First off, I would like to thank the publisher, Orbit Books, for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
When I looked up after finishing this long anticipated read, my head was full of a heaviness and my ears were ringing; I’d been lying on my bed for four hours straight, reading like a woman possessed, and I hadn’t realized it until after I read the last words, put down my iPad, and released a heavy breath towards my ceiling.
Flaying the contagious second-book-syndrome open and leaving it in the dust, Realm of Ash is not only a worthy successor to the enthralling Empire of Sand, but, in my humble opinion, surpasses it. Tasha Suri burst into the industry with compelling prose and a penchant for exploring facets of humanity, and Realm of Ash is evidence of a loving cultivation of those strengths.
Realm of Ash is a tale of people learning to belong to themselves while being shaped, both willingly and unwillingly, by forces beyond their control. It’s a story that left me aching to my core while my soul lifted a couple of inches out of my body. I can’t say I expected any less, but no amount of preparation could have left me less effected. Honestly, if I were able to give this book more than 5 stars, I would not hesitate to do so....more
If you know me, you know I hardly stray from comfort zone of science fiction and fantasy YA/adult novels. However, whenFull review on my blog!
If you know me, you know I hardly stray from comfort zone of science fiction and fantasy YA/adult novels. However, when Bharat reached out to me with an opportunity to review his third and upcoming self-published compilation of short stories derived from Hinduism, I couldn’t resist. I’m not extremely devout, but Hinduism has been a huge part of my life from the very beginning: I grew up going to the temple every Sunday, memorized and performed shlokas and bhajans, reenacted iconic stories in community plays, and binge-watched The Ramayan and The Mahabharata multiple times.
And yet, I never really saw any part of Hinduism outside of that sphere of my life, unless it was because we were talking about religion in World History or Human Geography (in which case, I sat through class looking upon my religion through the lens of a fascinated spectator). Love, Pride, Virture, and Fate aims to change that.
Written in an easy-to-understand and colloquial manner and simplified just so that those unfamiliar can grasp what’s happening while those familiar can recognize details (and remark on differences between what’s written and the story they heard growing up), Love, Pride, Virtue, and Fate is an entertaining study and primer to Hinduism.
There were two things in particular that stuck out to me while reading this: the linearity despite the book being a compilation of short stories, and the consistent attempt to connect each story to some other familiar piece of history or idea. For example, Bharat Krishnan points out after several of the stories the parallels between certain aspects of Christian lore and Hinduism, showcasing that our oh-so-mysterious and pagan religion is not so foreign of a concept at all....more
First of all, I want to thank HarperTeen for sending me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.
I had no doubt that I was going to enjoy The Never Tilting World. This is one of those books that I took one look at the cover, the title, and decided that there was no way I wouldn’t like it. And I wasn’t disappointed. The Never Tilting World is an entertaining read that features four very unique protagonists in a world whose mythology is very cleverly imagined. The book is switches between each character’s point of view and it’s all written in the first person. And I actually enjoyed that bit. At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about this, particularly because I’m just not the biggest fan of first person POV, but as the book went on, Chupeco’s narrative presentation had me appreciating why she’d chosen the first person POV for all four characters.
And then there was the pacing. I spent like 60% of the book going “aw this is an entertaining ride, I love getting to know these characters,” and then I was like wait. WAIT. NO THIS IS GOING WRONG. Which then prompted me to turn the pages as fast as I could to make sure everyone was safe....more
Some stories touch you so deeply, you didn’t know you had that point of vulnerability until that moment when it’s pierced,Full review on my blog!
Some stories touch you so deeply, you didn’t know you had that point of vulnerability until that moment when it’s pierced, and you’re left choking on buried emotions and memories that are suddenly flooding out. That’s what Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri did to me. Steeped in a world and narrative that so un-apologetically draws from various Indian cultures and lore, Empire of Sand explores the nature of freedom and choice, and just what those mean to people who don’t have either. It discusses identity and what it means to belong somewhere. It talks of oppression and the strength of faith. It rebuilds two very broken people while making sure that you cut yourself on every piece of their shattered selves.
