Author: M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left

Top 10 Tuesday: Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left17 Comments

2025 is looking really stacked with so many exciting new releases on the way! It was difficult for me to pick only 10, but here are the ones I am most looking forward to in the first half of the year.

Top 10 Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish, but has now moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. If you’re interested in taking part click here.

Release dates are subject to change and these are based on the ones I could find for UK retailers so may differ for other countries.

Brewed With Love by Shelly Page – 14 January 2025

Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis – 20 February 2025

What Wakes The Bells by Elle Tesch – 11 March 2025

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins – 18 March 2025            

The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson – 24 April 2025

The Floating World by Axie Oh – 13 May 2025

The Falconer by Elizabeth May – 15 May 2025

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig – 20 May 2025

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab – 10 June 2025

Six Wild Crowns by Holly Race – 10 June 2025

As a big fan of the Hunger Games books, I was of course incredibly excited to find out we would be getting a new book in 2025 – honestly Suzanne Collins could write anything set in this world and I would read it. I’m also looking forward to V. E. Schwab’s new book and to read Elizabeth May’s republished version of The Falconer. There are also many new authors I haven’t read before on this list so I’m hopeful to discover some new favourites this year.

What 2025 releases are you most excited for? Chat with me in the comments!

Recent Reads #2 – Ravens, Retellings and Regency Romance

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It’s nearly the end of 2024 and I just finished my last book of the year! I’ll be sharing my favourite books from this year soon, but for now here is a round up of some of the books I’ve read recently.

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – I absolutely loved this book and it is definitely a new favourite. Margaret Rogerson’s writing was so good and just swept me up in the story and painted a beautiful and magical picture of the world. I never knew what was going to happen next and had to keep reading to find out. The romance between the protagonists is quite a big part of this book and I was rooting for them the whole way through and really willing Isabelle to realise her true feelings. Despite being quite short for a fantasy standalone, I thought the pacing was good and found it a nice change of pace to read a shorter fantasy novel. This was a perfect autumnal read and I am so glad I picked it up.

The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray ⭐⭐⭐.5 – This was a fun reimagining of Jane Austen’s work which sees pairs of characters from each of her books grouped together for a house party which is unfortunately interrupted by a murder. As this book is set after the events of Austen’s novels, it was fun to imagine how the characters’ lives evolved after the last pages of the original works concluded. However, there were a lot of POVs which switched quite frequently, making it not a very smooth reading experience as I felt it jumped around a little too often. I didn’t feel as intrigued by the murder mystery as I expected – because we see so many POVs, we know more than the two characters investigating do, so often when Tilney and Darcy discover something new, the reader already knows about it, which takes the excitement out of the revelation. Overall, this was a good read and I think it will appeal most to fans of Jane Austen.

Cities of Smoke and Starlight by Alli Earnest ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – This novel, which blends science fiction and fantasy, drew me in from the start. The combination of Alli Earnest’s writing style and Magnus Carlssen’s narration made the audiobook a very enjoyable listening experience. This book has a very slow burn romance, some might feel it is too slow, but for me it felt a realistic speed for their relationship to progress since they start out hating each other. I liked the characters and world, but the plot was probably the weakest element. There were too many questions left unanswered at the end, which took some impact out of the final confrontation as I just felt a bit too confused by what was happening. Because I enjoyed the writing, narration and characters so much, I will continue with the series and look forward to seeing where the story will go next.

Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Sutanto ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – This sequel to Dial A For Aunties was just as chaotic and funny as the first book. I loved being back with these characters again, especially the aunties. I felt so bad for Medi in this book that her own wedding got ruined this time. The ending, although I predicted some of it quite early on, was still satisfying and there were definitely plenty of surprising moments along the way. I’m looking forward to seeing what antics they all get up to in the next book!

An Improbable Season by Rosalyn Eves ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – This YA Regency romance was just what I was looking for – a relaxing, easy-read audiobook. It did take me a little while to get into this one though. The novel is told in three POVs, and at first I found it hard to distinguish the three protagonists. This wasn’t helped by how similar their three names sounded when read aloud on audiobook. However, I settled into the story as the book went on and really enjoyed it in the end.

