Fantasy – Jill's Book Blog

Review: Creatures and Corridors

Title: Creatures and Corridors
Author: Bill Sienkiewicz, Andrea Mutti
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Publisher: The Lab Press
Source: Bookinfluencers.com
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: November 11, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis:

In the summer of 1992, a forbidden role-playing game called Creatures & Corridors takes a dark turn for five high-school sophomores.

It’s the summer of 1992, and five high school sophomores play a rare role-playing game that was banned for being “too Satanic” — Creatures & Corridors. As the kids play the mysterious fantasy game, it unleashes a curse that warps reality around them: orcs storm the living room, killing their parents. The front yard turns into a moat filled with tentacled horrors. And their basement “game cave” transforms into a literal dungeon, laden with bloodthirsty monsters and terrifying death traps. Now, the kids are forced to play Creatures & Corridors for their very lives, as a devilish Gamemaster judges their every move.

Review:

This graphic novel is about a role playing game called Creatures and Corridors, similar to Dungeons and Dragons. The teens who were playing end up opening up a portal to another world within the game. This story reminded me of Stranger Things, but with a much darker spin. If you’re missing Stranger Things, you should check out this graphic novel!

Creatures and Corridors is a great fantasy graphic novel!

Thank you Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!

Content warnings: death, death of parents

Have you read Creatures and Corridors? What did you think of it?

Review: Menilmonea (The Cycle of the Titans #1)

Title: Menilmonea (The Cycle of the Titans #1)
Author: David Catuhe
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Self-published
Source: Bookinfluencers.com
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: September 10, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Menilmonea’s life is guided by traditions, rituals, and legends, all centered around worship of the Mother. A mycomanceress, the young girl once received a gift connecting her to nature and mushrooms, though she views it more as a curse.

When the turtle Titan Tunka, protector of their village, fails to awaken from his slumber, Menilmonea and her friend Aureal set out in search of help from the neighboring frog Titan. But never did they expect to feel so shaken by the upheavals unraveling their world, which may well be on the verge of collapse… This marks the beginning of a journey of transformation in which the two friends must face revelations that could shatter everything they thought they knew about their world… and the very history of their people.

A coming-of-age fantasy novel that defies genre conventions and readerly expectations, Menilmonea skillfully weaves together belief, heritage, and the search for identity. Here, the adventure begins when you stop following the rules.

Review:

This is a great fantasy story! The main character, Menilmonea, had the ability to communicate with mushrooms, which I’ve never read about before. It was an interesting exciting adventure story about two girls who go on a journey to save their village. There were beautiful illustrations throughout the book which showed the gorgeous fantasy setting!

Menilmonea is a beautiful fantasy book!

Thank you Bookinfluencers for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!

Content warning: death of parents (off page)

Have you read Menilmonea? What did you think of it?

Review: Morgana and Oz, Vol. 3

Title: Morgana and Oz, Vol. 3
Author: Miyuli
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Publisher: Wattpad Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 30, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this stunning debut series by Miyuli, perfect for fans of fantasy and romance, a struggling witch crosses paths with an angsty vampire, setting the stage for either love or war.

Morgana Winterberry belongs to a long line of witches, while Oz belongs to the rival vampire clan. After lifting a magical curse on the vampires, Morgana makes an uneasy truce with them, very much against her family’s warnings.

Morgana and Oz plan to work together to investigate who cursed the vampires in the first place, and who summoned the ghouls that are stalking the forest. Much to Morgana’s worry, signs point to someone in her family using her powerful ancestor Neil Winterberry’s grimoire.

As Morgana tries to understand her stronger but more volatile magic, and learn more about her mysterious great-great-grandfather, she starts hearing a chilling and all too familiar voice in her head.

It will take a witch and a vampire, growing closer every day, to get to the bottom of things.

This volume collects episodes 40 to 58 of the hit fantasy WEBTOON series with over 76 million reads, Morgana and Oz

Review:

This third book in the Morgana and Oz series was so fun! I love the dynamic between Morgana, a witch, and Oz, a vampire. They’re from rival groups but they have realized that they can actually help each other. This is a fun series with beautiful illustrations!

Morgana and Oz, Vol. 3 is a great graphic novel!

Thank you Wattpad Books for sending me a copy of this book!

Other books in the series:

Have you read Morgana and Oz, Vol. 3? What did you think of it?

Review: The Thieves’ Carousel

Title: The Thieves’ Carousel
Author: Briana Chen
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction
Publisher: Z-Choice International
Source: iRead Book Tours
Format: Ebook
Release Date: August 8, 2025
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

What price would you pay to undo a death?

In the shadowed streets of Aspizia, two thieves—Lyo Morandi and Jasper Bray—risk everything to rewrite the past. Haunted by the death of their friend Milo, they set their sights on a forbidden a ring reputed to alter time.

