Watch Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Watch Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Release: April 15, 2025

Publisher: Storytide

Series: ShatterMe: The New Republic

Pages: 368

Review: 5 Stars

Synopsis:

Lose yourself in this exhilarating return to the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe, the first book in a new series set ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment.

James Anderson had a plan. Or half of one. All that matters is that he managed to do what his older brother, the famous Aaron Warner Anderson, never did: infiltrate Ark Island, the last refuge of The Reestablishment. In the past decade no outsider has breached the stronghold of the authoritarian regime, but James is in. In a prison cell, sure, but as far as James is concerned, a win is a win.

It’s been ten years since the fall of The Reestablishment. Ten years since the notorious duo — Juliette Ferrars and Aaron Warner Anderson — led a worldwide rebellion and established the New Republic of the West. But after a decade of unsettling quiet, The Reestablishment is ready to make a devastating move, and they have the perfect person for the job.

Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. She always has a plan. On Ark Island, where constant surveillance is packaged as security, even emotions must be experienced with caution. A trained assassin, her every movement is monitored by synthetic intelligence—and when she’s given an order to kill, she never hesitates.

Brimming with pulse-pounding action and torturous romance, Watch Me is an explosive journey through a dystopian landscape where enemies-to-lovers has never felt more impossible. Step into a beloved and breathtaking world that demands an answer to a desperate question—

Who are we when no one is watching?

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Review:

The Shatter Me series was one of my all-time favorites as a teen, and as soon as I heard about this new spin-off, I knew I needed it! It was so great catching up with some of my favorite characters, while also distinctly shifting the focus to a new generation. It's so fun to see James all grown up! We also get to see what the parts of the Reestablishment have been up to in the intervening years. Unsurprisingly, it's not good.

One thing I really appreciated was that Mafi did not hesitate to name the Reestablishment as a fascist organization. Many of the things they promote are reflected in current events, and Mafi makes it clear both are incredibly wrong. She also does a good job of showing how individuals get wrapped up in fascist movements, how some do so directly for power while others are under threat and coercion. I also liked how she showed the dangers of over-surveillance, and how fear can make people behave in ways that are against their own interests.

We only get a little dip into the evils that the Reestablishment is up to, but we know the long-term plan is pretty nasty. Given a certain Klaus, I have a feeling we will be exploring AI and how it's used to assist fascist goals in further books. The nature of the narrators (and what they do and don't know) means that our knowledge is also pretty spotty. As a result, things are a little confusing, but I expect Mafi will show us more as the books go on.

My one quibble was the main character's ages. James is 21 and Rosabelle is 20. To me, this is outside the bounds of YA. However, the actual writing style and content felt very YA. I think the book would have been just as strong if the characters were 17/18 or 18/19. James in particular does curse a lot, but even if that's not super common with YA books, it sounded just like how a young adult would talk. With the lines of YA and NA already being blurred, I would like if a book that is a spin-off of a very popular YA series was more clearly YA.

I read Watch Me in an afternoon, so I definitely enjoyed it! I will be eagerly anticipating the next book! And given the *cough* ending, I will need to chat with other readers to discuss what we think will happen next!

Author Bio:

Tahereh Mafi is the #1 New York Times bestselling, #1 international bestselling, and National Book Award-nominated author of over a dozen novels.

Best known for the Shatter Me series, her books have sold millions of copies, and have been translated into over thirty languages. Her first contemporary novel, A Very Large Expanse of Sea, was named by Time magazine as one of “the best YA books of all time”, and is in development for film with Levantine Films. She currently resides in Southern California with her husband, fellow author Ransom Riggs, and their daughter. Her most recent novel, the second book in a new fantasy series, These Infinite Threads, is on shelves now.

Her work is represented by Jodi Reamer of Writers House, LLC.

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The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley

Title: The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy

Author: Brigitte Knightley

Release: July 8, 2025

Publisher: Ace

Series: Dearly Beloathed #1

Pages: 384

Review: 5 Stars

Synopsis:

Loyalties are tested in this slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romantasy following an assassin and a healer forced to work together to cure a fatal disease, all while resisting the urge to kill each other—or, worse, fall in love.

When Osric Mordaunt, member of the Fyren Order of assassins, falls ill, he realizes he needs the expertise of a very specific healer. As fate would have it, that healer belongs to an enemy faction, the Haelan Order.

