The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires - Grady Hendrix

 

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix 

Author: Grady Hendrix
Narrator: Full Cast
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Horror | Supernatural Thriller | Vampires
Publication Date: April 7, 2020
Audiobook Length: 13h 49m
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Synopsis

Patricia Campbell lives with her family in a quiet Charleston neighborhood where her days revolve around her husband, children, household responsibilities, and the book club she shares with a group of local women who have a particular fondness for true crime and thrillers.

Then James Harris moves into the neighborhood.

Charming and mysterious, James quickly becomes part of their community, but a series of increasingly disturbing events leaves Patricia suspicious of their new neighbor. When local children begin disappearing, her true-crime instincts kick in and she decides to investigate.

But what Patricia discovers suggests that the danger lurking in their seemingly peaceful neighborhood might be far worse than any serial killer she's ever read about.

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My Thoughts

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires was absolutely hilarious, disturbing, chaotic, and somehow ridiculously fun at the same time.

Patricia's life is initially incredibly ordinary. Not much happens in her quiet Charleston neighborhood, and one of the few exciting parts of her routine is meeting with the other neighborhood mothers for their book club. They're united by their love of true crime and thrillers, although naturally there's also plenty of discussion about husbands, children, neighborhood happenings, and gossip. What is a book club without a little gossip?

Everything is relatively normal and boring until James Harris arrives, and suddenly things start getting increasingly weird. After several bizarre incidents, Patricia becomes suspicious of their charming new resident. And because this woman spends her free time reading about serial killers and true crime, obviously she's going to investigate.

Tbh, I would expect nothing less from a book club member.

From there, the story becomes this wonderfully chaotic mixture of rumors, paranoia, obsession, neighborhood gossip, missing children, disturbing discoveries, and eventually some very vampiric problems.

One of my favorite parts was the uncertainty surrounding Patricia's suspicions. Is something genuinely wrong? Is everyone ignoring obvious warning signs? Has Patricia consumed entirely too much true crime and created an elaborate scenario in her head? Is James a serial killer? Something worse?

WHAT IS HAPPENING?!

I also loved the contrast between the ordinary suburban setting and the increasingly horrifying things happening beneath the surface. One moment we're dealing with husbands, children, book-club meetings, and neighborhood drama, and the next we've entered firmly into what the actual hell is going on in Charleston? territory.

It was funny and absurd at times, but it could also become genuinely uncomfortable and horrifying. Somehow those different tones worked together incredibly well for me rather than fighting against each other.

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Audiobook Thoughts

Despite being almost fourteen hours long, this audiobook completely had me. The full cast narration brought so much personality to Patricia and the other characters, and the performance made the increasingly chaotic situation incredibly entertaining to listen to.

I barely moved from my seat.

Food break? Fine.

Bathroom break? Apparently necessary.

Anything else? Absolutely not. Patricia has a vampire problem and I NEED ANSWERS!!!

The length never really bothered me because I was far too invested in finding out what was actually happening.

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Final Thoughts

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires gave me suburban drama, true-crime-obsessed book-club ladies, gossip, paranoia, missing children, horror, vampires and an increasingly unhinged investigation.

It was funny, creepy, absurd, uncomfortable and genuinely horrifying in places, and somehow all of those things worked together perfectly for me.

I freaking loved it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Even Gods Can Die - Micah Castle

Even Gods Can Die by Micah Castle

Author: Micah Castle
Format: eARC
Genre: Mystery | Crime Thriller
Publication Date: August 7, 2026
Length: 120 pages
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Synopsis

Rookie detective Dana Cauldwell is assigned a cold case involving a series of so-called mercy killings. Someone known only as the Doctor has been ending the lives of seriously ill people, leaving Dana to reopen old wounds and question grieving families as she searches for the person responsible.

For Dana, the law initially makes the situation simple: regardless of intention, killing is still killing.

But while the investigation progresses, her mother's health begins to deteriorate. Suddenly, the questions surrounding the Doctor's victims are no longer confined to police files and strangers. As illness becomes painfully personal, Dana is forced to reconsider where the boundaries between murder, compassion, morality, and choice really lie.

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My Thoughts

This book took me a while to review. Not because Even Gods Can Die is particularly long (it's only around 120 pages) but because it left me thinking about it long after I'd finished.

