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Monthly TBR – October 2025

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I’m hoping to piggy-back off the success I had in September and planning another ambitious TBR for October. This year, I’m not leaning too hard into seasonal spooky reads in October. That may change in November. However, for now, I have a number of fantasy reads to pick up in this monthly TBR. 

Have you read any of the books on this list? Take a look below to find out! 

 

Fixed Reads 

Among the Burning Flowers

My first read on this monthly TBR is one of my current read carryovers from September. I made good progress with this audiobook last month and I’m looking forward to getting to the end of this audiobook later this week. I’m optimistic to make quick progress with this to keep up momentum. There are just a few hours of this audio left as well, so it should be a nice, quick finish! 

 

HR Disrupted 

The next ongoing read that starts this monthly TBR is HR Disrupted. 

I’ve borrowed this book from our HR lady at work, and so far, it’s proving interesting. I’m 40% into the book as of publishing this post (6th Oct) and already I think there are interesting ideas I’d love to see in practice. 

My plan is to finish this book in the next couple of days. That way, I can return it to Donna when she’s back from leave. 

 

Woden’s Storm

I’ve got one final blog tour planned at the moment, and that’s for Woden’s Storm by Donovan Cook. I’ve read and reviewed an earlier book in the series, Woden’s Spear, so it makes sense to carry it on to keep up with the series (you may recall, that’s a reading goal for this year) and review it for publication and help out the author as well. 

It’s another historical fiction book. Honestly, I hadn’t read the genre for ages and recently I’ve read several books in short succession. After this one, I think I’ll give it a short break. At least this time, this will be a change from a fantasy-heavy TBR. 

 

The God of the Woods

Another break from fantasy on this monthly TBR is The God of the Woods by Liz Moore. 

I’m reading this book along with my work book club. For the first time ever, I’ll also be reading this book on Fable, so anybody reading this can join along with me. If you’re interested in a spooky read this October, it’s the one and only I’ve got on the list. Fable is free to join if you aren’t already, and I hope to see you there with your thoughts on The God of the Woods! 

 

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping

Another book club read, although not one I host this time, is A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping. Instead, I’m coordinating and moderating the chat for this cosy fantasy pick with the Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club. If this is more your cup of tea, check out host Sabie’s Bindery page to find out more and join the club! 

Again, if you are able, I’m looking forward to reading your thoughts on this book either on Fable, Storygraph or in the Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club Discord chat. 

 

Mood Reads 

A little while ago, I decided I was going to try AI book recommendations. With some past reads I enjoyed in mind, I asked ChatGPT to make me some recommendations. The three books I’m reading towards this challenge, and I’ll be creating a separate feature on these, are The Shadow of What Was Lost, Beyond Redemption and A Crucible of Souls. 

This challenge entails nearly 1,600 pages of reading. Is it likely I’ll finish this in October? Perhaps not. I’m going to have a good stab at it though, and of course, I’ll keep you up to date with my usual Sunday Summary update posts. 

 

Summary 

Again, today’s monthly TBR is far from shy on page count. Will I get to it all? I can only hope my success in September helps motivate me to read on! I’m also really looking forward to each of the reads on this monthly TBR, which really makes a difference. I have a very fantasy-heavy list, but it IS my favourite genre… 

Have you read any of the books featured in today’s monthly TBR? 

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Monthly Wrap-Up – September 2025

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I’ve had a really productive reading month. In a first for this year certainly, I have no less than ten books to discuss in today’s monthly wrap-up!

I suggest making yourself comfortable with a beverage of choice. When you’re ready, let’s take a look at the wide variant of books and genres I read in September.

 

Books Read 

The Atlantis Covenant

I left off from my last monthly wrap-up having read 60% of The Atlantis Covenant. With an imminent blog tour at the beginning of this month, I needed to get my skates on! 

I finished this book the day before my post went live. It meant drafting my review in a hotel whilst on my way abroad (which was far from ideal as it kept dropping out!), but I got there in the end. Since I went to the effort of writing that review, I’ll point you there instead of talking about the book here. What I will summarise though, is that it was a fun, action-packed read! 

