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Buffyanna 🇨🇦

@buffyanna.canada

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Book lover. Beta reader. ARC reviews.
Former pro reviewer for InD’tale Magazine.
Visual media created on #CanvaCreate
Proud Canadian 🇨🇦

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🤠
Happy Release Day, Pamela O’Rourke!

Wild Sanctuary

Daisy Monroe returns to Glacier Ridge Ranch, the place where she spent her childhood summers, to write an article chronicling multigenerational ranching. But she has an ulterior motive to investigate whether the accident that killed her father, Tom Monroe, and his boss, ranch owner Bill Hartley was actually the result of foul play.

Wyatt Hartley has been running Glacier Ridge since his father’s death. Steady, reliable, and laconic. He’s wrapped himself tight with his longing for Daisy-girl, a woman who has consumed his desires since she left, but whom he is convinced he doesn’t deserve.

I fell completely in love with this love story that I didn’t know I needed. Cowboy romance isn’t one of my go-to genres (I know!) but as this is one of Pamela O’Rourke’s, I had to have it. I have never been disappointed by anything she has written, so I settled in to enjoy this like a shopaholic at a shoe sale.

Daisy and Wyatt’s relationship is full of mutual longing, true love, and deep emotion that hits to the core. Scenes at the ranch and nearby town of Blackstone Creek are so beautifully conveyed that the imagery evokes all the senses and reads like poetry. Wild Sanctuary is truly a delight to read. I’ve already marked my calendar for the next book, which I hope will feature one of Wyatt’s charming siblings.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ by @buffyanna.canada

🖤
Unlock My Heart 🗝️
NOLA Mobsters 2
Andrea Hagan
Releases August 24, 2026

“𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠, 𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮.”

Sienna D’Amico has been betrayed by the men in her life. The one she loved at eighteen broke her heart and failed her completely. The one she later married was a mafia capo, and treated her like a whore while parading his mistresses for all eyes to see. Darkness is the veil she weaves to shield herself from hurting.

“𝙄’𝙢 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩 …”

Fabien Calvani has served nearly a decade in prison for murder. Considering his mafia connection as eldest son of the Boss of New Orleans, the real reason for his incarceration is his disobedience. Fabien wanted to choose Sienna over his father’s wishes, but mistakes were made that cost him everything.

“𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣’𝙩 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚 …”

When we met Fabien and Sienna in Steal My Heart, these two were causing problems for younger brother Angelo Calvani and his new girlfriend Remi Landry. Bit by bit, their heartbreaking story unfurls to reveal two tortured souls.

“… 𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙.”

Fabien still loves Sienna and will do whatever it takes to win her back, even if it kills him. Sienna fights him. Ten years hasn’t diminished her pain. It hasn’t healed her. This otherwise sombre mafia tragedy still brings the hallmark cheekiness and verbal sparring that I love about Andrea Hagan’s novels. It has a bit of everything: sadness, trauma, humour, sexiness, grand romantic gestures, respectful amounts of necessary groveling, and an attack dog with personality. All the pieces are patiently and cleverly fitted together to deliver a love story with depth and beauty. I love all of it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ by @buffyanna.canada

👑
𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻
𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗺 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝟯
𝗥𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗰𝗮 𝗭𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶
𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟴, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

In the world of Grimm Bargains, gems and crystals are conduits between the physical and metaphysical realms and certain bloodlines have the rare ability to control the benefits of these gem transfers.

Ella Rendale lost control of her father’s social media empire, TimeGem, to her stepmother Sylveria years ago. But Ella plans to use her prodigious coding skills and her dominance over the citrines, which are the true power behind TimeGem, to win back her inheritance. While Ella was biding her time to execute this triumphant takeover, she experimented with an unwittingly deadly viral code that she unleashed on Malice Media, a media rival powered by garnets. For Thorn Beathach, owner of Malice, that rare ability to capitalize on gem energy also meant that he could be contaminated by Ella’s virus. Alana Beaumont, Ella’s best friend, fell in love with Thorn and was able to save him. But Thorn’s brother, Justice, was also affected and has been hiding his own illness for far too long.

One Shattered Crown is fairy tale retelling with dark humour poured onto the grumpy-sunshine trope. Justice Beathach needs Ella’s help and also wants to keep her safe. Ella is accustomed to freedom and clandestine operations and refuses to be locked down. What results is the mad dash at midnight replayed multiple times with escalating ingenuity. I was honestly looking forward to witnessing how many more ways Ella could escape from her prince! Dark romance is newer to Rebecca Zanetti’s prolific line-up but she executes it masterfully. Her trademark sexiness and suspense combines perfectly with the originality of the gem power mythology.

This Special Edition comes with sprayed edges and a reversible book jacket (swipe to see both covers.)