What books have you enjoyed recently? Chat with me in the comments!

Audiobook Review: An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

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An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Publishing Info: Audiobook by Simon & Schuster Audio UK, narrated by Julia Whelan

Star Rating: 5/5

Back Cover Summary:

From the internationally best-selling author of Sorcery of Thorns comes a breathtaking fantasy story of danger, lust and forbidden love. This is the perfect story for fans of Cassandra Clare, Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses series, and Holly Black!

Every enchantment has a price….

Isobel is an artistic prodigy with a dangerous set of clients: the immortal fair folk. Yet when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, a fairy prince—she makes a terrible mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes—a weakness that could cost him his life.

Furious, Rook escorts Isabel to his kingdom to stand trial for her crime, but their journey is full of danger. Forced to depend on each other for survival, will their alliance blossom into something more? After all, love violates the fair folks’ ruthless laws…but are some matters worth the risk?

Although I enjoyed Margaret Rogerson’s two other novels – Sorcery of Thorns and Vespertine – I was unsure about reading An Enchantment of Ravens due to it having quite a low average star rating. However, I’m very glad that I finally picked this one up as I ended up loving it, and am honestly surprised it has such a low rating on Goodreads. Margaret Rogerson’s writing in this novel is just sublime. The descriptions are so evocative and paint such a clear picture, I felt I could truly sink into the story and be enveloped by it. The audiobook narration from Julia Whelan was also excellent.

The novel centres on the romance between a human and a fair one, which causes the protagonist a lot of problems as love between a human and fair one is forbidden. At first, I thought the romance might be a bit rushed at the start, but actually it is given time to grow and develop throughout the book. I was really rooting for these two and willing Isabelle to realise her true feelings.

I loved how the fair folk are depicted in this novel. They are completely inhuman, beautiful and ethereal yet cold and distant, tricky and cunning and dangerous. The atmosphere that the author creates with her beautiful writing is so striking and the way the world of the fair ones is described is both beautiful and disturbing, in a way that it really makes you think about what it means to be human and to feel human emotions, and how cold and hollow life would be without them. 

There are some very amusing moments when Rook is confused by Isabelle’s human needs and emotions. His characterisation throughout is excellent. The way the author describes his expressions and moods is so spot on, I could visualise his character so clearly.

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Recent Reads #1 – Scandal, Mystery and Magic

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the LeftLeave a comment

It’s been a while. This year has ended up being quite a difficult one, and the unplanned hiatus I’ve been on the last few months was certainly far longer than I’d expected. In the spring, my long covid was flaring quite badly and then, because life loves a curveball, I got covid again in June. I had a month off work and another month of reduced hours, before going back to work as normal. The recovery has been slow and I’m still not back to feeling quite myself. But I decided I wanted to try and get back into blogging as I’ve missed doing my hobbies while I’ve been unwell.

Today’s post is a whistlestop tour of some of the books I’ve read while I’ve been away from blogging.

A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin ⭐⭐⭐⭐– While Sophie Irwin’s new novel isn’t a sequel to A Lady’s Guide to Fortune-Hunting, it does follow in a similar vein to the author’s first novel. I was once again thoroughly entertained and had lots of fun reading this novel. It was a light and fun historical romance. I’m looking forward to Sophie Irwin’s next book very much! 

Shield Maiden by Sharon Emmerichs ⭐⭐⭐.5 stars – This was an interesting take on part of the Beowulf story I’m not familiar with. I felt very immersed in the historical setting of this novel and the author did an excellent job of including details which really brought the place to life. There were a lot of POVs which gave the novel an unfocused feel – it would have benefited from having fewer. Something just felt missing from this book. There were many great elements, but the way the story was told just didn’t pull me in or leave a lasting impression.

Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – This book sure was a ride, and I certainly wasn’t able to predict what would happen next. It’s part mystery, part romance, part family drama. Some pretty odd and unbelievable things happen, and yet I found myself having a great time reading it. This was a really fun read and had some very amusing moments.

Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber ⭐⭐⭐.5 stars – I was immediately drawn into this story and both authors have great writing. There were also quite a few humorous moments which I hadn’t been expecting, so that was quite fun. The story alternates between the POVs of twin princesses who were separated at birth. There were two narrators for the audiobook which helped make the characters’ POVs distinct. Although I was hooked at the start, this book didn’t hold my attention all the way through. There was a lot of backstory, worldbuilding and set up. Perhaps the next book will have more momentum now that all the set up has been done, but I’m not sure I was captivated enough to keep reading the rest of the series.

Hex Appeal by Kate Johnson ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – This witchy romance was such a fun, cosy read. I loved the magical house that shifts its shape and style with the residents’ moods. The humour was spot on, especially in the first half. While the second half took a bit of an unexpected turn which I wasn’t sure about, I still enjoyed finishing this one as I was invested in the characters and their story. Asides from the main character and love interest, there is also a great cast of side characters. I especially enjoyed seeing Josh and Sienna’s sibling relationship grow. The writing style and narration are what drew me in from the start. The author’s writing just really pulled me into the story and the audiobook narrator was just perfect for this book. I’ll definitely be checking out more books from this author and narrator. 

The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allain ⭐⭐⭐.5 stars – This was a sweet Regency romance but I felt there was some detail or depth missing in places. It was quite a short book and possibly could have benefited from being a little longer. Some conflicts also felt too easily resolved. Having said that, I enjoyed listening to this audiobook and particularly liked the female friendships the author explored. Though the story is fictional, the idea for the registry of ladies with fortune came from a real, similar historical document, and is an interesting springboard for the characters to meet. The ending was very satisfying with several happily ever afters for multiple couples.

What books have you enjoyed recently? Chat with me in the comments!

March & April 2024 Wrap Up

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Work and medical appointments seem to have taken over 2024 so far, and I’m once again late with my wrap up. But, better late than never I suppose!

Dark Water Daughter by H. M. Long ⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars – This adventurous pirate novel starts with a bang, opening on an exciting and intriguing scene as the protagonist faces the gallows. What drew me to this book was one of the narrators, Moira Quirk, who has been so fantastic on the previous audiobooks I’ve listened to. She was once again superb, capturing the mood and tone of every scene. The world building is creative and I enjoyed the epigraphs which provided a bit more insight into the magic. While plot and world building felt like the strongest aspects of this novel, along with the great writing and descriptions, the characters didn’t jump off the page. Some were stronger than others, but many of them were a little lacking in personality.

City of Vicious Night by Claire Winn ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 stars – I absolutely loved returning to this world and these characters in the sequel to City of Shattered Light. The author paints such a vivid picture of the world, and this instalment follows on excellently from the first book. I was gripped all the way through and couldn’t put it down.

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – After the dramatic ending of Empire of Storms, it felt strange to step sideways with Tower of Dawn in terms of the timeline, rather than following the plot straight on into Kingdom of Ash. However, I’m glad I did read this instalment, which follows Chaol on a different journey from that of Aelin and the others in Empire of Storms. I enjoyed seeing a new part of the world we haven’t been to before and meeting both new, and some returning, characters.

I have managed to keep up with my writing and have now reached 60,000 words! I’m very much over halfway but it still feels like there’s a long way to go before I reach the end.

What books have you enjoyed this month? Chat with me in the comments!

Audiobook Review: Dark Water Daughter by H. M. Long

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Dark Water Daughter by H. M. Long

Genre: Fantasy

Publishing Info: Audiobook by Recorded Books, narrated by Moira Quirk and Samuel Roukin

Star Rating: 4/5

Back Cover Summary:

A stormsinger and pirate hunter join forces against a deathless pirate lord in this swashbuckling Jacobean adventure on the high-seas—launching the Winter Sea series, full of magic, betrayal, redemption and fearsome women, for fans of Adrienne Young, R. J. Barker and Naomi Novik

Mary Firth is a Stormsinger: a woman whose voice can still hurricanes and shatter armadas. Faced with servitude to a deathless pirate lord, Mary offers her skills to his arch-rival in exchange for protection—and, more importantly, his help in sending the pirate to a watery grave.

