Ben & Books

The Ben & Books Top 10 Reads of 2025

Dec 30, 2025

2025 has been an interesting year for me. I finally graduated with MA in Publishing, I started writing reviews of books both on my blog and on Instagram, and most importantly, I read more books in 2025 than in any year previously. For the first time in my life, I allowed myself to try different genres, having been mostly interested in epic fantasy and gothic horror. Although I still read plenty of books from those genres, my expanded interest in reading this year allowed me to take in stories that I would have normally missed out on, and many of them stuck with me for a long time after finishing them. Hilarious satires, emotional love stories, and devastating character dramas surprised me throughout the year, and I found many new authors who I cannot wait to read more from in 2026 and beyond. So, as the final thing I will post in 2025, here are my top 10 reads of the year:

10. The Book of Witching

A gothic mystery across the centuries, The Book of Witching takes the events of a real-life witch trial in 1594 and seamlessly blends it with the events of the story in 2024, with shocking twists that shape both timelines in unexpected ways. An emotional and brilliantly researched historical epic, The Book of Witching cemented C.J. Cooke as one of my favourite authors in the genre.

9. A Language of Dragons

Like the Hunger Games, but with dragons. A dystopia wrapped in politics, linguistics, and dragon fire, this book introduced me to a fascinating new world, with fantastic characters forming new relationships, friendships, and rivalries. An absorbing and exciting beginning to a new YA fantasy trilogy, A Language of Dragons leaves me very excited to see where the series goes in its 2026 sequel, A War of Wyverns.

8. The Outcast Mage

After months of trying out different genres and writing styles, returning to epic fantasy with The Outcast Mage in November was like reconnecting with an old friend. With political intrigue in a city split between mages and non-mages, the action follows four wildly different POV characters as they try to survive in a city teetering on the brink of war. With a wonderfully unique magic system and a world full of life, The Outcast Mage is the beginning of a fantasy series that I very much look forward to returning to.

7. Atmosphere

My favourite book cover of 2025. This historical love story between two 1980s astronauts had me gripped from the very beginning with beautifully written relationships growing throughout the books, and with its exciting, heartbreaking action. A story of forbidden love and overcoming systemic barriers, Atmosphere will stay with me for a very long time, as a reminder that love can overcome any barrier.

6. How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying

The funniest book I read in 2025. A wonderful satire of high fantasy tropes, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying blends brutally dark humour and cultural references with surprisingly deep emotional moments to create a fantasy story that is non-stop fun from the first page. My first experience of footnotes in a fiction book, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying has forever changed my expectations of what a fantasy satire can look like.

5. The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre

A slasher set in a retirement home, and the biggest surprise of 2025. When I first picked up this book, I thought it would be a fun little read that I would forget about shortly after finishing. I did not expect this to somehow be in my top 5 books of the year. Yet here we are. A surprisingly charming and brutal slasher story with a deep melancholy at its heart, this story warms the heart with the beautiful friendship it builds, only to break the heart as it cruelly kills off these friends in a brutal fashion. An addictive story of countless twists and turns, The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre will stay with me for a very long time as a reminder that anyone can be a hero.

4. The Last Gifts of the Universe

I bought this book for the cat on the cover. What I did not expect was the emotional rollercoaster I was about to experience over the next 200 pages. A lonely journey across a dying universe, The Last Gifts of the Universe packs exciting action, emotional drama, and a long-dead tragic romance brilliantly into its short-read time. A story of adventure and grief, The Last Gifts of the Universe creates a wildly interesting world that I eagerly look forward to returning to in future books. It also has an adorable cat in a spacesuit, so why haven’t you read it yet?

3. Sunrise on the Reaping

I’m still not over this. It has been nearly 10 months, and I’m still not over this. For years the Hunger Games fandom has been desperate to see Haymitch’s story, and we were rewarded with the most emotionally devasting book of the series so far. Like with the rest of the books in the series, Sunrise on the Reaping has all the propaganda, intrigue, and violence we have become accustomed to in Panem, but with the dread of the inevitable oncoming tragedy that we the readers are utterly powerless to stop. A devastating tragedy with a sprinkling of hope, Sunrise on the Reaping is a timely reminder that light can be found in even the darkest places.

