Tag: Reading

Review: Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor

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Death of the Author book review

Anna: In Death of the Author, Nnedi Okorafor tackles A LOT but does it well. This book will be released on January 14, 2025!

Zelu, a disabled Nigerian American woman, is freshly let go from her job as a professor when she strikes publishing gold with her sci-fi novel, Rusted Robots. Unlike her first novel, this one is a huge success and earns her a great book deal and immediate fame. 

I sped through this book and found myself highlighting and making a lot of notes. What stands out is the novel’s critique of the publishing world and its examination of cancel culture and social media. It also asks if AI/technology is good/bad and can be trusted. 

The rest of the novel follows her struggles with fame as she deals with the expectations of writing more great books and disagrees with the direction the film adaptation of her book takes. She also faces backlash from fans and readers, as, now famous and wealthy, she explores futuristic avenues and adventures for herself which quickly gets her accused of “becoming a robot”.

Zelu’s family is a big part of her life, but they are also a point of contention as they have a lot of ideas about how to act as Nigerian Americans. Zelu seems to have already strayed from their expectations purely by having an accident and becoming disabled, and this family dynamic becomes more and more complicated as the book goes on. 

The book also looks at how culture and race can impact people’s view of disability. Zelu is seen as rebellious and purely by existing as a disabled unmarried woman pursuing a creative career.

You also get to read Rusted Robots, the fictional book  within the book, which is very cool! 

I didn’t enjoy the Rusted Robots story-within-a-story as much as Zelu’s but enjoyed the concept of a book within a book, especially as Zelu turned more and more to technology in real life.

WARNING:SPOLIER BELOW

It did lose me a bit at the end due to her sudden pregnancy and the fact that she was still able to go to space despite it. As someone who is currently 27 pregnant myself, I just couldn’t suspend my disbelief for that, even though I know the point is that she can still maintain her individuality and pursue her own dreams as a mother.

Overall, I found Death of the Author highly unique, interesting and complex!

VERDICT: 🛸🛸🛸🛸/5

(4/5 spaceships)

Review: Nightstrider by Sophia Slade

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A matcha latte over a money tree and Nightstrider cover

Alexis: 

It’s been 6 years since Anna and I started this blog! She’s actually pregnant and hasn’t been reading as much as usual, hence why she hasn’t been posting any reviews lately. But I’m looking forward to being an aunt, and I hope you enjoy another fantasy review from me.

Nightstrider is a dark fantasy with well-written characters, different POVs, and interesting magic/worldbuilding. ⁣

⁣One of my favorite aspects of this book is definitely the magic and worldbuilding. The dream magic felt so unique, as did the two different realms. 

I loved all of the main characters. Sometimes I struggle with books with a lot of POVs, but Slade balanced them well! I was interested in all of their backstories and motivations, and their dialogue and banter was great.

There’s a portal, an evil night creature/king who can cross the boundary between the dream and waking realms, LGBTQ representation, and hints of romance. There’s also some political intrigue and plenty of action. Nightstrider had everything I was in the mood for, and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel. 

To stop a vicious demon’s conquest, nightmares and humans will band together.

From Sophia Slade, stunning new voice in epic fantasy, comes this dark, romantic tale about a world split in two and the four misguided souls who must come together to save it, for fans of Holly Black and Hannah Whitten.

⁣VERDICT: 🌒🌒🌒🌒🌒/5 ⁣

Alexis’ November Hopefuls

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Fall graphic of books to read

Alexis:

Happy November! 🍂🦃

I don’t usually make tbrs (or strict tbrs, anyway) because somehow my mood reading always comes into play. However, these are the books that I’m hoping to read this month. 

  • The Temptation of Magic by Megan Scott: My library hold of this one just came in. It’s supposed to be a dark academia romantasy.
  • Heir by Sabaa Tahir: I’m also picking this one up from the library today. It sounds like a great, classic YA fantasy.
  • The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart: This was the last book I bought. Stewart’s debut, The Bone Shard Daughter, is one of my favorite books, so I’m looking forward to reading this one, which is about a world ravaged by ancient magic, where gemstones give certain people magical abilities.
  • The Devourer by Alison Ames: I have an ARC of this one, which is about pirates and the sea. It sounds so interesting, and I’m also obsessed with the cover.

Have you read any of these, or are you planning on reading any of them? I hope you have a great reading month!

Foresty Book Recs

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Stack of foresty books on a bookshelf

Alexis:

What’s your favorite kind of book? Because mine is a good foresty/woodsy novel! If it’s a book featuring a creepy, atmospheric forest—or better yet, a sentient forest—chances are, I’ll want to read it. Foresty books are perfect for fall! It’s been foggy here in the mornings, which really adds to the fall reading ambience. 

