Melting Pages
Book Reviews and Recommendations
June Book Haul
Hi everyone! It’s been a few months since I did a book haul, so I figured that I should just bite the bullet and do another one so that I’m all caught up. Before we get into the books, I want to say that I get 95% of my books either used or on sale. I also got a few full series in this book haul, which is exciting! Let me know which of these books I should read first!
Title: For the Wolf
Author: Hannah Whitten
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Romance
Format: Paperback
New/Used: New
I was so luck to receive an e-ARC of For the Wolf from Orbit and I loved it so much that I immediately preordered it so that I could have a physical copy for my shelves, and also so that I can reread it eventually! This is a Little Red Riding Hood retelling and is one of my favorite books that I’ve read this year. I loved the monster boyfriend trope and the eerie forest mixed with the nature horror vibes. I have a full review for this book available for more of my thoughts.
Title: The Nature of Witches
Author: Rachel Griffin
Genre: YA Fantasy
Format: Hardcover
New/Used: New
This was my second preorder for June, and was also a book that I read as an ARC! If you read my review, you know that this book ended up meaning a lot to me with all the themes that it tackled. Clara is an Everwitch, which means that she has the magic of all 4 seasons but she struggles to control it. I loved the way she learned to love herself and her magic, and how it was shown that we need to take better care of the earth. Plus, the naked hardcover is STUNNING.
Title: The Wolf and the Woodsman
Author: Ava Reid
Genre: Adult Historical Fantasy
Format: Hardcover
New/Used: New
This was the final preorder that I had for June, and this one is really exciting because it’s signed and personalized to me! I’ve been following this one since it was announced and it just sounds so good. It’s inspired by Hungarian history and Jewish mythology following a woman with hidden powers and a captain of the Woodsmen who have to fight against a tyrant. I’ve heard a lot of good things about this one so I’m happy to have a copy of this gorgeous book!
Title: Dragon Marked
Author: Jaymin Eve
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Format: E-book
New/Used: On Sale
I’ve joined a few facebook groups, and one of them recommends a lot of fantasy romance and this one was labelled as a pretty ~spicy~ one, so I wanted to give it a shot, especially since these books are all really cheap on Kindle. All I really know is it’s about a wolf shifter who is dragon marked and has to evade those who wish her dead. She falls in with a dragon shifter, and I’m willing to bet that’s where the romance comes in.
Title: Neon Gods
Author: Katee Robert
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Format: E-book
New/Used: New
If you’re new here, hi, I love fantasy romance! This one is a Hades and Persephone retelling that I’m super excited about. There are actually a lot of Hades and Persephone stories coming out lately (one of which is a bit farther down this list) which isn’t a bad thing, I just won’t be reading them back to back because I don’t want to get confused! This one has Persephone wanting to get her doctorate degree, but ends up fleeing the city to avoid a marriage to Zeus and ends up making a bargain with Hades.
Title: Skyborn
Author: David Dalglish
Genre: YA Fantasy
Format: E-book
New/Used: On Sale
Do you ever do that thing where you recognize an author or cover and then all of a sudden you own the book? Yeah, that totally happened here. I have Dalglish’s other books Soul Keeper and A Dance of Cloaks, and when I saw this and the cover I was drawn to it. This just sounds like it’ll have a lot of things that I’m drawn to – elemental magic, battles and fighting for survival, and these characters fly too, which is a bonus!
Title: The Maidens
Author: Alex Michaelides
Genre: Adult Thriller Mystery
Format: Hardcover
New/Used: New
I recently mentioned this one in my Greek myth retellings on my TBR list! This is a book that I got through Book of the Month because I’ve heard great things about this author, and while his first book The Silent Patient I wasn’t all that interested in, I’m definitely interested in this one. This one takes place at Cambridge University where female students from a secret society called The Maidens start turning up murdered. A therapist suspects the Greek Tragedy professor, and sets out to convince people of her theory.
Title: Highland Raven
Author: Melanie Karsak
Genre: Adult Historical Fantasy Romance
Format: E-book
New/Used: On Sale
This one kept showing up in lists of ‘books similar to’ and ‘recommended’ on a bunch of different platforms, so when I saw it on sale on Kindle I decided to take a chance on it. I’m fairly certain this is a historical fantasy romance, although I’ve never heard anyone talk about it before. It’s set in Scotland, and the blurb says it’s for fans of Outlander (which I definitely am, although I don’t talk about it much), so I’m hoping I enjoy this one!