When Dana begins investigating the mercy killings, her position is fairly straightforward. Whatever the Doctor's intentions might have been, people died, and therefore a crime was committed. But while she's examining these cases, she's also watching her mother's health deteriorate. As those two parts of her life begin to collide, questions that once seemed very black and white become considerably more complicated.

For such a short book, this tackles a lot. It asks uncomfortable questions about suffering, compassion, morality, autonomy, death, and how easy it can be to hold very firm opinions about an experience when you're looking at it entirely from the outside.

This was also a difficult read for me on a personal level. Serious illness and end-of-life choices aren't entirely hypothetical subjects in my own life, so I found it particularly easy to understand the shift in Dana's perspective. There is a significant difference between discussing these questions theoretically and confronting what prolonged suffering can actually mean for someone you love or for yourself.

That made some of the later parts especially difficult to read, but it also made the story considerably more impactful for me.

And then there's the ending.

Without spoiling anything, I think it could be quite divisive. A reader's reaction will probably depend heavily on their own beliefs and experiences, and I can easily imagine people coming away from it with completely different feelings.

For me, it worked.

Not because every decision was comfortable or because the book provided an easy answer. It didn't, and I appreciated that. This is an inherently messy subject where morality, legality, compassion, autonomy, grief, and love can collide without leaving anyone with a perfect choice.

What impressed me most was how much Micah Castle managed to explore in approximately 120 pages without making the story feel rushed. There isn't an enormous amount of space here, yet the central moral dilemma has enough weight to linger after the mystery itself is over.

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Final Thoughts

Even Gods Can Die is a small book dealing with a very big question.

It's uncomfortable, morally complicated, and likely to provoke very different reactions depending on the reader. For me, its exploration of serious illness, suffering, compassion, and the limits of black-and-white morality hit particularly close to home.

More than anything, it made me think, and I was still thinking about it well after I'd turned the final page.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

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ARC Disclaimer

I received an advance reader copy of Even Gods Can Die directly from the author in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this copy did not influence my opinion of the book.

Thank you to Micah Castle for the opportunity to read and review Even Gods Can Die. All opinions are my own.

 

A Summer of Stars - Liana Cincotti

A Summer of Stars by Liana Cincotti 

Author: Liana Cincotti
Publisher: Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
Format: eARC
Genre: Contemporary Romance | Sports Romance | Fake Dating
Publication Date: August 11, 2026
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5 rounded up)

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Synopsis

Years ago, tennis star Luna Aldridge and Hollywood actor Kieran Alexander met at an event and felt an immediate attraction. Unfortunately, one misunderstanding was all it took to turn that spark into years of mutual dislike, gossip, and not-so-friendly comments.

Now Luna is dealing with the fallout from a messy breakup that has left the public firmly convinced she's the villain. Rather than expose the details of her private life, she stays quiet and lets the rumors continue.

Kieran has an image problem of his own. He's preparing to promote a major romantic movie, but his reputation for short-lived relationships isn't exactly convincing audiences that he's Hollywood's newest romantic leading man.

Their PR teams come up with the perfect solution: Luna and Kieran will fake a relationship for the summer. Between red carpets, tennis tournaments, cameras, and carefully staged romantic moments, however, pretending becomes increasingly complicated when neither of them is quite sure which feelings are still fake.

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My Thoughts

Apparently, all it takes is one misunderstanding to turn instant attraction into years of mutual dislike, gossip, and petty comments.

And they say romance is dead... sheeshh. :D

I had SO much fun with the setup of A Summer of Stars. Luna and Kieran initially meet years before the main story, and there's an immediate spark between them. Unfortunately, a misunderstanding happens almost immediately afterward, and instead of anything developing between them, they end up seriously disliking each other.

Fast-forward a few years, and neither of them is having a particularly wonderful time in the court of public opinion.

Luna is dealing with the aftermath of a very messy breakup/divorce, and somehow she has been cast as the villain. She's an incredibly private person and refuses to drag the truth about her relationship through the media simply to repair her reputation, which unfortunately allows her ex to continue looking like a saint.

We'll call him Saint Satan. Seems appropriate.

Kieran, meanwhile, needs audiences to buy him as the romantic lead of his upcoming movie. The problem is that his real-life dating history isn't exactly screaming everlasting love. He's never had a particularly serious relationship and has developed a reputation for moving rather quickly from one woman to the next.

