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The Carousel of Forgotten Places
Not yet published
Expected 25 Aug 26A romantic, time travelling fantasy filled with humour and a charming cast of found family, the perfect read for those craving a whimsical, cosy romantasy in the vein of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries.
For nearly 500 years, Ryka has lived by a few golden rules.
1. Unravel the time knots.
2. Don’t interfere with the timelines
3. Avoid at all costs being left alone with the annoyingly sexy time god, Everest.
Ryka runs a magical fair outside the space-time continuum, bound to her duties as the immortal timekeeper after she struck a deal to save her best friend’s life. She has been searching for a way back to her timeline ever since.
When the carousel at the heart of the fair begins to show signs of time rot, threatening the fabric of her world, and a mysterious woman falls out of it, Ryka must break her third golden rule and partner up with Everest to investigate. As they jump in and out of time trying to determine where the woman came from, Ryka finds Everest isn’t as overbearing as she initially thought, and 500 years of working together can make for some long-brewed feelings.
As the clock ticks, Ryka will need to embrace the family she’s built, both alive and dead, magical and not, to get to the root of the issue – even if it means abandoning her chances of ever going home.
A time travelling romantasy filled with classic tropes and takes place in an exciting new world. Perfect for those wanting to dive into the increasingly popular cosy fantasy genre!
For nearly 500 years, Ryka has lived by a few golden rules.
1. Unravel the time knots.
2. Don’t interfere with the timelines
3. Avoid at all costs being left alone with the annoyingly sexy time god, Everest.
Ryka runs a magical fair outside the space-time continuum, bound to her duties as the immortal timekeeper after she struck a deal to save her best friend’s life. She has been searching for a way back to her timeline ever since.
When the carousel at the heart of the fair begins to show signs of time rot, threatening the fabric of her world, and a mysterious woman falls out of it, Ryka must break her third golden rule and partner up with Everest to investigate. As they jump in and out of time trying to determine where the woman came from, Ryka finds Everest isn’t as overbearing as she initially thought, and 500 years of working together can make for some long-brewed feelings.
As the clock ticks, Ryka will need to embrace the family she’s built, both alive and dead, magical and not, to get to the root of the issue – even if it means abandoning her chances of ever going home.
A time travelling romantasy filled with classic tropes and takes place in an exciting new world. Perfect for those wanting to dive into the increasingly popular cosy fantasy genre!
278 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication August 25, 2026
About the author
S. Hati
4 books100 followersS. Hati is a speculative fiction writer, currently residing in the Bay Area. She holds a bachelor’s degree in microbiology from UCLA and a master’s degree in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University, and pretends to use them both while working in health tech. She writes about brown girls in strange worlds that straddle the line between magic and science.
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July 6, 2026💫✨ The Carousel of Forgotten Places ✨💫
📖 Bookish Thoughts
A full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
⌛What to Expect
• Cozy Fantasy
• Time Travel
• Found Family
• Magical Fair
• Whimsical Adventure
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: August 25, 2026
Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
📖 Bookish Thoughts
A full review will be shared closer to the publication date.
⌛What to Expect
• Cozy Fantasy
• Time Travel
• Found Family
• Magical Fair
• Whimsical Adventure
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: August 25, 2026
Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I picked this up because of the original premise, but ended up being disappointed with the execution.
The protagonist and narrator is Ryka, a woman of Indian heritage brought up in the US, who has spent almost five centuries as the Timekeeper in a magical pocket dimension created by a time god, from which she undertakes expeditions to repair timelines that have somehow become corrupted (exactly how or why this happens routinely is not explored in any detail). The founding time god's brother Everest is generally around and plays an important role in the time repairs. Despite being demisexual, or perhaps because of it, she is in lust with him, but doesn't want to mess up their working relationship by doing anything about it.
Ryka is self-pitying, emotionally immature despite her 500 years, and one of those people who make sure that everyone around them shares in their bad mood, and she makes some poor decisions even though she should have both the intelligence and the experience to know better. Everest is flaky, unreliable and lacking in empathy. That was never a ship I was going to be on board with; I have to like both members of a couple to care about whether they end up together, and I didn't like either of them.
Among a good few small imperfections, the most prominent one for me was the implausible reason for the MC to understand languages. Because she has been visiting various places and times for a little less than 500 years, she has "developed fluency in most languages" (according to her). There are about 7000 languages currently spoken in our world, and of course many more (and many mutually unintelligible earlier versions) throughout history, and this book has divergent timelines too, so... well over 10,000. And she later claims it is "thousands," so the "most" is probably not intended as a rhetorical flourish, or to refer only to languages with a large number of speakers.
Clearly nobody, no matter how good their memory, could become fluent in "most" of those 10,000 languages, even in 500 years. Even if we're very generous and say it's 4000 (most of 7000), that's a language every six weeks, and we know (because we're told) that her memory isn't supernaturally perfect. It's absurd.
It would be absurd even if she was immersed in each language continuously for the whole six weeks, doing nothing but learning it by constantly interacting with native speakers. But she's not. She undertakes very short missions about once a week, each one to a random place and time and never to the same place and time on two consecutive occasions, and actively avoids engaging with anyone if she can help it. The languages claim is, honestly, less plausible than if you just say that her supernatural role as the Keeper of Time gives her fluency in all languages. Sure, she also has a magical library which can presumably produce books from which she could learn languages, but that's not the claim she's making.
