This week was mostly Small Town Slasher release prep as the release date is a little over a week away!

The preorder stickers arrived, and I love them. There is something very satisfying about finally having a physical piece of the preorder campaign after spending so much time staring at files, listings, graphics, captions, and deadlines. If you have not preordered yet, there is still time.

I also finished editing the stories for Twisted Tales to Tell in the Night: A Yuletide Horror Anthology, which is a huge step forward. It is a little strange to be working on a summer slasher release and winter horror at the same time, but I love all horror so much.

We had a really fun book club this week too, which was nice. Not every book-related thing has to be a deadline, an email, a preorder reminder, or me trying to understand TikTok against my will. Sometimes it can just be people talking about books, which is still one of my favorite things AND next week I have two podcast appearances and you know that panel I mentioned that I'm on with STEPHEN GRAHAM JONES! Busy week!

I also watched some movies and listened to the new Charli xcx album. Behind the scenes, I am still working on release prep, website updates, social media, future events, and all the little tasks that somehow keep multiplying. I am excited for Small Town Slasher to be out in the world, but I am also very aware that release weeks are a lot, especially when there are already more books waiting behind it.

So this week was stickers, Yuletide edits, book club, movies, Charli xcx, and the ongoing countdown to Small Town Slasher.

Very normal. Very calm. Definitely not nerve-wracking at all.

BOOKS

Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman
The Creed Falls Massacres by Jon Cohn
Summer Never Ends by Judith Sonnet

Currently reading: The Reimagining of Thornwood House by Jaleigh Johnson, Heart of Glass by Jennifer Hillier, and reading Kiss Slay Replay by Rachel Harrison (for the second time).

SHOWS AND FILMS

I have mostly been relying on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, Owl House, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and my usual late 1990s and early 2000s comfort rewatches while I work. Oh and I watched the first episode of the Lizzie McGuire show

For movies I watched the Tobey Maguire Spidermans and now I'm onto my rewatch of the Andrew Garfield ones. Also I watched Saltburn (it was...a lot but I loved it),

That is all for this week. What is something that brought you joy this past week?

xoxo

Spooky Girl

Oh hey book buddies,

Did you think I forgot about you? NEVER!!!

I used my morning to record some Youtube content before temps got too high. I don't know about where you are, but it's HOT here in Los Angeles.

This week is a little quieter than last in terms of new content, but I have been reading quite a bit. Why so little new content, you ask? Well, I prioritized time with friends this week, seeing a wonderful Suki Waterhouse concert on Thursday and brunching with girlfriends on Saturday. I've also been suffering from migraines a bit more this week, likely due to the high temps. But I'm determined to get back in the content saddle in anticipation of August 1's newsletter. If you've not signed up for my monthly newsletter, now's the time to do so.

Ok, let's talk books! Since we last chatted I finished The Parisian Heist and Should the Waters Take Us, both on audio. The Parisian Heist was a fun summer suspense novel full of art and art history. It's perfect for the type of folks who gravitate to historic museums while traveling. I really enjoyed getting to know Jo Van Gogh, the sister-in-law of Vincent who helped ensure his art and legacy. 4⭐️

Should the Waters Take Us was not at all what I expected, but I did very much enjoy it. Far more literary than historical, it's a story that focuses on the human element of migration and legacy. It blends love of land & nature with land rights and disaster (both natural and manmade) to tell the story of South Louisiana. 4⭐️

As part of a larger project (more on that soon), I finally read Where the Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe. I've not read any of her work before (mostly Southern women's fiction with contemporary settings), but I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. All about family legacy and one woman's relationship with her family's land, it's the type of Southern fiction that I love to sink my teeth into. I can't wait for the sequel now! 4.5⭐️

I'm still chipping away at The Intrigue and A Time of Witches; both are so good that I'm feeling torn each time I pick up my Kindle. Hopefully I'll find the time to finish both this week.

I'm also still savoring A Founding Mother, the July BBFL book club book. It's SO SO SO good that I had to pull out the pen and highlighter to annotate, something I never do. I'm about halfway through and eager to put this laptop down to read more of this great Revolutionary War story.

ICYMI:

• I finally posted by full Yesteryear reading vlog over on Youtube so check that out if you're still wondering if that book is for you

• The May & June reading wrap-up is live over on Youtube, and it's full of GREAT reads

• Suki Waterhouse has a message for us all

• Check out this little mixed genre bookmail haul

• Meet the Montana tote from Portland Leather goods

• All the books I purchased on the Great California Bookstore Tour

• Paid subscribers get full access to exclusive vlogs like my very first episode of Library Adventures

Hear it Here First:

Stay tuned for a list of my favorite reads of the year so far! Planning to share on Booktube, Bookstagram, and Booktok this week.

The August historical fiction look ahead should be live by the end of the week on social media; there's a few indie authors on this month's list which makes me happy.

Don't forget that The Shadow of the Wind is the August BBFL book club book. Not a member yet? Join here!

Thanks so much for being here and for all your support!

Happy reading, friends!

xoxo

c

Hello Friends,

I have been screaming busy at work and will be for the next two weeks, but after that I expect a bit of a reprieve! (read: I will get better at posting more regularly!)

BIG NEWS FOR PAID SUBSCRIBERS COMING

If you've been thinking about upgrading, now is the time. Paid subscribers:

• will be getting to see the cover for our next book (CRACKS, by Stoker Award winning author, Kristy Park Kulski. https://bookshop.org/p/books/cracks-kristy-kulski/6a2cfef9ca5618c5?ean=9781967967452&bkshp-astro=t. TOMORROW!!!!

• will be getting an update on our THIRD BOOK (hopefully soon!!!!!)

• will be signing up for this quarters SNAIL MAIL - Tuesday

• Paid subscribers get arcs of all of our books, so if CRACKS sounds like something you'd love (and it should! Not to brag....but I think I pick BANGERS), you should subscribe now

IN OTHER NEWS

• All of my Pango books are 50% off until Tuesday morning. https://www.pangobooks.com/bookstore/jackofallnays

• I'm going to be focusing on growing my Youtube! I'm most posting SHORTS there right now, but I have a plan to be consistent with long form as soon as my schedule relaxes a bit. LET ME KNOW: What kind of long form content would you like to watch from me! Follow me here:

  https://www.youtube.com/@fromthemixedupdesk

• I'm going to Shelves and the City! I haven't seen many people talk about this publicly, but we are talking about it privately! I filled out my travel form. I booked my extra hotel nights (You know I can't just spend ONE WEEKEND in NYC!) I've got my Gluten Free NYC playlist on instagram. And I just found out there is a TAROT exhibit at the Morgan Library. First of all I love the Morgan Library. Second, if you didn't know. I'm tarot obsessed and have over 20 decks. I'm sure I will be coming home with more. Should I do a post with my Tarot Books (again?) because I have books, too!

• I have gotten so MUCH book mail! It's too hard to update when I slack on posting, so I am just going to add all of the books I've received recently to this post and promise I'll be better about updating regularly. See any that stand out?

