By Rachel Gillig
Orbit, 2022. 421 pages. Fantasy

Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom she calls home--she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets. But nothing comes for free, especially magic. When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it. Except the highwayman just so happens to be the King's own nephew, Captain of the Destriers...and guilty of high treason. He and Elspeth have until Solstice to gather twelve Providence Cards--the keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly, darkly, taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.

This book, which is the first of a duology, was recommended on Bookstagram for those who enjoyed Fourth Wing or Sarah J. Maas' books. It contains a steamy romance, a compelling voice, intriguing characters, and thrilling action. The unique magical system is detailed but not overly descriptive. Fans of Naomi Novak and Hannah Whitten will want to give this a try.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Lisa Cordileone and would recommend it. Her voices for most of the characters were compelling. On occasion, the whiny sound of emotional male characters was too unrealistic, but overall, her narration was spot on and added depth to the characters.

JJC

By Naomi Novik
Del Rey, 2015. 438 pages. Fantasy

The corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over Agnieszka's life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

For the Wolf

By Hannah Whitten

Orbit, Hachette Book Group, 2021. Fantasy

As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose—to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he'll return the world's captured gods. Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can't control, at least she knows that in the Wilderwood, she can't hurt those she loves. Again. But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn't learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wilderwood—and her world—whole.