Five for Friday: Fantasy (I)

Fantasy is probably up there as one of my favourite genres, so obviously I'm going to have more than five books to rec. I mean, it was hard enough to cut it down to five in a particular category of fantasy, which doesn't bode well. So, in an attempt to actually keep to only five recs, I'm splitting into four categories: urban and high fantasy, crossed with adult or young adult lit. Hopefully, that's going to help me stick to five. I'll also be making an attempt to rec less well known books over more well known ones (even if I love them both equally). So, to kick off this series of fantasy recs: high fantasy in adult lit!

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

Rating: 5 stars
Content Warnings: violence, attempted rape, discussions of rape

Synopsis: This is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses. Theirs is a world in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren's capital city. A world transformed by a power based on an essence known as breath. Using magic is arduous as breath can only be collected one unit at a time.

Comments: Brandon Sanderson is a world-building expert. Every book he writes has a fully realised and unique world and culture and it feels like it could be real. He also has this knack of creating characters you can't help but love, as is the case in this book. And then he'll go and break your heart, just because he can.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin

Rating: 5 stars
Content Warnings: violence

Synopsis: Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle.

Comments: It's been a while since I read this, but I remember it has some wonderful writing and world-building, and is centered mostly on political machinations in court - it's definitely one I would happily go back and reread. Plus, the idea of having the gods trapped to do your bidding is really unique.

A Taste of Honey by Kai Ashante Wilson

Rating: 4 stars
Content Warnings: implied underage relationship, physical abuse

Synopsis: Long after the Towers left the world but before the dragons came to Daluça, the emperor brought his delegation of gods and diplomats to Olorum. As the royalty negotiates over trade routes and public services, the divinity seeks arcane assistance among the local gods.

Aqib bgm Sadiqi, fourth-cousin to the royal family and son of the Master of Beasts, has more mortal and pressing concerns. His heart has been captured for the first time by a handsome Daluçan soldier named Lucrio. In defiance of Saintly Canon, gossiping servants, and the furious disapproval of his father and brother, Aqib finds himself swept up in a whirlwind romance. But neither Aqib nor Lucrio know whether their love can survive all the hardships the world has to throw at them.

Comments: Oh man, Kai Ashante Wilson did a number on me with this one. There's really not much I can say about it without spoiling the end (you definitely have to go in blind with this one), but trust me when I say it's a doozy of an ending.

The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang

Rating: 5 stars
Content Warnings: graphic descriptions of rape, violence, gore, torture, self harm, substance abuse, war related violence and gore

Synopsis: When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising.

But surprises aren’t always good.

Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.

For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .

Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.

Comments: Ok, so, this one's a bit of a cheat, because it's not actually out for a few more days (like, 4 or 5 I think?), but it's an awesome book. It's so intense and grabs you from the first few pages, and this is just the first book in a trilogy. I absolutely cannot wait to see where the author will take this next.

Cold Magic by Kate Elliott

Rating: 5 stars
Content Warnings: racism

Synopsis: As they approach adulthood, Cat Barahal and her cousin Bee think they understand the society they live in and their place within it. At a select academy they study new airship technologies and the dawning Industrial Revolution, but magical forces still rule. And the cousins are about to discover the full ruthlessness of this rule.

Comments: Imagine a world where the Romans had succeeded in creating a long-lasting empire, but where there's also magic and mages, and you'll have something like this book. This series is one of my all-time favourites - I love Kate Elliott's ability with world-building and creating characters, and the slowburn romance is like no other.

Five for Friday: F/F Romance

...yes, I know it's Sunday, not Friday. No, I don't care. Just this once.

I'm starting this series, hopefully to be posted roughly every Friday, in which I rec five favourites of a particular genre. I say five but, knowing me, at some point I'll end up recommending more than that because I just won't be able to choose. This is mostly an attempt to get more things going on this blog and I have some rec lists stored up, but if there's any recs you want to see in particular, let me know!

Anyway. We're kicking things off with five f/f romances (or rather 10, because I'm splitting it into 5 YA recs and 5 NA recs). Five of each, mostly because I can, but also because it's the first one in this series and I'm excited.

YOUNG ADULT

Dating Sarah Cooper by Siera Maley

Rating: 5 stars
Content Warnings: homophobia, biphobia

Synopsis: Katie Hammontree and Sarah Cooper have been best friends since the 2nd grade. Katie's welcoming, tight-knit family is a convenient substitute for Sarah when her distant parents aren't around, and Sarah's abrasive, goal-oriented personality gels well with Katie's more laid-back approach to life.