• We've been doing a readathon all weekend in the Discord? Have you joined our reader community on Discord (hot tip: If you've left because of the tagging, you can turn that feature off and come back haha)

I just finished up:

Die for Me by Shirlene Obuobi and am currently reading Headlights by CJ Leede

Reading Updates are COMING BACK BABY!

If you watched this week's Tails & Tales, you know my reading week looked a little different than usual.

Normally I'm the person who somehow manages to squeeze reading into every spare moment. Waiting in line? Reading. Lunch break? Reading. Ten minutes before bed? Definitely reading.

This week, though, life had other plans.

What was supposed to be a fairly straightforward trip turned into a marathon of canceled flights, rerouted connections, six different airports, and a suitcase that decided it wanted its own vacation. Somewhere between sprinting to gates and wondering whether I'd actually make it home, reading became less about making progress and more about finding little moments of calm.

And honestly? I'm okay with that.

One of the things I think social media accidentally teaches us is that every week has to be bigger than the last. More books. More reviews. More content. More productivity.

But reading isn't a competition. Some weeks you'll finish six books. Other weeks you'll barely finish one because life simply demands your attention somewhere else.

The books will still be waiting.

Ironically, the books I did finish all wrestled with that exact tension in different ways.

The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood asks whether ideals are worth pursuing even when you know they'll eventually fail. Camelot has always represented this impossible dream of creating a better world, and Parry leans into the tragedy that goodness isn't permanent, but that doesn't make striving for it meaningless. That question lingered with me long after I finished the book.

Then The Demon Star explored faith from a completely different angle. Not blind belief, but the choices we make when the systems we've trusted become instruments of control. One of my favorite things about speculative fiction is that it creates distance from our own world just long enough for us to ask uncomfortable questions about it. Strip away the demons, living gods, and space-opera politics, and you're left with questions about power, identity, resistance, and hope that feel incredibly human.

Even Dungeon Crawler Carl (beneath all the explosions, absurd monsters, and dark humor) keeps returning to the same idea: what parts of yourself are you willing to sacrifice just to survive? Carl's journey has never really been about defeating monsters. It's about refusing to let the Dungeon decide who he becomes.

That's one of the reasons I love fantasy and science fiction so much.

People often dismiss these genres as "escapism," but I think the opposite is true. The dragons, demons, magic systems, alien empires, and post-apocalyptic landscapes are simply different lenses for examining the questions we're already asking in our own lives.

• Who deserves power?

• What makes someone a hero?

• How do ordinary people resist impossible systems?

• What do we owe each other?

• What does hope look like when the odds are terrible?

The best speculative fiction doesn't help me escape reality...it helps me understand it.

So yes, I read fewer books this week than I normally do.

But the ones I finished reminded me exactly why I keep coming back to this genre over and over again. Not because I want to disappear into another world, but because those worlds so often teach me something about this one.

Thank you for being a valued member of our community! Because you are a paid subscriber, you get exclusive access to the complete, unedited interview with Marina Ramwell, the brilliant author behind the True or Knot series.

Below, check out the full conversation where Marina reveals her chaotic writing schedule, how her day job as a Software Engineer influences her Omegaverse worlds, exclusive updates on her upcoming releases, and her passionate final thoughts on what it truly means to be an author.

1. The 3-Word Pitch

For readers discovering the True or Knot series for the very first time, how would you describe your books in three words?

Marina: Multicultural, intriguing, and spicy

2. The Double Life

By day, you’re climbing the corporate ladder as a Software Engineer, and by night, you write romance. What does your typical writing day look like, and do you prefer writing in the morning or as a night owl?

Marina: Definitely a night owl! I can’t write during working hours; my job is mentally exhausting enough as it is. But I do write while I walk the dog, in the bathroom, while I wait in a queue, on weekends, and 80% of it happens in the evenings, when everyone’s asleep, and I have all the peace to focus.

3. The Bookish Life

When you sit down to read or write in the beautiful Canary Islands, what is your ideal reading day, and what is your go-to reading snack or beverage?

Marina: If it's the weekend, I love to read and write on the beach, with the salty breeze and the sound of the waves. I also do a lot of writing lying in my hammock. My usual drink is coffee, but if I want to treat myself, I have a "Barraquito," which is a typical coffee with cinnamon, condensed milk, lemon peel, and liqueur.

4. Current Reads

What book is currently on your nightstand, and what genres do you enjoy reading most when you’re not writing?

Marina: I have a couple of technical and management-related books on my nightstand that, honestly, I've been putting off for ages. My e-book TBR is long and filled with Omegaverse and romance in general. Right now I’m reading “Summoning Trouble” by Luisa Perez.

5. The Warning Label

If your writing process had a warning label based on how you balance engineering, gaming with your son, and writing, what would it say?

Marina: “Warning: chaos and sleepless nights ahead.”

6. The Soundtrack

Music can set the perfect mood for a book. If Beta or Knot had a theme song or a track on a soundtrack, what would it be?

Marina: Let the tears fall – Kelly Clarkson

7. The Animal Critic

We hear you have an attention-seeking dog! If your dog could read, how do you think they would react to you spending your free time typing away at your books instead of giving them belly rubs?

Marina: Oh, he gets belly rubs! And since I write a lot during our walks, sometimes we end up walking more than intended, so I think he would approve.

8. The Spark

What first inspired you to become a writer, and when did you realize you wanted to pursue publishing your stories seriously?

Marina: Being an author had always been a dream of mine, but then things happened, and somewhere between my engineering career and a divorce, life kind of crushed my creativity. I told my son once that I wanted to write a book someday, and when he asked me to make up a story for him, I couldn’t. So that was a turning point. I started doing writing exercises and reading a lot more fiction to rekindle that spark. It took me some years, but it seems to have worked.

9. Planner vs. Pantser

Because your day job involves engineering and logic, does that carry over into your writing? Are you a meticulous planner/plotter, or a write and discover type of author?

Marina: A bit of both. I start with a rough idea. I draw a few steps and cornerstones and then let my imagination run free and discover the story as it goes. I knew Lars’ story from day one! But what was supposed to be one book about a very indecisive Alpha and how two packs formed… somehow transformed into a five-book series. Don’t ask me how; it just happened.

10. The Challenge

Which part of the writing process do you enjoy the most, the cozy parts, the spice, or the tear-jerkers, and which part challenges you the most?

Marina: I enjoy all of it! I struggle a bit with the spice. Though it's getting easier as I go. Some of the tear-jerier parts just poured out of me and surprised me a little; I didn’t expect those to be so emotionally healing.

11. The Advice

What is the best writing advice you've ever received that you would pass along to aspiring authors?

Marina: I still think of myself as an aspiring author, so this question is funny. But I would say, find yourself a good dev editor. You have no idea how much I’ve learned from mine, Steph Rawlins. Also, just write. With all the mistakes, typos, plot holes, and weird phrasing, just get the idea out. You can have as many iterations as you need later.

