Read in March 2026
March turned out to be an exceptionally strong reading month, and above all one filled with books that will stay with me in different ways.
I started the month by finishing a buddy read of a book I had already read ten years ago. Once again, it proved to be a massive hit, which was also a lovely confirmation that some stories truly are timeless, even when you return to them years later with a completely different reading background.
After that, I dove into a thrilling trilogy together with a colleague, which added another fun dynamic to the month. Reading together always feels a little extra special: exchanging theories, reacting to plot twists together, and motivating each other to keep going.
In between, there was also room for a reread and a number of books from my subscription boxes, which ranged from moderately successful to absolute wins. Altogether, it made for a month with a lot of reading joy.
In the end, I finished 9 books in March, good for 3194 pages. That brings the average March book to 355 pages per book.
There was also one book this month that I decided not to finish, resulting in 1 DNF in which I still read 117 pages.
Apart from that one DNF, the books I did finish were fortunately almost all very strong choices. My ratings ranged from 3 to 5 stars, with no fewer than two five-star books. This brings the average March book to a lovely 4.0 stars.
As for target audience, I read one Young Adult book this month and, besides that, 9 adult books. It probably won’t surprise you that the one YA title ended up being the DNF.
I also varied quite a bit in reading format. Several books were read in a mix of audio and physical reading, depending on the moment. Of all the books I picked up this month, 6 came from my physical bookshelves.
Genre-wise, there was also some variety, with 4 different genres: thriller (1), romance (1), sci-fi (4), and fantasy (4). Every book I read this month was read in English.
Below you’ll find the list of books I read in March, together with my star ratings.
Click the link to jump to the blurb and my review! As always, please keep in mind that both blurbs and reviews may contain spoilers, especially when it comes to later instalments in a series. Sometimes I hide spoilers behind collapsible sections or blacked-out text.
- Marilier, Julliet – Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters #1) ★★★★★
- Crouch, Blake – Pines (Wayward Pines #1) ★★★★
- Hazelwood, Ali – Love on the Brain ★★★★
- Liu, Ken – All That We See Or Seem (Julia Z #1) ★★★
- Crouch, Blake – Wayward (Wayward Pines #2) ★★★★
- Crouch, Blake – The Last Town (Wayward Pines #3) ★★★★
- Al-Wasity, Heba – Weavingshaw (Weavingshaw #1) ★★★★★
- Dinniman, Matt – Operation Bounce House ★★★
- Falaye, Deborah – Blood Scion (Blood Scion #1) (DNF)
- Watson, Andrew – Tomb of Tomes (Shadowbinders #1,5) ★★★★
Marilier, Julliet – Daughter of the Forest (Sevenwaters #1) ★★★★★
Genre: Fantasy
But Sorcha’s joy is shattered when her father is bewitched by his new wife, an evil enchantress who binds her brothers with a terrible spell, a spell which only Sorcha can lift—by staying silent. If she speaks before she completes the quest set to her by the Fair Folk and their queen, the Lady of the Forest, she will lose her brothers forever.
When Sorcha is kidnapped by the enemies of Sevenwaters and taken to a foreign land, she is torn between the desire to save her beloved brothers, and a love that comes only once. Sorcha despairs at ever being able to complete her task, but the magic of the Fair Folk knows no boundaries, and love is the strongest magic of them all…
Crouch, Blake – Pines (Wayward Pines #1) ★★★★
Genre: Thriller
Why can’t he make contact with his family in the outside world? Why doesn’t anyone believe he is who he says he is? And what’s the purpose of the electrified fences encircling the town? Are they keeping the residents in? Or something else out?
Each step toward the truth takes Ethan further from the world he knows, until he must face the horrifying possibility that he may never leave Wayward Pines alive…
Hazelwood, Ali – Love on the Brain ★★★★
Genre: Romantiek
Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school – archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.
But when her equipment starts to go missing and the staff ignore her, Bee could swear she sees Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas… devouring her with those eyes. The possibilities have all her neurons firing.
