book series

Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl #1) by Matt Dinniman

~ megs14malloy ~ 2 Comments

Dungeon Crawler Carl (Dungeon Crawler Carl, #1)Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

💛❤️🖤💛❤️🖤💛❤️🖤💛❤️🖤💛

Dungeon Crawler Carl is the 1st-installment to Matt Dinniman’s epic Lit RPG series of the same name, which is currently taking the world by storm.

I picked this up for a Book Club discussion earlier this month and I’m so glad that I did. I’m absolutely obsessed with this book, have bought the next four, and cannot wait to continue on this journey with Carl and Princess Donut!

In this story, we follow Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s spoiled cat, Donut, as the world is destroyed by an alien race, and all survivors are conscripted into an intergalactically-televised reality competition show, Dungeon Crawler World

There are 18-dangerous levels in this subterranean labyrinth that Carl and Donut are going to have to navigate if they want to have any hope of survival. Trust me when I say, it’s not going to be easy.

Within the first 20-pages of this book, Dinniman had me absolutely hooked. The writing and plot are both so unique and entertaining, I never knew what to expect next. It truly kept me on my toes from start to finish.

I have heard a lot of people saying how fabulous the audiobook is, and I wish I could have had that format, but nevertheless, I found my hard copy super engaging as well.

After they enter the dungeon, Carl’s ex-girlfriend’s cat, Donut, who he was bravely rescuing from a tree at the time the action kicks off, gains the ability to talk, and she was born to entertain. You’d be hard pressed to read this and not fall in love with Donut.

Carl, as well though, is such a compelling main character. I adore him. He’s such a good human, and his whole development, everything he does and says, felt so genuine and believable to me.

It’s hard to say how you would react if put into this bizarre circumstance, but I think based on what we come of know of Carl’s training and life experiences, his reactions and ability to adjust to the nature of the dungeon makes sense.

Overall, this is an incredible start to a series. As much fun as it is, there is a lot of deeper themes and plot lines that I am anxious to explore more in future installments.

If you haven’t picked this up yet, and think it sounds at all interesting, I highly encourage you to give it a try. For me, this is sure to be one of my most memorable reads of 2025!!

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Review: Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde #3) by Heather Fawcett

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Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3)Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales is the 3rd-installment in Heather Fawcett’s Adult Cozy Fantasy series titled after the main character, Emily Wilde.

This low stakes, light romance, enchantingly-atmospheric series, follows Emily Wilde, a Cambridge University Professor, who specializes in the study of faeries. Over the course of the three books, we’ve been traveling along with her to various locations as she does research for her work.

It’s not quite as simple as all of that, but that is the basic gist, and maybe it’s enough to get you intrigued if you haven’t started this series yet.

Truth be told, Cozy Fantasy isn’t a subgenre of Fantasy I tend gravitate toward, and when I do, I haven’t had a ton of success with it. However, there’s something about this world that Fawcett has created that keeps me coming back.

Yeah, most likely it’s Emily’s dog, Shadow…

In this installment, Emily and her fiance, Wendall, are diving deep into the realm of faerie in a powerful new way. Even though the realm is full of scholarly treasures for Emily, it’s also full of dangers for them both.

Soon they find themselves battling a terrible curse on the land, and the entire realm is at risk. It’s going to take all of Emily’s knowledge to save them, but is she up to the task?

I thought this was fun, though I didn’t find it quite as engaging as the earlier installments. I think for me, I preferred the travels and dramas in real world locations versus the faerie realm.

I also feel like I may have enjoyed Emily and Wendall’s relationship earlier on, when there was more of a ‘will they, won’t they’ vibe to it, but it does only make sense for that relationship to grow and evolve. I get it, I get it.

It’s just not quite as enticing to me, personally.

Nevertheless, this is still a great read. It’s entertaining, it’s well-developed and cute, cute, cute. I would definitely recommend fans of the earlier books continue on.

Further if there is another book, which I feel like there will be, I’ll definitely be picking it up. It did make me a little sad to see Shadow getting older, as I have my own elderly large breed dog at home, but I know Fawcett is going to continue to handle his aging with care.

I love Emily, Wendall and Shadow. This series has my heart.

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Review: The Devil’s Advocate (Eddie Flynn #6) by Steve Cavanagh

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The Devil's Advocate (Eddie Flynn, #6)The Devil’s Advocate by Steve Cavanagh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up **

The Devil’s Advocate is the 6th-installment to Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series, and it’s the 3rd-book that I’ve read in the series thus far. I’m having a lot of fun. They keep me so engaged and guessing like nothing else.

