Would you love to be trapped in a bookshop? Would you love to be able to run one? My current read is Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe and we follow Tandy, a princess who is cursed to live in a bookshop until she finds her heart’s desire! I’m already loving this! It’s cosy, whimsical and so magical.

To celebrate the publication of THE TRICKY BUSINESS OF FAERIE BARGAINS, Nils chats with Reena McCarty about her debut novel: "I hope people come away with an appreciation for their own ability to imagine" Read more: tinyurl.com/tr3jwx7r @orbitbooks.bsky.social @nilsreviewsit.bsky.social

I’m currently reading Steel Gods by @richardswanauthor.bsky.social which is the sequel to Grave Empire. I always love Swan’s blend of supernatural horror and fantasy and so far there has been a few really unhinged scenes involving the arcane (a possession and a seance!) I’m a happy reader! 🤣

Here’s my March reading Wrap Up. My favourite goes to The Tapestry of Fate by @shannonchakraborty.bsky.social We set sail with Amina into a perilous quest across the Persian Gulf to find a fabled island and retrieve a magical artefact of devastating power. A really thrilling sequel!

Nils & Beth over on The Fantasy Hive review the new one form R. J. Barker, Mortedant’s Peril.

Today on The Fantasy Hive myself & Beth are reviewing Mortedant’s Peril by @rjbarker.bsky.social Beth: “an absolute triumph of a page-turning fantasy murder-mystery” Nils: “Barker’s signature inventive style and his heartfelt storytelling really shines” Link: fantasy-hive.co.uk/2026/03/mort...

Here’s my interview with @astamaki.bsky.social on the release of The Book of Fallen Leaves which is out now! Check it out!

“Yes, I am a trickster and a con artist, capable of lies like melted butter and schemes as complicated as an astrolabe’s working. But when it comes to fighting, I’m a brawler first.” My current read is The Tapestry of Fate by @shannonchakraborty.bsky.social & it’s EXCELLENT! I’m loving this sequel!

Today on @thefantasyhive.bsky.social I’m reviewing A Widow’s Charm by Caitlyn Paxson “A Shakespearean comedy of errors that centres on two delightfully disastrous characters and a spicy romance.” Review Link: fantasy-hive.co.uk/2026/03/a-wi...

Happy International Women’s Day! To celebrate I’ve selected seven female authors who I’m looking forward to reading more books from… Tell me about some female authors you’re looking forward to reading? #internationalwomensday

This weekend I’m reading The Hive by @ronaldmalfi.bsky.social out in April by @titanbooks.bsky.social So far residents of Mariner’s Cove begin acting strangely after a storm & Cory, a young child,has extraordinary abilities! This has King Sorrow by Joe Hill vibes & I’m expecting some mind fuckery!

Here’s my interview with @buehlmeister.bsky.social

I’m thoroughly loving my current read which is A Widow’s Charm by Caitlyn Paxson which will be coming out in April from Arcadia Books This is an absolutely hilarious fantasy romcom, full of banter, saucy innuendos and a very cute dog called Rollo! It’s so much fun!

I received so many ARCs of my most anticipated reads! Are any of these one’s you’re looking forward to too? The Last Contract of Isako by @fondalee.bsky.social - out from @orbitbooks.bsky.social in May! The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance by @chiarab.bsky.social - out from Del Rey UK in July!

@nilsreviewsit.bsky.social adds to my TBR again.

There’s a wrap up for February today’s as nails talks about the month’s faves over on The Fantasy Hive

February Reading Wrap Up! My favourites of the month were The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar. I just loved how nostalgic this book made me feel! Mortedant’s Peril by @rjbarker.bsky.social A compelling murder mystery set in a strange & inventive world. I could not put it down! So good!

I loved this book!

This weekend I’m reading Mortedant’s Peril by @rjbarker.bsky.social which I’m loving! Mortedant Hasp can see the dead’s final moments but he’s been accused of murder. He has three days to prove his innocence. Aiding him we is Whisper, a non human bodyguard & Mirial, a street urchin. So much fun!

Nils reviews The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains over on The Fantasy Hive today!

Today on @thefantasyhive.bsky.social I’m reviewing The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains by @reenamccarty.bsky.social “a gripping, multifaceted tale, full of tricks, traps and shenanigans.” Review Link: fantasy-hive.co.uk/2026/02/the-...

Today on @thefantasyhive.bsky.social myself & Beth review The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao Nils: “a breath of fresh air wrapped in beautiful lyrical prose…” Beth: “magical exploration of grief presented in a gloriously imaginative way” Review Link: fantasy-hive.co.uk/2026/02/the-...

Happy Lunar New Year!

I received The Lost Spectacular today by Zoe Duhaimw which will be released in September by @solarisbooks.bsky.social Thank you! “ode to the life-changing power of books, as childhood loves-turned-rivals chase each other through the stories that shaped them…” This sounds great & I love the cover!

Look at what Nils got!

This weekend I’ve been reading The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar. Thank you @headlinepg for kindly gifting me a copy A doomed love, a young scribe about to be executed and a magician vying to prove his worth. I’m loving the Princess Bride vibe and the humour is fab!