If we set that nonsense aside, though, and assume that the excess hyphens and vocabulary glitches will be fixed between the pre-publication version I had via Netgalley and when the book comes out, and ignore the fact that the romance is between two people I don't much care for or about, the book is... OK. Fairly simple plot (Ryka messes up and has to fix it, and this helps her somehow to get over herself at last), interesting and whimsical world, secondary characters that are adequate for their roles.
I didn't love it. That's probably just me; other people seem to like it fine. Perhaps you will too.
The protagonist and narrator is Ryka, a woman of Indian heritage brought up in the US, who has spent almost five centuries as the Timekeeper in a magical pocket dimension created by a time god, from which she undertakes expeditions to repair timelines that have somehow become corrupted (exactly how or why this happens routinely is not explored in any detail). The founding time god's brother Everest is generally around and plays an important role in the time repairs. Despite being demisexual, or perhaps because of it, she is in lust with him, but doesn't want to mess up their working relationship by doing anything about it.
Ryka is self-pitying, emotionally immature despite her 500 years, and one of those people who make sure that everyone around them shares in their bad mood, and she makes some poor decisions even though she should have both the intelligence and the experience to know better. Everest is flaky, unreliable and lacking in empathy. That was never a ship I was going to be on board with; I have to like both members of a couple to care about whether they end up together, and I didn't like either of them.
Among a good few small imperfections, the most prominent one for me was the implausible reason for the MC to understand languages. Because she has been visiting various places and times for a little less than 500 years, she has "developed fluency in most languages" (according to her). There are about 7000 languages currently spoken in our world, and of course many more (and many mutually unintelligible earlier versions) throughout history, and this book has divergent timelines too, so... well over 10,000. And she later claims it is "thousands," so the "most" is probably not intended as a rhetorical flourish, or to refer only to languages with a large number of speakers.
Clearly nobody, no matter how good their memory, could become fluent in "most" of those 10,000 languages, even in 500 years. Even if we're very generous and say it's 4000 (most of 7000), that's a language every six weeks, and we know (because we're told) that her memory isn't supernaturally perfect. It's absurd.
It would be absurd even if she was immersed in each language continuously for the whole six weeks, doing nothing but learning it by constantly interacting with native speakers. But she's not. She undertakes very short missions about once a week, each one to a random place and time and never to the same place and time on two consecutive occasions, and actively avoids engaging with anyone if she can help it. The languages claim is, honestly, less plausible than if you just say that her supernatural role as the Keeper of Time gives her fluency in all languages. Sure, she also has a magical library which can presumably produce books from which she could learn languages, but that's not the claim she's making.
If we set that nonsense aside, though, and assume that the excess hyphens and vocabulary glitches will be fixed between the pre-publication version I had via Netgalley and when the book comes out, and ignore the fact that the romance is between two people I don't much care for or about, the book is... OK. Fairly simple plot (Ryka messes up and has to fix it, and this helps her somehow to get over herself at last), interesting and whimsical world, secondary characters that are adequate for their roles.
I didn't love it. That's probably just me; other people seem to like it fine. Perhaps you will too.
August 9, 2026
Quote: “I should’ve known you’d feel like this. Like home.”
“Everything is romantic under the sun of a day that has passed, especially if you don’t remember the long night that followed. It’s easy to forget that your present moments are the stars shining overhead.”
Thank you to the author and angryrobotbooks for this physical ARC 🫶🏻
Guys, cosy romantasy might become my new obsession if they’re all as good as this book. This was such a refreshing read - 5 stars always for any book that makes me cry 🥹
Ryka is human and kinda?? an immortal timekeeper at a magical sentient fair that is overseen by time-God Everest. Ryka has spent her 487 years as the timekeeper trying to find her way back to her timeline, never quite accepting her fate as the fair’s timekeeper and feeling unable to grieve her old life.
The fair is powered by a magical carousel which Ryka uses in order to enter timelines and repair them. She does so with help from the fair’s resident ghosts who are misplaced ghosts from the carousel after their death, that find a home at the fair. Stand out characters here are ghosts Beam and Ender, even the fair’s resident ghost cat Cillian, and a sentient tome/book called Quill left an impression - I loved the found family aspect of the story because of these characters.
Despite finding Everest infuriating, nearly impossible to work with, and a constant reminder of what she’s lost, Ryka has no choice but to accept his help when the carousel becomes infected with time-rot. As they race against time to uncover the cause, they must also unravel the mystery of an unknown woman with no memories who has been spat out by the carousel from an unknown timeline. Of course, Ryka must also battle her ever growing feelings for Everest that she’s been ignoring for the past 487 years! The yearning between both of them was sooo good and it wasn’t rushed (you get no physical anythiiiing until at least 80%). The spicy scene was unexpected but I loved it.
I enjoyed Hati’s writing, the book had a good pace of not being too slow but not too fast either - snappy and impactful which is what I like. I definitely recommend this for anyone who enjoys a cosy and whimsical read!
“Everything is romantic under the sun of a day that has passed, especially if you don’t remember the long night that followed. It’s easy to forget that your present moments are the stars shining overhead.”
Thank you to the author and angryrobotbooks for this physical ARC 🫶🏻
Guys, cosy romantasy might become my new obsession if they’re all as good as this book. This was such a refreshing read - 5 stars always for any book that makes me cry 🥹
Ryka is human and kinda?? an immortal timekeeper at a magical sentient fair that is overseen by time-God Everest. Ryka has spent her 487 years as the timekeeper trying to find her way back to her timeline, never quite accepting her fate as the fair’s timekeeper and feeling unable to grieve her old life.
