YA Fantasy – Page 4 – LairOfBooks

Spoiler Free Review: City Of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

Title: City Of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy #1)

Author: S.A. Chakraborty

Pub. Date: November 14th 2017

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Format: Physical book

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Pages: 533 Pages

GOODREADS | BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON

City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty is one of the books I’ve had on my list of Must Read Fantasy Books for way too long! in this book we meet Nahri who is a con woman in the streets of Cairo. Nahri knows her way around & makes a living using sleight of hand, whether it’s palm readings, zars (ceremony where Nahri is hired to sort of exorcise a demon who has taken possession of a person), or healings she takes the opportunity to swindle the nobility of Cairo. This all changes when she manages to conjure up a Djinn Warrior who is just as cunning as she is. Dara is bound to Nahri in ways she doesn’t yet understand at the start of her journey. Dara tells Nahri of Daevabad, a magical land home to the City of Brass. Dara tells Nahri of the magic that runs in her blood as a Shafit (mixed Djinn\human) & that she belongs in Daevabad where she will be safer than in Cairo’s streets. Nahri is curious enough to want to find out if the magic she’s only heard of in stories actually exists. Their journey to Daevabad comes with many challenges & attacks. We also get to learn a lot of history as it relates to the 6 Djinn tribes. What Nahri doesn’t expect is that a lot of old tensions are still brewing & she’s walking right into a culminating rebellion beneath the surface. We get court politics, Nahri training with her new found magical abilities, and oppression. At the very heart of this book is the story of a people who are being oppressed by the nobility for having mixed blood with humans. There’s an outright decrees to stifle their uprising by any means necessary which leads to the loss of lives.

It’s my goal to always read diversely and it makes my heart feel whole when I see a cast of characters in a Fantasy that are for the mostly all people of color. In City Of Brass we get a diverse cast of characters from different socioeconomic backgrounds. There are no purely good/evil characters in this story. Everyone has an agenda & even those looking out for the interest of the under privileged will cross lines for the greater good. I’d like to say that I connected with any of these characters but I didn’t & I’m a reader who loves character driven stories. For this reason alone I docked it a star however, the world building inspired by Middle Eastern Folklore is truly captivating. As we journey through this land we meet many other species from all elements (Earth, Wind, Air and Fire) which all make for a lush world with a complex history.

Nahri as an MC is very unsure of herself & the pressure placed upon her is a bit much. Getting to know who is friend or foe will be her best bet. I did enjoy seeing her character growth when she realizes that her street learned skills are exactly what she’ll need to survive in the City of Brass. Dara is a complex character & I was split down the middle on my feelings for him. On the one hand he has such a messed up past of enslavement & loss that my heart really wants to root for him. On the other, there’s no denying our fierce Djiin warrior has some serious prejudices against the Shafit or anyone who isn’t Djinn. A lot of this is instilled in him through History & the believe that procreating with humans is sacrilegious. Muntadhir is second born son to the king, his role is to protect his brother who is next in line for the throne. Muntadhir is a trained fighter & very devout, out of all the characters he’s the one with a strong conscious. For Muntadhir it is about right vs. wrong no matter what side of the fence he is on. Out of everyone in this book, Muntadhir has to be my favorite character. He’s trying so hard to hold on to his beliefs & is being met with many tests along the way. It’ll be interesting to see his character’s journey in the next book.

This review is long enough smh so I’ll keep this short & sweet, I absolutely LOVED S.A. Chakraborty’s world building! It never once felt info dumpey, instead the history of the six Djiin Tribes is delivered in creative ways that really come to life. I also am a sucker for elemental magic & seeing that weaved into the different species was a plus. The character development was on point as was the world building which heightens my interest in getting to the next book very soon. The build-up of tensions between the oppressed and the nobility is very well done as are the attacks executed by the rebels. I honestly felt like I was watching pieces on a chess board move, wondering what was going to happen next. I do hope we get more of Nahri’s own abilities in the next book since here we only see the beginning stages of her tapping into them. I also have questions I hope get answered & hope that one of my theories on her lineage come into actualization *fingers crossed* on that one! the hype was well deserved <3’s!

