Mini Reviews Wrap Up October 2025

 

Here at Chapter Break, we don’t always write a full review of every book we read. Well, now we decided to do these monthly wrap-up posts with roundups of our reviews this month and mini-reviews to fill in the gaps. Enjoy!

Mini Book Reviews

 

Julie’s Mini Reviews:

Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy, 1): This has been on my to read list for a long time and I’m glad I finally got to it. The audiobook was great – two narrators doing a great job with all the voices.

I listened to it over 3 days, which is quite fast for me for a book this length. So I didn’t have an issue with the pacing, yes the plot picks up and goes out of control fast in the last third like most fantasy books, but the rest was interesting as it unfolded. Again, I listened to it quickly so it might have been a different experience when eyeball reading in smaller bursts of time. For me, an interesting fantasy book in my ears while I’m eyeball deep in spreadsheets is how I like to work. Plus I finally got to hear the quoted line that is everywhere all over booksta in that narrator’s deep voice.

The characters were fun, too. From our headstrong “it’s the right thing to do” FMC; the broody, dark MMC who has so many secrets but once you uncover them and understand the sacrifices made, you really can’t hate him; to all the fun side characters and villains.

If you like magic and alchemy, fae and other monsters across realms, characters who are *not* what they seem, secrets and bombshells, fated mates, overly flirty males, characters fiercely protective over those they care about, and more – then you’ll enjoy Quicksilver too.

Together We Burn: I enjoyed this author’s duology and so as a book club we picked this book for our next read. I liked the premise – a dancer takes over her family business of dragon fighting after an accident makes her father incapable of fighting. In this book we have dragonadors, which is a fun take on matadors. The book follows Zarela, an 18 year old flamenco dancer. She quickly has to take over running things for her family and trying to figure out who and how they were sabotaged. She hires Arturo to help train her, and their relationship evolves across all their dangerous adventures. I liked that Zarela was headstrong and so stubborn that she didn’t shy away from dangerous situations. But the most action and interesting plot happened in the last quarter of the book – with the first third being slow and meandering. The ending though! Wow so many bombshells and truths and reveals to keep you reeling. I also really enjoyed how she took all her skills into the performance arena with the dragon, finding a unique way to save her family’s legacy. The audio narration was good, I liked this narrator in the duology I listened to as well.

 

Her Soul to Take (Souls Trilogy): This is a fun dark romance read when you need a palate cleanser (cough). The audiobook is very well done and is done in dual narration for the dual POV. This book is very very spicy, like our demon boy enjoying punishing her for misbehaving – a lot. The FMC was annoying and reckless with her safety – never listening when repeatedly being told she’s in danger and a target. Also, not a fan of women doing so much begging. The MMC? A delicious demon who saved her cat and even though was originally ordered to capture her to be sacrificed, ended up getting very protective and falling for the FMC. So demon boy all the stars, human horny chick with no self preservation – few stars.

 

A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses, 4): Cute sweet read to get a little more time with this world. This was a regular audio with only one narrator but with different POVs and sometimes the voices sounded too similar, but that was ok.

 

 

The Mender’s Curse (The Amaria Chronicles Book 1) I appreciate getting the chance to read The Mender’s Curse and share my review. The story took some time to get going, a definite slow burn in the relationships and friendships between the characters, but also a slow plot development for the first half. Once it got past that point, the plot and characters got deeper, more emotional, and really pulled me in. The characters are flawed, and real. They are dealing with grief, pain, and abuse, and struggle with that pain as they learn to trust each other and lean on each other to achieve their goals. The story is a quest, a deadly quest, and as such it is what I call a journey book. Yes, they are walking for months! In a world with magic, can we just stop with all the walking? But, that time spent together forged these characters thrown together by accident into a found family they all didn’t know they needed. The characters are inclusive of race, culture, disability rep, and more. We have a female lead who’s almost 40 and is just beginning her independent journey, a charismatic youthful bard, a man searching for a cure for his ailing wife, and the male lead who holds so many secrets and seeks to find an end to his curse of endless pain and grief. I’m glad I made it past the half way point, though I did struggle to get into the book, I devoured the rest of it. I really enjoyed Sapphira, the female lead, and am looking forward to seeing her grow stronger in her abilities and get the revenge and justice she will go after, in book 2.

 

Espresso for Eternity (Night Shift at the Cozy Kink Cafe) This was a quick and juicy bite. A fun and spicy palate cleanser for all the emotional damage books I have been reading lately. I mean real quick – like less than 50 pages. We have a girl working multiple jobs barely able to pay rent, when she gets this one night shift gig. As it turns out, this is a special cafe with a very unique customer, and as the coffee, and other select beverages from the *ahem* tap flows, so does the passion. I wonder if this will just be a quick fun standalone or will this lead into a series.

