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ARC Review: The Quarter Queen by Dr. Kayla Hardy

From Ballantine Books, The Quarter Queen by Dr. Kayla Hardy is a lush, dark historical fantasy debut inspired by the life of Marie Laveau and her daughter, Marie Laveau II. This is a tense story of magic, New Orleans in the 1800s, racism, slavery, and mother-daughter relationships.

From the author’s website: “FOR FANS OF SINNERS 𝘅 CIRCE 𝘅 THE WITCHER”– and really, that’s all you might need to know to pick this one up!

Bullet points for those short on time:

– debut standalone historical fantasy
– Voodoo, alchemy, catholicism
– bisexual representation
– dark, tense, horrifying
– mother-daughter relationships

Plot Summary:

It’s 1843 in New Orleans, and Ree, the rebellious daughter of Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau, finds herself often at odds with her mother and often in trouble. She is spoiled/entitled, but when something happens to her best friend and then her mother, it’s time for Ree to embrace her fate as the next Queen, to stand up for her people and fight against the barbarism and injustices of the ruling caste. She needs to figure out how to save her mother and survive not only the coming Inquisition led by an old friend, but also the Brotherhood of the White Hand, and something else equally as dangerous, if not more…

Thoughts:

This book had me on edge the entire time. If not for the horrors of 1800s New Orleans, then for the wild scramble of trying to survive and fight back against them. Kayla Hardy’s writing sweeps you right into the atmosphere of each scene so intensely that I couldn’t tear my eyes from the page, even as quite a few things will make you feel ill, deeply uncomfortable and angry.

The transitions jump around a bit, as the book crosses timelines with Ree in the present and then back to Marie Laveau as a younger woman. I LOVED the development of the story, how Ree comes to know her mother better through seeing her past and realises for herself how little she knew about the situation in the beginning.

Overall, this book was an excellent debut inspired by a historical figure more folks should know about. I loved it and would highly recommend this! Historical fantasy is fast becoming one of my favourite genres, and I will be thinking about this one for a while yet. Now, off to pre-order a physical copy. 🙂

Burn it all down.

Thank you to Ballantine for the eARC via NetGalley for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Content warnings:

Racism, slavery, open-door romance, sexual assault, body horror, hanging, violence, torture, murder

About the Author:

From the author’s website:

Kayla Hardy, PH.D., is a mythology expert and award winning multi- hyphenate author and screenwriter originally from Akron, Ohio. She earned a doctorate in English, specializing in creative writing and African American literature, from Binghamton University at age twenty-six. Dr. Hardy served as an adjunct professor at Binghamton University and is an avid scholar and lover of Black folklore, mythology, and Voodoo. Inspired by her Louisiana Creole ancestry and familial lineage of rootwork and magic, Kayla aims to tell diverse-driven horror and dark fantasy stories.

Originally conceived as a television pilot, THE QUARTER QUEEN was the prose winner of the 7th annual Launch Pad Prose competition. She is repped by Emma Kapson at Verve Talent & Literary Agency.

About the Publisher:

The Ballantine Books Group, part of the Random House family, publishes a wide range of fiction and nonfiction that entertains, informs, and inspires. Our goal is to seek out and cultivate the most compelling, varied, and distinctive storytellers—and to bring their work to the broadest possible audience of readers. Our list is comprised of several imprints, including Ballantine, Bantam, Dell, and Delacorte.

Ballantine was founded in 1952 by legendary publishers Ian and Betty Ballantine. From the beginning, we have sought out authors whose work is defined by the intersection of quality and wide appeal.

About Marie Laveau:

Marie Laveau

Additional thoughts:

I was unaware of the story of Marie Laveau before seeing this on NetGalley and requested the eARC. Here is a perfect example of how fiction helps us increase awareness, knowledge, and empathy. While reading this and afterwards, I searched for more about the history of Marie Laveau. I’m grateful to both the author and publisher for bringing this book to the masses!

This will be my 25th review on NetGalley!