To steal it, they must infiltrate the Thieves’ Carousel, a ruthless exhibition where the city’s most dangerous criminals flaunt their treasures—and fight to keep them. But as Lyo and Jasper descend deeper into the catacombs beneath Aspizia, they uncover a truth far more dangerous than they the ring’s power comes at a devastating cost.

Loyalties splinter. Betrayal lurks around every corner. Loyalties splinter. As the game turns deadly, they must ask How far will they go to rescue the past and save the future—and how much of themselves are they willing to lose?

The Thieves’ Carousel is a gripping tale of ambition, sacrifice, and the haunting price of second chances.

Review:

This is a gripping fantasy set in a dark world of secret societies and thieves. Lyo and Jasper want to play the Mago’s trial to bring back their friend Milo. However, it comes at a cost. This story kept me guessing until the end. It was fast paced and thrilling!

The Thieves Carousel is a thrilling fantasy!

Thank you iRead Book Tours for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!

Content warnings: death, knife violence

Have you read The Thieves’ Carousel? What did you think of it?

Review: The Quest for Freedom (The Conquest Trilogy #1)

Title: The Quest for Freedom (The Conquest Trilogy #1)
Author: Matthew Devitt
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Bold Publishing
Source: iRead Book Tours
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 5, 2025
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Affer was once a peaceful planet, until a war broke out between its six inhabiting species. The humans, who were once the mightiest force on Affer, were massacred in droves, and the ones who survived the onslaught were reduced to mere slaves. The five other species divided the humans amongst themselves and returned to their respective kingdoms.
The years passed, turning into decades and centuries, without any change. Eventually, the humans had accepted their fate as slaves. All except one. Four hundred and seventy-three years later, Fletcher Rush starts his journey to free his kind…and conquer the planet.

Review:

This book is set on a planet where humans were enslaved. A couple of humans decide to rise up to free their species from slavery. The long battle scenes were broken up with some funny moments. The politics between species were intriguing to read about.

The Quest for Freedom is a great fantasy novel!

Thank you iRead Book Tours for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign.

Content warnings: violence, death, stabbing

Have you read The Quest for Freedom? What did you think of it?

Review: Leave No Trace

Title: Leave No Trace
Author: Randee Dawn
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: CAEZIK SF and Fantasy
Source: Bookinfluencers.com
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 23, 2025
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Lexi has been living in a remote stretch of the Rocky Mountain woods since her father dragged her there ten years ago, after her mother and baby brother were afflicted with a magical sickness. Her paranoid father thinks they’ve escaped the magic, and that as long as they never leave the woods, they’ll be safe.So Lexi never tells him about her friend Gil, who turns up sometimes in a birch copse that travels with him, and who is definitely not human. She especially doesn’t mention the magic he taught her, which can open a path to wherever she needs to go. After all, she’s been in the woods for most of her she can find her way without magic.

But when pop star TJ Furey hires them to help him hunt down a bear, Lexi’s secret is threatened. The bear he wants to kill is under Gil’s protection, and if Lexi doesn’t prevent its death, she’ll never see Gil again. But she can’t do so without risking her father’s wrath – and when it turns out that TJ’s manager is harboring a similar grudge of his own, Lexi feels trapped. If she wants her own life, she’ll have to find a way to break all their expectations.

Leave No Trace plays the clash of worlds – magic and technology, future and past, rural and urban – against the backdrop of a bear hunt.

Review:

This story is an intense magical realism story. Though the characters are teenagers and young adults, this is not a YA story. There were some graphic scenes, including scenes involving hunting animals. I liked the magic, or unseen, powers that the characters developed. This book would be a great book club read because there is a lot to discuss.

Leave No Trace is a thrilling magical story.

Thank you Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!

Content warnings: death, death of parent, hunting animals, death of animals, blood

Have you read Leave No Trace? What did you think of it?

Review: Freaking Romance, Vol. 1

Title: Freaking Romance, Vol. 1
Author: Snailords
Genre: Graphic Novel, Romance, Fantasy
Publisher: Webtoon Unscrolled
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: September 26, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Every relationship has its bumps. For this couple, it’s interstellar.

From the creator of Snailogy and Rescheduled comes a sexy supernatural story about being out on your own, finding your dream apartment and discovering that your new place is haunted by a handsome spectral stranger from another dimension. Sure, he can’t see you and you can’t touch him, but who said every relationship starts out perfectly?

Freaking Romance is for fans of Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me , This One Summer and Bloom .

This volume collects episodes 1–21 of the supernatural hit WEBTOON comic.

Review:

This is such a fun and original supernatural graphic novel! Zylith moved into a haunted apartment, but it turns out the “ghost” is actually pop star Zelan. They both live in the same apartment but in different worlds, so they can’t physically touch each other without making the other vanish. They took turns playing hard to get by pretending they couldn’t see the other, which was funny. I’m excited to read the rest of the series!

