Peasreads: The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox Katrina Kwan

 

FIVE-STAR read! Both Yue and Sonam were great main characters who have depth and are likable. They have a past that shaped them, but I also felt like they grew from their past. They aren't perfect, but that makes them real. I felt bad for Yue. She was just doing what was in her nature to survive. The characters end up in Hell, Yue being banished and dragging Sonam down with her. To escape, they must work together. Each challenge they face has them learning about not only themselves but their companions. The story is paced well and flows well. I will be adding a hard copy of this one to my shelves. Even if I have a copy on my e-reader! I have been telling everyone about this book. Romantasy that's just so good. One of my top 2025 reads. 

Pub Date Feb 24 2026

Description
From the author of The Last Dragon of the East comes a sweeping fantasy adventure with a dash of romance between a nine-tailed fox and the demon-hunter who captures her, banished to the underworld together and forced to form a reluctant alliance to escape the circles of Hell.

Yue may be the last of her kind. At night, she stalks the streets of the capital city of Longhao, luring in unsuspecting victims with the mask of a beautiful woman, then consuming them in her true form of the nine-tailed fox.

When she is captured by a powerful demon hunter named Sonam and banished to Hell, she manages one final act of revenge: dragging him—and two of his subordinates—down with her.

Now trapped in an abyss with unimaginable terrors, they’ll need each other’s help to navigate Hell and bypass the gods who preside over each circle, each of whom presents the group with a unique and deadly challenge. Forced to depend on one another as they claw their way out of the underworld, both demon and demon hunter discover that there might be more to the other than meets the eye.

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I received this egalley from NetGalley and Saga Press | S&S/Saga Press I was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads- Never Ever After by Sue Lynn Tan

Sue Lynn Tan is, admittedly,  a must-read author for me. Never Ever After is a reimagining of Cinderella with the beautiful fantasy writing that Sue Lynn is so good at. I  enjoyed the story and the strong characters in this book. Yining is a strong female character who is looking for a better life, an escape from the land and kingdom that took her beloved family from her.  The are two other main characters, one is the prince of the kingdom of which she wants to escape. The other is an advisor from a rival kingdom. Both of these characters have a mystery and danger to them. The story progresses and unfolds with good pacing. The ending is not as much of a cliffhanger, though this is the first in a series. I was thankful for that. I can't wait to continue this story and see more of it unfold in the next books. 

Pub Date Oct 28 2025 |

Description

Not all fairy tales end happily ever after in this powerful and fierce reimagining of Cinderella by the bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess—for fans of Renée Ahdieh, Tahereh Mafi, and Stephanie Garber.

Order now and receive the SPECIAL FIRST EDITION while supplies last—featuring a designed case cover under the jacket and illustrated endpapers, in addition to shiny foil and embossing. This must-have special edition is only available in a limited first printing.

Life in the Iron Mountains is harsh and unforgiving. After the death of her beloved uncle, Yining has survived by becoming a skilled thief and an even better liar. When she acquires an enchanted ring that holds the key to a brighter future, it is stolen by her step-aunt, and Yining must venture into the imperial heart of the kingdom to seize it back.

 

Amid the grandeur of the palace, Yining catches the eye of the ruthless and ambitious prince, who tempts her with a world she’s never imagined. But nothing is as it seems, for she’s soon trapped in a tangle of power, treachery, and greed—her only ally the cunning advisor from a rival court who keeps dangerous secrets of his own. To break free, she must unravel the mystery of her past and fight for a future that both frightens and calls to her.

Never Ever After is the first in a breathtaking new fantasy romance series influenced by Chinese fairy tales from the acclaimed author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

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I received this egalley from NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. I was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are my own. 

Peasreads: The Dragon Wakes with Thunder

What an amazing conclusion to this duology!

Rounding up to 4 stars. I loved the first installment and the character development. This second installment was good but I started to dislike some of the characters. I found it hard to forgive them for past actions. I understand that no one is perfect, but there are deal breakers. Still the story was good. There was a lot to keep me interested. I loved how this duology ended. It was sad though to lose a character I liked 😭

I can't wait to have my hardcopy in hand to complete my collection. 

From the publisher

The war may be over, but Hai Meilin is still paying a heavy toll. In spite of securing victory for the kingdom of Anlai, she is imprisoned upon her return. Her crime? Wielding a sword as a woman.

In the palace, Meilin is an outcast and a social pariah. But beyond the imperial walls, the legend of the woman warrior has taken on a life of its own. To the east, a new rebel leader needs Meilin to helm his people’s revolution. In the south, a former enemy prince, now a prisoner of war, seeks Meilin’s aid in restoring balance to the Three Kingdoms. And back home in Anlai, Liu Sky, Meilin’s commander and first love, requires Meilin by his side in his bid for the throne.

