Sarnai Briar (Author of Changing Waters)

Sarnai Briar made a comment on Lila Mary’s review of Mind of a Pirate " (I just learned that I could comment on reviews!!) Thank you again for being willing to read this story! It means so much to me and this was such a he ...more "
Feb 11, 2026 08:46PM · see review
Sarnai Briar liked Lila Mary's review of Mind of a Pirate: "Disclaimer: I received a free Advanced Reader Copy of this novel, but all opinions are entirely my own. Mind of a Pirate was a gripping, enthralling journey through trauma, healing, friendship, relationships, and mental health. This was a beautifully " Read more of this review »
Feb 11, 2026 08:45PM · see review
Sarnai Briar rated a book it was amazing Springhaven (The Silver River Series) by Emily Siems (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I want to start off by saying, MY GOODNESS. THAT FIRST CHAPTER. Okay, now that that’s been done, I can calm back down. I won’t spoil it, but that was a marvelous way to kick off the story. It immediately piqued my interest and made me excited to see ...more
Jan 28, 2026 07:46AM · 1 like · like · see review
Sarnai Briar is now following Ellis Grayson Author of Before the Fall (The fall series Book 1)
Jan 28, 2026 07:12AM · like
Sarnai Briar rated a book it was amazing Before the Fall (The fall series Book 1) by Ellis Grayson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this a lot! I don’t read horror often (despite having wanted to for literal years). It was nice to finally do that. Zombie stories are just especially fun in my opinion. There’s something inherently scarier to me when compared to vampires o ...more
Dec 20, 2025 02:21PM · 1 like · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Before the Fall by Ellis Grayson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Before the Fall by Ellis Grayson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Sarnai Briar rated a book it was amazing Silent Lust of Us: A Case Hidden Behind Digital Eyes by Miss Existence	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This was fun! Thriller and horror in general are genres that I’ve been wanting to get into more, so I think this was a nice way to explore that. This part of the story follows Christine, but she’s neither a traditional heroine nor even antihero. She’ ...more
Nov 26, 2025 10:55AM · like · see review
Sarnai Briar rated a book it was amazing Echo Sight (Tainted Faculties Book 1) by Cian Verati (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I had an absolute blast with this! The story is written in 1st person POV and I really feel like it made the most of this perspective. It doesn't just feel like Enaka is explaining information to you. It feels like you’re in their head. Sometimes, it ...more
Nov 15, 2025 10:07AM · like · see review
Sarnai Briar is now following jamie hana and Lila Mary
Oct 24, 2025 03:45PM
Sarnai Briar rated a book it was amazing The Court of Dreams (Kingdoms of Kaelum #1) by A.J. Nora (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This was a short but sweet story! It’s one-part urban fantasy and one-part medieval fantasy, so you get to enjoy them both in this. The horror aspects of this book were really great to me. With this type of story, the Hollows are meant to represent s ...more
Sep 04, 2025 07:44AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Court of Dreams by A.J. Nora. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Court of Dreams by A.J. Nora <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

Sarnai Briar made a comment on Lila Mary’s review of Mind of a Pirate

" (I just learned that I could comment on reviews!!) Thank you again for being willing to read this story! It means so much to me and this was such a he ...more "

Sarnai Briar liked Lila Mary's review of Mind of a Pirate:

"Disclaimer: I received a free Advanced Reader Copy of this novel, but all opinions are entirely my own.

Mind of a Pirate was a gripping, enthralling journey through trauma, healing, friendship, relationships, and mental health. This was a beautifully " Read more of this review »

Sarnai Briar rated a book it was amazing

Springhaven (The Silver River Series)
by Emily Siems (Goodreads Author)