12. The Corporate Setting

Pack or Knot and Beta or Knot both feature Paylance, bringing a corporate tech-style setting into the Omegaverse. Did your real-world experience as a software engineer inspire the setting or the mysterious security breach plotline in Book 1?

Marina: Yes, I’m lucky to love my job, but it is true that I have a lot of corporate shenanigans and anecdotes to get inspiration from.

13. In a Crisis

The Fredriksson pack deals with some intense dynamics. Out of all the characters you’ve created so far across Book 1 and Book 2, which of your characters would you trust most in a real-life crisis?

Marina: Lucía Oramas, definitely! Now, her character is heavily inspired by my own personality, work, and experiences… so I don’t know what that says about me. sigh. Jonas from Book 3 is a close contender.

14. Character Surprises

Did any of your characters like Lars, the new Omega, or the Beta in Book 2 completely surprise you and take the plot in a direction you didn’t originally plan?

Marina: John, from Book 2. I added this character because I needed someone to balance the pack’s dynamics, and it turned out to be perfect for the job. I wish men like him were the norm, honestly.

15. The Big Screen Dream

If the True or Knot series were adapted into a movie or TV series, what would you be most excited to see brought to life on screen?

Marina: Oh, Hannah’s and Lucía’s love. It's so cute and tender, and I loved writing them falling for each other.

16. The Takeaway

Beta or Knot comes out on July 29th! What emotions do you hope readers experience while reading this new installment, and what can readers look forward to next from you?

Marina: I wish more people knew that strength and vulnerability are not mutually exclusive. You can be strong and yet fall prey to manipulations and coercions. If a woman or really, anyone in this situation reads this and finds the courage to step out of a bad relationship… I’ll consider all this worthwhile.

I’ll keep bringing the multicultural aspect to the packs. I like thinking that in a society like the one in my books, we would all be more open to diversity of all kinds. I think the Omegaverse genre, in general, does a great job with this, and it's one of the things I liked about it. Other authors are doing a great job incorporating LGBTQ+ and BIPOC representation, but I was kind of missing a strong multicultural dynamic, which is why I added it so heavily in mine. But I’d love to add even more diversity going forward.

I’m already editing book 3, though I can’t give you the title yet; it’s scheduled to come out in November. And I’m one-third of the way through books 4 and 5. Hopefully, we’ll close this series in spring 2027.

17. The Dinner Guest

If you could have dinner with any author, living or dead, who would it be and why?

Marina: This is an impossible question! All right, I’ll bite. Ayn Rand. I know, I don't agree with all of her philosophy, but debating with her would be amazing.

18. The Time Machine

What is one book you wish you could experience again for the first time?

Marina: “Búscame donde nacen los dragos” by Emma Lira. Can’t explain it; I just loved that book.

19. Fictional Travel

If you could visit any fictional world for a day, where are you going?

Marina: Is it selfish to say… mine?

🛒 Support the Author: Shop the Series

Ready to jump into the corporate Omegaverse? Use the links below to secure your copies!

Pre-Order / Purchase Beta or Knot:

• Amazon

• Barnes & Noble

• BookVault

• Bookshop.org

Catch Up on Book 1 (Pack or Knot):

• Amazon

• Barnes & Noble

• Bookshop.org

Connect with Marina Online:

• Official Website

• Instagram

💭 Closing Note from Marina

"Just adding that my first language isn’t English; it’s Spanish. But that didn’t stop me from chasing this crazy dream. I worked really hard to rebuild that figurative “muscle” that's creativity, and even harder to improve my English to reach this point.

So people using gen-AI to “write” and “draw” because they lack the “natural talent” have no excuse. The learning curve, the journey, is a substantial part of calling yourself an Author. If you’re not putting in all the work, you’re just a prompter. Leaving aside the ethical and environmental implications, if that's what you want to be, all right, but be honest with your readers and, above all, with yourself about it."

Ever wondered what happens when you mix a demanding day job in tech with a passion for high-stakes, multicultural romance? Meet Marina Ramwell, the brilliant mind behind the True or Knot series. By day, she's navigating the corporate world as a Software Engineer; by night, she’s building a captivating, diverse Omegaverse.

Today, we are sharing a sneak peek of our exclusive interview with Marina. Dive into the first 8 questions below to learn about her writing process, her gorgeous Canary Islands workspace, and the chaotic "warning label" of her life!

1. The 3-Word Pitch

For readers discovering the True or Knot series for the very first time, how would you describe your books in three words?

Marina: Multicultural, intriguing, and spicy.

2. The Double Life

By day, you’re climbing the corporate ladder as a Software Engineer, and by night, you write romance. What does your typical writing day look like, and do you prefer writing in the morning or as a night owl?

Marina: Definitely a night owl! I can’t write during working hours; my job is mentally exhausting enough as it is. But I do write while I walk the dog, in the bathroom, while I wait in a queue, on weekends, and 80% of it happens in the evenings, when everyone’s asleep, and I have all the peace to focus.

3. The Bookish Life

When you sit down to read or write in the beautiful Canary Islands, what is your ideal reading day, and what is your go-to reading snack or beverage?

Marina: If it's the weekend, I love to read and write on the beach, with the salty breeze and the sound of the waves. I also do a lot of writing lying in my hammock. My usual drink is coffee, but if I want to treat myself, I have a "Barraquito," which is a typical coffee with cinnamon, condensed milk, lemon peel, and liqueur.

4. Current Reads

What book is currently on your nightstand, and what genres do you enjoy reading most when you’re not writing?

Marina: I have a couple of technical and management-related books on my nightstand that, honestly, I've been putting off for ages. My e-book TBR is long and filled with Omegaverse and romance in general. Right now I’m reading “Summoning Trouble” by Luisa Perez.

5. The Warning Label

If your writing process had a warning label based on how you balance engineering, gaming with your son, and writing, what would it say?

Marina: “Warning: chaos and sleepless nights ahead.”

6. The Soundtrack

Music can set the perfect mood for a book. If Beta or Knot had a theme song or a track on a soundtrack, what would it be?

Marina: Let the tears fall – Kelly Clarkson

7. The Animal Critic

We hear you have an attention-seeking dog! If your dog could read, how do you think they would react to you spending your free time typing away at your books instead of giving them belly rubs?

Marina: Oh, he gets belly rubs! And since I write a lot during our walks, sometimes we end up walking more than intended, so I think he would approve.

8. The Spark

What first inspired you to become a writer, and when did you realize you wanted to pursue publishing your stories seriously?

Marina: Being an author had always been a dream of mine, but then things happened, and somewhere between my engineering career and a divorce, life kind of crushed my creativity. I told my son once that I wanted to write a book someday, and when he asked me to make up a story for him, I couldn’t. So that was a turning point. I started doing writing exercises and reading a lot more fiction to rekindle that spark. It took me some years, but it seems to have worked.

🌟 Want More? Join First Editions for the Full Interview!

This is just the beginning! In the full interview, Marina dives deep into how her engineering job inspired her corporate tech-style Omegaverse setting, her thoughts on character surprises, a fierce defense of the creative journey, and a major sneak peek into the future of the True or Knot series including timeline updates for Books 3, 4, and 5!

