Can't-Wait Wednesday: Hopeless Necromantic by Shiloh Briar

 

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read.
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Hopeless Necromantic by Shiloh Briar
Expected publication : June 9, 2026 by Orbit

Necromantasy is the new romantasy in Hopeless Necromantic, a debut romantic fantasy for fans of Gideon the Ninth,The Irresistible Urge to Fall for your Enemy, Long Live Evil or Assistant to the Villain.

SHE RAISES HELL. HE RAISES THE DEAD. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? 

When new recruit Helspira takes on the doomed mission that no other soldier wants, life—and death—start to get a little complicated. Helspira must play escort to Sikras—a frustratingly handsome necromancer with the power to raise the dead—as he attempts a mission that he's failed twice before; stopping an undead army at the edges of the kingdom. 

No one thinks he will succeed. Not even Sikras. But the more time the two spend together, the more they find they can imagine a brighter future. As secrets come out and the two grow closer—and Sikras's lively skeleton companion Benjamin tries desperately not to be a third wheel—will Sikras' and Helspira's changing feelings for each other be enough to overcome the growing danger?

RAISE A GLASS. RAISE THE DEAD. JUST DON'T RAISE YOUR HOPES.

I've been seeing this book everywhere lately on blogs and bookstagram and I've been hearing nothing but good things about it so far. Also check out Sophie's awesome review of it on Beware of the Reader. For some reason I really like stories featuring necromancers so I'm really curious about this story. It really does sound like a fantastic book!

What book are you awaiting today?

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Titles Featuring Ordinal Numbers

 

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.
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This Week's Topic:
Book Titles Featuring Ordinal Numbers

First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephanie Meyer

Third Debt by Pepper Winters
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
Fifth Sun by Camilla Townsend

The Seventh Scroll by Wilbur Smith
The Eigth Life by Nino Haratischvili

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult

Have you read any of these books?

Review: Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher

Title: Wolf Worm
Author: T. Kingfisher
Publication: March 24, 2026 by Tor Nightfire
Genre: Gothic Horror
Find it on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
Rating: 4/5★

Something darker than the devil stalks the North Carolina woods in Wolf Worm, a new gothic masterpiece from New York Times bestselling author T. Kingfisher.

The year is 1899 and Sonia Wilson is a scientific illustrator without work, prospects, or hope. When the reclusive Dr. Halder offers her a position illustrating his vast collection of insects, Sonia jumps at the chance to move to his North Carolina manor house and put her talents to use. But soon enough she finds that there are darker things at work than the Carolina woods. What happened to her predecessor, Halder’s wife? Why are animals acting so strangely, and what is behind the peculiar local whispers about “blood thiefs?”

With the aid of the housekeeper and a local healer, Sonia discovers that Halder’s entomological studies have taken him down a dark road full of parasitic maggots that burrow into human flesh, and that his monstrous experiments may grow to encompass his newest illustrator as well.

Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher is a gothic horror novel that stands out for its slowburn tension that slowly creeps up on its reader and the bodyhorror that is guaranteed to make anyone shudder.

Set in North Carolina in 1899, the story features scientific illustrator Sonia Wilson who's offered a position in Dr. Halder's manor to illustrate his expansive collection of various insects. But soon she realizes that something sinister is going on. What happened to her predecessor who just so happened to be Halder's wife? Why do the local animals behave so strangely? What are the blood thieves? And who or what is hidden in the shed in the woods? When Sonia uncoveres the truth she realizes that Halder's entomological studies have become twisted and horrifying.

I'm not a fan of insects at all and as grossed out as I was by the majority of some scenes, I still found many things that I enjoyed about this story. Insects are basically horror gold, let's be honest. I loved that this book had quite a few female characters that stood out, like Sonia who came to work for Halder. Especially since the book was set in 1899, a time when women had few opportunities, particularly in the scientific field. The writing as per usual with this author was sublime. She always manages to hook me as a reader.

Wolf Worm was very much a slow burn and T. Kingfisher was a master of telling it in a haunting and lingering way. The story kept me guessing at every turn and the plot unfolded in ways I couldn't have predicted. It's a must-read!

About the author:

Ursula Vernon, aka T. Kingfisher is the author and illustrator of far more projects than is probably healthy. She has written over fifty novels for both children and adults, an epic webcomic called “Digger” and various short stories and other odds and ends.

The daughter of an artist, she spent her youth attempting to rebel, but eventually succumbed to the siren song of paint (although not before getting a degree in anthropology.) Ursula grew up in Oregon and Arizona, went to college at Macalester College in Minnesota, and stayed there for ten years, until she finally learned to drive in deep snow and was obligated to leave the state.

Having moved across the country several times, she eventually settled in New Mexico, where she works full-time as an artist and creator of oddities. She lives with her husband, her garden and his chickens.

Website | Instagram

 

 

Monthly Wrap-Up: February 2026

Monthly Wrap-Up is my once-a-month post recapping all the books I’ve read.

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What a difference from last month where I only read 4 books! The curse has definitely ended. I had a few 5 star reads even!

