To Burn in Rapture Review(Posted to Goodreads on May 31, 2025)

To Burn in Rapture by R.A. Raine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was pretty good in my opinion. While it was shorter than I expected, I still devoured this book lol. I loved how straight to the point the story was without losing its plot, especially with the time jumps. And even though Sabine did some pretty unsavory things to keep seeing Janus, they seem really good together. It was nice that they ended up staying together though despite that Janus didn’t try more to convince Sabine to stop killing people before then(which I get that it had become a part of how she was in the mortal realms since Janus was keeping his distance and such, but still, it kinda felt like it didn’t truly get resolved).

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Toradora! Manga, Vol. 1 Review(Posted to Goodreads on May 31, 2025)

Toradora! Manga, Vol. 1 by Yuyuko Takemiya
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had heard about this series from a friend and had watched the anime first after getting this volume. While I liked that this was an easy read for me, I don’t otherwise have too much to say about this volume(or even the series in general) since I avoided reading it for a bit. I liked this volume enough to try to read the next volume, if I decide to get it.

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Bride of Brutal Hearts Review(Posted to Goodreads on 5/26/25)

Bride of Brutal Hearts by Kate Stevens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I rarely read books with vampires, but I really enjoyed this one. It may have taken a bit for me to get through this book, but I thought it was good either way. I loved Nessa's boldness and Jules and Luc being sassy back to her. It was interesting seeing how Luc and Jules weren't entirely harmful, despite what Nessa had heard about vampires. And overall, their dynamic throughout the book was interesting to me.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

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TGGBC June Pick

 The votes are all in! The June pick for The Galactic Grimoire is The Games Gods Play!

Mystical Enchantment ARC

What's up guys? It's that time where I'm posting about another ARC I have the honor of reading. This one is called Mystical Enchantment. It's a shifter fantasy book written by Sloane Noir. I'm excited as hell to read it!

Anyway below are a couple of graphics with some more info about the book.

If it sounds interesting to you, then I hope you decide to buy it when it releases!

Booktube Updates

 Hi guys! Just an update about my booktube.

So I haven't gotten to record anything just yet since I've been trying to read multiple books at once and I'm honestly partially scared to post anything lol. I'm going to at least start working on an intro video soon to post, but otherwise, I unfortunately don't have much else to update about for the channel. Hopefully I'll have a better update next Tuesday.

Anyway, I hope y'all are doing good! I'll still be posting here and everything so if anyone needs me, you can reach me through discord through HauntedJellyCustard.

Indie Author Spotlight: Missy Castillo

Quick note before continuing onto the author spotlight: the idea of the author profile layout goes to the founder of the Dark Desires Book Club, Maddy/madc0ow22!

Author Name: Missy S Castillo
Tome Username: MissySCastillo
Website: www.missyscastillowrites.com
Upcoming Book Title: Kneel in the Ashes

