I went into July with an ambitious goal of reading 23 books. Did I hit it? Absolutely not. 😂 But I still managed to finish 15 books, and despite a couple of disappointing reads that sent me into a bit of a reading slump, the month was packed with memorable adventures, emotional character arcs, dragons, pirates, science fiction, and plenty of fantasy magic. Overall, I’d call July a successful reading month, especially because several books completely exceeded my expectations.

So let’s get into everything I read this month 📖✨

Daughter of the Pirate King

Revisiting Daughter of the Pirate King before continuing the trilogy was absolutely the right decision. Since the sequel picks up immediately after the first book, rereading helped me reconnect with the characters and world without feeling lost. It reminded me just how much fun this pirate adventure is.

Daughter of the Siren Queen

This sequel expanded the world beautifully while delivering satisfying character development, engaging romance, and one of my favorite surprises—the Siren Queen herself. I loved watching Alosa continue to grow while the relationships deepened naturally.

Vengeance of the Pirate Queen

Following a beloved side character proved to be a fantastic choice. While this companion novel wasn’t strictly necessary, it added meaningful backstory and gave its heroine a compelling emotional journey centered around vulnerability and trust.

Vicious Miscreations

Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me. While I appreciated the effort and loved the concept, I struggled to connect with most of the cast. The story reminded me of Six of Crows, but without the same charm or charisma. Fletcher and Waddy were easily the highlights, but the overall reading experience suffered—especially since I had to read it on my phone.

The Secret Astronomers

One of my biggest surprises of the month. I initially worried that a novel told entirely through sticky notes inside a textbook wouldn’t work for me, but it absolutely did. The story was heartfelt, nostalgic, and incredibly easy to read, making me completely understand why it won Barnes & Noble’s Young Adult Book of the Year.

The Ashfire King

Worth every second of the wait. I loved returning to this world, especially with its One Thousand and One Nights-inspired storytelling. The multiple perspectives, mythology, romance, and political intrigue all came together perfectly, and now I desperately need book three.

Among the Burning Flowers

This novella beautifully expands the Roots of Chaos universe. While I recommend reading the series in publication order to fully appreciate all the references and foreshadowing, this story added meaningful depth to the world. My only complaint was that one character’s arc felt unfinished.

The Entanglement of Rival Wizards

I had a fantastic time with this urban fantasy romance. The emotional storytelling, world-building, and chemistry between the leads were excellent. My only issue—and it’s entirely personal—is that I’m just not a fan of dirty talk in romance novels, which prevented this from earning a higher rating.

The Dragonet Prophecy

Reading this aloud with my kids was a blast. It was surprisingly violent for a middle-grade novel, but the imaginative dragon world, found-family relationships, and exciting adventure made it an enjoyable experience for all of us.

Heir

This one completely captivated me. Even without reading Sabaa Tahir’s earlier series, I never felt lost. The multiple timelines, compelling world-building, shocking twists, and emotional ending made this one of my favorite fantasy reads of the month.

We Are Legion (We Are Bob)

This month’s Fantasy Fanatics Book Club pick turned into one of the most thought-provoking discussions we’ve ever had. I loved the humor, Star Trek references, philosophical questions, and the way each Bob developed a unique personality. While the heavy exposition occasionally slowed the pacing, it also made perfect sense given the nature of the story.

When Flowers Wilt

This audiobook ARC, generously provided by The Nerd Fam, had an interesting premise but ultimately didn’t fully work for me. I thought it was a clever choice to name the Devil “Venus,” especially considering the ties to Greek mythology, and the character dynamics had enough intrigue to keep me listening. Unfortunately, I never became invested in the central romance, and an early scene involving sexual assault by Venus made it difficult for me to connect with the relationship moving forward. It left the romance feeling uncomfortable rather than compelling, which ultimately held the story back for me.

It’s About Time

This one was, unfortunately, a complete miss for me. Thank you again to the publisher for providing the ARC, but the cozy mystery simply never found its footing. The story throws readers into the mystery without enough setup, making it difficult to feel grounded in the world or invested in the investigation. On top of that, the main character tried so hard to play detective that it often felt forced, and I frequently found myself wondering how we jumped from one clue to the next. Rather than building suspense, the mystery left me confused, making this one of my biggest disappointments of the month.

Shadow Reaper

This was one of my biggest surprises of July. I absolutely loved it. The witty banter between Viri and Reeve was a highlight, and the slow-building romance was full of yearning that felt natural and rewarding. Every time I thought I had the story figured out, another twist completely changed the game, all leading to a jaw-dropping ending that left me desperate for the sequel. Between the humor, the chemistry, and the nonstop twists, this was easily one of the month’s standout fantasy reads.

The Princess Swap: Cinderella and the Beast (or Beauty and the Glass Slipper)

This book was absolutely adorable, and I loved reading it just as much as my daughter did. Kim Bussing takes two completely unrelated fairy tales and seamlessly blends them together into a fresh, imaginative story that feels both familiar and entirely new. The characters were charming, the adventure was fun, and the reimagining of these classic tales was incredibly well executed. It was such a delightful read, and both my daughter and I can’t wait to pick up the second book.

Even though I fell short of my ambitious goal of reading 23 books, finishing 15 books still made July a successful reading month. It was a month full of surprises, with several books exceeding my expectations—Shadow Reaper, The Ashfire King, Heir, The Secret Astronomers, and We Are Legion were all standout reads that reminded me why I love getting lost in fantasy and science fiction. At the same time, I also had a few disappointments, proving that not every book is going to click with me, and that’s perfectly okay. Every read helps me better understand what I enjoy as a reader.

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