Our community writers are here to share a little about a book they enjoyed in January 2025. Have you read any of these or do you plan to add any to your TBR?
Em Starr
For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten
Red has known one thing most of her life: she’s for the Wolf. As the second daughter, it’s her duty to her kingdom to step into the Wilderwood, a dangerous forest full of monsters, including the Wolf, after her twentieth year.
While some beg her to stay, she knows she must go, but not for her duty. Deep in her veins hide the roots of dangerous magic, and only one person may help her control it: the Wolf. Soon, she finds herself in the woods, among the ruins of a place where nothing is as she had been told.
The first half of the story moves a little slower than some readers may enjoy, but I found I was invested in the character growth, enraptured by the magic, and invested in the well-being of the Wilderwood’s occupants, including the trees themselves. There were many moments when I couldn’t look away from what was happening, afraid I would miss a key detail. I can’t wait to read the second book!
Frawst
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
There’s something incredibly sad about the setup for Three Dark Crowns: three sisters are about to embark on their sixteenth year, and, instead of a happy life ahead of them, they’re preparing to murder each other. While they are queens, only one can ascend and become the crowned queen.
The poisoners hope that their queen, Katharine, keeps power for the poisoners. Even though her poisoner's gift isn’t strong, she can create powerful poisons. Maribella is favored by the priestesses; even though they should be neutral, they hope the Elemental queen wins. And then we have Arsione, the naturalist queen who can’t even bloom a rose.
With each sister getting her own chapters and third-person POV, this book reads like a dream. The plot twists make me want to keep reading; each sister feels incredibly fleshed out, and you can’t help but root for the sisters to get the chance to be sisters.
Zoë Gregory
Masters of Death by Olivie Blake
Masters of Death is an intriguing story that features the consequential tomfoolery of immortals bored by their eternal lives. The narrative strikes a balance between satirical humor and profound philosophical depth.
The story introduces a memorable cast of characters, including a gender-fluid—though open to interpretation—personification of Death. It brings to life gods, goddesses, and mythological beings from various religions alongside Abrahamic angels like Gabriel and Raphael.
If you love the found family trope, this book gives it a fresh twist. The story is a relationship-driven exploration of the complexities of human connection and the weight of existence.
The novel thoughtfully examines the consequences of indulging in vices and the pursuit of a fulfilling mortal existence while prompting deeper, more nuanced introspection. The inclusion of queer representation, particularly the bisexuality of the male protagonist, Fox, further enriches the story.
Overall, Masters of Death is masterfully written, and I would highly recommend it to New Adult and adult readers. I know it’s become one of my personal favorites, and I could easily see myself rereading it and annotating it in depth.
Stephanie Lottes
The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava
Two Indigenous MCs, a secret relationship, forced proximity, and office romance star in this wonderful rom-com about a woman trying to improve her life.
Ember applied for a job based on some accounting classes at a community college, and when she gets hired, she’s thrown into the world of a tech start-up. Soon, Ember meets Danuwoa, and while sparks fly between the two, they can’t date due to company policy.
Soon, Ember begins to move up the ranks as she and Danuwoa grow closer and try to ignore their feelings for each other. What could possibly go wrong?
The Truth According to Ember offers a mixture of fun times and important moments, and the characters in this book are wonderful and have great personalities.
Hannah Phillips
The Idol Effect by M.C. Sakala
Summers at Kkum Island have always been Katayi’s safe space. Summers with clear night skies gear her love for astronomy and help her forget about her famous father.
From the moment Sailor and his sister join Katayi on the island, everyone’s worries go away, and romances start to form. Both Katayi and Sailor spend their summer hiding from the world and their secrets (Kat has a YouTube Channel, and Sailor is a K-pop Idol) while forming the strongest friendship and relationship… until it all falls apart.
I adored this friends-to-lovers K-pop romance! It did originate on Wattpad, so it has that Wattpad feel and flair to it, but in my opinion, you need a little bit of that now and again. Sakala was able to write interesting characters and a great storyline, which made me want to keep reading all night long.
If you want to see some fun edits of this book, be sure to check out M.C. Sakala’s Instagram page, where she posts these!
Kathy Palm
The House of Frost and Feathers by Lauren Wiesebron
Described as Spinning Silver meets Howl’s Moving Castle, come get caught up in the magical world of koldunry where houses can in fact have chicken legs. This fantasy debut is inspired by tales of Baba Yaga and Eastern European folklore, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Marisha is a practical sort and doesn't really buy into all the koldunry stuff, but when she finds herself desperate for a job, she'll take what she gets. This is how she finds herself in a moving house, working to find a magical cure for the sleeping plague but also questioning everything.
I really enjoyed the atmosphere and mystery of the story and would love to see more adventures set in this world. In addition to the sleeping plague, there are haunting dreams, strange magic, magical creatures, and a wondrously weird house.
Caelan White
The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson
Come! Be out of that treacherous cold. It is good to see you, my friend. Let me get you something to drink. Nonsense! You’re a guest. How’s that mug? Heated to your liking?
