Clue did his best to imitate the cover, but his left side is apparently his favorite. Photo by Kate Ota 2024 Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel is a retelling of part of the Ramayana (an Indian epic focused on Rama, one of the avatars of Vishnu). The main character, Kaikeyi, is one of Rama's mothers (technically a step-mother) and is famous for banishing Rama from his home for ten years shortly after he gets married. A good portion of the Ramayana is about those ten years, and Kaikeyi is often cast a a villain. This book looked at things from her perspective, kind of like Wicked. This book was a Book of the Month pick, a NYT Bestseller, and was nominated for the Ignyte Award for best Adult Novel.
Kaikeyi follows the titular character from her childhood through the banishing of Rama. Kaikeyi's mother was banished from her home kingdom by Kaikeyi's father and so Kaikeyi had to take on the burden of raising her seven brothers. As a teenager, she was married off to the king of the nearby kingdom that had great power, but no heir from his first two (still living) wives. Kaikeyi makes a deal: she'll marry him if her first son becomes his heir, regardless of whatever other children he has. He agrees. As you can guess, this becomes a big issue later. This is all going on while Kaikeyi discovers a hidden power, and learns to control it. When faced with choices over the years over what's best for the kingdom or herself, she always chooses the kingdom--but not in the way the men around her would prefer. This book was interesting. I came at it knowing what the Ramayana was and the basic concepts in it, but no memory of if we discussed the character Kaikeyi in my Asian Cultures class 10+ years ago. I think it definitely justified a lot of Kaikeyi's actions, and made Rama look like the bad guy. (I'm not sure if this is intentional because if Rama is an avatar of a god, shouldn't he be considered at least A good guy if not THE good guy in a retelling?) Some of Kaikeyi's choices weren't the smartest, and if she'd just stopped to think she could have made better choices. Of course, the author was constrained by the Ramayana, so only so much could really change. Kaikeyi also sometimes came off as Not Like Other Girls, which is among my least favorite tropes. This books is for you if you enjoy fairy tale retellings from new perspectives, if you want a feminist lens in the Ramayana's world, or if you enjoy stories focused on mothers. It's not for you if you aren't familiar with the Ramayana and don't want to be, if you dislike retellings, or if you aren't in the headspace to read about maternal abandonment. Have you read Kaikeyi? What other retellings have you enjoyed recently? Let's discuss in the comments!
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Some versions of the cover have the purple and gold inverted compared to this one. Both versions are gorgeous! The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon is a Philippine-inspired adult fantasy. A newsletter I subscribe to also mentioned it started as a Kylo Ren/Rey fan fiction that the author adapted into a unique world of her own. It's arguably romantasy, but with a very low spice level.
I thought the world and magic system in this book were unique and really interesting. Despite the world being large and politically complicated, I never got lost. I understood the character motivations for the most part, and was really rooting for Talasyn to succeed. Overall I really enjoyed the book. Despite being a cool magic system, I needed more about how it worked. It felt a little too limitless. I also didn't understand the romance at all. Sure Alaric is hot but he's a mass murderer. And not just a solider; he's been in charge and only gains more power as the book goes on. Not hot. Sorry not sorry. This book is for you if you like the Kylo Ren/Rey dynamic from Star Wars, if you're looking for Filipino or south-east Asian fantasy, or if you want a low-spice romantasy ("Shadow Daddy" included). It's not for you if you want a less war-crime-encumbered male lead, if you didn't enjoy the Kylo Ren/Rey dynamic, or if you are looking for a high spice book. Have you read The Hurricane Wars? What did you think of Alaric? Let's discuss in the comments. I want to assure other scientists or people from the EH&S department, they did not make out on a lab bench like the cover depicts. Not in Love is Ali Hazelwood's latest STEM romance. Other books in her universe are The Love Hypothesis, Love on the Brain, and Love, Theoretically. She has a few other books and short stories out as well. I've enjoyed her other work, so I was excited for Not in Love.