Bookish Stats:

Books read: 9

Physical books: 1

Ebooks: 2

Audiobooks: 6

Rereads: 1

Babylon: Mesopotamia And The Birth Of Civilization by Paul Kriwaczek — 3/5★
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer — 5/5★ (reread)

Sex Scandals of Ancient Greece and Rome by Monica Cyrino — 4/5★
She Made Herself a Monster by Anna Kovatcheva — 5/5★ (my review)

The Swamps by Seraphina Nova Glass — 3/5★
The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White — 4/5★ (my review)

Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell — 5/5★ (my review)
The Hidden History of the Black American West by Alaina E. Roberts — 4/5★

Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher — 4/5★ (review to come)

Have you read any of these books?
What was your favorite book of the month?

Cover Reveal: Marked by the Alpha by Sheritta Bitikofer

Welcome to the cover reveal of Marked by the Alpha by Sheritta Bitikofer, a paranormal romance.
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Marked by the Alpha by Sheritta Bitikofer
Publication date: June 11th 2026
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

An alpha with a storied legacy. An independent woman rebuilding after grief. Forbidden desire—for only one is human….

After her mother’s death, photographer Erica Barrett, buys a home she and her mother obsessed over during her childhood in the quaintly historical town of Tolstone. Her magnetic next door neighbor intrigues and disturbs her. The sensual pull feels otherworldly.

Wolf shifter Dominic Beaumont never wanted to be the prime alpha of the sanctuary city, Tolstone, but when his father dies, he’s forced to step up as pack leader and prime alpha over all the wolf packs sheltering in his town. Erica’s arrival is dangerous. The attraction is fierce and instant, but duty comes first.

When revelations about Erica’s past and parentage create chaos, and she questions everything she thought she knew about herself, Dominic is her strength. But as tension builds in the pack, and his leadership is challenged, love becomes a risk that could cost him his authority, his people, and everything he’s sworn to protect.

Perfect for readers craving illicit wolf-shifter romance filled with fate, secrets, rebellion and an alpha willing to risk everything for love.

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order

Author Bio:

Sheritta Bitikofer writes paranormal romance with a particular fondness for wolf shifters and witches. Her stories are driven by one guiding belief: love inspires courage. Through fierce romances, unbreakable pack bonds, and the magic of covens and family, her characters fight for the lives—and loves—they deserve. Sheritta lives in northwest Florida, where she drinks far too much coffee and joyfully balances life as a wife and mother while crafting her next heartfelt paranormal love story.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Newsletter

Review: Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell

Title: Honeysuckle
Author: Bar Fridman-Tell
Publication: March 24, 2026 by Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Folklore
Find it on: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Blackwell's | Waterstones
Rating: 5/5★

The Bear and the Nightingale meets Weyward in this deeply compelling debut about love and power, autonomy and consent.

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Once upon a time, on the edge between meadow and forest, there was a lonely child with only his older sister for company. In exchange for being left in peace, his sister made him a playmate—Daye, a girl woven from flowers and words. And for the first time, this boy, Rory, had a friend.

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Rory couldn’t be happier, until he learns that Daye is a short-lived creature. At the end of each season, she must be woven back together or fall gruesomely apart. And every time Daye falls apart might be her last.

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As Rory and Daye grow older, and the line between friendship and romance begins to blur, Rory becomes desperate to break this cycle of bloom and decay. But the farther Rory pushes his research and experiments to lengthen Daye's existence, the more Daye begins to wonder just how much control she really has over her own life.

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As a loose reimagining of the story of Blodeuwedd from Welsh mythology, Honeysuckle is an entrancing, inventive, and unsettling debut.​

Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell is loosely inspired by the Welsh myth of Blodeuwedd. It weaves folklore together with an empowering feminist theme and delivering a powerful message.

Daye was woven from flowers to be Rory’s childhood playmate to keep him occupied. But each season Daye must be rewoven or risk falling apart for good. As they grow up their friendship turns into romance and Rory gets more desperate to stop Daye from unraveling. The boundary between love and obsession starts growing thin as the years go on. As Rory’s experiments to keep her alive grow bolder, Daye begins to doubt her own autonomy and see how little control she really has.

Honeysuckle is Bar Fridman-Tell's debut novel and it impressed me so very much. It was wonderfully written, even when things turned hauntingly dark. Daye and Rory's relationship started innocent in a friendship as children but as it turned to romance as they grew up it was hard not to wonder how much it was actually shaped by Rory's desires. Could Daye truly consent to any of it since she was created for Rory?

Honeysuckle explored the themes of dependency, the ethics of creation and the delicate balance of power and consent. The story also showed how a relationship can turn toxic when one person manipulates or disregards the other's autonomy. It was an atmospheric read with touches of botanical horror and dark fairy tale vibes. I would highly recommend it!

About the author:

Bar Fridman-Tell has a BA in art history and an MA in English literature. (She gleefully wrote her thesis about Victorian vampires.) She has worked as a bartender, a bookseller, a translator, and a library assistant. She is currently studying for a master's in library and information sciences, hoping to stay in a library for good. She lives in Toronto with her professor husband and two very fluffy cats. Honeysuckle is her debut novel.

Website | Instagram | Goodreads

 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn @ The Book Date.
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What I Read Last Week:

The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten White

What I'm Reading Now:

Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell
Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher

What I'll Read Next (Maybe):

Sparking Fire Out of Fate by Brigid Kemmerer
The Brides by Charlotte Cross

Have you read any of these books? Do you want to?