I read the last 300 pages in one sitting. I spent the next 24 hours gushing poetry over it in my head. And I don’t think I’m going to stop any time soon....more
We’re used to hearing the term “devastatingly beautiful,” but I’d like to twist that and say that the best way toFull review HERE on my blog.
We’re used to hearing the term “devastatingly beautiful,” but I’d like to twist that and say that the best way to describe The Poppy War is beautifully devastating. Spun as a fantasy retelling of the Sino-Japanese wars, The Poppy War is actually an epic that follows Rin from her humble beginnings in rural Nikan to her place at the center of the bloody history between Nikan and the Federation of Mugen. You might think this sounds vaguely like Mulan, but my friend it is not. The best thing about The Poppy War is that never at any given point in time can you tell where the book is going to take you and what the story actually is (yes that’s the best part and I’ll elaborate why later). And all the while you as the reader are thrust from “oh this is getting comfortable now, I understand all the characters and systems here” to “I need to take a break every 15 minutes this is Too Much.”
Kuang never once hides the rawness of reality, particularly during wartime, forcing you to grimly accept a history we like to often sweep under the rug when it comes to imperialism and war. When I finally finished the book, I felt as full of simultaneous rage and emptiness as Rin did. Beautifully devastated....more
Overall: This book destroyed me just as I anticipated it would. And I loved every second it it.
The Kingdom of Copper released on January 8, 2019 and is the second installment of Chakraborty’s Daevabad Trilogy, a story set in a fictional Middle East with the worldbuilding drawing directly from medieval Islamic history and lore. The first book, The City of Brass, tore my heart out. The Kingdom of Copper then proceeded to stomp all over it. Gosh, where do I even begin?
The thing I love most about this book is just how seamless it all felt. From the amazing cast of characters to plot progression, everything flowed so well that I just didn’t want it to stop. It’s a really long book, but I wouldn’t have minded if it just kept going. Not to mention every page was an emotional rollercoaster. Chakraborty is really good at giving you the slightest bit of hope that maybe, just maybe, the characters might find a sliver of happiness, even if you know with all your heart that it won’t be that easy. So when she takes it all away, you’re left gasping with an intense need to put the book down and take a minute. I am beautifully ruined.
Plot: 5/5 Like I mentioned above, The Kingdom of Copper is quite a long book, as was The City of Brass before it. A lot of the criticism surrounding the latter dealt with the pacing and how it seemed like nothing was happening during the first half of the book; I can see the very same criticism for The Kingdom of Copper as well. However, I personally relished in the plot and the pacing of it. It’s my strong opinion that things don’t always have to happen to keep the plot interesting. Sometimes there can be lulls, and it’s the author’s job to keep even those lows interesting.
The thing that kept me entranced while reading this book was how I never noticed how far in the plot I was. Even during the low periods of the plot, I was so captivated by the characters and worldbuilding that the pacing always felt just right. I didn’t care when the climax was going to approach and how the book would resolve. The plot’s construction had me constantly living in the moment and hoping that it would never end. I could have read a whole book about Nahri and Ali building a hospital okay.
Characters: 5/5 Every character I wished we could have seen more of in The City of Brass got EXCELLENT screen time (page time?) in The Kingdom of Copper. While The Kingdom of Copper expands only slightly to include Dara’s point of view along with Nahri and Ali’s, these POVs do an incredible job showcasing the other characters, due to the fact that Chakraborty so fluidly builds connections between all of them.
Nahri is as formidable as ever, and if I didn’t swear fealty to her before, I do so with all my heart now. She is fierce but vulnerable, free but trapped, so incredibly fleshed out and I’m in love with her. Ali is just as naive and stubborn as ever. Jamshid is the world’s biggest sweetheart but also the one with the most secrets. I wanted to hug and slap Muntadhir at the same time. Zaynab shows up much more frequently and she is a GEM.
I even started to feel some sympathy for Dara, a character I DESPISED in The City of Brass.
