Isaiah Roby's Blog: MI Book Reviews

The Works of Vermin

I already admired Hiron Ennes’ vision in Leech, and The Works of Vermin absolutely stunned me with its layers of worldbuilding and the twists and turns that masterfully unravel as the plot progresses.

He was sent to kill a pest. Instead, he found a monster.
Enter the decadent, deadly city of Tiliard, a metropolis carved into the stump of an ancient tree. In its canopy, the pampered elite warp minds with toxic perfume; in its roots, gangs of exterminators hunt a colossal worm with an appetite ...

Queen Demon

Witch King ended on an incredibly high note for me, and my only complaint was that by the time I finally felt like I fully understood what was going on, the book was over, and no sequel was announced. Therefore, I was absolutely thrilled to finally be able too read Queen Demon.

Dahin believes he has clues to the location of the Hierarchs’ Well, and the Witch King Kai, along with his companions Ziede and Tahren, knowing there’s something he isn’t telling them, travel with him to the rebuilt u...

The Golden Raven

I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t really enjoy The Sunshine Court, and I can also admit that a lot of that was because of how heavy it was, while also not giving a (happy) conclusion to Jean’s story (yet).
The Golden Raven was much more up my speed – it was still heavy, but not quite as unbearably so as The Sunshine Court, and while it still doesn’t give a conclusion to Jean’s story, it ends on a much higher note.

I do not care what they think of me. I can’t. It only matters that I pla...

To Clutch a Razor

I greatly enjoyed When Among Crows, and To Clutch a Razor was even more fun.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth pulls from Slavic folklore to explore family, duty, and what it means to be a monster in this sequel to the USA Today bestselling novella When Among Crows.

A funeral. A heist. A desperate mission.
When Dymitr is called back to the old country for the empty night, a funeral rite intended to keep evil at bay, it’s the perfect opportunity for him to get his hands on his ...

When Among Crows

Interesting take on urban fantasy inspired by Slavic folklore.
I am definitely gonna look up some of the peoples and creatures mentioned in this, some of them I have never heard of before.

When Among Crows is swift and striking, drawing from the deep well of Slavic folklore and asking if redemption and atonement can be found in embracing what we most fear.

We bear the sword, and we bear the pain of the sword.
On Kupala Night, Dymitr arrives in Chicago’s monstrous, magical underworld with a peri...

Spread Me

One of my most anticipated releases of 2025 – SciFi horror about something looking for a host, with the tagline “Man is the wettest place to hide“, written by Sarah Gailey? I was incredibly excited. I also saw some other reviewers say this is “The Thing but hornier” and I was even more hooked.

Kinsey has the perfect job as the team lead in a remote research outpost. She loves the solitude, and the way the desert keeps her far away from the temptations teeming out in the civilian world.
When h...

Cleaning Spells before Courtship

Absolutely adorable end (?) to the Fae & Human Relations series, pairing up Sage Ravenwing who was so antagonistically spurned in Breeze Spells and Bridegrooms.

To look at someone and to truly see them were entirely different.

Summer 1814: Moody fae Sage Ravenwing is on his way to the country estate of Wyndham and Roger Wrenwhistle – and very confused as to why he was even invited.
Still pining after Wyndham and nursing a grudge against Roger, Sage reluctantly joins the raucous house party, wh...

Shade Spells with Strangers

I found the Fae & Human Relations series earlier this year, and I absolutely fell in love with this queernorm historical romantasy setting, not least because it’s much more diverse than most romantasy or historical books I’ve come across.

I don’t think I’ll ever find a light that shines as bright as you.

London, 1814: hopelessly romantic fae Keelan Cricket has grown listless since returning to town. He agrees to help the Council study fae-human magic, eager to erase the memory of his passiona...

Try Your Worst

“Sadie Katz and Cleo Chapman have been rivals since birth. Literally. They entered the world competing to be the first baby born in the new year, a title Cleo ultimately won. And she’s been nonchalantly winning at just about everything since—much to Sadie’s chagrin. Now in the fall of their senior year, Sadie and Cleo are neck-and-neck for valedictorian. But when a string of increasingly serious pranks take over their school, the perpetrator deliberately sets up Sadie and Cleo to take the fall.

...

The Drowners

“For Aaron, this world is an unfathomable puzzle. Haunted by disturbing dreams, he drifts through empty days, shielding himself behind sarcasm and cynical wit. After being expelled, he sees an opportunity to rewrite his future at a new school. Connecting over a shared love for De Niro films with Robbie, an aspiring actor of Jamaican descent, he unexpectedly finds his companion piece, one person who truly understands him. Together, they navigate the chaotic waters of adolescence, from dramatic fi...