#GrimmBargains #OneShatteredCrown #CinderellaRetelling #DarkFairyTale #GemstoneMythology by @buffyanna.canada

🔪🪩⚖️

𝐇𝐨𝐭 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛
𝐀𝐬𝐡𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟏𝟒, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

What if feminism wore stilettos and had real bite? New to me author, Ashley Winstead, drew me in and mesmerized me.

On the surface, Hot Girl Murder Club is about women seeking justice from outside of a system rigged by rich and powerful men. But it’s not a simple story about female outlaws. The women that Ashley Winstead brings to life are complex, flawed, and realistic. In the sisterhood they subscribe to, not only is there no woman standing alone, there will be no woman left behind, even in death.

I love a thriller that keeps you on your toes and this one is a prime example. The characters struggle with questions of conscience, justice, and love. I think the beauty of Hot Girl Murder Club is that the reader isn’t merely cheering for an underdog but that there are twists and turns that have even the women themselves asking “Are we the monsters?” There’s a scene involving a midnight meeting of the sisterhood that had me literally breaking out into a full body shiver.

Hot Girl Murder Club is one of the best books I have read this year. Its themes are touchingly relevant, as well as profoundly mindful, of our current times.

I listened to the ALC from NetGalley. Brittany Pressley delivers an outstanding performance!

QOTD: what designer label would suit your secret undercover identity?

#HotGirlMurderClub #AshleyWinstead
@ashleywinsteadbooks @netgalley @minotaur_books by @buffyanna.canada

🪐
𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐲
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝟖
𝐁𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐚 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

SecUnit, aka Murderbot, embarks on a new mission, this time to rescue three of Ada Mensa’s family members. An old frenemy has unlawfully detained them on a highly integrated planet as bait to trigger this “clandestine extraction” so that her own family can hitch themselves to this rescue. If Murderbot could roll his eyes, he’d probably due so. Maybe he could write a subprogram to add to his “walk like a human” module.

I am seriously addicted to this series, first introduced to me by the TV series. In this case, the books are definitely better because it is absolutely amazing how Martha Wells has imagined this rogue SecUnit’s independent multi-tasking strategies and dry unemotional commentary on the inscrutability of human nature. Having taught himself to break free from the external control of his original programming, he has been a bit of bad influence on others of his same ilk. But he’s doing his best to “mentor” them to be the best cyborgs they can be.

This mission tackles further personality growth and humour as Murderbot is forced to coordinate efforts with humans who are unfamiliar to him, including a “juvenile,” while following orders to “do whatever it takes” to get them out of danger. Somehow, ethics, guilt, compassion, and happiness rear their unwanted heads into his calculations. Ugh! Frequent emotion checks are in order.

Things I loved about Platform Decay? Fast-paced, lots of action, plenty of sentimental moments for Murderbot to grumble about, humourous fun, and fond references to Murderbot’s friends (ahem, “his” humans.)

QOTD: What’s a book turned movie/TV series that has been well adapted?

#murderbot #murderbotdiaries #secunit #platformdecay #marthawells by @buffyanna.canada

🖤

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐲𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬
𝐁𝐲 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡
Canadian author 🇨🇦

𝘿𝙚𝙗𝙩 𝙎𝙤 𝙍𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨
𝙑𝙤𝙬 𝙎𝙤 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨
𝙂𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙎𝙤 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙠𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨
𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙥 𝙎𝙤 𝙁𝙡𝙖𝙬𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨
𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙤 𝙈𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨
𝘼𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡 𝙎𝙤 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨
➡️ (swipe for reviews)

When I came across Vero Heath by chance, it was as if in answer to a prayer. Dark romance. Morally grey heroes. He falls first, and hard. Canadian author with Canadian locations. Eloquent writing. Is this what it feels like to read bespoke?

The first book, Debt So Ruthless, has a Toronto 𝘊𝘰𝘴𝘢 𝘕𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢 Underboss issuing a bad loan to a slimy mob accountant because he has his eyes set on the collateral, the accountant’s talented violinist daughter. When he finally comes for her, Deirdre O’Malley only sees the unfairness of it all, the betrayal, the abandonment, the loss of freedom. Little does she know what Elio Titone is willing to sacrifice for his Songbird.

This series is emotional, engaging, and elegantly written. Vero Heath’s characters are drawn with highlighters; vibrant, electric, and shining off the page. They are the kind that linger in my head long after the final page is turned. I’m proud to add the Titans & Tyrants series to my recommended list for mafia romance aficionados.

QOTD: Can you recommend me books that are set in Canadian cities?

#TitansAndTyrants #DarkRomance #CanadianDarkRomance #MafiaRomance #VeroHeath by @buffyanna.canada

🖤

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 (𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝟔)
𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐜𝐚 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐝
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 (𝙣): 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜

A rival Quebec City Syndicate enforcer tried to harm the Maritime Syndicate’s mates, and Cain is determined to make him pay.