Naturally, their PR teams decide the obvious solution is to make these two people who can't stand each other fake date.

What could possibly go wrong?

The banter between Luna and Kieran was easily one of my favorite parts of the book. I especially loved watching all those supposedly performative moments gradually become harder to define. There are plenty of “I'm only doing this because we're supposed to look like a couple” situations that slowly turn into “Wait... did you actually do that for me?” Neither of them seems entirely certain when the line between fake and real begins disappearing, and that worked so well for me.

There was also plenty happening beyond the romance. We get Luna's tennis career, Kieran's movie promotion, PR madness, family drama, international travel, and of course Saint Satan deciding that perhaps he wants Luna back after all.

Sir. Your opportunity has expired. Please move along. Shoo, shoo.

The tennis aspect may not be a perfectly technical representation of professional tennis, and the author acknowledges taking some liberties with it, but honestly, I didn't care. I'm not reading a romance novel for tournament regulations. :D I loved having a professional tennis player as the FMC because it felt different from the sports romances I usually encounter, and traveling for Luna's career gave the story a fun international backdrop.

More than anything, though, Luna and Kieran worked for me as a couple. The chemistry was there, the banter was fun and I loved watching years of assumptions slowly fall apart as they finally got to know each other rather than the versions created by gossip, misunderstandings, and their public personas.

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Final Thoughts

A Summer of Stars was fun, refreshing, romantic, and ridiculously easy to enjoy. Fake dating, celebrity PR drama, tennis, great banter, an irritating ex, and two people desperately trying to convince themselves that everything they're feeling is purely for the cameras?

Yeah. I ate it up.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5 rounded up)

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ARC Disclaimer

I received an advance reader copy of A Summer of Stars in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this copy did not influence my opinion of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.

 

Devil Inside - Clay McLeod Chapman

Devil Inside by Clay McLeod Chapman

Author: Clay McLeod Chapman
Publisher: MIRA / Harlequin Trade Publishing
Format: ARC
Genre: Horror | Horrormance | Paranormal | Dark Romance
Publication Date: August 11, 2026
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

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Synopsis

After a terrible accident nearly costs bike courier and adrenaline junkie Jordan his life, he wakes from a coma feeling distinctly different. Everything tastes like ash, he feels increasingly disconnected from the world around him, and sometimes the people he sees don't look entirely human anymore.

Then he meets Lilith.

Their connection is immediate, intense, and strange, but after one passionate night together, she disappears. When another woman eventually approaches Jordan claiming to be Lilith, despite having a completely different face, his already fragile sense of reality begins to unravel.

As Jordan becomes increasingly drawn to her, he has to decide just how much darkness he's willing to embrace for a connection unlike anything he's experienced before.

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My Thoughts

First things first... can we please talk about THAT COVER?

Because I'm not even going to pretend otherwise: I requested this book because of the cover. Purple and green are some of my favorite colors, and the second I saw it, I basically went, “Yep. I need that.”

So, five stars for the cover alone.

Unfortunately, the story itself didn't work quite as well for me, which was particularly disappointing because the premise sounded DELICIOUS.

Jordan is an adrenaline junkie who works as a bike courier and prides himself on making deliveries ridiculously fast. After accepting a particularly tight delivery and betting his friends that he can make it in time, things go horribly wrong when he collides with a car and nearly dies.

He survives, but after spending several days in a coma, something is clearly off. Jordan becomes withdrawn, feels almost dead inside, and begins seeing disturbing things in the people around him. Then he meets Lilith, and his already strange new reality becomes considerably more chaotic.

Their connection is immediate, intense, and very physical, but Lilith isn't exactly an ordinary woman. After their first encounter, she disappears, only for someone with an entirely different face to later claim that she is Lilith.

On paper?

SIGN. ME. UP!!!! Me and my other six personalities too!

In execution, however, I had a surprisingly difficult time connecting with the story.

Whenever Jordan and Lilith were together, I usually became interested again. Their encounters brought back some of the intensity, darkness, and weirdness that had initially attracted me to the premise. But whenever they separated and returned to their individual stories, I felt that intensity disappear.

After a while, it began to feel like the story was moving in circles. It would pull me back in, lose me, pull me back in again... and repeat. That stop-and-start feeling made the pacing difficult for me, especially because I kept waiting for the intensity of Jordan and Lilith's scenes together to carry over into the rest of the book.