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April Monthly Wrap-Up & Book Haul

April was a month FULL of bookish events online like the Social Distance Book Fest & YALLWEST that made it possible to attend Bookish events virtually. I personally was able to watch many panels for debut authors I’ve had on my radar as well as some favorites I’ve never had the opportunity to hear speak. For the Social Distance Book Fest, you can still watch the playlist on Youtube & they are ABSOLUTELY worth watching! My favorite panels included: Navigating Latinx Identity in Fantasy, New Voices in YA Science Fiction & Fantasy and Diversifying Romance. In the realm of books & what I watched, I’d say there really was NO method to my madness. I kinda just went with the flow & read when the mood hit vs. a more structured TBR. I also participated in Riley Marie & Ginger Reads Lainey weekend Smutathon as a last minute thing because by the end of the month my anxiety had seen a peak. Whenever this happens, I put the Fantasy heavy books to the side & go for some lighter reads. Now as far as what I watched…this has to be the STRANGEST month yet! Yes, Yes I did fall down the tiger hole that is the Tiger King & all things cats really smh! haha 😉

These are definitely not in the order I’ve read them but I figured I’d start with the steamy reads I p/u during Smutathon…

DESPERATE MEASURES – ✨5 STARS✨This reimagining of the Disney Princess Jasmine was NOT what I had expected at all in the best of ways! With her kingdom snatched away & her father thrown off the throne, Jasmine is at the mercy of Jafar who now claims ownership of their lands as well as Jasmine herself. This is a consensual non-consent steamy read that will never allow you to see Jafar in the same light again! I among fully invested in all Katee Robert books & can’t wait to read the follow up with Hades & Meg as the MC’s.

THEIRS FOR THE NIGHT – ✨4 STARS✨ Another Katee Robert novella, this was the Smutathon Group pick. HIGHLY enjoyable with A+ chemistry, this one sets the stage for a new series that features a M/M/F relationship. Our female MC is out for the night celebrating her birthday & trying to forget about her ever mounting debt. With her best wing mate she hits up a lounge where she meets two hella mysterious guys who look good enough to make her consider a threesome. SUPER intrigued to see where this goes seeing as there may also be a royal twist? we shall see!

YOUR DAD WILL DO – ✨4 STARS✨Ok so maybe it was an entirely Katee Robert weekend? SO WORTH IT! this author can write chemistry like no other! these short reads are packed with sparks that leave you wondering about the characters way after you’ve read the last page. This one features a taboo/age gap romance where the MC has just been dumped by her fiancé. Plotting her revenge she shows up at her exes dad’s house with a plan to seduce. That she does! but also she gets a lot more than initially planned. LOVED this!

MY DARK VANESSA -✨4 STARS✨ My darkest read yet! I don’t think any book has ever made me feel this uncomfortable. Following a MC in past & present tense, we get the story of Vanessa at the age of 15 as she is groomed by her teacher while at a boarding school. Present day Vanessa is still very confused about what to feel as she finds out she wasn’t the only one. That perhaps it wasn’t a special relationship she was having but actually a case of grooming. HEAVY trigger warnings for rape, suicide, drug & alcohol abuse.

RUTHLESS GODS – ✨4 STARS✨ (My Review) The follow up to The Wicked Saints took us to a very dark place! the characters we got invested in really show growth here & carry forth their battle wounds. The war between the Kalyazin & the Tranavians is reaching a climax with the underdog Kalyazin surprisingly flipping the script. There are some secrets that come to light & leave everyone questioning the Gods who may very well be more involved than ever. The war on land may just be a subplot to the real war taking place between the Gods. I’m READY for the final installment with will be mostly from Malachiasz’ POV…there is NO other villain in YA that currently holds a place in my heart like Mal! ❤

FROM TWINKLE, WITH LOVE – ✨3.5 STARS✨(My Review) This was an audiobook I’d say was just ok. I’ve heard from other fans of Sandhya Menon that this is their least favorite. I still plan on picking up When Dimple Met Rishi in the near future seeing as that’s an ongoing series with a strong fan base.

