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Fierce Reads

Blog posts that feature books published by Fierce Reads.

Banner for The Floating World Review with the cover of the book, a graphic of angel wings, and a graphic of a red paper umbrella

Blog | Reviews

The Floating World by Axie Oh: Review

Read More The Floating World by Axie Oh: Review

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley: Book Tour

Blog | Book Tours

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley: Book Tour

Read More Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley: Book Tour

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If you're looking for diverse and fun reads, you've come to the right place.

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🚙 Get Real, Chloe Torres — 05/13/25 🚙 “

🚙 Get Real, Chloe Torres — 05/13/25 🚙

“The soft parts of ourselves—the parts that don’t know better, that yearn for love and acceptance and home—can’t help but hope.”

Get Real, Chloe Torres is the definition of a summer book. It has such a whimsical and wholesome vibe to it that really makes it an uplifting story. It’s evident the author respects fandom and the connection it brings, and it made me think of my own fond memories of supporting boybands as a teen. Where my 1D and 5SOS girls at?

And while the book was fun, there were still a lot of moments of realness, like Chloe’s ADHD causing struggles on the trip, Sienna’s feelings about her biological father, and Ramona’s hesitancy to allow herself to enjoy the trip. But all of the hard moments and disagreements were bridged with such joy-filled and heartwarming moments. Not to mention the love triangle was well-done and satisfying. I enjoyed following the girls’ trip, and the formatting of the book added a special element with the bucket list getting crossed off and the itinerary/locations being placed in the chapter headings.

I also don’t know if I’ve ever read a character that’s as nostalgic and sentimental as I am, so I fully understood Chloe’s desire to reconnect with her former friends. I genuinely still think about people I was friends with in kindergarten and wish I could talk to them, so she’s a girl after my own heart, even with her intense personality.

If you need to read something that’s going to lighten your day and make you want to cherish your friendships even more, I’d recommend this one! I would also pay to get a book with Diego’s adventures because he was a hoot and a half.

*Thank you the publisher for the gifted finished copy. All opinions are my own.*

#BookishEnds #Bookstagram #BookReviews #YAFiction #QueerBooks #GetRealChloeTorres #HolidayHouse

🏃🏽‍♀️ If I Could Go Back—05/06/25 🏃🏽‍♀️

If I Could Go Back was a strong debut novel, and I eagerly await whatever the author writes next. I finished the book in three hours as it has the perfect pacing for YA, which I think a lot of teens will appreciate. The content itself pulls at the heartstrings, and I quickly became invested in Aaliyah’s journey to reunite with her birth parents. It was a journey filled with ups and downs as Aaliyah’s focus was more on keeping others happy than making herself happy.

I think for many of us who have an absent parent, there are times of being perfectly content and never thinking about them, and then there are times where the what if’s won’t leave your mind, and you desire answers, no matter what you have to do to get them. I don’t think everyone will understand why Aaliyah went through the lengths she did, especially since her own family wasn’t always on board in the story, but I really felt for her. And while I don’t have generalized anxiety, I do have a panic disorder, so I really loved that representation and seeing how it affected Aaliyah in her everyday life, and why it made it so hard for her to shake this need for reunion.

One thing I really appreciated about the book was the portrayal of an abusive relationship with the man being the one abused. It allowed for some very vulnerable conversations between him and the main character while also showing tangible ways to support someone being stalked and struggling to escape the cycle of abuse.

I did not get through the book without shedding a few tears, so a story that can make me cry is always going to end up on my recommendation list. While adults can surely get something out of this book, I truly feel like this is a book that can help a lot of teens recognize their own feelings and struggles.

*Thank you to the publisher for sending me a finished copy. All opinions are my own.*

#BookishEnds #BlackBookstagram #PeachtreeTeen #BookReviews

Look what I just got in the mail 😍 Thanks so mu

Look what I just got in the mail 😍 Thanks so much to @mstinaknowles @oneworldbooks @penguinrandomhouse @caseykelly.co for my #giftedcopy of the #MatriarchBook

This is a thick book, so I’m already ready for all the insight 🙌🏼 It also recently hit # 1 on the NYT. I can’t wait for the tour stop in Atlanta this week 🤩 Is anyone else going?

