I totally enjoyed reading this book. I liked how the author blended Chinese culture and history with fantasy and science-fiction. All the characters are well crafted are unique in their own way. I loved the main character, Zetian Wu- she is very fierce and easily loveable. It also features a polyamorous relationship, at first I was skeptical about it but it was very well executed and totally worked with the storyline. The plot is well constructed, it had many unexpected twists and turns. It ended on a cliffhanger, I would definitely read the sequel. This is my favorite read of this year. If you love futuristic and dystopian fantasy books then I highly recommended this.
This was a heartwarming read. The story is based on themes of death, grief, healing and redemption. The story is character driven. I loved the way the character of Wallace was developed, throughout it was very raw and real. I found all the characters unique and easily relatable. It also features queer romance which I found very adorable and sweet. It also deals with heavy topics but the author handled it in a perfect and sensitive way. There are various messages and lessons which are incorporated in the story. T.J. Klune certainly outdid himself with this book. I totally enjoyed reading it and I highly recommend it
Blurb: Falling in love wasn’t part of the plan. Eliza Quan fully expects to be voted the next editor-in-chief of her school paper. She works hard, she respects the facts, and she has the most experience. Len DiMartile is an injured star baseball player who seems to have joined the paper just to have something to do. Naturally, the staff picks Len to be their next leader. Because while they may respect Eliza, they don’t particularly like her - but right now, Eliza is not here to be liked. She’s here to win. But someone does like Eliza. A lot. Shame it’s the boy standing in the way of her becoming editor-in-chief….
My thoughts:
This was such a delightful read. It explores many themes like feminism, performative activism, double standards in our society. The main character, Eliza was easily relate able and realistic. I liked the discussion on the topic, what it means to be a good feminist and it was thought provoking. I liked the way the side effects were fleshed out and they had their own flaws, which made them interesting. The romance was very well written, it was slow burn which I totally loved. The pacing of the story was medium, it does get a bit repetitive in the last few pages. Overall it was an entertaining read, I liked that it discusses about a lot of important topics in a balanced way. I do recommend it.
Blurb: This true story—as true as Lemony Snicket himself—begins with a puzzling note under his door: You had poison for breakfast. Following a winding trail of clues to solve the mystery of his own demise, Snicket takes us on a thought-provoking tour of his predilections: the proper way to prepare an egg, a perplexing idea called “tzimtzum,” the sublime pleasure of swimming in open water, and much else. Poison for Breakfast is a classic-in-the-making that—in the great tradition of modern fables like The Little Prince and The Phantom Tollbooth—will delight readers of all ages.
My thoughts: ‘Poison for Breakfast’ is a combination of mystery and philosophy. The author shares his thoughts on a lot of topics such as death, religion and science. I loved the literature and song references in the book. I also liked the writing advice the author shared. The writing style was humorous and quirky. Even though it is short, it does get monotonous sometimes so I would suggest to read it slowly. This is not a usual murder mystery book, it does not have a structured plot, it mainly has author’s musings on different topics. Overall it was an entertaining and thought provoking read. It is a book, which readers of all ages will enjoy.
Kiki Kallira has always been a worrierRecently her anxiety has been getting out of control, but one thing that has always soothed her is drawing. Kiki’s sketchbook is full of fanciful doodles of the rich Indian myths and legends her mother has told her over the years.
One day, her sketchbook’s calming effect is broken when her mythological characters begin springing to life right out of its pages. Kiki ends up falling into the mystical world she drew, which includes a lot of wonderful discoveries like the band of rebel kids who protect the kingdom, as well as not-so-great ones like the ancient deity bent on total destruction. As the one responsible for creating the evil god, Kiki must overcome her fear and anxiety to save both worlds–the real and the imagined–from his wrath.
My thoughts:
This was such a fun read. This book reminded why I love middle grade fantasy books so much. I loved the main character Kiki, she was easy to relate to. I liked the mental health storyline too and it was handledcarefully. I think many young readers will feel seen through her.
I personally loved the Indian representation in it which was not stereotypical. I also enjoyed reading about South Indian traditions and mythology. The plot is well crafted too, the climax was very smart and I didn’t see it coming. It is fast paced and full of action. The mythology used was inrtnicate and easy to understand as it is well explained.
I do recommend this book, especially if you love portal fantasies and found family trope. It is the perfect book for the fans of The Chronicles of Narnia and Percy Jackson. I hope there will be more books set in this world.
‘Sisters of the Snake’ is an own voices fantasy, inspired by Hindu mythology and South Asian culture.