INCENDIARY – ✨5 STARS✨(My Review) Saving the BEST for last! Zoraida Córdova is my Favorite YA Fantasy author! bringing to our shelves Latinx representation in characters is something she’s been doing since the Brooklyn Brujas Trilogy. Here we have a Fantasy inspired by the Spanish Inquisition with a cast of characters that are being hunted & killed for their magical abilities. The Kingdom has turned its back on what they consider heretics & our MC Renata Convida at one point in her childhood was their most formidable weapon. Now that she’s back on the right side of the fence, it’s time to take down the Kingdom once & for all. BIG time page turner with tons of plot twists that will leave you jaw dropped!

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THE SOUTHERN BOOK CLUB’S GUIDE TO SLAYING VAMPIRES | CHECK PLEASE! BOOK 2: STICKS & SCONES

BEACH READ & VALENTINE

*These are all ebooks I found for either $1.99 or $2.99*

What can I say about the circus that is the Tiger King on Netflix? this documentary-series made me lose track how many times I asked myself & friends…Is this real? LMAO! SMH Joe Exotic is quite the unforgettable character & this is the story of how his Zoo of Tigers was shut down starting with Carol Baskin who is cat activist on a mission to “save the cats” or is she? the jury is still out on Baskin. I binged this in two sittings not for quality but just entertainment.

This documentary is three episodes that are also highly binge worthy. We follow a group of cat lovers as they track down & help in the ultimate take down of a cat/serial killer. If anything this opened up my eyes at just how easy it is to track anyone down as long as they’ve left an internet fingerprint. The Facebook group that pieced together this puzzle as the killer released videos of him killing cats was PERSISTENT! it became a game of cat & mouse that as a viewer is hard to look away from.

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Spoiler Free Review: Incendiary by Zoraida Córdova

Title: Incendiary (Hollow crown #1)

Author: Zoraida Córdova

Pub. Date: April 28th. 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy/Historical Fiction

Format: Physical

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Pages: 384 Pages

GOODREADS | BARNES & NOBLES | AMAZON

Its been some time since a book has kept me up past midnight like Incendiary did in two sittings. I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough to get answers to the many twists & turns this story took. Set during the time of the Spanish Inquisition, our MC Renata Convida who was kidnapped by the Kingdom for her special abilities is now back with her people. Many have died at her hands when she was just a child & unaware that she was being used as a weapon. The ability to extract all of a persons memories leaving them behind a empty shell, a ghost of who they once were. With a huge chip on her shoulder, she feels she has a lot to prove to those that have labeled her a traitor to her own kind. In this Kingdom, those with special abilities are viewed as diseased Heretics. However, a rebel group called the Whispers has formed with intent to put an end to the persecution of their people. We follow Renata and a close few as plans are formed, thwarted, and secrets are uncovered. Court politics, revenge, and an unraveling web of lies come together in this high stakes new Fantasy by Zoraida Córdova.

“I know two truths: The King’s justice will stop at nothing to destroy its enemies, and we’re waging a war we cannot win. But I keep fighting, maybe because it is all I’ve ever known, or maybe because the alternative is dying and I can’t do that until I’ve paid for my sins”

When we first meet our MC Renata Convida she is out with her rebel group of Whispers on a mission to meet up with one of their spies. Renata was taken in by the Whispers where she is constantly trying to redeem herself for the sins of her childhood past. Renata has lost all memories prior to turning 9 years old. Utilized as a weapon by the Kingdom at a very young age, Renata has stripped many who have the same/similar abilities as herself of their memories. Now that she is back with her own people, those she was kidnapped from when she was just a child…Renata is deemed untrustworthy. A Robari like Renata need only to touch you in order to leave you a walking ghost of a human.

Renata is determined to earn her stripes & prove everyone wrong. That she can be trusted & is instrumental in restoring their people & their land back to a time where they lived freely with their special abilities. There are those who can create illusions, soothe/change the tides of emotions, healers and although rare there are others like Renata who can steal you of your memories. We follow our main cast of Whispers characters Renata, Dez, Sayida (fave), Margo, and Esteban as they plot to infiltrate & take down the kingdom starting with Prince Cas. LOVED this cast of characters so much! I honestly was left with my jaw hanging at some of their actions & can’t wait to see what’s in store for them next.

