A+ | Thrilling, intricate, phenomenal. I genuinely don鈥檛 think I will ever be able to describe how much I adore The Ikessar Falcon by K.S. Villoso. EvA+ | Thrilling, intricate, phenomenal. I genuinely don鈥檛 think I will ever be able to describe how much I adore The Ikessar Falcon by K.S. Villoso. Every single detail is ornate and elaborate. This book is a grand cathedral wherein every single element 鈥 from the stone to the artwork to the chandeliers to the pews 鈥 were carefully selected and lovingly crafted to bring this world and these characters to life. Like its predecessor, this adult fantasy succeeds in being so full of life and being so unapologetically Filipino by reflecting those good and bad aspects of Filipino society.
Warning: I am assuming that you have read The Wolf of Oren-Yaro before reading . Please click on the link at your own discretion.
Trigger warnings for this book include the following: sex, violence, threats of sexual violence made against children.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher and Caffeine Book Tours as part of my participation in their #DethroneTheDragonlord tour. Thank you Shealea from Caffeine Book Tours and to Orbit Books for providing me with this copy in exchange for this honest review....more
B+ | Simply put? This book is a fun, immersive, and easy read. Kira is a believable teenage protagonist who struggles with school, bullies, and familyB+ | Simply put? This book is a fun, immersive, and easy read. Kira is a believable teenage protagonist who struggles with school, bullies, and family drama along with the supernatural drama she鈥檚 entangled in. The plot is interesting, but predictable. There is romance, but it doesn鈥檛 overpower the plot or Kira鈥檚 struggles which I am absolutely thankful to see. Still, while I enjoyed this book, I don鈥檛 believe it reached its fullest potential which was disappointing. I would definitely give this book a shot, especially if you were once super into manga/anime, too.
B | This is a solid thriller/mystery book that had me on the edge of my seat half the time. It鈥檚 a dark and twisting tale. It has elements of Gossip GB | This is a solid thriller/mystery book that had me on the edge of my seat half the time. It鈥檚 a dark and twisting tale. It has elements of Gossip Girl tossed into the mix, although this is certainly more grown up. From the very first page, this book refuses to let you go. It makes you go back and forth, making you question what is truth vs. lies.
The first impression I had with the book was that it has a very Gossip Girl like vibe. Except, you know, this book opens with a death. Now, this is one of those books (well, eARC in my case since I received this book as part of the blog tour, but you know, schematics) that I can honestly say I enjoyed it. But while it captured my attention from the start, it wasn鈥檛 until I made it to about the middle of the book where I truly started to devour the book, even then I felt like the moon 鈥 waxing and waning in interest. Before that, I was only really interested in certain parts of the book because they were so 鈥 different.
Strange? Well, let鈥檚 just say that it had to do with the tone of some of the chapters written in 1st POV. I won鈥檛 say anything more than that.
But tone is one of the biggest strengths in this book. While I didn鈥檛 care for Ford or any of the other characters presented to us in 3rd POV, every character had their own distinctive tone and voice. That鈥檚 part of the reason why certain chapters caught my attention more than others. My interest waxed and waned until I reached the middle part of the book, and then I was all in.
Still, while it took me a while to get into the groove of things and care 鈥 I did like Ash. Her POV chapters were mostly interesting and the more I read, the more I needed to know.
Another strength with this book is the writing. Ellison鈥檚 writing is to the point. It is straight forward and doesn鈥檛 weigh you down with nonsensical descriptions. While I tend to appreciate the worlds around the characters described in sci-fi/fantasy novels (or hell, even historical fiction) because they are different worlds/times after all, I don鈥檛 like to see it very much in contemporary fiction. This was a 鈥渨ham, bam, thank you ma鈥檃m,鈥 sort of book which I鈥檓 happy for 鈥 at least in this case.
However, where there are strengths, there are weaknesses. One of the biggest weakness was pacing. The book felt stretched out 鈥 like things were added in just to add more pages. There were times where I told myself to just keep going and reading. Yeah, the plot is interesting, but even an interesting plot can be maimed by bad pacing.
Another weakness are the other characters. Yes, Ash is an interesting character and her chapters in 1st POV made things even more cool because I ended up wondering if she was a reliable narrator. But, aside from Ash, Becca was the only other interesting one. Everyone else felt 鈥 boring? A bit dull, really. They were just there.
Overall, I still say that this is a solid thriller. I recommend that you give this book a try.
I received this book as I am taking part in a blog tour for this novel. Thank you to Harlequin Mira for a chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
A | If I could hold up another book as the PERFECT example of mythology and worldbuilding, I鈥檇 move Beneath the Haunting Sea to the side and hold thisA | If I could hold up another book as the PERFECT example of mythology and worldbuilding, I鈥檇 move Beneath the Haunting Sea to the side and hold this one higher up instead. Beyond the Shadowed Earth takes what was good about the previous standalone book in this universe and makes it better. Quite frankly, this book is far more compelling and impressive. Eda makes for a far better protagonist than Talia. The mythology and worldbuilding are much more extensive here. Still, although I liked the story overall, the ending was a bit meh and there were certain things that made it hard to suspend my disbelief.
