Witch of the Wolves by Kaylee Archer

Witch of the Wolves by Kaylee Archer -- 352 pages

Cordelia Levine comes from a long line of powerful witches. She's been flying under the radar in the human world, focused on strengthening her magic. She loves working at her aunt's apothecary in London, secretly serving supernaturals. Until the truth about her family is revealed.

She always assumed her enhanced sense of smell came from her French perfumer father. But when Bishop Daniels abducts Cordelia at the request of her father, the Alpha, Cordelia learns she's a lycan--sharing both witch and werewolf traits. She's brought to Trevelyan, the pack estate, under the guise of protection from foreign threats who want to use her to continue their bloodline. She quickly learns that to keep her from being sold off to another pack, her father intends to give Cordelia as a mate to Bishop. His second in command and the future Alpha.

Cordelia refuses to accept this as her fate. She can't rely on her magic alone to escape and when she learns Bishop plans to challenge her father's power, she reluctantly begins to trust him. The cracks within the Pack become evident and something is bound to break. And Cordelia and her growing desire for the man who shouldn't set her on fire are right at the center of it all.

Lilith, Vol. 1 by Corin Howell

Lilith, Vol. 1 by Corin Howell

Lilith #1-5, 128 pages

⭐⭐⭐.5/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

So hot, she sizzles!

Lilith is an immortal who's been banished from her home, a dimensional plane suspiciously similar to mankind's idea of Hell. She's been posing as a model on Earth while secretly preying on humans... that is, until she runs into Penelope, a sweet bookstore owner with a tome that might hold the secret to returning Lilith to her dimension. If the mismatched pair doesn't end up falling in love first!

Along with her oversized, 3-eyed monster cat Gordy — who also possesses a huge appetite, eating up all of mommy’s leftovers — Lilith has a hell of a time trying to figure out fashion, friendship, family, and feelings on the long road to get back home. But home may not be the same as it used to be.

Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker

Raptor Red by Robert T. Bakker, 246 pages

From the MARC: "The life of a dinosaur in the prehistoric swamps of Utah. When her mate is killed on a hunting expedition she teams up with her sister, a mother of three, and the novels follows their struggle to eat and survive in a dangerous world."

This book is written from Raptor Red's perspective, and Bakker did a solid job of making it feel realistic and not too anthropomorphic. Raptor Red's world is harsh and unyielding, feeling all at once familiar and alien. Which of course it is, given how much our planet has changed between epochs. Very interesting book, would recommend if you're looking for something a little different. 

 

The Boy Wonder by Juni Ba

The Boy Wonder by Juni Ba

The Boy Wonder (2024) #1-5, 184 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

The young prince Damian Wayne was raised to be the heir to the fearsome League of Assassins--to follow in the footsteps of his deadly mother, Talia, and the Demon's Head himself, his grandfather Ra's al Ghul. But everything changed when his father, the Batman, reclaimed him and brought him back to Gotham City.

As Robin, young Damian suddenly discovered he was merely one of a number of princes, preceded in the role by his brothers Nightwing, Red Hood, and Red Robin...and Damian doesn't care to be merely anything.

But when his father is forced to leave the city on urgent business, and a rash of abductions is accompanied by whispers of a demon stalking Gotham's dark alleys, Damian will find himself battling alongside his adoptive brothers--and in the process, learning what the mantle of Robin really means!

Absolute Batman Vol. 3: Devil's Workshop by Scott Snyder, et al.

 Absolute Batman Vol. 3: Devil's Workshop by Scott Snyder, et al.-208 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta's Absolute Batman continues to gain momentum, as The Joker, Poison Ivy, and the Court of Owls join the New York Times bestselling series!

Batman won his explosive battle with Bane, but his friends will never be the same—and he might not be able to help them, even if he crosses worlds and enlists the help of a god to do it.

Meanwhile, another of Ark M's residents will be unleashed on Gotham. And the biggest question of all still remains…what is the true identity of the man behind everything? Legendary artist Jock reunites with writer Scott Snyder to tell one version of the story Alfred’s been chasing for years, and a one-shot explores the origins of Ark M!

Volume 3 collects the Absolute Batman 2025 Annual, Absolute Batman: Ark M, and Absolute Batman #15-18.

Thoughts: This was a good read. I continue to enjoy reading this series (and all the "Absolute" DC series so far). An alternate Poison Ivy is introduced in this volume and Wonder Woman makes an appearance. The ultimate villain/supervillain is Jack Grimm, though, and that's who Batman is ultimately after. I look forward to the next volume. 

Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo! by Adam Cesare

 Clown in a Cornfield 4: Lights! Camera! Frendo! by Adam Cesare-384 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Let the killing continue in Lights! Camera! Frendo! It’s the fourth installment of Adam Cesare’s Bram Stoker Award-winning series, and this time Frendo goes Hollywood – with all the blood, guts, and mayhem you’d expect from the series that spawned the blockbuster motion picture.

Sabrina Alvarez is pretty much a nobody—until she lands the starring role in the big budget film based on the Kettle Springs Massacre. Sabrina knows she should be on top of the world. She’s going to be THE Quinn Maybrook, Final Girl of Final Girls, national hero and certified badass. But as soon as Sabrina gets to Kettle Springs, she just can’t quite shake the feeling that something’s off. A spate of deaths, an out-of-control director, a town decimated by loss and divided by anger, and a movie designed to glorify it all. Something bad is brewing, and this time, it’s all on film.

A meditation on the villains inside us all, it’s the latest installment of Adam Cesare’s Bram Stoker Award-winning series, Clown in a Cornfield.

Thoughts: This was a pretty good read. I've liked all of them in the series so far (although the third one has been my least favorite). It took a little bit for this to pick up, but when it did the action was heart-pounding. I liked the central idea (a book about making a movie of the first book) of this book, also. This might be my favorite series of horror books. There may be a fifth one coming at some point and I would welcome that, especially if a certain character returns. 

Pig Wife by Abbey Luck

Pig Wife by Abbey Luck

540 pages

⭐⭐⭐/5

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Mary had a bad feeling even before they arrived at dead Aunt Pearl’s house. Dragged to a remote mining town so her mom and stepdad can settle Pearl’s estate, Mary can't wait to escape from her wreck of a family—but she’s stuck with them in the middle of nowhere. After a vicious fight, Mary runs off to hide in an abandoned gold mine. Her escape plan backfires when she realizes she’s trapped inside. Even more terrifying… she’s not alone.