Zoraida Córdova is my favorite YA Fantasy author & that’s just a fact! after being introduced to her writing with The Brooklyn Brujas trilogy, I wanted to read everything she wrote/will write. Incendiary may be YA Fantasy but the Historical aspects really make it stand apart as a series that can be read by anyone really. I found myself unable to put this book down which is odd for me because I take breaks whenever reading world building that’s this fleshed out. I found myself immersed in the history, magic system, and plot schemes that I couldn’t stop reading. I kept thinking to myself that this is an author who is very versatile & can deliver a story for many audiences. Last but not least I’ll say that I’m all in for more Latinx inspired Fantasy! ❤

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Spoiler Free Book Review: Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan

Title: Ruthless Gods (Something Dark and Holy #2)

Author: Emily A. Duncan

Pub. Date: April 7th 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Format: eGalley

Publisher: Macmillan

Pages: 544 Pages

GOODREADS | BARNES & NOBLES | AMAZON

🖤ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review🖤

🖤Although this is a spoiler free review of Ruthless Gods, you will probably be spoiled for the first book Wicked Saints if you haven’t read it🖤

Is it possible to love a second book way more than you did the first? ABSOLUTELY! Although I did enjoy Wicked Saints, I felt like Ruthless Gods really put me through the ringer of emotions. Our characters are bruised and battered after the events of the first book. Nadya shows a tremendous amount of character growth & development now that she’s left without the blessing of the Gods. She’s lost her direct line to them & any sparks of power she may have are dark in nature & unknown because she’s tapped into Malachaisz through blood magic. She’s lost the boy she loves & has so many complex feelings to sort through. Seeing him twisted into the demon shape he is leaves her constantly at war within her self over feeling she feels she shouldn’t have for him. Told in multiple POV’s we are also following Serafin the new Crown Prince who this book mainly focuses on. Serafin is the character I cherish the most & that’s just because he is silently fighting a war no one sees & he isn’t looking for a shoulder to lean on. Serafin is an alcoholic who has lost vision in one eye. More like he’s lost control of it to the God who has possessed him. We see him stumble about trying to hold thoughts of going mad at bay whenever he hears voices in his head or sees stars in the one eye he’s lost all vision in. Serafin also discovers some HARD truths in this book that will complicate many of his decisions along the way.

We also get a lot more background info on the REAL war taking place & it goes much deeper than Tranvians Vs. Kalyazin. Although I will say that as someone who roots for the underdog, there was something satisfying about Kalyazin making generous progress in the fight & pushing back. They went from having terrible odds to actually standing a chance because they’ve found something to sort of even the odds. Of course we can’t forget our “villain” or favorite Black Vulture Malachiasz (just found out I’ve been pronouncing his name allllll the way wrong smh) who is hella wicked yet I can’t hate him. Quite the opposite, this dark little soul just manages to leave me wanting to understand him all the more SMH! especially after getting a glimpse into his childhood *heartstrings*

Content Warning: body gore/eye horror, self harm, alcoholism

I have pictured Emily A. Duncan in a dark little dungeon baring her soul to write this book. These characters have gone through hell & back but they’re only now getting to the heart of the matter. All of our characters are mentally tortured & coping as best they can given the circumstances. I loved getting the POV’s of Parijahan who is basically the closest Malachiasz has to a friend. I was very intrigued by her royal back story & the reasons that placed her on this journey to begin with. We also were introduced to a new character, Katya who is the Crown princess of Kalyazin and should be ready to strike Serafin down. Katya however finds herself relating to Serafin & it was also interesting seeing them cross paths and gain perspective from one another. As for the writing itself, I won’t lie the pacing really tested my patience here but it was SO worth it. I find this is the case with any stories the are centered around an actual journey. About 50% of the story is build up and backstory. The second half of the book raises the stakes with the presence of the Gods, at this point I couldn’t stop flipping pages fast enough. Considering this story focused a lot on Serafin, my best guess is that book 3 will be more Malachiasz focused & for that I will drop everything! *evil hands* haha!