February 11, 2026
My Favorite Reads of 2025: Sci-Fi & Fantasy for Feminists
I finished 84 books in 2025! 54 authors who were new to me. I DNF’d 17 books. Most of the books were Fantasy. Here are my favorites:
- Dawn of the Firebird by Sarah Mughal Rana
  - A dark (aka violent, NOT romance) epic fantasy beginning with possibly the most insane stubborn hardcore main character…then by then end it had me literally sobbing…bring tissues. There’s no romance in here and I loved it. It was more about family and friends.
  - DEBUT – Book #1 of 3
  - Click here for my full eARC review.
- Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar [Pre-order for March 24, 2026]
  - A short story collection where I pretty much teared up for each one. These were so beautiful. Cannot recommend enough especially if you consider yourself a feminist.
  - Click here for my full eARC review.
- The Jasad Heir & The Jasad Crown by Sara Hashem
  - Completed Epic Fantasy Duology DEBUT!
  - While a lot of the time this book is talked about and marketed, it may seem like this book is only about two characters and their relationship, HOWEVER, it’s about so much more, politics, mystery, power, influence, family, generations, revenge, etc.
- Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity [Pre-order for Feb 24, 2026]
  - Delicious dark fantasy DEBUT with a slow burn to top all slow burns…first in a duology or trilogy.
  - MC is a refugee and this book has a lot of commentary around being a refugee away from home and how they are treated and taken advantage of, this book gets really into the politics and economics and it’s so so good.
  - Click here for my full eARC review.
- Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
  - The one I didn’t think I’d like and now haven’t been able to stop thinking about it – mostly because of the ending.
  - Best banter award – sapphic necromacers in space, enough said…
- Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove
  - Darling of my year!!
  - Sentient spaceship AI and sapphics
  - Monsters and mystery and humor
- Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
  - Superheros but behind the scenes
  - Plotting against the hero who’s the real douchbag!
- Interstellar Megachef by Lavanya Lakshminarayan
  - South Asian foodie tech planetary political drama
  - For the sci-fi loving queers and chefs
  - Click here for my full review.
- Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
  - Unshakable quest for vengeance
  - Extremely satisfying DEBUT
    
    If you hate the patriarchy and are out for blood, this is the book for you
  - Inspired by history
  - A true love triangle
- The Phoenix King by Aparna Verma
  - Sci-Fi/Fantasy DEBUT
  - Political intrigue, heir to leadership, desert kingdom
  - Slow-burn romance
That’s it! Quite a few of these were starts to series that are ongoing so stay tuned to see if book 2s are just as good or better or worse lol.

Disclaimer: This blog may earn a small bit if you click on the bookshop links and make a purchase! You’ll be fueling my writing and reading 🙂 so thank you if you do!
January 26, 2026
Audio ARC Review: The Swan’s Daughter by Roshani Chokshi

Pub date: January 6, 2026

A dazzling performance and a beautifully written dark fairytale, sure to enchant readers’ hearts into loving monsters that might plunge a dagger into their hearts after making grand professions of love if they aren’t careful.

The protagonist, Demelza, finds herself swept up in a bachelor-esque competition for the throne (and the prince) after running away from home. To keep herself safe from her sorcerer father, who wants to cut out her heart so he can have immortal life, she makes a bargain with the prince to use her truth song as a ‘veritas swan’ to root out the contestants who might want to kill him. After all, the spell on the kingdom says that whoever holds the heir’s hand and heart in marriage becomes Queen, and it doesn’t specify whether the hand and heart have to be attached to the prince after they are married.

A morbid premise for this grim fairytale that seems to be a mash-up of multiple older stories, The Swan’s Daughter is fabulous, grotesque, and sparkling. Pretty words fill these pages, and performed as it is by Ell Potter (at 1.5x for me), we are very truly transported into a realm of glittering gowns, magical estates, fantastical creatures, and romance that feels like a dream.

What’s more interesting than Demelza’s relationship that forms with the whimsical, kind prince in this story is the friendship that develops amongst the contestants and the confidence that grows with each trial until transformation finds our protagonist in the most beautiful way. As always, I find the side characters that surround the main characters more fascinating and fun, and this book doesn’t let me down.

There is some queer representation which I’m always looking for in stories, but in this one, it’s only in side characters.