The fair is powered by a magical carousel which Ryka uses in order to enter timelines and repair them. She does so with help from the fair’s resident ghosts who are misplaced ghosts from the carousel after their death, that find a home at the fair. Stand out characters here are ghosts Beam and Ender, even the fair’s resident ghost cat Cillian, and a sentient tome/book called Quill left an impression - I loved the found family aspect of the story because of these characters.
Despite finding Everest infuriating, nearly impossible to work with, and a constant reminder of what she’s lost, Ryka has no choice but to accept his help when the carousel becomes infected with time-rot. As they race against time to uncover the cause, they must also unravel the mystery of an unknown woman with no memories who has been spat out by the carousel from an unknown timeline. Of course, Ryka must also battle her ever growing feelings for Everest that she’s been ignoring for the past 487 years! The yearning between both of them was sooo good and it wasn’t rushed (you get no physical anythiiiing until at least 80%). The spicy scene was unexpected but I loved it.
I enjoyed Hati’s writing, the book had a good pace of not being too slow but not too fast either - snappy and impactful which is what I like. I definitely recommend this for anyone who enjoys a cosy and whimsical read!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.25 Stars
The Carousel of Forgotten Places is a cosy, low stakes, romantic fantasy. It’s a wholesome and relatable read that deals with grief and longing in a beautiful way. It’s humorous but also heartbreaking at times.
The story is set in a sentient extradimensional fun fair, a charming setting. We have a 500 year old timekeeper who yearns to go back to her mortal life, an eccentric but kind time god, a group of ghosts that are as similar as they are different. Our characters are imperfect and their flaws are what make them so loveable.
I really liked how the MMC, Everest, actually felt like an immortal time god with his lack of understanding of mortal feelings and attachments before he spent so much time with the FMC, Ryka. He’s eccentric and behaves as you’d expect an immortal to, experiencing time differently and it showing in his actions.
Ryka goes from wanting nothing more than to go back to her mortal like even after 500 years away from it, to being conflicted about it. She’s been so hyper-focused she doesn’t realise how she’s found family with Everest and the ghosts until later on.
The relationship between our MCs if filled with restrained longing and admiration. While we’re in Ryka’s POV, it’s easy to see how much Everest cares for her, the sacrifices he would make to see her happy. Ryka is constantly exasperated with him, but it’s clear to see that she feels the same way about him that he does for her.
We have POC representation with Ryka being of Indian ethnicity, and ghosts hailing from different places before death. Ryka is also demisexual, which is something we rarely see and is much appreciated.
However, for me, this book could’ve easily become a five star read had I not been dropped straight into the plot and the world without any learning curve. It felt jarring to not have the world and backstory set up before the conflict began, and so it took a short while to get comfortable.
Other than that, I really enjoyed the plot line and the growth of our characters, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a cosy but emotional read.
The Carousel of Forgotten Places is a cosy, low stakes, romantic fantasy. It’s a wholesome and relatable read that deals with grief and longing in a beautiful way. It’s humorous but also heartbreaking at times.
The story is set in a sentient extradimensional fun fair, a charming setting. We have a 500 year old timekeeper who yearns to go back to her mortal life, an eccentric but kind time god, a group of ghosts that are as similar as they are different. Our characters are imperfect and their flaws are what make them so loveable.
I really liked how the MMC, Everest, actually felt like an immortal time god with his lack of understanding of mortal feelings and attachments before he spent so much time with the FMC, Ryka. He’s eccentric and behaves as you’d expect an immortal to, experiencing time differently and it showing in his actions.
Ryka goes from wanting nothing more than to go back to her mortal like even after 500 years away from it, to being conflicted about it. She’s been so hyper-focused she doesn’t realise how she’s found family with Everest and the ghosts until later on.
The relationship between our MCs if filled with restrained longing and admiration. While we’re in Ryka’s POV, it’s easy to see how much Everest cares for her, the sacrifices he would make to see her happy. Ryka is constantly exasperated with him, but it’s clear to see that she feels the same way about him that he does for her.
We have POC representation with Ryka being of Indian ethnicity, and ghosts hailing from different places before death. Ryka is also demisexual, which is something we rarely see and is much appreciated.
However, for me, this book could’ve easily become a five star read had I not been dropped straight into the plot and the world without any learning curve. It felt jarring to not have the world and backstory set up before the conflict began, and so it took a short while to get comfortable.
Other than that, I really enjoyed the plot line and the growth of our characters, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a cosy but emotional read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Carousel of Forgotten Places is a whimsical romantic fantasy featuring Ryka, a former human who is now a 500-some year old immortal timekeeper. Ryka lives inside of a magical fair outside of time where she is charged with repairing corrupted timelines that appear inside of a carousel. I loved the imagery of the fair, the carousel, and the river where time was made. The way the author wrote really did a fantastic job painting a picture of the landscape in my mind. And the idea of "time rot" as a central danger was super intriguing.
This story features a found family of quirky characters, including a sentient book named Quill and a ghost cat named Cillian. I really enjoyed all the unique personalities and I felt each character had something to contribute to the story.
The romance between Ryka and Everest, a time god, was sweet. I could feel the history between them and believed in their love story. It definitely seemed to be a case of "he falls first" with lots of longing, and there were moments I was begging Ryka to just kiss him already.