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TOP 5 TUESDAY: TOP 5 SERIES I WANT TO START…

Top 5 Tuesday is hosted by Shanah the Bionic Book Worm, every week there are bookish prompts that cover a wide variety of themes. I wish I had checked in earlier in April because Shanah had posted topics with the current Pandemic/stay home initiative in mind. Many of us have either found ourselves struggling with reading & adjusting to the circumstances OR quite the opposite. Some are finding themselves rapidly going through that once upon a time intimidating TBR. I was one who struggled for a few weeks with the state of the world & found comfort in non-bookish things. This month I’m very happy to see that I tackled the books on my TBR & enjoyed those reads. That being said, there are many series I’ve had on my shelves for quite some time that I will be prioritizing…

LADY MIDNIGHT BY CASSANDRA CLARE – I’m wayyyy overdue with starting The Dark Artifices series that follows the Shadowhunters of L.A. I’m ready to dive back into this world & see how Emma and Julian have matured since I last I saw them.

CITY OF BRASS BY S.A CHAKRABORTY – I went out of my way to order the U.K. editions of this series & they are STUNNING! but besides having amazing covers, there’s a djinn warrior and a MC who is a skillfull con woman. Ever since I can remember, stories with genies/djinn have always intrigued me. I will go as far as saying I think this will make my top 20 of 2020 🤞🏽

NEVERNIGHT BY JAY KRISTOFF – The hype is Nanas on this trilogy, I haven’t started this series but I sure have heard a ton about Mia Corvere. Mia’s reputation is pretty bloody & I’m hella intrigued by this assassin who made waves & has continued to do so these past couple of years. This is also a series I know I’m going to love (just a hunch) & so I went ahead and ordered the U.K. editions. Being that I miss Arya Stark something fierce! I have a feeling Mia may just fill the void Arya has left in my soul 🤞🏽

THE FIFTH SEASON BY N.K. JEMISIN – I’ve purposely stayed away from Goodreads Synopsis but there’s no evading the praise this book has received. It won so many awards & there’s very few people I know personally who’ve disliked it. Complex world building (glossary included) inspired by Ancient Egypt & amazing multi-faceted characters who are nearly all black. The time has come to stop sleeping on what may easily become my FAVORITE Adult Sci-Fi/Fantasy.

THE POPPY WAR BY R.F. KUANG – Features a MC who is accepted into a elite military school. Here our MC is met with a ton of adversity because of gender, color, and socioeconomic status. When the MC discovers their aptitude/gift for shamanism. Discovering she is able to communicate with the Gods who were once thought dead may be the key to mastering her gift & survival within the school. I’ve heard this one is very trigger heavy, that being said I am very much looking forward to finally stepping into this world.

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March 2020 Monthly Wrap-Up

March, the month of audiobooks and self care/luvin like never before! Mid-month was the start of social distancing, work from home, and remote learning. Like many of my fellow bookworms I saw myself struggling to do what I love most & that is reading. While finding my groove in this new normal I found comfort in audiobooks. The one exception I made was House of Earth and Blood which also happened to be the last book I physically picked up in Barnes & Nobles. I listened to 3 quality audiobooks and read the tome that kicks off the Crescent City series by Sarah J. Maas. In between reading, I fell down the rabbit hole of Pinterest & Latin food recipes. The kitchen has become my little piece of heaven, creating meals while listening to books or watching my favorite content creators on Booktube. It’s now Mid-April & that means this post is hella late but prioritizing self care during these trying times is where a lot of us are at. Cutting myself a break here & just enjoying the little things while safe at home 🖤

*Reviews linked down below*

UNDERCOVER BROMANCE BY LYSSA KAY ADAMS – ✨4 STARS✨The follow-up to The Bromance Book Club which follows Mack & Liv. This is a hate-to-love romance that covers the #metoo movement. We get the see all of our old cast members while they team up to help Mack help Liv get rid of her dirt bag of a boss. LOVED this & I cannot wait for the next installment Crazy Stupid Bromance (Bromance Book Club #3) *eeeeK!*

THE LAST HOPE BY KRISTA & BECCA RITCHIE – ✨3.75 STARS✨LOVED the full cast audiobook production so much! this follow up to The Raging Ones was one I was MOST looking forward to & it did NOT disappoint. I haven’t read anything else by this author duo but my curiosity has been piqued to the max. I got so attached to Court, Franny, and Mykall making this conclusion all the more bittersweet. This duology is definitely one to keep on your radar if you’re looking for Sci-Fi + Romance.