2. The Court of the Dead

A book by my favourite author, featuring my favourite character in the series, The Court of the Dead was basically guaranteed a place on this list when it was announced back in February. A direct sequel to The Sun and the Star, this book follows Nico Di Angelo and Will Solace as the events of their quest through Tartarus continues to have lasting effects on both them and the world around them. Rick Riordan’s humour and worldbuilding is at its absolute best here, with an action-packed story with shocking twists and deeply emotional character developments for both the characters we have known for years, and the new characters introduced in the book. A stunning return to my favourite fictional universe, The Court of the Dead is an excellent reminder that no one is beyond redemption, if they want to become better.

1. The List of Suspicious Things

The List of Suspicious Things is the best book I read in 2025. A spectacular prose, and a beautifully written story of friendship and community in 1970s Yorkshire, Jennie Godfrey expertly captures the anxiety of an area gripped by economic strife and the spectre of the Yorkshire Ripper. Although the mystery of the Yorkshire Ripper is the centre of the plot in the story, the heart of The List of Suspicious Things is in the community of it’s Yorkshire setting. The beginnings and endings of friendships and relationships, the local slang, the effects of racism and sexism in 1970s Yorkshire all come together in a story that beautifully details the joys and sorrows that comes with growing up. If you have to read one book from 2025 next year, then make it The List of Suspicious Things.

Which month features the most in this list?

Having read over 60 books this year, I expected that this top 10 list would be evenly spread over the year. But surprisingly, the second half of the year has taken most of the spots in the list. This is due to a very productive November, where an incredible three books jumped immediately into the list, knocking off a few favourites that had been there for most of the year.

November (3), September (2), December (1), May (1), March (1), October (1), August (1)

Honourable Mentions

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

A Witch in Time by Constance Sayers

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

The Burial Plot by Elizabeth Macneal

The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal

Strange Pictures by Uketsu

Strange Houses by Uketsu

Katabasis by R.F. Kuang

Impossible Creatures: The Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell

Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
Looking to the Future: My 2026 Reading Wishlist

Nov 24, 2025

2025 has been a brilliant year for me, in terms of reading. With over 50 books read, it has been by far my most active year, undoubtably helped by factors such as the Publishing MA that I completed this year, and my choice to start reviewing books on my blog and Instagram. Throughout the year I have read books that I have eagerly awaited all year from familiar and favourite authors such as Catherine Rundell and Rick Rioedan. I have also found new and unexpected favourites from books that I normally wouldn’t have looked at. I have found new horror favourites through Grady Hendrix and C.J. Cooke, I have been mystified by the unique mystery storytelling of Uketsu, I have gone on unforgettable fantasy adventures with S.F. Williamson and Riley August, and I have been left utterly heartbroken by Jennie Godfrey. And as 2025 goes into its final month, I find myself often looking to next year. What books am I looking forward to the most? Which new books and authors will surprise me this year? So, with a view to 2026, here are the five books I am most looking forward to next year:

A War of Wyverns by S.F. Williamson (1.1.2026)

Ever since I finished A Language of Dragons back in September, I have been desperate to return to the story to see how it ends. With a beautifully written world, deep and compelling characters, and a shocking, cliffhanger ending, I cannot wait to finally pick up a copy of A War of Wyverns and see the conclusion of this epic YA fantasy series.

The Barbecue at No.9 by Jennie Godfrey (12.02.2026)

The List of Suspicious Things was one of my favourite reads of 2025. Charming and heartbreaking in equal measure, it made for a book that I still think about even months later. Thus, when a new novel by Jennie Godfrey was announced, I was naturally very interested in it. I cannot wait to see what this new novel, set in the summer of 1985, will bring.

Strange Buildings by Uketsu (26.2.2026)

Having read both Strange Pictures and Strange Houses in one sitting each earlier this year, the announcement of another mystery book by Uketsu was more than welcome to me. I have no doubt that this next book will be just as creepy, unique, and gripping as the other two were.