I really appreciated the demisexuality representation with Ryka. I myself am on the asexual spectrum and it's not something that has enough visibility. However, I felt very sad for Ryka during a scene in the book where she was explaining her sexuality and seemed resigned to making herself fit in with others sexually. Ryka admits she "mostly engaged with men because it was what was expected from relationships" but that she was usually repulsed by sex "counting down the seconds until it would be over". I wish someone had told her that sex isn't owed in a relationship, and she didn't have to engage in sex when she didn't want to.
Overall I really enjoyed this story. I would have liked more about all the time god siblings and their family dynamics. The potential story there is definitely something I would read. But really, any chance to return to this world and all the wonderful characters would be welcome.
Spice Level: 2/5 🌶️ - one multiple page open door scene
I received a free ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This story features a found family of quirky characters, including a sentient book named Quill and a ghost cat named Cillian. I really enjoyed all the unique personalities and I felt each character had something to contribute to the story.
The romance between Ryka and Everest, a time god, was sweet. I could feel the history between them and believed in their love story. It definitely seemed to be a case of "he falls first" with lots of longing, and there were moments I was begging Ryka to just kiss him already.
I really appreciated the demisexuality representation with Ryka. I myself am on the asexual spectrum and it's not something that has enough visibility. However, I felt very sad for Ryka during a scene in the book where she was explaining her sexuality and seemed resigned to making herself fit in with others sexually. Ryka admits she "mostly engaged with men because it was what was expected from relationships" but that she was usually repulsed by sex "counting down the seconds until it would be over". I wish someone had told her that sex isn't owed in a relationship, and she didn't have to engage in sex when she didn't want to.
Overall I really enjoyed this story. I would have liked more about all the time god siblings and their family dynamics. The potential story there is definitely something I would read. But really, any chance to return to this world and all the wonderful characters would be welcome.
Spice Level: 2/5 🌶️ - one multiple page open door scene
I received a free ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
The Carousel of Forgotten Places introduces us to Ryka, a once normal human who is now a 500year old immortal time keeper after making a deal to save her best friend's life. Ryka runs a magical fair that exists outside the space-time continuum with a carousel as its heart. She lives within a community of ghosts, gods and other magical entities. One day unexpectedly, the carousel appears to be deteriorating due to "time rot" and an unknown woman falls out. Ryka and the other magical fair inhabitants have to try and figure out when and where this woman is from by jumping in and out of time, as well as work out how to cure the carousel before it's too late.
The Carousel of Forgotten Places is probably one of the most unique books I've ever read, in the best way. It's such a hard book to explain because I feel like I don't do it justice and have just ended up begging people to read it when it releases. It had such a unique and fascinating take on time travel, especially the magical fair and the carousel elements. I was curious but I will admit to being a little sceptical about how all these elements could work but they did SO well and the author did a wonderful job. There were a couple of elements of the story that were a bit predictable, but honestly I was enjoying the book enough and it was done well enough that this really didn't bother me at all.
The characters were all done really well I thought. They each had their own backstories, personalities and vulnerabilities. Despite the uniqueness of Ryka's situation, I actually found her to be quite relatable in her feelings and frustrations. The other characters too, both main and side, all had the personalities and quirks that often made them memorable. Most also had a level of depth I wouldn't have expected but very much enjoyed. They also had great relationships with each other and it was fun to read the banter. The setting/location also worked really well with the story and felt like in many instances it really tied everything together well.
The Carousel of Forgotten Places is such a wonderful book that really allowed me to escape into another world. I have already recommended this book to people to keep an eye out for upon release and will continue to recommend it!
The Carousel of Forgotten Places introduces us to Ryka, a once normal human who is now a 500year old immortal time keeper after making a deal to save her best friend's life. Ryka runs a magical fair that exists outside the space-time continuum with a carousel as its heart. She lives within a community of ghosts, gods and other magical entities. One day unexpectedly, the carousel appears to be deteriorating due to "time rot" and an unknown woman falls out. Ryka and the other magical fair inhabitants have to try and figure out when and where this woman is from by jumping in and out of time, as well as work out how to cure the carousel before it's too late.
The Carousel of Forgotten Places is probably one of the most unique books I've ever read, in the best way. It's such a hard book to explain because I feel like I don't do it justice and have just ended up begging people to read it when it releases. It had such a unique and fascinating take on time travel, especially the magical fair and the carousel elements. I was curious but I will admit to being a little sceptical about how all these elements could work but they did SO well and the author did a wonderful job. There were a couple of elements of the story that were a bit predictable, but honestly I was enjoying the book enough and it was done well enough that this really didn't bother me at all.
The characters were all done really well I thought. They each had their own backstories, personalities and vulnerabilities. Despite the uniqueness of Ryka's situation, I actually found her to be quite relatable in her feelings and frustrations. The other characters too, both main and side, all had the personalities and quirks that often made them memorable. Most also had a level of depth I wouldn't have expected but very much enjoyed. They also had great relationships with each other and it was fun to read the banter. The setting/location also worked really well with the story and felt like in many instances it really tied everything together well.
The Carousel of Forgotten Places is such a wonderful book that really allowed me to escape into another world. I have already recommended this book to people to keep an eye out for upon release and will continue to recommend it!
July 27, 2026
This is a review of an eARC I received from Netgalley.
As I was writing this review, I found myself thinking that I give out a hell of a lot of five stars. But that doesn’t take anything away from this one. The Carousel of Forgotten Places is a five-star read.
