Nine Goblins Publisher: Titan Books Pub Date: 20 January 2026 Genre: Cosy Fantasy
Panda Rating: (4.5 pandas)
📖SYNOPSIS
From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Nine Goblins, a tale of low fantasy and high mischief.
No one knows exactly how the Goblin War began, but folks will tell you that goblins are stinking, slinking, filthy, sheep-stealing, henhouse-raiding, obnoxious, rude, and violent. Goblins would actually agree with all this, and might throw in “cowardly” and “lazy” too for good measure.
But goblins don’t go around killing people for fun, no matter what the propaganda posters say. And when a confrontation with an evil wizard lands a troop of nine goblins deep behind enemy lines, goblin sergeant Nessilka must figure out how to keep her hapless band together and get them home in one piece.
Unfortunately, between them and safety lies a forest full of elves, trolls, monsters, and that most terrifying of creatures…a human being.
⚠️CONTENT WARNINGS
Mass murder (including animal deaths, all occurring off-page but described on-page when discovered), displacement
Must protect the goblins at all costs!!! Oh, this cosy fantasy novella was just so freaking adorable and I adored it to bits! I love Kingfisher’s books so much. She never fails to deliver a freaking good, weird and quirky time, and Nine Goblins was no different.
The author of A Vampire’s Guide to Gardening and Obsidian Queen brings you a lighthearted fantasy full of humor and romance, set in a cozy contemporary fae town. Welcome to Moss Hollow.
There are three things you need to know about my great aunt—she’s eccentric, she’s rich, and she’s dead. No, make that four things. She also named me as the sole beneficiary of her fortune. There are, however, a few stipulations.
1. I must move into her cottage in Moss Hollow, Vermont—a magical community that values tradition and tourists. 2. I must keep her beloved tea shop open and running for at least three years. 3. I must take care of her tiny owl, a prickly creature by the name of Rowan. He’s moody, opinionated, and he used to be a mage.
He doesn’t like me, he doesn’t like my dog, and he really doesn’t like the handsome fae councilman who starts hanging around as soon as I arrive in town.
But for a small fortune, Rowan and I are going to learn to coexist long enough for me to figure out how to turn him back into his normal self with my “cute and worthless” pixie magic—preferably before he ruins my dating life or drives me insane.
Owls, Tea Shops, and Other Magical Nuisances is a rom-com style contemporary fantasy. The perfect lighthearted escape, this story is sure to delight readers who enjoy cozy magic and humor.
The books in this series feature smoldering-but-sweet, closed-door romance. (Passionate kisses and some innuendo, but no spicy scenes.)
⚠️CONTENT WARNINGS
Death of a loved one (off-page, recounted)
TL;DR: This was really cute and cosy — perfect for those who want a funny, low-angst, charming, and whimsical fantasy read with a touch of romance! I can’t say that I was a big fan of the main love interest, but it’s clear that we’re veering into some kind of love-triangle territory here and to be honest, I’m not totally here for it because I know who I want the FMC to choose. 🤣 This has great small-town vibes, even though I wished that we got to explore the history a bit more. Hopefully, we’ll get that as the series continues and Kit settles in. Overall though, this was a quick and easy read, plus I really enjoyed the audiobook!
Wild Dark Shore Publisher: Flatiron Books Pub Date: 4 March 2025 Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Mystery/Climate Fiction
Panda Rating: (4.75 pandas)
📖SYNOPSIS
A family on a remote island. A mysterious woman washed ashore. A storm gathering force.
Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny weather-lashed island that is home to the world’s largest seed bank. As Shearwater risks being lost to rising sea levels, the island’s researchers have fled, and only the Salts remain.
Until, during the worst storm in living memory, a stranger washes ashore. The family nurse the woman, Rowan, back to strength, but it seems she isn’t telling the whole truth about why she’s there. And when Rowan stumbles upon sabotaged radios and a recently dug grave, she realises that she’s not the only one on the island with a secret.
A novel of breathtaking twists, dizzying beauty and ferocious love, Wild Dark Shore is about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love.