A Planet Called Happy by Riley August (23.7.2026)

The Last Gifts of the Universe was probably the biggest surprise of 2025. A book I originally bought just for the cat on the cover, I did not expect the raw, emotional beauty of the book I was about to read. So, with the announcement of another book set in the same universe, I am naturally very excited to see what will happen in A Planet Called Happy.

Impossible Creatures Book 3 by Catherine Rundell (27.8.2026)

Both books in Catherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures series have been favourites of mine in 2024 and 2025, so naturally the third instalment of the fantasy series is one that I am looking forward to very much. With book 3 being the mid-point of the series, I cannot wait to see what new characters, twists, and most importantly, what new magical and mythical creatures are to come.
The Court of the Dead Review

Oct 17, 2025

A new book from my favourite author? A sequel to my favourite book in the series? Featuring my favourite character? Yeah, this review was always going to happen. The Court of the Dead is yet another exciting and emotional return to the Riordanverse, with both returning and new characters providing the trademark charm and humour that is expected from Riordan. The Court of the Dead is not only laugh out loud funny, but also sad, charming, and shocking in equal measure, and although it feels like the end of the story for some characters, it feels like just the beginning of a whole new story for the several newly introduced characters.

So, let’s talk about Nico di Angelo. Introduced as far back as the third Percy Jackson book, Nico’s journey has been longer and more expansive than arguably any other character in the series. Across three different series and 12 books, we’ve seen Nico losses, heartbreak, and pain, but we have also seen him find love, learn to make new friends and trust them, and overcome his demons, sometimes literally. The Court of the Dead feels like the natural end point of Nico’s story, and as that story comes to its end, I am so happy that I have had the chance to see such a wonderfully written, beautifully deep character grow across all these books.

“Wasn’t the world full of odd ones out?” this quote from the book is a perfect summary of the story of the Court of the Dead. At its heart, this book is a story about accepting your past and looking to the future, learning to live with grief and carry on with your life after loss, and overcoming societal expectations and preconceived idea over who and what you should be, to live your life however you want to. It is in these themes where the characters truly shine, as well-known returning characters like Nico and Will show how much their characters have grown since their first appearances, and new characters defy the expectations of them in a surprising and endearing fashion.

The story of the Court of the Dead feels refreshing, yet familiar. It feels great to see Camp Jupiter again, and reading about all the familiar sights, characters, and traditions of the Roman camp feels very comforting. Yet, like the characters in the story, the camp feels like a different place, almost as though it has grown and changed with the characters through the events of the last few years.

The villains of the Court of the dead are excellently written. Although they don’t present the world ending threat of the giants and titans of past books, they feel like more of an insidious threat to the characters and world. They’re insecure, afraid of change, and hold a deceptive amount of power, and they feel dangerous in a way that is much scarier than an evil god. The reveal of the identities of these villains is one of the most ridiculous and over the top chapters in any of these books I have ever read, and it sets them up to be one of the most entertaining villains Riordan has ever written.

The Court of the Dead is an excellent sequel to what is arguably the best book in the Riordanverse. It is a story of redemption and change, of love and grief, of friendship and trust. Sharp in humour and deep in emotions, this book beautifully captures the growth that some of the most popular and interesting characters in the world of Percy Jackson have gone through since their introduction to the series years ago. Although the Court of the Dead feels like an ending for some of these characters, it also feels like a fresh new beginning for the series, and although it feels somewhat bittersweet to say goodbye to so many incredible characters, it is also very exciting to imagine what will come next in the series.
A Language of Dragons Review

Sep 29, 2025

A Language of Dragons is a thrilling and absorbing fantasy of dragons, linguistics, and intrigue. Set in an alternative 1920s London, where dragons have evolved alongside humans, this book provides a wonderful imagining of how beautiful and magical, yet terrifying and dangerous such a world could become. A tale of codebreaking, politics, and war, A Language of Dragons takes familiar elements from other YA dystopias, such as The Hunger Games, and twists them into a uniquely fiery blend of linguistics, love, and loss that leaves the reader both thrilled and heartbroken throughout the story.

