The Books I Read In September 2021
From pirates to demons, forest witches and elemental magic, I read an interesting mix of books this month! It felt a bit lackluster, overall, but I guess that can happen when the last few books you’ve read in that month are only okay. I’m also still struggling with the … self-inflicted pressure of reading ARCs (advanced reader copies) and signing up for book tours (look awayyy from those emails, Leah). While I find both exciting and fun at times, it can sometimes really put a damper on my reading experience. Especially, when I end up not really enjoying the book. I’m proud of myself though - I did DNF (did not finish) a few and backed out of a couple of tours this month. I may plan to continue that in the future - DNFing books that is - and taking it easy on the tours. It’s just not worth your time when you aren’t enjoying a book! Even if it is an ARC. I book cart is FULL of backlist books I’ve been dying to get to and that’s my priority for the rest of the year and hopefully will be a major goal in 2022.
BUT. Without further ramblings or preambles, here are the books I read in September 2021!
Blog Contents
The Books at a glance
The Books I read in September 2021
The Books at a Glance
Here’s a quick, at-a-glance look at how I felt about each book and the medium I read them on (📖: physical book | 📱: ebook/kindle).
OBSESSED
📖 A Conjuring of Light | Stunning Series Spotlight ✨
📖 Winterwood | Best of the Bunch 🌙
📖 Dark and Shallow Lies | Most Surprising 🐊
Heart Eyes
📖 Crossbones | Favorite Vibes ☠️
📱 City of Thorns | Most Fun 🖤
Enjoyed
📖 The Boy With Fire | Epic Fantasy Series Debut 🔥
📖 The Corpse Queen | Most Chilling + Macabre ⚰
Just Okay
📱 Lakesedge | Perfectly Atmospheric 💨
The Books I Read in September 2021
A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab
Witness the fate of beloved heroes - and enemies.
THE BALANCE OF POWER HAS FINALLY TIPPED...
The precarious equilibrium among four Londons has reached its breaking point. Once brimming with the red vivacity of magic, darkness casts a shadow over the Maresh Empire, leaving a space for another London to rise.
WHO WILL CRUMBLE?
Kell - once assumed to be the last surviving Antari - begins to waver under the pressure of competing loyalties. And in the wake of tragedy, can Arnes survive?
WHO WILL RISE?
Lila Bard, once a commonplace - but never common - thief, has survived and flourished through a series of magical trials. But now she must learn to control the magic, before it bleeds her dry. Meanwhile, the disgraced Captain Alucard Emery of the Night Spire collects his crew, attempting a race against time to acquire the impossible.
WHO WILL TAKE CONTROL?
And an ancient enemy returns to claim a crown while a fallen hero tries to save a world in decay.
Book 3 Rating: ★★★★★
Overall Series Rating: ★★★★.5
The third installment in the Shade of Magic series and it did not disappoint! I did struggle in the beginning to get into the story for some reason, but that seems to happen to me every so often. I think it’s usually because I need a break from reading, I need a different genre, or I’m just still stuck on the book I finished previously.
But, really ... WHAT... What just happened. The expanse and depth this story took on in book three was just astounding and beautiful. And holy plot twists and all the action-packed things. Holland and Alucard and Rhy, AND THE. ENDING. I'm still crying 😭 It was so beautiful and the series overall was just stunning. Check out my quick series review on Instagram here.
I can’t wait to read more Schwab! This was my first … I know … WHAT. lol. I think my next will eventually be The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. This Savage Song duet has also been on my list since 2020!
But... until then... Anoshe.
Shop: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Bookshop.org
Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw
Be careful of the dark, dark wood…
Especially the woods surrounding the town of Fir Haven. Some say these woods are magical. Haunted, even.
Rumored to be a witch, only Nora Walker knows the truth. She and the Walker women before her have always shared a special connection with the woods. And it’s this special connection that leads Nora to Oliver Huntsman—the same boy who disappeared from the Camp for Wayward Boys weeks ago—and in the middle of the worst snowstorm in years. He should be dead, but here he is alive, and left in the woods with no memory of the time he’d been missing.
