Sep 23 2026

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Book Review: Bodies of Magic by Freya Marske

Title: Bodies of Magic

Author: Freya Marske

Series: N/A

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: At the Academie of the Grand Duchy of Sieuxerr, every mage with the healer’s gift has five years to master their power and to prepare for the infamous Grand Exam—a five-day trial whose results will determine their entire future.

The list of exam rules includes:
• You will perform five practical cases.
• Your exam group is chosen at random.
• You pass together, or fail together.

It does not include:
• On the first day, your exam group will find a classmate’s dead body in the exam hall.

And as they will soon discover, this particular group all have something to hide… and all have a connection with the dead girl, a brilliant scholar who would have been first in their class.

Five scholars. Five secrets. Five days in which to solve a murder, pass the most important exam of their lives, and uncover a secret larger than all of their own combined. One with the potential to change the world.

Are you ready?

Let’s begin. –Goodreads (isn’t that a killer overview?!)

Niki’s Review:

One of my favorite books of the year!

I know better than to fall for the “for fans of X: this ridiculously popular book” spiel, generally. But in this case what is being advertised (A Deadly Education meets Grey’s Anatomy) is exactly what Bodies of Magic delivers! I’ve never come across a medical fantasy, let alone one with and academic framework, so I knew the moment I first saw it that I needed to read it ASAP. And you know what? It was fantastic.

Here’s the thing, when I pick up a book like this I’m expecting the medical school to play a strong role in the story (it did), I want a lot of detailed magical workings included (there were), and I want the mystery to be satisfying (it was decent). The author really delivered on all of the promises made, producing one of the best books I’ve read all year (and definitely one of my top academic books). It’s worth highlighting specifically what made the medical magic school aspect of this story so freaking good. You really get into the nitty gritty of how the magic works – everything from training on cadavers to experimenting with untested industry-advancing medical magic theory. Then we also get these complete case studies as part of their final exam where we get to follow the process all the way from symptom presentations to diagnosis to treatment plans. These students are brilliant, most at the top of their graduating class, and the amount of detail they get into during these final exams is so satisfying. It ticks all my boxes, and I’ll long remember this book for how perfectly it presented this aspect of the story. It was phenomenal.

So now I’ve explained how completely into the story I was for the medical magic, I’ll admit that the rest of the book was good, more than passable to be fair, but a bit more focused on the interpersonal relationship of the variety of “who is sleeping with who” than I usually prefer in books. It’s part of the reason the book is being likened to Grey’s Anatomy. And I think the main reason it worked for me where other books of the same vein may have not was because of how pertinent all of the social happenings were to solving the murder-mystery case. It felt very fitting and appropriate to include and also enhanced the collegiate atmosphere the story. I also found I was a bit more emotionally invested in the characters than I might have been otherwise. It worked because it was balanced so well with the magic aspect of the story, and the author never forgot to hone back in on the elements that were making the book special. Add to all of that some great pacing, a nice variety of focus, and an incredible momentum to the end of the book, and you can see why I’m so enamored.

Overall this was a huge success for me and I think it has a strong recommendability factor to those who love dark academia, to those who like mysteries in their fantasy books, all the way to the romantasy crowd. It hit a lot of good notes without diving too far into one thing, and I’m sure I’ll be recommending it often for years to come.

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Karen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, Elizabeth, Bee, Poochtee, Kinsey, Alysa, Derek, Kelly, Grace, Carmen, Leticia, and Leah! <3

I’d like to thank Freya Marske, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for the chance to read an early audiobook copy of this book!

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by Niki Hawkes

Jul 16 2026

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Book Review: Faith of Beasts by James S.A. Corey

Title: Faith of Beasts

Author: James S.A. Corey

Series: Captive’s War #2

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: The monstrous Carryx empire was built by subjugation and war. Thousands of species are bound to their Sovran’s command in an endless, blood-soaked test: be useful in the eternal conflict or be slaughtered. Dafyd Alkhor, highest among their human captives, is feared and despised by the very people he champions. Ruthless in carving out his niche in the eternal war machine of the empire, he will reshape human nature itself as a tool for their alien masters’ use. But Dafyd’s loyalty is not what it seems. The Swarm, an agent of the Carryx’s deathless enemy, has been smuggled into the Carryx world-palace along with the human slaves. It’s discover a way to bring down the empire’s eternal reign. But the longer it lives among and within humanity, the more it forgets that it is a weapon. As the human captives spread through the battlefronts of empire, the awesome power of the Carryx becomes clear. And with it, a desperate plan for their destruction. But empires hide secrets, and even the deathless enemy may not be what it appears… –Goodreads

Niki’s Review:

My favorite book of the year so far!

Which is amazing considering it’s the second book in a trilogy (I always brace for middle-book syndrome). I don’t know why I was worried, though. These authors have been dazzling me for years and it’s to the point where I don’t even look to see what new books from Corey (or Abraham) are about – I just devour them.

