Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher

288 pages

Gothic Horror/Fantasy

4.5/5*

Formats Available: physical book, Libby eBook

The year is 1899 and Sonia Wilson is a scientific illustrator without work, prospects, or hope. When the reclusive Dr. Halder offers her a position illustrating his vast collection of insects, Sonia jumps at the chance to move to his North Carolina manor house and put her talents to use. But soon enough she finds that there are darker things at work than the Carolina woods. What happened to her predecessor, Halder’s wife? Why are animals acting so strangely, and what is behind the peculiar local whispers about “blood thiefs?”

With the aid of the housekeeper and a local healer, Sonia discovers that Halder’s entomological studies have taken him down a dark road full of parasitic maggots that burrow into human flesh, and that his monstrous experiments may grow to encompass his newest illustrator as well.

If you didn't already know, T. Kingfisher is a master of storytelling, and Wolf Worm makes that abundantly clear. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, but it quickly became another story I'm eager to recommend to you. The thing about Kingfisher is she's a master of the craft, pumping out horror, fantasy, romance, and every variation in between. Kingfisher expertly weaves this grotesque horror around genuinely lovable characters, and I live for that combination. I was disturbed and disgusted at the same moments I was scared and laughing. Wolf Worm is a fresh, inventive take on some well-known mythical creatures (no spoilers here), and I really appreciated the innovation.

This story begins by hitching a ride with the main character into the woods, "haunted woods." The audience soon sees what she finds there and how that little bugger, pun-intended, changes the course of her entire life. Pick up this story full of creepy crawlies to see what happens next. Five out of five stars; you're going to love this one. If you’re triggered by holes in flesh or squirmy worms living inside bodies — consider this your warning.

-Bethann

Hello and welcome back to KHCPL’s very own blog In the Stacks, where we talk about all things books! We are kicking off the new year with some new and improved reading

 challenges that will help everyone achieve their reading goals for 2026! Not to mention, there are so many new books coming out this year that we, of course, will be requesting for you to read here at the library all for the small price of zero dollars and zero cents! What’s better than free? Nothing!

Some of our staff spent the last half of 2025 playing Bookopoly, which is Monopoly but all about books! There were a ton of prompts that helped us go outside of our comfort zones and read materials we normally would not even think about picking up. For a lot of us, this broadened our reading goals for 2026. Personally, I know I am going to try to read some more regular fantasy instead of romantasy. A big reading goal of mine is to start and finish the Red Rising series by Pierce Brown. What are your goals? Make sure you go to khcpl.org and check out and join some of the reading challenges for 2026!