1. Using only emojis summarize your book!🔥🔥🫦💃🧎🌶️💥🗡️🗡️🗡️
2. Why did you decide on Kneel in the Ashes as being your title?, Kneel in the Ashes is Book Two in the Savage Hearts Series, and it picks up right where Bound in Flames left off. After Cleo unleashes her shaman magic and rage on the battlefield, quite literally setting everything on fire! So the title reflects that moment of aftermath, standing in the ruins of what was, and deciding what to become next. But it's also a bit of a play on words. Our new FMC, Rowan, has escaped the Church of the Silver Hand and the rule of the Ostelan Crown, and she has no intention of every kneeling to royalty or anyone else again. This is a story about reclaiming power, rewriting the rules, and resisting control, whether it's from a throne or a prophecy. Let's just say... in this book, Rowan isn't the one doing the kneeling. And Kaldor doesn't mind one bit!
3. Can you tell me a secret about Kneel in the Ashes that no one else knows? Just between us girls, I have a few for you! Kneel in the Ashes is where things start getting deliciously tanged. While it might look like Rowan and Kaldor's story, this book is laying the groundwork for the chaos that's coming through the rest of the series. You'll also meet the MMC from Book 3. Book 4 is going to be MMF - and that FMC makes her first appearance in Kneel in the Ashes as well. Who are those delicious MMCs? You actually met them in Bound in Flames. They've been right under your nose, just waiting for their moment. The world is getting bigger. The politics are getting messier. And let's just say no one's walking away clean by the end of this series. So if you've paying attention... you might just spot the trouble before it explodes!
4. Do you remember the exact moment that you knew you wanted to write this story? Yes and no. I've been in love with fantasy since I was a teenager devouring Tamora Pierce novels. i always knew I wanted to write stories with strong, complicated women at the center. The kind of story I wanted to tell shifted as I got older. Eventually I found myself deep in dark fantasy and paranormal romance (Thank you Katee Robert!), but I also knew I wanted to write something more than spicy romance. I craved worldbuilding. Politics. Power struggles. Emotional fallout. I wanted to create something that felt real, where the romance was only a piece of a much bigger, messier puzzle. Honestly, I was tired of the perfect, barely-legal heroines who have all the answers and no trauma. My main characters are in their mid 20s and older. They're scarred, complicated, emotional, angry, and soft in ways they rarely admit. They come in different body shapes and sizes. They don't always do the right thing. And that is exactly the point. I wanted readers to see themselves in these women and feel seen in return. So no, I can't name the exact moment the story was born. But I remember the moment I realized I didn't just want to write a love story. i wanted to build a world full of rebellion, heartbreak, found family, and fierce, imperfect women trying to set everything on fire to building something better in the ashes.
5. How did you know that you wanted to write this genre? I struggled as I never felt that I fit nearly into a genre mold. When people ask what I write, I usually say dark fantasy paranormal romance (monster if I know they are one of us). What I did know was that I wanted to write stories that hit emotionally. I wanted rage, grief and healing. I wanted messy heroines and magic systems tied to trauma. I wanted readers to fall in love with the world and the characters, and if they also happen to fall in love with a morally gray orc along the way, that's just a bonus At the end of the day, I write for people like me who want a little darkness with their desire, a little blood with their magic.
6. Anything else we should know about you and your author journey? Once upon a time I was a ghostwriter. I wrote several books for a popular closed door paranormal romance series - one people still mention, telling me how much they think I would love it. Every time I have to smile and say "Yep, read that series" when silently I am screaming "I KNOW IT BECAUSE I WROTE IT!!!" Damn NDAs... But that experience taught me a lot. Ghostwriting gave me the blessing of learning how to go big, high stakes and emotionally loaded plotting that's been essential in building the world of Ostelan. I'm also a complete nerd about character development. I use Enneagram personality types to map out my characters so they feel like real people. Each one has distinct vocabulary patterns, icks, fears, and flaws that shape how they show up on the page. I have spreadsheets, character sheets, and mood boards that would probably terrify people! Now that I'm finally writing the stories I wanted to tell, with my name on the cover, I couldn't be more excited for the journey

Whispers of the Deep Review(Posted to Goodreads on 5/21/25)

 

Whispers of the Deep by Emma Hamm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Whispers of the Deep Review

Omg omg omg, this book was amazing! I read this as an unofficial pick for a book club and I don’t regret it at all. I’ve been wanting to read more monster romances and this one was a really interesting one in my opinion. There were characters I liked, like Arges and Maketes, but there were ones who I think have yet to redeem themselves, like Daios. Either way, they are all characters I’m excited to read more about whenever I’m able to get the next book!

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I Have a BookTube Channel!

Hey guys! I just wanted to let y'all know that I have a Book YouTube Channel!

I haven't gotten to post any videos on it yet since I have never tried making that kind of book content before, but I'm excited to start posting on it. I'll hopefully start posting in June or July and check in every Tuesday for any updates. For now though, I'll be mainly blogging and maybe figuring out a good schedule for posting book content on social media. Hopefully this year is the start of my book content creator era lol.

Here's my channel btw for those that would like to be my first subscribers: https://www.youtube.com/@HauntedJellyCustard

Indie Author Spotlight: Karla Molina

Quick note before continuing onto the author spotlight: the idea of the author profile layout goes to the founder of the Dark Desires Book Club, Maddy/madc0ow22!