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I want to start off by saying, MY GOODNESS. THAT FIRST CHAPTER. Okay, now that that’s been done, I can calm back down. I won’t spoil it, but that was a marvelous way to kick off the story. It immediately piqued my interest and made me excited to see I want to start off by saying, MY GOODNESS. THAT FIRST CHAPTER. Okay, now that that’s been done, I can calm back down. I won’t spoil it, but that was a marvelous way to kick off the story. It immediately piqued my interest and made me excited to see what was coming next. Now, full disclosure, I am not a romantasy reader. I know it’s very popular and respect it as a genre, but it’s not one I really read. That said, considering this from the standpoint of someone who reads, I think it does well! The romance is cute and you’ve got a love triangle trope. The two male leads in this, Hazen and Thorne, are both fun in their own way. They are figuratively, and in some ways literally, fire and water (since they have those powers). So, if you like the “gruff, seems mean but is actually kind” guy or the “bright-eyed, Golden retriever of a man,” they’re both here. The story is told with first-person POV, so it’s almost like you’re the one who gets to live through these crushes. Nevia has been very sheltered her whole life, making her like a teenager who’s experiencing her first crush, her first time being upset with a parental figure, and her first time feeling both competent and terrified of responsibility.

Something I really liked in this story was the way the world worked. It was intriguing. Nevia is canonically in her 50s but ages differently like everyone else. For example, a person who’s considered middle-aged is in their 500s. This was fascinating to me to see a place where everyone was just expected to have a long life. Aging slows down at 17 and then extends. The monsters (demons in this case) are as scary as you’d expect and want them to be. The way that magic works is also neat with a range of types such as Shadow Magic being the most powerful and most unpredictable. To the romantic interests’ credit, they were both really fun to me as well. I immediately thought Hazen was interesting and cool despite coming off so cold. Also, Thorne’s difficult to dislike since he’s so friendly and warm to everybody.

I don’t know the usual rules for romantasy, but I wish that some of the story veered away from Nevia’s attraction so that we could learn more about the other characters. She has a friend who I didn’t think was explored very much, but with this being the first in the series, there’s always time for that. My main critique is the dialogue. There were times when it felt a bit stilted.

Overall, I would certainly recommend this to anybody who likes romantasy. There are plenty of romantic moments and tender scenes with attraction, acting on that attraction, and wondering if you should. So, if you like your romance with a splash of action, this is the story for you! ...more

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Ellis Grayson

Author of Before the Fall (The fall series Book 1)

Sarnai Briar rated a book it was amazing

Before the Fall (The fall series Book 1)
by Ellis Grayson (Goodreads Author)

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I enjoyed this a lot! I don’t read horror often (despite having wanted to for literal years). It was nice to finally do that. Zombie stories are just especially fun in my opinion. There’s something inherently scarier to me when compared to vampires o I enjoyed this a lot! I don’t read horror often (despite having wanted to for literal years). It was nice to finally do that. Zombie stories are just especially fun in my opinion. There’s something inherently scarier to me when compared to vampires or werewolves. With either of those, there’s this idea of a limit. If you survive the night, you’re fine. With zombies, there’s no dangerous timeframe or safe one. There is just the apocalypse and it’s called that for a good reason. This is highlighted very well in this story. The dramatic irony is strong with you knowing what’s coming, but it never feels like you know too much. As the reader, you know zombies are on the way, but you still want to see how they will be in this world and how the characters will react. (They did not disappoint) The writing style of this story was a lot of fun to me in particular. The prologue reads like a script to a movie, moving through character intros as though the camera is panning over them to show you who’s going to be in the film. There was also really nice usage of the word “yet” to help build that ominous tone.

This leads me to the main reason we’re here: The zombies! Like I mentioned, I don’t really read horror. The only experience I have with it is Dracula, but I’ve seen plenty of zombie movies. I was curious how the ones here would be. If you’re familiar with any Kdramas or Korean horror movies, these remind me of those in the best way. They aren’t the slow zombies that walk around like they’ve got all the time in the world. These monsters are highly aware of their surroundings, terrifyingly fast, and extremely hungry. I won’t say exactly how the first scene with a zombie goes, but I felt so bad for the characters and could practically feel their terror. Speaking of the characters, it’s really neat to see the different ways that people respond. Some are in denial, certain that everything’s going to be fine even if there’s no proof of this; some are thinking about the children; and some are just trying to survive. My biggest complaint with most horror movies is how foolish the characters are, but this group is smart. They are instantly thinking about the long-term and how to improve their chances to live and thrive in this new world. It made me root for them since I could see that they cared too.

