What do you mean we’re already in April?

March 2026 saw a bit more activity than the previous month, but once again, I had to strike the balance between work and TaleInferno, and making sure I didn’t burn the candle at both ends.

And, as I’ve mentioned in previous wrap ups, I don’t want TaleInferno to start feeling like a chore. This is a creative outlet that allows me the awesome opportunity to connect with storytellers and revellers alike.

With that being said, let’s wrap March 2026 up!

What was published on TaleInferno
TaleInferno had not one, but two book reviews published. I published the review for The Last Hours by Minette Walters, the first of The Black Death duology. And, just scraping in on the very last day of the month was my throwback book review on One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez.

You can read the full reviews (or watch the throwback book review) by clicking on the links below:

• Book review: The Last Hours by Minette Walters
• Throwback book review: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

I was also able to get quite a few video game playthrough videos out in March. This included episodes 14 and 15 of Dragon Age: Origins and episodes 2 and 3 of my Spyro the Dragon (Reignited) playthrough.

What was really exciting, however, was that episode 3 of my Spyro the Dragon (Reignited) playthrough marked the very first completed video game playthrough on the YouTube channel! While I still have to get through Spyro: Ripto’s Rage and Spyro: Year of the Dragon, the very first of the trilogy is done—120% completed, to be exact!

You can watch the episodes of both these video games by clicking on the links below:
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• Soldier’s Peak: Where people have conversations WHILE ON FIRE | Dragon Age: Origins – Episode 14
• Love the dragon designs! Magic Crafters & Beast Makers | Spyro the Dragon (Reignited) – Episode 2
• A trainwreck of an episode… but we get Shale! | Dragon Age: Origins – Episode 15
• Beast Makers, Dream Weavers + Gnasty Gnorc. Spyro 1 done! | Spyro the Dragon (Reignited) – Episode 3

What I finished reading in March
I got through two books in March, which were two very different books and experiences.

The first book I finished in March was The Messenger by Megan Davis. This book was a thriller fiction set in Paris, and I rated it a 2.75/5. This was the second book I unwrapped as part of the Fiction Book Advent Calendar I opened in December. For me, the book did not necessarily ‘thrill’ me, and I started putting the pieces together pretty early on in the book.

However, with that being said, I enjoyed the way teenage angst was portrayed in trying to divert the reader’s attention—although, don’t get me wrong, it was also a tad bit frustrating. I don’t want to spoil anything, but teenage brains really prioritise weird things, so it was pretty realistic at times. I also liked how desperation, guilt and grief were portrayed, and how this interweaved with both the ‘7 years before’ and ‘now’ timelines.

I look forward to diving more into it in my future review for it.

I then finished The Dark Tide by Alicia Jasinska—a dark fantasy/romantasy standalone with witches and a The Hunger Games type of sacrifice… kind of? I rated it a solid 3/5. While a very different book to The Messenger, this was another book that depicted grief in a really interesting way, with the dark tide and the flooding visuals really emphasising this.

But, I would be really doing a disservice if I didn’t also mention the awesome visual of a ‘broom boat’. After a Google, I realise that there is a brand of boat known as Broom Boats, but I have a feeling that is not what was being referred to in this book. The fact that this book involves witches… nothing will take away the picture in my brain of a boat that is a broom that is side saddled by a witch.

I’ve now begun my journey with Megan White’s The Anatomy Duet and have started reading The Anatomy of Songs. What I’ve read so far has been brilliant, and I’m looking forward to what the two-book series has in store for me!

Want to watch my ‘impressions before reading’ and ‘feelings after reading’ for the books mentioned above? I’ve linked the videos from the TaleInferno Instagram account below:
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• Impressions BEFORE reading… The Messenger by Megan Davis
• Feelings AFTER reading… The Messenger by Megan Davis
• Impressions BEFORE reading… The Dark Tide by Alicia Jasinska
• Feelings AFTER reading… The Dark Tide by Alicia Jasinska
• Impressions BEFORE reading… The Anatomy of Songs by Megan White

What’s coming up in April?
First thing I want to cover off is that I’m probably going to (or at least hoping to) read a bunch of books because this girl’s heading on a holiday this month, where the main goal is to relax, recharge, and read like you wouldn’t believe.

I’m also utilising this Easter long weekend to smash out a bunch of content to have prepped and ready to have scheduled and rolling out over the time I’m away. As I write this, I have already recorded the next episodes for the Dragon Age: Origins and Spyro Reignited Trilogy playthroughs, and have started putting together my book review for The Turn of Midnight by Minette Walters.

This will then lead to a Series Review for The Black Death duology. And, I’ve got another throwback book review I’d like to sink my teeth into before I skedaddle off.

I also haven’t forgotten about the illusive 101 video I keep mentioning—that’s also on the list of upcoming videos to record, so watch this space.

The amount of books I’m hoping to get through while I’m chilling out will also mean some ‘impressions before reading’ and ‘feeling after reading’ across the social channels, so keep an eye out for those!

I’m also going to dust off some my creative writing skills and do a bit of that while I’m on holiday. Now, I’ll be honest, I don’t know if I’ll share this on TaleInferno as I’m unsure how I would… but I have a few ideas, so we’ll see what happens!

Ultimately, I love writing—it’s my favourite way to tell stories, so this holiday is lining up as the perfect time to sit down and get into it.

Looking back on the past month, and considering how busy I have been, I’m actually really impressed by everything I was able to get on TaleInferno in March. This is a place that brings me a whole lot of joy, and I hope it does the same for you!

Keep up to date with all the shenanigans in April by following on social media, subscribing to the YouTube channel, and checking out (and following) TaleInferno on The StoryGraph and Goodreads. I’ve linked all the accounts below for your ease:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube
• The StoryGraph
• Goodreads

Here’s the igniting the story in April 2026!