But Mary’s dreams are dark and full of ghistings, spectral creatures who inhabit the ancient forests of her homeland and the figureheads of ships. Her new ally has his own vendetta, complete with revenge and a lost fleet, locked in the eternal ice of the far north, and disgraced pirate hunter Samuel Rosser is close on their trail. Samuel will stop at nothing to restore his good name and claim the only thing that stands between himself and madness: a talisman stolen by Mary herself. Finally, driven into the eternal ice at the limits of their world, Mary and Samuel must choose their loyalties and battle forces older and more powerful than the pirates who would make them slaves.

Come sail the winter sea, for action-packed, high-stakes adventures, rich characterization and epic plots full of intrigue and betrayal.

This adventurous pirate novel starts with a bang, opening on an exciting and intriguing scene as the protagonist faces the gallows. Pirate stories are not my go-to kind of fantasy. In fact, I can’t actually remember reading one before. However, I decided to take the plunge with something a little different and give this one a go. What drew me to this book was one of the narrators, Moira Quirk, who has been so fantastic on the previous audiobooks I’ve listened to. She was once again superb, capturing the mood and tone of every scene.

The world building is creative and I enjoyed the epigraphs which provided a bit more insight into the magic. I felt immersed in the world. There was plenty of detail and everything was well explained without being too info dumpy. The author does a great job of creating atmosphere too. Although the book is primarily set in stormy seas, I felt very steady reading it, like I was in good hands with this author, who carried me through the world and the story smoothly. The pacing did become a little slow in the middle, but the story kept me interested enough to keep going and built well to the concluding section of the novel. Action scenes were well-described with plenty of tension that kept me hooked.

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February 2024 Wrap Up

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the LeftLeave a comment

We’re nearly halfway through March and I’m only just posting my February wrap up – where has the time gone! Life has been busy lately with work and medical treatments, so I’ve not had as much time for blogging as I would have liked. I also went on holiday to Devon in February to celebrate my grandparents’ 90th birthdays, and it was nice to get together with the family.

Ghosts of the Shadow Market by Cassandra Clare ⭐⭐⭐.5 – I started reading this way back in 2022, so it took nearly two years to finish. I’m not much of a short story reader, so I’ve just been reading the odd story here and there. I enjoyed some of the stories in this collection more than others. The audiobook is narrated by a large cast and while some of the narrators were great, there were a couple that were very flat and just didn’t capture the story or characters at all.

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – This is a Regency-inspired fantasy with beautiful writing and an excellent audiobook narration from Fran Burgoyne. I loved the characters, romance and magic. The protagonist is a dressmaker who can sew enchantments into her garments which imbue them with emotions and memories. There is also chronic illness representation which I found relatable and emotional to read at times.

I’m continuing to plough my way through writing this book! Progress still feels slow but there is progress nonetheless. Now that I’m over the halfway mark, I’m looking forward to getting to write some of my favourite scenes.

What books have you enjoyed this month? Chat with me in the comments!

Audiobook Review: A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the Left5 Comments

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Publishing Info: Audiobook by Orion Children’s Books, narrated by Fran Burgoyne

Star Rating: 4/5

Back Cover Summary:

An unforgettable YA regency-inspired romantic fantasy about a seamstress who is sent to dress the prince for his royal wedding – and the scandal she weaves in her wake.

All Niamh has longed for is to be remembered: to create something that will last far longer than she will. For her, that means becoming a renowned dressmaker, using the magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric – the same magic that will eventually kill her.

When Niamh is commissioned to design the prince’s wardrobe for a royal wedding in Avaland, she knows she finally has her chance to leave her legacy. But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While nobles and the elite attend extravagant balls and candlelit garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class.

Niamh finds herself drawn to Kit, the prince whom she must dress for his wedding, despite his cold, prickly demeanour. And soon, a gossip column reports on their undeniable chemistry between them, threatening scandal. Niamh must decide if reputation should come above all else, whether her magic curse will allow her to experience love, and what cost she is willing to pay for a future she never thought possible…

Threaded with intrigue and unforgettable characters, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance for the ages.