The alternative London in which A Language of Dragons is set in is a war ravaged, dystopian nightmare. An oft-mentioned war in the recent past has created a rift between humans and dragons, with older characters regularly remembering the times before the war when humans and dragons lived side by side in peace. The few dragons that are shown to be living and working with humans are either prisoners from the war or treated badly by the humans. There is a deep feeling of tension throughout the book as rebels and revelations threaten the fragile peace between humans and dragons.

But it is not just the divide between humans and dragons that creates tension in the story, as the different classes in human society threaten to clash too. Society in London is divided into three classes, with education, food, and healthcare extremely limited for those in the lowest class, with travel between the zones allocated to the classes limited to keep the people divided. Naturally, demotion to the lowest class is used as a punishment for lawbreaking and dissent, with this possibility acting as a constant threat to the main characters throughout the story, with regular reminders of how bad their lives would be, used as motivation to ensure that they complete their tasks.

One of the more interesting elements of A Language of Dragons is how language itself is used to tell the story. As dragons have evolved alongside humans, their languages have evolved in a similar way, with dragons of different countries and areas having both different languages and different accents. As this means that both humans and dragons can learn each other’s languages, this creates so many interesting scenarios centred entirely around talking. This also raises many interesting questions when reading the book, do dragons have slang? Body language? Do they swear? These possibilities left me eagerly waiting for the next bit of information that told me more about the languages of the dragons as I read through the book.

The worldbuilding in A Language of Dragons is nothing short of phenomenal. The history, society, and lore of this incredibly fascinating world is slowly revealed to the reader in between the action, politics and intrigue of the story at a pace that never feels like it is telling you too much at one time. This is a world that truly feels alive as you read it, you can feel the pain and anger of the characters as they live through the various horrors and dangers of the dystopian world they live in.

A Language of Dragons is a thrilling introduction to a beautiful world. This book hits hard from the start, with exciting action, political intrigue, and devastating betrayals. It is a truly wonderfully written YA dystopia, wrapped in fire and possibly the most interesting language system I have ever read. I am so glad that the absolutely beautiful cover caught my attention all those months ago, now I am eagerly awaiting the sequel that is due to come out at the beginning of 2026.
The List of Suspicious Things Review

Aug 7, 2025

The List of Suspicious Things is an enthralling and emotional read, a charming and heartbreaking story of mystery, friendship, and the pains of growing up. As you read The List of Suspicious Things, it feels like the world inside the book begins to come alive around you. Every friendship and heartbreak that Miv experiences is laced with feeling of excitement and dread that is familiar to anyone who has suffered through the range of emotions that is an inevitability of growing up. Anxiety seeps through every page as the small 1970s Yorkshire community you are dropped into not only worries about the financial burdens of the economic situation they faced at the time, but also the unknown and menacing figure of the Yorkshire Ripper who was terrorising the county at the same time.

This is where the titular list comes in. The suspicion that infected communities in the wake of the murders committed by the Yorkshire Ripper grabs the attention of the teenage protagonists, Miv and Sharon, as they decide to make a list of all the people in their lives who could be considered suspicious, determined to be the ones to catch the killer who terrorised Yorkshire for years. As the story evolves, the list does with it, with new names added and removed as they’re discovered and investigated, a process that is represented through notes written in Miv’s notebook at the end of chapters, acting as a recap of what we have learned in the pages before. There’s a genuine feeling of progress, as new information is slowly given to the reader throughout the book, and the childish hope that they might catch the killer that the characters feel starts to become an empathetic dream of the reader too.

But The List of Suspicious Things is not about the murder mystery, it is about the people. It is about friendship and community, loss and grief, and the anxieties and pain that comes with growing up. While the list and the murders provide an excellent plot to centre the characters, the true magic in the writing comes from the relationships between the characters. As you read, the community around you grows, new and unlikely friendships are formed, characters you meet are surprisingly linked together, and families struggle to make it through the difficult times they’re living through. The heart of The List of Suspicious Things is in its characters, and every character is unique and brilliantly written, every story is told with a wonderful mix of humour and sensitivity that brings every unique character to life beautifully. The List of Suspicious Things is unapologetically Yorkshire, from the slang used by the characters to the banter they have with each other, to the point where I had to search the meanings of what characters were saying to each other at times.