Full review to be posted on my blog on 11 Jan. 2020. I received this book as I am taking part in the Fantastic Flying Book Club blog tour for this novel. Thank you to Page Street Kids for providing me with a copy of the ARC and for FFBC for giving me this chance...more
A-/B+ | Despite the fact that Talyien was one of the most frustrating characters I have read this year, I truly enjoyed this magnificent, character drA-/B+ | Despite the fact that Talyien was one of the most frustrating characters I have read this year, I truly enjoyed this magnificent, character driven novel with its lush Filipino-coded world. Talyien is surely one of the most interesting characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading about. The worldbuilding is woven into the story in such a superb way that I could vividly see, smell, feel, hear, and taste the universe. This adult fantasy novel is unapologetically Filipino and it reflects so much of both the good and bad aspects of Filipino society, particularly the struggles of Filipino women. It is a thrill ride full of heartbreak, betrayal, love, family, duty, and politics.
Full review to be posted at a later time on my blog....more
C-/D+ | While the premise was good and interesting, the execution was unfortunately mediocre at best. The sto.
C-/D+ | While the premise was good and interesting, the execution was unfortunately mediocre at best. The story drags on and on. The characters are boring. Although grief and denial are explored here, it was difficult to feel anything because things felt dry, flat, and stale. This book might be called The Weight of a Soul, but there鈥檚 little weight or soul in this book.
Part of the reason why I requested this book on NetGallery and got excited when I was approved was because I was drawn into it due to the synopsis. Who could blame me? The idea of a sisterly bond so strong you would make a deal with Hela to try and get her back? Yes, please. I love books that explore sibling relationships and loss and grief.
I 肠补苍鈥檛 even begin to tell you how disappointed and utterly frustrated I am with this book.
Everything 鈥 from the characters and their relationships to the plot to the ending 鈥 felt forced and unnatural at times. There was no emotion. This book goes into how souls have weight and one soul is not equal to another just because they鈥檙e both warriors. But where is this book鈥檚 weight? Where is this book鈥檚 soul?
One of my biggest beefs with this book is that we鈥檙e always told things, but never actually shown evidence of why we should accept what we were told as truths. We鈥檙e told that the sisters mean a lot to each other, but never actually shown just how close their relationship was before Fressa鈥檚 death. Yeah, Lena is willing to murder to get her sister back, but if you want me to be able to empathize with her situation and choices, then I鈥檓 going to need more than being told of how good her relationship was with her sister.
Give me flashbacks of the two as children. Give me memories. Give me something. This book would have been far more compelling if I got to see Lena and Fressa鈥檚 relationship for myself that wasn鈥檛 just Lena鈥檚 random thoughts of how she was the first person to make Fressa smile. Like, okay? That鈥檚 cool. Give me more.
Another example of being told things rather than shown them is with Lena herself. She鈥檚 meant to become the tribe鈥檚 leader. Sure, she has to marry someone to gain that power, but her 鈥渄estiny鈥 (if you want to call it that) is to rule the clan.
鈥淣o鈥攕he had hesitated for power. For her rightful place as the leader of this village and its clans.鈥
Even she believes it鈥檚 her rightful place to rule. But she doesn鈥檛 act like a ruler. She doesn鈥檛 act like the heir apparent. If anything, she acts like a little girl playing dress up but will run away when responsibilities call.
Look, grief does all sorts of things to people. It can turn them into people they never wanted to become. But see, the problem is that we never get to see Lena be a leader or at least try to act like one. We never see Lena attempt to help her people through these tough and terrifying times. She makes comments like:
鈥 Her family鈥檚 hold on this village weakened with every day he stayed away, with every second the sun stayed out of the sky in the middle of summer.鈥
And:
鈥 Her family鈥檚 hold on this village weakened with every day he stayed away, with every second the sun stayed out of the sky in the middle of summer.鈥
Knowing this, I would have expected to see Lena taking up the mantle in some shape or form either in the present or in flashbacks, but I got none of that. It鈥檚 so disappointing, especially because I feel like Lena never truly got a chance to properly grieve nor did she ever actually develop. She was the same person from start to finish, albeit with blood on her hands.
(view spoiler)[This is made worse by the fact that Lena dies so she doesn鈥檛 even get to mature. Like wow, great. She brings Fressa back with her death, but at the cost of her never actually having full character development. (hide spoiler)]
I don鈥檛 and 肠补苍鈥檛 recommend this book. Despite it having an interesting premise, it was poorly executed.
