Book Reviews - Fantasy
Book Recommendations for 2026 so far.
Here are my 4-5 star reads in the Adult and YA Fantasy Genre
Irone Flame by Rebecca Yarros Bk #2 (Adult Fantasy)
5 Stars
January 12, 2026
Another massively great book by Rebecca Yarros. So exciting I had to force myself to stop so I could sleep. The action scenes were written so well I felt like I was on the dragon with Violet as we were flying through the pelting rain. I absolutely love the adolescent dragon Andarna. She cracks me up. The cliff-hanger ending forces you to read the next book. BTW, I read this twice!
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros, Bk #3 (Adult Fantasy)
Unbelievably amazing. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Yarros writing is sublime. Her characters are rich, emotional and romance is off the charts! Of course, all the dragons and their stories had me in their thrall. Waiting for the next book in this series will be torture.
Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry (Adult Fantasy)
4 Stars
January 21, 2026
This started out slow for me with the writing coming across somewhat elementary until about 20% in then it improved greatly and the story became interesting. I couldn't stop turning the pages I was so engrossed. The spicy scenes were a surprise since for some reason I thought this was YA. They didn't show up until extremely late in the story, so I think they didn't even need to be in the story at all. but Adult Fantasy Romance seems to call for explicit sex. When the reveals came, I wasn't all that surprised, I was guessing accurately as the story progressed, but it was still exciting.
This is the third fantasy I've read recently where the protagonist is linked to, or turns into something I didn't like. so, I'm on the fence if I read the next book.
Queen of Snow by Laura Burton (YA Fantasy)
4 Stars
March 4, 2026
I enjoyed this retelling of Snow White. It is a creative, light and fast-paced story with interesting characters that help my interest. I found this at my local library.
Quicksilver by Callie Hart (Adult Fantasy)
March 30, 2026
5 Stars
My newest FAV in romantacy! Great world-building kept me entranced. Carefully crafted characters. Carrion cracked me up. A longer book than I care for, but I couldn't stop reading. Love Saeris, her name, her strength, and love Kingfisher. Deeply emotional and high octane action. I particularly like the alchemical plotline and its complexity. I have a background in metalsmithing and forging and those scenes were very accurate.
I was looking forward to reading Brimstone and started reading but stopped when I learned the main character and many other characters were now vampires. I am no longer interested in vampires stores ☹
House of Ash and Shadow by Leia Stone (YA Fantasy)
3.5-4 Stars
April 14, 2026
The story kept me engaged and the reading went quickly. Until I passed the middle when the writing either changed or I just hadn't noticed it early on. I started adding notes on writing issues. I agree with other reviewers it is childish in places, and I had to wonder if the author thought that what YA readers expect, but I've been reading a LOT of YA fantasy in the past year, and I hadn't had this experience. However, with that said, the story arc, the cast of interesting characters and the unique world was enough to give 4 stars. It's creative and Fallon's arc was strong. The editing could have been better. I still recommend this if you can get passed the writing issue, because the story is very good.
Ravenminder by Lindsay Cummings (Adult Fantasy)
5 stars
I read the ARC back in Oct 2025 and just hadn't posted my review here on my blog.
Ravenminder is a surprisingly new kind of fantasy romance from what I’ve been reading. It took me to a completely unusual world. Poor Ezer had a lot to deal with by being held captive for 2 years all alone with only the messenger ravens for company and without knowing why, and made me care about her, which is very important as the MC. Her past held many secrets that were gradually revealed throughout the story. I appreciated the slow-burn beginnings of the romances between the twin brother princes (I’ve noticed there are a lot of twin princes in romantacy). Lindsay is an excellent writer and developed some interesting characters, and I simply loved Six, the rayphon. The first half of the book was very slow getting into but once I reached the halfway point, the pacing bumped up considerably with answers to my growing questions, lots of action and excitement. I found myself turning the pages faster and faster, wanting to know what would happen.
Overall, Ravenminder is a UNIQUE fantasy romance that took a lot of amazing creativity on the author’s part. The surprising reveal and twist ending were both shocking and exciting. I would like to read the next book in this series.
Emberheart by Lauren Clitheroe
4 Stars
September 2, 2026
Emberheart is the first in the series of the author's debut fantasy novel. I was very excited to read another book with dragons and magic!
What Worked
• The premise and storyline had me thoroughly engaged. I was turning pages as quickly as possible to find out what would happen next.
• I love dragon stories; and the scenes with them were beautifully written and exciting.
• Great visual descriptions that made me feel as if I were there. This is important to me.
• I cared about the characters Theo, Ren, and Ollie and their interactions.
• The romance storylines were exciting and the heat just enough, not too much, and well-written.
What didn't work:
• There were areas where the pacing dragged, mostly due to the overwriting and over-explaining of characters' actions and dialog.
• Excessive repetition in some parts.
• Issues with dialog formatting made it confusing who was speaking.
These are editing issues and were not a deal-breaker for me.
I found elements that reminded me of Fourth Wing and Powerless, but not the same. This book stands up on its own, and I appreciate that.
In closing, I was blown away by the surprise twist ending.
I REALLY WANT TO READ THE NEXT BOOK!
The Legacy Series Bks 1-4, by Melissa K. Roehrich (Adult Fantasy)
Rain of Shadows and Endings,
5 Stars
August 14, 2026
This book held my attention from beginning to end. The writing is well done and the magic and action scenes were highly visual and exciting. I loved the main characters Tessa, Theon, Axel and Luka, who are well developed. I look forward to reading the next installment of this series.
Storm of Secrets and Sorrow, Legacy #2 by Melissa K. Roehrich
5 Stars
August 25, 2026
Wow! I am so addicted to this series. I read for 12 straight hours trying to finish this book I just couldn't stop!! Love the writing, the characters, and the twists and turns to the story that keeps my guessing and flipping pages as fast as I can read.I've already started the 3rd book.
Tempest of Wrath and Vengeance, Legacy #3, by Melissa K. Roehrich
4 Stars - September
Dawn of Chaos and Fury, Legacy #4 by Melissa K. Roehrich
3 Stars – September
Not my favorite in the series. I only read it to give me closure after binging the first 3 in record breaking time. It was unnecessarily looooong. A lot of repetition, and so many new characters introduced in the second half I had to skip over a lot it was too confusing. The final sex scene was cringy for me and the logistics hard to visualize. Tessa came across too whiny and lacking in growth, so the main reasons I kept reading were the side characters and their stories, like Kat and Axel, Eviana, and the children.
In closing though, I LOVED the first 3 books and wished the ending had bee added to book 3 and the 4th book really wasn't needed, in my opinion.
Castles in Their Bones book #1 by Laura Sebastian
4 Stars
September 14, 2026
Because Laura Sebastion's Ash Princess series is one of my favorites I was happy to discover more books by her.
What a refreshing change of pace after reading several dark fantasy series and exactly what I needed. Lots of intrigue and plot twists kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed each storyline of the three sisters but did find it a little hard to follow at times, keeping track of all the characters needed for basically 3 novels in one. But I'm excited to continue the series though it was hard to find copies in bookstores even though the 2nd book was published just 3 years ago. Waiting to receive the next two books in the mail.
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