The biggest strength of The List of Suspicious Things comes in its structure. Miv is the perfect example of the unreliable narrator, with the first-person narration of a child desperately trying to catch a serial killer to avoid having to move away from her friend providing the perfect opportunity for misunderstandings and mistakes through the story. Miv’s suspicion of everyone around her is a brilliant representation of the suspicion and fear felt around Yorkshire at the time of the Yorkshire Ripper’s reign of terror. This is beautifully contrasted by the chapters written from the perspectives of other characters. Written from a third-person perspective, these chapters not only give important context on the actions that make them suspicious in Miv’s eyes but also add a new layer to the feeling of community in the book as we get to see a glimpse into the complexities of their lives.

The List of Suspicious Things is a wonderfully written story of friendship and community in difficult times. Jennie Godfrey takes the fears and anxieties of 1970s Yorkshire, in the grips of economic strife and under the shadow of the Yorkshire Ripper and turns it into a beautiful and sensitively written tale, full of humour and emotion, that refuses to become too heavy, despite its dark setting. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and you will not be able to put it down. When it comes to choosing my favourite books that I have read in 2025, The List of Suspicious Things will no doubt be very close to the top of that list.
Ben Gilman Portfolio

Jul 28, 2025

This is a portfolio of my work from the MA Publishing course at the University of Central Lancashire.

Audio Editing

Tamsin Mori-Gargoyles Chapter 3 (With Music)

Music Credit: Spooky piano tune by Victor_Natas — https://freesound.org/s/544911/ — License: Attribution 4.0

Tamsin Mori-Gargoyles Chapter 3 (Without Music)

Tamsin Mori-Gargoyles Chapter 9 (With Music)

Music Credit: inister Rose by ViraMiller — https://freesound.org/s/744878/ — License: Attribution 4.0

Tamsin Mori-Gargoyles Chapter 9 (Without Music)

Macro Environment

Robots Vs Writers The Growing AI Threat To The Publishing Industry Download

Social Media Audit

Social Media Audit Download

Book Proposals

Book Proposal Future Proof Download

Book Proposal Horsing Around Download

Book Proposal the voiceless Download

POS Material

Court of the Dead POS Download

Gargoyles POS Download

The Voiceless POS Download

Cover Design

Social Media: Instagram
2015-2025: How I Learned to Believe in Myself Again

Jul 23, 2025

Normally I only ever post about books, but today I would like to talk about something very different to that; me. I find it quite difficult to talk about myself, but I feel that the journey I have had over the last decade is one that may be interesting enough to write down. Maybe people will learn something from it, maybe someone will see this and be inspired to start their own journey. Admittedly it isn’t the most exciting story you will ever read, but it is mine, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Ten years ago, I was struggling through what I hope was the worst time of my life. Unemployed and stuck in a seemingly endless cycle of sending hundreds of job applications that ultimately ended with either silence or a failed interview, it felt like there was no hope. Every rejection email, every pointless CV writing course, every judging stare in the jobcentre hurt infinitely more than the last, and I am ashamed to say that I felt like giving up in more than one occasion.

I had a very complicated relationship with education. Bullied throughout school, to the point where my final two years were spent desperately trying to find ways to avoid the place, inevitably I left with zero qualifications and somehow even less confidence. For the next few years, my feeble attempts at further education ended in the same way, failure. Even the vaguest dream of university felt like an impossibility. Although I had always wanted to go to university, I found myself finding new excuses to avoid even trying. First, I was too stupid, I had no qualifications and no way to improve that. Second, I was too shy, university is a social experience as well as an educational one, and there’s no way I’d survive that. Finally, then I was too late, I had waited too long and there was no way I could do it now. I was wrong.

In late 2015, I decided to give it a try. I decided that I would get into university, no matter how difficult or stressful it would be. I looked up pathways into universities and decided, whatever courses I needed to do, whatever difficulties I was going to face, that I would find a way there. After all, if I failed it wouldn’t change anything, but if I succeeded, it would change everything.