Aurienne Fairhrim and her fellow Haelan are inundated by sick children suffering from an outbreak of a long-forgotten Pox. Unable to get the funding needed to launch an immunization program, the Haelan Order is desperate for money – so desperate that when Osric breaks into their headquarters to bribe Aurienne to heal him, she is forced to accept.

As Osric and Aurienne work together to solve not only his illness but the mysterious reoccurrence of the Pox, they find themselves ardently denying their attraction which only fuels the tension between them.

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Review:

I really enjoyed this debut fantasy! I discovered it here on Goodreads and immediately knew I needed to read it. Luckily, it popped up on NetGalley in February and my request was granted! It's a blast from the beginning and I think a lot of folks will enjoy it.

After downloading the ARC I was made aware that the book is built on Harry Potter fanfic, which is uh... not great. I am of the belief that it is up to us to make HP culturally irrelevant, and that includes developing fan works and books explicitly inspired by those dynamics. In this case, the book is built on Hermione/Draco fan fiction. The author has stated that this isn't an adaptation of her popular fanfic (and thus the original isn't being pulled down) but anyone vaguely familiar with HP can see where many of the characters and aspects of the world come from. The story itself is definitely original and there are a lot of characters that wouldn't map on to HP, but there's enough that it bothered me.

On its own merits, the book is delightful. I love the FMC Aurienne. She is regarded as icy by many, and some readers might struggle with her (because complicated female leads don't always go over well) but I personally related to her. She is incredibly dedicated to her work and doesn't easily shift from her principals. Much of what she does in the book (that is against her ethics) is at the behest of one of her superior's that she respects. Aurienne can fall into some black and white thinking, but in a way that rings authentic to my personal autistic experience. While I didn't relate to Osric the way I did Aurienne, he is a hilarious lead character. My eARC is full of highlights from all the funny lines. Aurienne also has a magical familiar that is very grumpy and loves to yell at Osric.

When the tags say slow burn, trust me, it means that. This is the first book in a series, and it isn't the romance novel format of one couple per book. I won't go into spoilers, but plot-wise, the book didn't end where I thought it would. The bickering-to-kissing ratio of the book is heavily skewed toward bickering. I assume this will change in later books as the slow starts burning.

I found the world really fun. It's a fantasy England that is still separated into smaller kingdoms. There are various magical organizations, some of which are loosely associated with a kingdom. The book does a good job of breaking down how the world is organized, both political and magical. As we go through the story, we see a pox that is going through the children of the kingdoms. Aurienne and her fellow healers are desperately trying to stem the tide of sick and dying children (the only ones affected by the disease). They can't get funding from anyone to research vaccines or treatments and are struggling to handle it all. While it largely exists in the background of the story, it becomes increasingly clear just how important it really is. At times the political world mirrors our own, and can actions can hit a little close to home. This does a good job of providing the building blocks for a series-long arc.

Overall, I will be recommending The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy and likely buying a copy myself. But I also encourage readers and authors to do some due diligence and work to pull HP influences out of your work and reading habits.

Author Bio:

Brigitte’s modus operandi is to write what she wants to read: enemies-to-lovers romances that put the unresolved back in UST. Her work is enjoyed by fans of slow burns, tongue-in-cheek romcoms, and suffering. The spirits of Wodehouse and Jerome K. Jerome pervade her writing, but Austen is at its soul.

She is represented by Thao Le of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency.

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Firebird by Juliette Cross

Title: Firebird
Author: Juliette Cross

Release: April 8, 2025

Publisher: Bramble

Pages: 400

Review: 3.5 Stars

Synopsis:

LIMITED FIRST PRINT RUN--featuring original illustrated stenciled edges, foil case stamp, and designed endpapers. Only available for a limited time and while supplies last.

House of the Dragon meets From Blood and Ash in this epic, scorching dark romantasy.

A conqueror captivated…

A witch prophesied to save them all…

A world where dragons rule Rome.

From the moment Roman general and nephew to the emperor Julianus Dakkia laid eyes on Malina, he was enthralled by the Dacian dancer. Years later, the fierce beauty stands before him on a scarred battlefield, her life in danger. He instinctively shifts into his fierce dragon form to save her, an action that may mean his head on the imperial gate. But he and his dragon know one thing: she belongs to them.

