Can’t Wait Wednesday: The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden
7 January 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Can't Wait Wednesda, Katherine Arden, The Unicorn Hunters, Wishful Endings
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is: The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden. Oh yes, I’m so excited for this. Here’s all the info you need:
With her country’s future and her own life at stake, an orphaned duchess must journey into a world of myth and there discover a power that may be her salvation—or her demise—in this enchanting new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Winternight Trilogy and The Warm Hands of Ghosts.
Anne of Brittany was a child when her realm was invaded, her home besieged, and her royal father driven to his death.
Now her treasury is empty, her land occupied by her enemies, and she is ordered, under threat of renewed war, to become queen of her conquerors and marry the King of France.
This marriage means her country’s annexation. But Anne promised her father that Brittany would never be conquered.
Defiantly, she betroths herself in secret to France’s greatest enemy. But in a world where courts may spy on each other by magic, there is only one way to solemnize this illicit union.
Anne takes her court deep into a legendary forest, where the court diviners’ skill cannot reach. The world thinks they are only a hunting party, coursing after unicorns. But that is a lie, a trick, a feint. No one in living memory has seen a unicorn. All Anne wants is this secret wedding, which is her only hope of salvation.
But when against all hope a unicorn appears and a stranger out of legend stumbles from the trees and falls at her feet, Anne is plunged into a world of enchantment where a doomed sovereign might find the power to change her own and her country’s destiny—or be lost in the shadows forever.
Expected publication: June 2026
Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books I read in 2025
6 January 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Best Books I read in 2025, book-blog, Bookish Highlights for 2025, Books, My Top Ten books for 2025, reading, TBR, That Artsy Reader Girl, the broke and bookish, Top Ten Tuesday
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme where every Tuesday we look at a particular topic for discussion and use various (or more to the point ten) bookish examples to demonstrate that particular topic. Top Ten Tuesday (created and hosted by The Broke and Bookish) is now being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and future week’s topics can be found here. This week’s prompt is:
Best Books I read in 2025
This is my first Top Ten Tuesday for 2026 so although I’ve actually already covered this topic (here) and also looked at my highlights for 2025 (here), I thought I might take a look at both posts and see if I could see which books coincide or not and maybe choose another ten books from my highlights. Here goes:
Grave Empire by Richard Swan
A Far Better Thing by HG Parry
My Ex, the AntiChrist by Craig DiLouie
Senseless by Ronald Malfi
It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest
No Women Were Harmed by Heather Mottershead
Paladins Grace by T Kingfisher
Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham
Paved With Good Intentions by Peter McLean
The Last Witch by CJ Cooke
Review: What Stalks the Deep (Sworn Soldier #3) by T Kingfisher
5 January 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Review, Books, Fantasy, Horror, Review, Sworn Soldier #3, T Kingfisher, What Stalks the Deep
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Soft horror with Unexpected Outcome
I am enjoying the Sworn Soldier series by T Kingfisher although the first book still remains my favourite.
In this story Alex Easton travels to America to help out an old friend whose cousin has gone missing, last known destination – an abandoned coal mine in West Virginia.
The story is a mystery that takes our MC into a supposedly haunted mine where the threat of rock falls or suffocation is the least of the problems. Disturbing lights can be seen where there shouldn’t be any light and strange things go bump in the night.
What I really enjoyed about this.
First and foremost the writing. I love reading Kingfisher, she manages to write compelling characters who find themselves in the strangest places and she infuses her stories with her own brand of humour and darkness.
I like the character that she’s come up with for this series and that’s also what I find myself returning for. Alex Easton is a good friend and a strong person who doesn’t flinch from danger or discomfort. In the past stories Alex has dealt with strange mushrooms and ghosts and in this edition, well, I don’t want to give away any spoilers but this went in a direction that I really didn’t see coming. Really quite creepy – and I must mention the dog! I realise I’m being very cryptic but you have to discover these things for yourself.
I liked the setting although at the same time this was also the issue that brought the story down a little for me. It started off very dark, creepy and claustrophobic. Alex isn’t a lover of small spaces and so caving and crawling through tight spaces into the unknown really brought out the fear factor. I did feel that after the reveal the tension and atmosphere seemed to dissipate. I still enjoyed the story and this is a very quick read but I didn’t feel the sense of dread that I had felt during the first half when the unknown occupant of the mine was creeping around.
Overall, a good instalment in the Sworn Soldier series. I can’t wait to see what dilema Alex gets into next and I hope for many more weird and wonderful adventures.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 3.5 of 5 stars rounded to 4
2025 Round Up for December and Picture Prompt Bingo challenge
3 January 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: 2025, Bookforager's Picture Prompt Book Bingo 2026, Books, December Round Up, Picture Prompt Book Bingo, reading, reading-challenge
Today I’m posting a round up for 2025 to complete a few loose ends.
During my last monthly round up I put a few books together to try and finish off the year. Unfortunately, my December reading was quite slow and some of the books didn’t really work their magic but let’s take a look at what I was hoping to read and what I accomplished.