Oh, what is that book you ask? Have you heard of the wordsmith Brandon Sanderson by any chance? You haven’t? Why, that’s surprising; he’s quite well known. What’s that? Would you like to hear about it? Well, I’d be remiss as a host were I to decline the requests of my guests.
Settle down then, and let me share with you the tale of The Bands of Mourning.
The story follows Wax, Wayne, and Marasi. For now, all you need to know is they are constables in the grand city of Elendel and they seek the bands of mourning, an ancient artifact set to contain unimaginable power. The trio wants to stop a wicked group called the Set who wish to capture the bands themselves for a nefarious god they serve.
Intriguing stuff, yes. Say, why don’t you read it yourself? I promise you, my friend, it’s the most enthralling read.
Gillian Scott
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
In 16th-century Madrid, young kitchen maid Luzia has two secrets: firstly, that she is Jewish; and second, that she has a talent for small magics. In her everyday life, she hides the first and uses the second to make dull tasks easier—until her mistress catches Luzia in the act and forces her to perform at dinner parties.
Luzia enjoys the small agency this brings until her ‘little miracles’ attract the attention of dangerous, powerful men. Soon, she’s entered into a competition against other miracle workers, full of political machinations, violence, and the ever-present danger of being branded a heretic by the Spanish Inquisition. She has to fight to convince everyone that her magic is a gift from God, not the Devil, while her competitors lie, cheat, and attempt murder so that they may win glory and the king’s favor.
Amidst all this danger, and risking persecution for both her talent and her heritage, for the first time in her life, Luzia finds glimmers of purpose, hope—and maybe even love—in the person of Santangelo, who has dangerous secrets of his own.
I was a bit late to the party on The Familiar, despite loving everything Leigh Bardugo has ever written—actually, probably because I have loved everything she has ever written. The Six of Crows duology is my favorite ever.
While Leigh has proven that she can write adult stories just as rich and engaging as her brilliant Grishaverse novels—the Alex Stern dark academia fantasies are incredible—my fear was that this very different story might not grab me the same. Well, me of little faith: The Familiar absolutely gripped me from start to finish.
A historical fantasy inspired in part by Leigh’s own heritage, it’s a heady blend of magic, gritty social commentary, and an unflinching look at the ways people are kept under control—by wealth, status, education, religion, politics, and their own self-limiting beliefs.
I read this in tandem with ebooks and audiobooks, and it made the characters come to life through Lauren Fortgang’s skillful narration. She is much more adept at pronouncing the Spanish names and words than I am, and the little tunes she used for the magic refranes Luzia sings were delightful.
Bardugo draws on the idioms and proverbs in Ladino, spoken by Jews in Spain, as the source of Luzia’s magic, as well as her own family history and some real-life people and events. Overall, this book offers the perfect blend of history, fantasy, and romance.
Kaitlin Santiago
A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab
*INCLUDES MINOR SPOILERS*
The story continues in the third installment of the Darker Shades of Magic series with A Conjuring of Light. Kell, Lila, and Holland decide to team up to fight against the threat of dark magic together.
Something that I loved about this series is that the main storyline stretched through all three books. There wasn’t a problem that was solved in the first book, and we discovered a new problem in the next. The Antari’s main obstacle started at the beginning of the first book and was solved just before the last chapter in the third book. I was able to journey with them in one continuous plot while reading the story from almost every character’s point of view.
Although this series is not solely focused on romance, the relationships between the characters are written so well that a simple kiss had me walking laps in my room at three in the morning. We see more progression of the characters' relationships within this last installment, since the stakes are at their highest points yet, and no one is guaranteed to make it out alive.
I specifically bought the OwlCrate edition of this series because I adored the artwork. If it wasn’t for OwlCrate, I would’ve never found my favorite book character of all time, Delilah Bard.
Raigan Mao
Prey by Fanny Lee Savage
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Prey by Fanny Lee Savage is book/novella #1 in the Unmasked series, which is a Dark Reverse Harem Romance book involving four masked men and their two women. It features some Mafia elements and an ending that leaves you questioning your taste in men and romantic relationships. At least they’re fictional.
Dahlia is known for playing it safe; her best friend Cora, on the other hand, isn’t. So when four masked men approach the girls in a club asking for their company for a night, the girls both consider their offer. A night of pleasure-filled fun or a simple, albeit boring, night of drinking and dancing. It’s really an easy choice and not that hard for them to decide.
Prey was a captivatingly hot read. I wasn’t aware I needed a Dark Romance book with four masked men and a pair of besties, but here we are. This book kept me on the edge of my bed for the 2 hours it took me to finish reading it. Prey was short and spicy, and I’m still questioning where the rest of it went, which I’m pretty sure is book #2.
The Nest App
⚪️ The app is 100% free and all are welcome!
⚪️ Created for the bookish community and powered by OwlCrate!
⚪️ We have exclusive live events always happening in The Nest, so download the app and join the community today!