Not in Love focuses on Rue Siebert, a chemical engineer in a start up company that gets their loan bought out by sharky investors at a company called Harkness. Eli Killgore is one of Harkness's founders and is on a mission to get a patent from Rue's company. However, a chance meeting and a lot of chemistry lead to Eli and Rue being more focused on each other than patents and plots. But when it comes down to it, Rue must decide who to trust and what she wants most. I liked the set up because I also have worked at a science startup that got bought out, so it felt like a familiar situation. I liked Rue's sass, although she was only sassy in Eli's POV, not really in her own. Not in Love is unlike Hazelwood's other books in that it is way spicier. A note at the front even clarifies it's erotica, which I didn't realize until after I bought it. I got way more heat than I bargained for. Whoops! Consequently, there was a lot less plot than I'd bargained for to make space for all the spicy scenes. This book is for you if you want erotica and high heat romance or if you enjoy Ali Hazelwood's other STEM romance books. This book is not for you if you're not looking for erotica, if you'll be listening to the audiobook or reading in a public place, or if you are reading this for the subplot about the legal nitty gritty surrounding the patent--you'll get no answers. Have you read Not in Love? What about Hazelwood's other books? Let's discuss in the comments, but keep it PG-13. I actually think the cover is misleading. The positioning of her hand makes it look like her power is voice based or something, but the power of her shield comes from her hand (you can see the faint circles emanating from the hand). A Fate Inked in Blood by (name) is an adult fantasy set in a Viking inspired secondary world. I found it as a best seller on Amazon and featured on Book of the Month, so I thought it might be a good idea to read to keep up with what’s been trending. This is book 1 of the Saga of the Unfated, with no other books in the series available yet.
This book follows Freya, a fishmonger’s wife with a huge secret. Her abusive husband sells her to a local jarl (like a feudal lord) and reveals the secret she’s kept her whole life: she has the power of the goddess of protection, Hlin. She’s also the subject of a prophecy about uniting Skaland under one king, and the jarl hopes to be that king. The already-wed jarl married Freya to control her and places his adult son, Bjorn, in charge of Freya’s safety. The two of them are forced to spend time together, trading barbs that barely conceal their lust. But when Freya must face trials from the gods to prove her worth, she must decide who to protect and who to leave behind. This book had a really interesting world and I enjoyed the magic system a lot. I don’t know all the Norse gods, but what I do know of them seemed to align with the gods of this world. Freya and Bjorn had excellent banter, and if that’s something you struggle with writing I recommend reading this book. It had exciting battle scenes and a slow burn romance. On the downside, sometimes the romance was a little cringy. I also called the big twist very early on so when it took so long to hit I was just sitting there thinking come on, Freya, put two and two together! This books is for you if you like slow burn/forced proximity/high heat romance, Viking era historical fiction, or gods based magic systems. It’s not for you if you don’t like step-relation romance, if you want Viking tales set in our world, or if you prefer a magic system without gods/demi gods. Some elements of this book reminded me of The Norse Queen by Johanna Wittenberg, so if you liked this book try that series (or vice versa!) Have you read A Fate Inked in Blood? What did you think? Let’s discuss in the comments. The covers of the books in the series. Crescent City is the third series from the best selling author Sarah J. Maas. As of this blog post there are three books in the series, House of Earth and Blood, House of Sky and Breath, and House of Flame and Shadow. No more books in this series have been announced.
