Can you guys believe it's been one year since we entered the pandemic? If nothing else, the last twelve months have been great for my reading obsession. Although, if I'm being honest, I'm adding books to my TBR list faster than I can realistically read them.

Do you re-read your favorite books/series? I love to rediscover my favorite worlds and characters over the years. I'm almost always in the middle of re-reading something, especially in between new books - kind of like a palate cleanser. March was largely a month of re-reading for me. I dived back into All the Pretty Monsters series by Kristy Cunning, the Infinity Chronicles by Albany Walker, and the Lost Time Academy series by G. Bailey.

I also wanted to throw out that I read the first couple of chapters in Stolen Hood by The Grim Sisters, and it was awful. I was incredibly disappointed by how poorly written/edited it was. I was really looking forward to a Robin Hood retelling; so much so, in fact, that I added one by a different author to my list. Who knows when I'll get around to reading it though.

Last month I finished two series, two standalones, started another series, and advanced another I've been reading forever. Let's get to the reviews, shall we?

Author: Kerstin Gier

Dream a Little Dream is the first book in The Silver Trilogy. Liv has been having strange dreams, but none top the one in a graveyard where she watched four boys she goes to school with conduct a dark magic ritual. Somehow, these boys know things about her dreams, making her question if they're real. Instead of being scared, Liv is intrigued and determined to get to the bottom of this mystery.

It does end on a cliff hanger, but not an oh shit! one. I will probably finish the entire series eventually as I'm interested to see the direction the author takes the story. This definitely felt like it was geared toward a younger audience, but I don't really mind that. I really enjoyed the main character. I thought she was well-written and interesting.

Surge, Submerge, and Emerge (Salinity Cove series)

Author: Maya Nicole

Riley Kline has been virtually invisible all through school, but she gains the attention of the Tritons her senior year when her father disappears in the wake of an oil spill caused by his company. The three Tritons want Riley to find her dad, a man she's never met, so he can pay for the disaster that has destroyed their secret underwater home. They're literal tritons, mermen. In the midst of their mission against Riley, they discover she's a siren, a race of mermaid thought to be extinct, and uncover an even bigger mystery.

I'd been wanting to read a book that focused on mermaids and kept being disappointed. Then I found this series. I liked the character dynamics and was impressed that Riley didn't just immediately forgive her tormentors like is true in so many of these bully stories. Many of the reviews say the plot is unbelievable, but while this series is set in a modern-day world, it is fantasy, and in a fantasy revolving around sea people, I think it's not that far-fetched for them to seek revenge on the people responsible for an oil spill. But that could just be me.

Oath Taker & Curse Breaker: Books 1 & 2 of Kingdom of Runes

Author: Audrey Grey

Haven Ashwood is the crown prince of Penryth's protector, but when night falls you can find her outside the castle walls fighting monsters. When the Prince is kidnapped by one of those monsters, Haven vows an oath to save him. She joins forces with Archeron Halfbane and his band of immortals to not only rescue the prince but also to break the curse that lies over the land.

I enjoyed this start to a series immensely. Books three and four are already out, with book five set to release in late August (which is why I'm in no hurry to continue). Book two ended in a way that sets up book three but it's not so much of a cliffhanger so much as a to be continued.

Author: Bella Forrest

This is book 11 in the "Harley Merlin" series, but book 2 of Finch's storyline. Erubus, the god of darkness, drops Finn at the Mapmakers Monastery with zero instructions. When the god fails to break through the monastery's defenses, he forcefully enlists the help of Finch's morph friend, Kenzie, to ensure Finch's success in learning how to create a magical map. Erubus's lack of direction isn't the only challenge Finch faces. As the son of a late wannabe goddess evil villain, he is regarded with suspicion by pretty much everyone there, plus there's a spy in their midst.

I just want to remind you all how much more I like Finch than Harley. I struggled to finish Harley's storyline, but there's no way to read Finch's books without having read Harley's.

Author: Colleen Hoover

Let's me go ahead and get this part out of the way. This book is in no way like Regretting You. It's still masterfully written, but this book is much darker. Lowen is a semi-successful author who is hired to finish writing a mega successful series after the original author, Verity, is gravely injured in a car crash. Having just been evicted from her apartment, Lowen temporarily moves into Verity's family's home at the insistence of her husband, where she sorts through Vertity's office to get a feel for the direction the final books should go. That's how Lowen discovers Verity's autobiography, and in an attempt to learn more about Verity, reads it and uncovers some pretty terrible family secrets and the answers to a horrible mystery. I enjoyed it a lot, but it was incredibly intense. And that ending. Woo boy. I'm still reeling.

Blood Oath, Shadow Wings, and Black Crown (The Darkest Drae trilogy)

Author: Raye Wagner & Kelly St. Clare

When Ryn is taken prisoner by the evil King Irdelron, everything she thought she knew about herself is proven to be lies. Not only is Ryn not human, but she's an impossible mix of Drae and Phaetyn. Everyone from the human rebellion to the Drae and Phaetyn want to use her for their own reasons. With the help of her mate, Ryn must determine who is friend or foe as she fights for not only her own freedom but that of the oppressed, as well.