 

Sensitive

Also carried over from my August monthly wrap-up was Sensitive. With just three hours left of the audiobook, I figured I’d finish this quickly. 

Admittedly, I didn’t pick this up whilst I was on holiday but when I returned. I’m in the habit of listening to audiobooks as I commute and that’s what I did. 

This book is a great listen, whether you know, suspect, or wonder if you or those around you are sensitive. To clarify, this book is about advocating the benefits of sensitivity and the ways people can benefit from these traits. Granted, there are drawbacks too, as with anything. For that, Jenn and Andre offer practical advice for how to work with your sensitivity superpowers rather than considering them weaknesses. 

 

A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison 

Our Cottagecore Fantasy Book Club read this month was A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison. 

For a change, I finished this book uncharacteristically early. In the last few months, I’ve lagged behind and been scraping finishes around the end of the month. Not very helpful when you’re supposed to be prompting and facilitating conversation, right? 

However, this month I turned over a new leaf, and reading this book in advance paid dividends. It’s set a precedent I’ll be continuing now, and I’ll be starting our upcoming read very soon! 

 

Gran Familia

In a total change of pace, I picked up Gran Familia in order to review the manga to coincide with publication with Titan Comics.   I published that yesterday, which you can find here. 

I read this book within 24 hours. It’s only a couple of hundred pages and mostly images, so very quick and easy to read. Gran Familia was a nice change of format, but also a quick win that helped spur on reading progress this month. Overall, I did very well for reading progress. Having these shorter reads and multiple wins definitely helped on the motivation front… 

 

Betrayal of Mercia 

Switching back to audio, I listened to Betrayal of Mercia before starting my current read of the latest book in the series. 

Having read the remainder of the books in e-book format, it was nice to try this in audiobook. It was also convenient for me because I’d finish it whilst reading other physical books on my TBR. Obviously, I couldn’t start the latest book until I finished this! 

Whilst I have a personal preference for reading the books, the audiobook was very good. I’m just used to reading the place names, and the old names are more recognisable to me visually. That’s entirely personal preference. 

This book surprised me in that there was less travel than in previous instalments. However, this book was quite political, and the power plays between characters keep up the action and tension. 

 

The Pagan Lord

Another historical fiction I feature in today’s monthly wrap-up is the better-known The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell. If you are fans of this book, or the Saxon Stories more widely, please also check out the Eagle of Mercia Chronicles by M. J. Porter. 

I was looking forward to getting back into the series as it’s been a while. Although the book was decent, I didn’t love it as much as previous books in the series. 

Part of the reason I dragged my feet with it was the way I had to borrow it from my library. I’m not a fan of reading on my phone… 

 

Algospeak 

Audiobook progress continued with Algospeak by Adam Aleksic. At just under six hours at normal speed, it wasn’t going to last long. 

I enjoyed the book and its content, but the narrative voice of the author didn’t really come across as relatable. Although he acknowledges it later in the book, his use of generational language and emphasising his ‘tribe’ so to speak, he is quite condescending about earlier generations and their social media use. I’m not that old, but was kind of made to feel that way. 

It was an interesting read, but I probably won’t pick up anything else by this author if he publishes again. 

 

Among the Burning Flowers

A recent release sprung to the top of my TBR after finishing all my planned audiobooks for the month. Among the Burning Flowers came out earlier in September. Having read and enjoyed The Priory of the Orange Tree and A Day of Fallen Night this year, I figured it was worth keeping up with the story. 

As of this monthly wrap-up, I’ve listened to around 40% of the audiobook. Again, it’s not a long one, and certainly nowhere near the length of the earlier books. I’ve enjoyed listening to this latest instalment so far. My initial concern is that the book would follow the format of the others pretty closely and feel ‘samey’. However, I don’t find that to be true at all. I’ve been pleasantly surprised and I want to wait to read on! 