This series does indeed follow Eddie Flynn, a criminal defense attorney, as well as his team, as they investigate, work and defend various cases in and around New York City. Or at least, that’s what I thought, until this case…

In this book, Eddie actually gets called away from the city in order to work a death penalty case in a small town in rural Alabama. As you can imagine, this is quite a culture shift for our city boy, Eddie.

Andy Dubois is facing death, accused of killing a young lady that he worked with at a diner. Eddie believes Andy is innocent and that he’s being railroaded by the local DA, Randal Korn, a man known for counting his death penalty convictions like notches in his belt.

From the moment they arrive in town, Eddie and his teammate, Harry, are met with cold shoulders, and various obstacles making them aware that their presence in town is not welcomed. Nevertheless, they push on.

A man’s life is on the line and it’s gonna take a lot more than what these locals are dishing out to scare Eddie away. In just a week, Eddie and his team need to overcome this corrupt system and find the real killer before time runs out for Andy.

The Devil’s Advocate is another really fun case with Eddie and his dynamic team. I enjoyed how this one gets Eddie out of his comfort zone in NYC and into the deep South.

This one didn’t feel as psychological as the other 2-books I’ve read in the series. It focuses more on small town corruption and flaws within the criminal justice system in general, but I thought it was a nice change of pace.

There was also a lot more involvement with officials from the Federal system, which was interesting. I feel like I’ve seen a whole new side of Bloch, one of Eddie’s valuable teammates. She’s one of my favorites, so it was nice to see her built out a little more.

This is the kind of case that will absolutely get your blood boiling. It actually had me on the edge of my seat too, because it felt very dangerous for Eddie and his team. You never want to be an outsider in a situation like this.

I feel like Cavanagh did a great job of building that intensity and making it feel believable. Sadly, corruption isn’t just in fiction, and numerous lives have been affected by it in cases much like this.

I particularly enjoy the courtroom elements, but honestly, they’re all just so compelling. They’re fast-paced, easy to read and wicked entertaining. As you can tell, I’m really looking forward to picking up the rest of the books.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Atria, for introducing me to the Eddie Flynn series and providing me with copies to read and review. I highly recommend these books for people who love intense Legal Thrillers!

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Review: Fifty Fifty (Eddie Flynn #5) by Steve Cavanagh

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Fifty Fifty (Eddie Flynn, #5)Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Fifty Fifty is the 5th-installment to Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series, but it’s only the 2nd-book that I’ve read in the series thus far.

Take it from me, I say this with confidence, it doesn’t matter where you start with this series, as long as you start it.

If you aren’t familiar with the series, as I wasn’t, it does indeed follow Eddie Flynn, a criminal defense attorney, as well as his team, as they investigate, work and defend various cases in and around New York City.

This starts off with such a bang, and it never let go of me. A complete mindf#*k, if you will. The opening scene features a 9-1-1 call that introduces us to the gruesome crime that is going to pull Eddie into a case for the record books.

Two sisters, Alexandra and Sofia, one of them brutally murdered their father, but which one?

Eddie thinks he knows who the guilty party is, and he only chooses to defend innocent people. Thus, he chooses to defend the girl he thinks deserves to be free, but is he right?

Fifty Fifty was such an incredibly fun ride. This case is hella dark and twisted, the two sisters pitted against one another, it was so intense. I couldn’t put it down.

My head was spinning the whole way through. I flipped back and forth between the two sister suspects so many times, trying to figure out who the killer was. It was completely engaging and wickedly compelling.

I love the way Cavanagh provided clues along the way that could’ve arguably fit either girl. It was a mental workout trying to figure it out, and I love a good workout.

I’m so happy to have discovered this series in 2025. These gorgeous new covers being released by Atria are the perfect reason to snatch them all up for my bookshelves. I’m looking forward to reading the rest.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. If you enjoy fast-paced, high-stakes, twisty Legal Thrillers, I highly recommend the Eddie Flynn series!!!

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Review: Another Fine Mess (Bless Your Heart #2) by Lindy Ryan

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Another Fine Mess (Bless Your Heart, #2)Another Fine Mess by Lindy Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another Fine Mess is the 2nd-book in Lindy Ryan’s Cozy Horror-Mystery series, Bless Your Heart. This adorable, yet slightly graphic series, is set in small town-Texas in the 90s.

It’s a series my Horror-loving, Cozy Mystery-obsessed heart didn’t know it needed, but now adores with wild abandon.

I can’t say too much about the plot without potentially giving away important aspects of the 1st-book, Bless Your Heart, so I’m going to keep this short and simple.