HOUSE OF BLOOD AND EARTH BY SARAH J. MAAS – ✨5 STARS✨ THIS BOOK PUT ME THROUGH IT! I’m so glad I read this at the same time my Twin BFF Gretchen (ChicNerdReads) did because we got to experience this emotional rollercoaster together! Best word of advice for those who haven’t read but plan on reading this one soon…DON’T READ THE SYNOPSIS!!! the effect of certain events won’t be the same if you do. All in all, I really enjoyed getting to know this world & characters. Eager for the next book in this series!

AN ANONYMOUS GIRL BY GREER HENDRICKS & SARAH PEKKANEN – ✨3.5 STARS✨ This was an audiobook I picked up after hearing much buzz about the author duo ( see The Wife Between Us) the narration was on point & gave you that spider stuck in a web vibe. The only reason I gave it 3.5 stars is because the MC is HIGHLY inquisitive & yet she continued to irrationally allow herself to fall deeper.Eventually I started to get a bit frustrated but won’t deny I couldn’t stop listening to the story unfold. I’d def check out this author duos future works.

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BIRDS OF PREY: AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN

I’m a HUGE Harley Quinn fan but seeing Margot Robbie in The Suicide Squad solidified my love for this character. Birds Of Prey gave us a good dose of Harley as she picks up the pieces of her broken heart. The opening scene alone is very cathartic for Harley as she accepts the truth & cuts ties to her past to the Joker. Of course it’s Harley & wherever she goes trouble shortly follows but you can’t help but love her. One of my favorite ICONS Rosie Perez also had a role in this film & ahhhh! I Was LIVING for this HIGH adrenaline rush flick till the very end. Can’t wait to see Harley in future films & what is planned for her role in this universe.

BLOODSHOT

This isn’t my typical type of flick but my boyfriend was looking forward to it having had read the comics. I was curious enough to check it out & I’m pretty much game to anything Sci-Fi. Well, overall I wasn’t a fan of this movie & that’s simply because the plot failed to keep my interest. Still, Vin Diesel pretty much won my loyalty when I first saw him in The Fast & The Furious (yea I’ve given this franchise too many years/Dollars to stop now) which makes it a sure thing I’ll watch all his movies. Don’t ask me why but I just can’t disappoint Dom Toretto haha!

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WWW Wednesday 4/15/2020

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On a World of Words and to participate all you have to do is answer the three W’s listed below. Once you’ve posted your WWW, drop a link to your post in Sam’s comments <3’s!

The questions:
1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you’ll read next?

Who else is experiencing all of their library holds coming in at once? 🤷🏻‍♀️I wasn’t expecting my 8 week long holds to show up on my Available Now shelf & now I’m thinking its time to get serious about possibly creating a TBR? 🙈DREAD that for me! 😂 but I also don’t want to pass up this opportunity. I’m choosing to divvy up my reads between eGalleys & Library holds for the time being. This all the while I try to stop myself from falling into the next binge worthy Netflix show. All bets are off if we get anything along the lines of The Tiger King cause 🤦🏻‍♀️I can’t help watching the circus #jussayin! These books down below are what I’d like to focus on while I work from home 🖤

INCENDIARY (HOLLOW CROWN #1) BY ZORAIDA CORDOVA-I’m 170 pages into this book & can honestly say it will probably make my top 20 of 2020. Described by many as being inspired by 15th century Spain and the Inquisition, this is in my opinion Zoraida Cordova’s best book yet. Having read two of the Brooklyn Brujas books, I can see the growth in this authors writing. The world building is EXACTLY what I look for in Fantasy, to see this well done in YA Fantasy makes it stand out all the more. Incendiary deals with rebels & spies who are conspiring to bring down a kingdom hell bent on eradicating those of Moria descent. More specifically those who are wielders of magic. HOOKED & totally invested in these characters! 🙌🏽

FROM TWINKLE, WITH LOVE BY SANHYA MANON-30% into this audiobook & am loving all of the cheesy smiles this book is getting out of me. Twinkle is a MC who hasn’t found her voice yet when dealing with confrontation. However, she has BIG dreams & a hunger to one day be a filmmaker. I’m still early on in the story but I’m enjoying so far seeing Twinkle, a self appointed wallflower come into her own while also falling in love.