What is the series about? (SPOILER FREE) The series follows Bryce Quinlan, a half-human, half-Fae citizen of Crescent City in the world called Midgard. They have the internet and smart phones and all that jazz, but it's powered by a type of magic called firstlight. Bryce comes off as a party girl as does her best friend and heir to the wolf-shifter throne, Danika. But when Danika is murdered, Bryce falls apart. She must piece together the last days of her bff's life to solve the mystery of who killed her and why, and in the process learns far more than she bargained for. She's also partnered up with over-powered angel/slave Hunt Athalar. Their choices together have the chance to change the world as they know it. Does it live up to the hype? I knew very little about this series going in except that the first 100 pages were famously confusing and that book 2 ended with a major cliffhanger that had everyone buying book 3 as soon as it came out. It lived up to the first 100 pages being confusing. Knowing nothing would be explained, I rode it out and waited. There was a lot of info dumping in a short period of time and then other things mentioned and never explained. It also lived up to book 2 ending with a cliffhanger. I could see why people flocked to book 3. And yet, I realized no one I knew had discussed book 3 much. After finishing it, I understand why. It was not my favorite. These books were fine, don't get me wrong, but there were subplots and characters that seemed slapped in there for length and had very little impact on the main storyline. Be aware this series also has much less smut than ACOTAR, but more than Throne of Glass. So does it live up to the hype? It was a fine read, but it wasn't one I'll be re-reading and if there's a fourth book, I might not buy it immediately. This series is for you if you like contemporary fantasy but want a secondary world, if you like multiverse/connected universe concepts, and if you love the SJM style of leading ladies who have secret plans all along. It's not for you if you love mysteries because you enjoy solving them, if you're looking for sword and sorcery fantasy, or if you are looking for quick reads (each is over 800 pages.) Have you read Crescent City? Which series from Sarah J. Maas is your favorite? Let's discuss in the comments! Note the large first letters are typewriter keys! The Letters of Enchantment series by Rebecca Ross includes two novels: Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows. Divine Rivals was recommended to me by the editor I hired (remember that new years' goal? I'll post about that experience soon!) She said it would be a good comparison title for my manuscript, and when I started reading, I couldn't put it down! (Am I flattered she thinks this is a comp for me? YES!)
Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows follow Iris Winnow and Roman C. Kitt, two budding journalists, in an early 20th century fantasy world. War has broken out between two of the last gods, Enva and Dacre, and though their city remains neutral, Iris wants to report more about the war because her brother enlisted--and hasn't been heard from since. In the meantime, Iris is competing with Roman to be hired full time by the best paper in town. Iris is barely keeping afloat financially as her drunken mother drinks their income, while Roman is the son of a cold railroad mogul. What connects these rivals are their enchanted typewriters, which allow them to send letters magically to each other--but only Roman knows who he is writing. Rivals at work and lovers by letter--it's a WWI/magical twist on the movie You've Got Mail. I loved this series. I normally dislike rivals to lovers because I often get infuriated with whichever of them I think is in the wrong as a rival. However, this couple really worked for me. At the end of the first book I screamed and race to download the sequel. I'll probably buy hardcopies because I enjoyed them so much--an honor I've only ever bestowed on one other ebook. Could I find something to complain about in this series? I'm sure, if I tried hard enough. But I devoured them so quickly and was so absorbed by them that I didn't have time to be distracted by any faults. This series is for you if you enjoy rivals to lovers, fantasy with 20th century technology, and You've Got Mail. This series will not be for you if you want a real world WWI novelization, if you are not in the headspace to read about alcoholic family members, or if you are not in the headspace to read about war and being in a warzone. Have you read Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows? (I won't bother asking if you only read one, the ending of Divine Rivals demands you pick up the sequel!) Let's discuss in the comments! The four books (and novella) in the ACOTAR series as of April 2024 ACOTAR, or A Court of Thorns and Roses, is a series by Sarah J Maas with a huge following. As of this blog post, the series isn't complete yet, so to be clear this review covers A Court of Thorns and Roses, A Court of Mist and Fury, A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight, and A Court of Silver Flames.