This Regency-inspired fantasy captivated me with its warm heart and beautiful writing. The opening drew me in and enveloped me entirely. Allison Saft’s descriptions were just so well crafted that I found myself wanting to reread sentences to take in the stunning imagery. The audiobook narration by Fran Burgoyne elevates the reading experience. The narration was so expressive and brings to life each of the characters’ voices excellently. I always knew who was speaking and Fran captures the characters’ personalities in their voices so well.

The chemistry between the main character and love interest leapt off the page. With a grump/sunshine dynamic, I loved their interactions, which often provided humour and brought a smile to my face. There was also something very touching about how they broke down each other’s walls and helped each other grow. There is also an excellent supporting cast of side characters, through which the author explores friendship as well as romance.

The magic in this book is so interesting. Niamh’s magic enables her to sew emotions and memories into the garments she makes, which can be felt by both the wearer and those around them. However, the magic isn’t always predictable and sometimes her own feelings influence the enchantments she stitches, leading to some final results that aren’t always quite what she intended.

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January 2024 Wrap Up

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the LeftLeave a comment

The first month of 2024 is over and I had a great reading month! I finished three books this month and enjoyed them all.

The Mime Order by Samantha Shannon ⭐⭐⭐⭐ – It was great to return to the world of The Bone Season, which has such unique and detailed worldbuilding. Although I found parts of this book slow, the ending is action-packed and thrilling. The audiobooks for this series are fantastic. I’m looking forward to continuing Paige’s story in the next book in the series.   

Artfully Yours by Joanna Lowell ⭐⭐⭐.5 – This Victorian romance follows the relationship between an art forger and an art critic, a concept which immediately caught my interest when I was browsing for my next read. There were some humorous moments, but this novel also tackles some heavier subject matter too. I enjoyed the romance and the relationship between the protagonists, as well as the cast of side characters. I’d happily read a book about the sisterhood of artists! There is also disability rep and I found the descriptions of chronic pain especially relatable.

Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor ⭐⭐⭐.5 – This Jazz Age-inspired YA fantasy is a great read which focuses on the development of the protagonist, Ingrid. This is definitely more character-driven than plot-driven, which was a struggle for me at times as I tend to prefer more plot-driven books, however I did appreciate how Indrid’s character arc was developed and executed. The protagonist was unlikeable at times, but I think that actually made it more interesting to see her grow and change. She had flaws and felt real. I would have liked a bit more detail in the worldbuilding to really make the settings pop, as that aspect could have been more vivid.

I got some new books this month as I had a voucher to spend from Christmas. I picked up A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon and Sheild Maiden by Sharon Emerichhs, as well as the Fairyloot edition of A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft.

January wasn’t the best month for writing. While I did write, I didn’t do as much as I would have liked. Sometimes though it can be good to have a short break from it to refill the creative well and come back fresh and excited (at least, that’s what I hope is going to happen in February!).

What books have you enjoyed this month? Chat with me in the comments!

2024 Reading Goals and Challenges

M.T.Wilson @ The Last Book on the LeftLeave a comment

It’s the start of a new year which means it’s time to look at my reading plans and goals for the year ahead!

2024 Reading Goal – 20 Books

In 2023 I set my goal to 18 books and read 22! This year, I’m setting my goal at 20 books. I’m hoping I can read a few more than that, but I wanted to make sure I set an achievable target.

2024 Reading Challenge – Beat the Backlist

I don’t usually participate in reading challenges and I’m a mood reader so don’t generally set any kind of TBR. However, I do sometimes struggle with indecision about what to read and thought it would be fun to give a reading challenge a go this year. I picked Beat the Backlist as it’s fairly flexible with no specific requirement for the number of books you read.

Beat the Backlist is hosted by Austine Decker and involves reading backlist books published in 2023 or earlier.

There are a selection of optional prompts to help you pick your backlist reads. There are way more than I’d be able to read in a year, so I’ve decided to pick a few of the prompts to focus on for the challenge so I have a smaller list to work from.

You can find out more about Beat the Backlist here.

Fae or aliens

4-word title

Travel by ship

Retelling of a classic

Walk through history

Door on the cover

2023 debut novel

Between 300 and 400 pages

Neon coloured cover

Hotel, mansion, or castle

Have you set yourself any reading goals or challenges this year? Chat with me in the comments!