Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

And here we go with another series review!

Book One:

So I told my 8yo I would buddy read this with him since I wanted him to get into the series because I thought it would be right up his alley.

Self-five because I was riigghhttt!!

He’s is now flying through book 3, and is LOVING it.
And then my 7yo didn’t want to be left out, and he finished the audiobook yesterday and is very sad our hold on book 2 isn’t ready yet.

I finished today and I can firmly say I get the hype and I’m excited for book 2. A sassy demigod, loyal friends, the cool universe of Greek mythology, and lots of monsters? We are so in.

My husband (who is now also reading these books) better catch up because we’re totally liable to leave him behind!

Book Two:

I’ve been in a reading slump, so it’s been so fun to buddy read this series with my 8yo & 7yo! Honestly, I totally get the hype. This series is fast-paced, the voice pops, the characters are so easy to root for, and the world-building is chef’s kiss.

My 8yo has already finished all 7 Percy-POV books, & honestly just ask for Percy Jackson merch & more Rick Riordan books for his birthday. Even my 7yo is halfway into book 3, so I’ve got to catch up! And I’m so looking forward to it! Middle grade perfection recommended for all!

Book Three:

Another great entry to the series with more intensity, higher stakes, and great character/plot progression. Chef’s kiss.

Book Four:

(4.5/5) Really liked everything about the labyrinth, Percy’s adventures, and Nico’s development in this one… but I feel like Annabeth got short-changed here. I really wanted to see her wisdom shine in the labyrinth, but instead her jealousy really defined her throughout this one. Honestly though, I’ve really enjoyed listening to these as I get back into running, and I’m excited to read book 5!

Book Five:

(4.25/5)

So this series was interesting, because even though Percy Jackson is 16 at the end of the series, this book stayed squarely in the MG territory (rather than skewing into YA), which, honestly, is perfect for my elementary-school kids who are reading it.

But for me, personally, I think it would’ve been cool to see a little more growth from Percy over the five years. (Please keep in mind though, I love me some YA, and I am not the target audience here.) In general, this felt like another solid entry in the Percy Jackson series and we definitely got resolution on the plot threads that have been stretching through the series, but somehow it didn’t feel as epic as I guess I was expecting after all the build-up. And (heads up, unpopular opinion coming in), the chemistry between Percy & Annabeth wasn’t there for me. Their relationship seems high in jealousy content, and in general, I wish Annabeth had gotten more development throughout.

Also, maybe it’s because I’ve been on a Percy Jackson binge, but the narration was bugging me in this book. Hermes & Persephone’s voices didn’t seem to fit, and the mispronunciation of Hera’s name was killing me.

Overall though, my 7yo & 8yo absolutely LOVED this series, and it was super cool to be able to buddy read it with them. I loved the fast-pace and Percy’s voice, and they kept me seriously entertained as I get back into jogging.

Honestly, Nico de Angelo may be my favorite character and apparently there’s a series about him? So totally stoked for that. My 8yo says I have to also read the next two books, so I’ll be getting into those as well, but I think I’ll at least try to read a couple other books first.

(Side note though, we did also watch the show as my family, and my kids weren’t super jazzed about it. They were very disappointed it wasn’t EXACTLY as the books described word for word, and personally, I thought the shows had a darker vibe than the show. But it’d be hard to match the awesomeness of the books.)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chef’s Kiss. Worth the hype and a MG classic for a reason.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Author Life Update

So I usually try to include my writing updates in my bi-annual author newsletter (which you can sign up for here), but it’s been a while since I dropped one in the blog, and I’ve got a lot of irons in the fire, I figured I’d post a little recap.

As of this writing, I currently have ten books published.

The 5-book Odriel’s Heirs series is complete. Reading order: Odriel’s Heirs, Burning Shadows, Idriel’s Children, Night of Ash, Time’s Orphan. And honestly, I’m actively trying to step away from further investment in this series in the way of time or promotion. (It’s hard because I do love them so much, but I’m trying to look forward.) They’re all free to read somewhere, and Odriel’s Heirs pretty consistently lives in the top twenty of Amazon’s Free Teen & Young Adult Dark Fantasy ebooks and Teen & Young Adult Epic Fantasy ebooks. It’s downloaded regularly and has over Amazon 200 ratings with a 4.5 star average, so I’m pretty happy with that.