But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?
I reread Love on the Brain and my thoughts haven’t really changed since the first time I picked it up. When I’m reading heavier or more serious books, I often like to keep something lighthearted on the side, often a romance or reread that I can pick up for a chapter or two before turning off the lights. This one fits that role perfectly. It’s silly, predictable, and over the top, but despite the brainy STEM setting it’s exactly the kind of story that helps me wind my brain down at night. There’s something comforting about rereading a book when you already know what to expect and can easily slip back into the story. It may not be groundbreaking, but it remains charming, fun, and a perfect bit of cozy escapism.
Liu, Ken – All That We See Or Seem (Julia Z #1) ★★★
Genre: Sci-Fi
But when a lawyer named Piers—whose famous artist wife, Elli, has been kidnapped by dangerous criminals—barges into her life, Julia decides to put the solitary life she has painstakingly created at risk as she can’t walk away from helping Piers and Elli, nor step away from the challenge of this digital puzzle. Elli is an onierofex, a dream artist, who can weave the dreams of an audience together through a shared virtual landscape, live, in a concert-like experience by tapping into each attendee’s waking dream and providing an emotionally resonant and narrative experience. While attendees’ dreams are anonymous, Julia discovers that Elli was also providing a one-on-one dream experience for the head of an international criminal enterprise, and he’s demanding his dreams in return for Elli.
Unraveling the real and unreal leads Julia on an adventure that takes her across the country and deep into the shadows of her psyche.
I went into All That We See or Seem hoping for a fast-paced sci-fi thriller that would be gripping, adventurous, and hard to put down. Unfortunately, it never quite pulled me in the way I had hoped. Rather than leaning into tension or momentum, the focus lies more on exploring its thematic ideas.
There are certainly interesting concepts at play. The book explores questions around technology, AI, and the increasingly blurred boundaries between human creativity and artificial intelligence. Many of the speculative elements feel uncomfortably close to reality, especially considering how rapidly AI is being integrated into all layers of life today. However, the execution relies on large amounts of technical explanation and jargon which, while interesting, hindered my immersion in the story and slowed its pacing.
The characters also never fully came to life for me. Even though we learn quite a bit about Julia, the emotional spark that would make her feel truly real never quite materialized. The supporting cast is even more thinly drawn, which makes it difficult to feel invested in their relationships or the stakes of the story. The antagonist felt extremely, almost laughably, one-dimensional, coming across as a cartoonishly narcissistic villain. I kept expecting some deeper twist or additional layer to his character, but it never really arrived.
Structurally, the novel also feels somewhat uneven. At one point it almost seemed as if the story was wrapping up, only for a whole new narrative direction to begin. While both parts contain interesting elements, they never fully come together into a cohesive whole.
That said, I didn’t dislike the book. The world itself is believable, and the ideas it raises are often thought-provoking. I can see how the concept of companion novels following Julia Z through separate mysteries and adventures could work. However, since the story never fully carried me away, I don’t think I’ll be looking out for future installments. In the end, it was an enjoyable enough read, but also one that feels somewhat forgettable.
Crouch, Blake – Wayward (Wayward Pines #2) ★★★★
Genre: Sci-Fi
None of the residents know how they got here. They are told where to work, how to live, and who to marry. Some believe they are dead. Others think they’re trapped in an unfathomable experiment. Everyone secretly dreams of leaving, but those who dare face a terrifying surprise.
Ethan Burke has seen the world beyond. He’s sheriff, and one of the few who knows the truth—Wayward Pines isn’t just a town. And what lies on the other side of the fence is a nightmare beyond anyone’s imagining.
Crouch, Blake – The Last Town (Wayward Pines #3) ★★★★
Genre: Sci-Fi
Secret Service agent Ethan Burke arrived in Wayward Pines, Idaho, three weeks ago. In this town, people are told who to marry, where to live, where to work. Their children are taught that David Pilcher, the town’s creator, is god. No one is allowed to leave; even asking questions can get you killed.