But when a misunderstanding leads to the two of them being mistaken for a couple and Sarah uses the situation to her advantage, Katie finds herself on a roller coaster ride of ambiguous sexuality and confusing feelings. How far will Sarah go to keep up the charade, and why does kissing her make Katie feel more alive than kissing her ex-boyfriend Austin ever did? And how will their new circle of gay friends react when the truth comes out?

Comments: Oh MAN, fake dating is an amazing trope, and this book does that combination of faking dating and friends to lovers just right. If you ever saw the TV show Faking It, this is very similar to that, but does everything about it better.

Prom and Other Hazards by Jamie Sullivan

Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis: Frankly, prom is a ridiculous concept. People at school treat it like its a test run for a wedding, complete with ‘promposals’. That’s not even mentioning the dresses, which look like Disney vomited tulle and sparkles onto the nearest mannequin. Sam wants nothing to do with it.

Except for the tiny fact that she’s been in love with her best friend Tash since they were ten years old, and Tash dreams of a perfect, romantic prom. Sam had given up hope, until she spotted The Suit in a shop window. Sleek, androgynous, and flat out cool—but also way out of Sam's price range.

But if she can earn the money for the suit, then surely the suit is all she needs to finally admit how she feels and see they both enjoy the perfect prom.

Comments: All good friends to lovers needs plenty of pining, and believing the feelings are unrequited, and this book, for only being 40 pages, manages to get the perfect amount in. It also has pretty much the cutest confession scene ever.

Dirty London by Kelley York

Rating: 4 stars
Content Warnings: homophobia

Synopsis: All London Noble wanted out of her senior year of high school was anonymity. The complete opposite of Jasmine, her emotionally unstable baby sister, London has worked hard to stay out of the spotlight.

Then she discovers that Wade, one of the most popular guys in school, is gay like her and their new-found closeness based around their shared secret has half the student body convinced they're hooking up...and a lot of girls aren't happy about it. Now she's been dubbed "Dirty London." Rumors are flying about her inability to keep her clothes on, and London is pretty sure she's developing a crush on the one girl who sees through it all.

If she could admit why stealing boyfriends is the last thing on her mind—not to mention find out what's going on with Jasmine and her rapidly disappearing psych medications—her life would be a much brighter place. But if her and Wade's truth gets out, and if she doesn't find a way to help her sister, London faces losing a lot more than her obscurity.

Comments: Another fake dating one, but with a twist. Wade and London's friendship just killed me, and this one also has a side friends to lovers plot going on.

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis: A wunderkind young set designer, Emi has already started to find her way in the competitive Hollywood film world.

Emi is a film buff and a true romantic, but her real-life relationships are a mess. She has desperately gone back to the same girl too many times to mention. But then a mysterious letter from a silver screen legend leads Emi to Ava. Ava is unlike anyone Emi has ever met. She has a tumultuous, not-so-glamorous past, and lives an unconventional life. She’s enigmatic…. She’s beautiful. And she is about to expand Emi’s understanding of family, acceptance, and true romance.

Comments: I'm fairly sure this was one of the first f/f books I read, and it's probably one of the cutest too. I just love the romance in this as well as Nina LaCour's writing.

How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake

Rating: 4 stars
Content Warnings: child emotional abuse

Synopsis: All seventeen year-old Grace Glasser wants is her own life. A normal life in which she sleeps in the same bed for longer than three months and doesn't have to scrounge for spare change to make sure the electric bill is paid. Emotionally trapped by her unreliable mother, Maggie, and the tiny cape on which she lives, she focuses on her best friend, her upcoming audition for a top music school in New York, and surviving Maggie’s latest boyfriend—who happens to be Grace’s own ex-boyfriend’s father.

Her attempts to lay low until she graduates are disrupted when she meets Eva, a girl with her own share of ghosts she’s trying to outrun. Grief-stricken and lonely, Eva pulls Grace into midnight adventures and feelings Grace never planned on. When Eva tells Grace she likes girls, both of their worlds open up. But, united by loss, Eva also shares a connection with Maggie. As Grace's mother spirals downward, both girls must figure out how to love and how to move on.

Comments: This one will make you cry, and I don't say that lightly. Just make sure you have tissues with you because it's a hard hitter. But it also has the softest relationship so...

NEW ADULT

Far From Home by Lorelie Brown

Rating: 4 stars
Content Warnings: eating disorder

Synopsis: My name is Rachel. I’m straight . . . I think. I also have a mountain of student loans and a smart mouth. I wasn’t serious when I told Pari Sadashiv I’d marry her. It was only party banter! Except Pari needs a green card, and she’s willing to give me a breather from drowning in debt.