The Gatekeeper of Pericael remains as my only upper-middle-grade adventure, and again, I’m trying to actively step away from further investment. Also permafree, it still gets downloads on a weekly basis, and some reviews trickle in. An agent once told me, “You’ve written a beautiful book, but I have no idea how to market it,” and I completely agree with her. I love the creepy little monsterific book, but its target audience is strong middle grade readers who are looking for a good scare in their fantasy… which is a hard group to reach. As someone who was a horror-loving middle-schooler myself, I do absolutely love it though when it finds its way into the hands of the right reader. *So satisfying.* Strangely this “middle-school boy fantasy” is the only one I’ve sold out of at book signings, so that’s pretty cool too.

The 5-book Into the Churn series is also on the verge of completion. Reading order: Into the Churn, Into the Fire, A Churn in the Dark, Into the Abyss, A Churn in the (Virtual) Society. That last one now available for preorder and will release on September 16th. Since this is still a very new completed series, it’s currently the one I’m marketing most, and with Amazon ratings creeping up (184 now) I finally feel like it’s finding its audience. Overall, I’m super proud of this series, I can’t wait to hold that 5th book in my hands, and see what readers think of our last adventure in the Casolla system.

So where are we going here? Well, this year, my coauthor (E.P. Stavs) and signed a 2-book deal with Charlesbridge Publishing for Midnight Falls, our YA Paranormal Mystery (think of it as Gilmore Gils + Spirited Away + Addams Family.) But that won’t be coming out until Fall of 2027. Erin and I have two more Paranormal Adventures in that same universe—Borrowed Magic & Other Catastrophes (complete and with our agent) and A Witch’s Guide to Mischief and Moonlight (hoping to complete the first draft in June)—that we’re hoping to package together into a magical tourism series, but we’ll see how it goes.

But what about a 2026 release?! Well… I may have a little secret up my sleeve. It’s a little too early to say for sure, but I’m thinking my other Paranormal Mystery (think Veronica Mars + Bride + The Office) maybe be launching into the world in September 2026. The first draft is complete, but I’m still working on the first revision before I send it off to the powers that be. If all goes well, the official announcement will go out in October, and that will be part of a trilogy slated for 2026, 2027, & 2028 release. Fingers crossed!

But what about all of these other books you talk about? Indeed, dear reader, indeed. The traditional publishing pipeline is a long one with many ups and downs. My contemporary YA romcom, Inky & Heater IRL (think You Got Mail + Falling Into Your Smile), is technically on sub, along with my creepy YA Paranormal, The Ninth Circle (Stranger Things + Supernatural + Buffy), but we’ll be pivoting our energies to focus on my other WIPs ready to launch into the sub trenches.

Most notably, Codename: CNDRLA (Ever After + Mission Impossible) is the newest penguin to jump off the iceberg into the unpredictable waters of submission, and my agent (Kristen Terrette) and I are super excited for it!

Exit Seats (When Harry Met Sally + Fangirl) is next in line. And then I also have a *dark* NA Fantasy, House of the Chosen, (Gideon the Ninth + Phantasma) that I’m hoping to send my agent at the end of the summer.

And that’s basically the long and short of it. To sum up:
10 books published
1 book scheduled for September 2025 release
1 book planned for a September 2026 release
2 books planned for 2027 release
2 books planned for a 2028 release
3 books on sub
1 book with agent
2 books on route to my agent this summer

So where is my energy concentrated right now?
– Promoting the Into the Churn series
– Bagging that September 2026 contract
– Crossing my fingers SUPER hard for Codename: CNDRLA (like SUPER hard. It’s seriously one of my favorite book children)

Anyways, thanks for coming on the journey with me! And if you want to make sure you hear about my releases, remember to sign up for my newsletter or follow me on Amazon for notifications when I have another book published!

If you’re looking for ways to support me and enjoyed my books, ratings & reviews help a ton.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Do Your Worst

Picked this up on impulse at the recommendation of a friend who was also reading it.

What I liked:
– A fun, paranormal flavor

What I didn’t like:
– I just felt like there wasn’t a whole lot else that stood out for me here. I don’t even feel like I disliked anything in particular, but more like that it just didn’t stand out for me, and to me, a few of the plot points felt contrived.

Recommended for those looking for a light paranormal with friendly enemies-to-lovers and some spice.

⭐⭐⭐½

Eh, not really for me, but my friend liked it enough to recommend it, so it might be for you!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook and Graphic Novel Review – The Innkeeper Chronicle Series

This may be my favorite series of all time, and though I read them a long time ago, when I saw that there were graphic novels and graphic audio adaptions, I knew I had to reread them.

Friends, here is my confession: I NEVER reread books. Honestly, I don’t think I have ever reread a book (other than to edit or revise it.) Judge me as you will, that’s just a fact.

