BBNYA Spotlight | PHYSICAL MAGIC by William C. Tracy

About the Book:

PHYSICAL MAGIC

The Shifting Lands Series , Book 1
BY WILLIAM C. TRACY | PUBLICATION: NOVEMBER 5, 2024
SPACE WIZARD SCIENCE FANTASY | GENRE: ADULT FANTASY

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Welcome to the Shifting Lands.

Silluka was born with only one arm and could never practice the exacting motions to summon the favor of the gods. Caught stealing, she is forced to test her powers or be branded an outcast. She fails, and loses citizenship to her village.

In a fit of desperation, Silluka tries to steal a badge of citizenship from a mysterious elder, but instead, Elder Quilqi shows Silluka a different path to gain the powers of the gods, aided by an octopus-like technological wizard who worships their own eldritch divinities. Time is short for training however, because a new island is speeding toward the coastal town, throwing deadly hurricanes and tidal waves before it and threatening all who live there.

Only the gods and godlike storm warriors protect the village from destruction, but all of them fail when a mysterious creature bursts through the wall. It's only one forerunner for a species of terrifying turtlemen: fast, deadly, and ready to invade the larger island. The village must flee inland before the invasion, while Silluka is weighed down by her outcast status and her brother’s failing abilities. To save herself, her family, and her village, Silluka must overcome stigma and self-doubt. She must learn the scope of the world outside her village. She must learn Physical Magic.

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The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the books that made it to the semi-finals with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title.

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 (17 in 2025) finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official.

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About the Author:

William C. Tracy writes and publishes queer science fiction and fantasy through his indie press Space Wizard Science Fantasy. He also does developmental editing on all titles released from it.

His largest work is the Dissolutionverse: a space opera with music-based magic, including ten books and a TTRPG. He’s also published Fruits of the Gods, an epic fantasy with seasonal fruit magic, How To Operate Your Body, a nonfiction book about body mechanics and correct posture, and The Biomass Conflux, a sci-fi trilogy with colony ships and a planet covered by a sentient fungus. He’s currently working on a progression fantasy series about martial arts and moving islands.

William is an NC native and a lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy. He has a master’s in mechanical engineering, and has both designed and operated heavy construction machinery. He has also trained in Wado-Ryu karate since 2003 and runs his own dojo in Raleigh NC. He is an avid video and board gamer, a beekeeper, a reader, and of course, a writer.

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Book Review | MY MOTHER, THE MERMAID CHASER by Jamie Jo Hoang

MY MOTHER, THE MERMAID CHASER

BY JAMIE JO HOANG | PUBLICATION: SEPTEMBER 23, 2025
CROWN BOOKS | GENRE: YA FICTION
RATING: ★★★★

"It holds space for forgiveness, for healing, for the limits of what people can endure."

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Told in dual POV, this gripping companion piece to My Father, the Panda Killer, follows a teenage son who defies his sister's wishes by searching for more information about their absent mother. Meanwhile, his mother's poignant backstory reveals her struggle with grief and longing, culminating in her heart-wrenching decision to leave her children.

San Jose, 2008: Paul yearns to know more about the mother who abandoned his family, but she is the only topic no one discusses. Now’s he’s in Vietnam, feeling displaced and considered an outsider. Plus, a ghost is haunting him even though he doesn’t believe in ghosts. His cousin and the grandmother he’s never met before now keep telling him that he’ll get answers only if he’s willing to open his ears.

Vũng Tâu, 1975: Ngọc Lan is eleven when her family breaks her brother is drafted into the army; her father leaves on the last helicopter to the US. She and her sister are sent from Vietnam on a harrowing journey by boat. Only Ngọc Lan will survive. But what is the American dream when you are haunted by the death of your sister, missing your homeland; seeing ghostly mermaid sightings; lost in an abusive marriage; struggling as a parent?

Told in the alternating perspectives of Paul and Ngọc Lan, My Mother, the Mermaid Chaser is a haunting story about the intergenerational effects of war, estranged family bonds, and how a teenager discovers a new connection to a lost part of himself.

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I came to this book without having read its companion, My Father, the Panda Killer. And maybe that’s fitting—because this story, too, begins with absence. With the ache of not knowing. With a boy named Paul, who chooses to seek the truth about his mother, even when that truth might hurt.

