I’ve been a little bit scattered and all over the place lately and that has trickled down into my reading. I never know what I feel like reading or even what is on my TBR or radar lately and it’s been driving me a little crazy. So I figured I would make this post I can refer back to every time I’m in the mood for reading but have no clue what to pick up. Hopefully it helps!
*Mild Spoilers Below*
There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story.
Soraya I could definitely sympathize with and agree with most of the decisions she made in this book. If I was in the same position as her I would of probably done the same thing. I just think she trusted Asad way to quickly and virtually exposed all of her familial secrets to this guy she just met 5 minutes ago. I got a sense of their connection sure but again it was just a little too insta lovey for me. I do appreciate the transformation of Soraya’s character throughout the duration of the plot. She really takes on a lot of guilt and responsibility for everything that happens and I don’t necessarily believe that it was all her fault.
Soraya’s mother on the other hand I felt just handled everything completely wrong. Ignoring Soraya for all these years and barely spending any time with her and not explaining any of the reasons behind the curse especially after she knew Soraya had visited the Div. When we did find out the reasoning behind what she did you can understand why she made her choices but still just be honest and explain everything rather than leaving your daughter miserable and alone for so long.
All of the characters in this book were very distinct and connected in a way that you wouldn’t predict. Azad and Parvaneh in particular were very interesting. Especially when we find out their backgrounds and how they changed the course of history in this land by their quite selfish decisions. It really shows how perspectives can be skewed and they way people interpret history into fact.
There’s a part of me that would of enjoyed this book even more if Soraya would of gave into her baser instincts and actually allied herself with Azad and became the queen. Again it was obvious that she would betray Azad and stay true to her family and her people but we get that so often in fantasy nowadays that I would of appreciated that kind of twist. I am still very satisfied with how this ended and who Soraya ended up with but I kind of wanted more.
⭐️3/5 stars So this was a tad frustrating but also entertaining and thrilling!
I know without a doubt that I will not be finishing all the books on this TBR, but I have high hopes I will at least get to 2-3 of them and cross off some books that I have been meaning to read for AGES now! This readathon is run by Thoughts on Tomes on booktube and runs from Nov 14th to Nov 27th and if would like to see the announcement video click HERE!
Tome on TBR the longest & Tome in a genre you don’t usually read – The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Tome you started in another round – The Toll by Neal Shusterman
Tome in a series you haven’t read in a while – The Blinding Knife by Brent Weeks
Read 1 tome – Heart of Flames by Nicki Pau Preto
Seasonally colored tome – Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
Most recently acquired tome – American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Tome by an Indigenous author – Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer – the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.
Amara kind of reminds me of a lot of ya female protagonists. She has the best intentions in terms of her commitment to Visidia, but she is definitely naïve and unrelatable. She been obviously blinded to the tribulations the different islands are currently going through but she is determined to learn as much as possible about what is happening outside of her bubble. She acknowledges how ignorant she has been and proves herself in my eyes through her actions throughout the course of the storyline.
Bastian is one of those mysterious broody male protagonists I enjoy oh so much. His humour added a nice reprieve with how heavy this book is and I loved the banter between him, Amara and Ferrick it was very entertaining. In terms of his actual character and background it was a little predictable how connected was to the main conflict. But he did end up being honest with Amara and explaining his actions which I appreciated.
Ferrick and Vataea were wonderful additions to the storyline. The faux love triangle added edge and a touch of awkwardness that I enjoy and Vataea was like a breath of fresh air in the plot. Having another female (who happened to be a mermaid) who was so integral in their plans to save the kingdom and the whole burden wasn’t just on Amara was a nice touch.
I loved the magic system in this book and the way it was explained throughout the course of the book. It wasn’t info dumpy at all and I was able to envision the magic and the rules surrounding it. The prose as a whole I found very descripting and weaved the story in a way that kept me attention the whole time and made me attached to these characters. There was a steady build of anticipation throughout and we were just hit with twist after twist that not only surprised me but made sense and drove the plot forward.
⭐️4/5 Pirates, mermaids, action, adventure, 100% recommend!
This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is book titles that sound like they’re song titles. So I went through all the books I read recently and these books definitely gave me song title vibes!
No Exit by Taylor Adams
Watch Over Me by Nina Lacour
He Started It by Samantha Downing
The One by John Marrs
Burn by Patrick Ness
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo
Amy Leigh Reads 