It is now July 2025, and next week I will complete a MA in Publishing. In the decade since I made that decision, I have gone from unemployed to having had the same job for the last seven years. I have gone from never leaving the house to traveling across the country regularly for fun. And I have gone from having such low confidence that I couldn’t make a phone call to performing poetry and giving talks to college students. There have been setbacks of course, I have lost some dear friends, and there was the pandemic that we all had to suffer through. But I have also made countless new friends, built up my confidence massively, and reignited my love of reading over these years, all because a decade ago, I made the decision to try.

For years I believed I wasn’t good enough, I believed there were so many things were an impossibility for me to achieve, and I believed the words of cruel people when they put me down. And this is why I chose to write this. If you are reading this and you are in the same position I was in a decade ago, if you think you are not good enough, not confident enough to succeed, if you feel like it is too late to follow your dreams, know that this is not true. It doesn’t matter what people say, what your past says, and it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve travelled around the sun, all that matters is you. whether you are 17 or 70, Go to university, write that book, learn that new skill, all that matters is you make that decision to try. Looking back to ten years ago, I barely recognise the person I was back then, and I only hope that in 2035, I will be able to look back to today and see the same progress.
Why Percy Jackson Revived My Love for Reading

Jun 26, 2025

It was the summer of 2021, and I was in a reading slump. The stresses of COVID and a year of the type of mandatory reading lists that can only come with am English Literature degree had caused such a massive reading burnout for me, that even the thought of picking up a book for fun would cause me to shudder with apprehension. Additionally, several scandals and controversies about an author whose books defined my childhood had eroded a lot of the nostalgia I had around reading. It was at this time that I finally decided to give the Percy Jackson books a chance. I admit, the movie adaptations of the first two books had put me off reading the books for a long time. Was I wrong about this? Was I missing out by not reading this series? Was I just about to find a new love of reading that would lead to me reading every book that Rick Riordan has released? Well never judge a book by its poorly thought-out movie adaptations, because the answer to all three of these questions is a resounding yes.

The biggest strength of the Percy Jackson books is in its characters. Percy is clever, sarcastic, and funny, but also not above making mistakes, some of his jokes don’t quite land, plans go wrong, and he’s sometimes wrong about who to trust. This makes Percy feel more human than some of the more confident and overly quippy protagonists in the genre. Annabeth and Grover are equally complex and interesting characters, and the dynamic between this trio of main characters is a lot of fun to read, as the friendship between the three grows organically throughout the series. The main trio are complimented excellently by a cast of family, gods, mentors, and campmates who add different relationships to the main character, from friends and rivals to teachers and enemies. Throughout the series, different characters will join or leave the main group for a quest, which makes every book feel unique and fresh as different combinations of characters work together in each story.

Every Percy Jackson book is brought together through two key points, the prophecy and the quest. The prophecies of Percy Jackson are perfectly modernised versions of those given out by the Oracle of Delphi in the stories of ancient Greece. A puzzle at first, the prophecies often have the reader guessing what certain lines mean or how they might come to pass, only to be blindsided by the actual conclusions when they come in the story. Full of doublespeak and mystery, these prophecies, and the subversion of expectations they often cause, are consistently the most intriguing part of the series. The quests Percy and his friends go on are very much like a Greek myth written for a modern audience. These adventures are frantically paced as Percy and his friends jump between encounters with enemies and allies, myths and monsters which are highly reminiscent of tales in Greek mythology, such as the Odyssey.

The worldbuilding in the Percy Jackson series is a wonderful mix of the mythological and the modern. Encounters with the multitude of monsters, mythological creatures, and heroes are told in a way that is instantly recognisable to those who have read the original stories, but with a modern twist which makes them feel refreshing and new to them but also gives readers new to the world of Greek mythology a solid understanding of the original story behind it. Throughout the series, famous figures from the past and modern day are revealed to be demigod children of the various Greek gods in ways that are often quite surprising but also make a lot of sense when you think about them. The world of Percy Jackson feels alive with lore and stories, and as each new book is released, with new gods, new powers, and new stories, the world feels more complex, more intriguing, and more exciting. Every new adventure in the world of Percy Jackson is a new opportunity for me to fully immerse myself into this amazing world that Rick Riordan has created, and I will always look forward to the next adventure.