 

 

Zodiac Academy 4: Shadow Princess: Peak emotional damage and from what I hear it’s not even the worst emotional damage cliffhanger. I need to talk to someone about this.. specifically Tori’s motivations. HALP. No I didn’t re-listen to the last hour while on my walk with tears in my eyes, why do you ask?

 

 

Iron Flame (Part 1 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation): The Empyrean, Book 2 and Iron Flame (Part 2 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation): The Empyrean, Book 2: A re-read that is SO much better this second time and on dramatic audio. Just, a completely different experience. I’m catching so much more. I’m enjoying it SO MUCH MORE! All the emotions with this audio version!

 

Once Upon a Midnight Dreary: A Poe’s “The Raven” Retelling (Enchanted Realms Book 5): This was a fun spooky gothic read. I enjoy a spin or retelling of a known story, and this one spins off Poe’s most famous poem. The story unfolds as a cozy mystery as the main character unravels clues and puts together the truth about the house she inherited as well as its inhabitants. She’s kind of annoying about it at first but she gets there as she sets her mind to breaking the curse. The tragedy that occurred in the past and the lasting effects through the family bloodline were nicely woven. I did wish more was explained, especially why the caretaker of the property was suspended in time, but overall the ending is satisfying and sweet. The love story between our two main characters is slow burn but you can see it develop in their actions and protectiveness of each other. If you love a cozy ghost story set in a haunted mansion this will be right up your alley. I received this as an ARC.

 

Lynn’s Mini Reviews:

  THEIR FRACTURED LIGHT: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Amy Kaufmann and her cowriters (Megan Spooner here; Jay Kristoff in other books) make sci-fi approachable for non-sci-fi readers while also enjoyable for sci-fi fans. Drama, heart-ache, awe-inspiring action, and well-developed characters. I love this quote; it really sums up the series:

But free will is what it means to be human, and no one can determine the path you take through this universe. Choice is our greatest right, our greatest gift-and our greatest responsibility.

Choice, hope, faith, and trust are the major themes. Even in these times, I’m left with some hope and optimism.

10\5 stars. -2 stars for being a bit too treacly for me. Extraordinary ending to the series as a whole. Gideon’s and Sophia’s story emphasizes growth and change in the characters. This series as a whole is worth reading and still carries a relatable message, even 10 years later.

 

  FOURTH WING (DRAMATIZED VERSION): Taking Julie’s advice and glowing recommendation, yes, I’m rereading Fourth Wing. This time the full cast dramatized version. And it is AWESOME. First – narration is amazing. Tairn’s narrator completely matches my interview voice for his sarcasm. I’m also loving the plot and the little things I missed previously. I didn’t even remember Ridoc and Sawyer from the first book. I still loathe Dain.

 

GAME OF NINES: Enjoyable, free, full cast. All the classics of an Audible original that I love. This one is a thriller\murder investigation, tracking down a serial killer who has been active for more than 70 years. Excellent writing; I was drawn into the story from the start Edge of the seat plot that kept my attention the entire story. Excellent narration from the full cast. Highly recommended!

 

  ZOMROMCOM: Mixed feelings on this one. The first half (probably more like 2/3) is meh. The ending is fab and makes me want to read the next in the series. Not a lot of rom. Not a lot of com. Some funny quips is about the extend of the comedy. (Mostly by Edie making up songs to the Gaston song from Beauty and the Beast.) But, once Max opens up, I really became way more invested and his and Edie’s relationship. I also was way more interested in the story as more characters were added and the action and fighting of the zombies and saving the world than the romance side of the story. I’m going with 3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4.

 

TOGETHER WE BURN: Yeah – what Julie said. I think the best description I can provide of the plot is a straight line til a spike at the end where it actually gets interesting. I found the story somewhat predictable. The characters were interesting. I liked Zarela and her persistence. And Lola’s fun side. And how Arturo tries to stay true to his convections, even when most of the world is against him. Generally ok. But given that I explained the plot to a friend in 2 minutes, not awesome or amazing until the end.  3 1/2 Stars.

 

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Books we reviewed in full this month:

• [9 Oct] Crimson Jewel by A. Gordon
• [13 Oct] Court of Light and Dark (Hidden Courts of the Fae #1) by Heather D. Grace ★★★½
• [14 Oct] Enchantment of Silver and Sea (The Council of Cyllene #1) by Tara Straight ★★★½
• [27 Oct] Unholy (Heart's True Desire Book 3) by Kathryn Amurra ★★★½

 

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