It is fast paced and I got engaged in the story from the first chapter. It is written in perspectives of Ria and Rani, both of their point of views are done really well. It didn’t get confusing since both of the characters had their own identity and voice.
The plot is carefully crafted and had many unexpected twists and turns. Almost each chapter ended with a cliffhanger and kept me guessing what will happen next. Fantasy book generally lack in romance, but in this one it was well developed and had me invested in it. The magic system is well structured and was explained really well. I hope the sisterhood between Ria and Rani, will be explored more in the sequel.
I totally enjoyed reading it. I will definitely read the sequel. I recommend this book , especially if you are looking for a fun, and light magical read!
Realm Breaker had all of my favourite tropes- found family, a cast of misfits and an adventure. I think it is one of the most bland fantasy I have ever read. All the characters were two dimensional, they had no personality of their own. Especially, the villain was severely underdeveloped and had no motive whatsoever. I hope we will get to know more about the villain in the next book.
The world building was barely there. I like to imagine the surroundings, specially in a high fantasy book but the author provided barely any description of the setting.
The pacing was very slow. It is almost 600 pages long but hardly anything happens in the book. The writing style was very lazy and that I had to push myself to finish reading it. It is filled with unnecessary details and random facts about the world . I think with proper editing, at least hundred pages could have been easily deleted.
Overall, it was a disappointing read. It felt as if I was reading an early draft of the book. Also I feel it could have worked better as a duology.
For cynical twenty-three-year-old August, moving to New York City is supposed to prove her right: that things like magic and cinematic love stories don’t exist, and the only smart way to go through life is alone. But then, there’s this gorgeous girl on the train.Jane. Jane with her rough edges and swoopy hair and soft smile, showing up in a leather jacket to save August’s day when she needed it most. August’s subway crush becomes the best part of her day, but pretty soon, she discovers there’s one big problem: Jane doesn’t just look like an old school punk rocker. She’s literally displaced in time from the 1970s, and August is going to have to use everything she tried to leave in her own past to help her. Maybe it’s time to start believing in some things, after all.
My thoughts:
I haven’t read “Red White and Royal Blue” yet, but after reading “One Last Stop”, I do understand the hype behind the author.
The romance in this book was realistic and raw. I was already rooting for June and August, by just a few chapters in. Another aspect that I liked is the cast of characters was very diverse and inclusive, it felt totally natural and not something forced down.
The secondary characters are well developed and interesting and I feel totally deserve their own book. The found family trope was also well done, the way the author develops such a strong friendship between August and her roommates was just perfect. The plot is well crafted too and had some plot twists which were unexpected.
Overall, I loved this and easily one of my favorite reads of this year. If you are looking for something quirky and eccentric, you should definitely give this one a try.
Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because anonymous texter, Aces, is bringing two students’ dark secrets to light.
Talented musician Devon buries himself in rehearsals, but he can’t escape the spotlight when his private photos go public. Head girl Chiamaka isn’t afraid to get what she wants, but soon everyone will know the price she has paid for power.
Someone is out to get them both. Someone who holds all the aces. And they’re planning much more than a high-school game…
Rating:2.5/5,⭐
Ace of Spades was one of my most anticipated reads of this year, but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations.
I liked the writing style and character development the most in this book. The writing style was top notch and amazing for a debut book. The characters are well devloped, I liked how the character of Chiamaka grows through out the book.
I think the execution was very poor, I was able to guess most of the twists. Also I picked this book up expecting a thriller, but I only got teen angst and drama. This book is heavily inspired by Gossip Girls and Pretty Little Liars, having watched both of these shows it did ruin my reading experiences and I could see so many plot elements the author had taken from these shows. I found it very unrealistic and was filled with plot holes.
Overall I think the plot was very weak and had a lot of untapped potential.
I had been looking forward to read “The Jasmine Throne” ever since I came to know its an Indian inspired adult fantasy featuring sapphic romance. I must say it did not fail to impress me and lived up to my expectations! The writing style was top notch and it got me invested in the story from the prologue only. It does take time for the pace of the story to pick up, but once it does, it made me to anticipate what will happen next.
The worldbuilding was very rich and lushful, that I was able to imagine the places. Indian culture is not monolithic, it is very internally diverse and I have observed that many books are not able to portray that well. But Tasha was able to capture that element and represent various cultures and faiths very well. I also liked that the various aspects of the book which were inspired by Hindu and Jain mythology.
This book has a large cast of characters and has multiple point of views so it does take time to get used to it and learn about them. I loved the main characters – Priya and Malini, their story arcs and they were morally grey. Overall I totally enjoyed reading it. I would recommend this book if you loved “The Priory Of The Orange Tree” and “The Poppy War”!
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