Fantasy Archives - A Literary Escape

Everything Was Beautiful And Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves

Published on October 5, 2026September 27, 2026 by Celeste7 Comments

Today’s review is about EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT by Ben Reeves. It’s a shorter novel narrated from the point of view of Death, also known as Travis. Though an impartial observer, he learns from a young family what it means to live.

Author: Ben Reeves
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Publisher: Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster
Publish Date: July 7, 2026
Print Length: 256

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Fallen City by Adrienne Young

Published on September 28, 2026September 20, 2026 by Celeste3 Comments

Today’s review is about FALLEN CITY by Adrienne Young. It’s the first book in the Fallen City duology, which draws inspiration from ancient Rome.

Author: Adrienne Young
Series: Fallen City Duology, #1
Age Category: Adult
Publisher: Saturday Books
Publish Date: November 04, 2025
Print Length: 416

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Thorn Season by Kiera Azar

Published on September 15, 2026September 14, 2026 by Celeste7 Comments

Today’s review is about THORN SEASON by Kiera Azar. It’s the first book in a planned YA fantasy romance trilogy. It has politics at court, a bit of a love quadrangle, and ongoing persecution of magical minorities.

Author: Kiera Azar
Series: Thorn Season, #1
Age Category: Young Adult
Publisher: Storytide
Publish Date: September 02, 2025
Print Length: 464

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Daughter of the Otherworld by Shauna Lawless

Published on August 10, 2026August 9, 2026 by Celeste5 Comments

Today’s review is about DAUGHTER OF THE OTHERWORLD by Shauna Lawless. It’s the first book in the Gael Song: Era II trilogy and follows the story of Isolde in 12th century Ireland. I highly recommend reading the first Gael Song trilogy for maximum impact. Those books are THE CHILDREN OF GODS AND FIGHTING MEN, THE WORDS OF KINGS AND PROPHETS, and THE LAND OF THE LIVING AND THE DEAD. This new trilogy follows some of the same characters and thus contains spoilers for the first trilogy.

Author: Shauna Lawless
Series: Gael Song: Era II, #1
Age Category: Adult
Publisher: Head of Zeus — an AdAstra Book
Publish Date: November 11, 2025
Print Length: 448

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The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood by H.G. Parry

Published on August 3, 2026August 9, 2026 by Celeste8 Comments

Today’s review is about THE WITCH BELOW THE DREAMING WOOD by H.G. Parry. This is a standalone Arthurian novel with a dual setting between Camelot and in World War II Wales. This is a wonderful addition to the Arthurian retellings subgenre.

Author: H.G. Parry
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Publisher: Redhook
Publish Date: July 21, 2026
Print Length: 448

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