This is a poignant novel. It blends adventure and humor with the quiet devastation of wanting to understand your parents. Beneath the surrealism and whimsy lies something raw: the longing to make sense of abandonment, of trauma, of choices that ripple across generations.

Paul is the heart of this story. He’s like an open vessel—willing to receive, willing to give, willing to believe. His openness stands in sharp contrast to his sister Jane, whose guardedness feels like a shield forged from years of disappointment. Watching Paul navigate this emotional terrain is deeply moving. He steps into adult shoes, yes—but he never stops being a boy.

Hoàng has a gift for writing complex family dynamics. She doesn’t shy away from pain, but she also doesn’t drown in it. Her prose carries trauma and tenderness in equal measure, often laced with humor and surreal imagery that make the emotional weight bearable.

As a mother myself, I found myself asking: How could a mother abandon her children to an abusive father? It’s a question that lingers. And yet, Hoàng invites empathy—not just for the children, but for the flawed adults who made impossible choices. The story doesn’t excuse, but it understands. It holds space for forgiveness, for healing, for the limits of what people can endure.

There are slow parts, yes. But I stayed. Because some stories deserve patience. And this one, with its quiet bravery and emotional honesty, is worth every page.

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About the Author:
Jamie Jo Hoang is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees. She grew up in Orange County, CA—not the rich part—and worked as a docuseries producer before shifting to writing full-time. Her debut young adult novel, My Father, The Panda Killer, was named one of NPR’s Books We Love and received an Honorable Mention from the Freeman Book Awards. Hoang is also the author of the award-winning adult novel Blue Sun, Yellow Sky, which was named one of the best books of the year by Kirkus Reviews and won a silver medal at the Independent Publishers Awards. Her work has been published in TIME, SALON, and Tiny Buddha. When she’s not writing, Hoang loves to take long walks, travel, and scuba dive. She lives in house covered in Post-It Notes with her husband and son.

*Penguin Random House provided the ARC
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Book Review | SCARLET MORNING by N.D. Stevenson

SCARLET MORNING

Scarlet Morning series , Vol. 1
BY N.D. STEVENSON | PUBLICATION: SEP 23, 2025
QUILL TREE BOOKS | GENRE: JUVENILE FICTION
RATING: ★★★★★

"A salt-swept masterpiece of pirates, puzzles, and found family."

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From the powerhouse creator of Nimona comes a breathtaking illustrated novel following two orphans who leave the only home they’ve ever known to sail with an eccentric crew of pirates.

Viola and Wilmur have been waiting for their parents for fifteen boring years in the colorless town of Caveat. Their lives are a drudge of salt, trash, pirate stories, and what-ifs . . . until one very stormy night, when Captain Cadence Chase breaks down their door. They cut a deal with the Chase can take their most prized possession, a mysterious book, but only if she takes them, too. After all, if their parents aren’t coming, Viola and Wilmur might as well have a grand adventure to find them.

Setting sail into the treacherous and beautiful world beyond Caveat, the two inseparable friends must uncover the facts behind legend—and the key to saving all of Dickerson’s Sea from obliteration—before the truth tears them apart.

Wickedly funny, deeply emotional, and sharply incisive, Scarlet Morning is a tale of love, betrayal, and the extraordinary lengths we’d go to save a world broken beyond repair.

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"A Salt-Swept Masterpiece"

From the creator of Nimona comes a story that feels like a storm cracking open the sky—SCARLET MORNING is everything I want in a YA fantasy and more. It’s a tale of orphans, pirates, and death-defying adventure, yes—but also of mystery, memory, and the kind of love that anchors you when the world is broken.

Viola and Wilmur have waited fifteen years in the colorless town of Caveat, clinging to stories and salt. When Captain Cadence Chase bursts through their door, they trade their most prized possession—a mysterious book—for a chance to chase legend and find their missing parents. What follows is a voyage across Dickerson’s Sea, where truth is slippery, betrayal cuts deep, and the world itself may be on the brink of unraveling.

📚 Why I loved it:
• It’s brilliant. And everything between that and a masterpiece.
• The recipe is perfect: orphans, pirates, fantastical phenomena, and a mystery worth solving.
• ND Stevenson’s illustrations are signature and stunning—each page feels alive.
• The world-building is vivid and vast. I could see it, feel it, get lost in it.
• The narrative is warm, witty, and emotionally grounded. No profanity, but plenty of reality checks.
• The characters are unforgettable—each one unique, fully developed, and deeply human.
• The names and places may boggle you, but they stick. They matter.
• The “found family” theme is handled with grace and heart. It reminded me why I love people.
• The mystery is a full puzzle, and I’m already desperate for the next book. How many? When?