Unlock the Full Interview: Join our First Editions Membership tier today to read the rest of Marina's answers, support our community, and get access to exclusive author content, early reveals, and more!

🛒 Grab Your Copies of the True or Knot Series

Don't miss out on Marina's captivating world. Grab her latest release, Beta or Knot (releasing July 29th!), or catch up on the book that started it all.

Pre-Order / Purchase Beta or Knot:

• Amazon

• Barnes & Noble

• BookVault

• Bookshop.org

Buy Book 1, Pack or Knot:

• Amazon

• Barnes & Noble

• Bookshop.org

Connect with Marina:

• Official Website

• Instagram

The Sunday Prescription

One reading topic, one week of plans, and plenty of books administered weekly for chronic readers.

Symptoms: We're all a bunch of liars!

Hi everyone, and welcome back to another Sunday Prescription. This week, I want to talk about some of the discussion going around the book world recently about creators and influencers being liars when it comes to the books they're reading. Most of this has come down to accusations that bookish content creators and influencers are not reading the books they are reviewing, and they're only reviewing books to chase clout when the book is popular/trending, or they have been paid or have been given free books and as such, just promote them blindly. Another one is that there is no way book influencers are really reading as many books as they claim they are. I definitely have some thoughts on this!

First, I am sure that there are people out there who do this kind of stuff, but I genuinely do not feel it is widespread. In terms of the accusations that influencers are paid for good reviews, companies and publishers do their research - when publishing companies have reached out to me asking if I want to try a book, it is typically because they have seen other book reviews I have done that are similar to that book, or that I liked and reviewed that author previously, and that's just research for sending out ARCs or copies of released books. When it comes to financial relationships, I would imagine they do their research even more. And most content creators do more positive than negative reviews because they don't want to trash authors, especially when they are high profile. So to me, it makes sense why you see so many positive reviews from people - the companies are finding the right books for the right people, and creators want to talk about books they love, not books they hate.

In terms of the volume accusations, I had someone recently make a similar comment on my YouTube page, saying I had clearly lied about how many books I read in the first half of the year. I think this stems from people not comprehending how someone could read that much when they maybe read a few books a year. In my case, I don't really watch much TV, and I make time to read every day. That adds up! I gain nothing from lying about how many books I've read.

And as far as whether or not people are reviewing books they have read, I have no idea how you can tell this. We all read for different reasons and at different levels, and we all have different retention abilities. Additionally, with AI and the internet, if you really wanted to fake it you could make as detailed a video as you want pretty easily without reading a book, so I just don't know how anyone can really tell.

So, all that said, here's my approach and what you all can expect from me in terms of my policies when it comes to bookish honesty. First, if I feel a creator is not genuine or just doing it for the content, I just don't watch, don't follow, and don't engage. Pretty simple. In terms of my own personal policies:

• I will never review a book without reading it. If I DNF a book, I make that clear. I also do not personally recommend books without reading them, and when someone asks me about a book I haven't read, I tell them that.

• If you watch my monthly reading wrap ups, you will notice I'm very transparent about what I have read and in what format (e book, physical, or audio). I do not and have never had numeric reading goals, and I stand to gain nothing from beefing up numbers, so what you see is what you get. And, that number is subject to change from month to month or year to year.

• I always tell authors that if they send me a book I will do an honest review. Now I won't make a video to trash an author or book I don't like (especially an indie book), but I will always write honest StoryGraph and Goodreads reviews. I have had authors withdraw their request to send me a book when they hear that!

• When I do reviews, video or written, I will always say whether that book was given to me for free or not, and who gave it to me. I think that's important for the viewing public to know so they can take any review with a grain of salt, because there can be subconscious bias there.

• Lastly, I have not entered into any financial agreements with companies in terms of direct reimbursement, but if I do down the road, I would always let you all know (in fact, legally I have to!).

So what's your take - do you think lying about books is rampant on social media amongst big influencers, or do you think this is another accusation without much basis?

The Rx: What I'm Reading and Doing

This has been a fun week of reading and hobbies. First, reading has been great. After I finish writing this newsletter I'm going to be finishing up Valour by John Gwynne, and I finished up Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff last night. These have both been great fun! I am going to finish out the month with Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice, and possibly finish up my reread of the Silmarillion.

With August on the horizon, there is some great stuff coming! For our main book club on Bindery and Discord, we'll be reading the Jasad heir, and for my new Fable Book Club, Dr. Bob's Literary Apothecary, we'll be reading The Wolf and His King by Finn Longman. Our monthly reading challenge is to "read an indie published book." You can read and be eligible to win a $25 bookshop.org gift card by participating in the StoryGraph Challenge page, or on our Discord server. I'm going to be reading The Butcher of Nazareth by David Scott Hay for this. And lastly, my paid member's picked King Sorrow by Joe Hill for the monthly pick a book. If you want to read along or hear my blow by blow thoughts, join up as a Dark Traveler!

In terms of hobbies, as you can see above, I'm working my way through the Minas Tirith Lego set that my lovely wife surprised me with for Father's Day. It's a beast, but I'm having so much fun! This is one of my favorite things to do while listening to an audiobook. The weather is nice, and I'm hoping to be able to get out and do some mountain biking as well here over the next few weeks.

And in terms of content, I took the weekend off of YouTube this week, and am working on batch recording some stuff for August since August is always a busy month. If you make book content or are thinking about it, I highly recommend batch recording - when you have your stuff all set up, recording a bunch of stuff at once and then editing later makes this much easier for me than trying to record a little every day!

Hope you all have a great week of reading and life, and I'll see you next week!

Want More In-Depth Access?

If you enjoy getting into the details with me about reading, then consider upgrading to The Dark Travelers tier! My Dark Travelers get an exclusive Discord role and channels, a weekly deep dive reading update video, early access to YouTube videos, and each month they get to pick a book for me to read. This can be a book they want to read with me, or something they want me to try for them. It's super fun and a great tight knit group that I really enjoy talking books with, and I'd love to have you part of it!

As you know, I was informed my cat needs to have two teeth removed and the high estimate is $3300 (SF prices).

I just dropped all my Pango books to 50 % off orders of $20 or more. I’ve got maybe 60 books left.

If they don’t sell by Tuesday morning, they will be at my free little library!

https://pangobooks.com/bookstore/jackofallnays

Check them out! Every little bit helps!

I’ve added some books to this post, so you can also click through to bookshop- if you’re doing any shopping this weekend. If you buy any book after clicking my link (even if I didn’t include it) I get a small percentage!

Hey Rebels! On Tuesday I'm interviewing one of my favorite authors, Alicia Thompson, about her magical new Ireland romance In Every Possible Way. What are you dying to know about her career and her craft?

Submit your questions in the comments by Tuesday morning and I might ask her during the next episode of Rebel Ever After.