I loved it from start to finish. I cried a little, laughed several times, and never found myself quarreling with the story or wishing the book had done something differently. I even found myself surprised at the directions, and I wasn’t waiting for it to become better. I was simply having a wonderful time.
I fell in love with several of the characters, including both the FMC and the MMC. Honestly, I loved them all. Some of the supporting characters were perhaps a biiiit on the shallow end—I would happily have read much more about Calliope, Geneva, and Beam—but that only made me want more of them. It didn’t take anything away from the reading experience.
I liked the storyline, I liked the character arcs, and I love the way this book portrays yearning. Proper, painful, sustained yearning. Both ways. The kind that also left me yearning for more backstory, particularly about how Everest has changed, adapted, and become the person we meet in the book.
I would rate as about one chilli pepper’s worth of spice. That small amount was very well written. It felt more natural, intimate, and down-to-earth than most of the spice I have read in a very long time, and I really appreciated the author’s way with words.
I will absolutely be recommending this as a cosy fantasy read with both tears and laughter. It also feels destined for gorgeous fan art, sprayed edges, illustrated endpapers, and elaborate special editions, because it left my head filled with beautiful images.
And now I want licorice cotton candy.
As I was writing this review, I found myself thinking that I give out a hell of a lot of five stars. But that doesn’t take anything away from this one. The Carousel of Forgotten Places is a five-star read.
I loved it from start to finish. I cried a little, laughed several times, and never found myself quarreling with the story or wishing the book had done something differently. I even found myself surprised at the directions, and I wasn’t waiting for it to become better. I was simply having a wonderful time.
I fell in love with several of the characters, including both the FMC and the MMC. Honestly, I loved them all. Some of the supporting characters were perhaps a biiiit on the shallow end—I would happily have read much more about Calliope, Geneva, and Beam—but that only made me want more of them. It didn’t take anything away from the reading experience.
I liked the storyline, I liked the character arcs, and I love the way this book portrays yearning. Proper, painful, sustained yearning. Both ways. The kind that also left me yearning for more backstory, particularly about how Everest has changed, adapted, and become the person we meet in the book.
I would rate as about one chilli pepper’s worth of spice. That small amount was very well written. It felt more natural, intimate, and down-to-earth than most of the spice I have read in a very long time, and I really appreciated the author’s way with words.
I will absolutely be recommending this as a cosy fantasy read with both tears and laughter. It also feels destined for gorgeous fan art, sprayed edges, illustrated endpapers, and elaborate special editions, because it left my head filled with beautiful images.
And now I want licorice cotton candy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Carousel of Forgotten Places is described as a romantic, time travelling fantasy filled with humour and a charming cast of found family, the perfect read for those craving a whimsical, cosy romantasy. So immediately requested a copy for review and was overjoyed when I was able to get one.
However I really struggled to get getting into the story as I felt like I had jumped straight into the middle of the plot and had no idea what was going on. It was very confusing and off-putting. Eventually though most of the gaps were filled in but it took a while to settle in.
The MC, Ryka, is human, however in order to save a dying friend she has been a timekeeper for almost 500 years. She is currently living with ghosts and repairing corrupted timelines for a huge sentient carousel in an alternative universe, but she longs to return to her time. As as the story opens the carousel is in trouble - it has started decaying, the timelines are fraying. If the carousel dies there is no chance for Ryka to ever get back to her time. Ryka needs to fix the rot and she only has Everest (her eccentric boss and one of 12 time gods) along with a myriad of quirky characters to help.
To be honest Ryka was a very hard person for me to like. And I really couldn't get past her constant moaning and complaining, although if I had been stuck in a magical fair and unable to return to my own time I would probably be a tad grumpy too. However I eventually came to care for her and how the story ended was just perfect for her.
Despite the beginning The Carousel of Forgotten Places is very readable and I would certainly give some of S. Hati’s other books a try.
Thank you to Angry Robot Publishers for providing an advanced copy of this book, at my request, for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
However I really struggled to get getting into the story as I felt like I had jumped straight into the middle of the plot and had no idea what was going on. It was very confusing and off-putting. Eventually though most of the gaps were filled in but it took a while to settle in.
The MC, Ryka, is human, however in order to save a dying friend she has been a timekeeper for almost 500 years. She is currently living with ghosts and repairing corrupted timelines for a huge sentient carousel in an alternative universe, but she longs to return to her time. As as the story opens the carousel is in trouble - it has started decaying, the timelines are fraying. If the carousel dies there is no chance for Ryka to ever get back to her time. Ryka needs to fix the rot and she only has Everest (her eccentric boss and one of 12 time gods) along with a myriad of quirky characters to help.
To be honest Ryka was a very hard person for me to like. And I really couldn't get past her constant moaning and complaining, although if I had been stuck in a magical fair and unable to return to my own time I would probably be a tad grumpy too. However I eventually came to care for her and how the story ended was just perfect for her.
Despite the beginning The Carousel of Forgotten Places is very readable and I would certainly give some of S. Hati’s other books a try.
Thank you to Angry Robot Publishers for providing an advanced copy of this book, at my request, for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Carousel of Forgotten Places is the kind of romantasy that feels like stepping into a pocket of soft, humming magic — a place where time bends, ghosts gossip, and love has been quietly waiting for centuries. S. Hati gives us a world that’s whimsical without losing its emotional weight, anchored by Ryka, an immortal timekeeper who has spent 500 years tending a magical fair perched on the edge of time.