But Ethan has discovered the astonishing secret of what lies beyond the electrified fence that surrounds Wayward Pines and protects it from the terrifying world beyond. It is a secret that has the entire population completely under the control of a madman and his army of followers, a secret that is about to come storming through the fence to wipe out this last, fragile remnant of humanity.
Al-Wasity, Heba – Weavingshaw (Weavingshaw #1) ★★★★★
Genre: Fantasy
Three years ago, Leena Al-Sayer awoke with a terrible power.
She can see the dead.
Since then, she has hidden herself from the world, knowing that if she ever reveals her curse she will be locked away in an asylum.
When her beloved brother, Rami, falls fatally ill, Leena is faced with a terrible CHOICE: Let him die or buy the expensive medicine that will save his life by bartering the only valuable thing she has—her secret.
The Saint of Silence, a ruthless merchant who trades in confessions and is shrouded in unearthly rumors of cruelty and power, accepts her bargain, for a deadly price. Leena must find the ghost of Percival Avon, the last lord of Weavingshaw—or lose her freedom to the Saint forever.
As Leena’s search takes her and the Saint to Weavingshaw, she finds the estate and the surrounding moors to be living things—hungry for blood and sacrifice. Fighting against Weavingshaw’s might, Leena must also fight her growing pull toward the enigmatic Saint himself, whose connection to Percival Avon remains a mystery.
As the house begins to entomb them, time is running out on their desperate hunt for answers. For Leena has come to see that here in Weavingshaw, the dead are not hushed—and some secrets are better left buried with them.
I’ve heard many good things about Weavingshaw, so I started reading this with restrained yet high hopes. Still, I wasn’t prepared for just how completely it would draw me in. From the very first pages, I was utterly entranced.
“Weavingshaw seemed much too wild a thing to be owned by anyone”
For me, the quote above perfectly captures the spirit of this book. It’s something untamed, haunting, and impossible to resist. The atmosphere is one of its greatest strengths: deeply gothic, unsettling, and layered with ghosts, demons, dangerous politics, and that constant sense of something lurking just beneath the surface.
What I found truly impressive was how expertly the mystery unfolds. This is very much a slow-paced story, but the pacing feels deliberate in the best possible way. Information is woven into the narrative through careful glimpses, with reveal after reveal adding new layers to the story and making the intrigue only deepen. The world-building feels rich and immersive, with lore that adds real weight to the setting, while the writing itself is beautiful without ever becoming too ornate. It all feels incredibly confident, which makes it even more impressive that this is a debut.
And then there’s the romance! It’s the kind of slow burn that absolutely thrives on yearning, fleeting glances, and all those tiny moments where the reader can sense what the characters themselves are still trying to deny. It has that perfect “Mr Darcy hand flex” energy: restrained, charged, and utterly swoon-worthy. Beyond the gothic fantasy surface, the story also weaves in meaningful themes around classism, displacement, and belonging, especially through the lens of refugees and children of refugees, which gives it an added emotional depth without ever feeling heavy-handed.
This genuinely left me so impressed. It had everything I hoped for, from the atmosphere to the mystery and romance. I already can’t wait for the sequel!
Dinniman, Matt – Operation Bounce House ★★★
Genre: Sci-Fi
But now the colossal Apex corporation has been hired to commence an ‘eviction action’ – exterminate all life on New Sonora in preparation for a reboot. And they charge bored Earthers for the opportunity to design their own war machines, remotely pilot them and make it a game.
The game is called
OPERATION BOUNCE HOUSE…
And New Sonora is its playing field.
Determined to defend the only home he’s ever known, Oliver and his friends find themselves fighting for their lives against these machines.
To Earth it’s a game, but to Oliver, it’s war.
Operation Bounce House was my first experience with Matt Diniman, and it ended up being a rather middle-of-the-road read for me.