Pulled in all directions by those who seek to use her for their own ends, Meilin vows that this time, she will not be so quick to trust. Yet there is one she cannot help but listen to—for he dwells within her.

Beyond any human machinations, the sea dragon Qinglong has his own plans for the spirit realm. During the last war, Meilin wielded his power to cheat death and attain victory for Anlai; now the dragon has come to collect his dues. Meilin’s mother warned her long ago: The spirits demand blood. And Qinglong is ravenous

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Peasreads: A Forgery of Fate

 

Elizabeth Lim hits it out of the park with this latest book. I devoured it in two days and that's only because I had to adult and work. 

Talk about swoon worthy, C drama magic.  I liked all the characters, well exactly the actions of one but redeemed at the end. The human world and the immortal worlds were described beautifully. The characters from how they looked to their personalities. 

About the book:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes and Her Radiant Curse comes A FORGERY OF FATE (Alfred A. Knopf BFYR | ages 12+ | on sale June 3, 2025), a whimsical and romantic YA standalone that intertwines elements of Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid with Chinese folktales The Magic Paintbrush and The Dragon Gate.

Truyan Saigas didn’t choose to become a con artist, but when her father is lost at sea, it’s up to her to support her mother and two younger sisters. A gifted art forger, Tru has the unique ability to paint the future, but even such magic is not enough to put her family back together again or stave off the gangsters demanding payment in blood for her mother’s gambling debts. Left with few options, Tru agrees to a marriage contract with a mysterious dragon lord. He offers a fresh start for her mother and sisters and elusive answers about her father’s disappearance; but in exchange, she must join him in his desolate undersea palace and assist him in a plot to infiltrate the tyrannical Dragon King’s inner circle, painting a future so treasonous it could upend both the mortal and immortal realms.

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I received this egalley from NetGalley and Penguin Random House, Random House Children's for. I was under no obligation to give a review. All opinions are  my own. 

Peasreads: Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan

 Each time I read a Sue Lynn Tan book I'm memorized that written text can be so colorful, rich, and saturated with beauty. Just from the descriptions of the settings, the clothing, the food. Everything pops off the page. Immortal is no exception. Set in both the human world and the Celestial Kingdom the story is about a mortal, Liyen who is ruler of the Tianxia kingdom. All she wants is freedom from the gods who once protected her kingdom from a threat that is no more. Unlike the rulers before her, Liyen's grandfather has given her a bargaining chip. Something that the immortal queen desperately wants that he stole. After the death of her grandfather Liyen must pledge her kingdoms loyalty to the immortals. However she has a different plan. To win her people's freedom. 

I highly recommend this book. It's beautifully written. The story is exciting and the characters are amazing. 

From the publisher

 A stunning, standalone romantic fantasy filled with dangerous secrets, forbidden magic, and passion, of a young ruler who fights to protect her kingdom, from bestselling author Sue Lynn Tan and set in the breathtaking world of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

What the gods did not give us, I would take

As the heir to Tianxia, Liyen knows she must ascend the throne and renew her kingdom’s pledge to serve the immortals who once protected them from a vicious enemy. But when she is poisoned, Liyen’s grandfather steals an enchanted lotus to save her life. Enraged at his betrayal, the immortal queen commands the powerful God of War to attack Tianxia. 

Upon her grandfather’s death, Liyen ascends a precarious throne, vowing to end her kingdom’s obligation to the immortals. When she is summoned to the Immortal Realm, she seizes the opportunity to learn their secrets and to form a tenuous alliance to safeguard her people, all with the one she should fear and mistrust the most: the ruthless God of War. As they are drawn together, a treacherous attraction ignites between them—one she has to resist, to not endanger all she is fighting for.

But with darker forces closing in around them, and her kingdom plunged into peril, Liyen must risk everything to save her people from an unspeakable fate, even if it means forging a dangerous bond with the immortal… even if it means losing her heart. 

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for this e galley. All opinions are my own

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I received this book from NetGalley for this review. I was under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions are  my own. I am disclosing this per the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Peasreads: THE NIGHT ENDS WITH FIRE by K.X. Song

 

Get ready for epic storytelling. I've heard so much buzz about this book. It's in my read next que. Mulan? Yes. Magic? Fantasy? The Three Kingdoms? Yes. Yes and YES please. Plus one of my favorite authors is singing praise about it:

“Sweepingly epic and tenderly romantic, The Night Ends With Fire

is a fiercely feminist adventure about a young woman fighting to

shape her destiny in a world of lore, magic, and war.”

—AMÉLIE WEN ZHAO, New York Times bestselling

author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night

From the publisher:

Infused with magic and romance, this sweeping fantasy adventure inspired by the legend of Mulan follows a young woman determined to choose her own destiny—even if that means going against everyone she loves.

The Three Kingdoms are at war, but Meilin’s father refuses to answer the imperial draft. Trapped by his opium addiction, he plans to sell Meilin for her dowry. But when Meilin discovers her husband-to-be is another violent, ill-tempered man, she realizes that nothing will change for her unless she takes matters into her own hands.