Unfortunately, this also became a surprisingly difficult read for me to finish. I'm usually pretty quick when a story completely hooks me, but I kept putting this one down and ultimately took several days to get through it.

I really wanted to love it because the concept is wonderfully weird, dark, and intriguing. There were absolutely moments I enjoyed, particularly some of Jordan and Lilith's stranger interactions, but I never developed the connection with the characters or story that I needed.

I can easily see the particular brand of chaos here working much better for readers who click with the writing style. For me, though, this was one of those unfortunate cases where I loved the premise considerably more than the execution.

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Final Thoughts

Devil Inside had such an intriguing concept, combining near-death experiences, horror, possession, romance and plenty of weirdness into something that sounded completely up my alley.

While Jordan and Lilith's scenes together occasionally gave me the intensity I was looking for, the rest of the story struggled to hold my attention consistently. I wanted to be completely consumed by their strange, dark relationship, but ultimately I felt too disconnected from the story for that to happen.

Still...

Story: ⭐⭐⭐

Cover: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Look, nobody said I couldn't have a separate rating system. :D

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ARC Disclaimer

I received an advance reader copy of Devil Inside in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this copy did not influence my opinion of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own. 

The Shadows That Listen - Louisa Carmody

The Shadows That Listen by Louisa Carmody 

Author: Louisa Carmody
Series: Angel Ruin #1
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group UK
Format: eBook / ARC
Genre: Dystopian Fantasy | Romantasy | Urban Fantasy
Publication Date: August 18, 2026
Rating: ⭐ 3.5/5

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Synopsis

Five years after angels and daemons arrived and changed the world forever, humanity is barely holding on. Strict rules keep the remaining population relatively safe, including a 6 p.m. curfew that no human wants to break once darkness falls.

Amara works for the Angel Intelligence Agency and knows better than most what waits outside. But when her longtime boyfriend, Jeremy, fails to return home before curfew, she refuses to simply wait for answers.

Her search brings her face-to-face with Nathaniel, a powerful and infuriating archangel who reluctantly agrees to protect her in exchange for something he needs. When they discover they're searching for the same mysterious man, the two are forced into an uneasy alliance that takes them beyond the relative safety of the city.

But the deeper Amara searches for Jeremy, the clearer it becomes that almost nothing about his disappearance, or the world she thought she understood, is quite what it seems.

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My Thoughts

Oh boy, I have slightly complicated feelings about this one.

The world immediately caught my attention. Five years after angels and daemons arrived, humanity is essentially trying to survive in a world that no longer belongs to them. Humans live under strict rules, including a 6 p.m. curfew, because once darkness falls... well, you really don't want to be wandering around outside.

Amara works for the Angel Intelligence Agency and is well trained to handle herself in this new reality. She also has a longtime boyfriend, Jeremy, who proposes to her one morning. She turns him down, not because she doesn't love him, but because marriage simply isn't something she wants; and they both head off to work.

Except Jeremy never comes home.

As six o'clock approaches, Amara knows something is seriously wrong. Her search eventually takes her outside after curfew, where she fights her way through daemons and crosses paths with Nathaniel, an extremely powerful and equally infuriating archangel.

Nathaniel agrees to protect her because he wants something in return, and after accessing surveillance footage, they discover they're apparently searching for the same man: the person who “supposedly” took Jeremy.

And I'm emphasizing supposedly because absolutely nothing in this book is quite what it seems. Aaaand I MEAN IT!

From there, Amara and Nathaniel venture beyond the city searching for answers, and poor Amara is absolutely not prepared for some of the things she's eventually going to discover.

There was a lot I enjoyed about the story. The dystopian setting was interesting, I liked the mystery surrounding Jeremy's disappearance, and the combination of angels, daemons, danger, and Amara's uneasy partnership with Nathaniel gave the story plenty to work with. There are also some genuinely interesting revelations as everything begins to unravel.

My biggest issue, however, was the pacing. At times, it felt like the story was going around in circles. We'd get an intense sequence or an interesting discovery and I'd be completely invested again, only for the momentum to drop shortly afterward. It happened often enough that the book eventually started feeling longer than it needed to be.