Thank you to Flux and North Star Editions over at NetGalley for providing a copy of the eARC. All opinions are my own....more
A-/B+ | A sequel that continues to enchant with its worldbuilding and the characters were much more compelling here and in the previous book. However,A-/B+ | A sequel that continues to enchant with its worldbuilding and the characters were much more compelling here and in the previous book. However, the book is bogged down by unnecessary romance.
Like its predecessor, A House of Rage and Sorrow is a solid fantasy/science fiction novel. Sangu Mandanna has a way with worldbuilding and I admire and adore this so much. Her world here is as vibrant, lush, and alive as the ocean. In terms of worldbuilding, this is one of the best I鈥檝e read.
Storywise, I think it鈥檚 on par with the previous book - well written and moves through the events at a good and steady pace. I definitely enjoyed reading this book and it has made me interested in perhaps one day reading Mahabharata when I鈥檓 not so busy with nursing school. I honestly consumed this book because I needed to know how it would end.
I loved that little twist - well, I thought it was a twist - about Max.
I also adored having Titania as a POV character. I enjoyed reading her chapters and quite frankly, I forgot that she was a warship and not a human/humanoid being. Remember in Star Wars where whenever they communicate there鈥檚 this hologram of the person they鈥檙e talking to? Yeah, that鈥檚 what I imagine with Titania.
And I will say this: the characters this time around were far more compelling. Sybilla, in particular, was the most interesting character aside from Titania.
But Esmae鈥檚 POV chapters were far more enjoyable to read because she is far more interesting here than she was before. Oh! And also much more tolerable. Rama鈥檚 fate removed the rose-tinted glasses Esmae insisted on wearing as she clung onto the belief that she could be a family with the people who abandoned her/never knew of her existence until recently. I much prefer Esmae who sees that the people around her are her family rather than the Esmae who insisted that her only family was her mother who abandoned her and brothers who used her longing for a family for their own use.
The scene with her mother truly made me scream but in a good way because Esmae needed to see the truth for herself.
And that ending? Wow, that ending. I loved it and I鈥檓 so excited for the next book.
So why is this not getting a perfect grade?
Anyone who has read my previous review about the first book knows how I feel about the romance here and unfortunately, this feeling wasn鈥檛 changed. The romance tossed here between Max and Esmae was completely unnecessary.
I love romance, okay? I do. I truly adore reading romance and getting all giddy every time characters kiss and profess their adoration for each other.
I didn鈥檛 feel that with Max and Esmae鈥檚 relationship. Their relationship was already unsteady for me in the first place and it was difficult for me to find any sort of connection or even emotion in general for them as a couple. This book truly could have done without their relationship.
Is it kinda mean that of all things, this is what brings down the book for me?
Sure. However, I believe that if an author includes romance (something that鈥檚 put down a lot in novels), it should be well-written romance. I鈥檓 sort of tired of seeing romance just tossed around willy nilly as almost a last minute edition which is what I felt like was happening here with Max and Esmae鈥檚 relationship. Sure, I have to give props to Sangu for not having the romance overtake the story as a whole, but I feel like this relationship could have been better written.
Of course, people are free to disagree with me because this is just my opinion. But if you鈥檙e looking for a great romance in this book, you won鈥檛 find it here.
If you鈥檙e someone who can ignore something like this and are looking for an otherwise fantastic, stunning, well-written sci-fi/fantasy novel, then A House of Rage and Sorrow is the book for you.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing a copy of the eARC via Edelweiss+. All opinions are my own....more
A+ | There aren鈥檛 enough words in any language that I can speak 鈥 English, Tagalog, and German 鈥 that can describe how much I adored this book. It is A+ | There aren鈥檛 enough words in any language that I can speak 鈥 English, Tagalog, and German 鈥 that can describe how much I adored this book. It is simply spectacular, beautiful, lush, and stupendous. It is a million times these words. Elizabeth Lim鈥檚 writing shines and there is no rest in this novel. Maia is absolutely my favorite protagonist, hands down. And I didn鈥檛 think I would love Lady Sarnai more than I did in the last novel. It is everything I want in a book, but especially everything I want to see in a sequel/conclusion to a series.
This is a spoiler-free review as part of the Caffeine Book Tours #UnravelTheDuskTour. Check out the rest of the review on my blog, ....more
B+/B- | The combination of a well-written and powerful relationship between two sisters, world-building, and .
B+/B- | The combination of a well-written and powerful relationship between two sisters, world-building, and a compelling protagonist makes Crown of Coral and Pearl by Mara Rutherford worthy of 4.5 to 5.0 stars/A- rating. However, this debut novel was brought down to a 4.0 to 3.5 stars/B+ or B- by the shite romance, a pretty terrible one-dimensional romantic interest, a villain who I wished got fleshed out more, and the abrupt ending.