My off-the-cuff idea might not be so terrible. We get along as friends. She’s really romantically cautious, which I find heartbreaking. She deserves someone to laugh with. She’s kind. And calm. And gorgeous. A couple of years with her actually sounds pretty good. If some of Pari’s kindness and calmness rubs off on me, that’d be a bonus, because I’m a mess -- anorexia is not a pretty word -- and my little ways of keeping control of myself, of the world, aren’t working anymore.

And, if I slip up, Pari will see my cracks. Then I’ll crack. Which means I gotta get out, quick, before I fall in love with my wife.

Comments: Oh god, the slowburn in this is good. And Pari and Rachel have the cutest relationship. Plus, the angst in this isn't relationship angst, which is a bonus.

Storm Season by Pene Henson

Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis: The great outdoors isn’t so great for Sydney It-Girl Lien Hong. It’s too dark, too quiet, and there are spiders in the toilet of the cabin she is sharing with friends on the way to a New South Wales music festival. To make matters worse, she’s been separated from her companions and taken a bad fall. With a storm approaching, her rescue comes in the form of a striking wilderness ranger named Claudia Sokolov, whose isolated cabin, soulful voice and collection of guitars bely a complicated history. While they wait out the weather, the women find an undeniable connection—one that puts them both on new trajectories that last long after the storm has cleared.

Comments: Really, Pene Henson is one of my favourite NA authors, and this book is so good. It's perhaps a little instalove-y, but I can forgive that given how much I enjoyed it otherwise.

That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole

Rating: 4 stars
Content Warnings: mentions of period typical racism, homophobia

Synopsis: Mercy Alston knows the best thing to do with pesky feelings like "love" and "hope": avoid them at all cost. Serving as a maid to Eliza Hamilton, and an assistant in the woman's stubborn desire to preserve her late husband's legacy, has driven that point home for Mercy—as have her own previous heartbreaks.

When Andromeda Stiel shows up at Hamilton Grange for an interview in her grandfather's stead, Mercy's resolution to live a quiet, pain-free life is tested by the beautiful, flirtatious, and entirely overwhelming dressmaker.

Andromeda has staid Mercy reconsidering her worldview, but neither is prepared for love—or for what happens when it's not enough.

Comments: When authors of m/f romances you really liked make that cross into writing LGBT romances. Alyssa Cole writes really well, and does the buildup to a relationship to perfection.

The Love Song of Sawyer Bell by Avon Gale

Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis: Victoria “Vix” Vincent has only two weeks to find a replacement fiddle player for her band’s summer tour. When classically trained violinist Sawyer Bell shows up for an audition, Vix is thrilled. Sawyer is talented, gorgeous, funny, and excited about playing indie rock instead of Beethoven. Their friendship soon blossoms into romance, even though Vix tries to remember that Sawyer’s presence is only temporary.

Sawyer’s parents think she’s spending the summer months touring Europe with a chamber ensemble. But Sawyer is in dire need of a break from the competitiveness of Juilliard, and desperately wants to rediscover her love of music. Going on tour with her secret high school crush is just an added bonus. Especially when Vix kisses her one night after a show, and they discover that the stage isn’t the only place they have chemistry.

But the tour won’t last forever, and as the summer winds down, Sawyer has to make a tough decision about her future—and what it means to follow her heart.

Comments: Friends with benefits to lovers isn't my favourite trope, I'll not lie, mostly because authors tend to throw away the pining and relationship development in favour of more sex scenes, but Avon Gale does it really well in this.

Lies and Reverie by Camilla Quinn

Rating: 4 stars
Content Warnings: mentions of period typical homophobia

Synopsis: Liddy spends the majority of her life minding her father's shop and trying to keep her sister, Caroline, out of trouble. What little time she has to herself is spent largely in daydreams about kissing beautiful princesses.

Then her sister catches the eye of a nobleman, and the sisters are thrust directly into the tangled world of upper class society. Liddy crosses paths with the beautiful, compelling Lady Sophia Sinclair, the most powerful woman in Dunnshire.

But what chance would a poor shop girl ever have with a real life princess?

Comments: Period romances with LGBT characters? That's my shit. I only wish this one had been longer, but for a short story, the romance is fairly well developed.

Review - "The Poppy War"

The Poppy War, The Poppy War #1
by R. F. Kuang
rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
published: 3rd May 2018
spoilers? no

Goodreads

She was no victim of destiny. She was the last Speerly, commander of the Cike, and a shaman who called the gods to do her bidding.