Freaking Romance is a fun graphic novel!

Content warnings: depression, abuse, sick parent

Other books in the series:

Freaking Romance, Vol. 2
Freaking Romance, Vol. 3

Have you read Freaking Romance, Vol. 1? What did you think of it?

Review: Doom Breaker, Vol. 1 (Doom Breaker #1)

Title: Doom Breaker, Vol. 1 (Doom Breaker #1)
Author: Blue-Deep
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Publisher: Wattpad Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: July 25, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Zephyr is the last human fighting evil in a world abandoned by the gods. After a five-year war against humans and demons, Zephyr is slain by Tartarus, the Demon Lord. In the aftermath, much of humankind was either slaughtered or captured as hosts for demons. When all seems lost, Zephyr is abruptly reincarnated, much to the sinister amusement of the gods, to save humanity and avenge those he loves.

With his newfound second life, Zephyr is flung ten years into the past without his physical strength, starting at square one as a temple slave. Marked with a brand keeping him in servitude, he must navigate his new reality and regain his former powers. Some gods are still rooting for Zephyr’s success and offer him perks as he continues his quest, leading to the ultimate battle against the god of destruction, Tartarus, once more. Can Zephyr finally have his revenge and save the woman he loves, or is he doomed to repeat the past?

This volume collects episodes 1–10 of the hit WEBTOON comic.

Review:

This graphic novel is a thrilling start to the series. Zephyr was sent ten years into his past, as amusement for the gods. He knows what will happen in his life but he has to alter his past to be able to beat the god Tartarus in the future. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

Thank you Wattpad Books for providing a copy of this book!

Content warnings: violence, death, sword violence

Other books in the series:

Doom Breaker, Vol. 2 (Doom Breaker #2)

Have you read Doom Breaker, Vol. 1? What did you think of it?

Review: Princess Academy (Princess Academy #1)

Title: Princess Academy (Princess Academy #1)
Author: Shannon Hale
Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy
Publisher: Bloomsbury Books USA
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: July 1, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

This deluxe twentieth anniversary edition of the beloved modern classic, Princess Academy, will feature stunning sprayed edges, a brand new cover, and a letter from the author!

What if you had a chance to become a Princess?

Miri lives high atop a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have lived a simple life, working in the quarry. But everything changes when word arrives that the prince of the kingdom will choose his princess from among the village girls.

A makeshift academy is set up on the mountain and every eligible girl must attend and learn how to become a proper princess. Soon Miri finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires. Being chosen could give her everything she ever wanted, but does Miri really want to leave her home and family behind for a royal life?

Review:

I’ve wanted to read this book for years, so I’m excited that I finally had the opportunity to read it! This is a great middle grade book about self-discovery. Miri thought she was going to learn to become a princess and leave her village to live in the palace, but she ended up discovering the secrets of her people and realizing where she belonged. This book has a new special edition to celebrate the 20th anniversary, with beautiful stenciled edges!

Princess Academy is a modern middle grade classic!

Thank you Bookinfluencers.com and Bloomsbury USA for providing a copy of this book for a sponsored campaign!

Content warnings: child abuse, death of parent, kidnapping

Other books in the series:

Palace of Stone (Princess Academy #2)
The Forgotten Sisters (Princess Academy #3)

Have you read Princess Academy? What did you think of it?

Review: Shadows and Light

Title: Shadows and Light
Author: Tanya Cimone
Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 25, 2024
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Since childhood, Nyssa has been accompanied by ethereal melodies that haunt her and sinister Shadows that follow her every move. Shunned from her stepfather’s secretive business of curating art for the occult, her brother, Micah, and her best friend, Isabelle, are the anchors of her sheltered life.

But when demons crawl out of the underworld and capture Isabelle, Nyssa risks her own life to rescue her, determined to find the demon responsible. She quickly learns that trust is fickle as a demon’s bargain. When mysterious club owner Sam offers to help, and demons try taking her down, Nyssa hedges her bets.

She will dance with the Devil and bargain if it means saving her best friend. But will Nyssa save Isabelle and escape the Devil’s charm? Or will the darkness that’s always trailed behind finally claim her…revealing secrets that were meant to stay buried?

Review:

This was a great story! It had some fantasy, romance, and thriller aspects. There were some elements of a dark romance, with demons and angels, but it didn’t get dark or horrific. It was a fast-paced read with some exciting twists. The idea of fate and destiny was explored a little, as well as reincarnation, which I find interesting. I was on the edge of my seat for most of this book!

Shadows and Light is a thrilling romance!

Thank you The Wild Rose Press for providing a copy of this book as part of a paid campaign!

Content warnings: death, kidnapping, references to blood, knife violence

Have you read Shadows and Light? What did you think of it?