You can find all of Alicia's books in the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore here. Never Been Shipped is my current favorite, but With Love, From Cold World is a bisexual classic.

the best book mail today from Penguin Random House ⋆˚꩜｡

I'm so into the history of punk, DIY, and zines, and James Spooner (founder of AFROPUNK) has a new memoir that combines comics and all sorts of fascinating punk ephemera documenting his rise from punk to founder to walking away from it all. This has been on my new release radar for a minute, so I'm very honored to have been gifted a copy from Penguin.

IT STARTS WITH ANGER is available everywhere on August 4th and you can preorder it right now <3

Things are heating up! And that includes crime—here are my reads of the week, plus lots of excellent book mail.

This week’s reads:

• Wisdom Corner by David Heska Wanbli Weiden (finished): Virgil Wounded Horse is trying to escape his vigilante past on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. This was an enjoyable action-packed thriller with strong cultural themes and a flawed but compassionate protagonist. It moves along pretty quickly and works well as standalone.

• The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (finished): A disturbing yet captivating read. Highsmith taps into not just the psyche of a sociopath, but the incessant trust of everyone in his circle—showing us just how trusting we can be, especially when nudged in the direction of what we want to believe is the truth. Timeless. This is the Read Herring Book Club’s July pick.

• You’ll Be Sorry by Lisa Gardner (currently reading): A creepy, decades-old unsolved crime in rural New Hampshire. I am loving the multi-POV and eerie vibes of this so far.

• We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman (currently reading): I couldn’t resist starting this one. I always know I’m going to laugh with Osman. Rosie remains a favorite, but I’m starting to really love Felicity as well.

This week’s book mail:

• Tell Me Something True by Michael Robotham (out January 5): Small-town Australian suspense for which I have read nothing but rave reviews.

• Vice and Virtue by Libby Klein (out now): A special box to celebrate a rock-themed cozy mystery! This looks so, so cute and hilarious.

• Murder in the Crooked House by Soji Shimada (out now): After loving The Tokyo Zodiac Murders, I was stoked to receive its sequel.

• Sex on Murder Island by Jo Firestone (out now): Another sequel score!! I freaking loved Luella van Horn and Murder on Sex Island and I hope this one makes me laugh just as hard.

• The Wedding Week by Aisha Saeed (out now): Long-buried secrets resurface when a woman returns home for her sister’s lavish resort wedding in the Everglades.

• Liberty Street by Heather Marshall (out now): One journalist’s harrowing journey into an infamous real-life 1960s women’s prison—and the detective who uncovers her story decades later.

• Nine Lives by Catherine Steadman (out now): When she begins to peer into the lives of her glamorous neighbors, one woman discovers a terrifying secret in this riveting psychological thriller with nine lives worth of twists. (Previously, I enjoyed the author’s The Family Game.)

• Perfect Life by Meredith Lavender and Kendall Shores (out now): Following a shocking murder, a woman must face the husband she thought she knew in this twisty, sizzling novel from the bestselling authors of Happy Wife.

• The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (out now): A 1940s noir novel about a handsome con man and the two women who get in his way.

Thank you to Atlantic Crime, Libby Klein, Pushkin Vertigo, and Bantam Books for these gifted books.

Yours mysteriously,

Manon

I want to talk about a complicated issue without people assuming I mean the worst version of what I'm actually trying to say.

I've talked about this on TikTok before, but I'm revisiting it because I don't think I articulated my thoughts clearly.

And I want to be clear: I'm speaking specifically about being Black in the Black BookTok space, not about white readers or their experiences.

I've seen comments on Black BookTokkers' accounts where people say they will unfollow creators who they feel aren't reading or recommending enough Black books. (And that's fair; people are allowed to follow creators who align with their values.)

I've even had someone comment on one of my own videos asking, "What's the point of being on Black BookTok if you aren't making videos on Black authors?"

But I've also seen posts like, "Me when I see a Black BookTokker who only reads Kennedy Ryan," or people saying they check a Black BookTokker's shelves to make sure they have Black authors.

And I saw one black book content creator say that black booktokkers are mean.

And it made me sit with a bigger question:

How do we advocate for better representation without turning advocacy into a purity test that pushes people away?

Because I want to be clear: reading diversely matters.

Black authors continue to face systemic barriers within publishing that impact visibility, marketing, and opportunities. When someone has a platform, especially within the Black community, I do think there is power in using that platform to uplift Black voices and share these stories.

But I also think we have to acknowledge that online, we only see a small piece of someone's life.

We don't know their full lived experiences, what books they read privately, or what stories have impacted them outside of what they post.

And sometimes I worry that we've lost some of that nuance. That we can reduce an entire person down to whether or not we see them reading or recommending certain books.

At what point does encouragement become a test? Who decides when someone has read "enough" Black books to be considered someone who belongs?

Because sometimes it feels like the conversation shifts from "let's encourage people to read diversely" to "are you reading enough of the right books to prove you belong?"

And as someone who does read a lot of Black romance, I find myself conflicted.

Because why do we keep creating these tests where if someone doesn't pass, they're pushed out?

I understand the frustration. I understand the exhaustion of constantly having to explain why representation matters.

But I also wonder if shame is the best way to create change.

There are systemic reasons these books aren't always placed directly in front of readers. Sometimes finding new authors and stories requires intentional effort, and that work is valuable. But it can also be unfamiliar, especially when mainstream publishing has historically done a lot of the organizing and recommending for readers.

So how do we create a space where people are encouraged to learn instead of afraid to participate?

Because at the end of the day, I think we'd all benefit from focusing less on proving who is doing it "right" and more on continuing to uplift amazing authors and stories.

I'm curious, what do you think?

Summary
Why must Palestinians prove their humanity? And what are the implications of such an infuriatingly impossible task? With fearless prose and lyrical precision, Mohammed El-Kurd refuses a life spent in cross-examination. Rather than asking the oppressed to perform a perfect victimhood, El-Kurd asks friends and foes alike to look Palestinians in the eye, forgoing both deference and condemnation.

How we see Palestine reveals how we see each other; how we see everything else. Masterfully combining candid testimony, history, and reportage, Perfect Victims presents a powerfully simple demand: dignity for the Palestinian.

Review
A book filled with unapologetic candor and wit that makes you come to terms with your own mentality and beliefs in regards to Palestine. This is a must read.


What I learned

• El-Kurd argues that repeated exposure to images of Palestinian suffering has normalized atrocities that would once have shocked the world. I've learned more about this mentality when I read "Regarding the Pain of Others" by Susan Sontag. I have a lot of thoughts on this subject.

  
  "Are we too aquainted with the horrific? What was once horrifying, what was once a harbinger of doom, now blends into the terrain of boring scarecrow."
  
  

• Something that's discussed in this book as well as a few others on this topic ("One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This"), is the violence of language during this genocide. The headlines we see lack agency. People "die," buildings "collapse," or civilians are "caught in crossfire"instead of explicitly identifying who carried out the violence.
  

• The thesis of this book is incredibly powerful as it argues that Palestinians have to prove their humanity rather than be perceived as humans. They're held to an impossible standard (by design) to be expected to be patient, peaceful, articulate, and morally flawless in the face of genocide. Any perceived imperfection is used to undermine sympathy for their humanity.

