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Author: Marissa Meyer Genre: Fantasy / Mystery / Romance Sub-genre: Gothic Romantasy / Bluebeard Retelling Synopsis: Mallory Fontaine survives by running fake witchcraft scams and ghost tours at the infamous House Saphir—once home to Count Bastien Saphir, a man who murdered his wives and became the centre of a chilling legend. But when she’s hired by his heir, Armand, to rid the estate of a real haunting, Mallory finds herself pulled into a deadly mystery where the past refuses to stay buried—and the line between ghost story and real murder begins to blur. Review: This felt like stepping into a gothic fairytale that constantly keeps one foot in comfort and the other in danger. The atmosphere is easily the strongest part of the book—House Saphir feels alive in a way that’s unsettling but also strangely beautiful. There’s this constant sense that the walls are holding onto secrets, and the story leans fully into that slow, creeping unease. Mallory is a really fun protagonist to follow. She’s sharp, pragmatic, and very aware that she’s basically faking her way through life until she suddenly isn’t anymore. That shift—from scam artist to someone dealing with real magic, real ghosts, and real danger—works really well. The dynamic between Mallory and Armand adds a softer layer underneath all the tension. It’s very much a slow burn, and it plays nicely against the darker mystery at the centre of the story. What stood out most is how Meyer balances tone—this is spooky and murder-mystery driven, but it never loses that slightly whimsical, almost fairytale edge. It feels like Bluebeard retold with personality and emotional warmth rather than pure dread. Final Thoughts: This is a gothic romantasy that thrives on atmosphere, slow revelations, and character chemistry more than high-speed plotting. It’s the kind of book that pulls you in quietly and stays in your head because of its mood rather than its shocks. Rating: ★★★★.25 Similar books: ✦ Mexican Gothic — Silvia Moreno-Garcia ✦ The Thirteenth Tale — Diane Setterfield ✦ Once Upon a Broken Heart — Stephanie Garber

Author: Katie Kitamura Genre: Literary Fiction Sub-genre: Psychological / Philosophical / Speculative-leaning Fiction Synopsis: A woman reflects on identity, relationships, and the shifting boundaries between intimacy and distance. As her life changes in subtle but irreversible ways, she begins to question not just the people around her, but the version of herself she has been performing all along. Review: This feels like a novel built out of quiet tension rather than traditional plot. Katie Kitamura writes in a way that makes even small moments feel loaded with meaning. There’s a constant sense that something is slightly out of alignment—not in an overt dramatic sense, but in the emotional distance between people who are supposed to be close. What stands out most is the focus on perception. The book is deeply interested in how we “see” others, and how unreliable that act can be. Intimacy here isn’t comforting—it’s uncertain, sometimes even destabilising. The prose is controlled and precise, which enhances the emotional restraint of the story. Nothing is overstated, but everything feels intentional. It’s the kind of book where silence and omission carry as much weight as dialogue. It doesn’t aim for big revelations. Instead, it builds a slow accumulation of unease around identity and connection, until you start questioning how stable any of those things really are. Final Thoughts: A subtle, introspective literary novel about distance—between people, between versions of the self, and between what is felt and what is understood. Quiet, but deeply unsettling in its restraint. Rating: ★★★.5 Similar books: ✦ Intimacies — Katie Kitamura ✦ The Need — Helen Phillips ✦ The Idiot — Elif Batuman