December looking ahead:
- What Stalks the Deep by T Kingfisher – I’ve read this and will be reviewing soon
- The Possession of Alba Dias by Isabel Cañas (Carried over from October) – I’ve read almost 60% of this but I am struggling so for now I’m setting it aside. I might try and complete it during January but I’m making slow progress.
- Murder Most Haunted by Emma Mason (Carried over from October). This is a DNF.
- The Last Death of the Year by Sophie Hannah (Carried over from October) – I read this and it was a decent read, not the best, I felt it needed a bit more atmosphere but I shall be reviewing this title soon.
- The Blackfire Blade by James Logan. I read and loved this one. My review is already posted.
- I’ll Make A Spectacle of You by Beatrice Winifred Iker – I was excited by the sound of this one but unfortunately it’s a DNF for me.
- Outlaw Planet by MR Carey – I’ve read and loved this one (although it took me a little while to get into). I shall be posting a review soon.
So, I completed four of my seven books. I might still try to finish The Possession of Alba Dias although it is slowing me down (by which I mean it’s not that the reading is going slowly but it’s making me not want to read, which is a shame as its well written) so we’ll see.
My January books:
- Rings of Fate by Melissa de la Cruz
- What Stalks the Deep by T Kingfisher – already read
- A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St James – currently reading
- The Wolf and the Crown of Blood by Elizabeth May
- Fiend by Alma Katsu
- Enchanting the Fae Queen by Stephanie Burgis
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- Version 1.0.0
Six books in total but I’ve completed one and started one so hopefully this is achievable.
Bookforager‘s Picture Prompt book bingo.
and the text version:
PICTURE PROMPT BOOK BINGO 2025 (TEXT VERSION)
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Today, I’m completing the challenge using books read during 2025
No.1 – A prehistoric flint knapped stone knife, I’m using The Blackfire Blade because the story revolves around the search for a ‘blade’, plus I seem to recall there was the use of older weapons and perhaps a flint headed axe at one point – at the time I had a very good reason for using this but now it sounds very dodgy!
No.2 A Lighthouse, I’m using Outlaw Planet by MR Carey because the use of Towers is fundamental to the story, they’re not lighthouses but they have very narrow high towers that sound very similar to a lighthouse and are used for broadcasting (lighthouses are similarly used to cast a light and give a warning)
Three very tenuous links!! A bit of cheating or alternative thinking!
No.3 A very large, mechanical telescope, I’m using What Stalks the Deep by T Kingfisher because this takes place in an old abandoned mine where what can only be described as an alien entity seems to be surviving. So, very tenuous link indeed and maybe this is just cheating!!
The prompts I’ve crossed off so far:
No.4 – the Archery Target with Arrows in it – I’ve chosen the Bone Raiders by Jackson Ford
No.15 The Vipers by Katy Hays
No. 7 A Stag – which I’m using Clockwork Boys by T Kingfisher
No. 16 – A Roman helmet – and I’m using This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara.
No. 3 – an apple on a leafy branch – Hemlock and Silver by T Kingfisther
No.10 – A Sheaf of Wheat – The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst –
No. 11 – An Old Mechanical Typewriter – The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno Garcia
No.8 – The ruins of a temple-like structure – I’m using Daughter of Chaos by A S Webb
No. 12 – A cluster of four mushrooms – I’m using Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett
No. 13 – A fringed umbrella/parasol – I’m using A Fortune Most Fatal by Jessica Bull
No.14 – A chemistry set-up of bottles and tubes – I’m using Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis
No.9 – A Crab – I’m using The Devils by Joe Abercrombie – if you’ve read this already you’ll be able to guess why. There are some very unusual creatures in this story.
No.6 – A Human Skull – I’m using The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North – because this is about a serial killer and there are definite human remains included in this one.
Checkout this post for this years picture prompt bingo card.
My Favourite Books from 2025
1 January 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A Tangle of Time, Best of the Best, blog, Books, Fantasy, Greenteeth, King Sorrow, My favourite books for 2025, The Dead Husband Cookbook, The Everlasting, The Knight and the Moth, The Place Where They Buried Your Heart, The Rush, Vianne, Victorian Psycho
Happy New Year everyone.
Every new year I try and choose my favourite books from the year before. It involves some tough decisions because I do read a lot and I’m usually very fortunate to enjoy some fantastic books. This year has been no different (although my reading has been slightly less than normal) and my highlights can be found here. I had so many good books this year that I’m going to post this quick before I change my mind!
Without further ado let’s look at my top ten books from 2025. In no particular order (because I definitely can’t choose a No.1):
The Rush by Beth Lewis
Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
Vianne by Joanne Harris
King Sorrow by Joe Hill
The Everlasting by Alix E Harrow
The Dead Husband Cookbook by Danielle Valentine
The Hexologists: A Tangle of Time by Josiah Bancroft
The Place Where They Buried Your Heart by Christina Henry
The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
Greenteeth by Molly O’Neill
Books and travelling with Lynn 