And, of course, we get new characters: Subhashini Sen, an Agnivanshi shafit doctor; Razu, a former Daeva slave and gambler; Aqisa and Lubayd, Ali’s new best friends; and my favorite, Queen Hatset, Ali and Zaynab’s mom and the Queen of Daevabad. (Please adopt me Hatset I love you.)
The best part about the characters in The Kingdom of Copper is that they’re so well constructed that you don’t ever 100% like any of them. They ALL of flaws that annoy you, but qualities that you adore. They’re just so REAL.
Setting/Worldbuilding: 4.5/5 The worldbuilding of this entire series is so rich and complex, it’s tangible just how much research and thought the author put into all of it. And it feels so close to home. I’m not Middle Eastern or Muslim (I’m Indian and Hindu) but history has seen a lot of cultural mingling in that part of the world, and I can see bits of my culture/relate to some of the aspects of this book so much.
The BEST part about this books worldbuilding, however, is how well it portrays the vicious cycle of oppressors vs. oppressed and how messy and tangled history and politics are, particularly when built up over generations. The Kingdom of Copper in particular highlights that no part of ruling a kingdom of revolution against it is perfect. Idealism, moderation, and tyranny all have consequences. It’s hard to hold onto what you’ve held true for so long when you’re at a difficult crossroads. THE NUANCE PEOPLE. WAKE UP AND SMELL THE FRESH NUANCE.
My only gripe about the worldbuilding in The Kingdom of Copper is that it references a lot of history that was explained in The City of Brass, but we don’t really get a refresher course on the context. So I was often left scrambling for my memories of the first book, trying to remember what all the history was between the ifrit and the Daevas and what Suleiman’s curse was and all that. I kind of wish some more context were provided.
Writing Style: 5/5 A lot of people can get annoyed with too much flowery language or descriptions of things they don’t care about–another thing I can see being an issue with some readers with The Kingdom of Copper. Chakraborty really likes to go into detail over decoration or the kinds of foods the characters are eating. Personally, I didn’t mind it at all because Chakraborty has made it clear that this series is an homage to Islamic history and Middle Eastern cultures, and I think that’s very clear in what she chooses to describe. She’s presenting to us a world that a lot of the readers are new too, so I think it makes sense that she’d expand on the smaller details of it to give us a more sensory image.
I also love the shifts in POV between Nahri, Ali, and Dara because it set up tone and pacing. It also gave a three dimensional view of the characters that didn’t recieve POVs so that they end up just as fleshed out as our three main characters without needing a point of view for themselves.
This book is phenomenal. I cannot put into words how incredible this book is. It was so refreshing to read a novel that was heavily based on wellThis book is phenomenal. I cannot put into words how incredible this book is. It was so refreshing to read a novel that was heavily based on well researched Eastern-based lore (specifically Islamic lore) as opposed to Western, and you couldn't help but become thoroughly immersed in the worldbuilding. The characters are so dynamic and the plot is so rich; I commend the author for truly capturing the workings of politics, prejudice, and the use of propaganda to twist history so accurately. I am simply in awe, and I cannot WAIT until the sequel comes out because I am left in tattered pieces of my former self after that ending.
Note: I shelved this in my bi rep and m-lbgt rep shelves but not in my lgbtplus one simply because the relationship/characters I'm referring to are only implied and nothing further in this book (though it's very likely it will be explored in the next books), so I didn't want to definitely put it in that shelf for now....more
This was originally going to be 3.5/5 stars but the unapologetic bisexual main character that is Apollo pushed it to a 4/5.
My biggest criticism isThis was originally going to be 3.5/5 stars but the unapologetic bisexual main character that is Apollo pushed it to a 4/5.
My biggest criticism is that the pacing was incredibly fast and everything just sort of happened all of a sudden whenever it needed to. That being said, once I remembered that I'm a 20 college student and not part of Rick's target audience anymore, I set my critical thinking aside and the book became very entertaining. Of course, once again, Rick is successfully dazzle his target audience with an entertaining journey. The thing I appreciated the most, outside of his evident political correctness inserts (thanks for being the role model the YA readers deserve), was his mentioning (however brief) of other ancient civilizations and their pantheons: the Galls and other Germanic tribes, the Phoenicians, the Yoruba, the Hindu pantheon, etc.