-Samantha

Penn Cole Author Interview Questions

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself! What did you do (career wise) before you became an author?
   • My undergrad degree is in Creative Writing, so I always knew I wanted to write, but as I was preparing to graduate college, I decided to take a job at a photography studio to pay the bills. I ended up developing a successful photo business, which later transitioned into small business coaching. I then decided to attend law school, and I spent a few years practicing law until Covid made me take a step back and reassess my life. I realized that I had never given up on my dream of writing novels, so I finally decided to take a chance and publish my first book! This coincided with a cross-global move from Texas (my home state) to Paris, France, where I live now with my husband and cat.
2. What inspired you to write Romantasy?
   • I’ve always been a big lover of fantasy, because I love imagining worlds where the impossible is always possible and things like magic and dragons are not just real, but part of everyday life. However, as a younger reader, I didn't see myself in the fantasy books that I found on bookstore shelves or in popular media like movies and graphic novels. At the time, those stories were always written by men, featuring men, and targeting a male audience, often relegating female characters to no more than a shallow, poorly developed love interest. Eventually, I stumbled on a book called Kushiel’s Dart, by Jacqueline Carey. I was absolutely entranced by the amazing female characters and the way the story highlighted issues important to women such as consent, bodily autonomy, and gender equality. For the first time, I could imagine myself in the hero’s shoes, instead of being the damsel in distress. That really opened my eyes to a world of fantasy that was more accessible to women, and for me, that inclusivity is what makes romantasy such an incredible genre to write in. Though I have many male and nonbinary readers and I value them deeply, I get a lot of joy in writing the books that, as a young woman, I wanted but couldn’t find.
3. What is the longest amount of time it has taken you to prepare and complete a book?
   • Ask me again when my next book is out! I’ve been working on the fourth book in my my series for over a year now, which is the longest time I’ve ever spent a single project. Some of that is because my career has seen a lot of dramatic changes in the last year as my series has really gained traction with new readers, which I am so grateful for, though it has been a big learning curve.
4. Which book of the Kindred’s Curse Saga has been most challenging for you to write?
   • Glow of the Everflame, book two in the series (which just released on December 3rd!) was a difficult one for me emotionally. Although I enjoyed the writing process, I struggled a lot with self-doubt and imposter syndrome. I actually almost deleted the book just before I published it, because I was so afraid that it would fall flat and disappoint readers after my first book had been so warmly received. I put a lot of pressure on myself to get better with every book I write, and although that can be a great motivator to always be learning and improving my craft, it also requires having faith in myself to do big, scary things!
5. Which character did you enjoy writing the most? Do you relate to this character at all?
   • I really love writing Taran, who is a character we get to know beginning in Glow of the Everflame. I like to describe him as a himbo golden retriever—not the brightest bulb in the box, but a heart of gold and the most loyal friend you could ever want! He is always laughing, always grinning, and absolutely always cracking inappropriate jokes, but as with many people who always put on a happy face, there’s a lot of hurt and brokenness buried beneath the surface. He’s been through a lot of trauma, and at his core, he wants nothing more than to love someone deeply and be equally loved in return. In that respect, I definitely relate to Taran. We are both romantics at heart!
6. How were you first published?
   • I originally self-published my first three books: Spark of the Everflame, Glow of the Everflame, and Heat of the Everflame. I spend about two years writing and editing them, and then I rapid released them over a short period in 2023. I was very fortunate that they caught fire with readers pretty quickly and did well on the Amazon bestseller lists. In early 2024, I connected with Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, and they expressed interest in partnering with me on the print edition of my series. I was already familiar with Atria and had long been impressed with how aware they are of publishing trends and how unafraid they have been to take risks on untraditional book deals and book marketing, and I knew immediately that I wanted to work with them. Although my ebooks remain self-published, Atria is re-releasing the print books in a beautiful new hardcover edition with additional content, so it feels like I’m publishing them for the first time all over again!
7. What do you believe is most important about the Romantasy or Fantasy Romance genre that sets it apart from other genres?
   • I think Fantasy in general, but especially romance-heavy fantasy, is really uniquely situated to help people work through difficult moral and social questions without the baggage we bring in from “the real world.” We all have so many biases and preconceived notions on most real-life issues, and those things can easily blind us and make it hard to see controversial topics from other perspectives. In fantasy, we get to leave a lot of that behind, which gives us a unique opportunity to put ourselves on the opposite side of a conflict. I believe strongly that reading, especially fiction, is innately political, but it doesn’t have to be the divisive, polarizing politics we’re used to. Instead, it can be something that encourages us to find love in unexpected places, to nurture compassion, and to keep our minds and hearts open to people of all kinds.
8. What are some of your personal book recommendations?
   • In romantasy, I’m really loving Book of Azrael by Amber V. Nicole, Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana, and if you like things on the spicier side, anything by Katee Robert or Kimberly Lemming. On the contemporary side, I’m always ravenous for anything written by Emily Henry or Elena Armas.

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The High Mountain Court by A.K. Mulford

360 pages

4.3/5*

Formats Available: physical copy, eBook Libby, Italian eBook Libby, eBook Hoopla

For thirteen years, nineteen-year-old Remy has known she is possibly the last red witch alive, and she is determined to stay that way. But the Northern Court King, who has slaughtered her family and placed a bounty on red witch heads, is intent on destroying her kind once and for all.

When four fae warriors enter her tavern refuge, Remy tries to flee, but her magic isn’t strong enough to stop the determined—and handsome—Prince Hale of the Eastern Kingdom. He claims he wants to stop a war with the Northern Court before his kingdom succumbs to the same fate as Remy’s. In order to do that, he needs a red witch…and Remy may be the only person alive who can help him.

Yet even as she’s drawn to him, can she really trust Prince Hale? Can her fallen court truly be rescued from the evil clutches of the Northern Court King?

Does she even have a choice?

For the chance to save herself, her people, and help rid the world of a murderous tyrant, Remy must put her faith in Hale and his companions on a dangerous quest to find lost relics…and discover if she is ready to secure her legacy.

First off, I want to give a huge thank you to Harper Voyager and A.K. Mulford for sending me the entire stunning series that is The Five Crowns of Okrith and the ARC of the final book, The Amethyst Kingdom. I have been eyeing book one, High Mountain Court, for quite some time, and I was ecstatic when they all showed up in my mailbox! I blew through High Mountain Court, and I really enjoyed the book and loved that it was not a million pages long. I would pick this up if you are into short romantic fantasy books. The book throws you in to main character Remi’s epic journey of hiding her true identity from the people trying to find her, while she has to just simply deal with Hale, the prince of the Eastern Kingdom (might be bad, might be good…only time will tell). I found that the author did a great job giving each and every character their own unique personality and development throughout the story.

My one and only complaint (that could potentially be revoked) is that the book moves so quickly and ends in such a shocking discovery that you are thinking “Okay, let’s go book two! “What’s next?”, but then you quickly find out each book focuses on different characters. I am not quite sure how I feel about this. I want more of Remi and Hale’s story, so I am wondering if it will continue but without them as the main focus. I guess it is time for me to get my act together and dive in to book two, so I can let you guys know!

*Book is compared to A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and From Blood and Ash by Jennifer Armentrout

For more book recommendations please tune in to Off the Books with B&S Podcast on any of your podcasting platforms; new episodes air every other Thursday.

 -Samantha