Basically, these books follow the women in the Evans family, who own and operate a Funeral Home. This is a very important job, because in their small town, the dead sometimes rise and they’re not happy. It’s the Evans job to make sure they stay dead and buried.

While the 1st-book was more of a vampire-esque story, this one has the town believing that some sort of hybrid-wolf is on a rampage, killing townsfolk and possibly stealing pieces of their bodies. It’s a bloody mess.

We follow the Evans women, and a few of their allies, as they try to determine what’s actually going on, and stop it before more innocent lives are lost.

The deeper they dig however, the more it seems this killer may be somehow connected to them, but how?

I thought this was so entertaining. I listened to the audiobook again and love Stephanie Nemeth-Parker’s narration. It’s such a great fit for this series. I highly recommend the audio format.

To me these books have the perfect mix of Horror, heart and Mystery. The Horror aspects are mainly contained within the kill scenes and the supernatural elements. Other than that, it is all Cozy Mystery.

I think Ryan does a great job of blending those two worlds together, and I know a lot of Readers, myself included, absolutely adore both genres. Having them together like this is just such a delight.

Even though I don’t find the mysteries to be particularly memorable, I still love reading them. It’s not something that’s going to stick with me until the end of time, but I don’t really need it to.

I read for entertainment and to escape from real life for a while, and Ryan definitely provides me that escape with these stories. I walk away a happy girl!

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’m really hoping this series continues.

I would love to spend more time with the Evans women. I feel closer to them now than ever!

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Review: How to Seal Your Own Fate (Castle Knoll Files #2) by Kristen Perrin

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How to Seal Your Own Fate (Castle Knoll Files #2)How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

How to Seal Your Own Fate is the 2nd-installment in Kristen Perrin’s Castle Knoll Files. These books follow Annie Adams, who has recently moved to the tiny village of Castle Knoll after inheriting her Great-Aunt Frances’s property upon her untimely death.

In the 1st-book, Annie needs to solve the mystery of who murdered her Great-Aunt. In this one, she needs to solve the murder of the person who foretold that death, the fortune teller, Peony Lane.

These Cozy Mysteries are told through both present and past storylines. Annie is in our present, and our past perspective is told via Frances. The past we examine here is 1967, when Frances is being pulled between two men: the wealthy, Ford Gravesdown, and the earnest, Archie Foyle.

There is a mystery in the past as well, which involves a car accident that claimed the lives of some members of Ford’s family. We shift back and forth between past and present, find out the connections, and ultimately gets answers to both mysteries.

I’ve really enjoyed both books in this series so far. I feel like Perrin has developed a nice little formula, and it’s working.

Upon picking this one up, I was immediately happy to be back with Annie in Castle Knoll. I do love her as a main character. Admittedly, it does take a minute, at least it did for me, to settle into the flow of the story, the back-and-forth can be a little jarring at first.

Once you are able to get your bearings though, it does flow nicely. I feel like the chapters are short and punchy, and always left me wanting to know more.

This one is twisted. The mystery of the car accident, there are a lot of puzzle pieces involved, and it did get a little hard to track at times. Especially because a lot of my focus was also on Peony’s death in the present.

I did feel it got a little convoluted towards the end, but nevertheless, it was a fun time and I did enjoy how it concluded. It looks like we’ll be getting a 3rd-book and I’m definitely on board for that.

I appreciated how Annie has come to understand and relate to her Great-Aunt Frances so much more over the course of these two books. I also love her settling into her new life, and look forward to seeing more of that in future.

Thank you to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I would recommend this to all Cozy Mystery fans, particularly those who enjoy a historical element in their Cozies, or those who enjoy small village vibes.

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Review: A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett

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A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan, #2)A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

A Drop of Corruption is the highly-anticipated follow-up to The Tainted Cup, which published in early-2024.

I have been excited about this release since I turned the final page of that book. This may seem dramatic, but its really not. I fell in love with the perfect blend of Mystery and SFF-elements that RJB delivered and wanted more.

Each book has its own mystery to solve, and this one was just as, if not more, compelling than the first.

In Yarrowdale, an area at the edge of the Empire, an impossible crime has taken place. A Treasury Officer has disappeared from his locked room, that was in a building with guards at all of the entrances and exits.

In order to get to the bottom of it, and hopefully locate the missing officer, the Empire calls upon its most brilliant investigator, Ana Dolabra, who brings along her charming assistant, Dinios Kol.

It doesn’t take long for Ana to work out that it’s not just a disappearance they’re investigating, but a murder. How did it happen though? The doors and windows were locked from the inside. It’s a real puzzle. A true locked room mystery.