A few mixed feelings:

I’m not convinced I like books where “ugly ducklings” are transformed with the help of others into “beauties” and then get the attention or are seen as worthy of being royalty or perceived or treated better… This story walks a fine line between this and the ugly duckling being liked for just being who they are. Jury’s out for me at the moment on how I feel about this for The Swan’s Daughter.

The author walks another fine line between loving a monster and a monster’s love, will they or won’t they harm you ultimately? Can you ever trust them? And by monster, I could substitute the word abuser in here, and it would work the same. The relationship between Demelza and her father (and mother) is grim. Her father loves her, but would ask that she let him cut out her heart for his eternal life. Her father loves her mother but would cage and control her. Her father loves his other daughters but would control and punish them as well if they didn’t go along with his plan. Additionally, the prince’s parents have a toxic relationship involving poison. It’s definitely unhealthy but supposed to be darkly funny?

Another word I’m looking for is contradiction. For example, on one hand, the story begins being about trapping women and using daughters as bargaining chips, but then, at the same time, teaching them to be strong and protect themselves, and telling them how much they are loved. Loved but controlled.

This book feels like a satire to me. Especially in these parts that are so absurd, it has to be satirical, otherwise it would be pretty messed up. Perhaps the author’s reference to the Brothers Grimm tale of the princess with the three gowns in three walnuts is a clue to her knowledge of these messed up tales and is she rolling them in to make commentary or because she was inspired by them? I can’t guess. It is a spin on the Swan Princess but different in so many ways with parallels to other classic stories as well.

The book explores themes of freedom, choice, friendship, honesty, cruelty, destruction, individuality, longing, dreams, vanity, motive, comfort, and betrayal. Overall, it is centered around love and control.

I loved the prose and one of the reasons it took me in so much was that it centers the idea of savoring life and being in awe, giving wonder and awe so much space, and the act of marvel, marveling at beauty or delicious food or smells, savoring everything will all the senses. This is something I try to do and I think people who don’t have long to live or live in chronic pain might find themselves appreciating more of the good things in life because the rest is so shit. So, I enjoyed this aspect of the character of Arris for this reason.

All that being said, this novel is 470 pages, and I think I could have listened to another 500…the rhythm of the writing and the performance of the narrator, Ell Potter, would have kept me listening for another 10 hours.

Content: There is no explicit sexual content aside from kissing and thoughts/mentions of more. Depictions and situations of domestic abuse and abusive relationships. Violence. Poison.

About the Author

About the Publisher

The Swan’s Daughter audiobook is published and produced by Macmillan Audio. Performed by Ell Potter.

December 23, 2025
ARC Review: The Age of Calamities by Senaa Ahmad
Absurd. Poetic. Provocative. Cannot recommend this ENOUGH!!

The Age of Calamities by Senaa Ahmad is a collection of short stories that are as absurd as they are poetic and unexpected. Just when you think you know where the stories are going, BAM!…total-and-complete-upside-down-throw-the-tables-across-the-room switch up of events.

It’s a delight to be surprised by movements in the plotlines after reading a lot of predictable fiction. It feels like traveling through wormholes…we are in one place and then suddenly we have been whisked away to a different place. All with elegance and a flourish after which trails a smirk you can feel shining at you through the page.

Bullet summary:
- short story collection (of 9 tales)
- absurd twist of historical figures
- poetic, hilarious, and provocative writing style
The most memorable stories for me were Let’s Play Dead, The Wolves, and Choose Your Own Apocalypse (one which I can see why this is placed last and I would recommend reading last). While each story centered around “calamitous” moments and figures of history, they still felt very unique in the structure of how the author offers a point or statement or commentary. Each one felt like a new adventure or disturbing nightmare or hilarious happenings until they aren’t so hilarious anymore. It’s a bizarre set of tradgedies really. Funny, but not funny h.a.h.a…

I highly highly recommend this to anyone who’s looking for something clever, for something different, for something to get swept up in for awhile, and for those of you that simply want to be in awe of the human imagination.

Thank you to Henry Holt & Co. for the review ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All my thoughts are my own.

Buy from Bookshop.org here.

Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

Find more information on the author’s website linked here!
November 29, 2025
Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris

No notes.

Loved this book!

If you are looking for a combination of murder mystery, detective work, and creatures of myth & legend that is set in London/Paris featuring women leads in a man’s world, this is the book for you.