Author name: Karla Molina
Tome user name: Hunterwritesbk
website (if you have one): www.veilofembers.com
Upcoming book title: Veil of Embers

1. Using only emojis summarize your book! 🏹 🗡️🧌🐺☀️🌫️🪾🌲🪾❤️‍🩹😭😶‍🌫️💀👄💗
2. Why did you decide on “Veil of Embers” as being your title? It took a while to come up with it. I changed the title at least three times. Embers was important because of the touch of fire and the heritage that is associated with it,
3. Can you tell me a secret about Veil of Embers that no one else knows? A secret would be that my FMC Riona was based on my experiences and upbringing. She was easier to write because she is a part of me.,My kids helped me craft the wolf of the hunt scene in my book- and everyone’s favorite character cat was actually because my oldest son said my main character needed a pet of some kind. And when I searched into the lore about animals cait sith was the perfect fit for a cat and evolved from there
4. Do you remember the exact moment that you knew you wanted to write this story? I knew I wanted to a long time ago. My mother growing up had a fascination/ obsession with Samhain, Druids, Irish lore, ghosts and Halloween. She would always express this dissatisfaction with a series that exclusively dove into her Irish roots, and so I wanted to create a story that she could read and fall in love with hopefully.
5. How did you know that you wanted to write this genre? I didn’t know I wanted to write a specific genre exactly but I love fantasy and I am obsessed with the way with the more darker aspects of it and it just came very natural naturally.
6. Anything else we should know about you and your author journey? Anything to know about me…. I am a lover of words and books. One of my first tattoos was a quill pen and ink with the words “once upon a time” across my shoulder and euphoria on my hip. I got those when I was 20 years old (14 years ago now) I also used to be an early childhood teacher, nanny and now a mom. I love poetry and I always knew I wanted to write

The Games Gods Play Spoiler-Filled Review(Posted to Goodreads on May 15, 2025)

The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Why tf do the last 100 or so pages of a book have to be so heart wrenching?!😩 Like I knew this book would be left on a cliffhanger(which I somewhat spoiled myself for it, but I still read on since I didn't have all of the context), but goddamn it was interesting in the worst way possible. And out of anything that I was expecting to happen, it for sure wasn't what happened to Lyra. Like I had a feeling she was gonna win and everything(cause that's of course some main character shit), but for her to end up in tartarus was wilddd. And it honestly made Rima's prophecy make so much sense, cause like I was honestly thinking that Hades was gonna turn out to be a horrible guy and go on a whole ass rampage. Still, the fact that he's probably gonna go on a rampage because of Lyra ending up where she isn't supposed to was something I wasn't really expecting.

Anyway, I actually really loved this book lmao. It had the right amount of romance and action, in my opinion, and I wouldn't want to change a single thing about it. Once the next book is out, I for sure am going to get it and read it. I really want to see what happens with Lyra, Hades, and the others!

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Sin Eater Review(Posted to Goodreads on May 12, 2025)

Sin Eater: An Arcadia Sinners Novel by Talle Fey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have no idea if there will be more, but I hope there is, cause I would so want to see more of Roselin and Ryu. And if I had a nickel for every time a guy in a piece of fiction media named Gale had killed someone close to the FMC, I'd have 2 nickels. It isn't a lot, but I'm honestly kinda concerned that it's happened twice lmao. Anyway, I absolutely loved this book! The characters were likeable(mostly... I'm looking at you Gale lol) and I was sucked into the story from the start. If I'm being completely honest, I wasn't entirely sure where the story was going to go, but it was certainly an interesting time throughout the whole thing.

The only negative thing I have to say, though, is that the smut seemed to get a bit repetitive... Now I'm all for smut, but it felt like the plot was being a bit overshadowed by the smut for a good portion of the book(even though there was some fade to black). However, this doesn't change my overall opinion about this book at all. I feel like there was still enough plot to keep me hooked, and I'm honored to have been able to read this as an ARC tbh.

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TGGBC Unofficial May Pick

Here's some info on our unofficial May pick!

The Galactic Grimoire Book Club

Hey guys so I have a book club called The Galactic Grimoire! And anyone can join!