"On the contrary, our death is sustenance for the world we live in, necessary to maintain things as they are. Our blood is the price of our colonizers sense of 'security'."

"You need to be polite in your suffering, should you be granted the right to a roof over your head. Crass statements are corrosive to your plight, even when such statements are about those who first steal your home and then loot your tent. The violence inflicted upon our lands and our bodies, we are told, is secondary to the blemishes tarnishing our image, the blemishes that stand between us and justice, it seems. The smears we live to scrub clean."

• Golda Meir is often displayed as a hero or peacemaker. In fact, a library is named after her at my hometown's university. However, her reality was violent and she blamed Palestinains for forcing her to kill their children:

"When peace comes we will perhaps in time be able to forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but it will be harder for us to fogive them for having forced us to kill their sons...This was Golda Meir's vile catchphrase, and it has reverberated ever since. But Golda Meir could have spared our children. No one forced her. She chose to kill our children."

• The Palestinian Authority (which were founded as part of the Oslo Accords in the 90's) functions in collaboration with Israeli counterparts. One example is in the killing of Nizar Banat, a dissident political leader. Protests broke out and the PA beat up and used tear gas on the protestors.

I did it. I finally finished The Faithful and the Fallen with the ending of Wrath by John Gwynne. This series was a rollercoaster for me and I have a lot of things to say - good and bad - that might upset folks. Here's the thing, I won't lie about things I read even if I feel bad for saying some of them.

Let me quickly recap because I read the first two before I started writing out my feelings and thoughts.

• Malice: I struggled with Malice. The first half I almost put it down and I was actually shocked people loved it so much. Still, I see it on people's favorites list and it evokes a visceral reaction in me. The second half, however, proved me wrong. It picked up in huge ways I really needed. So much of Malice was Corban training and losing, repeat. The latter half, though, was all plot and story and action and moved at a much better pace.

• Valour: I liked Valour so much more, but it still had the same pacing issue. There were so many repeated motifs and settings. Run, rest, be discovered, repeat was the entire book. The exception for me was Maquin and his storyline. I lived for Maquin and Fidele's storyline in this book, it was exactly the deviation from the formula I needed.

• Ruin: Ruin was the best of the series to me. A great balance of action, plot, characters, development, and motion that I really enjoyed. It slogged itself down at times, but overall this was the strongest book in the series!

One thing I've felt about this series is every single book could've done with a 30% trim and been so much stronger and better paced for it. Each book had 20-30% in it that was just repetitive or bland or didn't serve the story or anything to me. Some of the POVs reached a point of comical versions of an archetype that if we had trimmed them back or done with one less, it would have sung.

Wrath, for me, suffered from the same problem. I'll start with the things I disliked and get those out of the way. Wrath was, overall, good. A good ending to a very popular series, in my opinion. However, there were a lot of cyclical moments in this book that pulled me out of feeling like I was reading a Book 4 story while characters do Book 1 things. Most prominent for me is Camlin and Rafe. Camlin has multiple chances to kill Rafe and after everything he has been through and how Camlin has grown and developed, he opts to... let him go? Many, many times. Camlin is the one character who has consistently believed in just taking action and putting someone down because they're a threat. Until it came to Rafe. Which, of course, bit him in the ass. Not once - multiple times. That was the infuriating bit. I could have forgiven once, but it was thrice that Camlin was making Book 1 choices in Book 4. That detracted from his character to me and undid what had been careful and smart development.

The other example I have is the repeating Maquin-Fidele-Lykos saga. At a certain point, when they get captured for the fifth time, all I'm hearing is yakkity sax. That repeated capturing over and over actually turned Lykos from Book 2's scariest villain into a comedy trope to me. It deflated the threat of Lykos and made his character feel... silly. It also undermined Fidele's smarts and her coming into her power when, in the end, she didn't overcome Lykos at all and was exactly who she was when he bewitched her. And Maquin - GOAT and true hero of the tale - Three Stooges-tier repetitive failure to kill him. He's deadly and skilled and the best warrior they have, but comically stumbles over a root or gets elbowed in the back right when he's going in for the kill. There's a point at which I just don't care anymore and I reached that point with the Lykos cycle.

My other issue stems sometimes from Gwynne's writing style. The man can write the heck out of a fight scene. Like. The absolute heck. But I can feel it in everything else that he doesn't like writing the journeying parts to get to the fight scenes. Moving around the map had a tendency to feel rushed and everything I needed to create a scene or space was left too open for me to feel grounded in the locations, but the fights were so well coordinated I could visualize them the entire time.

Now onto the good bits.

Camlin "For Love of the Game" whatever his last name is remains one of my favorite characters. I loved him and Edana's friendship and how his loyalty was born from just wanting something different for his life. He turns into the cool adoptive forest dad and ends up with a beautiful ending I really loved for him.

Veradis, my son, finally got it together and has his "wait is this play about us" moment in Ruin that he carried into this one. His desperation to find his friend again in Nathair and the gutting knowledge he can't was a phenomenal trajectory for him. I love this idiot because even with Nathair's betrayal and breaking his oath, he remains a loyal and moralistic man to his core. He understands that his role within his oath to protect Nathair means, in this moment, from Nathair himself.

Maquin's ending though. Loved it. Won't say anything else.

One character who surprised me with how much they grew on me? Corban. I kinda felt like Corban was boring. In Valour I would heavy sigh at his chapters, I can't lie. But in Wrath, I really loved reading his character. He comes into his own and all the things that made him who he was pulled together here. Gwynne wrote him not as a reluctant hero, but as a man choosing to be heroic. There's a huge difference! Corban spoke to his fear and how it was fear that made him brave. He cares about his people beyond just his friends. He doesn't want power, he wants peace, but he recognizes the necessity of violence to obtain that peace.

Wrath, overall, gave me a satisfying ending. I felt the twist was handled really well, the characters were where they should have been, and everything tied up nicely without feeling forced. Every ending felt earned. I did enjoy the series, but it has its flaws. It's good, not great, but I'm locked in now so I guess I have to dive into Era 2.

I posted about adding exclusive written content for Tier 1 members and beyond and I figured it's only fair folks get the chance to see the stuff I plan to write and what they can anticipate.

Currently, I have two dueling works-in-progress I will be sharing chapter by chapter. I'll be open for feedback, changes, criticism, etc. on both projects and figured I'd let people decide which one they want to follow and go for that since they're both so different.

The first project I'm posting about is this one: The Book of Icarus. It's a blend of Catholicism, Celtic folklore, and Greek mythology about two disgraced exorcists who discover one of their own who they thought was missing might not, in fact, be missing at all. Icarus and Maren unravel something the Church has been hiding from them for over a decade and have to choose a side in the war between faith and fae.

The second project I'm posing about is currently unnamed. That's how new it is. Maybe I'll open the floor and let readers help me decide on a name so I can stop calling it Unnamed Fantasy WIP. This one is very different from The Book of Icarus. It's an epic character-driven fantasy meant to evoke classic juggernauts like Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones where the world is huge, the characters are the focus, and we start returning old, forgotten fantasy creatures to our beloved genre.

