DNF Round-Up

Hopefully the last DNF roundup of the year, but based on how crappy this fall has been so far, maybe we’ll get one more? In my personal life, it’s been trying times since the season started, and my October took one look at the dumpster fire that was my September and said, “hold my beer.” Anyway, I would really love for the last two months of the year to break this trend. There’s been a lot on my plate, some of it good and some of it bad, but mentally I’m exhausted and now more than ever I’m looking to my books as an escape. Those that aren’t keeping my attention get put aside. Mood reading: I’m all in.

But as always, please take my opinions with a grain of salt. It’s possible you might enjoy these books for the very reasons I didn’t. Regardless, I find it helps me greatly to process my reading experiences to to articulate why a book didn’t click for me, so that’s where these DNF reviews come in.

I received review copies from the publisher(s). This does not affect the contents of my reviews and all opinions are my own.

Red Rabbit Ghost by Jen Julian

Mogsy’s Rating: DNF

Genre: Horror

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Run For It (July 22, 2025)

Length: 384 pages

After many years, Jesse Calloway returns to his eerie and repressive hometown to uncover the truth about his mother’s mysterious death. I really wanted to like his story, and though things were slow at the beginning, I’d hoped it would eventually draw me in. Unfortunately, despite the interesting setup, the plot never quite found its footing. It didn’t help that there was no hook. The pacing dragged, the characters felt distant, and the setting–which was supposed to capture the dull grind of small town life–may have done its job a little too well. Red Rabbit Ghost is a horror novel but I found no frights or even tension in it, just tedium.

The Two Lies of Faven Sythe by Megan E. O’Keefe

Mogsy’s Rating: DNF

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Tor Books (June 3, 2025)

Length: 345 pages

Faven Sythe is a spacefaring navigator who charts the starpaths between worlds, and when the book begins we see her setting out to find her missing mentor. The plot is slick with plenty of sci-fi intrigue, but I’ll be honest–I was more confused than captivated. The world-building felt more like windowdressing and the sense of place never materialized for me, and neither did a cohesive narrative. I found it difficult to stay interested, and even though the writing flowed smoothly and the characters felt solid enough, none of the ideas had time to cook. The politics and relationships lacked weight, and after a while, I came to the realization that my investment and desire to continue had completely fizzled. Disappointed that I had to abandon this one but I don’t regret it.

Cinder House by Freya Marske

Mogsy’s Rating: DNF

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Tordotcome (October 7, 2025)

Length: 144 pages

Cinder House reimagines Cinderella as a ghost story, following sixteen-year-old Ella who was murdered by her family and is now trapped haunting her father’s house. It’s a deliciously dark concept with all the makings of a haunting and romantic gothic fantasy, and yet it could not have made me any more ambivalent. The writing is lovely but felt hollow, and the atmosphere never quite landed. Honestly, it should tell you a lot that while this is only a novella, I still couldn’t finish it. In technical terms, everything felt fine, but the experience nonetheless felt soulless. As I sat there rereading the same section three times and still couldn’t anything to register, I realized it was time to call it quits.