Witches & Vampires Staff Picks (10/26/23)

This October, we’re recommending books filled with magical witches and bloodsucking vampires. Check out what we’re reading below!

Amanda’s pick: THE SERPENT & THE WINGS OF NIGHT by Carissa Broadbent

A little bit Hunger Games, a little bit FROM BLOOD AND ASH, and a lotta bit action, intrigue, banter, steam, twists, and all the feels. THE SERPENT & THE WINGS OF NIGHT introduces a world of vampires and the human woman who is tired of being prey. Her only chance to be something more is to enter a tournament held by the goddess of death, who will grant one wish to the winner. But winning won’t be easy amongst the most vicious warriors from the vampire houses. To survive, she’ll be forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival, and their blossoming attraction could be her downfall. I absolutely loved the fierce heroine and great fight scenes combined with humorous banter and a slow-burn building of emotions between the two main characters. All that with an epic cliffhanger ending makes this one of my top romantasy recommendations of the year.

Available for download on Edelweiss and NetGalley. LibraryReads votes due by November 1.

Emily’s pick: HEARTLESS HUNTER by Kristen Ciccarelli

In this fresh retelling of THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, a witch vigilante finds herself falling for a notorious witch hunter. Rune spends her days pretending to be a young socialite, but she spends her evenings rescuing her fellow witches from being hunted. Gideon, known for his loyalty to the revolution, loathes everything Rune represents. As their two paths cross in a dangerous web of secrets, they discover that the only thing more treacherous than being a witch…is falling in love. This romantasy duology opener is filled with enchanting magic and compelling intrigue, and is perfect for fans of Stephanie Garber and Shelby Mahurin.

Available for download on Edelweiss and NetGalley

Michelle’s pick: NOT YOUR CRUSH’S CAULDRON by April Asher

Olive Maxwell has always played it safe. She much prefers teaching magic than actually practicing it. But when she assigns her students a project that’s designed to push them out of their comfort zones, she realizes that she’s never even done this herself. So she decides to finally take some risks and take on her long-time crush as a roommate. But her crush-now-roommate, Baxter, is actually a disgraced Guardian Angel who has been assigned to her as one last chance to keep his angel wings intact! Normally Baxter would have no trouble with Olive, but now that she’s shed her affinity for playing it safe and is taking countless risks, he’s going to be run ragged. Not to mention, he’s at real risk of shattering the only Guardian Angel Code of Conduct Rule he’s yet to break: Don’t fall in love with your Assignment. This magical romance is sure to give you all the feels this Halloween season!

Available for download on Edelweiss and NetGalley. LibraryReads votes due by January 1.