During 2022 I have read 37 ARCs, which makes up just under a third of the number of books I read. More on that in the future, I don’t want to spoil my own post.
Honestly, this year hasn’t been amazing for ARCs for me personally. It wasn’t majorly difficult to narrow it down to just five. Usually, I struggle to pick my favourites, but there were quite a few standouts in 2022.
Every book mentioned in this post was sent to me in exchange for a review, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
A Hunt of Shadows (A Trial of Sorcerers #2) by Elise Kova
I’m forever grateful to Elise Kova for continually choosing me to review her books. She’s definitely become a favourite author of mine and the A Trial of Sorcerers series is quickly becoming a favourite.
Although I didn’t rate this book as highly as the previous one, I still really loved it. I actually think my lower rating (which was still 4.5 stars) was more to do with how long it took me to read/how I was feeling personally at the time. Usually, I give most of Elise’s books five stars.
I’m really hoping to get an ARC of the next book in the series, wish me luck.
Check out my full review of A Hunt of Shadows here.
Synopsis: Eira is now a champion of the Solaris Empire. She’s off to a land she’s only dreamed about. But a nightmare awaits her.
Her sworn enemy has escaped. His allies are powerful and deadly. And Eira finds herself tangled in the dangerous web of the undercity of Risen where the mysterious Court of Shadows and lethal Pillars battle for the fate of the kingdom.
But vengeance has a price. When Eira is captured by her enemies, it’s not only her life, but the lives of her friends, and the man she loves most, at stake. The woman she was won’t be enough to turn the tides churning against her from long before she was born. She’ll have to become something more. She’ll have to love deeper and fight fiercer than ever before.
The only way to kill a legendary champion, will be to become one herself.
This Wicked Fate (This Poison Heart#2) by Kalynn Bayron
Ever since I read Cinderella is Dead way back at the start of 2021, I’ve loved Kalynn Bayron. Especially the This Poison Heart series. Although I definitely didn’t enjoy the second book as much as the first.
The ending of This Wicked Fate was very open, which leads me to believe there may be more. But this is only supposed to be a duology I think. I’d love more.
If you’re looking for a great POC-sapphic read then you should definitely check out This Wicked Fate.
Read my full review of This Wicked Fate here.
Synopsis: Briseis has one chance to save her mother, but she’ll need to do the impossible: find the last fragment of the deadly Absyrtus Heart. If she is to locate the missing piece, she must turn to the blood relatives she’s never known, learn about their secret powers, and take her place in their ancient lineage. Briseis is not the only one who wants the Heart, and her enemies will stop at nothing to fulfill their own ruthless plans. The fates tell of a truly dangerous journey, one that could end in more heartache, more death. Bolstered by the sisterhood of ancient magic, can Briseis harness her power to save the people she loves most?
Foul Lady Fortune (Foul Lady Fortune #1) by Chloe Gong
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint. I loved These Violent Delights, which was actually my first ARC so it will always have a special place in my heart. I actually haven’t finished that duology yet, bad I know.
There were a few spoilers here and there, but nothing too major. Don’t quote me on that though.
I really, really loved Foul Lady Fortune, but not enough to give it five stars. My main issue was the length I think, but it was so long ago I can’t remember now.
Read my full review of Foul Lady Fortune here.
Synopsis: It’s 1931 in Shanghai, and the stage is set for a new decade of intrigue.
Four years ago, Rosalind Lang was brought back from the brink of death, but the strange experiment that saved her also stopped her from sleeping and aging—and allows her to heal from any wound. In short, Rosalind cannot die. Now, desperate for redemption from her traitorous past, she uses her abilities as an assassin for her country.
Code name: Fortune.
But when the Japanese Imperial Army begins its invasion march, Rosalind’s mission pivots. A series of murders is causing unrest in Shanghai, and the Japanese are under suspicion. Rosalind’s new orders are to infiltrate foreign society and identify the culprits behind the terror plot before more of her people are killed.
To reduce suspicion, however, she must pose as the wife of another Nationalist spy, Orion Hong, and though Rosalind finds Orion’s cavalier attitude and playboy demeanor infuriating, she is willing to work with him for the greater good. But Orion has an agenda of his own, and Rosalind has secrets that she wants to keep buried. As they both attempt to unravel the conspiracy, the two spies soon find that there are deeper and more horrifying layers to this mystery than they ever imagined.
Belladonna (Belladonna #1) by Adalyn Grace
I was actually quite surprised by how much I enjoyed Belladonna, not that I went into it with any opinions. I’ve never read anything by Adalyn Grace before, I’ve had one of her books on my to be read for years though.
The mystery was actually really interesting, but I didn’t really enjoy the romance. Maybe in the next instalment, I’ll be more on board with it.
Read my full review of Belladonna here.
Synopsis: Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-being—and each has met an untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy. Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties, while his son grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation, and his daughter suffers from a mysterious illness. But when their mother’s restless spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer.
However, Signa’s best chance of uncovering the murderer is an alliance with Death himself, a fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side. Though he’s made her life a living hell, Death shows Signa that their growing connection may be more powerful—and more irresistible—than she ever dared imagine.
Dark Room Etiquette by Robin Roe
Now, this is a book that completely surprised me. I did not go into this expecting to rate it five stars. From the get-go, I was completely gripped. Which I think came from knowing something was going to happen, but not how or when.
The tension that was built and then the feeling of Sayers forgetting who he was, was actually haunting. A great read.
Read my full review of Dark Room Etiquette here.
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Sayers Wayte has everything—until he’s kidnapped by a man who tells him the privileged life he’s been living is based on a lie.
Trapped in a windowless room, without knowing why he’s been taken or how long the man plans to keep him shut away, Sayers faces a terrifying new reality. To survive, he must forget the world he once knew, and play the part his abductor has created for him.
But as time passes, the line between fact and fiction starts to blur, and Sayers begins to wonder if he can escape . . . before he loses himself.
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Like this post? Why not read this one too: To Be Read: January 2023
[…] I’ll be the first to admit that I spent far too long listening to awful audiobooks in 2022. Looking back at everything I read, it’s actually quite difficult to choose five amazing reads as it’s not been a great year for quality. I’m not saying the books I’ve mentioned in this post are not incredible, they are. They’re actually most of the best ones – minus ARCs because I did a separate post on those last week (read it here). […]