Description: Tina Knowles, the mother of iconic singer-songwriters Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Solange Knowles, and bonus daughter Kelly Rowland, is known the world over as a Matriarch with a capital M: a determined, self-possessed, self-aware, and wise woman who raised and inspired some of the great artists of our time. But this story is about so much more than that.
Matriarch begins with a precocious, if unruly, little girl growing up in 1950s Galveston, the youngest of seven. She is in love with her world, with extended family on every other porch and the sounds of Motown and the lapping beach always within earshot. But as the realities of race and the limitations of girlhood set in, she begins to dream of the world beyond. Her instincts and impulsive nature drive her far beyond the shores of Texas to discover the life awaiting her on the other side of childhood.

That life’s journey—through grief and tragedy, creative and romantic risks and turmoil, the nurturing of superstar offspring and of her own special gifts—is the remarkable story she shares with readers here. This is a page-turning chronicle of family love and heartbreak, of loss and perseverance, and of the kind of creativity, audacity, and will it takes for a girl from Galveston to change the world. It’s one brilliant woman’s intimate and revealing story, and a multigenerational family saga that carries within it the story of America—and the wisdom that women pass on to each other, mothers to daughters, across generations

#BookishEnds #BlackBookstagram #BookFeature #MatriarchAMemoir #TinaKnowles #OneWorldBooks

🌸May TBR🌸 Do you have a book you’re excit

🌸May TBR🌸

Do you have a book you’re excited to read this month?

It’s my birthday month 🥳 which means I’m having my cake and eating it too with this TBR. I have no idea what I’ll finish, but I want to give myself a plethora of options.

I’m reading Kiss Me, Maybe right now and the last three books on the list are for @blackromancebookfestival which lands on my bday, May 31st. 🤭

I will read some nonfiction this month, but I don’t really plan that out. I just read whatever seems interesting or is available on Libby.

•Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez*
•If I Could Go Back by Brianna Johnson*
•The Duke Steals Hearts & Other Body Parts by Elias Cold*
•The Art of Exile by Andrea Max*
•Get Real, Chloe Torres by Crystal Maldonado*
•This Could Be Forever by Ebony LaDelle*
•When Devils Sing by Xan Kaur*
•The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest
•The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann
•The Blood Gift by N.E. Davenport

*Thank you to the publishers who sent ARCs, eARCs, and finished copies 💕

#BookishEnds #Bookstagram #MayTBR

Did you read anything good in April? I started ou

Did you read anything good in April?

I started out April very strong, finishing four books in the first eight days of the month. Unfortunately, that fire died down as I started rewriting my women’s fiction book and as my desire to read physical books declined. Because two of the ARCs I had to read were physical, I slowed down significantly and procrastinated a bit, so I only got one finished. I really blame this on getting a Kobo Libra Colour because I’m obsessed with reading on it. I don’t even want to read on my phone anymore.

I’ve also now hit 46 books read this year, so I’m inching even closer to my goal of 50 books, which I should hit this month barring catastrophe. I read four of the seven books on my April TBR, which isn’t bad. I would have liked to get to them all, but there’s always May. I also read Kaya Morgan’s Crowning Achievement, which was a book on my Black Romance Book Fest TBR, so that’s a win for me.

Since BRBF is this month, I’m going to prioritize finishing everything I want to read for that, so I can make sure I have the books I need to get signed. But since it’s also my birthday month, and I have several book events to go to, I’m not going to stress myself about what I do or don’t read.

#BookishEnds #BlackBookstagram #ReadingWrapup

The Floating World — 4/29/25 I don’t believe

The Floating World — 4/29/25

I don’t believe I’ve ever read a story about the celestial maidens, so the worldbuilding and lore in The Floating World sucked me in.

