The Glittering Edge by Alyssa Villaire

Title: The Glittering Edge

Author: Alyssa Villaire

Genre: Urban Fantasy, YA

Series: The Idlewood Duology # 1

Publication: May 6, 2025, 432 pages

Source: Libby Library 

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Rumors are the lifeblood of Idlewood, Indiana. The locals whisper that the De Lucas are witches, and that decades prior they cursed the wealthy Barrion family as revenge for a love gone tragically wrong: now, if a Barrion falls in love with you, you’ll die. If this isn’t reason enough for wallflower Penny Emberly to stay away from both families, she doesn’t know what is. But when Penny’s mom is in an accident that leaves her on the brink of death, Penny can’t ignore the rumors anymore—because the Barrion curse is real. And her mom is its latest victim.

In order to save her mom’s life, Penny must bring together two bitter enemies on either side of the feud and work with them to break the curse. For star quarterback Corey Barrion, doing so would mean finally saving his family from the magic that killed his mom. And for misfit witch Alonso De Luca, it would mean convincing everyone in Idlewood—especially Penny—that he isn’t the villain they believe him to be.

But as the trio navigates Alonso’s unpredictable magic, the tangled web of Barrion-De Luca history, and an increasingly chaotic group chat, it soon becomes clear that the curse is not what they expected. Did a De Luca really curse the Barrions in a fit of jealousy, or is something even more sinister afoot? Penny will have to conquer her anxiety, wrestle with her budding feelings for Alonso, and delve into dangerous, forbidden magic to find the truth and save her mom — even if it means putting her own life at risk.

MY THOUGHTS

To be honest, I had never heard of The Glittering Edge until I saw it as a pick in a book box. The stunning artwork immediately caught my attention and made me want to read the story to learn more about the characters.

The Glittering Edge is a Young Adult Urban Fantasy set in the small town of Idlewood, Indiana. Rumors swirl about two rival families, one of them witches: the De Lucas and the Barrions, and the curse that binds them together. Penny, the main protagonist, gets swept into the feud when the curse strikes her mother, leaving her in a coma. The only way to save her is by seeking help from the two rival sons: Alonso De Luca and Corey Barrion.

The book reminded me of early 2000s YA novels and TV shows, like Vampire Academy or The Secret Circle. It gave me the same nostalgic feelings I had as a teen reading and watching those stories, and at first it felt wholesome and engaging. I was intrigued and eager to learn more about the De Lucas and the Barrions. The world-building is straightforward and easy to follow. However, my biggest issue was with the inconsistency around who knows about magic and who doesn’t. For example, Penny has no idea magic exists, but when she discovers Alonso has powers, she barely reacts or questions it. And if the De Lucas supposedly cursed the Barrions, who are human...why do the Barrions wield so much influence over the witches’ council? They even had the authority say to lock away the De Lucas’ powers. It made no sense. That’s like an ordinary citizen telling a company president how to run their business.

As for the characters, I wasn’t a fan of anyone except Alonso. Penny was irritating, having the attention of the most popular, attractive guys in school seemed to inflate her self-importance. One scene in particular frustrated me: when she discovered important information about Alonso’s grandfather and Corey’s grandmother, instead of sharing it with the very people helping her save her mother, she selfishly withheld it until the end. Corey came across as just another spoiled rich kid. Naomi was also frustrating, I don't know why she entitled that Penny tell her everything about magic and the rituals. Dylan was your stereotypical self-absorbed mean girl. Honestly, there weren’t any likeable characters. Alonso was the only one who felt chill and genuine, but even he got screwed over in the end with the partial possession, which also annoyed me.

Overall, The Glittering Edge started off strong but quickly went downhill. As you can probably tell, I won’t be continuing the series. I really wish it had lived up to the promise of those nostalgic early 2000s YA books and shows.

A to Z Book Survey 2025 Edition

The last time I did the A to Z Book Survey was all the way back in 2018, seven years ago! I thought it would be fun to bring it back as a little “get to know me” post for all my fellow book lovers (and maybe introduce you to some new favorites along the way). From authors I adore to the books I can’t stop recommending, this survey is the perfect mix of nostalgia and bookish joy.

So grab a cup of coffee, soda or tea, settle in, and let’s talk books from A to Z. 

Arcana Academy by Elise Kova

Title: Arcana Academy

Author: Elise Kova

Genre: Romantasy

Series: Arcana Academy # 1

Publication: July 22, 2025, 553 pages

Source: Personal Library 

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Clara Graysword has survived the underworld of Eclipse City through thievery, luck, and a whole lot of illegal magic. After a job gone awry, Clara is sentenced to a lifetime in prison for inking tarot cards-a rare power reserved for practitioners at the elite Arcana Academy.

Just when it seems her luck has run dry, the academy's enigmatic headmaster, Prince Kaelis, offers her an escape-for a price. Kaelis believes that Clara is the perfect tool to help him steal a tarot card from the king and use it to re-create an all-powerful card long lost to time.

In order to conceal her identity and keep her close, Kaelis brings Clara to Arcana Academy, introducing her as the newest first-year student and his bride-to-be.

Thrust into a world of arcane magic and royal intrigue, where one misstep will send her back to prison or worse, Clara finds that the prince she swore to hate may not be what he seems. But can she risk giving him power over the world-and her heart? Or will she take it for herself?