I should probably also admit that I'm a HUGE fan of Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series, so apparently I have very strong opinions about my fictional archangels. 😂 I tried not to compare the two because they're obviously very different stories, but I do think being so attached to that series made it a little harder for me to completely fall into another world involving powerful angels, humans, danger and romance.

That said, I didn't dislike The Shadows That Listen at all. When the story was at its most intense, I genuinely enjoyed it, and there are some very good ideas behind this world and its mysteries. I just wish the momentum had been more consistent and some parts had been tightened up.

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Final Thoughts

The Shadows That Listen is an interesting start to the Angel Ruin series, with a fascinating dystopian world, angels and daemons, an uneasy alliance, plenty of secrets, and some revelations I definitely wasn't expecting.

The pacing prevented me from becoming as immersed as I'd hoped, but the world and larger mystery have plenty of potential. And if there's one lesson to take from this book, it's probably this: don't assume you know what's actually happening.

Because you probably don't. :D

⭐ 3.5/5

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ARC Disclaimer

I received an advance reader copy of The Shadows That Listen in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this copy did not influence my opinion of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Crying Killer - Jess Lourey

The Crying Killer by Jess Lourey

Author: Jess Lourey
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Format: eBook / ARC
Genre: Thriller | Mystery | Crime | Suspense
Publication Date: August 18, 2026
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Synopsis

Eight years ago, Tuesday Hendrickson survived an attack that killed her sister. The murderer was believed to be Arsen Bauer, their former friend and her sister's on-and-off boyfriend, who became known as the Crying Killer. Police shot and killed him while he fled the scene, and the case was considered closed.

Tuesday was never completely convinced they killed the right man. Now a private investigator living under a new name and fiercely protecting her daughter, she begins seeing someone who looks disturbingly like Arsen. When new bodies appear bearing the Crying Killer's signature, Tuesday must determine whether the man she's feared for eight years has really returned, or whether her past is finally catching up with her in a different way.

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My Thoughts

This book kept me on my toes the entire time. We get murder, stalking, dangerous situations, secrets, paranoia (or maybe not?) and that constant “Am I losing my mind right now?” feeling that had me questioning things right alongside Tuesday.

What made the original murders even more disturbing was Tuesday's connection to Arsen. He wasn't a random killer who entered their lives; he had been their friend and her sister's on-and-off boyfriend. When police supposedly killed him while fleeing the scene, everyone else accepted that the nightmare was finally over. Tuesday never really did.

And honestly, I could understand why. The man who was shot was wearing Arsen's clothes, but his face had been completely destroyed, making identification difficult. Tuesday has spent eight years believing there was a possibility Arsen survived, and when she starts seeing him again just as bodies bearing the Crying Killer's signature begin appearing, that old fear comes rushing back.

The suspense worked really well for me because I genuinely wasn't sure how much of Tuesday's fear I could trust. Was she actually seeing Arsen across the street? Was someone stalking her? Was her trauma making her see connections that weren't there? Or was everyone around her making a huge mistake by refusing to believe her? At some point, I was basically questioning my own sanity alongside her. :D

I also loved how the mystery kept shifting. Every time I thought I had a decent idea of what was happening, another detail or twist made me reconsider my theory. Things became especially interesting toward the end, and some of those reveals genuinely surprised me.

It was also incredibly bingeable. This is exactly the kind of thriller that makes me say “one more chapter” until I suddenly realize it's 3 a.m... or 7 a.m. Apparently sleep becomes optional when I need answers. 

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Final Thoughts

The Crying Killer was suspenseful, twisty and extremely difficult for me to put down. Tuesday's uncertainty created that perfect “is this actually happening or are we imagining it?” feeling, while the mystery kept giving me reasons to question my theories.

I genuinely don't have any major complaints. It kept me guessing, gave me a few surprises I didn't see coming, and had me completely invested in finding out what really happened eight years ago.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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ARC Disclaimer

I received an advance reader copy of The Crying Killer in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this copy did not influence my opinion of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.

 

Alchemist of the Wilds - A. T. Valentine

 

Alchemist of the Wilds by A. T. Valentine 

Author: A. T. Valentine
Narrator: Jonathan Sleep
Publisher: Tantor Media
Format: Audiobook / ALC
Genre: Cozy Fantasy | Adventure | Romance
Publication Date: August 18, 2026
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Synopsis

Lianthorn Belladonna was born into a family where poisons, schemes, and doing the kingdom’s dirty work are simply part of life. But after years of being trapped in a future he never wanted, Lian finally decides he’s had enough.