And she would call the gods to do such terrible things.

Galley provided by publisher

TW: graphic descriptions of rape, violence, gore, torture; self harm; substance abuse; war related violence and gore (descriptions of desecrated corpses in particular)

You know those books where you finish them and you're absolutely speechless, like gobsmacked speechless (in a good way)? This is one of those. So, apologies if parts of this review are an incoherent mess. That's just what this book has made me.

The Poppy War tells the story of Rin, an orphan living in the Rooster Province, who shocks everyone when she comes first in her district in the Keju, a test to find the best and brightest to send to the Academies of the Empire. Rin ends up at Sinegard, an elite military school, where she discovers she possesses a talent for shamanism.

First off, this book is intense. And it only gets more so as you read along. Part one follows Rin from taking the test to the start of the war between the Federation and Nikara. One thing I really liked about this was that, while she was at school, and initially there were some detailed descriptions of lessons to set the scene, it wasn't like a lot of first books in series where not a lot happens until right at the end. The first part was gripping and moved quickly too. Based on the first part alone, I'd have probably rated this 4 stars. But then part two happened. Part two ups the ante considerably. Suddenly, they're at war, and it's brutal, and you think this book cannot possibly get more intense than this. But it does. It got so intense I needed to take a break just to calm down. It got so intense I am absolutely terrified at the thought of how the second book is going to go. Especially given that ending.

If the best thing about this book was the plot, then the characters and relationships came in close second. There's an excellent enemies to friends (to lovers? I can live in hope) relationship as well as a wonderful found family, some of whose scenes had me laughing out loud. I really don't know how to describe how I felt about all the characters, because I loved each and every one of them (or at least, each and every one of the ones I was supposed to, and the ones who grew on me). The characters in this book, particularly Rin, Kitay, Chaghan and Nezha, are probably some of my favourites I've read this year.

The one teeny tiny problem I had with this book (and it's a problem that's personal more than anything) was that occasionally the writing seemed a little clunky, particularly in the lulls between action scenes, and some things felt a little underdeveloped, like Nezha's character development (but that's probably because it mostly happened off page). But like I said, it's more personal feelings than anything major, and likely it's just because this is a debut. Anyway, the intensity of the plot more than made up for it.

Review - "Valley Girls"

Valley Girls
by Sarah Nicole Lemon
rating: ☆☆☆ 1/2
published: 3rd May 2018
spoilers? some

Goodreads

Galley provided by publisher

On the basis of Done Dirt Cheap, I kind of expected more of this book. That's not to say it wasn't good, or that my current fantasy/historical kick isn't behind why I didn't enjoy it as much, but it definitely contributed.

Valley Girls tells the story of Rilla Skidmore, who's sent by her mother to live with her half-sister Thea in Yosemite, after a big fight with her boyfriend. There, she falls in with a group of climbers, including Walker, the apparently gorgeous (seriously, every time Walker's name gets mentioned, you get a sentence, minimum, about how gorgeous he is) Search and Rescue worker. Most of the story revolves around the fact that Rilla wants to reinvent herself to all these new people she's met, and plans on doing so through climbing, specifically through climbing El Capitan, a 3000ft vertical rock formation.

One of my favourite things about Sarah Nicole Lemon's debut was the friendship between the two girls. While this book did have some great girl friendships, it never quite reached the level that Done Dirt Cheap did. And while the sibling conflict occasionally verged on coming to a head and being fully resolved, it never entirely managed it. Instead, it felt somewhat sidelined compared to the romance particularly, and was one of two plotpoints that seemed like it was left hanging. Similarly, there was conflict between Thea and another Ranger in competition for the same job that appeared to also go unresolved.

In contrast, Sarah Nicole Lemon's romances are one of my least favourite things about her books. They're well-written and for the most part well-developed, but they're always between an 18 or so aged girl (17 to start off with in this book) and a 20 something year old boy (20 in this book, so I'll grant you it's better than the 18 and 28 I dealt with in her other book). I mean, what's authors' problems with romances between people of the same age, especially when one of them isn't even legally an adult yet? It just makes me uncomfortable, no matter how much I like how the characters are individually written, and however well the romance is written, because the fact still remains the relationship is imbalanced. At least in this book they didn't stay together.

I think most of what made me not like this so much was the fact that all I want to read right now is fantasy or historical books, so I almost had to force myself through this one. It was one of those where once I got into it it was fine, but finding the motivation to pick it up and get into it was another matter.