⚠️CONTENT WARNINGS
Blood, detailed description of wounds, adult/minor relationship, infidelity, deaths of loved ones (spouse, partner, sibling), suicide (on page, recounted), suicide ideation, grief, drowning (of a child, recounted), severe climate anxiety, wildfire (recounted), attempted murder, imprisonment, physical abuse, grooming
TL;DR: This book took me completely by surprise. Although it has a relatively ‘violent’ beginning, it is aslow burn.There are so many secrets and somewhat poor communication (or just choosing not to communicate really), but let me say the payoff was worth the journey. I found this to be such a beautiful character driven story that is about so many things—parenthood, motherhood, coming-of-age, love, climate change, a bone deep appreciation of mother nature, biodiversity, and the planet we inhabit. There are definitely parts where you have to suspend your disbelief, but I was fully into it and found that those parts didn’t bother me at all. If you’re willing to be patient and allow yourself to sink into the bones of this story, I really wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.
Hi friends, I’m excited to be back with a blog tour review today! I’m here to share my thoughts (and a few favourite quotes) as part of the blog tour hosted by Toppling Stacks Tours for The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue by Zoulfa Katouh.
Thanks to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
Click the banner above or here to check out the other incredible bloggers on the blog tour!
The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers Publication Date: 2 June 2026 Genre: YA Contemporary
Rating: (4.75 pandas rounded up)
📖SYNOPSIS
From the celebrated author of As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow comes a poignant novel about a Syrian American girl who uses a magical sketchbook to turn her grief into art, painting miraculous murals of her mother’s life in Syria.
Seventeen-year-old Jihad Dabbagh has always seen life with a heightened sense for colors, one of many magical blessings the women in her family possess. But Jihad’s gift changes depending on her mood. When depression sets in, the world is a colorless oasis, and in the wake of her mother’s sudden death, the world has become a permanent shade of grey.
Broken by tragedy, Jihad’s family doesn’t believe her color loss. Her father sends her to the elite Braxton Academy to finish her senior year. There, Jihad’s name and hijab put a target on her back. Her haven comes in the form of an old sketchbook carved from a tree in her hometown in Syria—a country she only knew through her mother’s stories. Jihad hasn’t picked up a brush in over a year, but finds herself channeling the colors of her hurt, pain, and grief as she paints the story of her mother’s journey in Syria.
When graffiti of that same mural starts magically popping up all over New York, her art goes viral and the world takes notice, the threat of legal consequences is imminent. To reclaim her voice, Jihad will have to paint a new future for herself and Braxton, guided by the resilience of her mother’s story.
Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Classism, Murder (mentioned briefly in recounting)
OK, honestly, I do think this is a solid 5-star read, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how I wanted certain parts of that ending to be a little bit different—and it has been nagging at me since I finished this—so I’m giving it a 4.75. 🤭 That doesn’t really make it any less of a 5-star quality read, though, and it is also one of my favourite YA contemporaries in a long time!
TL;DR: The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue enraged me. It filled me with sorrow and sadness, and maybe even a lottle bit of hatred, but it also infused me with hope. I lost track of the number of times I cried while reading this—tears of anger and frustration at injustices, tears of grief and sorrow, and also tears of joy for true and simple kindnesses that were healing. Jihad and Jamie were complex and wonderfully crafted characters and I loved the friendship that grew between them. By the end of this review, you’ll definitely be able to tell that this book made me feel MANY things. 😂 This was another stunning novel by Katouh and it has solidified her in my YA auto-buy authors list, because even if her stories always gut me, she always manages to soothe my heart by the time we reach the last page. What a gift!
Special thanks to the author and Feiwel & Friends for providing a digital ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
Behind Five Willows Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Publication Date: 26 May 2026 Genre: Young Adult Historical Romance
Panda Rating: (4 pandas)
📖SYNOPSIS
From the New York Times-bestselling author of A Crane Among Wolves comes a warm and romantic homage to Jane Austen set in historical Korea, about a reader and a writer who secretly fight against government book banning and find themselves irresistibly drawn together.
As the dutiful second-eldest daughter of a poor family, society would have Haewon believe that her only hope of a decent life is to marry well. But during a time of rampant government censorship and book banning, she instead works as an illegal book transcriber to make a little extra money. It’s dangerous work, but she loves it—especially when she gets to transcribe the work of her favorite author, known as Black Lotus.