Happy Valentine’s Day! The Swan’s Daughter by Roshani Chokshi is an enchanting, whimsical fairytale, with one of the best explorations of ‘true love’ I’ve come across. There’s even a dash of murder thrown in! (Or attempted murder… several times… by several characters 🤣) A fun read I’d recommend!

Check out our recommendations for some romantic reads!

I received a copy of Mortedant’s Peril by @rjbarker.bsky.social which will be released by @torbooksuk.bsky.social in May. Thank you for the copy! This book is described as an ‘epic historical fantasy of murder, mystery and unlikely alliances’ which honestly has me very excited to read it!

This weekend I’m cosying up with two exciting reads: The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains by @reenamccarty.bsky.social - a bargain gone wrong and a Fae world full of tricks & traps! The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao - a magical train made of thoughts and daydreams. It’s beautiful!

Today on @thefantasyhive.bsky.social I review Isles of the Emberdark by @brandonsanderson.com “the perfect blend of fantasy & sci-fi, with a found family I adored, magic and myth that captivated me and some incredible quests.” Review Link: fantasy-hive.co.uk/2026/02/crui... @gollancz.bsky.social

Today on @thefantasyhive.bsky.social I’m reviewing THE LUMINOUS FAIRIES AND MOTHRA by Shin’ichirō Nakamura, Takehiko Fukunaga, & Yoshie Hotta. Translated by Jeffrey Angles. “a Kaiju origin story that enthralled & enlightened me.” Review Link: fantasy-hive.co.uk/2026/02/the-...

Bookish gifts are the best gifts! Have you read any of these?

Here’s my January reading Wrap-Up My favourite read was The Blackfire Blade by @jamesloganauthor.bsky.social - a fun fantasy sequel that I adored by the end! My most surprising read was The Luminous Faeries and Mothra which is a Japanese translated novella on the origins of Mothra.

The Bone Door by @franceswrites.bsky.social will be published in May by @michaeljbooks.bsky.social A story about ‘trauma, friendship & hope’ with a boy called Hop who finds himself in an ‘unsettling labyrinth where he must complete impossible tasks to survive.’ I’m looking forward to this!

New review from Nils today

Today on @thefantasyhive.bsky.social myself & Beth review Books and Bewitchment by @delilahsdawson.bsky.social Beth: “capturing my heart in its warmth and sense of community” Nils: “a book you devour when you need comfort” Review Link: fantasy-hive.co.uk/2026/01/book... @titanbooks.bsky.social

I received some fab bookmail this week with truly magical cover art. The Isle of the Emberdark by @brandonsanderson.com fleshes out the short story Sixth of the Dusk. I’m so excited to read this and get back to my #cruisingthecosmere feature on The Fantasy Hive! Thank you @gollancz.bsky.social

Over on @thefantasyhive.bsky.social today, Nils reviews The Ornithologists Field Guide to Love by India Holton today.

Today on @thefantasyhive.bsky.social I’m reviewing The Ornatholigst’s Field Guide to Love by India Holton “a book full of wit, charm and an abundance of chaotic escapades!” Review Link: fantasy-hive.co.uk/2026/01/the-...

New post from Nils over on The Fantasy Hive.

Today on @thefantasyhive.bsky.social I’m reviewing The Blackfire Blade by @jamesloganauthor.bsky.social “surpasses its predecessor with emotionally charged character growth, intricate worldbuilding and its charm and wit.” Review link: fantasy-hive.co.uk/2026/01/the-...

Here’s what I’m reading this weekend! Between Two Fires by @buehlmeister.bsky.social - a medieval horror that is being trad published by @gollancz.bsky.social in March I’m also reading Books and Bewitchment by Isla Jewell @delilahsdawson.bsky.social - a cosy, witchy read with a sassy cockatoo 🤣

TO Munro looks at the subgenre of speculative popular culture that explores the notion of having a second chance at life - "The fascination of exploring those many ‘roads not travelled’ is one that attracts speculative fiction authors like moths drawn to a flame." More: tinyurl.com/ybme3a46

Here are two arcs I recently received! Kokun by Nahoko Uehashi and translated by Cathy Hirano is a Japanese epic fantasy with two female protagonists, one with blossoming powers the other secretly powerless, forming an alliance to save the empire. Thank you @europaeditions.bsky.social

Nils reviews Alexandra Bell's time-travelling fantasy THE WHITE OCTOPUS HOTEL: "Dazzling, mysterious and heartfelt this is a novel that offers magic and comfort." Read more: tinyurl.com/m5zy9x7m @nilsreviewsit.bsky.social

ICYMI - we run a year-end awards annually on the Hive celebrating our favourite books that came out that year. Check out all our nominations and winners!

We were thrilled to welcome back to the Hive Grady Hendrix for an interview with Nils on his recent horror novel WITCHCRAFT FOR WAYWARD GIRLS Read more: tinyurl.com/mr6s6hyr @torbooks.bsky.social @nilsreviewsit.bsky.social

Nils was so excited reading this one, she sent me so many whatsapps about it that I feel like I've read it vicariously through her 😂

Today on @thefantasyhive.bsky.social I’m reviewing The Swan’s Daughter by Roshani Chokshi “This is a spellbinding read that celebrates magic and whimsy.” Link: fantasy-hive.co.uk/2026/01/the-... @hodderscape.bsky.social