Nora can feel an uneasy shift in the woods at Oliver’s presence. And it’s not too long after that Nora realizes she has no choice but to unearth the truth behind how the boy she has come to care so deeply about survived his time in the forest, and what led him there in the first place. What Nora doesn’t know, though, is that Oliver has secrets of his own—secrets he’ll do anything to keep buried, because as it turns out, he wasn’t the only one to have gone missing on that fateful night all those weeks ago.
For as long as there have been fairy tales, we have been warned to fear what lies within the dark, dark woods and in Winterwood, New York Times bestselling author Shea Ernshaw shows us why.
Rating: ★★★★★
Winterwood was one of my backlist books that I've been meaning to get to for some time now! I'm SO happy I finally got to it. I loved it immensely and haven't stopped thinking about it since I finished.
The story was gripping, magnetic, and mesmerizing. It's the kind of story that makes me feel light and bright and happy and free with its poetic prose. The lyrical writing also feels like a breath of crisp, winter fresh air. You breathe in the words and out comes the vivid atmospheric and bewitching world of the deep dark wintery woods of Fir Haven. I was immediately hooked on every word from the opening page and by the end, all I wanted to do was curl up by the fire in a cabin somewhere in a snowy mountain range and never leave. ☕🌲 I would LOVE a bound copy of the Spellbook of Moonlight and Forest Medicine 🌿🌙 And seeing this story to life on screen would be so amazing!
🌙 READ THIS IF YOU LIKE 🌙
— snowy, wooded landscapes
— witchy witch vibes
— mysterious and haunting tones
— essence of moonchild
— dual POVs
— secluded towns and camps on a lake in the mountains
— wicked + dark woods
— collecting found things + discovering lost ones
— snowed in vibes
— a group of friends and their secrets
— mysteries + déjà vu
— kissing books 💋
Shop: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Bookshop.org
Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain
A teen girl disappears from her small town deep in the bayou, where magic festers beneath the surface of the swamp like water rot, in this chilling debut supernatural thriller for fans of Natasha Preston, Karen McManus, and Rory Power.
La Cachette, Louisiana, is the worst place to be if you have something to hide.
This tiny town, where seventeen-year-old Grey spends her summers, is the self-proclaimed Psychic Capital of the World--and the place where Elora Pellerin, Grey's best friend, disappeared six months earlier.
Grey can't believe that Elora vanished into thin air any more than she can believe that nobody in a town full of psychics knows what happened. But as she digs into the night that Elora went missing, she begins to realize that everybody in town is hiding something - her grandmother Honey; her childhood crush Hart; and even her late mother, whose secrets continue to call to Grey from beyond the grave.
When a mysterious stranger emerges from the bayou - a stormy-eyed boy with links to Elora and the town's bloody history - Grey realizes that La Cachette's past is far more present and dangerous than she'd ever understood. Suddenly, she doesn't know who she can trust. In a town where secrets lurk just below the surface, and where a murderer is on the loose, nobody can be presumed innocent--and La Cachette's dark and shallow lies may just rip the town apart.
Rating: ★★★★★
“𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐛𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞."
When I finished this book, I was left a little dumbstruck. It was THAT good for me!!! A small-town mystery x paranormal thriller with fantasy elements?! Gimme, gimme. The plot twists had me reeling! And I'm still a little in shock!
We follow Grey, one of the Summer Children in La Cachette, a remote Louisiana town (and psychic capital of the world) deep in the bayou, as she makes her yearly return to her hometown for the summer. But this year everything is different. Her best friend and twin flame, Elora, has mysteriously gone missing and Grey is determined to find her and discover what happened.
In a town full of spiritualists and psychics, you'd think there would be no secrets, right? WRONG. Chillingly intoxicating and utterly mysterious, this story is chock full of secrets, secrets, and more secrets. The complete eerieness of it all had me fully captivated. There are things hidden and concealed and shrouded and untold. Strangers and darkness and romance. The story unfolds in a slow, massive build of events and strange happenings and then ⚡ jaw-dropping, full audible gasp plot twists. One after another after another 😳😳😳 This is another amazing tale I’d love to see come to life on screen. It would be SO GOOD.