I’ve said this before about most of the works I’ve read from these authors, but it continually amazes me how connected I always feel to these very flawed, painfully HUMAN characters. I’m not much of a character reader, generally, because I don’t often form bonds (or care to remember names) of the people in the stories. To me most characters feel little more than plot vessels. But it’s authors like the Corey team, Abercrombie, and Hobb who convince me the people I’m reading about are real. I’m realizing that what these character profiles have in common is how so deeply flawed (ahem.. human) they are, almost to the point of making them unlikable. THESE are the characters who’s stories move me. So maybe I am a character reader after all, I just need to buy in to how realistic they feel.

This series is so deftly written. There’s a recognizable cadence to this team’s writing style (which at this point feels like a warm hug) that is unique to their SFF series. It creates the most brilliant setups – some of the most breathtaking, fully engaging scenes I’ve ever read. Where I feel what’s going on viscerally and lose all touch with reality. It’s that X-factor that truly separates wonderful books from the absolute astounding books in my opinion. The sorts of books that make you want to find someone to talk to about them immediately. Where you finish them and find yourself reeling and still thinking about them days (or weeks/months/years) later. Only a few authors have ever done this to me before. The Corey team has now done it thrice.

After reading Faith of Beasts, I now have a newfound appreciation for why people love thriller novels. I read the back half of it on the edge of my seat. The Corey team are brilliant at cultivating momentum and suspense, and this poignant sense of danger that has me both wary and excited to turn to the next page. I can’t tell you the last book I read that actually raised the hair on my neck while I was reading it. If you can’t tell, I was super invested.

One thing we didn’t get in the Expanse was a lot of creature creation, as the series primarily takes place within our solar system. It’s almost like the duo are making up for lost time, because the abundance of aliens in Captive’s War is off the charts! It gives the story such an otherworldly (no kidding) feel. Great world-building is one of my favorite draws to books, as I love feeling completely transported to other worlds. That might be one reason why I don’t always mind when characters aren’t as strong. This series has it all though – character, world-building, writing, voice, pacing, momentum… it’s so rich! It has so many great components that I’m sure we could spend a dozen books exploring it, but how cool is it we get the best of the best compacted into a single trilogy? This is great, I can’t wait to see how it ends, and holy crap is the next one out yet?!

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Karen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, Elizabeth, Bee, Poochtee, Kinsey, Alysa, Derek, Kelly, Grace, Carmen, and Leticia! <3

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by Niki Hawkes

Dec 30 2025

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Book Review: The Strength of the Few by James Islington

Title: The Strength of the Few

Author: James Islington

Series: Hierarchy #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

The Overview: The Hierarchy still call me Vis Telimus. Still hail me as Catenicus. They still, as one, believe they know who I am. But with all that has happened—with what I fear is coming—I am not sure it matters anymore. I am no longer one. I won the Iudicium, and lost everything—and now, impossibly, the ancient device beyond the Labyrinth has replicated me across three separate worlds. A different version of myself in each of Obiteum, Luceum, and Res. Three different bodies, three different lives. I have to hide; fight; play politics. I have to train; trust; lie. I have to kill; heal; prove myself again, and again, and again. I am loved, and hated, and entirely alone. Above all, though, I need to find answers before it’s too late. To understand the nature of what has happened to me, and why. I need to find a way to stop the coming Cataclysm, because if all I have learned is true, I may be the only one who can. –Goodreads

The Review:

I’m writing my review after having just finished this book, but I can tell this is one of those that I’m going to have to sit with for a while before I can completely form how I feel about it. Or maybe I just need to talk it through:

I think I loved it, but there were just a few tiny minor things that made me question myself while I was reading. One of which was a bit of a disjointed plot, another was a moment that I viewed as clear emotional manipulation (which I’m carrying some resentment for thank you very much), and few story conveniences.

I thought the plot was a bit disjointed. And I don’t even mean the grander-scale tertiary plot that made up the very core of the story. No, no I mean WITHIN each of those branches, there were a few things that seemingly to me, came out of nowhere. A great example is the chariot race – it’s not a spoiler because it really didn’t have a ton of bearing on the plot as a whole, and while I enjoyed it wildly – it felt nestled in just for the sake of having that fun element. Now I would definitely rather this than the alternative, but it’s things like this that pulled me out of the story a bit.

And maybe disjointed isn’t even the right word – maybe it’s the lack of seamless integration for some of these cool elements. They felt plunked in. There wasn’t enough lead-up. And there were a couple of times where I had to suspend my disbelief a little bit and “just go with it.”

But given the massive undertaking that was this project, and how well he wove together the storylines, and how ultimately it culminated into an ending that left me eager to pick up more, even though I just spent an entire month on it – how much do my criticisms matter?