​February flew past. It was quiet on the TaleInferno front, but I can tell you that it was anything but quiet in work and life.

Which makes this wrap up a bit short, and that’s OK! This is a place that isn’t full of expectation and the need to get content out each and every day. It’s about finding the time for creativity, storytelling and enjoyment, while also accepting that sometimes my attention needs to focus elsewhere.

And when that focus and energy is elsewhere, I also need to remember to breathe, sleep and eat. All very important things!
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So, let’s wrap it up!

What was published on TaleInferno
Not a whole lot! No book reviews or blogs/vlogs this month. However, I was able to get out three video game playthrough videos, which you can check out by clicking on the links below:
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• We finally make our way out of the fade! | Dragon Age: Origins – Episode 12
• Finishing the Circle quest line and remembering how to role play | Dragon Age: Origins – Episode 13
• My #1 favourite! Artisans Homeworld & Peace Keepers | Spyro the Dragon (Reignited) – Episode 1

It’s exciting to have started my favourite childhood game to share with you! All this time, I spoke about another game to play on the channel and instead of another big story game, instead you got my favourite purple boy.

Spyro the Dragon is really special to me. So, while it’s not really a story analysis like the Dragon Age playthrough is, it’s a part of my story, and I’m really excited to play through it with you!

Seems to be a theme here… Dragon Age and Spyro the Dragon… Something tells me I might like dragons!

If you want to join me on my dragon-filled journeys, go subscribe to the TaleInferno YouTube channel!

What I finished reading in February
Just like January, I got through three books in February!

While I may have been busy and stressed as anything, reading always calms me down, and reading became a bit of a saviour of sorts in that regard. It’s important to me to always get at least half an hour of reading in each day.

The first book I finished in February was Nightwalker by Rose Harvey. This book was the sequel to Robin, which I finished in January, and I rated it a 3.5/5. While I had some struggles with Robin, Nightwalker was a really good follow up and had me further intrigued by this world of Robins, the Order of Song, and how it all works. A solid sequel to the series, and I’m keeping an eye out for when the next one is out!

Then, I moved on to Prisoner by S R White. This was book 1 of the advent calendar I opened in December, which made me extra excited about getting into this book. An Australian Crime Fiction novel, I thoroughly enjoyed myself with this one, rating it a solid 4/5.

There was something in the way this book was written which made me picture this as if it was an episode of a crime show, and I love crime shows. I also enjoyed the changes in perspective, and how the title really played into not only the victim of the crime, but how each character is a ‘prisoner’ in their life due to circumstances.

Finishing up the books I read in February was Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman. I gave it a 4/5. A young adult, dystopian fiction novel, I was really drawn in by the unique concept and how… real it felt. I really enjoyed the concept of the ‘tap out’ and how I could easily picture and guess how people’s behaviours would change when faced with no access to water.

And, what I also enjoyed was the clarity that came with the perspective of young people. I’d be really interested to see this same storyline play out in the perspective of a middle-age or older person, and compare and contrast these perspectives and actions. In saying that, you do get snippets through some great scenarios slipped in between the main story.

Ultimately, a really cool read, and I would recommend it!

You can check out my ‘impressions before reading’ and ‘feelings after reading’ videos on the TaleInferno Instagram and Facebook channels. Linked below are from Instagram, so if you want to see what I thought I was getting myself into, and how I felt after the fact, go give them a watch:
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• Impressions BEFORE reading… Nightwalker by Rose Harvey
• Feelings AFTER reading… Nightwalker by Rose Harvey
• Impressions BEFORE reading… Prisoner by S R White
• Feelings AFTER reading… Prisoner by S R White
• Impressions BEFORE reading… Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
• Feelings AFTER reading… Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

What's coming up in March?
Whatever I didn’t get around to doing in February!

As I said before, it’s been a busy and rather stressful time with work and life. This, plus making sure I was well-rested and not running myself into sickness, meant I didn’t really have the time to sit down and put together the content I wanted to.

Entering March, it’s been pretty busy already, so I have no idea what to expect. Nonetheless, I’m already working on the reviews for Minette Walter’s Black Death series, and I’ve got a couple of throwback book reviews I want to smash out.

This, plus my two dragon-oriented video game playthroughs, are probably going to take my attention for March, and if I’m able to get these out amongst everything else, then that will be a success!

It should be noted that while I say that, it’s important to recognise that this is a ‘No Stress Zone’. TaleInferno is all about enjoying storytelling in all its magical and wonderful forms,  and therefore all content (or, at least, the development and publication of content) will be stress free.

I say that as I know playing video games is sometimes a stressful activity, but it’s the good kind of stress!

While a shorter wrap up, I’m still happy with what I was able to achieve and share with you all. And, while I don’t know what March holds, I’m excited for whatever it brings!

Keep up to date with the latest happenings in March by following on social media, subscribing to the YouTube channel, and checking out (and following) TaleInferno on The StoryGraph and Goodreads. I’ve linked all the accounts below for your ease:
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• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube
• The StoryGraph
• Goodreads

Here’s to igniting the story in March 2026!

​And, just like that, we’ve closed the chapter on the first month of 2026. Where did January go?

While I expected an uptick in content, life and work kind of got the better of me, so it didn’t quite go as planned. However, that’s the beauty of TaleInferno—it’s a place for me to share my love for all things storytelling in a no-expectations, creative environment, so while there wasn’t as much content as expected, I still had a lot of fun.
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With that being said, let’s wrap it up!

​What was published on TaleInferno
I published two book reviews, which completed The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros as it currently stands (noting I’m waiting with bated breath for the release of book 4!). You can read the full reviews by clicking on the links below:

• Book review: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
• Book review: Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

I also published the very first standalone blog/vlog—huzzah! I originally had planned to do a 101 on some basic punctuation, and then felt inspired by the topic of beginnings. Why? Well, because it’s the beginning of the year, of course!

