DNF Round-Up

I know I haven’t been posting or commenting on blogs these past couple weeks, but it was spring break for the schools over here and my family and I have been away traveling. I thought I was going to have some downtime to read and get a few reviews up while I was gone, but yes, that plan turned out to be just a tad over ambitious. We flew out west to visit family, and between stops in San Diego, Las Vegas, and then a full tour of the Utah national parks, there really wasn’t much time to sit still, let alone write anything coherent.

Anyway, I just got back and I’m still recovering, so honestly this might be the perfect time for another DNF update while I take the next couple days to gather my wits and catch up. Recently, I ended up abandoning several books, and honestly, nothing against them, but they just weren’t holding my attention, and I have very little patience for that when I’m traveling. My reading mood tends to get extra picky when I’m on the go.

As always, just because I DNF a book doesn’t mean it’s terrible. Most of the time, it just means it’s not the right fit at the right moment. And that’s why I do these posts, because even if something didn’t work for me, it might be exactly what someone else is looking for.

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

I’ll Make A Spectacle of You by Beatrice Winifred Iker

Mogsy’s Rating: DNF

Genre: Horror

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Run For It (November 18, 2025)

Length: 388 pages

This one ended up being a DNF for me quite early on. The premise of a Southern gothic horror set at an old university, complete with secret societies and a legend about a beast lurking in the nearby woods drew me in initially. However, the execution didn’t quite click. From the start, the pacing felt very slow, and I struggled to stay engaged. The writing style also didn’t help. Despite the beauty of the prose, it came across more clunky and awkward than I liked. It made it hard to connect with any of the characters or care about what was happening. I had to restart this one multiple times just in case it was me being in a distractable mood, but ultimately it started to feel like a chore to keep trying. That said, I can see the appeal for readers who enjoy slower, more atmospheric horror with heavy folklore and historical influences.

Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Series: Book 1 of The Spellbound History Quartet

Publisher: Saturday Books (January 13, 2026)

Length: 488 pages

I technically “finished” this book which is why you see a rating, but because I also ended up skimming through huge chunks (eventually just giving up and skipping to the end so I could find out what happened), I feel it appropriate enough to include my thoughts here. Graceless Heart is another book whose premise sounds rich on paper, featuring a heroine who is a sculptor who uses forbidden magic, but not much about its story or central romance worked for me at all. The plot was linear and the tropes were predictable, which is why I felt so comfortable skimming without feeling I was missing much. The world-building was also sparse, though there were flashes of intersting ideas, especially with the magic tied to artistry and the main character’s skills. Plus, I was invested enough to see how it all ended, so there’s something to be said for that, though in the end, none of it was explored deeply enough to really matter.

After the Fall by Edward Ashton

Mogsy’s Rating: DNF

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (February 24, 2026)

Length: 288 pages

This one actually hurt a bit to abandon. I’ve genuinely had a great time with Edward Ashton’s previous books, and going into After the Fall, I wanted to like the whole “humans as pets to alien overlords” concept. Unfortunately, it did not come together for me in the way I’d hoped. Instead of the usual sharp, witty voice I associate withe author, the story felt strangely flat and lifeless. Gone was the humor or personality that normally carries his writing. Again, I had several false starts, but in the end, I just had to accept that the hook was never going to come. This one just felt bland more than anything else, though I think readers who might connect with a more subdued approach should still give it a try.