I really enjoyed the story crafted here that draws on history while also critiquing the systems of oppression that would see woman as less than.

Interestingly, the author makes a choice to have both protagonists be Catholic although nothing about them IS Catholic. None of their actions or beliefs from what I can remember stick out to me as characters that are part of this faith. This is coming from someone who spent their childhood forcibly indoctrinated in this religion. It didn’t fit the story, it didn’t fit the characters. Or the author didn’t make the connection and it’s purpose clear.

Aside from this, I enjoyed the book and it began to border on horror a bit in some places. It wasn’t too much so this might be a good beginner horror book for those looking to test out the waters so to speak?

5 stars.

Buy from Bookshop.org here.

Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

Find more information about the author and their books at their website linked here!

November 26, 2025
Firstborn of the Sun by Marvellous Michael Anson

HIGHLY recommend this book – especially the audiobook. What an amazing performance from narrators Adjoa Andoh and Folake Olowofoyeku!!

This is the first part of an epic fantasy series rich in Yoruba inspiration. Forbidden powers, political maneuvering, and secrets upon secrets. The magic system is well thought out and explained. The political lineage was a bit confusing at first as to who was related to who but eventually as the story progressed, it became very clear. So, if you are confused initially, continue to go with the flow – it’s worth it.

I love the complex world that the author weaves with excellent character building and development, it’s incredible and I can’t wait for more!

Find more information about the author and their books at their website linked here.

Marve has been writing for over a decade and has self-published a thriller, HIS DARK REFLECTION, to critical acclaim. Her debut fantasy novel, FIRSTBORN OF THE SUN, is the first in a trilogy being published by Penguin Michael Joseph in October 2025. This novel also placed her as a finalist in many competitions, including the 2023 Future Worlds Prize for Fantasy Writers of Colour.

Marve is an award-winning filmmaker, and when she’s not weaving fantastical tales, you can find her exploring life as a serial hobbyist, delving into everything from obsessing over myths and histories, collecting books and passionately assembling her own personal library to indulging in an unapologetic obsession with all things Christmas. She is represented by Ciara Finan and Flo Sandelson at Curtis Brown Literary Agency (UK) and United Talent Agency (USA).

She can be found online @justmarvewrites and justmarve.org

November 23, 2025
ARC Review: Burn the Sea by Mona Tewari

Burn the Sea is a rich historical fantasy that calls attention to the true story of Rani Abbakka Chowta, a Queen who led her people and allies in a successful resistance against the Portuguese colonizers in the 16th century.

Mona Tewari’s writing brings history to life in a beautifully woven story of politics, love, loss, and a fight for freedom. I can’t fault the style, the pacing, the world-building. It’s lovely and well crafted. While there were some directions that the plot took that I found frustrating, it might be consistent with the historical inspiration and I think without would have made the plot and character development quite flat.

Instead of a magic system, we have an imagined belief system involving Spirits and this was one of my favorite parts of the book. The interactions our protagonist has with the Spirits is incredibly charming and adds another wonderful layer of depth to the story.

Burn the Sea flips the euro-centric historical script that often “others” those it seeks to conquer. This is told from the side of the people defending their shores against invasion and how they see the would-be colonizers.

This is the first in a duology and Book #2 has been announced so stay tuned for more!

I would highly recommend to fantasy and historical fiction lovers who adore a female protagonist leading a political fight for freedom against would be oppressors.

Thank you to Boundless Press at Bindery Books for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Buy from Bookshop.org here.

Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

Find more information about the author and their books at their website linked here.

November 23, 2025
ARC Review: Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity

SPECTACULAR…give me 14 of them right now!!

This dark and haunting masterpiece just absolutely barrelled itself into my book-loving heart and obliterated whatever poor soul had previously held the title of ‘the best book I’ve read in recent memory’. The way I became an obsessive unrecognizable creature absorbing this story, these characters into my veins as directly and swiftly as possible, while at the same time mourning the fact that I would never again be able to read this book for the first time.

Heba Al-Wasity sweeps us away with her beautiful, well-edited manuscript, her characters that burrow and nestle themselves in the dark corners of your heart, and a masterclass in creating atmosphere, depth, tension, anticipation, and feeling.