So, instead of a ‘101’, y’all got a ‘Let’s talk about it’ blog and vlog! You can view it by clicking on the link below:

• Let’s talk about it | Beginnings

Due to how busy things got for me over January—both personally and work-related—I was only able to get two episodes out for the story analysis journey of Dragon Age: Origins. You can view these by clicking on the links below:

• Amara: the best archer who always misses the target | Dragon Age: Origins – Episode 10
• Ugh. The Fade. But also, dual wielding! | Dragon Age: Origins – Episode 11

I can say that, as I type this, the next episode has been recorded and is in the process of being edited. Make sure you go subscribe to the TaleInferno YouTube channel so you don’t miss out!

And, if you follow along on social media, you will have also seen a couple of clips published, including a video from Episode 10 of the Dragon Age: Origins playthrough, and some ‘impressions before reading…’ and ‘feelings after reading…’ videos.
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It’s been a lot of fun coming up with these shortform videos, and I look forward to capturing more things like this in future, so that when things do get busy, we’re all still connecting with our love for storytelling!

What I finished reading in January​
I got through three books in January, which I’m pretty happy with after being so busy with life and work. However, I’ll admit, reading helps calm me a lot, so it really shouldn’t be that surprising!

The first book I finished in January was Alchemised by SenLinYu, and let’s just say… I don’t think I’ve emotionally recovered, and I don’t think I ever will. This easily got a 5/5 from me, which sets the bar really high for every other book I’m reading this year! An incredibly tragic tale, all while weaving through a story of romance in a world of awful, awful things.

I think I’m going to struggle with writing the review for that book because I just don’t think I’ll find the right words to truly express all my emotions.

I then moved on to Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. And, I could not help but laugh that it starts off with a guy with no memory of recent events. Like, it’s the same as the beginning of Alchemised!

Anyway, a very different vibe to Alchemised, Project Hail Mary took my sad, sad emotions and gave me a good chuckle and had me so, so drawn into the sci-fi world. It’s been a long time since I read a sci-fi book, and while it took me a bit of time to get into it (about halfway, honestly), I enjoyed where I ended up. So, I gave it a 3.75/5.

That then led me to Robin by Rose Harvey, which is the first book in Harvey’s The Order series. As you can tell, I’m a fantasy girly, so after finishing a sci-fi, I jumped right back into my comfort zone!

Robin is a shorter fantasy book than what I would usually read, so I struggled a little bit with the quick shifts between events, emotions and reactions, particularly as it goes through quite a bit for such a short story. However, Harvey’s style suits the book, and I loved the unique premise of the Order of Song, travelling between realms via song, and how the travel works with the movement of portals. So, I gave it a solid 3.25/5.

Honestly, it’s really interesting, and I’m having a really good time with the next book, Nightwalker, which is from a different character’s perspective. The changing of protagonists between books is something I love in a series—it adds a whole new layer of depth. I also love it in my videogames too (looking at you, Dragon Age).

With that being said, this leads me to some of the shortform videos I’ve been publishing to the TaleInferno socials, specifically Facebook and Instagram.

As mentioned in my last wrap up, I tried out something new, which was publishing a video of my ‘first impressions’ of Alchemised before I started reading it. In January, I followed this up with my ‘feelings after reading… Alchemised by SenLinYu’ video, which gave me the opportunity to provide my raw, unfiltered feelings straight after closing the book (or, I should say, after I had finished crying my eyes out).

These before-and-after videos are a lot of fun, and allow me to give y’all my first impressions (so you can laugh at me if I’m totally wrong/off) as well as provide a quick, short review and rating of the books prior to getting a longer form review later down the track.

So, if you don’t follow along on the TaleInferno social media, I’ve listed each video below from the TaleInferno Instagram account, so you can check these out. And, if you don’t want to miss out on these videos, make sure to follow along on either Facebook or Instagram!

• Feelings after reading… Alchemised by SenLinYu
• Impressions before reading… Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
• Feelings after reading… Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
• Impressions before reading… Robin by Rose Harvey
• Feelings after reading… Robin by Rose Harvey
• Impressions before reading… Nightwalker by Rose Harvey

What’s coming up in February?
Now that we’ve finished reviewing the books that currently make up The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros, we’ll be moving into reviewing the Black Death duology by Minette Walters!

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect heading into the first book, The Last Hours, but ended up being pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed both books. So, I’m really looking forward to diving into those reviews. Then, I’ll follow it up with a video to wrap that series up.

Following from this series will be The Tethered Citadel trilogy by David Hair. I was intrigued by this series as I loved the The Moontide Quartet, and I’m glad I went on the journey with it (although one book did take me well over a month to get through).

Will I get all those books’ and series’ reviews published in February? We’ll see how we go.

As per the usual, I’ll be continuing with my story analysis journey of the Dragon Age series. As mentioned earlier, I’m already editing Episode 12 of my Dragon Age: Origins playthrough, so that should come out sooner rather than later to the TaleInferno YouTube channel.

I am determined to get another videogame playthrough started as well, however we’ll see how it goes. I’ve been listening to a lot of Assassin’s Creed videogame soundtracks recently, so I’m really wanting to jump into that series, but I also want to get into The Outer Worlds.

Anyway, we’ll see what happens in February and, if I do get to start another playthrough, what choice I end up making.

I’ve got a couple of throwback book reviews that I’m interested at looking at this month. I can’t decide if I’ll go with a book that I found was one of the hardest books I’ve ever read, or a book about bike riding. Maybe both will get their time in the sun this month? Keep an eye out on the website and social channels and see what I decide to go with!