The fair itself is a delight: spectral cats, mischievous ghosts, and a found family stitched together from the odd corners of eternity. And then there’s Everest — Ryka’s infuriating, magnetic, impossible boss, a time‑god with five centuries of unresolved tension trailing behind him. Their dynamic sparkles with that delicious mix of banter, longing, and “absolutely not talking about our feelings”.
When a human quite literally falls through time and lands in their laps, the story shifts into a charming, chaotic adventure. The carousel at the heart of the fair is rotting, the timeline is fraying, and Ryka and Everest must work together to fix what’s breaking — all while trying (and failing) to ignore the feelings that have been simmering for half a millennium.
What makes this book shine is its blend of humour, heart, and gentle wonder. It’s cosy without being slight, romantic without losing its playfulness, and full of that found‑family warmth that makes you want to linger in its world just a little longer.
A whimsical, time‑tangled delight perfect for readers who love soft magic, slow‑burn immortals, and fantasy that feels like a warm hand pulling you onto the carousel for one more ride.
With thanks to S Hati, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
The fair itself is a delight: spectral cats, mischievous ghosts, and a found family stitched together from the odd corners of eternity. And then there’s Everest — Ryka’s infuriating, magnetic, impossible boss, a time‑god with five centuries of unresolved tension trailing behind him. Their dynamic sparkles with that delicious mix of banter, longing, and “absolutely not talking about our feelings”.
When a human quite literally falls through time and lands in their laps, the story shifts into a charming, chaotic adventure. The carousel at the heart of the fair is rotting, the timeline is fraying, and Ryka and Everest must work together to fix what’s breaking — all while trying (and failing) to ignore the feelings that have been simmering for half a millennium.
What makes this book shine is its blend of humour, heart, and gentle wonder. It’s cosy without being slight, romantic without losing its playfulness, and full of that found‑family warmth that makes you want to linger in its world just a little longer.
A whimsical, time‑tangled delight perfect for readers who love soft magic, slow‑burn immortals, and fantasy that feels like a warm hand pulling you onto the carousel for one more ride.
With thanks to S Hati, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In The Carousel of Forgotten Places, Ryka is a 500-year-old Timekeeper living in a pocket dimension with a gaggle of ghosts, repairing corrupted timelines for a sentient carousel. Everest is an eccentric time god that helps where he can, when he remembers time exists.
The original premise hooked me, but the story just wasn’t what I was hoping for. At the start, I was thrown into the middle of the plot with very little info about the world or backstory. It was jarring and confusing. We never find out how or why the timelines became corrupted, nor do we get any of the carousel’s lore.
I also struggled to root for the main characters or their relationship. I was hoping for a deep story about a smart, wise woman who knows herself after 500 years and handles business like the boss she is. Instead, we get Ryka, who is self-pitying, emotionally immature, makes poor decisions, and lives in the past. Ryka spends so much time trying to leave the situation she’s in rather than appreciating the people around that care about her. It was exhausting waiting for Ryka to grow as a person and start living in the moment.
I don’t have much to say about Everest other than he was flaky, unreliable, and lacked empathy.
I might be in the minority here with my review. It wasn’t what I was expecting or hoping for. A lot of people like this story. You might like this story too.
Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for this ARC.
The original premise hooked me, but the story just wasn’t what I was hoping for. At the start, I was thrown into the middle of the plot with very little info about the world or backstory. It was jarring and confusing. We never find out how or why the timelines became corrupted, nor do we get any of the carousel’s lore.
I also struggled to root for the main characters or their relationship. I was hoping for a deep story about a smart, wise woman who knows herself after 500 years and handles business like the boss she is. Instead, we get Ryka, who is self-pitying, emotionally immature, makes poor decisions, and lives in the past. Ryka spends so much time trying to leave the situation she’s in rather than appreciating the people around that care about her. It was exhausting waiting for Ryka to grow as a person and start living in the moment.
I don’t have much to say about Everest other than he was flaky, unreliable, and lacked empathy.
I might be in the minority here with my review. It wasn’t what I was expecting or hoping for. A lot of people like this story. You might like this story too.
Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
An enjoyable book about choices, regrets and missing what's right in front of you.
For me, the first chapter of this book is a little overwhelming. You are thrown into the plot with no explanations or back story but after that, the book does settle into an rhythm.
Ryka is a timekeeper, 500 years old but frozen at the age she became a time keeper (26). She has created a life for herself through her job as the timekeeper and her relationships with the ghosts at the fair where the time carousel is. The only other 'mortal' at the fair is Everest, a time god who sort of oversees the whole place. Ryka and Everest have a push-pull relationship that has developed over all the years.
After the carousel spits out another human into the fair, who has forgotten who she is and where she comes from, and the timelines begin to rot and decay. Ryka, Everest and the ghosts have to find out who this mystery human is and how to get her back home, which also gives Ryka hope that she may finally get to leave the fair.
Ryka has spent all those years trying to find a way to return to her own timeline and the life that she thought she would live. This does make her come across as quite petulant and childish at times. Her regret overwhelms everything, leading her to miss what is right in front of her - a life she never expected.
For me, the first chapter of this book is a little overwhelming. You are thrown into the plot with no explanations or back story but after that, the book does settle into an rhythm.
Ryka is a timekeeper, 500 years old but frozen at the age she became a time keeper (26). She has created a life for herself through her job as the timekeeper and her relationships with the ghosts at the fair where the time carousel is. The only other 'mortal' at the fair is Everest, a time god who sort of oversees the whole place. Ryka and Everest have a push-pull relationship that has developed over all the years.
