Being Bookish

In this week's episode of Being Bookish, I'm digging into the layers of The Ever King, the 2023 fantasy novel by LJ Andrews that made the transition from indie favourite to traditional publication in 2025.
While there's plenty of talk online about the relationships and the sea fae romance elements in this book, I'm much more interested in pulling apart the high-seas intrigue and evaluating the genuine mystery at the heart of the story. I'll be exploring how the character dynamics, the pirate sub-plot, and the Norse-inspired mythology connections hold up.
As all my episodes are always spoiler-free, I have taken the time to really look at the story, looking critically at how the book fits into the dark fantasy/romantasy genre. I am going so far as to ask the big question...is this really dark fantasy?
Whether you're a fan of Viking folklore retellings or you're looking to see how a character-driven story handles these specific tropes, I've got plenty of personal feelings to share on where this book might fit on your fantasy reading list.
It's a deep dive into a possibly dark world, so grab yourself a cuppa and let's get into the sea fae secrets together. I'm really looking forward to sharing my honest thoughts with you.

Episode Links
Blood of Hercules
Review of When Gracie Met the Grump by Mariana Zapata
The Stephen King Thing - Cujo Audio | Video

In the second episode of the Being Bookish spin-off where I am reading my way through Stephen King’s novels, joined by my friend and fellow podcaster, Lorraine, we’re taking a look at Cujo, his 1981 novel, the second to feature Castle Rock.
As previously mentioned, these episodes are approximately 6 weeks apart as there is a lot to cover.
Cujo is the story of a friendly St Bernard, beloved family pet and best friend of Brett Camber, who, one day, is unfortunately the victim of a bat bite. What happens after that isn’t his fault; it’s the virus in his nervous system, but by the end of the story, there are a lot more victims to this madness.
Join us both as we take a tour through Stephen King's universe, and experience some of these books for the first time in decades!
If you prefer, you can watch this on YouTube.

In this episode of Being Bookish, I am digging into the layers of Blood of Hercules, the 2024 urban fantasy novel with hints of dark romance written by author Jasmine Mas.
While there is plenty of talk online about the relationships and the reverse harem elements in this book, I am much more interested in looking at how the character dynamics and Greek mythology connections hold up, as this is truly where my personal passion lies!
Somehow, this has become another slightly longer episode, as I really started to dig into the relationships and the shifting alliances without getting overly distracted by the dark romance and dark obsession marketing. Instead, I am going to look at the urban fantasy elements, the mythology, the character development and how they work together.
Whether you're a fan of Greek mythology or you're looking to see how a character-driven mystery handles these specific tropes, I've got plenty of personal feelings to share on where this book could fit on your fantasy reading list.
It is a deep dive into a dark world, so grab yourself something refreshing, and let's get into Blood of Hercules together. I'm really looking forward to sharing my honest thoughts with you.

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In this episode of Being Bookish, I’m digging into the layers of Dire Bound, the atmospheric 2025 debut by Sable Sorensen.
While there is plenty of talk online about the relationships in this book (and I have my thoughts on its categorisation), I’m much more interested in the high fantasy intrigue and the genuine mystery at the heart of the story. I’ll be exploring the complexities of the magic system and the shadowy politics of Nocturna that kept me hooked.
As this is a longer episode, I’ve taken the time to really analyse the power dynamics and the visceral world-building without getting distracted by the "spice". Instead, we’re looking at the dark fantasy elements, the Bonding Trials, and the looming threat of the Siphons. Whether you're a fan of intricate world-building or you're looking for a character-driven mystery that doesn't follow the usual tropes, I’ve got plenty of thoughts to share on why you should add this book to your 2026 fantasy reading list (if it's not there already!).
It’s a deep dive into a very dark world, so grab yourself a cuppa (I know I will) and let’s get into the shadow-wielding secrets together. I'm really looking forward to sharing my thoughts with you.

In this episode, I’m looking at a locked-room mystery with subtle digs at the publishing world in the debut by an author who remained a mystery for 6 months following the well-marketed announcement, The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke.
If you haven’t heard about it yet, this book is a collaboration between V.E. Schwab and Cat Clarke.
The story follows six struggling, midlist authors who are invited to a private Scottish island, only to discover that a world-famous novelist has died, leaving his final manuscript unfinished. They’re given seventy-two hours to write the perfect ending, with a life-changing amount of money and a much-desired 3-book publishing deal as the prize.
As always, I’ll be sharing my personal thoughts on the story, characters and events, and how I felt about the mystery - does it live up to the hype? As ever, it will be completely spoiler-free, I will not be revealing the means, motive or murderer, you need to find that out for yourselves!
So, pop the kettle on, get comfy with a coffee, and let’s talk books.

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