Author: Uketsu Genre: Mystery / Horror Sub-genre: Puzzle Horror / Architectural Mystery / Found-Structure Fiction Synopsis: A series of strange, unsettling houses becomes the focus of investigation when their floorplans and layouts reveal patterns that don’t make sense in ordinary architecture. As the narrator digs deeper into these spaces, it becomes clear that the “strangeness” of the houses is not just aesthetic—but potentially tied to something far more disturbing happening inside them. Review: This is a mystery that feels like it’s built out of diagrams, negative space, and discomfort rather than traditional narrative momentum. The most striking element is how heavily it relies on structure—literally. Floorplans, spatial logic, and architectural inconsistencies become the core of the storytelling. Instead of asking who did it, the book constantly nudges you toward how is this even possible in the first place? That shift in focus is what makes it unsettling. The horror isn’t always explicit; it’s embedded in geometry and layout, in the feeling that a space should not function the way it does. It creates a very specific kind of unease that lingers even when nothing overtly scary is happening. The pacing is more investigative than emotional, but it works in the context of a puzzle-driven narrative. Each house feels like a self-contained anomaly, and slowly those anomalies begin to suggest a larger pattern. There’s also a nice sense of controlled revelation—the book doesn’t dump answers, it lets you assemble them piece by piece, which makes the reading experience feel almost interactive. Final Thoughts: A clever, structurally inventive mystery that uses architecture as its primary source of tension. It’s more about spatial unease and pattern recognition than character-driven storytelling, and it leans into that identity fully. Rating: ★★★.5 Similar books: ✦ House of Leaves — Mark Z. Danielewski ✦ The Haunting of Hill House — Shirley Jackson ✦ Mexican Gothic — Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Author: Kiersten White Genre: Fantasy Sub-genre: Historical / Folklore-inspired Synopsis: After her father’s death, Anneke is drawn into a hunt for the woman responsible—one that takes her across Europe and deeper into something far more dangerous than she expected. As she gets closer to her target, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur in unsettling ways. Review: This is one of those books where the dynamic between the two central characters completely carries the story. At its core, it’s a chase—but not a straightforward one. The relationship between Anneke and the woman she’s pursuing feels tense, layered, and increasingly personal. It’s not just about revenge or justice; there’s this underlying pull between them that adds a strange kind of intimacy to the whole thing. That tension is what kept me reading more than anything else. The tone leans heavily into gothic atmosphere—dark, a little unsettling, and always hinting that something is slightly off. It doesn’t rely on constant action, but instead builds unease through mood and the slow reveal of information. There’s a consistent sense that you’re not seeing the full picture, which works really well for this kind of story. I also liked how the book doesn’t try to make things neat or morally clear. The characters exist in a very grey space, and their motivations aren’t always easy to pin down. That ambiguity makes the story more interesting, even if it means you don’t always feel fully “comfortable” with where things are going. That said, the pacing isn’t perfect. There are stretches where the momentum dips a little, especially when the focus moves away from the central dynamic. Those parts aren’t bad, but they don’t hit with the same intensity as the core storyline. Final Thoughts: A dark, character-driven story that works best when it leans into its tension and atmosphere. Not perfect, but definitely memorable for the relationship at its center. Rating: ★★★★ Similar books: ✦ A Dowry of Blood — S.T. Gibson ✦ The Death of Jane Lawrence — Caitlin Starling ✦ House of Hollow — Krystal Sutherland

Author: Alix E. Harrow Genre: Fantasy / Speculative Fiction Sub-genre: Mythic / Philosophical Fantasy / Time Loop Narrative Synopsis: A saint is bound to a cycle of repeated deaths across different lives, each iteration revealing fragments of a larger truth about faith, power, and identity. As the pattern continues, the question becomes less about how the saint dies—and more about what they are being shaped into across each life. Review: This feels like a story that exists in echoes rather than a straight line. Alix E. Harrow leans into repetition here, but it never feels redundant—it feels intentional, like each death is another angle of the same wound. The structure gives the story a mythic quality, almost like something being retold across generations with small but significant distortions each time. What stands out most is the emotional restraint. The book doesn’t over-explain its world or its rules; instead, it lets implication do a lot of the work. That makes the experience feel more interpretive, like you’re assembling meaning from fragments rather than being handed it directly. The saint’s identity becomes increasingly unstable across the cycles, and that’s where the story really lands emotionally. It’s less about the events themselves and more about what repetition does to a sense of self—how much can be stripped away before something stops being a person and becomes a pattern instead. It’s quiet, but not empty. There’s a heaviness underneath everything that builds gradually rather than announcing itself - and all of it in 30 pages! Final Thoughts: A lyrical, fragmented fantasy that uses repetition as both structure and theme. It’s more about emotional resonance and interpretation than narrative resolution, and it lingers because of that ambiguity. Rating: ★★★★.5 Similar books: ✦ This Is How You Lose the Time War — Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone ✦ Piranesi — Susanna Clarke ✦ The Ten Thousand Doors of January — Alix E. Harrow

Authors: Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone Genre: Science Fiction / Romance Sub-genre: Epistolary / Time Travel / Literary Sci-Fi Romance Synopsis: On opposing sides of a sprawling time war, two elite agents—Red and Blue—alter timelines in service of rival futures. What begins as rivalry becomes something far more dangerous when they start leaving each other letters across time, hidden in collapsed worlds and altered histories. As their correspondence deepens, so does the risk of discovery—and the cost of caring for someone on the other side. Review: This doesn’t read like a conventional novel so much as it does like a series of poetic transmissions across collapsing timelines. The epistolary structure is everything here. Each letter feels dense, intentional, and almost layered with meaning that shifts depending on where you are in the story. It’s not always linear, and it doesn’t try to be—understanding comes in emotional fragments rather than structured exposition. What makes it work so well is the contrast between its scale and its intimacy. On one level, there’s a vast, almost incomprehensible war reshaping timelines. On the other, there are just two people trying to understand each other through coded messages and metaphor. That tension is the heart of the book. The writing is lush—bordering on lyrical prose poetry at times—and it leans fully into that style without apology. It’s not trying to be “easy” sci-fi. It’s trying to be felt more than decoded. Red and Blue’s relationship builds in a way that feels both inevitable and impossible. There’s a constant awareness that their connection shouldn’t exist, which only makes it more compelling as it deepens. Final Thoughts: A beautifully written, fragmented sci-fi romance that prioritises emotion and language over clarity or structure. It’s less a story you follow and more an experience you move through. Rating: ★★★★★ Similar books: ✦ Piranesi — Susanna Clarke ✦ The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue — V.E. Schwab ✦ The Left Hand of Darkness — Ursula K. Le Guin