I admit that I consumed this book. I admit that instead of studying for my lab exam and practicum, I was reading this book. Why? It was interesting and pretty okay. I found it completely and utterly interesting until I hit the last 鈪 of the book. I honestly said 鈥渨tf鈥 when I finished because I was just stunned on how it went up and up and up and then crashed so hard.
But let鈥檚 talk about the good first.
The writing was great. It moved fluidly like the ocean and was just as colorful, too. This awesome writing was supported by this awe-inspiriting world-building and fantastic characterizations.
Anyone who has read my other reviews knows I鈥檓 a die hard for good world-building and Mara Rutherford handed it to me on a silver platter with delicious Filipino food. Everything from Varenia鈥檚 culture, legends, and vivid, blue and warm descriptions of their surroundings to Ilara鈥檚 dim and grim atmosphere gripped onto me and refused to let go. I was transported into this world. It felt like I was actually there with Nor.
The world was fleshed out and explored. There was no stone left unturned when it came to exposing me to this universe. The contrast between Varenia鈥檚 and Ilara鈥檚 cultures were exposed and brought to light. When Nor first arrived in Ilara, I got introduced to the strangeness of Ilara鈥檚 culture, too. And most importantly, I felt it and it made me long for Varenia鈥檚 sun and sea. The dank and grimness of Ilara is further added on when Nor is brought to the New Castle. You thought it was strange this kingdom is still morning the death of this princess who has been dead for years and years? Wait until you see New Castle.
But it also calls out to you to find the answers to what is going on with the people living in New Castle. Is it the lack of sunshine alone that鈥檚 killing them or something else? What makes these people shun the sun and its warmth to living in such a cold place? 鈥
Nor was a compelling protagonist that I could truly connect with the more time I spent with her. She felt human. Her emotions screamed at you and held you by the neck.
Her bond with Zadie was explored to its fullest and I am so grateful for it. It鈥檚 been a long time since I鈥檝e seen a book with a well-written sibling bond. Hell, it鈥檚 extra props that this twin bond was well executed and explored. The scene where Zadie begs Nor to help her kills me every time I think about it because of how awesomely it was executed. I could feel the tension, the fear, and the pain.
Nor鈥檚 relationship with her mother also got to me because I want to scream that this woman is a narcissist! However, as we get introduced to Ceren, his lust for more and more pink pearls, and his callous apathy towards Nor鈥檚 people, it made me question this judgement. Yes, I still disliked Nor鈥檚 mother for her words towards Nor as well as her actions in the years preparing the twins for the selection, but I also sort of started to understand her obsession with Zadie and Nor (up until Nor鈥檚 injury) being selected to become Ceren鈥檚 bride.
It鈥檚 layers and layers, you see and I love layers.
So you could maybe see how I was so utterly disappointed towards the end. It quite honestly shocked me how this gorgeous world and characterizations were weakened by this insta-romance between Nor and Talin, Talin鈥檚 characterization, Ceren himself, and the pacing.
First, let me go into Talin or what I have of him. Basically, when you compare it to Ceren, there鈥檚 nothing there. He鈥檚 nothing more than a piece of cardboard that was cut out. There wasn鈥檛 much there and what was there bored me. I honestly preferred Sami than Talin because Sami at least felt like a person than a cardboard box. Like, okay, cool, so the second son of the king born to a woman from Varenia. So, what? Give me more! Give me a reason to like him more than Ceren aside from the fact that Ceren is a callous dude who doesn鈥檛 care about other people鈥檚 lives.
Speaking of Ceren, let me talk about him before I go to the romance. Ceren was wasted potential. Whereas we didn鈥檛 get to see much of Talin, we got to see a lot of Ceren. He has so much potential to be this fantastic, morally grey character whose ambitions and lust for power knows no bounds and is controlled by his need to live and be healthy. But instead, he鈥檚 like a two-dimensional figure who isn鈥檛 exactly the most terrifying villain.
I wanted more Ceren and certainly more of Talin. Having a slightly fleshed out villain shouldn鈥檛 be done at the expense of the romantic interest. Talin was so one dimensional that when the romance between him and Nor occurred, I was just honest to God rolling my eyes.
Insta-romances are **boring**. I would rather see no romance at all than have this forced on me. Hell, I would have honestly been more interested in seeing Nor with Sami or Ceren because she actually interacted with them more than a couple of times.
I also think what contributed to this whole crash and burn was the pacing. Don鈥檛 get me wrong, I devoured this book and I wasn鈥檛 bored by any means due to the characters and world-building. But these two things can only do so much when there鈥檚 not much happening in terms of the plot. Perhaps part of the reason why I moved through this book so quickly was that I was waiting for something to happen. Fillers are okay at times, I also need action to happen. I think what could have been improved here is if the fillers had stuff relating to the romance since we had to have romance here apparently.