Ren had this aura of innocence to me, and I loved seeing how her goals and desires shifted over the course of the story. Her skills being a troupe performer came in handy so much throughout the book, so I appreciated that her past and present were such a factor in her temperament and choices. I mostly felt bad for Sunho because of what he’d been through, but his protection of Ren was everything. They were such a great team.

And when the description says the book is a romantic fantasy, it’s not lying. Ren and Sunho’s interactions were so sweet and heartwarming. Lately I’ve been growing a little tired of the heavy emphasis on romance in a lot of fantasy, so I was glad that the emphasis of the book was more on Ren and Sunho’s journey than their budding relationship.

I really enjoyed the multi-POVs, and how though Jaeil didn’t have a lot of chapters, his perspective always came in at the right time to give us the right amount of information or to drop more curiosity seeds.

Honestly, the only thing I’m upset about is that the book ended. I need to be able to dive immediately into the next book to see how everything is going to come together, but patience is a virtue. I would recommend this for readers that love books with expansive worlds, memory loss, and characters with intertwined histories and destinies.

*Full review on my blog. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.*

#BookishEnds #BookReviews #TheFloatingWorld #AxieOh #YAFantasy

It’s Indie Bookstore Day tomorrow, and I can’t

It’s Indie Bookstore Day tomorrow, and I can’t wait 🥳 I might need to pick up an actual copy of this, but I like this cover more than the new ones 🤔

I’ve started The Blood Trials twice over the years and never got past the second chapter, but I’m happy I tried again because this ended up being a really enjoyable read. I don’t think I was as invested as I wanted to be in the characters, so certain deaths didn’t affect me, but the way the plot came together at the end sold me.

And lemme just say, this book was a lot more brutal and gruesome than I expected. It did not shy away from the harsh realities of training warriors and eliminating the weak. There was a lot of deceit, racism, and betrayal throughout the story, and I enjoyed seeing the farther Ikenna got in the Trials, the more she uncovered. The worldbuilding was also interesting, and I liked seeing Ikenna contend with hiding her secret in a deadly environment. I definitely would have preferred to see a little bit more information about her origins and the magic though, so I’m hoping the lore will expand in the next book.

The only aspect of the book that didn’t really work for me was the romance. For an enemies to lovers story, the sex happened too early for me and felt contrary to Ikenna’s character. I understood how her unstable powers influenced it, but it was a miss for me. And I actually like the love interest, so it wasn’t about who was involved either.

Overall, the combination of the fast-paced plot and the Trials themselves really kept me turning the pages. I’d recommend this for those trying to read more Black fantasy if they don’t mind discrimination being central to the plot.

#BookishEnds #BlackBookstagram #BookReviews

🛑 Black Romance Book Fest TBR Update 🛑 Do n

🛑 Black Romance Book Fest TBR Update 🛑

Do not pass go, do not collect $200 if you haven’t checked if you’re on track with your TBR 🤚🏼

I’ve honestly done so much better than I thought I would, but I don’t know if I’ll finish strong. I have three books left I want to get to, but I’m also at the point where instead of trying to fit in new authors, I want to read more of the authors I love so I can get everything signed. We’ll see.

I’m already stressing about trying to work out my schedule with signings and panels. I need like five of me 😩 My birthday’s gonna be so lit though 🥳

✅The Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport
✅Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan (This Could Be Us + Can’t Get Enough)
✅Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle
✅A Legend in the Baking by Jamie Wesley
✅I Think They Love You by Julian Winters
✅Kaya Morgan’s Crowning Achievement by Jill Tew
✅Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann
➖Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory
➖The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest
➖Outdrawn by Deanna Grey

#BookishEnds #BlackBookstagram #BlackRomanceBookFest #BRBF25

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Banner for the Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport review with a cover of the book

The Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport: Review

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I Think They Love You by Julian Winters: Review

Banner for A Legend in the Baking by Jamie Wesley review with a cover of the book, a graphic of a cupcake, and a graphic of a camera on a tripod

A Legend in the Baking by Jamie Wesley: Review

Banner for review of Can't Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan with the cover of the book, a graphic of a TV, and a graphic of a basketball

Can’t Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan: Review

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