After the fun time I had with my first ‘Let’s talk about it’ video about beginnings, we’ll see what else sparks my interest and inspiration in February. Maybe it’ll be this elusive 101 video I keep mentioning, or maybe something else will get my attention?

All in all, February 2026 is lining up to be a month of… decisions, which isn’t great for me because I’m incredibly indecisive.

But, that might be great for you because that means I may just try and do it all!

While there may not have been as much content as I anticipated this month, I still had a great time, and I hope you did too. And, while there are a few decisions I need to make in February, I’m excited nonetheless of the endless possibilities and opportunities for TaleInferno.

If you want to keep up to date with what comes out in February 2026, follow on social media, subscribe to the YouTube channel, check out TaleInferno on The StoryGraph and Goodreads, and all that other cool stuff. I’ve linked it all below for your ease:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube
• The StoryGraph
• Goodreads

Here’s to an exciting February 2026!

​Entering the new year, I can’t help but find myself thinking about beginnings.

We come into a new year and it’s all about starting afresh. It brings with it New Years' resolutions. And, how the year begins can really play a huge part in how the rest of the year will play out for us emotionally and mentally. What we will focus on, and what we won’t. 

We put so much focus into our beginnings. Hell, how many of us have gone on a Sunday night: “hey, I’m going to start x goal tomorrow”? Let’s be real, it’s because Mondays signify another beginning. And, we can attribute so much to how our lives begin, with so much about the first few years in our lives playing a huge role in the person we become when we’re older.

When it comes to stories and storytelling, beginnings are critical. A strong beginning that pulls people in can be the difference between people caring about the story, and people tuning out after the first few moments.

So, for our very first ‘Let’s talk about it’, let’s talk about beginnings.

​Throughout my schooling and in university, it was drilled into me how important a story’s beginning was.
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“Charlotte, if the first line of your book doesn’t capture the publisher’s attention, then forget about it—it’s not getting published. You can throw your dreams of becoming a published author right in the trash”

Not those words exactly, but the general sentiment is the same. If the beginning of your book, film, poem, videogame… whatever the form of the story, doesn’t capture the attention of those consuming said story, it’s probably not going to fly.

This sentiment sticks so deeply into my mind that any time I start a new book, videogame, or whatever, I am so drawn in to the first line or first few introductory moments. I think to myself: “OK, so this is what they went with” and then analyse to myself why that one-line, paragraph, or introduction got enough attention for it to become a published story.

As a professional writer and an aspiring author, I find I learn a lot when I let myself analyse the beginning of any book I read. I think to myself how I could write a similar beginning for the book I want to write, and if it would work in the same way. Will I finally get the chance to be published? Will my dreams come true with a perfect beginning?

Honestly, the pressure I put on myself just with the first line is enough for me to procrastinate a lot. And, I look forward to the day I find myself finally published and someone goes: “That’s what she decided to go with for her beginning?!”

Anyway, I digress. And, chances are you’ve already tuned out, so I’ve probably failed at my introduction to keep you tuned in. However, if I haven’t, what I would really like to do is share the first lines from books I rate 5/5 stars and consider whether their beginnings rate the same to me, and whether they played a role in getting to that perfect rating.

Some of these books are captured on my StoryGraph account. Some aren’t because I read them before I’d gotten around to downloading it.
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Without further ado, let’s dive in.

Alright, let’s get this one out of the way and address the elephant in the room: of course I’m biased here. I love the Dragon Age series, and I’m currently doing a story analysis playthrough of the videogames on the TaleInferno YouTube channel (shameless plug).

I decided to get myself each of the novels written from the Dragon Age series around the same time Dragon Age: The Veilguard was announced. Three of them I rated 5/5. However, I see this book as the beginning of the series as a whole, so here’s the beginning of the beginning.

Anyway, back to the beginning. Putting my love for the Dragon Age series aside, opening a book and seeing the first few words be an instruction to run, which is then followed by said character running, the first question is: “why are they running?”

I don’t know about you, but this, to me, is a textbook grab for attention and interest. It’s short. It’s sharp. And you already want to know what’s happening next.

For me, I’d rate a beginning like this a 4/5. It does exactly what you need it to do, which is grab your attention, but it’s also a little obvious that it’s trying to do that. However, it’s still effective. And, for this book, it’s a great way to begin setting up for a fantastic book.
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I’ll be real with you, I think if you’re interested in fantasy books but not interested in playing videogames, you’d probably enjoy this book. But, again, that might just be my bias. Dragon Age will forever hold my heart, and this book only deepened my love for its story.

​House of Earth and Blood is the first book of the Crescent City series by Sarah J. Maas, and had me in a chokehold the second I opened this book. I love the way Sarah J. Maas writes, and this series is probably one of my favourites (and is easily my favourite of her series’).

I’ll note I also rated the third book of this series--House of Flame and Shadow—a 5/5 as well, but being book number three, it’s not really a ‘beginning’, you know?

Anyway, back to this one. It’s funny looking back at the beginning of this book knowing what’s to come not only in this book, but in the rest of the series. It’s a really simple sentence that begins this journey, and gets the reader to ask the question: “Why is the wolf significant? Why should I care?”. And then they’re drawn in to find out more.

It’s funny because the next line literally starts with “which meant it must be Thursday…”. It provides a bit more context about the wolf and its significance because it tells us there’s familiarity with said wolf, drawing us in further.

Anyway, reading further on the page, you are continuously drawn in as you become aware of this close friendship, and the relationship dynamics become very clear very quickly. Honestly, opening up this book again and reading the first line, I found myself reading the next, and then the next, and then the next.

If I’m not careful, I’m going to read this book and the whole series again.

Anyway, back to the beginning: If I read this in another book, removing the context that I’m familiar with the author and their writing style, I’m actually not too sure I’d be super drawn in right away. With that in mind, I’d give the first line as a beginning a 3.5/5.