Percy Jackson is the series that got me back into reading. At a time when reading fatigue made it difficult to read even one book, the characters, the magic, and the exciting action that Rick Riordan conjures in his writing made me desperate to read the next book, the next story, the next series, until, even after reading 18 books in the series of Greek mythology books, the release of the next one is the most exciting book events of the year for me. Without this renewed passion for reading, I wouldn’t have read some of my favourite books ever, and I would never have started writing reviews of books, one of the most fun things I have ever done. If like me, you’ve never read the Percy Jackson books and are wondering if you’re missing out, then I recommend picking them up, there’s a world of wonderful adventure waiting for you to begin.
A Witch In Time Review

Jun 18, 2025

A couple of weeks ago, I did something that I have planned to do since I started writing book reviews. I asked my followers on Instagram to vote for my next read. They overwhelmingly voted for A Witch In Time, and I am glad to say that they chose brilliantly. A Witch In Time is a beautifully dark and magical tragic romance, told through a mind breaking time loop that gradually reveals more information about the characters, with mystery and reveals that left me baffled and enthralled through the entire book.

The story of A Witch In Time is told through flashbacks in dreams, as each memory from every different life in the cursed time loop provides more detail and mystery to the reader. A sense of foreboding builds as every life, every repeat of the doomed romance, and our time in every different time period approaches its tragic end. Dark magic, demons, and witches haunt the pages as each new memory not only brings us closer to finding out the horrible truth behind the curse but also brings new threats to the characters.

The time hopping curse central to the story of A Witch In Time also takes the reader to several different and vibrant locations in the world. Whether its 19^th century France, 1930s Hollywood, or 1970s California, the world feels truly alive with interesting and flawed characters and beautifully written locations. Every new life we see is fuelled by the unique circumstances of the time, which means that, although we are seeing the same tragic love story on a time loop, the events, the characters, and the tragic end are all unique to that specific time and location. This leaves the reader with strange blend of DeJa’Vu and curiosity of how the latest timeline is going to both echo and differentiate from the others.

Although A Witch In Time is about a woman cursed to live the same life on repeat, every version of the main character feels completely different to the others, as differences in personality, dreams, and actions create unique characters that are ultimately doomed to lose their fight against their tragic fate. The artists muse Juliet is ambitious and naïve, the aspiring actress Nora is traumatised yet hopeful for the future, and the musician Sandra is intelligent and burdened with strange and dangerous power. And as Helen remembers these lives in 2012, the personalities, abilities, and experiences become a part of her as she gets closer and closer to finding out the truth behind her curse, and closer to potentially ending it.

A Witch In Time is a hauntingly beautiful, heartbreaking story of doomed lovers. It is a tragic romance wrapped in a time loop that confuses and compels you to keep reading, desperate to find answers as you read in horror as every character obliviously travels towards their tragic end, as demons and destiny haunts them in a battle that feels more inevitable than even. This is the second book written by Constance Sayers that I have read, and both of them have had a considerable impact on me. Her third book is on my TBR list and any new books that she writes will undoubtably be added to that list too. I would like to thank everyone on Instagram who voted for me to read this book, you all have wonderful taste, and I look forward to reading the next book you vote for.
Late to The Panem Party: A Somewhat Overdue Review of the Hunger Games Trilogy.

May 23, 2025

My first experience of The Hunger Games was ten years ago, when after the release of Mockingjay Part 2, I watched all the movies. Shortly after the last movie was released, I watched all four of them and unfortunately found them to be quite underwhelming. For some reason, whether it was how the movies were made, or the story did not resonate with me, I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy the movies in 2015. Due to this I had no intention of reading the books. I thought that as I had not enjoyed the movies, that I would similarly not enjoy the books. How wrong I was. Last year a good friend of mine suggested that I give them a try, and shortly after I picked up the Hunger Games for the first time. The books had the complete opposite effect, and after reading the first book, I became a big fan of the series.