This is still one of the best books I read in 2025 and I consider it an entirely worthwhile continuation to one of the best books that I’ve ever read, period. And that’s the thing – when you write a book that is the paragon of perfection (at least as far as my personal reviewing criteria), it would be really, really difficult for anything else to measure up. Let alone a middle book which doesn’t have either new series novelty or series-ending momentum. Even comparing it to the first book, which lives on a pedestal, I think it has more than earned some slack.

So all of that said, I’m disappointed that I didn’t love it quite as much as the first book, but if I can get enough distance and perspective to evaluate it as a whole, holy crap – that was a great read! It’s one of those books, kind of like Sanderson‘s Stormlight Archive, where you go through hundreds and hundreds of pages without feeling like a single one of them is wasted. It was a joy to read, and I cannot wait for the next one.

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, Elizabeth, Bee, Tracey, Poochtee, Kinsey, Alysa and Derek! <3

by Niki Hawkes

Aug 19 2025

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Book Review: Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: The Inheritance Games

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series: Inheritance Games #1

Genre: YA Fiction

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why — or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man’s touch — and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a conwoman, and he’s determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather’s last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive. –Goodreads

The Review:

When I first found out that one of my all-time favorite YA authors (if you haven’t read the Naturals series yet, do so) was coming out with a series about a competition to claim an inheritance involving fun mysteries and puzzles along the way, I was beside myself with excitement.

This book came out in 2020… What the heck took me so long to give this series the attention it deserves?! There are a bunch of reasons… a book crisis… poor decisions… I don’t wanna talk about it. But my point is that I should’ve been first in line at the bookstore to pick this up and had it read the day of release. Actually, I think I did buy it on release day, so I get a pass there. Anyhow, this is my second read through of this first book (the first was in 2023) with the intent to continue on, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

First of all, I’m a bit enamored with the author. She has a PHD in psychology from Yale and teaches psychology and professional writing at the University of Oklahoma (I need to move there so I can take her classes). I love the combination of these two worlds – writing and psychology. Her depth of knowledge of how the human brain works play a strong role in her books, everything from creative problem solving to criminal motives. And what’s particularly exciting about this series is that she’s actively playing with the sorts of things in books that really appeal to our brains as readers – things that spark excitement. So this series in particular is filled with a ton of what I can only describe as book candy. Things that are so fun to read about that they keep you hooked from start to finish. Everything from the plethora of puzzles to formatting – with very short chapters to make you feel like you’re flying through the book – is designed to keep you engaged. It’s so cool! And so intelligently done… I’m now an even bigger fan than I was before.

The majority of the delight to be had in this book is within the inheritance games themselves. There are a bunch of rotating mysteries of which you find out a little more about with each chapter. It is incredibly satisfying to see a character solve a puzzle, and what was left unsolved has me ecstatic to dive into the next book asap. Maybe I did myself a favor by waiting until most of the series was produced before diving in, because now I can binge read!

During this most recent second read, I remembered a great deal about what happened and “whodunnit,” if you will, which left my brain a little more time to nitpick. The only thing I find myself slightly dissatisfied with is the main characters taste in boys. We have four eligible and interesting Hawthorne Brother choices, and yet our main character, a smart girl in her own right, gravitated towards the ones who have red flags all over them. Seriously, so many red flags. Don’t touch that situation with a ten foot pole! But then again, no drama, no book, so whatever. But even as it stands, I’m of course tuning in to see which one she picks.

All I can say is, I’ve stalled long enough, and now I am so excited to be finally getting into this series in earnest!

Recommendations: If you love YA, you’ve probably already read this (if not, get to it!). If you used to love YA but the stories have gotten a bit tiresome and repetitive, try this series or The Naturals, and I think it’ll go a long way in reinvigorating your sense of excitement for the genre. If you haven’t tried YA, this might be a good series to taste test the genre with. If you don’t like YA, thanks for making it this far in my review.

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, Elizabeth, Bee, Tracey, Dagmara, Poochtee, and Kinsey! <3

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by Niki Hawkes

Apr 20 2023

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Book Review: The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

Title: Amulet of Samarkand

Author: Jonathan Stroud

Series: Bartimaeus #1

Genre: Middle Grade +

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

The Overview: Nathaniel is a boy magician-in-training, sold to the government by his birth parents at the age of five and sent to live as an apprentice to a master. Powerful magicians rule Britain, and its empire, and Nathaniel is told his is the “ultimate sacrifice” for a “noble destiny.” If leaving his parents and erasing his past life isn’t tough enough, Nathaniel’s master, Arthur Underwood, is a cold, condescending, and cruel middle-ranking magician in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The boy’s only saving grace is the master’s wife, Martha Underwood, who shows him genuine affection that he rewards with fierce devotion. Nathaniel gets along tolerably well over the years in the Underwood household until the summer before his eleventh birthday. Everything changes when he is publicly humiliated by the ruthless magician Simon Lovelace and betrayed by his cowardly master who does not defend him. Nathaniel vows revenge. In a Faustian fever, he devours magical texts and hones his magic skills, all the while trying to appear subservient to his master. When he musters the strength to summon the 5,000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus to avenge Lovelace by stealing the powerful Amulet of Samarkand, the boy magician plunges into a situation more dangerous and deadly than anything he could ever imagine. -Goodreads

The Review:

Hands-down this is my favorite middle-grade read since Mull’s Fablehaven series almost two decades ago!