But I absolutely LOVED diving into these again. I loved the graphic novels. Loved the graphic audio. However, please be aware that the graphic audiobooks are abridged, so they’re better for a reread than for your first read. Same with the graphic novels. Though they are wonderful, I don’t think they quite capture everything in the books. As a whole though, I found the series even better than I remembered, and I was so excited to learn the authors are planning on continuing it! I honestly cannot recommend these enough. Seriously one of my all time favorites.

Six glowing stars. The highest rating I can bestow, and I will absolutely consume every adaption of them in the future. TV SHOW PLEASE?!?!?!?

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Honestly, more people need to read these! I can’t believe they don’t get more attention!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

Oh my goodddddd, I LOVED this book. Legitimately made me happy to be driving so that I could listen to it. Definitely one of my favorite reads of the year so far, and I will be recommending it so hard. If you want a cozy paranormal, whimsical magic, SO MUCH FOUND FAMILY (like, maybe one of the best executions of found family I’ve read ever? I’ll have to think about it), a brilliantly sweet & swoony Sunshine/Grump couple, and a lovable ensemble cast, dude, read this book. And the audiobook narration was absolutely delightful. I will definitely be looking to read more by Mandanna!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

So good. Definitely going to be a top read of the year.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

ARC Review – Human Scars on Planet Skin

Whoa. I read this book in one sitting when I was exhausted and worn out with the world, and it was exactly the breath of fresh air I needed. Brimming with emotion, haunting in its symbolism, and unapologetically unique, this is the book I didn’t know I was looking for. Human Scars on Planet Skin meets you at the intersection of environmental devastation, overwhelming grief, and dogged restoration. It’s a story of the scars of both the world and those we carry with us. Of the things we cannot carry. Of our place in the balance of nature, life, death, and the other souls around us. Of the pain and process of healing, even in the face of unspeakable horror. Told through the eyes of a psychedelic mushroom and somehow comfortingly bizarre, this is a one-of-a-kind story for those looking for a visceral, heartfelt journey that takes you to the depths of despair while also highlighting the tenacity of hope in a lovable word that you can feel to your bones. Highly recommend.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I love a book that feels unique.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Here One Moment

Really enjoyed this one! I love Liane Moriarty’s writing style, and it’s always so awesome to see her weave so many different point-of-views from super different characters together. Super heartwarming with a mystical flare and poignant themes. I’ll definitely be recommending this one!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I always love a good Liane Moriarty book. what can I say? I’m a fan.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Imminent (Inside the Pentagon’s Hunt for UFOs)

Okay, so I read this book at the insistence of a family member, and I entered with a quite a bit of skepticism, but I found it thought-provoking. Autobiographical-flavored nonfiction is NOT my favorite for lots of reasons, but some thoughts and takeaways from me:

– I know many people that I consider to be trustworthy and reliable who have seen or experienced things they cannot explain, which is actually why a lot of this wasn’t big news to me

– The author describes many accounts/videos of people seeing or experiencing things they cannot explain

– I think the author brings up lots of concepts that are interesting from a purely speculative point of view

– Personally, I have always accepted that the universe is full of lots of things we don’t understand yet, and this book didn’t really change my perspective in any way.

– In general, regardless of the veracity of the claims in this book, the saga makes for a good story, and definitely made me consider a lot of “what-ifs.”

– At the end of the day, my big takeaway is if you do see a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), I would stay away from it.

Overall, I found this an interesting read and would recommend if you’re curious about the subject or if you want to discuss with your friends. Regardless of what you believe may or may not be true, this author truly believes that the UAPs are not of this world, and is passionate about bringing those truths to light. Personally, I’m thankful for the progress that’s been made on de-stigmatizing the topic and hope we can all learn more in the future.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Definitely thought-provoking, any way you look at it.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Remarkably Bright Creatures

My favorite read of the year so far, and I can say without a doubt this will be on my top ten of 2025 list. This is now my go-to recommendation for any and all readers. The audiobook narration was also fabulous. This is a short review because I really don’t have anything to say but go read it. Six glowing stars, the highest rating I can give..

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

So unbelievably good you all. I can’t wait to see what this author writes next!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Umbra

A smart, techy sci-fi adventure with big Star Trek & Battlestar Galactica vibes & side of slowburn romance. Skyla was definitely my favorite POV, and I loved the idea of the connection with the ships. (Also, I loved that she had Fenrir – think big, epic doggo!) Definitely recommend for sci-fi fans looking for a space opera with big military & science elements.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

We definitely need more sci-fi romance in the world!

Thanks for reading!