This isn’t really an issue, more so something that I imagine will be expanded upon. I feel like some of the characterizations could be a bit stronger, but this is a rather short story and part of a series. At the moment, I don’t feel like I have a great grasp on the characters. Callum, Derek’s friend, would probably be my favorite, though. I’m excited to see what happens in parts 2 and 3 and how everybody grows and changes to show us what they have to offer.
Overall, I thought this was fun and a very nice start to a zombie trilogy! It makes me want to see what these characters choose to do and how the world will keep deteriorating around them until they’re forced to make impossible decisions. I definitely recommend this for anybody who likes zombies or is interested in horror fiction. I also think this could be good for those who don’t normally read the genre (although I am notoriously difficult to scare with stories, so just take that with a grain of salt if you’re a squeamish reader). ...more

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Silent Lust of Us: A Case Hidden Behind Digital Eyes
by Miss Existence

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This was fun! Thriller and horror in general are genres that I’ve been wanting to get into more, so I think this was a nice way to explore that. This part of the story follows Christine, but she’s neither a traditional heroine nor even antihero. She’ This was fun! Thriller and horror in general are genres that I’ve been wanting to get into more, so I think this was a nice way to explore that. This part of the story follows Christine, but she’s neither a traditional heroine nor even antihero. She’s just struggling. At the heart of the story is a tale about overcoming grief and addiction. Almost immediately, it’s clear that she is going through a lot and is not using healthy coping strategies. There are multiple nightmare sequences that are very immersive and unsettling. They each feel like that type of dream where you wake up in the middle of the night and just lay awake for a while, trying to think of something else or simply to avoid the chance of dreaming more. Throughout the story, I kept feeling worse for Christine. She has a friend (Oliver), a sister, and a frenemy who has a boyfriend, but it’s like she really doesn’t have anyone who she can just talk to. In my opinion, this reads like a cautionary tale of what can happen when we ignore those who are silently begging for help and what can happen when we shove down our feelings instead of confronting them.

My favorite character was probably Arthur. I won’t spoil anything (and I technically don’t know too much about him yet), but he just seemed very interesting to me. I want to know if my guesses are correct. I’ll be excited to see what he does next in the story as well as what happens with the rest of the cast. Oliver also seemed intriguing, but I might be a bit too suspicious of a reader to have properly assessed the type of person that he is. We’ll just have to see!

On the more technical side of things, there were some changes from present to past tense that distracted me from time to time, but this didn’t affect my overall enjoyment of the story. The only other thing would be that there was a lot of use of description. On one hand, I like how in-depth this got, but with the story being a novella, I started to get antsy with longer sections describing foods or outfits when I was worried about what was about to happen plot-wise.

Overall, I’d recommend this! As I said, it’s a very short story, so it can be a fast read if you’re in the mood for something eerie and unsettling that will still make you think about what more you can do for those you care about. ...more

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Echo Sight (Tainted Faculties Book 1)
by Cian Verati (Goodreads Author)

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I had an absolute blast with this! The story is written in 1st person POV and I really feel like it made the most of this perspective. It doesn't just feel like Enaka is explaining information to you. It feels like you’re in their head. Sometimes, it I had an absolute blast with this! The story is written in 1st person POV and I really feel like it made the most of this perspective. It doesn't just feel like Enaka is explaining information to you. It feels like you’re in their head. Sometimes, it’s like you become Enaka. This creates such an immersive experience as we’re fed bits and pieces of information right along with our resident Scorcher. It’s truly a high fantasy, so there are a lot of different fantastical characters. I enjoyed this since it created variety within the story. Even within Scorchers, Watchers, and more, you have tribes. For instance, Enaka’s adopted father/guardian is like a giant bird, but Enaka tends to be much more humanoid (barring the claws). I haven’t read too many stories about shapeshifters, so it was neat to see that play such a role here. Something else that I enjoyed was the disability representation. On a mission, Enaka lost a leg. It realistically slows them down at times, but it doesn’t feel like they can’t do anything because of this. In spite of it, Enaka is still a fighter and wants to protect others. As a major love of action, I particularly adored how this didn’t detract from the intensity of fight scenes. When there’s a battle, you’re on the edge of your seat. Somehow, even these beings who are supposed to be able to heal still have very real stakes and you hope that they’ll make it out of the situation at least mostly in one piece. A final element that I thought was neat was how the chapters were organized. Almost every other chapter was an “interlude” where we get to see some of Enaka’s past. At first, I thought it was just a way to learn more about them, but pay attention to these scenes. They matter as the story continues.