When her older sister becomes smitten with a wealthy young gentleman, Haewon is roped into chaperoning them during their courtship. Which wouldn’t be so terrible… if it weren’t for the young man’s uptight and annoying best friend who also accompanies them.
As the only son of a noble, Seojun has a lot expected of him. Wealth. Status. Respectability. Certainly not frivolous and often illicit activities such as reading fiction. But Seojun loves to do something even more scandalous: writing. He’s kept his work secret from his father and friends, but with each passing day, the pressure of being his father’s son and the dispiriting actions of the government make Seojun question the purpose of it all. The only thing keeping him going are the encouraging letters he receives from his transcriber, known only as Magpie.
When his best friend falls hard for a girl of lower social status, Seojun finds himself forced to act as chaperone to the infatuated couple—along with the girl’s younger sister, who is as irritating as she is judgmental. But as Haewon and Seojun spend more time together, they begin to suspect they may have judged each other too quickly…
⚠️CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS
Classism, sexism, misogyny, past death of a family member (recounted briefly), past attempted murder of a family member (recounted briefly), censorship, mild violence
TL;DR:I’ve been looking forward to reading this book ever since it first came on my radar. A Pride & Prejudice remix set in Joseon era Korea featuring characters with a passion for fiction and a forbidden romance? I loved the sound of it and I’m happy to say that I enjoyed this so much! Hur excels at weaving the historical Korean context into a story that most are familiar with, and still makes it her own by introducing elements of intrigue and rebellion. Haewon and Seojun were great characters full of passion and longing, and though I wished their romance and arcs had been a bit more developed, I still loved both of them. I especially loved the yearning and by the end, I did get weepy. 🥹 Overall, this was a really great historical and romantic YA, and a pretty fun read for those who enjoy Pride & Prejudice with a twist! I would definitely recommend it.
Hi friends, I’m excited to be back with a blog tour review today! I’m here to share my thoughts (and a few favourite quotes) as part of the blog tour hosted by Toppling Stacks Tours for You’re Dead to Me, Reed Walker by Gwenyth Reitz.
Thanks to Roaring Book Press for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
Click the banner above or here to check out the other incredible bloggers on the blog tour!
You’re Dead to Me, Reed Walker Publisher: Roaring Brook Press Publication Date: 12 May 2026 Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Rating: (4 pandas)
📖SYNOPSIS
A swoonworthy YA supernatural romcom where two academic rivals are trapped as ghosts to haunt the same house.
They’d kill each other… if they weren’t already dead.
Tessa Sinclair is a winner. Winner of spelling bees, science fairs, and scholarships. So when she finds herself unexpectedly dead after a graduation party in an abandoned mansion, she’s none too pleased. What’s worse, her academic rival—the Harvard-bound, Mr. Perfect Reed Walker—is there too, deceased, smug, and annoying as hell.
Being a ghost is hard enough, but it’s a thousand times worse having to haunt the same house with your nemesis. But as Tessa and Reed retreat to R.I.P in their respective corners of the mansion, a mystery unfurls about the exact cause of their deaths.
Though they’d rather die (again) than work together, they’ll need to find a way to overcome their differences to hunt down a murderer on the loose. And should they happen to fall for each other along the way… who ever said you can’t find love after death?
Murders (described in semi-graphic detail), child death, underage drinking and intoxication, stalking, abusive and toxic relationship and ex-partner, panic attacks
TL;DR: You’re Dead to Me, Reed Walker was a surprising YA supernatural romcom debut. It’s a really easy read to slip into and I found myself having a great time following Tessa and Reed—I’m so glad we got both of their POVs in this because it really served to allow us to get to know the characters so much better. Of the two, I admit that Reed was my favourite, but I did enjoy their banter, their playfulness, their chemistry, and also, the mysterious turns this story takes. It is much darker and heavier than I anticipated, but as someone who loves what the turns entailed, it made me enjoy the storyline even more! That said, as it does confront some difficult topics, please read with care and view the content warnings beforehand. Overall, an exciting YA debut and I’m looking forward to seeing what the author puts out next.
From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes a dark retelling of the Brothers Grimm’s Goose Girl, rife with secrets, murder, and forbidden magic. Perfect for fans of Naomi Novic, Alix E. Harrow and Nettle & Bone.