This is a book that makes you wait for reading time like it’s treasure. I couldn’t stop thinking about it, even when life got in the way. It’s perfect for young readers, but it doesn’t talk down—it lifts up. It’s a story that believes in good people, in broken worlds worth saving, and in the power of stories to carry us home. I highly recommend SCARLET MORNING.

Video courtesy of Shelf Stuff, http://www.shelfstuff.com. No infringement intended.

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About the Author:

ND Stevenson is the award-winning, bestselling author and illustrator of Nimona and The Fire Never Goes Out and the cocreator of Lumberjanes and was the showrunner for the award-winning Netflix series She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. He currently lives in Los Angeles.
Photo by Derrick Boutté

*HarperCollins CA provided the ARC
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Blog Tour | GENERATIONS by Noam Josephides

About the Book:

GENERATIONS

BY NOAM JOSEPHIDES | PUBLICATION: AUGUST 28, 2025
PYGMALION MEDIA | GENRE: ADULT FANTASY / MYSTERY,

"What truly impressed me was how seamlessly Josephides weaves politics, philosophy, and psychology into this interstellar mystery."
-Ashley, Adventures in Literature

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A secret buried for generations. A conspiracy that threatens humanity’s future. And one woman who must risk everything to uncover the truth.

The THETIS is humanity’s last hope: a generation ship carrying the last remnants of Earth to resettle on a new planet.

For two hundred years, its society has flourished under the banner of unity and cooperation. But beneath this carefully maintained facade lurks a truth so devastating it could spell doom for their entire future on their new home.

The key to uncovering the truth lies in the hands of SANDRINE LIET, an introverted Archivist who has everything to lose by pitting herself against the most powerful people on the ship.

The deeper she digs, the more evident it becomes that there is only one way to save both herself and her fellow Thetans from the ominous scheme plotted by the Thetis elite – and it’s the most horrifying choice imaginable…

AMAZON | GOODREADS | THE STORY GRAPH

"It’s evident that a good deal of thought and planning went into this novel."
-Melissa, Never enough books…
"I really enjoyed this SciFi political noir, with a breathtaking end sequence."
-Beth's Bookcase


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About the Author:

Noam Josephides is an award-winning and bestselling author, screenwriter and director.

He is also a serial technology entrepreneur with numerous successful companies founded, and a past as an Airforce Captain.

Noam's love for speculative writing and Science Fiction began with the genre classics he read in his childhood - from Asimov and Heinlin to Clarke and Douglas Adams.

His scientific enthusiasm for space led him to pursue studies in Astrophysics and aviation, and his prose combines deep technological and scientific knowledge with a unique focus on human drama, values and personal journeys.

Noam spends his time between leading Artificial Intelligence product development at the world's top technology firms, and writing novels, screenplays and fake Tooth-Fairy letters for his 3 young kids.

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BBNYA Spotlight | THE STORM BENEATH THE WORLD by Michael R. Fletcher

About the Book:

THE STORM BENEATH THE WORLD

Children of Corruption Series, Vol. 1
BY MICHAEL R. FLETCHER | PUBLICATION: APRIL 1, 2024
GENRE: ADULT FANTASY

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The gods have abandoned their creation, fled to the city beyond the clouds. Banished from the heavens, the Betrayer rules the hellish storm beneath the world.

Before the gods left this world, they cursed its people. The magical abilities the inhabitants once enjoyed became twisted and dangerously addictive. Now, to discover one’s talent is a curse. These corrupt souls are doomed to use their skills, improving and growing in strength, until they can no longer resist its lure. Starvation and death are the fate of every Corrupt.

When war with a neighbouring island becomes inevitable, four young Corrupt are sent to a hidden school to hone their dangerous talents. They are to be trained and used as weapons before the curse claims them.

United in purpose, divided by caste, only they can save their home.

AMAZON | GOODREADS | THE STORY GRAPH

The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA) is celebrating the books that made it to the semi-finals with a mini spotlight blitz tour for each title.