DOCILE BY K.M. SZPARA (My Review)-This is a dark one Bookworms! My review does have content warnings, it is a M/M BDSM Adult Sci-Fi/Dystopian. Docile is quite the page turner that will probably keep you reading at all hours of the night. I rated this one 3.5 stars because of the way that it ended. It’s not a bad rating at all but I did feel rather uncomfortable with how certain things played out. I would however still check out any of this authors future works.

RUTHLESS GODS (SOMETHING DARK & HOLY #1) BY EMILY A. DUNCAN -I have a review in the works for this highly anticipated sequel here on the blog. I rated this one 4 stars & really am looking forward to the final book in this trilogy. I’ll admit I struggled with about 50% of the book, pacing was definitely an issue. It took us a while to get to the climax but once it was reached it took off & had me fully enthralled. I’ve said it before & I’ll say it again, The Darkling from Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse has NOTHING on Malachiasz! this guy is 50 shades of complex & as such, will leave you feeling just as messed up smh 😂

MY DARK VANESSA BY KATE ELIZABETH RUSSELL –“Exploring the psychological dynamics of the relationship between a precocious yet naïve teenage girl and her magnetic and manipulative teacher, a brilliant, all-consuming read that marks the explosive debut of an extraordinary new writer.” – I’ve been mentally preparing myself as best I could for this read & when I received the notification from Libby I knew it was Go time!

CLAP WHEN YOU LAND BY ELIZABETH ACEVEDO -This author is one of my favorite auto-buy authors, The Poet X & With the Fire On High were both 5 star reads for me last year. Seeing this title hit Edelweiss I quickly hit request & hoped for the best. No other title has made me feel this HYPED up to receive an approval email. This see Acevedo return to her well known written in verse format I absolutely LOVE! I was almost hesitant to request this book simply because if you’ve listened to any of her audiobooks that she narrated herself, you’d understand the raw quality behind this authors voice. Two girls separated by distance share the same father however neither know of each others existence. It isn’t until they’re made aware of his passing on a plane crash that their lives connect. BEYOND the moon grateful to have received an early copy! 🙌🏽

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February Monthly Wrap-Up

Surreal to be sitting at home wrapping up February given the current state of the world but also it’s a way to hold onto some normalcy. At the top of February I took a trip to Bear Mountain as well as Philly with my boyfriend to get away from city life & I’m SO thankful that we did! Surprisingly I didn’t get much movie/Netflix downtime but I still managed the 1 Netflix movie many of us were HIGHLY anticipating (see end of this post) 🤗 My appetite for reading did skyrocket in February with 8 books read. This is high for me because of how hectic work/mom life was (it’s even more nanas now lol) but I also embraced audiobooks which really came in handy during #Contemporaryathon. I do hope you’re all keeping safe & whether you find yourself with more free time or no free time at all, you are not alone. This Bookworm is feeling it but coping & finding new ways keep anxiety at bay, sending virtual hugs & well wishes to you all 💓

ALL THE STARS AND TEETH BY. ADALYN GRACE ✨5 STARS ✨

THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL BY MAUREEN GOO ✨4 STARS ✨

ASHLORDS BY SCOTT REINTGEN ✨4 STARS ✨

HEROINE BY MINDY MCGINNIS ✨4 STARS ✨

DARK AND DEEPEST RED BY ANNA-MARIE MCLEMORE ✨5 STARS ✨

GET A LIFE CHLOE BROWN BY TALIA HIBBERT ✨5 STARS ✨

WILD AT HEART BY K.A. TUCKER (RTC) ✨5 STARS ✨

HEARTSTOPPER VOL. 1 BY ALICE OSEMAN (RTC) ✨4 STARS ✨

TO ALL THE BOYS P.S. I STILL LOVE YOU

This was a pretty solid follow-up to the first act however this time around I found myself rooting hard for John Ambrose. Still love Peter but I won’t lie, he definitely grated my last nerve here that I was surprised to see him win me back. Anywho, I’m ready for the 3rd installment & hope to see more Netflix Original movie adaptations of YA books 💓