What is the series about? (SPOILER FREE) This series (mostly) follows Feyre Archeron, who lives in a world where a wall separates the human realm from the seven Fae courts. (On other continents there are other situations, but we're focusing on her island, Prythian). Feyre and her family (sisters Nesta and Elain and their dad) live destitute after their father's trading business fell apart years ago. Feyre hunts to feed the family and no one else does literally anything. However, after Feyre kills someone she believes is a creature, but is actually a Fae, she's forced into a deal: leave the human world behind and live at a Fae court, or die. The series follows her adventures in the Fae world. The first book is a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast but the rest of the series moves away from that model. Does it live up to the hype? This series was consistently sold to me as fairy smut. I will say there is more smut as the series goes on (looking at Silver Flames here) but the first several books had only a couple of explicit sex scenes each. Less than Fourth Wing, honestly. However, I really enjoyed the twists and the surprises in the plot. My favorite book was A Court of Mist and Fury, although the first act of Wings an Ruin is a close second. I could list some complaints, but they are spoilery. Suffice to say, I disliked some characters and even though it seems most other readers warmed up to them, I didn't. My least favorite of the series might be Silver Flames because of that problem. So, does it live up to the hype? Yes, I think so. When the next book comes out, I will read it right away. I will say that if the first book doesn't do it for you, give the second one a chance, it changes so much. This series is for you if you like Fae, Romantasy, and are Team Xaden from Fourth Wing. It's not for you if you're looking for sweet/non-explicit romance, dislike Fae/fairies, or if you're not in the headspace to read about starvation, torture, or abusive relationships. Have you read the ACOTAR series? What do you hope the next book will be about? Let's discuss in the comments! Two cats, both alike in dignity. Photo by Kate Ota 2024 One for My Enemy is written by Olivie Blake, the author of the best selling Atlas Six trilogy. It was originally self published, and has since be re-published by Tor after the success of Atlas Six (also pubbed by Tor). I read the Tor pubbed version, which may have differences from the original self-pubbed version. I was given the book as a Christmas present from my brother-in-law.
One for the Enemy follows two witch families in NYC, the Fedorov brothers and their father and the Antonov sisters and their mother. Written with Romeo and Juliet as a very forward theme, the book follows the eldest Antonov sister Marya and her history of romance with the eldest Fedorov brother, as well as the youngest of each house, Sasha and Lev, and their romance. When the rivalry between the families crosses from messing with business to murder, each member of the family must ask themselves how they got here, and what they are willing to sacrifice for family. Since this wasn't a 1:1 R&J retelling, it did surprise me and remain unpredictable for the most part, which I appreciated. The illustrations were also interesting and very well done. It also seemed like the author set up a complicated world that she could revisit someday. One of my largest complaints was a problem I had with The Bear and the Nightingale: everyone had too many nicknames. And by everyone I do mean everyone. Sometimes more than one nickname. It turned an already large cast (there were seven Antonov sisters) and made it feel three times as large. I also am not an insta-love trope fan, which is a problem I have with R&J itself, so not a surprise that it became a downside for me in an R&J retelling. This book is for you if you enjoy Romeo and Juliet, crime family drama ala The Green Bone saga, or if you're looking for urban romantasy. It's not for you if you don't want to read about insta-love, violence resulting in murder, or are not in the headspace to read about drug dealing. Have you read One for My Enemy? What about Atlas Six? Let's discuss in the comments. Wilbur has no regrets, so he couldn't relate to the main character. Photo by Kate Ota 2024. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig has been brought up to me by several people: my mom, my sister, and one of my friends, who gave me the book as a gift. It seemed like the universe really wanted me to read it, so I finally did. This book was on many best seller lists and major book club lists as well as winning a Goodreads Choice Award for best fiction of 2020.