Malina can’t believe that the centurion who had once bestowed a secret talisman on her is the Roman general of legendary brutality. His prowess as a warrior cannot be denied, yet they don’t reveal the secret he hides. All Malina knows is his protection and gentle touch. And she cannot deny how her soul has always seemed to answer his.

As they navigate a world where flying deathriders conquer and burn, their love will ignite a firestorm that can only end in heartbreak or death. Or both.

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Review:

There are many aspects of Firebird that I enjoyed, but one thing stood out from the beginning that bothered me. Set in a world adjacent to Ancient Rome (but with dragons), our male lead Julian is a Roman general and our female lead Malina is a Dacian dancer turned rebel. As was typical at the time, when she's captured after battle, Malina is enslaved. Yes, Roman slavery was different than our more modern understanding and yes there are compounding factors that are revealed partway through the book, but at it's heart, I did not like the master/slave dynamics. This is a conversation that has been had a lot in romance (no nazis, no master/slave romance), it hasn't been really touched in the growing realm of romantasy. I think there are ways the book could have been handled where there were still complex power dynamics at play without having Malina enslaved to the love interest.

I feel like in its desire to hit the romantasy beats Firebird rushed everything else. A romance plot that might have been stretched over 2-3 books is crammed into one book's plot. I have a feeling the series will be structured like a romance series (different main couple each book) and I think given what I've read I would rather more POVs from the beginning and everything stretched out, more like you might see in a fantasy series.

This is not to say the book was bad. There are many aspects I enjoyed. Beyond the insta-love with her oppressor, Malina was a fascinating character. I liked her interactions with the other enslaved individuals. Given her status, I think it would have been interesting if the book leaned in a Spartacus/slave uprising direction instead of a more basic "kill the emperor" direction. The level of rebellion that characters engage in would mainly benefit the noble and free Romans, neither of which includes Malina.

On a completely unrelated note, Julian is mentioned as being seven feet tall and I could not get that out of my head the entire book. Malina's height is never mentioned but context clues make her seem to be of average height. Despite likely being freakishly taller than her and everyone around him, Julian's height is never touched on again. I almost wonder if it was a typo and it was supposed to say six feet tall? Yes, being seven feet tall is totally possible, but would create a serious height difference that maybe should have been remarked upon more. Also, their sexy times would have required more contortions that there were.

I will likely check out book two in the series and am curious how the rest of the series is handled, but I do think this could have been handled better.

Author Bio:

Juliette is a multi-published author of fantasy, paranormal, and contemporary romance. She’s a mood reader as well as a mood writer if that wasn’t obvious by her eclectic book list. She loves lazy nights with her husband, old-fashioneds, and family gatherings.

She is represented by Rachel Brooks at BookEnds Literary Agency.

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The Phoenix Keeper by S.A. MacLean

Title: The Phoenix Keeper

Author: S.A. MacLean

Release: August 13, 2024

Publisher: Orbit

Pages: 496

Review: 5 Stars

Synopsis:

Set in a magical zoo teeming with mythical beasts from dragons and unicorns to kelpies and krakens, The Phoenix Keeper is a fierce joy of a cozy fantasy novel with a soul-restoring queer romance at its heart, for fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea and Legends and Lattes.

As head phoenix keeper at a world-renowned zoo for magical creatures, Aila's childhood dream of conserving critically endangered firebirds seems closer than ever. There's just one glaring caveat: her zoo's breeding program hasn't functioned for a decade. When a tragic phoenix heist sabotages the flagship initiative at a neighboring zoo, Aila must prove her derelict facilities are fit to take the reins.

But saving an entire species from extinction requires more than stellar animal handling skills. Carnivorous water horses, tempestuous thunderhawks, mischievous dragons... Aila has no problem wrangling beasts. But mustering the courage to ask for help from the hotshot griffin keeper at the zoo's most popular exhibit? Virtually impossible.

Especially when that hotshot griffin keeper happens to be her arch-rival from college: Luciana, an annoyingly brooding and insufferable know-it-all with the face of a goddess who's convinced that Aila's beloved phoenix would serve their cause better as an active performer rather than as a passive conservation exhibit. With the world watching and the threat of poachers looming, Aila's success is no longer merely a matter of keeping her job...

