Can’t Wait Wednesday: Melting the Ice Queen (Queens of Villainy #3) by Stephanie Burgis
14 October 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Books, Can't wait Wednesday, Fantasy, fiction, Melting the Ice Queen, Romance, Stephanie Burgis, Wishful Endings, writing
“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: Melting the Ice Queen (Queens of Villainy #3) by Stephanie Burgis. Check out the cover and description below:
The epic conclusion of the Queens of Villainy series, featuring an ice queen’s marriage of convenience to the fiery high priestess… and their kingdoms will never be the same again.
Queen Ailana of Nornne is famous for her magical powers over ice and snow and her equally frosty self-control. The head of a powerful spy network and the guiding force behind the Queens of Villainy, she makes every decision based on cool and unemotional calculations…
Including marriage to a woman she strongly suspects of keeping dangerous secrets.
Hot-headed High Priestess Clothilde has been under the brutal control of her brother Otto, the Emperor of the Serafin Empire. But behind the smile she’s been forced to wear in public, a fiery passion for justice has been building—and an equally hot passion for Ailana herself. Clothilde proposes a marriage of convenience in their shared efforts to bring down her brother, but she’s determined to melt all of Ailana’s walls of ice, because Clothilde has been keeping another secret, too.
The gods of the Imperial Pantheon have been speaking to her for years, and they’ve gifted her with two world-shaking Ailana is her destined true love…and if the two wives don’t find a way to work together as equals, side by side with their fellow Queens of Villainy, a storm of war and blood will leave all of their futures in ruins.
Expected publication: March 2027
Review: The Thrice Bound Fool (Blacktongue #2) by Christopher Buehlman
13 October 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Review, Book Reviews, Books, Christopher Buehlman, fiction, reading, The Blacktongue Thief, The Thrice Bound Fool
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Wow, I loved This Book
It was simply brilliant.
I feel like there’s been a bit of a wait for this second instalment. But, I’m not complaining, I read and adored The Daughters’ War, which was, strictly speaking, the start of the story, and I completely understand the author’s desire to tell that tale because its so, so good.
Be warned that this review may contain spoilers for the previous two books. Also, I recommend that you read those books before delving into this one. In fact I will make it a special request – please read The Daughters War and The Blacktongue Thief – I implore you.
This story picks up with our two characters Kinch and Galva and, may I say, it was an absolute pleasure to follow the two of them around. And, trust me, there is a lot of meandering – not a criticism. The two are trying to keep one step ahead of the Taker’s Guild, whilst carrying along a sentient book that is trying to kill them – at the same time as trying to cross deadly mountains during the cold season. What could possibly go wrong. The main objective seems to be to buy time so that Kinch can try and uncover the secrets from the deadly book they carry, whilst Galva tries to protect him. What ensues is the strangest and most unexpected journey that you can imagine – and I do have a pretty good imagination.
Strangely enough I went back to check out my previous two reviews and I would say a lot of the feelings and comments I made for those are still relevant here.
If you’re looking for some sort of epic fantasy with a clearly structured plot that carries the story forward then you might need to give your head a wobble. This is definitely the type of tale that is more about the journey than the destination. And this journey is one major life threatening and twisty story. It’s incredibly entertaining, there is no shortage of action, its a conundrum in that it can be bleak and bloody, laugh out loud funny and indisputably crass and with a range of characters that really do run the gamut of humankind – kindness where you’d least expect, vicious cruelty without need and plenty of emotional scenes that will pull at your heartstrings.
We have giants, fickle and tricky Gods, corvids and although not as many as in previous books, goblins that will give you the heebies.
Lets be honest as well, the stakes in this one are again high. Mankind is possibly on the brink of being wiped out and what Kinch and Galva uncover in this latest instalment makes this possibility more than a little likely.
But, without doubt, the winning element to The Thrice-Bound Fool is the relationship between Kinch and Galva. I mean, to be fair, I absolutely adore Galva and so you could be forgiven for thinking Kinch plays second fiddle for me, but, to be honest, I really like his character too, he’s got such a lot of charm and he comes out with the most outrageous things that I simply explode, unexpectedly with laughter. It’s absolutely crazy. I love it when a book does that – particularly when a turn of the page can equally have me either on the edge of my seat or close to tears.