Sure, I’m intrigued about the wolf and the reference to a gallery. However, there’s something about this beginning that has me thinking like… Twilight vibes? And while a very famous book and series, it’s got that supernatural kitsch vibe.

It’s an intriguing beginning, but I think it could turn people away as well if they weren’t so big into wolfy supernaturalness.

Here’s an interesting one to analyse. When the Dust Settles isn’t a fictional tale. It’s a telling of Easthope’s experiences in the response and recovery to emergencies. Real emergencies. We’re talking about the 7/7 terrorist attacks in London, MH17, the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004, and a whole lot more.

As described in the blurb, Lucy Easthope is a world-leading authority on recovering from disaster. The subtitle to this book is Searching for Hope After Disaster. I’m sure you’re catching the vibe at this point.

If you’re picking up this book, you’re probably interested in reading about people’s experiences, or curious about the world of emergency management, response and recovery. This book, in particular, focuses on the people aspect and how important it is to never forget the people during and after an emergency or disaster.

So, the beginning of this book—​It’s raining hard—suits this book perfectly, because it’s already setting the scene of bad conditions. We don’t know at this point what the rain has to do with the emergency or disaster that we’re going to read more about, or if it has anything to do with one at all. However, it provides that ominous feeling, and you can already get the vibe that something isn’t good right now.

However, context of book aside, what do I think of this as a beginning to a book generally? If I’m honest, I’m on the fence with this one. On one hand, it provides good context to the setting. As I mentioned before, it creates an ominous feeling. No one wants to be out in the rain, so is the character out in the rain? Are they driving in it? Are they watching it from a window?

Honestly, my mind instantly goes to a crime/thriller book. So, maybe if this was at the beginning of one of those, it would be fine?
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However, it also doesn’t say much at all. It’s simple. It’s straight to the point. And whatever follows has to be good, otherwise I think you’re losing the reader.
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So, I rate it a 2.5/5 – right down the middle.

​Alright, that might be cheating as that’s four lines rather than just one. The same could be said for the Dragon Age book before where I included two lines. Sue me.

Actually, please don’t. That wouldn’t be very nice.

Anyway, I’ll do the right thing here and talk about the very first line. However, I want to note that the way this is written in this book, it’s hard not to see it as one opening statement, rather than four lines.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is a powerful, profound and beautifully tragic story, written from the perspective of death. To begin this story with the line—First the colours—is very intriguing because it’s unique.

Add on the rest of the lines, and the reader is drawn in by wondering who this narrator is, and what they mean by this. To know that it’s from the perspective of death before reading the book, it’s a very poetic beginning, and allows the reader to start to understand how death sees thing very early on.

However, taking the context out of it, if this beginning were for any other book, is it setting it up well? Am I generally drawn in and wanting to read more?

Honestly, absolutely. The first line alone piques my interest. Are we talking about art? Is it an artist? What’s so important about the colours? This would suit many, if not all, genres and story types.

Then, if we include the other lines that make up the opening and beginning of this book… Well, it adds layers. We’re showing priority of something over humans, and then we’re seeing intent and personality in the perspective.

Overall, I’d give this beginning a 5/5. It’s creative and draws you in without being obvious about it. Ultimately, I love this kind of beginning and is something I would love to try emulate for one of my own stories.

​Now here’s a book I hold onto tightly. How to Stop Time by Matt Haig is so marvellously beautiful and continues to be one of my favourite books of all time. With that in mind, I’m conflicted by the beginning here as this is part of a one-pager introduction to the book, but isn’t like… the first line after we get into ‘Part 1’. That line is: I am old.

One would argue that the line I’ve chosen above is the beginning because it’s the first line of the book. Others may argue otherwise. Anyway, I’ve made my choice because it makes sense to me. Either way, both lines are interesting and bring in their own intrigue.

Ultimately, the first lines both show us that the narrator is old. One just states it. The other casually let’s slip that they’ve had a conversation ‘over a century ago’.

The one I believe to be the first line of the story, and therefore the beginning of it, is another one of those textbook grabs for attention and interest. It makes the reader go: “Oh yeah, what did Hendrich say to you?”.

However, the twist is the casual ‘century ago’ drop. That’s a unique touch to the line, making us think: “Hang on, there’s more to this than just simply casual advice being given from one person to another”.

I love a beginning like this. It pulls you in with an obvious tactic but puts a really nice spin on it. And, for a book like this one, it sets it up perfectly. This book takes the concept of living for a very long time (not quite immortality) and the challenges of that but homes in on areas such as loneliness, the amount of memories and experiences that we would carry with us over such expanses of time, and how important it is to focus on the present.

Ultimately, I think this beginning is perfect, and I rate it a 5/5.

​Now this is a beautifully written book. A story about survival, resilience, reinvention, reclaiming oneself, and learning to love after trauma. It follows the story of Lily Decker as she navigates a life of deep trauma and loss as a child to becoming a shining star in the world of Las Vegas in the 60s.

This is one of those stories that, as a woman, made me feel like I could overcome anything. There is strength in femininity, and that through love, heartbreak, loss, and more, we can reclaim our lives and define our worth.

However, the beginning… isn’t giving for me. With both the context and without the context of the book, it’s not exactly a beginning that has me gripped in and wanting to know more.

Sure, I’m asking the question: “Why was Aunt Tate crying? Why does she have such a fierce impression right now?”. However, those types of questions aren’t really getting me excited to read on. It’s more general curiosity than anything else.
​
I’d rate this beginning a 2/5. This story rises because it’s about the journey, so for anyone who sees this and thinks: “Nope, I don’t like that beginning, I’m not interested”. Read. This. Book.

It is so worth it.

This. Book. Changed. My. Life.