On the one hand, I can absolutely appreciate what this story is trying to do. It tackles heavy, important themes, such as war, genocide, desensitisation through social media, and the dangers of complicity through inaction. There’s also an interesting layer involving AI being a useful tool when handled responsibly, but potentially dangerous when people follow it blindly. Conceptually, there’s a lot here that should have made for a powerful and thought-provoking read, but for me, the execution didn’t quite live up to that potential.
The execution felt somewhat heavy-handed, relying a lot on info-dumping and overly long action scenes, that never fully pulled me in. A big part of that comes down to character connection. For a story dealing with such devastating subject matter, I expected to feel a stronger emotional impact, but I remained mostly at a distance. There’s a general sense of anger and sadness about what’s happening, but very little personal connection to the characters themselves. More broadly, I never felt like any of the core elements were explored in real depth . The world, the plot, and the characters all felt somewhat underdeveloped.
In the end, this is a book I respect more than I enjoyed. It raises important questions and explores relevant themes, but it never quite managed to make me feel them in a meaningful way. For a story like this, I wanted more emotional weight, more immersion and just more in general.
Falaye, Deborah – Blood Scion (Blood Scion #1) (DNF)
Genre: Fantasy
Fifteen-year-old Sloane can incinerate an enemy at will—she is a Scion, a descendant of the ancient Orisha gods.
Under the Lucis’ brutal rule, her identity means her death if her powers are discovered. But when she is forcibly conscripted into the Lucis army on her fifteenth birthday, Sloane sees a new opportunity: to overcome the bloody challenges of Lucis training, and destroy them from within.
Sloane rises through the ranks and gains strength but, in doing so, risks something greater: losing herself entirely, and becoming the very monster that she ahbors.
Following one girl’s journey of magic, injustice, power, and revenge, this deeply felt and emotionally charged debut from Deborah Falaye, inspired by Yoruba-Nigerian mythology, is a magnetic combination of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin and Daughter of Smoke and Bone that will utterly thrill and capture readers.
I ended up DNF’ing Blood Scion at around 27% (chapter 12). There wasn’t one single thing that made me stop, but rather a combination of elements that just never clicked for me. The story is undeniably dark, brutal, and graphic, tackling heavy themes, but despite that, I felt very little emotional impact. The writing itself felt somewhat repetitive at times, with occasional phrasing that pulled me out of the story, and the worldbuilding remained quite vague this far in. It also leans heavily on familiar YA tropes, making the overall setup feel rather formulaic, even if more violent than usual. I struggled to connect with the main character, whose inner voice I found more grating than engaging, and some of the emotional beats felt more like shock value than something genuinely earned. The early hints of a new romantic subplot, so soon after a traumatic event, also felt jarring and misplaced. In the end, it simply didn’t manage to hold my interest, even though I can see what it was aiming for.
Watson, Andrew – Tomb of Tomes (Shadowbinders #1,5) ★★★★
Genre: Fantasy
The lost library of Nenelan was thought to be nothing more than myth. It was said to hold the secrets of Tarrisian history and the long sought after cause of the cataclysm that splintered the country. So when whispers of its discovery reach the ears of the scholars, a race to uncover the truth begins.
But Yeru must face more than ambitious scholars. Buried beneath the desert sand, the ancient library holds more than just books.
Perhaps some discoveries are better left unfound.
Tomb of Tomes is a companion novella to the Shadowbinders trilogy, following the scholar Yeru as she delves into the secrets of Tarris’ past. This dark epic fantasy novella takes place after the events of Harbinger of Justice.
I really enjoyed returning to the world of Shadowbinders through Tomb of Tomes, especially because this novella further explores an intriguing setting we briefly encountered in the first book. What stood out most to me was the perfect pacing. While reading, I genuinely found myself wondering how this story would come together so satisfyingly within such a limited page count, but by the end everything fell beautifully into place. It feels like the perfect skim dive into this mysterious library, revealing just enough to deepen the intrigue while leaving me eager for more. And those nightwalker creatures? Brrr, very creepy.
Short, atmospheric, and highly effective, this novella only made me more curious to continue with the series.