I wish I’d taken the time to write this review right after finishing the book, but at the time I’d been so fired up about the series I dropped everything to pick up the rest of it immediately. The experience was so much fun and reminded me of how I felt as a kid discovering Harry Potter for the first time. While this may not land on quite the same scale (what can?), it’s still an nostalgia-evoking book with enough sophistication to make it accessible for adults.

The footnotes were everything.

I’ve heard people complaining of footnotes in other series, so I was a bit intimidated to start this one, but I can’t imagine the story being as good without them. A lot of the subtle adult humor takes place in the footnotes and they really allow the author to have fun with his characters and give us more depth than we would’ve gotten otherwise.

And speaking of the characters, they were completely delightful, even if not always likable. And the demons – omgsh the demons. They start out as these wildly interesting (and dangerous) enigmas that give you even more reason to keep reading. I also loved learning about summoning demons and watching one of the main characters struggle to get it right. The combination of the magic, world-buildings, and mystery plot made for one of the most enjoyable things I’ve read in ages. And that’s across ALL genres, not just middle-grade books.

Overall if you’re on the cusp of graduating from YA and Middle Grade stories (as I find myself a the ripe age of 37), this one will draw you completely back in and remind you why you keep up the hunt for the good ones. I can’t believe I let this sit unread on my shelves for so many years!

Recommendations: I loved this book so much, I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to capture the magic of reading as a kid again. It has enough adult elements to make it an ideal crossover series. Make sure to do a physical read, however – the footnotes are everything! The audio version includes the footnotes as part of the main narrative, but they blend in too well, taking away half the fun of the series.

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by Niki Hawkes

Dec 29 2020

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Book Review: The Light of All That Falls by James Islington

The Light of All That Falls by James Islington

Title: The Light of All That Falls

Author: James Islington

Series: Licanius #3

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

The Overview: The Light of All That Falls concludes the epic adventure that began in The Shadow of What Was Lost, the acclaimed fantasy blockbuster from James Islington. The Boundary is whole once again, but it may be too late. Banes now stalk Andarra, while in Ilin Illan, the political machinations of a generation come to a head as Wirr’s newfound ability forces his family’s old enemies into action. Imprisoned and alone in a strange land, Davian is pitted against the remaining Venerate as they work tirelessly to undo Asha’s sacrifice – even as he struggles with what he has learned about the friend he chose to set free. And Caeden, now facing the consequences of his centuries-old plan, must finally confront its reality – heartbroken at how it began, and devastated by how it must end. -Goodreads

The Review:

A superb conclusion to one of my new favorite fantasy trilogies!

My reread of the first two book in preparation for the finale was definitely a highlight of 2020. It hadn’t been that long since I’d read them initially, but there’s a lot of complexity to the story and the characters that made the refresher necessary. The added benefit is that the books were even better upon my reread, as I was able to retain all the details.

I’ve said it before, but part of the reason this series appeals to me so much is the overall writing style. It takes classic fantasy elements and then twists and enhances them into something modern and complex. I felt the comfort you only get from old novels of the genre, but was completely engaged in the endless plot dynamics. The series definitely requires more concentration than normal. Not quite Gardens of the Moon level, but up there if you want to appreciate all the nuances. I wish the first time around I’d paid more attention to name distinction because it was really easy to slip into character confusion (via audio, anyway). It’s not a light read by any means, but it’s well worth the effort.

Spoiler-free, I found the conclusion really satisfying. The ultimate resolution was something I predicted, but it was written so well that I still had all the feels (that’s a mark of a good author – even when you know it’s coming, you can still experience the gut-punch). Overall, I think in this case the quality of the ending and conflict resolutions was weighted more heavily for this series because of how layered the plot had been. I’d been so patient, trusting that the payoff was worth wading through the complexity, and I was not disappointed. There were so many fantastic “reveals” in this book, and I can’t help but feel a little like a gushing fangirl whenever I talk about them.

Recommendations: I was holding out for the conclusion before making my final assessment, and it absolutely did not disappoint. The Licanius Trilogy is now a favorite and an official Obsessive Bookseller recommend. I’d hand it to anyone who loves classic fantasy but wants more complexity and dynamics in their novels.

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