As they dig further in, it becomes clear that the killer is actually targeting a high-security area known as the Shroud. It’s there that the Empire’s finest minds are trying to find a way to harness the magic found in the blood of fallen Titans.

If the Shroud were to fall, or be destroyed, it could mean the end of the Empire. What sort of madman would wish that sort of devastation on their world, and why?

I’m completely in love with this series. When I first picked this up, I was so happy to be reunited with Din and Ana, I was practically giddy. It felt like seeing old friends after a long-time apart.

I loved how RJB really leaned into the world in this one, and built it out further than before. I feel like I walk away with a deeper understanding of the Empire, and the way it functions, which is something I was hoping for going in.

RJB excels at meshing a completely intriguing mystery with a lush Fantasy environment. Even the way the detectives go about solving the various crimes are so out of our world; it’s fascinating to read. For example, the details Ana is able to glean just by eating assorted foods.

We also got a new character, Malo, who assisted Ana and Din during their time in Yarrowdale and beyond. I absolutely adored her, and hope she’ll be sticking with the series for a long time to come. Could our dynamic duo be turning into a tantalizing trio? I hope so!!

Another aspect I was impressed by was the pace. This story never takes a break. It is pedal to the floor the whole way through. There is something happening at every moment, with so many details being uncovered.

I would love to read this again before the next book is released. I feel like maybe I would pick up even more the second time through. This time I was flying, because I needed answers, but I feel like if I read it again, I could make it a more leisurely read, focusing on the finer details.

I can’t recommend this series enough. If the thought of a high-concept-SFF Mystery tickles your fancy, and for some reason you haven’t started this series yet, you need to drop everything, run to your local library, or bookshop, and get yourself some copies. It’s that good. Don’t wait.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m so excited to see what mystery we get to solve next.

Ana and Din are the absolute best detective duo in SFF!!

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Review: Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World #1) by Rebecca Roanhorse

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Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World, #1)Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤

Trail of Lightning is the 1st-book of the Sixth World series by Rebecca Roanhorse. While I believe this was originally slated to be a 4-book series, only 2-books were ever published.

After finishing this one, that makes me so sad.

In this story we follow Maggie Hoskie, who is imbued with clan powers that allow her to have superhuman speed and the ability to expertly kill her enemies. Maggie uses these powers in her job as a monster-hunter.

At the start of the story, she is called to a small village to help them search for a missing girl, who was allegedly stolen by a monster.

When Maggie comes across the monster, she’s surprised by its size, strength and taste for human flesh. It’s unusual.

Keeping its head, she takes it to a medicine man, Tah, she’s close to in a neighboring settlement. He comes up with a theory on the monster that sets Maggie on a new quest.

Tah also suggest that Maggie take his nephew, Kai, along with her. He’s training to be a medicine man, and Tah insists he is powerful. Begrudgingly, Maggie agrees.

We follow them as they traverse the reservation, uncovering clues and battling dark forces. Their relationship grows and shifts over the course of the mission, which is to be expected when you need to rely on one another for survival, and also you’re both hot as hell.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit. I liked learning about both Kai and Maggie. Both of them had very compelling backstories, and I had fun watching their relationship develop. I also enjoyed the initial mystery of it all, and the Indigenous Folklore elements woven throughout.

Where it fell a little short for me was in the execution of the overall mission, as well as the pace. It had ups and downs in intensity, whereas I would have enjoyed a more steady building throughout. Also, the theory that Tah had, what set these two out on their mission, for big chunks, it felt like that just faded into the background.

In that way it sort of lost its lane, as far as the monster-hunting went, but nevertheless, it was never boring.

The setting was well done. I felt I could visualize everything perfectly. The post-apocalyptic nature of it poured through the pages. It had a desperate feel that I really liked. Almost everything was a challenge for these characters, which makes sense due to the state of their world.

I would love to continue on with this series, and already own the next book. However, I know it’s going to break my heart when I get to the end of that one and there’s nothing more.

Either way though, I am really happy that I finally made time for this one. I think Rebecca Roanhorse is such a creative storyteller. I always have fun reading her work.

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Review: Witness 8 (Eddie Flynn #8) by Steve Cavanagh

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Witness 8 (Eddie Flynn, #8)Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Witness 8 is the 8th-installment in Steve Cavanagh’s Eddie Flynn series, but the 1st-book I’ve read in the series. There’s nothing like starting at the end. LOL

I’m so excited that I already have 2-other books from the series on hand, because I’ll definitely want to be picking them up as soon as possible. This was captivating and a thoroughly-intriguing mystery!!

