Sentient forests with insatiable hunger? Check. Deep seas haunted by leviathans? Check. Body horror? Check. Deliciously complex characters whom you couldn't possibly form a proper opinion on until the last few pages? Check. In a world surrounded by the endless Teeth and Deep, we accompany the strong-willed and outspoken Hyacinth Turner as she struggles to find her own place in life, where decisions are always made for her, and any act of defiance would result in a slow, painful death. Following the tragic events that transpired after her nameday, she was forced to be wed and sent off to a gloomy town nestled between the forest and the sea. Here she remains unyielding, refusing to be chained down by the town’s cultist leaders, or be tamed by her own ill-fitting, insufferable husband. There was a part at the end that seemed incredibly rushed and unnecessary—the goal could have been achieved with much less of whatever had happened. There is also my concern about the lack of details or explanations thereof; we could have used a couple more chapters that delved deeper into the story’s folklore. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my time reading this book, and I certainly wouldn’t mind returning to its world, should we be blessed with a sequel, perhaps in Mistress Yarrow’s point of view next time. Coming across this novel felt like finding a needle in the haystack. Fast-paced and dripping with folklore, The Bone Drenched Woods dragged me face first into its pages with its lush world-building and eerie atmosphere. Folk horror is usually a hit or miss for me, but thank the gods for L.V. Russell for doing it justice. I also loved the bisexual representation, of course! What a ride, truly. A recommended one, at that. Trigger warning for animal deaths and cruelty, but I can at least assure that all of them were quick and equivalent to what we could say as an "off-screen death". My sincere thanks to L.V. Penner, Quill & Crow Publishing House, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Books, pastries, and magical beings all in one book? This was a dream come true for me, and best believe that my mouth kept watering whenever there was baking involved. J. Penner truly has a talent for pulling her readers into the world. I loved how baking remained to be a major theme despite jumping into a whole new adventure. Doli is such a sweetheart. I must admit that I became more fond of her than I was of Arleta, so it was lovely diving deeper into her history and character in this book. Even though this book focuses more on Doli, I adored how characters from the first novel still had roles to play here. (Ervash and Verdreth are my dads. I love them so much). All in all, A Fellowship of Librarians and Dragons retained that same cozy fantasy vibes similar to the first installment of the series. I’m excited to to see Jez in the third book next! But also, a moment of admirable silence for these book covers. I am in love. My sincere thanks to J. Penner, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for this e-ARC of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

One thing I immediately realized was how much the author must have enjoyed the art of baking herself. To be able to write this novel so beautifully and passionately, even including bonus recipes in the last pages, I had no doubt she was also a baker in real life. I went into this book with much excitement, especially as a fan of cozy fantasies, and J. Penner did not disappoint. My only concern was how much of a pessimist that Arleta Starstone was. She had great talents, but so little belief in herself. I was rooting for her wholeheartedly, but at the same time, I was also frustrated with how she made being magicless her entire identity. This went on and on until towards the end, along with the endless, one-sided push and pull she kept doing to her relationships with the other characters—Theo, Ervash, and Verdreth, especially. In other news, found family tropes have always been dear to me, so I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the characters come together. Although there is a lack of world-building and character development, along with my being unable to take the huffy antagonist seriously, I suppose this book’s charm is being direct to the point itself. I had a fun, whimsical time in Adenashire, either way! My sincere thanks to J. Penner, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for this e-ARC of the novel in exchange for an honest review.