This leads me into the characters. I adored them so much. Enaka especially was fun. They’re the type of character who can be very cool with different lines and abilities, then also be the biggest goofball. Enaka feels like a flawed, broken person who isn’t letting that get in the way of the mission or their sense of humor. It really made me root for them. I just wanted them to succeed and be truly happy for once. And then we have Rowan, the love interest. I do want to say that this is not a hardcore romantasy by any means. It gets spicy in one moment, but otherwise, it’s mostly action and fantasy. Despite that, a deep love is very prominent, and who better to direct that towards than Rowan? This mysterious man is as charming as he is spirited. He never comes across as pushy, irritating, or cruel. He’s the type of character where you’re like, “Okay, yeah, you two should run off together. Go for it.” I don’t think I’ve shipped two book characters together this hard in a very long time. The side characters are great too like Enaka’s adopted older brother figure, Hauk, a well-meaning college student, Cavid, and his friends/family.
If I had to critique anything, I’d say that because of this being such a high fantasy, there are a large amount of words that are going to be unknown to readers. Thankfully, there’s a glossary at the end. Still, I did start getting mixed up from time to time, wondering if a word was referring to a new type of species, a term of endearment, a general title, etc.

Overall, as I’m sure you can tell, I highly recommend this. At the heart of it is a story about someone learning to fully love who they are. I would recommend it for fans of fantasy just because of that aspect being so strong in the story. So, it might not be great for someone who’s easing into the genre. If you already love fantasy like I do, then you should absolutely check this out. It's adorable, funny, action-packed, and emotional. What more can you ask for in a great read? ...more

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The Court of Dreams (Kingdoms of Kaelum #1)
by A.J. Nora (Goodreads Author)

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This was a short but sweet story! It’s one-part urban fantasy and one-part medieval fantasy, so you get to enjoy them both in this. The horror aspects of this book were really great to me. With this type of story, the Hollows are meant to represent s This was a short but sweet story! It’s one-part urban fantasy and one-part medieval fantasy, so you get to enjoy them both in this. The horror aspects of this book were really great to me. With this type of story, the Hollows are meant to represent serious dangers, so I love that they felt like the threats that they were. They are essentially fast, zombie wolves and I’d like to not ever be hunted by one of them. The build-up was handled very nicely in this story as well, both with setting up these creatures and by gradually revealing more of the world to the reader. Something that I thought was fun was how the chapters would switch POVs, so you’d get to read what was going on with Lana’s side of the world, then with Vas.

The characters were also very likeable in my opinion. I was able to quickly understand Lana’s motivations with wanting to find her mom, be there for her stepdad and friend, all while maybe seeing more of the world and just being afraid to really leave. Fear is a huge part of her life, and it’s represented by the darkness. I interpreted that as the darkness symbolizing the unknown. Lana knows there’s more that her life can mean, but she’s afraid of figuring out what. It’s not until she’s forced into an impossible situation that she must act. For his part, Vas was also very endearing. I felt bad for him since he was discriminated against for having horns. Despite that, he doesn’t let it make him stay home and mope. He works to better himself and train with magic, getting strong enough to hopefully protect everyone one day. The side characters were very fun too, notably the parents. I loved that Lana’s dad, Marty, was nice. I expected him to be a classic fictional stepparent and be cruel to her, but he genuinely seems to have loved her mother and her. The same goes for Vas’s parents. They easily could’ve been stuck-up, unsupportive parents for their son, but they love each other and him so much that it just made me happy to see their scenes together.

There were times when I wished the novel was a little longer. It’s great for a quick read, but there were a few scenes that were mentioned that I would have really enjoyed getting to see. Still, I don’t think that it hurt the story.

All in all, it was a fun start to the series. It introduced me to the world and characters in a way that made me understand them and want to learn more. I’ll be excited for the next installment! I definitely recommend this for others who love fantasy (especially if you have a particular interest in monsters and fae!). ...more

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