Title: A Touch of Darkness
Author: Scarlett St. Clair
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance
Format: E-book
New/Used: On Sale
This is the other Hades and Persephone retelling that I got this month, and I’m excited about it! I actually ended up getting the three books that are currently out because they were all on sale on Kindle. Part of me is curious as to how it will compare with Neon Gods, but at the same time I don’t want to compare them. With this one, Persephone wants to live an unassuming life as a journalist, but after a chance encounter with Hades – who owns a gambling empire – she finds herself in a position where she has to create life in the Underworld or lose her freedom.
Title: The Conductors
Author: Nicole Glover
Genre: Adult Historical Fantasy
Format: E-book
New/Used: On Sale
Every time I read this book’s synopsis, I get excited all over again! This just sounds so interesting, and if it’s executed well it could easily be a new favorite! It’s about a former conductor on the Underground Railroad who uses her magic to solve crimes in post-Civil War Philadelphia. I love how more and more fantasy is diving into important events in history to re-examine them and make you think about them in a different way.
Title: Ice Planet Barbarians
Author: Ruby Dixon
Genre: Adult Science Fiction Romance
Format: E-book
New/Used: On Sale
I’ve finally taken a leap and made a tiktok for my blog! I’ve only posted two videos so far myself, but I’ve definitely added more books onto my TBR. I’m more curious than anything about this one because people have been saying that it’s weird but good and I just want to see what I think! All I really know is that it’s a series of romances between blue aliens and a group of women. Not sure if there’s more to it than that, but does there have to be?
Title: From Blood and Ash
Author: Jennifer L Armentrout
Genre: New Adult Fantasy
Format: Paperback
New/Used: Used
I also got all three books in the From Blood and Ash series because I wanted to own physical copies of them! I did read the first two books on my Kindle, but since I really enjoyed them I wanted to read the last one physically and so I bought them used. If you don’t know what this is about, Poppy is the Maiden which means she isn’t allowed to experience much of anything, and she ends up with the captain of her guard. Things really expand from there though! While the world building is really lacking, I love the characters and their interactions with each other so they’re what make me really enjoy this series.
Title: The Coward
Author: Stephen Aryan
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Format: Paperback
New/Used: New
Switching gears now to talk about The Coward! I saw Holly from Holly Hearts Books talk about this one and it convinced me to buy it myself. This is a fantasy with an epic quest (which I love) except that the man they’re relying on to battle the forces of darkness again did it the last time all based on luck. In reality, he’s a coward who would really rather not risk his life to save others. It sounds interesting and I really want to know how it plays out! Plus, the cover is so beautiful.
Title: Seven Deaths of an Empire
Author: GR Matthews
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Format: Hardcover
New/Used: New
Even though I’ve been really in the mood for fantasy romance, I’ve also been in the mood for some darker fantasy as well. This one certainly sounds like it’ll fit the bill! It sounds like it has multiple POVs from different groups who are trying to take over the power of the Empire after the Emperor dies, from the bodyguards of the heir to the throne, to assassins and thieves. The synopsis doesn’t really give much away, but I’m expecting a lot of political intrigue and a lot of betrayal.
Title: Gild
Author: Raven Kennedy
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance
Format: E-book
New/Used: On Sale
The final book that I grabbed in June was Gild which was actually a book that I found through some of the Facebook groups that I’m in! It’s a King Midas retelling where a woman made of gold is kept prisoner by King Midas. She trusts him and believes she is being kept there for her safety, until something happens and she realizes that she’s trapped. I’m not sure where or how the romance comes into play, but the author note does warn that there is violence and non-consensual sex that could be triggering. It seems like everyone is raving about this one though, so I can’t wait to see what I think of it!
What books did you pick up in June? I’d love to chat, so tell me which of these you think I should read first!
Melting Pages 
Great selection, I’ve recently bought The Maidens too – I can’t wait to pick it up.
LikeLiked by 1 person