It turns out life doesn't end when you close the Tempest Gate and save the world. Keelie Sharp, unfortunately, would rather not talk about all that. She's a simple woman who kills people for money and accepts that her childhood dreams will only ever stay dreams. Until, of course, her patron sends her and the one person she can't stand into the heart of the kingdom to find out what exactly the Dawn Emperor is doing in the dungeons. While she avoids a face from her past, a nosy prince, and an Emperor who may or may not be going mad, she begins to wonder if she really wants to know the answer.

So. Without further blathering. Enjoy the first chapter of The Book of Icarus and decide if you'd like to keep enjoying future chapters exclusively reserved for Tier 1 subscribers.

Chapter 1

Exorcising demons was killing Icarus Ulrich slowly and painfully. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back, chest heaving, the knife wound in his forearm a distant pulsing memory. The pile of ash erupted in a dim blue flame and reclaimed his attention. Vial in hand, he dipped it into the fire and captured the shimmering sludge within. When he straightened, he found the elderly couple staring at him wide-eyed in the doorway. He politely palmed the vial into his pocket and gave them a sharp nod. 

“My secretary will be in touch for payment,” he didn’t wait for them to respond and shoved his way past.

The cold Dublin air bit at his skin despite his effort to sink back into the high coat collar of his long, wool coat. His stride was long and fast, escaping the shadow of the cramped row house until he found an alley he could use. He cracked open an ampule and let the iridescent liquid drip into one eye, then the other. Blinking, he leaned into the stone wall and slid to the ground. 

The numbing wash of pleasure flooded his veins, empty smile on his lips. He knew what he looked like to any passers-by: sclera flaring brilliant blue, expression slack and joyful, skin just slightly thin enough to show his pulsing veins for anyone who cared to look hard enough. Fifteen minutes passed and the world ate away at the feeling until his vision cleared and his head was sharp again. He rubbed his eyes with a calloused hand, resting against his knees while the effects wore off in full. 

Two more weeks until he would have to do that again. Two more weeks until the Rot tried to claim him and he fought back valiantly with a substance that would drive him mad someday if he let it. He shoved off the damp flagstone and brushed off the back of his coat halfheartedly. He needed a cigarette. Fumbling for a moment while the Eidolon wore off, he found a rogue tobacco soldier in his pocket and the last gasp of a matchbook with it.

It burned his lungs deliciously while he walked the uneven cobbles and slithered around the iron poles of unlit gaslamps lining the street. The rattle and shout of horses and hawkers crashed into him like a wave when he spilled out onto the main thoroughfare into the lifeblood of industry. He tugged the white Roman collar free and shoved it in the pocket with the vial. People tended to stare more when they spotted a priest with a cigarette between his lips and he did not much enjoy being stared at. He kept his head down while he walked, mindful that he would have to dispose of his vice--one of many, if he were being honest--far enough from his destination to avoid being chastised by his loving colleagues.

He flicked the butt away, lamenting the loss of a third of it, and patted his coat until he found what he needed. Keys jangled in his hands when he reached the iron-barred door of the office tucked away on the busy Temple Bar street corner. It was not his first choice, Temple Bar, but nothing matched the price so this was where they were forced to set up shop. 

Inside, a fire warmed the small offices upstairs against the prewinter chill. Heat carried all the way to the paned front door and he shut it quickly to stop it from escaping. He stamped the city off his boots and shrugged his coat onto a hook. A crackling, wizened voice called down from the top of the stairs, “Back so soon?”

He grunted affirmation and ran a hand through slightly-too-long hair the color of sodden wheat, “Hadn’t attached to the place too hard, one foot still in the Veil.”

His boots fell heavy on the wooden stairs, amber lamps stretched his shadow too long across the floor. The woman at the desk was older than she had any right to be, but more reliable than the younger ones who had come before her. Edith was never late and always methodically locked everything up at the end of the day. Her calendars were clean, easy to read, and she had no problem shaking down clients who thought they could avoid the whole “half later” part of the “half now, half later” contracts they signed. Icarus liked her very, very much.

“Maren back yet?” He asked with a glance to the dark office nearest them. He knew the answer, the ask was a reflex.

Edith shook her perfectly pinned white head and peered over thick spectacles, “No. Any minute now. You have a visitor.”

She jerked her chin towards his office. He paused, “Who?”

“Father Reed,” came a familiar strained voice behind the cracked door. Floorboards creaked under the man’s feet when he rose and widened it. His face was drawn, eyes tired. He had the ever-increasing hunch of someone who saw too much too often. 

Icarus took a deep breath and attempted--poorly--to hide a sigh. He placed the vial firmly on Edith’s desk, “Make sure Maren distills that. I’m running low. Father, lovely to see you.”

“I’m most definitely sure it is not,” Reed smiled warmly and moved out of Icarus’s way, closing the door behind him. He remained on his feet when Icarus sat behind the weathered wooden desk.

When Reed didn’t immediately explain himself, Icarus prompted him, “What brings you to the dregs of exorcist society?”

He exhaled and finally sank down into the chair opposite. He leaned on the simple silver-handled cane he carried and brushed imaginary lint from his sleeve. Though he liked Father Reed, Icarus had little patience for the Church’s unexpected visits. It took the older priest a long, studious moment of silence before he decided to speak. Icarus hid his growing irritation in the grip on his pencil while he filled out the remaining fields for his most recent client. 

“There’s a case I’d like you to take. North of the city in Baldongan,” Reed examined his gloves. He wasn’t making eye contact, already the sign of something peculiar that set Icarus on edge.

Storm-blue eyes snapped to him so sharp they could cut glass, “You, not we. Not a Church-sanctioned house call?”

He extended a hand for the yellowed folder Reed passed him and leafed through it. Eyebrow arched, he studied the details. Nothing stuck out to him as unusual. A woman showing early signs of possession, no spatial distortions, no evidence of anything other than a run-of-the-mill Bánánach trying to force its way in. The grainy black and white photo showed a buoyant woman in her late teens or early twenties, the one behind it a more recent version of her that looked a hundred years older. Jarring, but all the signs of a standard possession.

“This is child’s play. A baby Caldrist could do this. You don’t need a Nytherist to slap a Bánánach around,” he dropped the folder with a clap. “Rejected until you tell me why this one specifically.”

Icarus leaned back and steepled his fingers across his chest, boots thudding when they landed on the desk. The priest frowned at the impropriety, but ignored it. They had known each other long enough that Reed expected rudeness without being affected anymore. At one point, they had even been friends, “You think I didn’t already send one to handle it? The last thing I’d like to do is contract your services, you know that. The local bishop asked me to discreetly send someone more… gifted.”

Icarus smirked, “And you had to admit that someone was me? I’m flattered. What about it’s different? You sure your Caldrist wasn’t just incompetent?”

“I’m sure,” he shot back with a warning look. “Father Simon was efficient and effective, but this… whatever it is… couldn’t be shaken. It’s all the signs of a Bánánach, but it threw him clear across the room and broke his leg. Then it blew out all the windows and blacked out the town. Bánánach can’t do that.”