She is the keeper of the phoenix, and the future of a species– and her love life– now rests on her shoulders. 

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Review:

The Phoenix Keeper was SO GOOD! Seriously, it's like it was made just for me. It's a standalone fantasy set in an alternate contemporary world. The main character Aila is the zookeeper for a critically endangered phoenix and more than anything else, she wants to revive the zoo's breeding program for the phoenix. Unfortunately, she is short one male phoenix. Thus begins our cozy, queer, fantasy that you do not want to miss!

One of the things I loved about The Phoenix Keeper was Aila's character arc and growth. She suffers from social anxiety which makes her a loner amongst her zoo colleagues, save for her one long-time friend. However, along with the anxiety, Aila views the world in a self-centered way. She has a habit of thinking poorly of others, most notably her long-term rival Luciana, who runs the zoo's griffin show. Aila is immediately relatable, but not alway likable. This is clearly on purpose. Watching her grow as a person alongside her plot journey was a delight. To see her connect with others, care about them, and even come to think of more people as friends, was like watching her blossom. Her growth is interwoven really well with the story such that it sneaks up on you. Suddenly she's approaching people and community in a new light, but all the work is there. It helps that there are several time jumps in the book, so it doesn't feel like she becomes a totally new person in two weeks.

I am a total zoo nerd. I was already excited for The Phoenix Keeper, but when I learned that it is inspired by the San Diego zoo and the conservation efforts to save the California condor, I knew I was in for a treat. While I am no expert in zookeeping or animal care, the author clearly knows her stuff. The world of the zoo was intricate and exact. We got daily care routines for a variety of magical animals (many similar to real-life animals). We got inner-zoo rivalries. We got the bureaucracy and competitiveness of endangered animal care. I went along this journey with Aila from the every day routines to the extraordinary adventures. The book explores *why* zoos matter, both in Aila's world and ours. It also integrates the very real threat of poaching, not just in the wild, but in supposedly protected zoos. And it shares the way animals are harmed both by active human greed and ambition, but also by lack of care.

While the romance isn't the core of the book, there is a sapphic romance side-plot. The world is largely queer-normative, or at least Aila's portion of it is. There's no 'coming out' or exploration of sexuality. Aila is attracted to many genders. Her best friends is trans. None of this is questioned or even noted beyond to share with the reader. She begins the book with a crush on co-worker, and dragon keeper, Connor. But over time, she develops some complicated feelings for her long-time nemesis Luciana. Aila's character arc in relation to Luciana in particular felt really well-done. While the book doesn't fall into the 'sexy fantasy' category we see a lot nowadays, I think it will do well with romantasy fans who want to lean more into the fantasy side of things.

I want to note that there is a map at the beginning of the book, however, I was not really able to see it in my digital ARC. I bet it's as amazing as the rest of the book, but I will be discovering it with everyone else when my preorder comes.

I would be remiss to end this review without noting the absolutely GORGEOUS cover. Truly a 10/10. The detailing on the phoenixes is exquisite. There are so many magical creatures described in the book, one thing I would love to see are illustrations of the other animals at the zoo. The kelpie is one of my favorites (you'll discover why when you read it), but there are also several types of dragons, phoenixes, griffins, unicorns, and more. Also, the vanishing ducks. Aila spends a lot of time in an aviary with an assortment of different avian magical species, and it would be cool to see an illustration featuring Archie's tower and the other critters roaming around. And as long as I'm placing an order, I want stickers of all the creatures in the book. I think this book does very well as a standalone, but I will not say no to literally anything else I can get. I will definitely be reading S.A. MacLean in the future and you need to check this out when it releases in August!

Author Bio:

S. A. MacLean is a romantasy author from sunny California. Infatuated with magical worlds since her days of brewing mud potions in her childhood garden, she fell in love with the romantasy genre after realizing all her favourite fantasy novels had kisses in them. Her stories invariably feature quirky humour, sassy animal companions, and queer casts who represent her voice as a chaotic bisexual woman.

​

Sarah received her BS in Natural Resources from Cornell University and a PhD in Environmental Science from UC Berkeley. If you think that sounds overly pedantic, well, she agrees! So she left the research track to teach environmental science at her local community college, inspiring the next generation of students to save the planet. Her ecology background seeps into her fantasy worlds as odd plants and an obnoxious number of bird references.