 

HR Disrupted 

It’s barely worth a mention, but I have just started HR Disrupted by Lucy Adam’s before the end of the month. This book is a loan after a conversation at work with our HR lady, who calls herself an HR Disruptor. 

A part of me hopes this book challenges a lot of conventional HR practices and argues what we could do better. I think it’ll be an interesting read anyway, and I’ll update you more next month. 

 

Shield of Mercia

Another late start is my current book, Shield of Mercia. I’m publishing a blog tour post later this week, so I need to get a move on with my read of this.

As of this monthly wrap-up, I’m partway through chapter 4, at 13% (unlucky for some…?). I’m looking forward to reading on, and it’s a good job! I’ve only got a few days left before I’m reviewing this read. That’ll be available to all Patreon readers on Saturday – I hope you can join me. 

 

Summary 

I’m not entirely sure how I managed to progress ten titles this month. Yes, there were some shorter books in this monthly TBR. That definitely contributed, but also my reading motivation has been pretty high! 

Have you read any of the books I feature in this monthly wrap-up? Are they on your list to read?

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First Lines Friday – 12/09/2025

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Today’s First Lines Friday features the final book I’m reading as part of my upcoming ChatGPT recommendations reading challenge. So far, I’ve shared that I’ll be reading The Shadow of What Was Lost and A Crucible of Souls. The final recommendation I’ve been given is an interesting take on gods and fantasy. Belief defines reality, and faith and insanity have a great influence on this narrative. 

Shall we take a look at the introduction and then I’ll share more on the book? 

 

The old gods were broken by wars and plagues of the mind, left reeling like the most bloodied veterans. Infected with horror at the cost of their actions, they retreated into dementia. Insanity as escape. Seeking to free themselves, they fled to a world of delusion, a world uncorrupted by jealousies and psychoses. And yet, in the end, even this they would pollute. So deep was their need, so desperate their flight from their bitter past, that they ignored the one truism all must bow before. 

Belief defines reality.

 

 

Beyond Redemption – Michael Fletcher 

Genre: Fantasy 

Pages: 480

Audience: Adult

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Publication Date: 16 Jun 2015

Goodreads – Beyond Redemption

 

Faith shapes the landscape, defines the laws of physics, and makes a mockery of truth. Common knowledge isn’t an axiom, it’s a force of nature. What the masses believe is. But insanity is a weapon, conviction a shield. Delusions give birth to foul new gods.

Violent and dark, the world is filled with the Geisteskranken–men and women whose delusions manifest, twisting reality. High Priest Konig seeks to create order from chaos. He defines the beliefs of his followers, leading their faith to one end: a young boy, Morgen, must Ascend to become a god. A god they can control.

But there are many who would see this would-be-god in their thrall, including the High Priest’s own Doppels, and a Slaver no one can resist. Three reprobates–The Greatest Swordsman in the World, a murderous Kleptic, and possibly the only sane man left–have their own nefarious plans for the young god.

As these forces converge on the boy, there’s one more obstacle: time is running out. When one’s delusions become more powerful, they become harder to control. The fate of the Geisteskranken is to inevitably find oneself in the Afterdeath. 

The question, then, is: Who will rule there?

 

My Thoughts…

I chose Beyond Redemption out of three suggestions from ChatGPT. What appealed to me about it was the emphasis on belief and insanity. Religion is often a prominent topic in fantasy books, but this is something I’ve not read before. 

The question mark over what is true and real will have me questioning what I read throughout this book. I love a good book with an unreliable narrator. In this book, I’ll be doubting everything and so I’ll be fully engaged in trying to work out what’s going on! 

What’s interesting is that in the course of obtaining my recommendations, Beyond Redemption was actually suggested twice. I had already picked the book for my second prompt, but it was a ‘notable mention’ for my third prompt as well. For this reason, I’m confident the book will be what I’m looking for. 

Thanks for reading today’s First Lines Friday instalment! Have you read Beyond Redemption? Maybe you’ve read the other books I’m reading for my ChatGPT book recommendations challenge? 

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