If you aren’t familiar with the series, as I wasn’t, it does indeed follow Eddie Flynn, a criminal defense attorney, as well as his team, as they investigate, work and defend various cases in and around New York City.

In this novel, they’re representing John Jackson, a wealthy man from the Upper East Side, who has been accused of shooting one of his neighbors. Jackson’s DNA was on the gun, which was also found in his home.

It seems like a hopeless case, but Eddie is confident Jackson is innocent and he fully intends to clear his name.

Also involved in the case is the girl who actually witnessed the crime, Ruby, who works as a maid in the upper-class neighborhood. Unfortunately, she’s anxious to use her knowledge for her own benefit, not the benefit of the police, and certainly not to the benefit of the Jacksons.

There were some other side-plots that were a little less compelling for me, but nevertheless, they made the book stacked with content to keep the Reader entertained.

I have a feeling, one of the side-plots in this, which revolves around Eddie, would be more intriguing to Readers who have read the series from the start, as they would be more attached to him emotionally.

With this being said, I enjoyed the entire thing, though I was a little less invested when it was exploring topics outside of the main murder case.

I immediately vibed with Cavanagh’s writing and he wasted no time kicking off this story, which I appreciated. It pulled me in from the very first pages.

It’s not an uplifting story, to say the least, I felt bad for many of the characters and what was happening to them, but it is a gripping story nonetheless.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m really looking forward to reading the backlist books in this series!

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Review: Only in Your Dreams (Oakwood Bay #1) by Ellie K. Wilde

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Only in Your Dreams: A Novel (Oakwood Bay, #1)Only in Your Dreams: A Novel by Ellie K. Wilde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Don’t be fooled by this cutesy cover, Only in Your Dreams is hot, hot, hot, and lucky me, it’s just my kind of spice!

In this book, we are following Melody Woods and Zac Porter. Melody has just returned to her hometown of Oakwood Bay, after a decade away, following a painful breakup.

She’s moved in with her twin brother, Parker, and is trying to process everything. In an effort to encourage her out of her funk, Parker has been pushing her to take his spot on an upcoming camping trip with his friends.

To be fair, some of them used to be Melody’s friends, including Zac, Parker’s best friend, and the boy who broke her heart 10-years ago. Whatever. She’s so disconnected with all things Oakwood Bay at this point.

Parker’s best friend, Zac, a college football coach, is reeling Melody is back in town. He messed things up with her 10-years ago, and has never truly forgiven himself for it.

When she shows up at the campsite in Parker’s place, he can hardly believe it. Maybe this is his chance to win her back?

But with Melody focused on getting back on her feet and returning to the city, and with Zac stressing over his team’s lack of wins, will he be able to put the proper time into winning back Melody’s affections?

Adding complication to the matter, they have to keep any sort of relationship they have a total secret from Melody’s brother, Parker, who Zac knows would flip his top if he thought they were getting involved.

There were so many aspects of this that I absolutely adored. I loved the small town feel and all the characters that we got to meet over the course of the story. I’m excited to find out what other characters we’re going to follow in this series of companion novels. There’s so many options!

The chemistry between Melody and Zac was off the charts. I loved the banter, and getting both perspectives, to know what they were thinking along the way, was so fun. I know Wilde will be delivering more of that in the next books.

I’ve never actually read a Sports Romance before. Football is my sport and apparently, this is the Romance I didn’t know I needed; following a College Football Coach?

Yes, please!!!

I really appreciated that too. That we were following the coaching staff, as opposed to the players. There’s nothing wrong, of course, with following the players, it’s just when you think of a coaching staff, and the men and women in those positions, they are usually people who are of a certain age, or maturity level.

Zac is DEFINITELY young for a head coach, but it’s a smaller school and he’s a local guy, so that does make sense. Zac did have a maturity level about him though that was respectable. Particularly, in regards to how focused he was on making Melody know how special, and loved, she was.

This does explore some emotional abuse and gaslighting from Melody’s previous relationship, and I felt that was handled fairly well. She was definitely on a journey, and I liked that it took her some time to process it all, as opposed to just hanging out with another guy and being over it.

Overall, I had an absolute blast with this one. Look, we all have our things. Romance, particularly Steamy Romance is very subjective. We all have our likes, dislikes, turn-ons and offs, and yeah, let’s be honest, kinks.

Read this if you are into Alpha Male Energy: protective, yet supportive, tats, and aggressive dirty talk. Don’t read if you don’t like these things, cause there’s a lot of them.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I have a copy of the next book, Only Between Us, and I’m hoping to pick it up soon!

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