After the carousel spits out another human into the fair, who has forgotten who she is and where she comes from, and the timelines begin to rot and decay. Ryka, Everest and the ghosts have to find out who this mystery human is and how to get her back home, which also gives Ryka hope that she may finally get to leave the fair.
Ryka has spent all those years trying to find a way to return to her own timeline and the life that she thought she would live. This does make her come across as quite petulant and childish at times. Her regret overwhelms everything, leading her to miss what is right in front of her - a life she never expected.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The atmosphere in this one is genuinely wonderful. The fair itself is beautifully realized, whimsical, and unique. S. Hati clearly knows how to build a world you can picture, and that's easily the strongest part of the book.
Where it lost me was Ryka. She spends centuries grieving her past, but I never felt like she grew enough from those experiences. She often overlooks the people who are trying to support her, and when her perspective finally begins to change, it happens too late for me to feel fully invested in her journey.
The romance didn't quite land for me either. Ryka and Everest are supposed to share centuries of history, but I never fully felt the emotional weight of that relationship. I wanted a stronger sense of why their connection had endured for so long.
I also wish the mechanics of the carousel and the time magic had been explained more clearly. The rules remain fairly vague throughout, and I think a little more clarity would have made the stakes feel stronger.
That said, the setting and overall concept are genuinely creative, and I can absolutely see why readers who connect with Ryka will enjoy this story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Where it lost me was Ryka. She spends centuries grieving her past, but I never felt like she grew enough from those experiences. She often overlooks the people who are trying to support her, and when her perspective finally begins to change, it happens too late for me to feel fully invested in her journey.
The romance didn't quite land for me either. Ryka and Everest are supposed to share centuries of history, but I never fully felt the emotional weight of that relationship. I wanted a stronger sense of why their connection had endured for so long.
I also wish the mechanics of the carousel and the time magic had been explained more clearly. The rules remain fairly vague throughout, and I think a little more clarity would have made the stakes feel stronger.
That said, the setting and overall concept are genuinely creative, and I can absolutely see why readers who connect with Ryka will enjoy this story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Carousel of Forgotten Places has a wonderfully cosy, almost dreamlike quality. A magical fair existing outside the space-time continuum, a quirky found family of ghosts - even a spectral cat! S. Hati builds it all with such warmth that you feel genuinely at home there pretty quickly. The writing is easy and fluid, never bogging you down, which made it the perfect curl-up-under-a-blanket read. There's a whimsy to it that reminded me of those books that just make the world feel a little more magical while you're in them.
The slow-burn romance between Ryka and Everest is perfect. Five hundred years of unresolved tension is a premise that could easily feel overdone, but Hati earns every bit of it, the push and pull feels real and genuinely yearning rather than forced. I loved watching it unfold gradually as the plot picked up around it. If you're looking for a cosy romantasy with a big heart, a light touch, and a romance that actually makes you feel things, this one's a pre-order you won't regret.
The slow-burn romance between Ryka and Everest is perfect. Five hundred years of unresolved tension is a premise that could easily feel overdone, but Hati earns every bit of it, the push and pull feels real and genuinely yearning rather than forced. I loved watching it unfold gradually as the plot picked up around it. If you're looking for a cosy romantasy with a big heart, a light touch, and a romance that actually makes you feel things, this one's a pre-order you won't regret.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a quick read but a hard one to review. I did really like the worldbuilding. The fair was such a nice place to be and I would have loved to get some different pov's from the ghost and read about some adventures there. I liked the idea of the story as well. But I had a hard time getting into it. Ryka was a very hard person for me to like. And I really couldn't get past her complaining and whining the whole story. I really can't see what Everest saw in her because whe was only complaining and whining at him as well. She did some nice things but it was always with the understanding that she would be gone from there if she could manage it somehow. Maybe because of not liking Ryka I didn't feel the urgency of the problems in the story. The repercussions of the problems weren't really a big deal on the fair in my opinion. But maybe that is because it's cozy fantasy? The setting of the book saved it for me.
Thank you for the e-arc NetGalley and Angryrobot. All opinions are my own.
Thank you for the e-arc NetGalley and Angryrobot. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Carousel of Forgotten Places, at its best moments, swept me away. The plot is quick and snappy; it's clear that Hati has a good sense for the progression of the story and, as a reader, I never felt as though it were too rushed or too slow. The setting is lovely. I really enjoyed getting to know the carousel world and its quirks. However, the standouts really are the characters: they were all-too real, down to the frustrations that come with people making choices (or not) that you disagree with, with their actions holding a light to your own life. While it wasn't a perfect book--I could undoubtedly critique a few scenes and construction choices, particularly in the last 1/3 of the book--it was very enjoyable. I hope to find more from Hati going forward and perhaps return to the world of the carousel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the opportunity to read and review this DRC. All opinions are mine alone; this review was written without AI assistance.
Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the opportunity to read and review this DRC. All opinions are mine alone; this review was written without AI assistance.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
If you are looking for a cozy, low stakes fantasy, this was an absolute gem.
What I Loved:
The Main Characters: Ryka and Everest are fantastic main characters. Their slow burn romance was beautifully paced, and their banter was so good.
A Unique Found Family: I absolutely adored the side characters. The fact that the found family trope is made up of ghosts gave the story such a unique, whimsical twist.