MY THOUGHTS

Arcana Academy is one of my most anticipated releases this year. I’m a fan of Kova’s books, so when I heard she was publishing a new series; a dark academia with a tarot twist, it sounded right up my alley. Overall, Arcana Academy was a decent and solid series starter, but it wasn’t without flaws.

The world-building took some getting used to. Kova’s entire magic system revolves around tarot cards: the ability to read them traditionally, “inking” them, where an arcanist creates them using special ink and blank cards and, lastly, wielding them in a fight. The first two aspects were simple and straightforward. I thought the wielding element was the coolest of the three, though for some reason it reminded me of Yu-Gi-Oh! or Pokémon. As a tarot fan, I found Kova’s interpretation fairly basic. Anyone familiar with the cards can easily determine whether a card belongs to fire, earth, water, or air. She didn’t go beyond those basics, and it felt like the research didn’t extend past a quick Google search. Everything stayed very surface level.

The pacing was slow and, at times, a struggle to get through. The book felt unnecessarily long and while I have no problem reading chunky novels, this one seemed three times longer than it actually was, and it failed to hold my attention for much of the time. I didn’t care for most of the characters, especially the female protagonist, Clara. If you’ve read any of Kova’s books, you’ll notice a pattern with her heroines: the underdog who inevitably becomes “the chosen one,” the all-powerful figure no one saw coming… except we all saw it coming. Clara, however, was annoyingly arrogant for most of the book. Like many romantasy heroines, she’s brimming with “female rage,” driven by hate and revenge against those who wronged her or her loved ones. Same shit, different book. I lost track of how many times I rolled my eyes. I wanted to DNF, but having made it past the halfway point, I pushed on. Kaelis (atrocious name), the prince, was selfish but at least upfront about what he wanted and who he was. While that honesty was refreshing, he was still a run-of-the-mill male lead; the same type found in countless other romantasies. Their fake relationship was irritating from start to finish. I didn’t believe it at the start, and I didn’t believe it at the end. Clara’s hot-and-cold attitude toward Kaelis made it worse; one moment she’s lusting after him, the next she’s plotting his downfall. You’d think the fake relationship would be the highlight of a romantasy, but I couldn’t care less.

The book didn’t truly get good until about 80% in, when Clara went head-to-head with Eza during the final trial. Speaking of the trials, they were overly simplified and low stakes. It felt like the author spent too much time on Clara and Kaelis’s bland relationship, letting the world-building and big scenes fall to the wayside. While there were some good moments scattered throughout, they were far and few between. The only redeeming portion of the book was the final trial and everything that followed. Those last sections were excellent, and I am genuinely curious to see what happens next. And yes, I totally saw that ending coming.

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

Title: The Knight and the Moth

Author: Rachel Gillig

Genre: Romantasy

Series: The Stonewater Kingdom # 1

Publication: May 20, 2025, 400 pages

Source: Libby 

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Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum's windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams.

Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical, and devilishly handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil's visions. But when Sybil's fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral's cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she'd rather avoid Rodrick's dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god.

MY THOUGHTS

I read The Shepherd King duology by Rachel Gillig when it first released. I loved the first book, but the sequel left me disappointed. With that in mind, I approached her new series with some hesitation. When it comes to a new series, there are usually two outcomes: either the author captures the same magic as before, or ends up rehashing what they already know. Unfortunately, The Knight and the Moth does neither.

As one of this year’s most anticipated releases, The Knight and the Moth completely misses the mark. The plot and worldbuilding were weak and lackluster. The entire book centers around Diviners a.k.a damaged girls cloistered away from the world, worshipped for their ability to see the future. The story follows Sybil, a Diviner, as she searches for her missing sisters with the help of the king and his knights. The plot was so mind-numbingly boring that I struggled to stay engaged. I didn’t care about the story, the stakes (barely any), or the characters. The pacing was painfully slow, and the concept unexceptional and uninteresting. The whole idea with the coins? I thought it was dumb.  As for the villain, I figured out their identity within the first 20% of the book, which made the ending entirely underwhelming.

Sybil was an unlikeable protagonist. There wasn’t a single trait; physical or otherwise that made her as special as the abbess, Benji, or Rory claimed she was. She’s one of the blandest, most irritating characters I’ve read in a long time. I didn’t understand why she was knighted and, honestly, I didn’t care. Rory, the love interest, wasn’t any better. His sudden shift from cold disdain to obsessive, overprotective “alpha male” made zero sense. Just days earlier, he was insulting her. Suddenly, he’s a lovesick puppy ready to throw his life away for her? Please. It was weird, unconvincing, and absolutely not the “enemies to lovers” dynamic it may have been aiming for.

And for anyone saying Bartholomew was the only funny or worthwhile character, lies. The only time he was remotely interesting was at the very end, when we learn the truth about him. But even that wasn’t enough to save this trainwreck of a book.

I’m highly disappointed. I expected it to be on par with One Dark Window, or at the very least, better than the entire Shepard Duology. But it was actually worse. I don’t recommend it and while I’m glad I finished it to satisfy my curiosity, this will be the last Gillig book I ever read.