The stacks of books pictured above are some of my favorite fantasy reads featuring forests (say that 5 times fast). If you’re in the mood, I hope you’ll pick some of them up.

If you want a forest-themed/woodland mug, I’ve got you covered. Thank you so much to FloraeSnow for sending me this beautiful mug! If you want to check out her Etsy shop, you can use our code to get 15% off: TAKESTWO15

Happy reading! 🌲

Review: These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs

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Alexis holds These Burning Stars in front of a bookshelf

Alexis:

These Burning Stars is a political sci-fi with a dark, gritty, and chaotic feel.  

The story follows three separate women: Jun—a famous hacker who finds a key piece of information that implicates the powerful Nightfoot family in a planet-wide genocide seventy-five years ago. Esek—the brutal heir to the Nightfoot empire. And Chono, a cleric who is loyal to Esek. And amidst them all is a mysterious character named Six, who Esek is determined to hunt down. 

There are a lot of impactful themes in this book. It focuses on revenge, choice, and power. I love a good political book, and I enjoyed learning about the crazy power dynamics and the history of the Kinship. Jun herself reminds me of a Jyn/Rey type of character. 

I’ve seen a lot of people say this is one of the best new sci-fi books. While I really enjoyed a lot of it and Jacobs’ writing style, I can’t say it was my favorite. It doesn’t help that the title These Burning Stars does not fit the vibe of the story and that the story itself was marketed as a space opera, yet it doesn’t really feel like one. On top of that, there are two main aspects of this book that frustrated me. 

  1. The story jumps back and forth between different timelines. On top of the different POVs, this made it a bit tedious to get through. I think some well executed flashbacks would’ve worked better and propelled the story and pace along.
  2. Some of the characters are a little too flat. During some chapters, I would think, “Wow, I feel like I know this character well.” Only for the next one to almost make the characters feel like they were in the background of their own story. Jun really intrigued me, but I feel like we got far more of Esek and Chono’s POVs than Jun’s.

That being said, there was a shocking plot twist near the ending, and this book sets up for a powerful sequel. 

If you read sci-fi, have you read this one yet? What did you think?

VERDICT: ⭐⭐⭐.5 /5 

Review: A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang

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A Kindle with A Song to Drown Rivers lays on a desk

Alexis:

I’m back with another 5-star book recommendation! If you’re looking for the next best romantic fantasy, A Song to Drown Rivers is releasing this fall!

Don’t be fooled by the term “romantic fantasy,” however. This book deals with a myriad of dark, impactful themes, including war, sacrifice, and womanhood—alongside love, of course. 

The two main characters, Xishi and Fanli, were so well written. I love Xishi’s voice, as it’s from her first person POV. 

I’m actually devastated at how beautiful this story was—and heartbreaking. Liang’s writing is gorgeous and lyrical. Liang tackles the themes of war and sacrifice especially well. And despite me literally crying at the ending (which is very rare for me!) this was such a beautiful and well-written book. 

Look out for A Song to Drown Rivers on October 1!

VERDICT: 🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊/5 

Inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of the famous Four Beauties of Ancient China, A Song to Drown Rivers is an epic historical fantasy about womanhood, war, sacrifice, and love against all odds.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC!

Review: Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland

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Alexis holds Five Broken Blades in front of a bookshelf

Alexis:

After a nice beach vacation and a lot of work this month, I’m back with a review of a new adult fantasy called Five Broken Blades.

Short Synopsis From Goodreads:

The king of Yusan must die.

The five most dangerous liars in the land have been mysteriously summoned to work together for a single objective: to kill the God King Joon.

He has it coming. Under his merciless immortal hand, the nobles flourish, while the poor and innocent are imprisoned, ruined…or sold.

And now each of the five blades will come for him. Each has tasted bitterness―from the hired hitman seeking atonement, a lovely assassin who seeks freedom, or even the prince banished for his cruel crimes. None can resist the sweet, icy lure of vengeance.

⁣Review: 

I’ve seen mixed reviews of Five Broken Blades—but I loved it! It was a super fun, fast paced read, and I was impressed with how well Corland juggled so many POVs. ⁣Usually, I prefer books with 1-2 POVs. However, each chapter is short, which keeps the pace moving. They’re in first person, which allows you to get to know each character. And I genuinely enjoyed learning about each character.

They’re morally gray and flawed, and I liked learning about their backstories and motivations. I would say this book is almost equally driven by both the plot and characters. And you know I can never resist a book with political intrigue and romance subplots. If you like romantic subplots, you’ll be kicking your feet! (Because every character has one.) But if you don’t, then this story may not be for you. However, I enjoyed that love and deserving to be loved was one of the main themes. 

My only main critiques are that the backstories of each character were introduced very early in the story and the writing style leans on telling and not showing. While sometimes I wished the writing was more subtle or had more subtext, it didn’t prevent me from enjoying the story. It’s also a new adult book, so if you don’t jive with a more young adult voice, it might not be for you. 