So when it came time for the climax, it was unsatisfactory to say the least. It was rushed and ended so abruptly. It felt like everything was jam-packed into the last 鈪 of the book while at the same time, there were things that were left unsaid and not explored.
Also, this book is definitely setting up for a sequel because I refuse to believe that this is the end. I will certainly be reading the sequel because I do want to know what happens next, however, I鈥檓 really hoping that Mara Rutherford does better on the romance, on Talin, and on the endings.
Do I recommend this book? Sure. If you鈥檙e looking for a book with great world-building, a compelling protagonist who has a well-developed relationship with some of the characters and you can ignore the disappointment with the insta-romance and the one-dimensional love interest, then this is for you.
Thank you to Harlequin TEEN and Inkyard Press over at NetGalley for providing a copy of the eARC. All opinions are my own....more
A+ | A beautifully rich and addictive fantasy novel that has everything I could want in a book: magic, a prot.
A+ | A beautifully rich and addictive fantasy novel that has everything I could want in a book: magic, a protagonist and a deuteragonist who I can connect with and who have solid characterizations and development, side characters that are well developed and whom you can fall in love with too, a super well developed romance that is so utterly believable and that I completely supported, on point writing that grips you from start to finish, a world full of wonder and spectacular imagery, and a plot that is fully fleshed out and refuses to let you go even at the end.
So I got my hands on this book at BookCon when EpicReads was doing one of their ARC drops. It was a totally last minute decision to go and I鈥檓 so glad I made that decision because I was able to get this.
But yo. Holy moly this book. THIS BOOK. How do I even start this without sounding like a fool rambling?
I love this book. Let me repeat that: I LOVE THIS BOOK.
I adore Lou. I adore Reid. I adore Coco. I adore Ansel.
Lou and Reid are our protagonist and deuteragonist respectively and man, I completely and utterly enjoyed reading their POV chapters equally. I never felt like rushing through one character鈥檚 POV chapter over the other because they both are so well written and fleshed out. They felt so utterly human. The fact that I was able to connect with the both of them speaks to Shelby Mahurin鈥檚 writing abilities and how well she fleshed out and developed them.
From the start, I could connect with Lou and adored her. She鈥檚 blunt, she鈥檚 passionate, she鈥檚 profane, she鈥檚 obsessed with food (especially buns which is such a damn Mood), she鈥檚 ridiculously funny, she鈥檚 intelligent, and she鈥檚 tenacious. She will do anything and everything to survive, even if it means entering into a marriage with a Chasseur 鈥 her people鈥檚 enemy. She鈥檚 brave. She鈥檚 fearful. She鈥檚 quick to annoy people like Reid but she鈥檚 even quicker to defend her friends. She鈥檚 loving and hateful. She鈥檚 ruthless. She鈥檚 compassionate.
Layers, man. Lou is so layered those green tea crepe cakes from Lady M are jealous.
And it鈥檚 the same with Reid!
Reid has a stick up his butt. He鈥檚 loyal to the point of blindness. He sticks to his principles. He鈥檚 tall and strong. I mean 鈥 he鈥檚 a capable fighter and a believer. He is passionate. He is tenacious. He is ruthless, too, but he鈥檚 also oh so utterly human with conflicting emotions, especially once he grows closer too Lou.
Most importantly, despite the initial dislike and distrust he holds towards Lou, he makes the commitment to stick to his vows. He attempts to be a good husband towards her, despite the fact that their marriage is a forced union. He鈥檚 respectful towards her despite the fact that they both say rude words to each other.
But you know what? The relationship that develops between Lou and Reid feels so utterly real and natural. It truly develops from enemies to friends to lovers. There was this scene that truly got to me where Reid shares a secret with Lou and it just made me squeal like a fangirl because they were growing to like each other and Reid was starting to trust Lou.
Aside from the characters, the worldbuilding is just stunning. It鈥檚 so easy to fall into this world and to see, hear, smell, touch, and taste everything in Lou鈥檚 world. I could imagine myself in Cesarine. Hell, full disclosure, I didn鈥檛 read the back of the book where it states that this is 鈥渟et in romantic seventeenth-century France鈥 and I honest to God immediately imagined Paris.
In this universe, magic has a smell to it and a price must be paid to keep the balance. Vision for vision. A broken bone for a broken bone. A life for a life. I love seeing a developed magic system in books. I love to see magic in books have their rules, rituals, and how things work. It makes things so much easier to immerse myself in the world. It also makes it so much more believable. This magic system is complex and intelligent. It takes numbers and kicks butt.
In this world, magic flows in the blood of women 鈥 witches. The Church is well, just like the Catholic Church 鈥 need I say more? Although this world is different from our own, we have similarities: the brutality the Church uses against witches, the lengths the oppressed will go to defend themselves against their oppressors 鈥 even if it means using violence, the ever struggle of men being unable to stand women being stronger than them.