Thank you @penguinteen for my advanced e-copy!
🐊 READ THIS FOR/IF YOU LIKE 🐊
— small Louisiana town x the bayou
— a disappearance + missing girl
— psychics x tarot cards x numerology
— eerie and ominous vibes
— twin flames/souls
— ghost stories
— summer days
— myth & legends about shifters
— elemental magic
— a friendlyish? but still scary croc 🐊
— intense kissing moments 💋
CW: kidnapping, mention of suicide + domestic violence, arson, murder, hurricane/mention of Katrina
Shop: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Bookshop.org
Crossbones by Kimberly Vale
Never trust a pirate.
The Blood Bell tolls, marking the death of the pirate king and the start of the Trials—a heart-stopping competition where the reward is the Bone Crown. Only one contender can claim the coveted island throne; each will gamble life and limb to win.
Captain. Sister. Maiden.
Csilla Abado yearns to prove her strength to the seasoned pirates who balk at her youth and to her elder sister who has always craved Csilla’s captainship. She will risk everything to become the first pirate queen, no matter the cost.
Dealer. Son. Legacy.
Kane Blackwater wants to leave behind the dirty gold and shady trades he’s made to keep his father’s ship, the Iron Jewel, alive. The Trials represent a new beginning—yet rumors of a secret heir are swirling, threatening his hopes of becoming the pirate king.
Stowaway. Daughter. Storm.
Lorelei Penny longs for nothing more than to avenge her mother’s death. Stowing away on the Iron Jewel was supposed to get her closer to the killer, but instead she finds herself caught up in the deadly battle where loyalty and desire collide.
Csilla. Kane. Lorelei. Each on a mission. The sea, however, has other plans. Dark tides are rising, and if they aren’t careful, they’ll surely drown.
Rating: ★★★★
The vibes of this one were my favorite! I was obsessed with all the Pirates of the Caribbean vibes and had fun getting lost in the story.
A world with mermaids, ice dragons, witches, fire monsters, ancient gods, magic, an age-old treasure hunt, and perfectly interwoven storylines. Think the Six of Crows crew meets Pirates of the Caribbean. Every character was fierce and the banter was on point! I also thought this was a standalone, but there’s definitely more to come! It’s a trilogy, yay! ☠️🖤 ⚔️ 🏴☠️
Thank you @wattpadbooks for my gifted copy! This was a collaboration with Storygram Tours.
☠️ READ IF YOU ALSO LIKE ☠️
— filthy pirates that one can never trust 🏴☠️
— fate, limbo, other realms
— mortals and immortals
— elemental magic
— the power of the seas
— multiple POVs
— fun banter
— friendship and loyalty
— kingdom intrigue
Shop: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Bookshop.org
City of Thorns by C.N. Crawford
I never thought I'd be singing happy birthday to myself in a dungeon. And yet when a sinfully sexy demon crashes happy hour, that's exactly what happens. He’s known as the Lord of Chaos, he’s mistaken me for my succubus doppelgänger.
Happy birthday to me.
When he tastes my blood, he finally understands I’m mortal. And I realize we have something in common: we both crave revenge. So we make a deal: I can stay in the forbidden city to hunt for my mom's killer. In return, I’ll help him get the vengeance he craves. I just have to pose as a sexy succubus. One problem--he's my number one suspect.
And that’s increasingly hard to remember as he teaches me my role: seduction. With each heated touch I drift further into peril. And if I fall under his seductive spell, death awaits me.
Rating: ★★★★
City of Thorns was such a fun and enticing read! I devoured it. All fantasy romance fans will love it.
Think Atlantians or vamps x Illyrians. There's this vivid mysteriousness that effortlessly draws you in and I can't wait for more because holy moly that cliffhanger 👀
Thank you to @cn_crawford for sending me a copy of the book. This was a collaboration with Storygram Tours.
