Hecate Reads – Because I just can't seem to keep my opinions to myself

I have a Little Free Library on my front lawn, and every once in a while somebody will drop off something interesting so I’ll grab it to read for myself. Recently somebody left a half-dozen historical romance books so I thought I would check them out. Promises to Keep was one of them. I hadn’t […]

Romantasy

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

August 14, 2025

Hecate

The library hold list for anything Sarah J Mass is crazypants. Finally this book arrived – looking absolutely tortured. It’s very obviously a popular series. I guess I was just lucky that I actually got the first one in the series. I have all the sequels on hold, so hold your breath to find out […]

Romance

Haunting Adeline by H D Carlton

August 9, 2025

Hecate

Oh boy, this book. Where do I even start. OK, so two things. The first thing, rape fantasy is NOT uncommon. At all. It serves a function, especially for people who are raised in a culture where sexuality is not always treated in a healthy manner. (In other words, all of us.) Fantasizing about rape […]

Romantasy

The Emperor of Evening Stars by Laura Thalassa

August 8, 2025

Hecate

When I reserved this book from the library I didn’t realize that it isn’t part of the main plot line. Instead it’s the story of Des’ childhood, growing up with his mother and hiding from his father the King until he gets a chance to kill the man who sired him and take over the […]

Romantasy

Dark Harmony by Laura Thalassa

August 7, 2025

Hecate

We now enter the next part of the Thief of Souls’ plan as all the sleeping warriors start waking up and attacking their kingdoms. In retrospect, it was probably a bad idea to inter them with their weapons. The quest to figure out WHY IS FATHER ALIVE takes them to a place that is leeched […]

Romantasy

A Strange Hymn by Laura Thalassa

August 6, 2025

Hecate

So book 2 picks up right away from book 1. Callie is traumatized by her wings. I won’t lie, I find it really weird that she doesn’t want wings. I want wings. She can give me her wings. I guess it’s because he’s 500 years old, but Des’ taste in band t-shirts always makes me […]

Romantasy

The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

July 31, 2025

Hecate

I really enjoyed this series. Enemies-to-lovers is one of my favourite tropes and I so rarely see it done well. I think Black did an excellent job of portraying two people who resent, fear, and mistrust each other who are still irrevocably pulled into each others’ orbit. Their relationship is so fraught they are both […]

Romantasy

The Wicked King by Holly Black

July 28, 2025

Hecate

I DID NOT SEE THAT ENDING COMING HOLY SHIT!!! That’s it. That’s the post. OK, starting right with that curve-ball, I have trouble believing that Cardan isn’t banishing Jude in part because it will keep her safe. He saw what shape she was in when she returned from Queen Orlagh’s court. Jude is going to […]

Romantasy

Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa

July 26, 2025

Hecate

I had seen this title recommended by BookTok as a series to check out if one likes their romantic fantasy a lot darker. I’ll be honest I wasn’t sure what that meant, so I figured I’d give this title a go. My eventual conclusion was that the only real difference is that the rape scenes […]

Romantasy

A Reign of Rose by Kate Golden

July 21, 2025

Hecate

The book opens with a memory of Arwen as a child following Halden and Ryder into her step-father’s shed. When Halden gets hurt Arwen heals him, the first time she ever uses her power. Ryder sneaks off and abandons them. It does kind of lay the groundwork for who Ryder turned out to be as […]