And I really liked the role that Kinch ends up playing – I’m not going to say what it is because it would give away spoilers, but it feels so ridiculously fitting somehow.
In conclusion, another great instalment. I’d say that The Daughters’ War is still my favourite but the three books are so close together that there’s barely anything in it. An excellent series. Well written, entertaining, outrageous, dark, brutal, bloody, funny and unexpectedly emotional. Also, can I just mention the title – which is absolutely perfect – I love it when the title is really meaningful.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4.5 of 5 stars
Review: A Waltz of Sinister Import Lady and Lord Riven #3 by Stephanie Burgis
12 October 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A Waltz of Sinister Import, Book Review, Book Reviews, Books, fiction, Lady and Lord Riven #3, reading, Stephanie Burgis
My Five Word TL:DR Review: A Perfectly Fitting Final Instalment
Well, the door isn’t totally closed, there may be more books in the future, or at least one can but hope.
I was so pleased to have an advanced review copy of A Waltz of Sinister Import by Stephanie Burgis. This series has been an absolute delight to read with it’s prickly central character who just so happens to be the leading expert on anything that goes bump in the night, by which I mean supernaturals.
First things first. This is the third in series and so I feel I should mention the possibility of spoilers lurking in this review, although I do my utmost to not drop clangers. Secondly, if you haven’t read the first two books I suggest you do so first. I suppose you could crash into this series at the final hurdle but you would deprive yourself of two very good books, which clearly you wouldn’t want to do, and also your knowledge of Lady and Lord Riven would not be as well grounded – in my opinion that is. Basically, be good to yourself and read all three. They are delicious – strangely enough there is also plenty of mention of tea and cakes so come prepared.
In this final instalment Margaret and her ever so patient vampire husband, Lord Riven, have swapped the Black Forest for the ballrooms of Vienna. A very unpleasant exchange in Margaret’s opinion. She’s not a lover of high society, dislikes all the pomp and ceremony of balls and finds it hard to blend into this so called polite society who are actually more vicious than a pack of wild animals. The couple long to return to the Black Forest but needs must, war is but a hair’s breadth away and Margaret needs to solve the latest mystery before everything goes to hell in a handcart.
I’m not going to say anything more about the story. It’s really well written and a wonderful read. It manages to bring to us magical balls – of the kind that you wouldn’t want to be invited to – political intrigue and, for me at least, unknown folklore in terms of the introduction of a totally fascinating new character.
What I love about this series. It begins with a marriage of inconvenience before quickly becoming obvious that Margaret and Lord Riven were made for each other. Their relationship is the key element in these books, especially in that certain conventions are turned on their head. Margaret, a woman of good standing and wealth, doesn’t like to socialise and has no time for niceties, she’s somewhat to the point, calls a spade a spade and is genuinely surprised if people are affronted. Lord Riven, on the other hand is a well spoken man about town. He has no problem talking and socialising with anybody and he does his best to step up and put himself into the fray in order for Margaret to not have to do so. This is one of the best married couples that I’ve read. They feel so caring and thoughtful of each others needs and emotions – which isn’t to say that Margaret doesn’t put herself in danger without a care in the world and that Lord Riven is nearly driven to distraction.
I actually enjoyed the switch of setting and in fact that’s something else I enjoy about this series. Each instalment brings a different setting, mystery and usually the introduction to something new in terms of fantasy folk and critters.
The dialogue is really good, something I feel Burgis really excels at. There is simmering romance, new friendships and a really fitting ending. Yes, its always a bittersweet feeling coming to the end of a series that you’ve enjoyed but there remains a tiny glimmer of light that we might see Margaret and Lord Riven in the future. Never say never.
I received a copy courtesy of the author, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4.5 of 5 stars
Friday Face Off: Pinfeathers by Christina Henry
9 October 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Review, book-blog, Books, Christina Henry, fiction, Friday Face off, Pinfeathers, reading
Today is another opportunity to play along at the Friday Face Off where you choose a book and compare the covers. Originally created by Books by Proxy). If you’re taking part I would love you to drop me a link so I can check out your cover choices. .