🗝 THIS BOOK HAS 🗝
— demons with a twist
— snarky banter
— enemies to lovers romance
— doppelgängers
— a "hey-what-now, whoa" plot twist
Shop: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Bookshop.org
The Boy With Fire by Aparna Verma
Dune meets The Poppy War in Aparna Verma’s The Boy with Fire, a glorious yet brutal tour-de-force debut that grapples with the power and manipulation of myth in an Indian-inspired epic fantasy.
Yassen Knight was the Arohassin’s most notorious assassin until a horrible accident. Now, he’s on the run from the authorities and his former employer. But when Yassen seeks refuge with an old friend, he’s offered an irresistible deal: defend the heir of Ravence from the Arohassin, and earn his freedom.
Elena Ravence prepares to ascend the throne. Trained since birth in statecraft, warfare, and the desert ways, Elena knows she is ready. She only lacks one thing: the ability to hold Fire. With the coronation only weeks away, she must learn quickly or lose her kingdom.
Leo Ravence is not ready to give up the crown. There’s still too much work to be done, too many battles to be won. But when an ancient prophecy threatens to undo his lifetime of work, Leo wages war on the heavens themselves to protect his legacy.
The first of The Ravence Trilogy, The Boy with Fire is the tale of a world teetering on the edge of war and prophecy, of fate and betrayal, of man’s irrevocable greed for power — and the sacrifices that must come with it.
Rating: ★★★.5
“May the sun dawn upon our lands. And the fire burn within our hearts.” // “Fire burns brightest in the darkness.”
The Boy With Fire is a South Asian epic fantasy inspired by Indian mythology. It's a cross between Dune and The Poppy War and the characters are fierce and morally gray! This story has fire magic, political/kingdom intrigue, an ancient prophecy, magical runes, war and conflict, a ruthless king, an heir with a burden, secrets and revolution. It's immersive and expansive and grand with great writing. And oooh the plot twists!!
We follow Yassen, Elena, and Leo - an assassin in search of redemption, the heir to the Ravence throne, and the current king of Ravence, respectively - as their stories become intertwined in a plot to overthrow as well as protect the throne and kingdom of Ravence. Yassen, a former assassin, is newly assigned to Elena's guard duty but is harboring a deep, dark secret. Elena, fierce and determined, is coming of age to take the throne from her father but must master the art of wielding fire first, but can she? And then there's Leo. Leo, the current and ruthless king on the Ravence throne, is on a quest to protect the kingdom from endless outside threats as well as internal ones - including the last prophet of the Phoenix, that elusive figure with fire, who he can't seem to find.
I really enjoyed the multiple POVs and loved getting glimpses into the world's history and past at the beginning of each chapter. I love little snippets from chronicles or other history tomes in these magical worlds! We also get additional glimpses into the past through a few unique chapters throughout the book.
I also feel like if you enjoyed City of Brass, this is a story you should consider picking up! Thank you to Aparna for my advanced e-copy.
🔥 READ IF YOU ALSO LIKE 🔥
— sci-fi/tech twists
— fierce females + strong friendships
— assassins with secrets
— factions of people with gray lines
— phoenixes + dragons
— multiple POVs
— short/concise chapters
— adult fantasy
— a diverse cast
— slow-burn romance (closed door)
— enemies to lovers
Shop: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Bookshop.org
The Corpse Queen by Heather M. Herrman
In this dark and twisty feminist historical thriller, a teenage girl starts a new life as a grave robber but quickly becomes entangled in a murderer's plans.
Soon after her best friend Kitty mysteriously dies, orphaned seventeen-year-old Molly Green is sent away to live with her "aunt." With no relations that she knows of, Molly assumes she has been sold as free domestic labor for the price of an extra donation in the church orphanage's coffers. Such a thing is not unheard of. There are only so many options for an unmarried girl in 1850s Philadelphia. Only, when Molly arrives, she discovers her aunt is very much real, exceedingly wealthy, and with secrets of her own. Secrets and wealth she intends to share--for a price.