Cordelia knows her mother is unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms―there are no secrets in this house!―Cordelia isn’t allowed to have a single friend. Unless you count Falada, her mother’s beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him.
But more than a few quirks set her mother apart. Other parents can’t force their daughters to be silent and motionless―obedient―for hours or days on end. Other mothers aren’t… sorcerers.
⚠️CONTENT WARNINGS
Ableism, physical & emotional child abuse, parental mariticide recounted, murder, infidelity, loss of autonomy (possession) including forced self-harm, murder & suicide, animal attack (horse), animal death & harm (horse, geese)
TL;DR: I don’t know why I was so pleasantly surprised by this, but I was and I’m so glad that I read it! Kingfisher has definitely won her way into my auto-buy author list by this point. I love her writing and the way she balances the dark and hopeful moments, and still manages to work in witty banter between the horrifying without diminishing or cheapening the seriousness of such events. Cordelia and Hester were fantastic characters who I had no trouble rooting for—I loved the found family in this so much! I will say that if you’re interested in an unlikely band of protagonists (who are older!), good overcoming evil, fantastic found family, and delightful banter amidst darker moments, I would highly recommend checking it out!
Hi friends, I’m excited to be back for another blog tour today and this time it’s for an upcoming graphic novel memoir! I’m here to share my thoughts as part of the blog tour hosted by Toppling Stacks Tours for Until We Meet Again by Lily Kim Qian.
Thanks to First Second Books for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
Click the banner above or here to check out the other incredible bloggers on the blog tour!
Until We Meet Again Publisher: First Second Books Publication Date: 21 April 2026 Genre: Memoir Rep: Chinese, AAPI, Depression
📖SYNOPSIS
A poignant and vividly illustrated graphic memoir about a young woman’s search for belonging as her immigrant family moves between Canada and China.
Lily isn’t sure where home is anymore. Her family is constantly on the move, resettling in different towns across Canada and, eventually, in Shanghai, China. Her father plays the role of primary caregiver while her mother is absent for long periods of time. When she reappears, her strange behavior turns Lily’s life upside down. As Lily enters her college years, she strives to better understand her family and her place in the world. But can she escape the inherited trauma passed down by her immigrant parents?
Until We Meet Again is a heartfelt and introspective memoir. The author reflects on her childhood moving from state to state, coming-of-age in a place that should feel like home but doesn’t quite, and dealing with a parent who struggles with mental health. The way the story is written feels almost cathartic to the author. I don’t know if that’s the right way to put it, but there was so much vulnerability reflected on the pages, and recounting what she’s been through felt like a release, or at the very least another way to process her experiences. I don’t know if this was written with younger audiences in mind either, but I think it would be suitable, as the author touches on heavier topics without diving too deeply.
It was heartbreaking to read about her relationship with her mother, but I loved the depiction of a fairly healthy relationship between father and daughter. What I especially appreciated was how the author drew attention to the stigma of mental health in Asian culture—something which is still prevalent today, especially with older generations. A lot of what she said about it rang true to my own experiences—you push it aside so you pretend it doesn’t exist and that the person who has mental health issues, in a way, doesn’t exist beyond someone to pity or politely ignore. It was sad, but thankfully, it seems that those who most needed help in her story got it in the end and to this day are doing much better for it.
The reason this piqued my interest because I too am a child of frequent moves and I always seek out stories about people who have experienced something similar, if not had a mirror experience to my own. I wished that she had delved deeper into her experience of the diaspora child returning to her “home country”. There were a few things about language and expectations from the people are you (based on how you present, your name, etc.) that did ring true to my own experience, but I think it would’ve been nice to get a deeper reflection on how that changed her perspective about her upbringing and experiences.
Ultimately though, I did enjoy this memoir. The art style was vivid and rich in colour and expression. The combination of colour and illustration created stunning and visceral imagery, and I think did a great job of emphasizing the turmoil she experienced in her childhood, and other experiences growing up. You could feel the confusion, fear, and frustration, but also the quiet, peaceful and healing moments in the author’s journey.
Hi friends, I’m excited to be back for another blog tour today and this time it’s for an adorable new graphic novel! I’m here to share my thoughts as part of the blog tour hosted by Toppling Stacks Tours for Forgive-Me-Not by Mari Costa.
Thanks to First Second Books for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
Click the banner above or here to check out the other incredible bloggers on the blog tour!