That sounds really dramatic. However, I wouldn’t be overreacting when I say I think about this book at least once a day. This story is perfection. It’s tragic. It plays on the powerful and their ability to hide truths that hurt their reputations. It explores forbidden, queer love that is so violently erased.

And, it focuses on the power of books. Because in this world, books contain memories, not stories. They literally hold people’s experiences. And, the act of doing so removes those memories.

Truly, this book is just astounding.

However, going back to look at the beginning, I’m actually a bit disappointed. As I said, this book goes through my mind daily, and when I was thinking about writing this blog, I was really excited to see what the first line was.

It’s not terrible, but for some reason it’s not what I expected. I guess that shows how much I put into the beginnings of books that I rate highly!

Similar to All the Beautiful Girls, this doesn’t necessarily have me screaming to read the next line. It does, however, pose the questions: “What’s in the letter? Who sent the letter? Why is the character’s hands shaking so much?”

It does also give us an insight to the whereabouts of this character. Binding up a sheaf of wheat suggests a farm, so we start to build up who this character is and paint a picture of that character.

I can assure you it’s not a burly farmer.

Anyway, in saying that, this beginning isn’t necessarily trying to grab your attention, but it does well enough to grab interest in the statement of the letter, and the disposition of the character (the shaking hands).

So, I’d give this beginning a 3/5. It’s better than halfway, but not necessarily the greatest hook in.
​
But, please, do yourself a favour, and read this book.

​Overall feelings about beginnings
I think this journey looking at a few of my 5/5 rated books and reflecting on their beginnings has shown me that while beginnings are important, maybe they’re not as critical as I thought to lock in a perfect rating.

Don’t get me wrong, all these beginnings do what they need to do: They intrigue us. The line pushes us to read the next line, which we can only hope will then urge you to the next, and then the following.

And it might be line five or line 305, rather than line one, that locks you in and sets up the story to get that perfect rating.
​
I think that is a beautiful thing to consider when we think about it from how we see our lives. The beginning may not be the best, but line 305 may be the turning point to ensure it becomes great.

Or, maybe you’re one of the lucky ones, where the beginning is fantastic, and what follows also stacks up.

Ultimately, I appreciate the lessons I have received from teachers and mentors in my life. And, I do believe that I probably need to make sure I write a really good, interesting and attention-grabbing beginning to be published one day.

But, maybe it doesn’t have to be as polished and perfect as I’m thinking it needs to be, because the magic comes with the journey, and wraps us up in the end.

Anyway, this has become a whole lot longer than I thought and intended it to be. This has been a fun deep dive into the topic of ‘beginnings’. I’ve really enjoyed writing about it for this first ‘let’s talk about it’ instalment.

What do you think about beginnings? Do you think they’re overhyped? Are they important to you when you open a book, turn on a film, or hit ‘New game’ on a videogame? Let me know in the comments!
​
I think I’ve come up with a good beginning for that book I want to write. Eh, I’ll start it on Monday.

​In 2025, I completed 24 books. I really wish it could’ve been 25 books in 2025 to make it sound cool, but I didn’t quite get there!

You may have already seen the list on social media, but here’s the list including a collage of all the books from my StoryGraph 2025 wrap up. I’ve also included my ratings from StoryGraph, so you can see how these stacked up for me.

​November 2025 is all done. It’s been a busy time both on and off TaleInferno, and now it’s time to wrap it all up like a present as we head into December!

What was published on TaleInferno
November 2025 saw the continuation of reviewing the books that make up the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. You can read the full reviews by clicking on the links below:

• Book review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
• Book review: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
• Book review: Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
• Book review: Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
• Book review: Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

I also published the first Throwback Book Review, which looked at The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli. This was both a written review as well as a video that can be watched both on TaleInferno or on the TaleInferno YouTube channel! You can find links to both of these below:

• Throwback book review: The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli (written review)
• First book review on the channel! | Throwback book review: The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli (video on YouTube)

There were no standalone blog posts this month (unless you count the October 2025 wrap up). But, don’t fret, I am working on a few in the background, so watch this space!

I also continued the story analysis of the Dragon Age series with four more episodes published to the TaleInferno YouTube Channel as we continue the journey in Dragon Age: Origins. You can find links to them below:

• Saying goodbye to the boys | Dragon Age: Origins – Episode 4
• Mabari, Leliana and Sten, and a town not ready for my dalish elf | Dragon Age: Origins – Episode 5
• Slowly accepting the chaos of my role-playing decisions | Dragon Age: Origins – Episode 6
• If Amara has to save Redcliffe, so does everyone else! | Dragon Age: Origins – Episode 7

It’s been amazing to see the engagement on these videos and connecting with people who find the Dragon Age series as interesting and fun as I do. I’m so looking forward to continuing with this into December!

What I finished reading in November
I didn’t quite get through as many books in November as I did in October, and I’ll blame the lack of a week and a half long holiday where all I pretty much did was read.

Nonetheless, I did finish Quicksilver by Callie Hart on 18 November 2025, which just so happened to be the launch date for the second book in the Fae & Alchemy series: Brimstone. Unfortunately, I didn’t quite line it up to have Brimstone at the ready to jump straight into the second book, but I’m hoping to get my hands on it sooner rather than later to continue to the series!

As you may have seen on Storygraph, I gave Quicksilver a solid 4.75/5. I’d heard the hype about it online and I wasn’t sure if I was going to have my expectations met. I ended up really enjoying this book and found it difficult to put down, so I’m looking forward to when I do jump into Brimstone.

In lieu of having the second book of the Fae & Alchemy series, I began reading For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn. I’ve been making good progress on this and have been enjoying it so far. Keep an eye out on TaleInferno’s social channels to see when I finish this one up!