I’ve decided to make a couple of changes to my weekly Friday Face Off – nothing too drastic – at the start of the month, the first Friday Face Off of the month, I’m aiming to take a look at joining in with the Birthstone Book Covers meme created by Leslie @ Books Are The New Black so for the first FFO every month I will search for covers that match that month’s birthstone (from books that I’ve read) and compare them and choose a favourite. For the last Friday of every month I’m going to look at the books I’ve read that month and do the same.
Today I’m back to my regular FaceOff and I’ve chosen a forthcoming book that I’m excited to pick up Pinfeathers by Christina Henry. I have three covers to show but I’m not sure if one of these is a finished cover so take it with a pinch of salt. Here they are:
I found it tough this week because these are all unsettling aren’t they.
My favourite:
In the end, I went for this one because I like the simplicity of it.
Which is your favourite this week?
Review: A Scholar’s Guide to Demonology & Other Dark Arts by Genevieve Cogman
8 October 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: A Scholar's Guide to Demonology & Other Dark Arts, Book Review, Book Reviews, Books, Fantasy, fiction, Genevieve Cogman
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Great Start to New Series
I have enjoyed a few of Genevieve Cogman’s books and so was excited to pick up a copy of A Scholar’s Guide to Demonology & Other Dark Arts (ASGtDaODA) and it doesn’t disappoint. I did wonder, going into this one if it would have more of a YA feel to it being set in a school and all and of course there are the students but the focus is predominantly on Philomena (or Phil as she is affectionately known).
Phil finds herself in the difficult position of having to leave her scholarly life at Cambridge behind and find a paying job – the horror! Her father has disgraced the family, losing most of their money and desperate times call for desperate measures. So, Phil has applied for a job at Graynes, a school for girls set on the Yorkshire Moors, and although she has no teaching qualifications, she is offered a position, primarily teaching Latin but also it seems odd jobbing at just about everything else involved in school life.
What then follows is a rude awakening as Phil begins to understand that there is more to Graynes than a slightly down at heel gothic building, a bunch of incredibly unruly and highly energetic school girls and a lot of tight lipped colleagues that are either keeping secrets or are blissfully in the dark.
If you’ve heard of the St Trinians then the comparison is inevitable but this book inserts a boost of fantasy into the shenanigans and the fantasy isn’t just tacked on for good measure. This is well thought out, there’s plenty going on at the school and the scope for more adventures is very promising.
As part of the plot we have the inevitable baddie, seeking vengeance and plotting against everyone with the eventual mad dash capers in the concluding chapters as everything comes together for the grande finale.
I don’t want to say too much about the plot. I had fun reading this. It’s light hearted and enjoyable. The characters are easy to engage with. Phil was quite cool headed when put in a fix and although predominantly its all a little tongue in cheek the stakes do take a darker turn towards the end – and yet you simply know that everything will work out. I wouldn’t call this cosy but at the same time its the kind of story that has over the top villains and beleaguered teachers, surrounded by outlandish school children just waiting to be given a free reign.
The school is stuck out on the moors, the local villagers give the place a wide berth, taxis won’t enter the grounds and the education inspectors pay frequent visits to try and catch the school in any wrongdoing and presumably have an excuse to close it down.
On top of this there are mysterious crossroads, strange wards protecting the school, an extensive and labyrinthe like basement with a fascinating array of books and, of course, as the title would suggest, demons. Although here they seem more like familiars.
The rest of the cast are easy to imagine if a little bit cliched. The schoolgirls are wonderfully OTT and there’s an overall whimsical feel to the peace that puts you more in mind of simpler times. That’s probably exacerbated by the fact that mobile phones are made completely useless at the school due to some sort of blockers and also added to by the charm of the local village.
I’ll leave it there because part of the fun of this was letting the story develop bit by bit. I wouldn’t particularly say this is a fast paced read but I liked the tone and I wasn’t in a particular hurry, more just enjoying seeing things develop.
I really look forward to seeing what comes next in this series, like I mentioned above there’s certainly a lot of scope here.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4 of 5 stars