Nyx Nyzaire is the enemy’s daughter. She wears a spoiled party-girl exterior to hide her artistic alter ego, “The Haunt.” She’d like nothing more than to escape QCS, but if she’s caught, her father will find a way to make it hurt.

“𝘊𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘐’𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮.”

Oh, mon Dieu! Cain and Nyx are so sizzling hot that all it took was one lingering gaze at an underground gallery to ignite the inferno. I longed for every scene they had together and felt bereft every second they were apart.

“ … 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘰𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴: 𝘏𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦.”

But the enmity between the Nyx’s sire and the Maritime Syndicate is as toxic they come. Choosing between his brothers and his love will cost Cain dearly. Accepting that she will never be worthy as either a daughter or a mate is merely survival for Nyx. The sadness that sustains the core of Cain and Nyx’s relationship had my gut clenched throughout. I read this with my head, my heart, and every visceral nerve. Honestly, I love a read that makes me feel this alive.

Rebecca Rivard truly captures the romance, suspense, and sacrifice of a diabolical vampire Romeo and Juliet pairing. Let’s hope the stars have a better fate for these lovers!

QOTD: what keeps you coming back to Bookstagram?
a) curiosity - I wanna know what people are reading
b) community - I want to interact with other readers
c) popularity - I live for likes and follows
d) obsession - I started it and now I can’t finish it.

#rebeccarivard #forcedproximity #vampireromance #mafiaromance by @buffyanna.canada

#YAMystery

🧩 ♟️ 🗝️ 📃
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬
(𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟏)
𝐁𝐲 𝐉𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬

Avery Kylie Grambs is an impoverished teenage orphan with a gift for mathematics and a love for game theory. Her life changes dramatically she is summoned to the Will reading of Tobias Hawthorne, a man she has never met. The Hawthorne family, which includes four grandson: Nash, Grayson, Jameson, and Alexander, are shocked to find that after small disbursements to the surviving members, the bulk of the multi-billion dollar Hawthorne estate has been left to Avery!

Avery and each of the four grandsons are given a final letter from the late Mr. Hawthorne, which sets them on the hunt to learn why Avery has been chosen to be his “Heiress.” And, oh what a hunt it is! Puzzles and riddles spur the unravelling of history and foster new alliances. The Inheritance Games celebrates the love of mystery and ingenuity for the four boys who grew up in Hawthorne House. It also brings them together in a time of grief.

I loved this story so much! First, I adored Avery. She does her best to stay on an even keel despite all the drama happening around her and refuses to be pushed around. Each of the grandsons have their own charm, but I think Jameson is the one she likes best.

The puzzling kept me engaged and curious. The characters and their relationships make this a complete package. I’m so happy the ending solves one mystery, but a new one has unfolded. Looking forward to Book 2.

Question: Do you play games and puzzles?
I like crosswords, Wordle, and board games.

#TheInheritanceGames #TheBrothersHawthorne
#AVeryRiskyGamble by @buffyanna.canada

#WesternFantasy

Congratulations, Jenaiya, on your re-release of Smoke and Other Storms. Your original publication in 2022 remains one of the MOST memorable and rewarding reads of my tenure with InD’Tale and I am so happy that the Reveres will find more adoring fans.

“𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥—𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵.”

Meet my incomparable Western heroes:

Moira ‘The Raven’ Revere
Tesla ‘The Widow’ Revere
Vesta ‘The Slip’ Revere
Navy ‘The Rook’ Revere
Leagan ‘The Raptor’ Revere
Adelaide ‘The Stranger’ Revere

These women have learned to survive the harshness of the Western Rim, a desert frontier on the edge of the Republic of Delilah. It’s a place of danger, and betrayal, and the typical misogyny found in a semi-feral settlement. They are ingenious, resourceful, and ruthless and I loved every minute of this read, especially, and despite, the hard parts. This is western fantasy that feels real. The epitome of strong feminine perspective and survival.

𝐒𝐦𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬
𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟏
𝐁𝐲 𝐉𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐲𝐚 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐠𝐚
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟏, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

#TheRevereTrilogy #WelcomeToTheRim #SmokeAndOtherStorms #FeminineFury by @buffyanna.canada

#VampireMystery #ReaderReview

𝗠𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗣𝘂𝘇𝘇𝗹𝗲
(𝗜𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝟮)
𝗕𝘆 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗸𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻
𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟭𝟲, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

Harriet Morgan is once again busying herself with managing her immortal boss’ international holdings and making his dinner plans.

In Inheritance Trap, Harriet was dismayed to learn that she had inherited the Renfield curse of lifelong servitude to a vampire master. And, having made a deal to curb Alexandru Miramonte’s wanton devouring of humans, her duties now include finding him one murderer per month. In other words, prey worthy of being sucked dry.