Content warning: a character commits suicide, a cat dies The Midnight Library follows Nora, a British 35 year old who has just been fired from her dead end job at a music store, whose cat has just died, and who basically is friendless and abandoned by her only remaining family. She ends up committing suicide and wakes in a sort of purgatory, a library. The librarian, her childhood librarian, explains the rules: every book in the library is a life she lived differently and she can ask to see any of them. Most are lives where she didn't do one of the regrets listed in her book of regrets, but some are just very small tweaks to reality. Nora explores these other lives to find one worth living, though many are not as happy as they seem. As time runs out and she moves closer to true death, she must decide what matters most to a life worth living. As many have said before, this book is very It's a Wonderful Life, but offering more alternate realities than could have fit into a movie. Though the final choice is predictable, it's interesting to see how many different versions of Nora's life the author was able to conjure. I found it interesting when she ran into other people in her situation, and that not everyone's midnight library was a library at all. It felt like a deep character study of Nora, which could be helpful to recreate if you as a writer are struggling with character. On the downside, Nora's cat at one point died of the same thing that killed my late cat, so that left me in tears for a while. I was also frustrated by how bad Nora was at fitting in to the lives she stepped into--she never got better at it! I guess improv isn't for everyone, but it's a useful life skill. This book is for you if you love It's a Wonderful Life, multiverses (but make it contemporary fiction), or if you yourself are struggling with regrets. This book is not for you if you are not in the headspace to read about suicide/suicidal ideation or dead cats (especially if a heart defect was involved), or if you're looking for more fantasy/sci-fi high-stakes multiverse hopping. Have you read The Midnight Library? Stealing this question from my mom, who asked her book club: what would your midnight library be? Let's discuss in the comments! I woke them up for this picture so please excuse their grumpy expressions. Photo by Kate Ota 2024 Sword Catcher is the first adult fantasy from Cassandra Clare, of Shadowhunter fame. I enjoy that series from her because of how she can manipulate reader emotions about characters. She's also written the only love triangle that I consider a real triangle (Will/Jem/Tessa). Suffice to say, I think she's a master at character and was excited to see a new world from her.
Sword Catcher focuses on Kel, the titular sword catcher aka body double for Prince Conor. He steps in where there could be danger and his only job is to die for the prince, if necessary. With a little magic and a lot of coincidence, they look alike. When not on duty, Kel poses as the prince's cousin. Kel discovers a new crime lord has sprung up in the capital city who has eyes on taking down the prince (who is basically a regent due to his father's mental health) and Kel makes some unlikely friends in trying to protect the prince. One such unlikely connection is Lin, the only female physician from the local Ashkar people. Ashkar people are pretty much analogous to Jewish people at certain times in history--restricted movement, specific clothing requirements, no inter-marriage--and are the only people in the world who can use magic. Lin wishes only to save her bff/surrogate sister Mariam from a chronic illness that's about to run its course. But when Lin discovers a magical object that may be the key to saving Mariam, the problem becomes how to make it work, and why it seems to work only when she's called to the palace for some emergency healing. The world was very well-built. I understood what was going on, even when only shown a portion of the world. The characters' desires were clear and their actions always made sense in serving those wants. I liked the clear analogy to Jewish populations in the past with the Ashkar people and the LGBT+ friendly world. This kept it from feeling like just another fantasy Europe. There was a lot of diversity in characters from other places and thoughtfully developed languages. Unfortunately, there was so much worldbuilding that I started skimming over country names and character names if I didn't think they'd be relevant. Some names were also frustratingly similar, like Falconet and Fausten. The set up of the book also took too long, though I suspect this is because this book is clearly book 1 in a series, so the set up needed to set up the whole series and not just a stand alone. Still, it took a while for things to get moving. This book is for you if you like Cassandra Clare's characters and writing voice, if you want to read a book with fantasy-Jewish elements, and if you want to start a series with some serious worldbuilding. It's not for you if you want a book that can stand alone, if you need a fast pace from the start, or if you prefer low/urban/contemporary fantasy to high/epic/secondary-world fantasy. Have you read Sword Catcher? What did you think? Did you expect two characters to get together who haven't yet? (I did!) Let's discuss in the comments! |
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