Author: Becky Chambers Genre: Science Fiction Sub-genre: Cozy / Philosophical Sci-Fi Synopsis: In a world where robots have long ago gained self-awareness and disappeared into the wild, a tea monk named Dex sets out in search of something more meaningful. Their journey takes an unexpected turn when they meet Mosscap—a robot who has returned with one simple question: what do humans need? Review: This felt less like reading a book and more like sitting down for a quiet, thoughtful conversation. The story is very gentle in its pacing, but that’s exactly what makes it work. It gives you space to breathe, reflect, and really sit with the ideas it presents. There’s no rush, no urgency—just a soft unfolding of thoughts about purpose, fulfillment, and what it actually means to live a meaningful life. Dex as a character feels very real in their uncertainty and restlessness, and Mosscap brings a kind of calm curiosity that balances that beautifully. Their interactions are simple on the surface, but there’s so much depth underneath. What I loved most is how comforting this book feels without being shallow. It doesn’t try to give you easy answers—instead, it just sits with the questions, and somehow that’s even more reassuring. Final Thoughts: This is one of those books you pick up when you want something quiet, introspective, and comforting. It’s not plot-heavy, but it leaves a lasting impression in a very soft, meaningful way. Rating: ★★★★ Similar books: ✦ The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet — Becky Chambers ✦ This Is How You Lose the Time War — Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone ✦ Legends & Lattes — Travis Baldree

Author: Simone St. James Genre: Mystery / Thriller Sub-genre: Cold Case / Supernatural-tinged Crime Fiction Synopsis: A true-crime blogger becomes obsessed with a decades-old double murder case that was never solved. When she convinces the woman acquitted of the crimes to be interviewed, the two begin unraveling a story that refuses to stay in the past—especially as unsettling, possibly supernatural events start to surface around the investigation. Review: This is a cold case story that leans heavily into atmosphere, and that’s where it really succeeds. The dual timeline structure—1970s investigation alongside present-day exploration—feels very intentional in how it builds tension. The past doesn’t just explain the present; it actively interrupts it. Every new detail from the original case reframes what you think you understand about Beth, the crime, and the town’s collective memory. What makes Beth such an effective character is how little access you’re given to her interiority. She exists almost entirely through other people’s interpretations of her, which creates this constant instability around whether she is victim, villain, or something in between. That uncertainty is the engine of the book. Shea’s storyline works as a counterbalance—more grounded, more investigative, but gradually destabilised as the supernatural elements begin to creep in. The book never fully commits to explaining those elements in a clean, rational way, and that ambiguity is clearly deliberate. It keeps you suspended between genres rather than settling into one. The horror here isn’t loud. It’s built through repetition, unease, and the idea that some stories don’t stay buried just because they’ve been “solved.” There’s a growing sense that the past is not finished with the present—and may never be. The pacing is steady, but the tension accumulates well. It’s less about twists and more about slow realisation, which fits the tone of the case itself. Final Thoughts: A moody, layered cold case mystery that blends investigative storytelling with subtle supernatural dread. It’s strongest when it stays ambiguous, letting atmosphere and suspicion carry the weight rather than resolution. Rating: ★★★★ Similar books: ✦ The Sun Down Motel — Simone St. James ✦ Home Before Dark — Riley Sager ✦ The Haunting of Ashburn House — Darcy Coates ✦ Mexican Gothic — Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Author: Antonia Hodgson Genre: Fantasy / Historical Fantasy Sub-genre: Political / Dark Academia Fantasy Synopsis: A young scholar is drawn into a world of shifting loyalties, buried secrets, and dangerous knowledge, where learning the truth may come at a far greater cost than ignorance ever did. Review: This felt like stepping into a world where knowledge is both power and poison. The atmosphere is thick and immersive, with a constant sense that something is happening just beneath the surface. I really enjoyed how the academic setting is used not just as a backdrop, but as a battleground for ideology, ambition, and survival. The main character’s journey feels very grounded in curiosity that slowly turns into something more urgent and dangerous. There’s a nice balance between introspection and plot movement, even when the pacing leans slower. What stood out most is how layered everything feels—nothing is ever just what it seems, and the book trusts the reader to sit with that uncertainty. Final Thoughts: A dense, atmospheric read for anyone who enjoys intelligent fantasy with political tension and slow-burning revelations. Rating: ★★★★.5 Similar books: ✦ The Name of the Wind — Patrick Rothfuss ✦ Babel — R.F. Kuang ✦ The Bear and the Nightingale — Katherine Arden