Books galore!
Early in November, I attended Supanova in Adelaide and met a bunch of really cool authors and ended up buying a bunch of books, which I’m really looking forward to reading.

You may have seen these on the TaleInferno Instagram Stories on the day I got them, but I wanted to highlight them in this wrap up as well:

• The Flux Catastrophe series by Jonathan Weiss. Books are: Rising Flux (a prequel novella), Molten Flux, Blazing Flux, and Corrupted Flux.
• Tenderly, I Am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone
• Fae’s Song by Helen Walton, which is the first book in the Fated Mates of the Fae Royals Summer Court series
• The Anatomy Duet series by Megan White. Books are: The Anatomy of Songs and The Anatomy of Gods.
• The Haunting of Kenmore Asylum by JJ Carpenter
• Nightwalker by Rose Harvey, which is the second book in The Order series (I bought the first book, Robin, at a separate convention earlier this year)
• Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
• All Better Now by Neal Shusterman
• Arc of a Scythe series by Neal Shusterman. Books are: Scythe, Thunderhead, The Toll and Gleanings (stories from the Arc of a Scythe).

You can see I went a little bit crazy, but these books really caught my attention and I’m so looking forward to reading them all in 2026 (hopefully!) and reviewing them on TaleInferno in the future.

What’s coming up in December
As we head into the festive period, I foresee a potentially slower month of content based on the events that will take up my time outside of work.

Nonetheless, what will be coming up will be the series wrap up of the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. This will look at the series overall now that I’ve finished reviewing each individual book, and will come out as both a written review as well as a video, so keep an eye out for that!

Moving forward, my plan will be for standalone books to receive both a written and a video review. However, series of books will only get videos for when we wrap up the series. However, we’ll see what happens—I may change my mind!

I’ve also got another Throwback Book Review in the works, which will be both written and video like before. This will be on an amazing little story that is incredibly inspirational (or it is for me, at least). What book will it be on? You’ll just have to wait and see.

If you’ve had a look at the TaleInferno Storygraph or Goodreads accounts, you’ll see that the next books I’ll probably get into reviewing will be The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros. We’ll begin with the very well-known Fourth Wing book, and we’ll see how many more we can get out this month.

The Dragon Age series story analysis will continue as well. Editing the videos does take some time, and I’ve been pretty happy with getting a video out each week. However, as mentioned below, content may just take a little bit longer for me to organise and publish, so please be patient with me this month!

The next episode (episode 8) is already a bit longer than the others, so we’ll see how long it takes for me to edit and publish that.

I mentioned in the October 2025 wrap up that I would be looking into 101’s and ‘Let’s talk about it’ blogs both on the YouTube channel and on the TaleInferno website. I have a plan in place for these, and we’ll see if I can get something out in December. However, as mentioned before, we’ll see where we end up with a very busy December ahead of me.

On a different, exciting note, I decided to get myself a Book Advent Calendar through The Book Grocer. I was keen to get the fantasy one but they were sold out, so instead bought the Fiction Book Advent Calendar.

So, throughout December, I’m hoping to publish some content on TaleInferno’s Facebook and Instagram accounts to show each book I open for each day leading into Christmas. The real challenge would be to read a book a day as well, but I don’t think I’ll have the time.

So, instead, I look forward to sharing with you each book I open and finding out what will be on the list to read in 2026!

November 2025 has been a lot of fun, and I look forward to what’s to come in December as we head into the festive season and the end of the year.

If you want to keep up to date with what’s happening on TaleInferno, follow TaleInferno on social media, subscribe to the YouTube channels, and check out the TaleInferno Storygraph and Goodreads accounts. All are linked below:
​

• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Goodreads
• Storygraph

Thank you—I look forward to igniting the story with you in December!

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October has been and gone, and TaleInferno has been up and running with content throughout the month. So, let’s wrap up this month by looking back at what’s happened on TaleInferno, what books I’ve read, and what’s coming up as we head into November!
​
You can either read the blog post or watch the video to wrap October 2025 up!

However, very quickly—Nothing to do with TaleInferno but an important thing that happened this month for me was that I’m officially engaged! My partner proposed while we were on holiday at the end of October, which is the perfect way to finish up this incredible month.
​
Now, onto TaleInferno things…

When I say ‘published on TaleInferno’, I don’t just mean on this website. I have also published specific content on other channels, such as on social media and on the TaleInferno YouTube channel. 

So, let’s begin with the book reviews.

This month, we began the book review journey of Sarah J Maas’s Throne of Glass series, beginning with the prequel short story collection in The Assassin’s Blade, and then the first two books in the series: Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight. You can read the reviews below:

• Review: The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
• Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
• Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

We also had a couple of blogs pop up over October. This included the launch of the reignited TaleInferno, and the very first video game playthrough video, which is the beginning of a story analysis playthrough journey of the Dragon Age series. You can read the blogs below:

• TaleInferno is back... and reignited!
• First video game playthrough for TaleInferno! | Dragon Age: Origins

However, what hasn’t been published on the TaleInferno website has been two more episodes of the Dragon Age: Origins playthrough, which you can find on the TaleInferno YouTube channel. You can check out the episodes below, and stay up to date by subscribing to the YouTube channel!

• Well hello there daddy Duncan... | Dragon Age: Origins - Episode 2
• Flowers grow, as well as toads... | Dragon Age: Origins - Episode 3

​And, on the TaleInferno social media channels—primarily Facebook and Instagram—I’ve been posting each time I finish a book over the course of the month, while also noting the next book that I’m reading. Which is a great segway into the next section.

I read through four books in October, which was helped by the very relaxing holiday where my goal was to read as much as I could. So, I was able to smash out quite a few in a row.

The first book I finished reading in October was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I finished reading this on 20 October. On the TaleInferno Goodreads and StoryGraph accounts, you’ll see I rated it 5/5. Without spoiling the review I’ll do in future, let’s just say: what a beautiful, touching and emotional story.