This world is gray. It is neither black or white. The witches may use cruel means to harm their victims, but the witches are victims, too. They struggle to survive in this cruel world filled with people who hate and fear them to the point where they would sell them out to the huntsmen to be burned alive. However, we 肠补苍鈥檛 forget that the witches, too, employ cruel means against their victims.
I love it. I love worlds and books where the line between good and evil is blurred, where it is multiple shades of gray and what you are taught is good isn鈥檛 necessarily good.
Worlds where these lines are blurred set a good stage for awesome plots and stories. Mahurin was able to combine this world she created with this awesome, gripping and thrilling story. This book is filled with layers, each intricately stitched together into a solid framework. Despite the fact that there are these layers, it never loses sight of the main arc. Yes, romance is certainly a thing here and so is mature scenes and elements, but so are the questions of loyalty and love and hate and oppression and truth.
My heart swelled with joy and sunk down to my stomach with fear throughout this book. I screamed with joy and laughed a little too hard in some scenes. It鈥檚 vulgar and full of cuss words, but God that鈥檚 the beauty of it because it makes it so much more realistic.
While the book doesn鈥檛 end in a major cliffhanger, it does leave me wanting more. I鈥檓 so excited to see what happens in the future and I鈥檒l definitely be keeping an eye on Shelby Mahurin鈥檚 future books.
I absolutely recommend this book. It鈥檚 a wonderful fantasy with a gripping storyline, amazing characters who are well developed and fleshed out, and awesome worldbuilding that allows you to truly immerse yourself into this universe. ...more
A- | It鈥檚 always hard writing reviews for books that I absolutely adore because I never know where to start and how to stop myself from rambling on anA- | It鈥檚 always hard writing reviews for books that I absolutely adore because I never know where to start and how to stop myself from rambling on and on about the book.
This is one of those times.
From the very first page until the last, I was hooked. With every page and every POV character I met, I fell for this book. It has everything I want in a fantasy novel: compelling POV characters, a lush universe filled with life, magic, and history, a really cool magic system, romances that didn鈥檛 feel forced, representation, and a super interesting premise that was well executed.
This book honestly left me hungry for more. Hell, I devoured this book. Had it not been for nursing school and the fact that I had 3 exams coming up, I would have finished this book the day I started it.
This novel follows four characters from two very different worlds: one of endless nights and the other of endless days. Okay 鈥 yes technically speaking, they all live on the same planet, Aeon, that basically caused to split into these two halves after an event called The Breaking. This event was caused by twin goddesses both of whom place the blame of the event on the other sister whom they claim is dead. Each sister rules their own half of the world: Asteria rules Aranth and its eternal night while Latona rules the Golden City and its endless days. Each twin has a daughter, Odessa and Haidee, who are two of the POV characters we meet. The other two are Tianlan (Lan) and Arjun.
Neither Odessa nor Haidee know of the other鈥檚 existence, let alone the existence of each other鈥檚 worlds. This is due to the fact that this harsh world is filled with monsters, magic, and extreme environments that kill anyone who tries to explore Aeon.
Nevertheless, Odessa and Haidee set off on their own adventures in an attempt to fix their broken worlds and restore the balance by going to Brighthenge 鈥 the temple where this mess began.
While the plot is slow at times (and almost frustratingly so), what kept my interest in the story was the alternating POV chapters 鈥 each one in 1st POV 鈥 and alternated between the two worlds with something that either developed the world or developed the characters. I honestly appreciated it because something would happen on one side of the world during Arjun or Haidee鈥檚 POV that explains or adds to the experiences Odessa or Lan would deal with on the other side of the world and vice versa. It made things more suspenseful because of the foreshadowing.
But I think also what is truly striking about this plot is how much hope is in each page. Even as things looked really bad on one end, there was still that hope that things get better. It鈥檚 so deeply intertwined. It embodies this line from Hadestown: 鈥淭ake what's broken, make it whole/A song so beautiful/It brings the world back into tune/Back into time/And all the flowers will bloom鈥︹
Tianlan (Lan). Arjun. Odessa. Haidee.
I loved them all. I loved each one of them by the end of this novel. I loved them because each one was different and oh so human.
However my favorites have to be Haidee 鈥 who immediately captured my attention 鈥 and Odessa 鈥 who I admit, I didn鈥檛 care for at the beginning.
I honestly connected so much with Haidee. She is an adorable Nerd 鈩 who needs to be protected. From the start, I liked her. I immediately connected with her. She wants to change things for the better and has ideas, but how she goes about them 鈥 well, for someone with the brains, she can lack common sense sometimes.
But that鈥檚 good! It balances out her intellect and makes her more human. It shows even smart people can sometimes lack common sense or lack the ability to see beyond their goal. I also liked how the more she learned about the rituals, the more fearful she became. This only added to the excitement because we see what鈥檚 happening with Odessa. I wish that we had more time in this book so we can see how Haidee reacts to everything that happens once the two parties meet up, but unfortunately, the book ends before we get that.