“So you misclassified a demon,” Icarus shrugged. “Happens to the best of us. Well. The best of you lot anyway.”

“Icarus,” Reed warned again, “don’t make me regret asking you. Just go investigate, at the very least. If it’s something Simon screwed up, I’ll double your contract fee for the inconvenience.”

That made him pause. He did not like the Church, but he did like the Church’s money. He ran his tongue along his teeth and glanced at the clock ticking away at the back wall. Maren should be back by now. He would want her input on it, but Reed seemed twitchy about this case for some reason. It was unlike the man to hide his nerves, which made Icarus all the more intrigued. He sighed dramatically and dropped his feet to the floor. He put on a good show of thinking it through, bobbing his head eventually in a halfhearted nod.

“Fine,” he thrust a hand at Reed, “I’ll take your ridiculously simple case and prove the Church fucked it up.”

“Language, Father Icarus.” Reed shook the outstretched hand in the style of makeshift deal that had often been made about these things between them. 

“Father feels a bit formal,” Icarus scrunched his face to hide his disdain. He got feet to show Reed the door, “Perhaps Brother? Cousin, maybe? Hell, Uncle might be more fitting.”

Reed shot him a confusing paternal look and paused at Edith’s desk. He had taken a shine to her since she started two years back and it was very much reciprocated. The older woman beamed at the opportunity to settle contract terms with him. Beside her desk stood a figure Icarus was grateful to see again. She was only shoulder height to him, but that wasn’t her fault. Icarus had always been tall. Her limbs were long, body catlike, dark almost eyes perpetually narrowed as though she constantly scrutinized everything they settled on. She did, so it was fitting. She kept her straight, black hair pulled into a low ponytail secured at the nape of her neck. Her arms were folded over her black shirt, Roman collar flashing white in sharp contrast to the dark. She liked her collar. She also didn’t smoke.

He gave her a half smile, the best he could do, and she tilted her head at him. A silent conversation played out between them--what was Father Reed doing there, he would tell her in a moment, she hoped he got a good price, he absolutely did. 

Reed started when he noticed her and offered a small smile, “Father Maren! My apologies, I didn’t see you, my dear. You’ve always been so quiet.”

It was true. Maren had a magical way of going unnoticed when she wanted to, which was essentially all the time. Her expression stayed unchanged, but it relaxed when she looked at the old man, “A pleasure, as always, Father. I look forward to Icarus’s debrief.”

They exchanged a pleasant farewell and waited until the small bell stopped tinkling before sealing themselves away in Icarus’s office. She never rounded on him, Maren was not the kind to get worked up easily. She would study, ask questions, be thoughtful. Explosive response was Icarus’s specialty. He leaned against the edge of his desk and passed her the file, waiting for her to finish her methodical evaluation. 

“And the Church wants us to look into this?” She read through it again, her tone wary, “Seems fairly rudimentary.”

He shrugged, “Beneath us, but he’ll double the fee if it turns out to be incompetence. So, there’s that.”

“Hm,” she nodded, “and we do like money.”

“How’d it go in Clondalkin?” He watched her ever-placid expression, always hoping someday she would give something more away to him.

She put the file back down on his desk, “Fine. Nothing a Sídhe Binding couldn’t handle. Yours?”

“Throw some Pale Doctrine and blood into a seal and that tends to do the trick. Left you some raw Eidolon to distill, did Edith give it?” At her affirmative, he relaxed, “I’m nearly out. I’d like to live a bit longer before Rot takes me, if you don’t mind.”

“Never do,” she kept her focus on the closed file with suspicion. “Why do you think they asked for us?”

He breathed a laugh, “They didn’t. Reed did. That’s the strangest bit of it. He’s selling it as Church business and I’m fairly sure the Church doesn’t have the faintest idea.”

Maren watched the frosted window behind him and listened to the sounds of the city. Carriages rolling, steam trams in the distance screaming along the rails, voices muffled by the early evening fog. She turned, hands shoved into her pockets, and went to leave the room. 

“Tomorrow at seven there’s an early train north,” she paused to look back at him, her tone firm from giving the same lecture too many times. “Do not be late, Icarus. Repeat it back. Do not be late.”

He rolled his eyes, hands up in defeat, “I won’t be late, Father Maren.”

He was absolutely going to be late. 

***

When he showed up promptly at half past, Maren was ready for him. She said nothing of it and hoisted her bag over her shoulder. He trailed after her through the hissing, steaming station disappointed by her lack of disappointment. When he glanced at the ticket she gave him, he made a noise.

“You tricky bastard. Eight. Not seven,” he brandished the ticket in the air and laughed. “You’ve known me too long, my friend.”

He could have sworn he saw a smile on her impassive face, but he knew better than to draw attention to it. He kept his coat wrapped and his scarf tight, the flash of his white collar hidden underneath the dark red wool. Maren stood like a statue beside him, her dark hair barely affected by the morning breeze. They waited on the brass and tile platform in silence, watching the trains pulled in and out along flickering copper wires overhead. Amber light from ornate gaslamps wavered uneasily in the receding dark. 

He eyed the ticker above the platform and watched the letters flutter and change. Their train drew in with a sigh--a testament to industrial engineering at its finest. Rich red and gold paints along its body, an interior of plush rose velvet in the second class car, and glorious heat that gallantly kept the Ireland cold at bay. 

Icarus settled into his seat and shed his coat down to his black clerical shirt and collar, relishing the warmth in the air when he hung it on the communal hook. Maren did the same, but with far less flourish. They settled in companionable silence and waited until the train jerked away from the platform before she spoke. 

“What do you suppose it means, that Reed is asking this and not the Church?” She mused, hand-sharpened pencil scratching away at a leatherbound journal full of secrets and sketches he had never concerned himself with knowing. 

He shrugged and stretched out long, arms folded, “No idea, but I’m looking forward to the double fee.”

His hand slipped into his pocket and he drew out a silver flask. Maren made a disapproving sound when he shook it at her in offering. He uncapped it and drained enough to make the passage of time more bearable. Then a bit more to make it nonexistent. 

Hello my Bindery Babes! I know it's only been a few weeks since we voted on what to read for August, but I want to give our library Sapph-Litties extra time to reserve our September read if need be.

I usually have Sapph-Lit picks planned out at least three months in advance, but I feel like time has been flying and it's been hard to keep up this summer especially! This is me setting the intention to plan better as we go into our last four reads of 2026, all of which are FICTION.

As always, I've compiled a longlist of books I'm seeing all over social and on bookstore shelves as of late. Scroll through the covers to see what stands out to you and click into them to learn more about them. These are titles that are exciting to me and I want to introduce you to!

If there is anything in here that speaks to you, shout it out in the comments, and even better, if there's a title you don't see please share that too!

Have a WONDERFUL weekend my Sapph-Litties -- love you all so much and thank you for being here! Let's end this summer with a BANGER of a read xoxo Nina