I then moved on to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, which I finished on 25 October. I gave it a 3.75/5 rating as I had super high expectations on this book due to a lot of hype online about it and, unfortunately, it didn’t quite meet those expectations. However, it’s a really good, beautifully written book and I would recommend people read it. I’ll go more into my feelings on this book when I review it in future.

In less than 24 hours, I finished off book number three of the month: The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso. Finished on 26 October, I gave it a 4.25/5. I found this to be a very unique story about time, memories, and political/historical conflict. I really look forward to deep diving into this book when I review it.

Sneaking in at the very end of the month was The Duke and I by Julia Quinn, which I finished on 30 October. I picked this book up at a community bookstore in Beechworth earlier this year as I was interested in dipping my toes into the Bridgerton series. I quite like the Netflix series, and wanted to give the books a go. Ultimately, I gave it a 3.5/5—it was enjoyable and sweet, and I’m keen to grab the rest of the series to read through at a later time.

Which leads me into the book I’ve now started reading at the end of October and into November, which is Quicksilver by Callie Hart. For the most part of this year, I’ve read a lot of fantasy books, so I went on a bit of a fantasy-cleanse. However, I’m back on the fantasy wagon, and I’ve heard a lot about this book online, so let’s see how I find it.

The first thing I want to make clear is that TaleInferno is my creative outlet, so I’m not going to make airtight commitments about what I’ll be posting and when. It will be mostly based on how I’m feeling and what sparks my interest and passion at the time.

However, with that in mind, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we will be continuing on with the book reviews for the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. I’m also looking at doing ‘throwbacks’ to reviews I did on the previous TaleInferno.

There are some books I don’t think I’ll re-read as they’ve had their time with me, but I still want to give them their time to shine on this platform. It’ll be an opportunity for me to look back at the reviews and see how those books sit with me now considering how much time has passed since I’ve read them. So, you may see one or two of these pop up in November.

I’ll also be continuing with my playthrough and story analysis of the Dragon Age series, so make sure you subscribe to the TaleInferno YouTube channel to keep up to date with this. Once I’ve finished Dragon Age: Origins (probably won’t happen in November), I’ll do a review of the game on TaleInferno just like I would for a book, so that’s something to look forward to!

I’m also considering starting another video game playthrough, this time with a game I haven’t played before (or not completed). I think it would be fun to do a story analysis and first-time playthrough together, and if I do, it will probably be The Outer Worlds I’ll jump into since the second game came out recently. But, let’s see what happens!

I’m also looking into some ‘101s’ and ‘Let’s talk about it’ videos. 101s will focus on basic storytelling techniques, including writing techniques and tools, genres, punctuation, and a whole lot more. It’s giving that surface level introduction that I hope will spark people’s interest and empower people to feel confident in the process of storytelling.

The ‘Let’s talk about it’ series will be more of a deep dive into specific topics. This could be literary theories such as ecocriticism, exploring symbols and undertaking literary analysis on some stories, or just me yapping about something that’s sparked my interest or attention in the area of storytelling that has me inspired.

There’s also one medium of storytelling I’d like to also try and spend some time in November looking into, and that’s regarding lyricism and music. Music is an incredible outlet for storytelling, and lyrics can be incredibly powerful in connecting with people and helping them process moments in time.

There’s a bunch of musicians and artists that I love listening to because I connect with their music and lyrics, and a few of them have come out with some new music recently, so I’d like to find a way to go through this and talk about the power of music and lyrics when it comes to storytelling. So, I need to consider how I’ll do this, and maybe something will come out in November to begin this.

But, who knows, maybe work will get busy or my social life will lift its head. There could be no posts, a few posts, or a bunch of content on TaleInferno in November, so let’s wait and see what happens.

Nonetheless, I feel like this month has been an incredible way to kick off the new and improved TaleInferno. A big shout out to everyone who has followed along, engaged with content, and more. I really appreciate the support, and hope that you’ve enjoyed it and felt the story ignite within you, or felt empowered to continue your own storytelling journey.

With all that being said and done, I’ll wrap up this wrap up by saying thank you again. I’m so looking forward to the rest of the year and what November will bring.
​
If you want to keep up to date with what’s happening on TaleInferno, continue to regularly check this website, follow TaleInferno on social media, subscribe to the YouTube channel, and check out the TaleInferno Goodreads and Storygraph accounts. All are linked below:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Goodreads
• StoryGraph

​Thank you—I look forward to igniting the story with you in November!

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​You heard it here first—TaleInferno is all about igniting the story, but that doesn’t just mean in books! This girl is jumping head first into Dragon Age Origins to begin the awesome journey from the very beginning all the way to The Veilguard.

I’m super excited about diving into one of my absolute favourite video game series—Dragon Age—and analyse the story and lore as we go. 

The Dragon Age series has so many layers to it, and I’m looking forward to deep diving into it with you all by playing through each game, while also picking out certain themes to analyse deeper in future videos. Watch this space!

Which origin do I pick? What kind of character am I going to be? Subscribe to the YouTube channel to stay up to date with the latest episodes and find out!

Please note: This is a story analysis journey, so if you haven’t played Dragon Age: Origins or any of the Dragon Age games and you don’t want it to be spoiled, probably best not to watch as I do and will reference a LOT of key plot twists and information from the later games. You’ve been warned!!

So, it’s been a while… And I’m excited to launch the new look TaleInferno—back to ignite the story!

There’s a lot planned, and I’m keen to share it all with you. Keep up to date with the latest reviews, updates, and more by following TaleInferno on all platforms:

Instagram: @taleinferno
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@taleinferno 
Storygraph: @taleinferno
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/user/show/187725675-taleinferno

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