​

She currently lives in California with her partner, two cats, and a growing saltwater aquarium. She is represented by John Baker of Bell Lomax Moreton.

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Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

Title: Some Desperate Glory

Author: Emily Tesh

Release: April 11, 2023

Publisher: Tordotcom

Pages: 438

Review: 5 Stars

Synopsis:

While we live, the enemy shall fear us.

All her life Kyr has trained for the day she can avenge the murder of planet Earth. Raised in the bowels of Gaea Station alongside the last scraps of humanity, she readies herself to face the Wisdom, the all-powerful, reality-shaping weapon that gave the Majoda their victory over humanity.

They are what’s left. They are what must survive. Kyr is one of the best warriors of her generation, the sword of a dead planet. But when Command assigns her brother to certain death and relegates her to the nursery to bear sons until she dies trying, she knows she must take humanity’s revenge into her own hands.

Alongside her brother’s brilliant but seditious friend and a lonely, captive alien, she escapes from everything she’s ever known into a universe far more complicated than she was taught and far more wondrous than she could have imagined.

A thrillingly told queer space opera about the wreckage of war, the family you find, and who you must become when every choice is stripped from you, Some Desperate Glory is award-winning author Emily Tesh’s highly anticipated debut novel.

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Review:

I do not have the words to describe how amazing this book is. Emily Tesh fully immerses you in Kyr's world of Gaea Station, only to rip it apart. And then she does it again. A must-read of modern sci-fi. Fans of Ursula Le Guin NEED to check this out. Truly a beautiful work of fiction AND an amazing story. I love Kyr and Cleo and Lisabel and and and. My one note of warning is definitely make sure to check out the content warnings, as Some Desperate Glory deals with some serious topics. Most notably, there is discussion of past sexual assault and an on-page suicide. Also, like, a lot of genocide and murder.

Despite the very heavy themes, I actually think Some Desperate Glory is also a great book for teen readers wanting to explore adult sci-fi. Let me be very clear that it is an adult book. But. Our protagonist Kyr is 18 years old and the pacing will feel familiar to YA readers. I think publishing it as adult was the right choice, largely because it let the author lean into some of the heavier elements and focus on an adult audience, which is more receptive to sci-fi in general right now. (Side note, would love to see some growth in and publishing support for more YA sci-fi). Basically, it's an adult sci-fi with strong crossover appeal for teens.

A lot of the ideas and themes discussed in Some Desperate Glory are both very timely and resonated with me personally. Kyr has been indoctrinated her whole life and spends the book not only reprogramming her belief system, but figuring out how to take a stand. Her views are constantly evolving as she encounters new situations and realizes her world is not as she was told. Eugenics and bioessentialism, homophobia, xenophobia, hyper-militarism, Kyr has absorbed it all. She is cold, calculating. One of the characters describes her as like a horse with blinders on. When she doesn't want to see something, such as something that goes against what she's been conditioned, she pretends it doesn't exist. To truly do the work to deprogram it all, Kyr truly needed to go through every event in the book. She had to see the worst to understand the possibility of doing better. One of the themes that really resonated with me and my own beliefs is expressed at the end. I won't go into too much detail as it's all sorts of spoilers, but toward the end, in regards to deciding who to save, who lives, who dies, she poses the question "what gives you the right to decide". Who are we to decide "the good ones" or "the bad ones".

If you've made it to the end of my rant, you've probably already read the book or are completely sold, but let me throw out one last pitch for the stragglers. Some Desperate Glory is what sci-fi aspires to be. It's a wonderful story yes, but it is also a biting social criticism. I truly believe we are all better for having it, and books like it, in the world.

I'd be remiss if I didn't note that Some Desperate Glory is currently up for the Hugo Award for Best Novel. I encourage you to consider voting for it if you are Hugo voting member.

Okay, last note. I also think Some Desperate Glory would make an AMAZING movie. It sets itself up for a theatrical three-act structure really well. The pacing would transfer really well to the screen. And I just want a way to get the story in front of more eyeballs.

Author Bio:

Emily Tesh is the author of the Greenhollow Duology, which begins with Silver in the Wood and concludes with Drowned Country. Tesh is a winner of the Astounding Award and of the World Fantasy Award for Best Novella. Some Desperate Glory, her first novel, was released in 2023.

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