The world of the Hunger Games is bleak. Panem is a depressingly dark and disturbingly familiar dystopia. The people of Panem are exploited, abused, and killed in a system where only a select few elites live lives of luxury in the Capitol. This is made considerably worse with the titular yearly Hunger Games, where the Capitol takes one boy and one girl from each district, sacrificing them in arena combat as punishment for a war that ended decades ago. The Hunger Games follows Katniss, a citizen of District 12, the poorest and most oppressed District in Panem. As a result, the world feels alive, dangerous, and desperate as you see the people struggling to survive, the power the Capitol holds over the people, and the deadly consequences that disobedience and rebellion brings to the people of Panem.

Outside of the action and violence of the games, the most interesting and thrilling scenes in The Hunger Games is through the politics that are going on behind the scenes. The biggest battle fought in Panem is through propaganda, from the Capitol using fake news and edited footage to gaslight the people of Panem and the rebels using propaganda videos to rile up the ordinary people into revolution, to Katniss and Peeta using the public interest in their relationship to stay alive. The Hunger Games are not just fought in the arena, but in the media and in the government itself. This threat is best shown through the villainous President Snow. Foreboding, clever, and cruel, Snow is an ominous threat that hangs over Katniss throughout the trilogy. He doesn’t need to be in the room to be scary, but when he is, he feels like a paralyzing force of nature, a bloodsucking horror movie monster in human form. While the action of the games might be the main selling point of the series, these political moves and propaganda between the violence are what makes the Hunger Games so compelling, seeing the revolution in action might be cool, but watching the revolution build through the desperation, anger, and hope of the people reach their boiling point is truly exhilarating.

The Hunger Games is a fantastic opener to the series. The world of Panem is beautifully introduced through the eyes of Katniss and District 12. From the opening chapters Katniss is a symbol of the coming revolution. From intentionally breaking the oppressive laws of the Capitol to openly challenging the concept of the games through subtle acts of defiance in the build to, and during the games. As a citizen of the poorest district, the odds are forever against Katniss throughout the book, this makes her fight to stay alive in the games, and in the politics and propaganda before the games, so much more compelling, as we all know how unlikely survival is for Katniss.

Catching Fire is an excellent continuation from the events of the Hunger Games. Consequences are suffered, politicians plot and plan in the background, and the revolution begins. In Catching Fire, everything that happened previously evolves and twists in captivating ways as Katniss and Peeta struggle to come to terms with what happened to them in the games and Katniss’ multiple acts of defiance have a potentially devastating effect, as a furious President Snow looms ominously in the background and the seeds of revolution begin to grow in Panem as a direct response. Catching Fire is a perfect bridge to set up the end of the trilogy.

Mockingjay ends the trilogy beautifully. Action packed, emotionally devastating, and full of unpredictable and unbelievable twists, this book takes everything set up in the previous two books and does everything it can to hurt you with it. Everything is bigger in Mockingjay, the violence has erupted from the confines of the arena to the entire of Panem, characters are given extra depth, often through heartbreaking back stories, and the propaganda battle becomes country wide. Catching Fire also brilliantly concludes Katniss’ evolution from unremarkable district girl to the symbol of the revolution. This book hurts you. You read along as bad things happen to people you like, and you desperately hope that they will find a way to win and be happy at the end. Mockingjay is the perfect end to an excellent trilogy that I wish I had read much earlier than I did.

As I started reading the Hunger Games trilogy 15 years after the final book, and 10 after the final movie, came out, I am definitely a newcomer to the series. However, I have never felt like that. Since opening The Hunger Games last year, I have felt like I have been a part of the fandom from the very beginning. The trilogy of books is so compelling, so exciting, and so heart-breaking, that it has even made the movies that I previously not enjoyed so much infinitely more enjoyable, due to the connections that I have formed with the many characters throughout the series. Since reading these books, I have read and loved both prequels, rewatched and enjoyed every movie, and even attended a midnight release for the new book, Sunrise on the Reaping. I may have arrived late to the Panem party, but I am incredibly excited to see what comes next for this excellent series.

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