Overall, if you’re looking for a low fantasy, Korean-inspired world with political intrigue, secrets, and a band of misfits on a mission to assassinate a king, pick this one up. ⁣It’s 5 out of 5 swords for me (ha!)

VERDICT: 🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️/5

Review: In The Weeds by B.K. Borison

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A Kindle rests on a desk flatlay with a cactus pillow, cloud wrist rest, and cactus print envelope.

Alexis:

Now that the weather is warming up, I’m reading more fun romance books. In The Weeds is the second book in the Lovelight series by B.K. Borison. I reread Lovelight Farms, the first book, this past Christtmastime, and I’m glad my library got the second book!

In The Weeds follows Beckett, a farmer on Lovelight Farms, and Evelyn, a woman he had a one-night stand with during a work trip and can’t stop thinking about. 

Romance books set in small towns with a fun cast of characters are my favorite. Lovelight Farms has become one of my fave romance books, and In The Weeds is such a cute sequel! The town is such a great setting, and I love the reccuring characters.

Beckett is grumpy and a man of few words, but he also has an army of cats and begrudgingly adopts an orphaned baby duck. Evelyn is described as a ray of sunshine. She’s bubbly and connects with everyone around her, and I liked their dynamic. 

Beckett also has a noise sensitivity/sensory issues, and I really appreciated the representation. 

While Lovelight Farms is still my favorite in the series, I enjoyed In The Weeds, and I’m looking forward to reading the third one—Mixed Signals!

Review: Plastic By Scott Guild

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Anna: Plastic is a wildly creative and unique book that manages to do so much through its absurdist premise. It’s bizarre, entertaining, and somehow it works. Thank you to Netgalley for the early review copy, Plastic is available now!

I don’t even know if I can describe the plot in a way that does it justice. Erin is a plastic “figurine” who lives in a dystopian, technologically-advanced and seemingly superficial world. But this world is a lot darker than it seems. An eco terrorist group is at large, and bombings are frequent—all of the characters have experienced the loss of a loved one, including Erin. Erin also has a secret. Her sister, Fiona, who ran away when Erin was in high school, is one of the main leaders of the terrorist group. Erin deals with the recent loss of her father and her anger at her sister by escaping into virtual reality worlds and obsessing over her favorite TV show, Nuclear Family. This is where it gets weird: the figurines only eat boiled chicken, there is a race of waffle people—yes, people who are literally waffles—and Erin breaks out into song every couple of chapters.

Each chapter is also framed as a tv show episode, complete with descriptions of camera angles and musical numbers. The dialogue is also jarring—the figurines speak to each other in an imaginary future dialogue of English that mimics text messaging, consisting of dropped nouns and babyish slang (blummo for sad, for example).

All this takes a bit to get used to as a reader, and I resented the characters at first for seeming like such airheads. But this book is as dark as it is comedic, and by the end, even the question of why each chapter is framed like a tv show episode is answered. 

Tackling big topics like eco terrorism, the future of technology, capitalism, grief, trauma and more, Plastic will undoubtedly go down as one of the most surprising and memorable books I’ve ever read.

And apparently you can listen to the songs from the book on Spotify!

Review: Bear by Julia Phillips

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Book, Bear by Julia Phillips, on a table by a plant

Anna: Bear (out June 25, 2024) is a modern day fairytale-like story (and tragedy) of two sisters on a Pacific Northwest island who are buried in debt working demanding service industry jobs while taking care of their dying mother. I was excited to read this after enjoying Julia Philips’s debut, Disappearing Earth, last year. 

This one is very different but still just as character-focused. I found the beginning a little bit slow, but once it picked up, I had to know what happened.

Sam has always allowed her older sister, Elena to take charge of their financial responsibilities and physical care when it comes to taking care of their mother. She’s also always trusted that she and Elena had a plan when their mother finally died—sell the house and escape the island that has held them captive for their whole lives. Then a bear arrives on the island and everything changes. 

One of the most interesting things to me about this book is that you think you can trust Sam, just Elena and the vision she believes Elena has laid out for them. But in the end, you find out that Sam really knows nothing about her sister. Even the plan for their future that Sam clung to throughout the book is stripped away. It all goes back to the arrival of the bear on the island. But is it really the bear that caused this change in the sister’s relationship, or did they never really know each other at all?

I also love the “woman gone wild” trope that is explored here.

The ending is jarring and dark in a way that I didn’t expect, even though the rest of the book was equally as depressing. It will make you wonder what in the world it’s really saying about sisterhood, death, grief and poverty. I feel the twist at the end works even though part of me isn’t even sure if the bear ever existed at all. After all, Bear reads like a dark fairytale. It makes sense it ends like one too.