And I absolutely LOVE Apollo's point of view: egotistical, self deprecating, and humorous all at the same time. That's relatable stuff. ...more
**spoiler alert** I have to admit, when I picked up this book I was pretty apprehensive because, especially when it comes to events surrounding the**spoiler alert** I have to admit, when I picked up this book I was pretty apprehensive because, especially when it comes to events surrounding the Iliad and the Trojan War, I've already formed pretty strong opinions: I hated the Greek assault in the Iliad, I liked XYZ heroes and hated ABC heroes. Essentially I was afraid that this book was going to try to make me feel sympathy towards Pyhrrus (who did Awful things in Troy) and the Greeks, and I really didn't want that.
What I wasn't expecting was a deep narrative depicting late 70s/early 80s gay culture that used Greek mythology as a means to channel it. The Greeks were still buttheads, Pyrrhus was a self centered butthead, Odysseus is the king of buttheads, but as you go on in the book, you start to realize that these aren't the things that matter here. "Ancient Greece" is a backdrop and what the narrative is trying to show you is the Everyday. It's full of reflection on human character that even if you removed the Greek names and replaced them all, the narrative would be just as strong.
It also hits a deep chord once you realize that a huge part of the novel is the introduction of the AIDS crisis. It seeps in so subtly you don't actually notice it unless you scrutinize the symptoms of Philoctetes's illness. But by the end you're sinking into the realities of the early 80s for gay men and you never imagined that this is where the story was going to take you. You thought you were going to Troy.
The narrator is a little annoying at first because the voice sounds a pretentious, jumping through hoops to portray a relatively simple concept, but you actually warm up to it a lot once the story picks up, and eventually the narrator's voice sounds just right because it manages to pick apart and show you emotions and thoughts you probably only consider in passing, maybe never considered at all.
And I'd have to say that's the best part about the book. The character reflection. Nothing and no one is portrayed as black or white. Everything, every notion, every choice is grey. Happiness isn't a pure emotion and neither is sadness. It's all a mix of something or another, and, even if at the beginning while you're reading it you expect to finish the book with a note of pessimism, in the end, you're left with a mix of neither happy or sad. It's a "life goes on" kind of sentiment that I usually associate with the ending of French films.
I could go on about every philosophical thought this book inspired in me, but I'll end it by saying that this book also delighted my little and slightly childish pro-Trojan heart. Other than that, a bravo to Mark Merlis. I definitely want to scope out some of his other works. And I definitely don't regret taking my friend's advice and reading this book....more
**spoiler alert** This was a huge improvement from The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and I'm so glad I decided to read it. The plot flowed much better and**spoiler alert** This was a huge improvement from The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and I'm so glad I decided to read it. The plot flowed much better and I never found myself getting bored. You could also tell that NK Jemisin's writing style had improved.
What impressed me the most about this book was how much thought Jemisin put into her mythos and worldbuilding. You got a sense of that in the first book, but the picture was incomplete without the exploration of Itempas and his nature, which this book provided. As I read this book, I constantly found my mind being blown by the mythology and philosophy behind it all. She truly thought out and captured the true nature of nature itself, and that added a brevity to this book that wasn't originally present in The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. I was really really impressed.
ALSO, Oree is a dark skinned black woman and Itempas, the god of Light and Day is a dark skinned black man!!!! This was so so so so so refreshing to see and Jemisin made it seem normal to have a cast where very few, if any at all, of the main characters were white. It's so rare to see this, so this was a real delight.
My only complaint was the romance between Oree and Shiny. I was very content with the fact that it seemed to be going down a platonic path. While I loved their dynamic, I preferred them as platonic partners rather than romantic, and this probably because the romance part got rushed at the end. But after finishing the book, I do see why it was necessary for the narrative and am overall pretty pleased with the ending.
All in all, LOVED it and I'm now an avid follower of all that Jemisin writes....more
shri (sunandchai)
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