The very next day, she disguises herself as a boy and enlists in her father’s place.

In the army, Meilin's relentless hard work brings her recognition, friendship—and a growing closeness with Sky, a prince turned training partner. But has she simply exchanged one prison for another? As her kingdom barrels toward destruction, Meilin begins to have visions of a sea dragon spirit that offers her true power and freedom, but with a deadly price.

With the future of the Three Kingdoms hanging in the balance, Meilin will need to decide whom to trust—Sky, who inspires her loyalty and love; the sea dragon spirit, who has his own murky agenda; or an infuriating enemy prince who makes her question everything she once knew—about her kingdom and about her own heart.

About the Author

K. X. Song is a diaspora writer with roots in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Raised between cultures and languages, she enjoys telling stories that explore the shifting nature of memory, translation, and history. She is the author of An Echo in the City and the forthcoming The Night Ends with Fire, her adult fantasy debut. You can learn more at kxsong.com

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Peasreads: Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen

 

This book took a lot of work to get into at first. There were times I picked it up and only read a chapter or so. There were other times when I couldn't wait to keep reading. However, it took me a bit to really want to keep reading. This isn't the author's fault. The world she has built and imagined is very cool. It just didn't pop off the pages for me. I like the main characters. I appreciate that Ye-Yang wasn't a clueless prince., I like him the most. Ying herself is smart and resourceful. This is a great start to a YA fantasy (trilogy I believe?) I DNF but will keep reading. I just wanted to get this review up before the date of publication. I like it enough to have a special edition on the way and I will read the next book. 

Description

Mulan meets Iron Widow in this thrilling silkpunk fantasy about a girl who must disguise herself as a boy and enter the famed and dangerous Engineer’s Guild trials to unravel the mystery of her father’s murder.

Eighteen-year-old Aihui Ying dreams of becoming a world-class engineer like her father, but after his sudden murder, her life falls apart. Left with only a journal of her father’s engineering secrets and a jade pendant snatched from the assassin, a heartbroken Ying follows the trail to the capital and the prestigious Engineers Guild—a place that harbors her father’s hidden past—determined to discover why anyone would threaten a man who ultimately chose a quiet life over fame and fortune. 

Disguised as her brother, Ying manages to infiltrate the guild’s male-only apprenticeship trial with the help of an unlikely ally—Aogiya Ye-yang, the taciturn eighth prince of the High Command. With her father’s renown placing a target firmly on her back, Ying must stay one step ahead of her fellow competitors, the jealous guild masters, and the killer still hunting for her father’s journal. Complicating everything is her increasingly tangled relationship with the prince, who may have mysterious plans of his own. 

The secrets concealed within the guild can be as deadly as the weapons they build—and with her life and the future of her homeland at stake, Ying doesn’t know who to trust. Can she avenge her father even if it means going against everything he stood for, or will she be next in the mastermind’s line of fire?

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Thank you Netgalley and  PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers for this galley, I was not obligated to leave a review. All opinions are my own.

Peasreads: Fathomfolk (Drowned World, #1) by Eliza Chan

Folklore, mythology, magic, mystical creatures, East and South East Asian vibes. This book is a great read if you like all of these things. It is the first in the Drowned World series. Fathomfolk live in the depths of the Ocean that has become polluted by humans, and some of them live among the humans. Fleeing the polluted waters as refugees. They are seen as less and looked down upon. This story touches on classism, racism, and how different people deal with living in these conditions. Mira the half-siren tries to do things "by the book" though she is well aware that the humans are oppressing all Fathomfolk. Nami the dragon is a little hot-headed, she wants change, and she knows the source of her people's pain. She joins an extremist group. 

Both will have to decide if change is worth the price they each will pay. Stakes are high, lives are lost. Freedom the goal.

Such a fantastic book! I highly recommend it.

 Description

Revolution is brewing in the semi-submerged city of Tiankawi, between humans and the fathomfolk who live in its waters. This gloriously imaginative debut fantasy, inspired by East Asian mythology and ocean folk tales, is a novel of magic, rebellion and change.

Peasreads: The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

 

The Fox Wife is a tapestry of mystery, folklore, culture, love, revenge, family, and obligation. Woven together by Yangsze Choo to tell a story set in Manchuria, 1908. The story of a detective with the ability to tell when people are lying, a fox named Snow who is a mother seeking revenge, and a family who's curse haunts them. Their paths merge and weave in and out of each other in this beautiful story.

This is one to put on your TBR pile this year if you like mystery, folklore, slice of life, long lost loves. I am definitely getting a hard copy for my shelves.

Description

Some people think foxes are similar to ghosts because we go around collecting qi, but nothing could be further than the truth. We are living creatures, just like you, only usually better looking . . .