Molly's estranged aunt Ava, has built her empire by robbing graves and selling the corpses to medical students who need bodies to practice surgical procedures. And she wants Molly to help her procure the corpses. As Molly learns her aunt's trade in the dead of night and explores the mansion by day, she is both horrified and deeply intrigued by the anatomy lessons held at the old church on her aunt's property. Enigmatic Doctor LaSalle's lessons are a heady mixture of knowledge and power and Molly has never wanted anything more than to join his male-only group of students. But the cost of inclusion is steep and with a murderer loose in the city, the pursuit of power and opportunity becomes a deadly dance.
Rating: ★★★
What a twisted, dark, and macabre story!! The perfect fall and spooky read. The Corpse Queen is a feminist, historical fiction thriller with grave robbery, a murder mystery, and an underground surgical school for aspiring medical students.
We follow Molly as she becomes entangled in the web of her aunt's corpse empire in 1800s Philadelphia after her best friend is killed at the orphanage they grew up in.
A creepy who-dun-it and somewhat grotesque murder mystery, I enjoyed the setting and time period and found the end and plot twists shocking and exciting! I think the story was maybe just a little bit too dark for me overall, but it has so much potential especially if you like that dark and twisty and grisly and gruesome feel. Thank you to @penguinteen for my ARC copy!
🖤 READ THIS IF YOU LIKE 🖤
- historical fiction
- murder mystery thrillers
- Stalking Jack The Ripper meets Frankenstein
- atmospheric and creepy vibes
- the abnormal and unusual
CW: abortion, death, suicide, murder, corpses + mutilation of corpses, miscarriage, grave robbery, sexism, addiction
Shop: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Bookshop.org
Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone
A lush gothic fantasy about monsters and magic, set on the banks of a cursed lake. Perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Brigid Kemmerer.
There are monsters in the world.
When Violeta Graceling arrives at haunted Lakesedge estate, she expects to find a monster. She knows the terrifying rumors about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy. But neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem.
There are monsters in the woods.
As Leta falls for Rowan, she discovers he is bound to the Lord Under, the sinister death god lurking in the black waters of the lake. A creature to whom Leta is inexplicably drawn…
There’s a monster in the shadows, and now it knows my name.
Now, to save Rowan—and herself—Leta must confront the darkness in her past, including unraveling the mystery of her connection to the Lord Under.
Rating: ★★
“Because the lake is there. Waiting and wanting.” // A blackened lake, a poisoned magic, a wound, a curse … a girl who can speak to a god.”
So, unfortunately, I really did not like this one. I had such high hopes for it and the hype it was getting … I knew it was going to be the perfect spooky season read. But, I was wrong. It just wasn’t for me.
I did love the dark, eerie, gothic, and atmospheric vibe. The tale is haunting with corrupted magic and tension-filled moments. The premise and concept were so alluring! The adult version of this story would be amazing. The writing was great and the beginning really drew me in ….
But, the characters frustrated the hell out of me. I had a lot of trouble with them overall and their core drives. The plot and dialogue were ridiculously redundant, as well. Everything felt rushed, vague, and just really young. And I can’t get behind a sibling trope that’s so overbearing. A lot of this story left me cringing.
But, so many people have really loved it!
💨 THIS STORY HAS 💨
— a blight, a corruption, a curse
— a dark manor x poisoned lake
— haunted visions
— a deceitful death god
— dark + light, yin + yang
— upper YA romance
— LGBTQIA+ rep
Shop: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | Bookshop.org
How was your reading month? What was your most memorable read of September?
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I’m Leah. Cozy connoisseur and bountiful book buyer. I have a minor obsession with getting lost in the pages of a good book, guzzling coffee, and thriving at home. Yoga pants, wine, and essential oils are also my jam. I'm truly just a homebody at heart with a knack for content creation, flatlays & cozy shots. This is my creative space.
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So, December felt like a slower reading month for me, but this stack looks hefty! Regardless, it was a great wrap to the year. Let’s review all the books I read in December 2022!