As for Odessa? Man, I was so bored with her in the beginning. Every time her chapter popped up, I yawned. But then she started accepting those fancy gifts and she got new powers. Man, oh man.
The change in her throughout the book was so well done and subtle, but obvious enough that there鈥檚 something wrong. And to add to the suspense was the fact that in Haidee鈥檚 chapter, we get more and more background about the rituals and the sinister nature of that the goddesses are forced to take part in order to maintain balance. What made things even cooler is that we have another POV character who is witnessing all the changes Odessa is going through.
In terms of Lan and Arjun鈥檚 characterizations, I enjoyed the both of them as well. I sort of wish we had more of them, but at the end of the day, the story revolves around taking a broken world and making it whole again. Like I said above, hope is so deeply infused into this story. Yeah, there are sinister things happening without a doubt but these characters all have so much hope in them for creating that better world.
鈥淭here are people dying out there! We 肠补苍鈥檛 just pick and choose who we should save! They deserve sanctuary, too!鈥 鈥溾 鈥淚 got brothers and sisters back home, and they deserve a better world than this. And just because the people in charge screwed everything to hell and beyond doesn鈥檛 mean we 肠补苍鈥檛 find a way to take back what we鈥檙e owed.鈥
Hope, man. This desire to create a better world when greedy, corrupt people would rather keep it the way it is to maintain the status quo? Yeah, I feel that.
This worldbuilding I just 鈥 I have no words to describe how much I adore the worldbuilding in this world. Rin has this amazing, spectacular ability to weave and shape universes that are well-crafted, developed, and has layers on layers. The mythology, magic system, environment, creatures, devices, and so on are all absolutely fantastic. I bow down to Rin鈥檚 worldbuilding skills because they take my breath away.
I鈥檝e mentioned it before in my other reviews just how important worldbuilding is to me. Even a good plot can crash and burn if the worldbuilding isn鈥檛 well done. It鈥檚 hard to immerse myself in a book that doesn鈥檛 have an established, well-developed universe. Obviously, worldbuilding is just one aspect of a novel 鈥 an important puzzle piece that ties everything together.
This world that Rin has created is harsh. It鈥檒l eat anyone alive. It鈥檒l drown them, freeze them, starve them, or leave them in the scorching desert with the sun blistering their flesh.
And I know this because Rin shows it. I know people will complain about the slowness at some points. I know I did just now. However, even in those moments of slowness where the plot wasn鈥檛 moving, the world around our characters was being colored in and sharpened. There鈥檚 a part of me that of course wishes that the plot was faster paced and had no breaks, but at the same time? I need breaks like this to understand this world better and to get why the characters are doing what they鈥檙e doing.
How do I know that this world is unfair? Because we get scenes where characters are trying to find food or water. We read about how people are hungry and need shelter. We read about the abuses some people face from those in higher positions of power. We read about how those in power shrug and turn their heads away from those who are suffering.
But this world has goodness and justice left in it as well. The scene in the desert with Arjun and Haidee and the dolugongs is just one of the cutest scenes in the book. It鈥檚 a reminder that even in this dog eat dog world, there鈥檚 kindness and hope out there. Not everything or everyone is trying to kill you.
As I mentioned before, the chapters are in 4 alternating POVs and we鈥檇 jump between Odessa or Lan to Haidee or Arjun. Each one of these POVs was distinctive. I knew when I was reading an Odessa chapter and when I was reading an Arjun chapter because their voices were totally different. The emotions they experienced would leap out of the page and I would feel my hands start to sweat and my heart palpitating a bit there.
Other Things of Note.
The Representation.
While I am a minority (Filipino-American), I am neither disabled or a part of the LGBTQ+ community. As such, I don鈥檛 feel comfortable commenting on either one of these communities because I 肠补苍鈥檛 give the same insights as someone who is a part of them. It鈥檚 not my place to speak about things that I am not a part of because while I can empathize with people鈥檚 struggles and desires, my experiences as a Filipino-American heterosexual woman is not the same and colors my vision differently.
I will say, however, that I truly appreciated the fact that there was representation in this book. It鈥檚 a book filled with diversity with inspirations from various cultures.
I appreciated the fact that PTSD was present here and it wasn鈥檛 magically cured with love. I appreciate the fact that these characters were treated like human beings with real, raw emotions and they weren鈥檛 magically cured of their ailments and worries.
The Romance.
Yes, there鈥檚 romance in this book. Two, actually: one established and one in the works. I enjoyed them both. I don鈥檛 really have much to say about either one which is surprising because I usually have a lot of things to say. However, I did like both the ships and enjoyed them.
Overall 鈥 Do I recommend?