Being pitched as a gothic fantasy, this means pain, and no doubt there is suffering here. You will feel it, you will feel everything, and it climbs and it builds like a wave about to devastate the shores of a sleeping village, unaware of the beast about to change its entire world in one crash. I was that sleeping village. And I’m awake now.

Dear potential reader, I could summarize the plot and tell you about all of the poignant themes brilliantly laid bare for your consumption in Weavingshaw, but I promise that no matter what, once this book comes out, there will be severe FOMO for those who don’t immediately shell out what little value money has in the exchange of such a treasure.

* Gothic

* Political

* Demons

* Ghosts

* Mysteries

* A slow burn you will devour

Leena Al-Sayer can see the dead; this is her most severely kept secret. But when she needs to exchange it for the life of her brother in a deal that will threaten to upend her already fragile situation, she bargains with the Saint of Silence. Not a Saint but a haunting mystery, one that slowly unravels into madness, demons, ghosts, and dark corners of the world that might have been better left unturned.

The first book in a TRILOGY.

Recommendation: I’d recommend this book to anyone, everyone!

Additional compelling themes/commentary:

* Legacy – and what men will do/have done to maintain it. How self-important they make themselves and how monstrous…how they feel fit to make decisions of fate like gods for those they see as less than or in control of simply for greed.

* Exploitation – of the poor, the migrant, the refugee. How they are used and bled for the continued vitality of the rich and ruling class. How prison systems become businesses, profits before people…How ‘othering’ people makes it so easy to treat them as less than, to rationalize harming them.

* Secrets – even the smallest of these can change the course of a life.

* Family – and how sometimes the ones we love the most will move and shake our lives so violently we might find resentment haunting our relationships

* Fear & Control – and that maybe, just maybe we might be stronger than we think when it comes to fighting our ghosts.

Thank you to Del Rey for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Buy from Bookshop.org here.

Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

Find more information about the author and their books at their website linked here.

November 23, 2025
Book Review: Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots is a hilarious, fun, and devious story about superheroes and villains where you might just side with evil on this one. I certainly did.

Plot Summary:

Anna is a low-level assistant to villains working temp jobs when she is seriously injured by the most famous superhero alive. While recovering from her injury, she ends up calculating the costs of damage done by said superhero and others like him. Suddenly she finds herself employed again and diving into the world of true villainy or is it heroism? And maybe the superheroes aren’t so super after all?

Author bio (from their website):

“Natalie cultivates fandoms, builds new communities, develops character voices, leads interactive fiction workshops, designs alternate reality games, constructs branching narratives, and most mornings opens Tumblr before opening her eyes. Her client list includes scrappy indie game studios, critically acclaimed television shows, mixed martial artists, print magazines, talk shows, NGOs, and a few more that defy categorization.

tl;dr: free lance, writer, memesmith, bailed academic, nerd, gamer, metal head, SJW, world builder, supervillain.”

Review:

I rated this book five stars and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys analyzing data and human psychology that feels like they might have a tiny villain inside.

The author hits on several themes surrounding good and evil as we would call it. How some people we put on a pedestal don’t live up to how high we have built them and how some people we condemn are the farthest thing from evil. And the costs of doing “good” can far outweight the good done and was any good done at all?

One of my favorite discussions that can be had from this book is that of the creation of a villain. How are villains made? And sometimes, are heroes to blame for the existence of evil? How careless acts can damage and how covering it up hurts even more…

At first, this book seemed all fun and games but then by the end, it became a cavern of depth. Heavy on the theme of collateral damage of “doing good”. There was a lot of development of the themes, of characters, of plot action, and suddenly I was so invested, I was figuratively biting my nails until the last page.

I very much enjoyed the found family formed but make it villain. There’s also an aspect of how success can create a space for jealousy and the loss of a former life and contacts.

I was buckled in for the ride on this one and I CANNOT WAIT to start reading the ARC for the next installment, VILLAIN – coming out May 2026.

Buy from Bookshop.org here.

Disclaimer: This blog is part of the Bookshop.org affiliate program and I may earn a very small amount for each purchase made.

Find more information about the author and their books at their website linked here.

November 23, 2025