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FEBRUARY 2020 BOOK HAUL

Hello Bookworms! I honestly am looking for ways to occupy my mind away from the very grim reality we are all facing. That means I may actually get some more reading & reviewing done, glass half full amiright? I read some really good books in February that I’ll break down in my Wrap-up which should be up early this week. I’m still keeping to my 2020 goal of buying only my favorites OR titles I know I’ve been eager to get to. I also happened to take a trip to Philadelphia & stopped by one of my favorite Comic Book shops on South Street Atomic City Comics. This comic book shop has such a chill vibe with AMAZING staff that really go out of their way to talk to their customers & make some dope recommendations. I LOVE their spotlight table where you can find titles featuring LGBTQIA+ and POC, Abbott (Pictured down below) is one of the titles I scooped up from their shop 🤗

ANNA K | THINGS IN JARS | WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT

ALL THE STARS AND TEETH

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SPOILER FREE REVIEW: ASHLORDS BY SCOTT REINTGEN

Title: ASHLORDS

Author: Scott Reintgen

Pub. Date: January 14th 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Format: Audiobook

Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 368 Pages/10 Hours

GOODREADS | BARNES & NOBLES | AMAZON

*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

There was a time where the Gods gifted their people Pheonix horses to battle in war, now those same horses are used for sport. What is required to become a Pheonix rider? Knowledge of Alchemy, fighting, and riding. A Pheonix is created by way of combinations in Alchemy & by Sunset that Pheonix bursts into flames. Each rider has the opportunity during a rebirth to create a Pheonix with specific skill sets/defenses. We follow three characters from very different backgrounds with a whole lot invested in winning this race & securing the bag aka Money & lots of it. It’s been a long time since there’s been an uprising & the Ashlords who are considered the elite in this word have been sitting pretty. Unchallenged since the last rebellion they quelled, the last thing they’d expect is for the people to turn against them. Many lives were lost as a repercussion of the last rebellion as a way to punish the people & ensure they never rise up again, many were ordered to be killed. This race is only the start of a war that’s been brewing & our MC’s have a stake in it all.

Imelda aka The Alchemist –Comes from a humble family who don’t have much funds but are rich in the love they have for one another. Imelda is a skilled Alchemist who has gained some notoriety with the help of her friend who records her creations with Pheonix horses & livestreams them. Imelda has no idea she is recruited as a pawn to divert the attention away from someone with elite status caught in a less than favorable position. Imelda is my favorite character simply because she is proving to be someone who may just flip the script *fingers crossed*

Pippa aka The Favorite –Comes from a family of Ashlords & famous Pheonix riders. The pressure is real for Pippa to make it big but her current relationship with another major Pheonix Rider is making her question a whole lot. Can her boyfriend handle her winning the race? or will that be too much for his ego? Pippa is very intelligent, competitive, and knows how to look out for her best interest. A worthy opponent she does make.

Adrian aka The Longhand – Son of the past rebellion leader, Adrian has been groomed all his life to one day lead their people against the Ashlords who have kept them oppressed. Adrian is described as being very strong & knowledgeable in these races. He’s studied them & has been mentored to recognize his competitors strengths & weaknesses. For Adrian this is about retribution.

Having read Scott Reintgen’s Nyxia trilogy, I was pretty confident we’d get a set of characters I’d love & I’m happy to report this proved to be the case. I listened to the audiobook version after learning that it was narrated by a full cast which is my absolute favorite way to listen to multiple POV stories. The voice actors were PHENOMENAL! you can’t go wrong when you’ve recruited Rebecca Soler who is known for voice acting for Marissa Meyer’s The Lunar Chronicles. We get a good grasp of the Pheonix Riders themselves, I just wish we’d had more on the history of the turmoil as well as the depths of the Gods involvement. Also, as a lover of all things Greek Mythology I really enjoy learning about the myths behind the Gods. I didn’t come away feeling satisfied on my knowledge of the gods in this world but hope we’ll get more of them in the sequel to come. It’s pretty bad a** to have a world where you can create magical horses! also, for all animal lovers the fact that these horses vanish at sunset since they are alchemical creations means they aren’t real horses suffering in this sport & that’s always a plus!<3