I loved this book. From the plot to the worldbuilding to the characters, I adored it. I thought it was funny, thrilling, nerve-wracking at times, and just beautiful. Hope and bravery fill this book. It doesn鈥檛 let you go. I am honestly so looking forward to the next book.
So do I recommend The Never Tilting World? Absolutely. 100%. Go read this book and immerse yourself in this beautifully crafted universe.
I want to thank Shealea of Caffeine Book Tours for giving me this opportunity to review this awesome book as a part of the #NeverTiltingTour. I want to thank HarperTeen for providing me with the eARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. And finally, thank you Rin Chupeco for letting me escape from nursing school for a little bit. Once again, was incredibly fun to immerse myself in the world you created....more
A+ | A spectacular and solid fantasy novel that has everything I love: magic, a protagonist I can connect with, side chaSpin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
A+ | A spectacular and solid fantasy novel that has everything I love: magic, a protagonist I can connect with, side characters that feel human, a romance that is actually believable and developed rather than shoved down my throat, an actual journey.
Where do I begin?
This book is marketed as Mulan meets Project Runway. However, it鈥檚 so much more than that. Yes, it has elements of both with the whole taking her father鈥檚 place after an imperial summons and the competition to design clothes. However, about 30% of the way in, it shifts to another direction - our protagonist, Maia, is sent on this impossible journey to craft three mythological dresses that had once been made for a goddess. She鈥檚 joined by the endearing Edan, the Emperor鈥檚 Enchanter. It has elements of The One Thousand and One Nights/The Arabian Nights and imperial China mixed into the fray.
I adored Maia. I adored Edan. I adored Lady Sarnai.
Each one of these characters felt human with real feelings, especially Lady Sarnai. I focus on her because she could have easily become this one-dimensional character that I could care less about, but she didn鈥檛. Instead, I want to know more about this young woman - what are her motives? Why does she act the way she does? Believe in the things she believes in? What was her childhood like? Look, I know I鈥檓 focusing on Lady Sarnai here, but I 肠补苍鈥檛 help it. She鈥檚 interesting. She reminds me of Empress Tanashiri/Danashiri from Empress Ki who was a character I honestly enjoyed more than Seung Nyang.
I love complex characters and it was so refreshing to see here.
As for Maia? God, where do I begin aside from reiterating how much I adored her?
I do. I adore Maia because she feels so real. She actually has a personality! It isn鈥檛 just filial piety that drives her to impersonate her brother, but her own desire to shatter the glass ceiling. Both are equally important to her. She never forgets either reason while she鈥檚 there in the imperial palace. Also, the fact that she makes mistakes is just an entire chef kiss moods. She鈥檚 funny and passionate and a hard worker. She could have easily won the competition if she used the magic she had at her disposal, but she didn鈥檛 once she knew what she had in her grasp. I have to admire her for it because she believed in herself and in her abilities so much.
Still, did I find myself shaking my head at her? Did I get annoyed with her? Oh absolutely. There were those moments when I rolled my eyes, to be honest. But still, the fact that I didn鈥檛 spend the majority of this book rolling my eyes is a good thing.
And by God, Edan? I loved him. He is enchanting and humorous and oh so imperfect. He is respectful, protective, and sweet, but also loves to tease Maia. When we first meet him, I honestly thought he was an ass - an arrogant ass who definitely needed to be smacked with a slipper. However, as the pages went on and we got to spend more time with him through Maia鈥檚 eyes, he turned out to be a good cookie. His story honestly pulled at my slightly blackened heart and
The relationship in this novel is a not a slow-burn, but it鈥檚 not all-consuming wildfire love that gets shoved down our throats, either. It鈥檚 a realistic relationship because it was built on friendship and trust and banter. It鈥檚 been a long time since I watched *Empress Ki*, but the relationship here sort of reminded me of Seung Nyang and Wang Yu鈥檚 relationship - at least before shit went down and she had to become Toghon Temur's concubine. It鈥檚 one of those relationships that I can cheer on, rather than roll my eyes at every time they confess their feelings for each other.
And we 肠补苍鈥檛 forget about the worldbuilding.
One of the most essential things in fantasy is to have good worldbuilding - a universe that has weight to it. Any piece of fantasy media that has good worldbuilding gets a gold star in my book and it gets another if that fantasy is inspired by Asia - be it East Asia, South East Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, or the Middle East.
Spin the Dawn gets both of these gold stars. It鈥檚 definitely influenced by China which is just so refreshing to see. It felt like I was reading a novelization of a really, really, REALLY good Chinese historical drama with fantasy lovingly placed into it.
If you鈥檙e looking for a well-written fantasy with compelling characters, this is the book for you.
Thank you to Random House Children鈥檚, Knopf Books for Young Readers, and NetGalley for providing me with an ebook version of ARC. I received this in exchange for a review. My opinions are my own....more
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