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 (17 in 2025) finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST | TUMBLR | BLOGLOVIN | GOODREADS

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About the Author:

Michael R. Fletcher is a science fiction and fantasy author, a grilled cheese aficionado, and a whiskey-swilling reprobate. He spends his days choreographing his forklift musical (titled "Get Forked"), and using caffeine as a substitute for sanity. Any suggestions that he is actually Dyrk Ashton in disguise are all lies.

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Book Review | TORCHFIRE by Moira Buffini

TORCHFIRE

The Torch Trilogy Series , Vol. 2
BY MOIRA BUFFINI | PUBLICATION: AUGUST 28, 2025
FABER AND FABER | GENRE: YOUNG ADULT FANTASY / DYSTOPIA
RATING: ★★★★

"Readers will be challenged, justified, and confronted,
often in the same chapter."

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Welcome to a world where songlight is either your greatest power—or your greatest curse.

Elsa is on the run and is urgently seeking a safe haven.
Nightingale is being held captive and forced to use her songlight against her own people.
Piper has been promoted up the ranks of the Airmen, where nothing but bloodshed is demanded of him.
Rye has stumbled across an incredible airship, the likes of which has never been seen before . . .
All four are united by their desire for peace. But peace between the Aylish and Brightland feels more fragile than ever.

And there is a new threat, not just to Brightland, but to Ayland and the world beyond. The airship that Rye has discovered is owned by a race of elite Torches, recently returned to Earth.

The future of civilisation is on a knife edge, with those from Brightland wanting to stamp out songlight, those from Ayland wanting harmony and those from Sealand wanting songlight to rein, whatever the costs . . .

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Moira Buffini’s TORCHFIRE plunges us straight into the fray where Songlight (2024) left off, wasting no time in rekindling the tension, heartbreak, and hope that defined the first installment. The stakes are higher, the world broader, and the emotional toll deeper.

Elsa, Nightingale, Piper, and Rye return with new scars and sharper edges, joined by fresh perspectives that expand the narrative’s reach. Buffini juggles multiple POVs with remarkable precision—never losing momentum, never wasting a page. The pacing is relentless yet deliberate, building a slow, desperate crescendo that left me breathless and hungry for more.

The plot development is rich and immersive, but it’s the thematic expansion that truly sets Torchfire ablaze. Buffini doesn’t shy away from the raw parts—grief, betrayal, complicity, survival. These themes aren’t just explored; they’re felt. Readers will be challenged, justified, and confronted, often in the same chapter.

The characters are fully realized, flaws and all. Buffini doesn’t deal in shades of gray so much as she paints with bruised color—characters who are not whitewashed, not villainized, but deeply human. Their pain is palpable, and their choices—however flawed—are rooted in survival and belief. Even the villains are affecting; you hold your breath when they enter the page, not out of fear alone, but out of recognition.

What lingers most after finishing Torchfire is the way Buffini interrogates the concept of humanity itself. In this world, those who carry songlight are branded as “unhuman”—a label meant to isolate, devalue, and erase. Yet the very act of songlight, of shared thought and feeling, is what binds people together. The joining of songlight is called “harmony”—and isn’t that exactly what our world needs right now?

Buffini doesn’t just pose the question; she lets it burn through the narrative. Why would a right-thinking society try to rip out harmony? What are we so afraid of when people connect deeply, vulnerably, and without violence?

The new characters introduced in TORCHFIRE stand in stark contrast to this archaic belief system. They challenge the status quo with their presence. They are bringing a new world with them.

Songlight started the tune, it blends the harmony. And it is TORCHFIRE that started the blaze and starts the march onwards.

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About the Author:

Moira Buffini is an Olivier Award–winning UK playwright and BAFTA-nominated screenwriter, writing many plays for the National Theatre and the West End. Films include Tamara Drewe, Jane Eyre, Byzantium, and The Dig. She cocreated and was showrunner of Hulu's Harlots. Songlight is her debut novel. She lives in London.

*Faber and Faber provided the eARC
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Book Review | THE NIGHTBLOOD PRINCE by Molly X. Chang

THE NIGHTBLOOD PRINCE

The Nightblood Prince Series, Vol. 1
BY MOLLY X. CHANG | PUBLICATION: JULY 1, 2025
RANDOM HOUSE | GENRE: YOUNG ADULT FANTASY
RATING: ★★★★

"Fei’s defiance of the gods, her refusal to be a pawn, and the enigmatic premise kept me hooked."