In Deadly Puzzle, Harriet and Alexandru work as a team to find the culprit behind a string of crossbow murders. But the clues point first one way and then another and another, as if the puzzle was a set of nesting babushka dolls!

All the while, Harriet is finding herself torn between her warming attraction to her hot boss and repulsion for his “overlording” ways. She’s asked why Renfields are doomed to serve him, but he is circumspect. For his part, Alexandru can not believe that he is developing stirrings in the chest for this particular Renfield. He tries to convince himself that his acts of kindness towards Ms. Renfield and her loved ones are self-serving. After all, fixing her worries means she can focus on him. But as Alexandru slides further into new territory with his current Renfield, we start to see flashbacks to the time when he wasn’t the overlord and to the one particular Renfield betrayal that may have started it all.

Annika Martin is one of my go-to authors. This book was fun, captivating, and hard to put down. I’m wanting more for Harriet and Alexandru’s relationship even though it’s impossible. How would that even work? He’s a thousand years old and drains people to stay alive. She’s clever, considerate, lovable and far too good for him. Needless to say, I’m hooked. I need more Ms. Renfield!

I purchased my digital copy directly from the author’s website before April 16. Unless you have KU, be sure to grab your copy too! by @buffyanna.canada

#CanadianAuthor🇨🇦

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳’𝘀 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿
(𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗺𝘆’𝘀 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝟬.𝟱)
𝗕𝘆 𝗞𝘆𝗿𝗶𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝗴

𝙇𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙀𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙?

It’s four years after the Norman Conquest, and young Aelfric is running from his former English master. If he can earn enough pennies from his music, he will pay for passage back to his Scottish homeland.

On the eve of seeing his plans come to fruition, Aelfric encounters Aliwyn and Godwin while looking for a place to hide. Aliwyn is a frail waif of a girl who barely looks able to hold the cherubic and robust toddler in her care. Godwin is clearly not her brother, which raises Aelfric’s suspicions, resulting in a rocky start to their friendship. Together they run from a multitude of dangers hoping to finally find safety and a cure for Aliwyn.

“The Thief’s Keeper” is a prequel novel from Canadian author Kyrie Wang. It’s a smooth and enticing narrative that captured my focus with surprising ease. Her characters have rekindled my interest in real world historical struggles, not at the political, but human, level.

Aelfric and Aliwyn are youngsters struggling to survive in a cruel world, buffeted between bullies and various threats, but fortunate to encounter compassion in times of dire need. Their story is delivered with such beautiful straightforward elegance that the reader becomes quickly invested. Shared adversity builds trust and companionship stirs longing. And yet there are deeper issues of prejudice, humanity, and conscience that fill out the story, giving it weight and relevance.

The Thief’s Keeper is a young adult adventure, with a hint of a clean budding romance.

Kyrie Wang is a new-to-me author. I listened to her audiobook, beautifully narrated by Michael Hajiantonas and Kiera Rhodes, which is currently FREE on YouTube.

🇨🇦 Let’s support Canadian indie authors. More Canadian book recs please!

#FreeOnYouTube #KyrieWangAuthor #MedievalFantasy #YoungAdultRomance by @buffyanna.canada

#CanadianAuthor🇨🇦

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬
𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐀𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝

Agnes is a young woman who grows up in a high ranking household within the misogynistic totalitarian Republic of Gilead.

“𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴.”

Daisy is a girl who lives a sheltered life in Toronto, Canada, until violent tragedy forces her into the arms of Gilead missionaries who are recruiting for women to join their ranks in a place where “all women are pearls and equal in the eyes of God.”

“𝘞𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺.”

Aunt Lydia is one of the original architects of the Gilead hierarchy, which traps women into specific and limited roles within their extreme patriarchy.

“𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯, 𝘢𝘴 𝘌𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥.”

I read The Handmaid’s Tale in school, shortly after its publication forty years ago. Not having re-read it before I dove into The Testaments, I found all the relevant details and history were seamlessly woven into the sequel. Published in 2019, the fearsome fall of democracy and march into terror described in The Testaments doesn’t feel as unthinkable to me in 2026 as I would like. A lot of things that I would have thought unthinkable a few years ago have already happened. Backward attitudes towards women, briefly relegated to the past, are re-emerging to put women’s lives at risk. As I read, I kept thinking of how far we are prepared to see corruption and kratocracy flourish.

“𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘸.”

Told in three perspectives and artfully narrated by Ann Dowd, Bryce Dallas Howard, Mae Whitman, and Margaret Atwood, The Testaments is poignant, profound, and prescient. It makes me think hard, feel strongly, and shiver at the possibilities. The ending also made me cry, not entirely in desperation, but perhaps in gratitude.

𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙏𝙑 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙙𝙤 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠?

#TheHandmaidsTale #TheTestaments #MargaretAtwood by @buffyanna.canada