Forgive-Me-Not Publisher: First Second Books Publication Date: 14 April 2026 Genre: Young Adult Fantasy Rep: LGBTQIA+, Queer
Rating: (4.5 pandas)
📖SYNOPSIS
A queer “enemies to lovers” journey of a lost princess and a changeling who was made to take the heir’s place as part of a fey scheme.
Aisling is many things to many people: princess, heir to the throne, teenage daughter of two loving parents… She’s also about to learn a lot more about herself: changeling. Fey creature. Hunted. Feared. Loved?
Forgive-Me-Not is the name given to the true princess — the lost teenage biological daughter to the king and queen, who’s grown up in the chaotic and untrustworthy realm of Faerie. When Forgive-Me-Not breaks into Aisling’s room the night before their 18 th birthday looking for revenge, the two embark on a long and arduous journey. And what starts as a confrontational and adversarial pairing grows into a bond of mutual understanding, friendship, and maybe something more…
TL;DR: Oh my, what an adorable feel-great graphic novel! This had the cheesiest ending but it still had me giggling and feeling a buoyant giddiness that left a big smile on my face long after I’d finished reading. This is a timeless fairytale where princess meets knight and they fall in love, but with a changeling twist and a sapphic bent that I loved.
The artwork was fantastic and complemented the story really well. I loved the contrast between the brighter spring palette human world and the darker autumnal palette of the faerie world. I think this contrast was also reflected well in the personalities between Aisling and Not. I loved the art style so much, with clean lines, intense colours, and very emotive character expressions and actions! There were some chibi-adjacent illustrations that I found adorable, and I particularly loved how the expressions in those scenes were conveyed too.
Hi friends, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve done a tour (not since September 2025!), so I’m excited to be back with a blog tour review today! I’m here to share my thoughts (and a few favourite quotes) as part of the blog tour hosted by Toppling Stacks Tours for The Wicked Sea by Jordan Stephanie Gray.
Thanks to Requited for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
Click the banner above or here to check out the other incredible bloggers on the blog tour!
The Wicked Sea (The Wicked Sea #1) Publisher: Requited Publication Date: 7 April 2026 Genre: New Adult Fantasy Romance Rep: LGBTQIA+, Pansexual
Rating: (3.5 pandas)
📖SYNOPSIS
In this dark and sultry romantasy a mermaid battles hatred—and lust—for the wretched warlock who saved her life.
Mermaid Zephyra of the Syl dreams of freedom. On the run from a dangerous captor and years of abuse, she’s shed her tail, grown legs, and hidden herself on land in the merrow-loathing kingdom of Mortia, left to steal and barter on the dirty streets. But her freedom is short-lived when she’s caught and sentenced to death by the brutal warlock, Arion Stone.
Arion is as beautiful as he is cold and deadly, only interested in punishing the merrow he views as evil. He has grown as strong as any warlock might, but at great personal cost…which can only be remedied by the heart of the God of Death, lost to a fabled kingdom beneath the ocean’s treacherous depths.
So Arion offers Zephyra a deal she can’t refuse; help him find the mystical heart, and he’ll spare her life. With no other options, Zephyra agrees, entangling their souls and forbidden desires in a magical bargain until death do they part. But Zephyra’s past is catching up to her, and the enemy she fled seeks vengeance. If Zephyra and Arion can’t learn to fight together–and trust each other–there are worse things awaiting them than just death.
Of course, in the wicked sea, everyone has secrets, and no one should be trusted. For fans of: Enemies-to-lovers, Magic Sensual Bonds, Winged Romantic Lead, Forced Proximity
Imprisonment, graphic descriptions of torture, gore, dismemberment, blood, violence, death, and murder
TL;DR: The Wicked Sea is a fun fantasy romance featuring killer mermaids and warlocks, a steamy enemies-to-lovers romance, and a thrilling race against time across this world, trailed by powerful and deadly enemies. Don’t let this (beautiful) pastel cover fool you—this story gets dark and very gory, and covers fairly tough topics, so I would recommend checking content/trigger warnings beforehand. While there were elements I wish had been done better to deliver a stronger story, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this! If you’re a fan of Quicksilver and Phantasma, chances are you’ll like this too.
dinipandareads 