Leaving his family and their expectations behind, he travels far from everything he knows and eventually arrives at a secluded frontier village where the Belladonna name means nothing.

Determined to earn his place in the community, Lian begins using his knowledge of alchemy to help rather than harm. Between gathering ingredients in the wild, protecting his new home from dangerous creatures, forming unexpected friendships, and growing closer to a certain red-scaled Draconian carpenter, Lian may finally have the chance to build a life that belongs entirely to him.

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My Thoughts

This audiobook was SO, SOOOO much fun!

Almost immediately, Alchemist of the Wilds reminded me of Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside, which I absolutely loved both as a manga and an anime. Apparently, the whole “I’m done with my dangerous old life, please let me disappear somewhere far away and live peacefully” setup is very much my thing. ^^

Lianthorn comes from the Belladonna family, where poisons, schemes, and doing the kingdom’s dirty work are basically the family business. The problem is that Lian doesn’t want any of it.

So he runs.

And when I say far away, I mean faaaar away.

He eventually reaches a secluded little frontier village where nobody particularly cares about the Belladonna name. But simply arriving doesn’t guarantee him a place there. He has to convince the village elders that he’s worth allowing to stay and that his knowledge and abilities can actually help their community prosper.

From there, the story settles into this wonderful cozy rhythm as Lian slowly begins building an entirely new life for himself.

Lian is definitely on the introverted side, and I really enjoyed watching him gradually form friendships with the other villagers. He starts going on little adventures into the wild to gather herbs and other ingredients for his potions, uses his alchemy to solve problems around the village, and even helps protect everyone when monsters and predators become a threat.

One of my favorite parts of his journey was watching him realize that his abilities don’t have to be defined by the way his family used them.

The same knowledge that allowed him to create poisons can be used to create medicines and things that genuinely help people. His skills themselves were never inherently evil; it was what his family chose to do with them that caused so much harm.

I loved seeing Lian slowly discover that distinction and decide for himself what kind of alchemist, and person, he actually wants to be.

The cozy fantasy elements also worked incredibly well for me because the story never became too quiet. We have the comforting small village atmosphere, friendships, potion making, gathering ingredients and Lian gradually finding his place in the community, but we also get adventures, monsters, dangerous situations, and enough action to keep things moving.

Basically, it was cozy without becoming boring, which is exactly the balance I like.

And then we have our lovely red-scaled Draconian carpenter.

Hihi. :D

I LOVED their relationship.

For now, I’d describe it more as a close friendship with some very obvious hmmm... are we heading somewhere here? energy rather than an actual on-page romance. Their connection develops naturally alongside everything else happening in Lian’s new life, and I really liked that it wasn’t rushed.

But I am absolutely invested now.

So, book two?

Give me more, please and thank you very much!

Especially because the book decided to end with THAT little cliffhanger.

As if I needed another reason to continue the series. :D

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Audiobook Thoughts

I really enjoyed Jonathan Sleep’s narration.

His voice was incredibly relaxing and suited the cozy atmosphere of the story perfectly. Even during Lian’s quieter moments around the village, the narration remained engaging, and it transitioned nicely into the more adventurous and dangerous scenes.

The combination of the story and his performance made this such an easy audiobook to settle into, and I could very happily listen to him narrate another adventure with these characters.

Preferably book two.

Soon.

:D

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Final Thoughts

Alchemist of the Wilds was exactly the kind of cozy fantasy I wanted: an introverted former assassin and poisoner trying to build a quiet life, alchemy and potion making, a secluded frontier village, adventures in the wild, monsters, found friendships, and the beginnings of what could become a very cute romance.

I especially loved Lian’s journey from using his abilities because his family demanded it to discovering how those same skills could be used to help people and create the kind of life he actually wanted.

Add the cozy atmosphere, enough adventure to keep things interesting, a certain Draconian I am now very invested in, and Jonathan Sleep’s wonderfully relaxing narration, and I had such a good time with this audiobook.

And after that ending?

I officially need book two.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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ALC Disclaimer

I received an advance listening copy of Alchemist of the Wilds in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this copy did not influence my opinion of the audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for the opportunity to listen to and review this ALC. All opinions are my own.