We will mainly read fantasy, horror, and sci-fi books, but other genres are welcome! This club will mainly be held on discord, but if enough members are willing, we can have a fable club for the spoiler free chats and the like. We will officially start in June, but there is an unofficial pick for May, which is A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft.

If you would like to officially be a part of The Galactic Grimoire book club, all you have to do is fill out this form: https://forms.gle/8wwZ91P9qDn3XhaU7

If you want to just chill, you can still join the server either way through this invite: https://discord.gg/TgkhYR6F95

I hope to see you there!

Betrayals of the Broken ARC

Heyy, here's another book I have the honor of ARC reading! It's called Betrayals of the Broken and it's written by Jamie L. Tlax. This is a dark fantasy/dark romance book with apparently a whole page of content warnings. It will be debuting in August 2025 and I'm really excited to read it and then, when I'm able to, I'll share my thoughts! Now I know it will be a while before I post anything more about this book, but I will be posting plenty about the ARC's I'll be reading this year in the meantime.

Anyway below are a couple of graphics with some more info about the book.

If it sounds interesting to you, then I hope you decide to buy it when it releases!

The Knowing Witch ARC

I haven't gotten to post about this here yet since it wasn't too long ago that I had started this blog, but I've actually been getting into ARC reading recently! I'm absolutely honored to have been able to ARC read a couple of books already(that I have already posted my Goodreads reviews for on here) and will be ARC reading The Knowing Witch by M.M. Parks, among others! I may have only been an ARC reader for almost a month now, but it has honestly been amazing being able to support authors in a way I never knew about or had gotten the chance to do before.

Anyway, the actual point of this post is about The Knowing Witch by M.M. Parks. This is a fantasy book based on Greek mythology. It comes out on June 20, 2025 and I'm really excited to read it and then, when I'm able to, I'll share my thoughts!

Below are a couple of graphics with some more info about the book.

If it sounds interesting to you, then I hope you decide to buy it when it releases!

Hard as Cake Review(Posted to Goodreads on May 4, 2025)

 

Hard As Cake: A Spice-Filled Romantasy with Primal Monsters and Forbidden Love by Deiri Di
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In all honesty, I was not entirely sure how long this book was gonna be, but I loved it either way! I'm always down to read some monster romance so when I saw this book, I knew it would be good to some degree. So while I may not have read the series that this is a companion to, I was pleasantly surprised that this book was a pretty easy read without spoiling that series. And now I want to read more monster romances. Can't wait to read more!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

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Those Who Devour Review(Posted to Goodreads on April 30, 2025)

 

Those Who Devour by Michael Stone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought it was interesting that this book is comprised of short stories. Even though I'm so used to reading books that have one entire storyline, I still ended up being invested from the start. This is also the first of Michael Stone's works I've read, and I liked every bit of it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

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Long Live The Villains Review(Posted on Goodreads on April 15, 2025)

 

Long Live the Villains by Serena Knights
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't know where to start... This book was certainly a rollercoaster of emotions, but I honestly loved every bit of it. I was hooked from the beginning and immediately loved the main cast of characters, even if there was at least one character that I felt had seemed off-putting at first lol. And this being the first book I've read by this author, I honestly can't wait to read more of their works!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

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An Intro of Sorts

Hey y'all, I'm Artemis(or HauntedJellyCustard)! I'm a non-binary wannabe YouTuber/streamer from California with a love for reading, gaming, and watching anime. I also use they/them pronouns! I read a lot of fantasy, horror, and some sci-fi books, but I'm down to read other genres. A couple of my favorite books being Scythe by Neal Shusterman and Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. I also play an insane amount of Minecraft, Stardew Valley, and Slime Rancher, even though I have a bunch of other games to choose from lol. A couple of my all-time favorite games though are Slime Rancher and Bioshock.

Anyway, the point of this blog will be for me to start posting book reviews and other book related things. I'll probably post reviews I have already posted elsewhere and go from there, but for now this intro will be all I post😅. I'm excited either way though since I've started getting into ARC reading so I'll hopefully be posting reviews for ARCs I get/have gotten. I'm also hoping to get better at having more in depth reviews as well so that'll be fun lol.