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Two princes. One prophecy. A fate she cannot outrun.

The night Fei was born, a prophecy was made: she would one day become the Empress of All Empresses.

Torn from her family as a child and raised in the palace to one day marry the Crown Prince of the most powerful empire in the land, Fei has only ever known loneliness. When the opportunity arises to seize her own destiny for the first time in her life, Fei sets out to hunt a legendary tiger, knowing it might cost her everything. What she doesn’t expect is to fall under the mercy of Yexue, the beautiful runaway prince from a rival kingdom. Blessed by the night, harboring a dangerous magic, and capable of commanding an army of deadly vampires, Yexue could be the key to Fei gaining more than just her freedom.

But to outrun destiny, Fei must spark a wave of events that will change the world as she knows it. Torn between two princes and plagued by nightmares of bloodshed, she finds that the stars might be more inescapable—and more irresistible—than she ever considered before. . . .-PRH

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A prophecy. A tiger hunt. A prince cloaked in night. THE NIGHTBLOOD PRINCE delivers a sweeping tale of destiny, defiance, and blood-soaked magic that reads like a fever dream stitched from the histories of Vlad the Impaler and Genghis Khan.

Fei, the prophesied Empress of All Empresses, is a heroine who refuses to be confined by fate. Torn from her family and raised in a palace that treats her more as a symbol than a person, Fei’s journey is one of reclaiming agency—of choosing herself over the empire’s expectations. Her inner battle is compelling, though at times confusing. She longs to be chosen for who she is, not for what she represents. And while her arc is powerful, her inability to fully “let go” until it’s too late left me aching.

The story is fast-paced, with no dull chapters to slog through—a rare treat. The love triangle trope, which I usually avoid, didn’t bother me here. Perhaps because it’s woven into a larger tapestry of royal court intrigue, enemies-to-lovers tension, and slow-burning emotional stakes. Yexue, the rival prince with dangerous magic and a vampire army, is enigmatic and beautifully written. The romance simmers rather than scorches, and I appreciated that restraint.

Fei’s defiance of the gods, her refusal to be a pawn, and the enigmatic premise kept me hooked. There were moments that made me cringe—scenes that felt a bit too dramatic or forced—but they didn’t derail the experience. The familial connections and communal responsibilities added depth, grounding the fantasy in something tender and real. And the inclusion of Chinese proverbs throughout the story adds a quiet reverence for heritage, grounding the tale in cultural memory while honoring the wisdom passed down through generations.

Who Should Read This
Beyond its fantasy trappings, The Nightblood Prince feels eerily relevant and speaks to timely themes: autonomy, identity, and the cost of being a symbol. Fei’s struggle to define herself outside of prophecy mirrors the pressure many face today to live up to inherited expectations—whether cultural, familial, or societal. Her refusal to be used as a justification for conquest mirrors a deeper truth: power rooted in brutality is not strength—it’s cowardice dressed in armor.

In a world where war is still wielded as a tool of pride and dominance, I hope the younger generation reads The Nightblood Prince. Not just for the magic and monsters, but for the mirror it holds to history. This book invites readers to reflect—to see how power has been wielded, how symbols have been used, and how empires have risen on the backs of the unwilling.

We are living in a time that feels precarious. The world teeters between progress and regression, between civility and the savagery our ancestors tried to haul us from. I do not believe in “casualties of war.” Fiction like this reminds us that destiny is not fixed. I believe in stories that challenge the arrogance of empire and remind us that choosing wisely—choosing peace, truth, and autonomy—is the bravest act of all.

“Fate is not as strong as the human heart.”
(命不如心强 — Mìng bùrú xīn qiáng)

Final Reflection
As Fei learns, and as we must remember: Fate is not as strong as the human heart. Stories like THE NIGHTBLOOD PRINCE remind us that even in the shadow of prophecy, we can choose who we become.

I peeked at the hardbound cover art by Gollancz and loved how it captured the story’s haunting tone. I’ll be waiting for Book Two, curious to see how the stars shift next.

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About the Author:

Molly X. Chang is the bestselling author of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods and the upcoming young adult fantasy The Nightblood Prince. She’s a first-generation immigrant born in Harbin, China. Photo by Katrina Wong

*Penguin Random House provided the eARC
in exchange for this unbiased review.
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