Dark academia books have everything I love: ancient libraries, secret societies, forbidden knowledge, and the occasional spectacularly ill-advised murder. Naturally, I'm obsessed. But a dive into Romanian folklore led me to a school run by the Devil, where nine scholars graduate and the tenth becomes the tuition fee. Which sent me down a rather unhinged literary rabbit hole involving Dracula, Doctor Faustus, Alex Stern, and a frankly unreasonable number of dragons. From my favourite dark academia books to their Gothic roots, I'm exploring the extraordinary knowledge these stories promise, the questionable bargains their characters make, and the unfortunate people who end up paying for them.

It was high time I returned to the world of my favourite urban fantasy series and reviewed the next Kate Daniels novel, Magic Burns. I have, at this point, read the whole series many times, but I never tire of it. A re-read again for the review to refresh my memory on the details. And I have to say, with this novel, the dynamic duo that is Ilona and Andrew Gordon (writing under the pen name Ilona Andrews) smashed it out of the park.

In the realm of fantasy literature, a distinct archetype captivates the imagination of readers worldwide: the fantasy warrior woman. These characters, wielding swords and spells and no small amount of sass, stand as pivotal figures in narratives that intertwine magic, adventure, and the age-old tales of heroism. Yet, beyond their prowess in battlefields and mystical lands, fantasy warrior women represent a deeper narrative thread, one that weaves through the fabric of both the genre and our societal understanding of femininity and power.

Dive into the secrets of captivating the BookTok audience with this insightful guide. Discover practical strategies and personal insights for understanding your niche, mastering content creation, and boosting engagement. Here's exactly how I gained over 2,000 followers in my first month, perfect for authors, book enthusiasts, and digital marketers aiming to make a significant impact on BookTok.

Greek mythology, an intricate tapestry of gods, heroes, and timeless tales, has fascinated readers for millennia. Its stories, steeped in drama, romance, and tragedy, transcend the ancient world to find a permanent place in the literary canon. These myths have served as a foundation for countless works, influencing genres ranging from classical literature to modern fantasy. In recent years, there has been a notable surge in the number of books retelling Greek mythology that breathe new life into these ancient narratives, reimagining them for contemporary audiences. Authors are not just retelling these stories; they are transforming them, infusing them with modern sensibilities and perspectives while retaining their mythic essence.

Comic fantasy, a genre that blends the whimsical elements of fantasy with humor, frequently encounters an intriguing dilemma—it's not always funny to its readers. In this exploration, we delve into the heart of comic fantasy, deciphering the subjective nature of humor and questioning what truly defines a work as comic fantasy. Along the way, we discuss the genre's history, its core elements, the art of humor, common pitfalls, and the role of audience expectations.

I’ve been reading high fantasy since I was sixteen when a friend introduced me to the Farseer Trilogy by Robin [...]

Ilona Andrews was not my first encounter with the urban fantasy genre. Not by a mile. I’ve been devouring books of this genre since I was 18 and a friend at uni first introduced me to Kelley Armstrong. I’ll get to the Women of the Otherworld series in due course, but for the first Urban Fantasy series I reviewed, I had to make it my favourite. Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews - the pseudonym of an epic wife and husband duo - is one of those rare books that is close enough to being flawless that you develop an abiding love for the author, and the character, and the series.

I was really intrigued by the concept of The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec. Loki is one of my favourite [...]

Have you ever fallen down a digital rabbit hole? There are two of these in my world, the first was [...]

Penning my own Greek Retelling got me thinking about all the awesome others I’ve read over the years, so I thought I’d do a round up of my favourites. For those who love collecting these reimagined stories of the magic of ancient Greece, here are my picks for the best retellings from Greek myth…

Today, I’m a writer, a marketeer (not to be confused with a musketeer, although that does sound fun), and I'm writing a sapphic retelling of Athena (the one from Greek mythology). Here's why and how it's going.

At the start of the year, I had a plan. It was a great plan. It involved spending my time reading, snuggling with Dexter, reading, working on my fiction, reading, watching some cool shows, reading… The key detail in this plan is the reading. Alas, 2022 hasn’t quite panned out as I expected it to, and I’ve compiled an epic list of books to read this autumn to compensate.

Some of the most popular characters from history have no historical basis in fact. King Arthur was not, as far as we are aware, ever a real person. Despite this, many films have been made about Britain’s once and future king. Just how accurate to the early historical period in which Arthur supposedly lived is King Arthur: Legend of the Sword? And how true to the original source material is the plot? We’re about to find out…

Don’t call me 'kid', don’t call me 'baby', look at this godforsaken mess that you made me... so sings Taylor Swift on her new album which is, I have to say, haunting me. The track in question is called 'illicit affair' and while it's by no means the only song on Folklore to get me all up in my feelings it's definitely the worst for it.

An extremely satisfying conclusion to the Hidden Legacy series that well lives up to its name, Ilona Andrews' Wildfire is a scorching romance with a compelling plot and exceptional worldbuilding. Here's my full review.

The Hidden Legacy series had a strong start with Burn For Me but I was concerned that the ending was going to lead to a lot of break up/make up nonsense in book two. I was delighted to find that instead, Ilona Andrews penned a compelling second novel that actually surpassed the first. Intriguing, sexy, in no way annoying. Here's my review of White Hot.

A strong, sassy, magical heroin with a vulnerable streak a mile wide. A slightly mysterious, slightly controlling, seriously hot love interest. An intricately crafted world of magic. And an intriguing mystery at the heart of a fast-paced plot. Burn For Me is a sizzling start to Ilona Andrews' Hidden Legacy Series - here's my full review of book one.

Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels is, hands down, my favourite Urban Fantasy series ever. I love it so much it has usurped the Women of the Otherworld Series by Kelly Armstrong, which had previously held the #1 spot since I was 18. Here are all the reasons why (plus what order to read all the books in!).

Look What You Made Me Do caused immediate and spectacular controversy. It also brought Swift unprecedented success. When the video dropped, it had over 43.2 million views in the first 24 hours, breaking YouTube's streaming record. The world became obsessed with decoding T-Swizzles first single in three years, but they all got it wrong.

I've been thinking about cannibalism. Again. The Walking Dead cannibals make a horrifying kind of sense; Z Nation's are much harder to swallow. Somewhere between ancient hospitality, Carol's moral compass, and Cassandra's squandered potential, things got rather out of hand.

After the death, destruction, and blazing inferno of the pilot episode of Robert Rodriguez small screen adaptation of the cult hit From Dusk Til Dawn, episode two opens with a touch of mundanity. Infamous bank robbers Seth and Richie Gecko take a moment to enjoy the sunshine, and quibble over Seth's failure to get Richie the right taco.

Since time began we have lived in the shadows of the moon, in the blood of the earth. Today we will rise and the world will be ours. Beyond dark and light, beyond fire and water, beyond dusk and dawn. So begins the pilot episode of Robert Rodriguez's retelling of iconic vampire movie From Dusk Till Dawn, by himself an Quentin Tarantino. The words alone send a chill down the spine, but the lilting and decidedly sexy timbre of Eiza González's voice lend it an unearthly and ambiguous tone. It's at once intriguing, disturbing, and infused with evident anguish.

Several years ago I heard whisperings about a possible new Vampire series on the cards by legendary film director Guillermo Del Toro. Del Toro is the mind responsible for bringing us Pan's Labyrinth, among other things, and as an avid fan of that particular masterpiece I was delirious at the thought of a vampire-filled series by the man. But first he wrote a trilogy of books.

The Strain has always been a refreshing break from the recent trend in fluffy vamp action, but if the sneak [...]