The Cozy Vibes: It’s a wonderfully low stakes whimsical read.
What Missed the Mark:
A Slow Start: My only real critique is the pacing at the very beginning. It definitely has a slower start, and it took a few chapters before the story really found its stride and hooked me.
Overall, it’s a beautiful, whimsical fantasy that I highly recommend it if you love witty banter and supernatural found families!
Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the ARC.
What I Loved:
The Main Characters: Ryka and Everest are fantastic main characters. Their slow burn romance was beautifully paced, and their banter was so good.
A Unique Found Family: I absolutely adored the side characters. The fact that the found family trope is made up of ghosts gave the story such a unique, whimsical twist.
The Cozy Vibes: It’s a wonderfully low stakes whimsical read.
What Missed the Mark:
A Slow Start: My only real critique is the pacing at the very beginning. It definitely has a slower start, and it took a few chapters before the story really found its stride and hooked me.
Overall, it’s a beautiful, whimsical fantasy that I highly recommend it if you love witty banter and supernatural found families!
Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I started "The Carousel of Forgotten Places" after finishing another Mafi book, "Morbid Curiosities," which has excellent pacing and doesn't quit with its plot. In contrast, "The Carousel of Forgotten Places" has the pacing of a cozy fantasy. There is a nice romance, slow burn of course, and also has a unique time travel method that is new to me. There is a found family of sorts and some humorous elements. I had some difficulty getting through the story as the pacing is a bit slower than I prefer. I would encourage anyone who likes the aforementioned elements to give this story a read. Mafi is an excellent writer regardless of the genre.
#TheCarouselofForgottenPlaces #NetGalley #AngryRobot
Thank you to Angry Robot for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#TheCarouselofForgottenPlaces #NetGalley #AngryRobot
Thank you to Angry Robot for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A cosy, romantic and whimsical read surrounding a magical carousel and time travelling through threads of magic. Our fmc Ryle has to work with our mmc Everest to find out why the carousel she is the timekeeper of is showing signs of time rot. I thought the idea was unique and interesting, especially the idea of a magical fair and the fact that whoever makes a deal is then the new timekeeper. I liked the banter between our main characters and seeing them navigate their feelings.
If you’re wanting a fun, quick, cosy read or are in a slump then I would recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
If you’re wanting a fun, quick, cosy read or are in a slump then I would recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
June 2, 2026
3.75 stars
This was an interesting cozy story. At times, I was having a hard time paying attention to the story. I enjoyed the group of characters from different backgrounds. I found the conversations about Ryka's sexuality to be well-explained and relatable. Overall, this was good but not great. I would recommend it if it sounds interesting to you.
Thank you to NetGalley, S. Hati, and Angry Robot for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was an interesting cozy story. At times, I was having a hard time paying attention to the story. I enjoyed the group of characters from different backgrounds. I found the conversations about Ryka's sexuality to be well-explained and relatable. Overall, this was good but not great. I would recommend it if it sounds interesting to you.
Thank you to NetGalley, S. Hati, and Angry Robot for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was such a cute story!
Last month I read a few too many romantasys and so I had taken a break. I was nervous to read this because I am feeling tired of the formulaic romantasy but this surprised me in the best way.
It’s very whimsical, thoughtful around found family and the feeling of regret and the yearning in it is so sweet.
It does have some spice near the end, I wasn’t expecting it to be spicy and was on the brink of letting my tween read it but it did bring the spice!
Last month I read a few too many romantasys and so I had taken a break. I was nervous to read this because I am feeling tired of the formulaic romantasy but this surprised me in the best way.
It’s very whimsical, thoughtful around found family and the feeling of regret and the yearning in it is so sweet.
It does have some spice near the end, I wasn’t expecting it to be spicy and was on the brink of letting my tween read it but it did bring the spice!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you so much to the angry robot for my arc copy of this book
I didn’t realize how much I would love the circus/time traveling theme of this book. I’m actually going to be checking more out after this because of this book!
This book was super addictive I read it in a day and a half. All the twist and turns definitely kept me turning the pages and even staying up at night to finish it.
This is a cozy fantasy with an immortal FMC that’s just trying to save her best friend’s life.
I didn’t realize how much I would love the circus/time traveling theme of this book. I’m actually going to be checking more out after this because of this book!
This book was super addictive I read it in a day and a half. All the twist and turns definitely kept me turning the pages and even staying up at night to finish it.
This is a cozy fantasy with an immortal FMC that’s just trying to save her best friend’s life.
June 16, 2026
4 .5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a fun unique cozy quick read! I loved the premise so simple and easy and follow but also so unique and interesting.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an opportunity for the ARC I thoroughly enjoyed this!
This is a fun unique cozy quick read! I loved the premise so simple and easy and follow but also so unique and interesting.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an opportunity for the ARC I thoroughly enjoyed this!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Overall a pretty enjoyable romantic fantasy. I enjoyed Ryka the timekeeper as a character and felt the fantasy aspects were not too farfetched. Outside my usual genre but I enjoyed it overall. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I loved the time travel magic in this one!! The ghosts had me laughing, and I just thoroughly enjoyed this one!! A quick read for me, but this was a great world and a great magic system.
Absolutely recommend!
Absolutely recommend!
August 4, 2026
The premise for this book really grabs you and does not let you go. I initially requested this book due to the cover and premise but found I stuck around for the low stakes fantasy. You get sucked into a world with a mix of humor, fantasy, and even a dash of romance!
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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