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Review: Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
Summary
Once, Lan had a different name. Now she goes by the one the Elantian colonizers gave her when they invaded her kingdom, killed her mother, and outlawed her peopleâs magic. She spends her nights as a songgirl in Haakâgong, a city transformed by the conquerors, and her days scavenging for what she can find of the past. Anything to understand the strange mark burned into her arm by her mother in her last act before she died.
The mark is mysteriousâan untranslatable Hin characterâand no one but Lan can see it. Until the night a boy appears at her teahouse and saves her life.
Zen is a practitionerâone of the fabled magicians of the Last Kingdom. Their magic was rumored to have been drawn from the demons they communed with. Magic believed to be long lost. Now it must be hidden from the Elantians at all costs.
When Zen comes across Lan, he recognizes what she is: a practitioner with a powerful ability hidden in the mark on her arm. Heâs never seen anything like itâbut he knows that if there are answers, they lie deep in the pine forests and misty mountains of the Last Kingdom, with an order of practitioning masters planning to overthrow the Elantian regime.
Both Lan and Zen have secrets buried deep withinâsecrets they must hide from others, and secrets that they themselves have yet to discover. Fate has connected them, but their destiny remains unwritten. Both hold the power to liberate their land. And both hold the power to destroy the world.
Now the battle for the Last Kingdom begins.
Thoughts
Okay I have a lot of thoughts, mostly positive but letâs start with the negative.
This book has a lot of things that Iâm realizing are common with âromantasyâ, which I am learning is not my thing, so take my opinions with a grain of salt. If you love fantasy romance, these things probably wonât bother you.
First, structurally this book felt rushed. There were typos and weird run-on sentences (not a ton, but definitely enough that I noticed). There were times where the wrong word was used (i.e. âDredgesâ when the author meant âDregsâ).
Second - and this is something I really disliked about the From Blood and Ash series - there is a lot of infodumping that is often, for some reason, repeated? Like we get a lot of the same information two or three times over, which made the book longer than I felt like it needed to be.
Third, it was kind of insta-love-y. I mean, the book takes place over a long enough period of time that it isnât necessarily insta-love, but I personally felt like there were odd leaps between romantic moments, so it felt like we really rushed through the main characters bonding, which made the stronger emotions seem a little unfounded.
Fourth, and this is a very specific to myself complaint, I didnât like Lanâs characterization very much. Iâm getting really tired of every female main character being essentially a cardboard cutout of each other. Sheâs snarky and sassy, but has to be taught everything, but is also somehow a prodigy at everything she does, all while seeing herself as able to handle a lot, yet sheâs constantly crying over something. (This isnât to say that strength = emotionless, itâs just that her character feels set up to be more withdrawn and to keep her emotions inside, but then sheâs falling over a lounge chair like a Disney Princess to sob uncontrollably.) I feel like you could replace Lan with Poppy or Seraphina or Feyre and the story wouldnât change much, if at all.
Lastly, I disliked the fact that Lan has no positive female relationships. Her mother is dead before the book starts; her supposed best friend is murdered like two seconds after we meet her (and Lan almost never thinks about her afterwards); her boss is a horrible person; and the only two female characters she meets for the rest of the book have instantaneous conflict with her that never gets resolved. I'm tired of reading about women and girls who only ever get along with men. Jenifer L Armentrout does this as well: Poppy and Seraphina both have exactly one positive female relationship who they are supposedly close with, but we don't see these women for practically their entire series. Every other female character is a villain or competition for her love interest, or else hates her for no apparent reason.
ON TO THE POSITIVES
Iâve been comparing this book to From Blood and Ash because they share a genre and I had some overlapping complaints, but all of the positives of this book are where we differ from that comparison. For instance, this book had a much more present and coherent plot, one that didnât make me feel lost and confused every two chapters. I felt like the story was actually going somewhere. It also had a really cool magic system, which I did not feel like we got in FBaA.
Additionally, this book has actual themes about things that matter, and I thought they were handled in a much better and more responsible way. There is a recurring theme in Jenifer L Armentroutâs books of the âbig badâ being a sexual predator. It happens because the love interest is just as murder-y and selfish as the bad guy, so she needed a way to differentiate so that we the readers would know why itâs okay for Sexy Lover Boy to be a heartless killer and not Evil Nasty Guy. It felt so lazy and frankly, just rancid overall, especially when it continued happening over and over again in each book of hers that I read.
On the flip side, in Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, we do see threats of sexual violence, but in the context of colonizers and invaders wielding their power over their victims, who have no leverage to say no. We also see villains who are actually just bad (greed, violence, lust for power, etc) without needing to make them rapists to show who weâre supposed to root for.
I thought the overarching points of this book were very important and relevant, especially in the context of current world events. The fact that horrific atrocities have been committed upon your people does not give you the right to turn around and do it to another people. Just because your people have hurt each other does not mean that violence against you is justified or ânot that badâ.
The last thing Iâll say is that I really loved the setting and magic. It was so vibrant and I felt like I could really see and hear the places and events I was reading about. I know Iâve mentioned it at least twice now, but seriously this magic system might be one of the coolest and most unique Iâve read about recently (probably tied for first place with the magic system in Faebound).
Overall, itâs a good book, but this genre just isnât my style. I plan to read the sequel because Iâm very curious about where the story goes from here, but I donât think Iâll be picking up more of this authorâs books after that.
Rating: 3.5âïž
AAPI Heritage Month Hopefuls
(books I want to read if I can get them)
Rise of the ManĆ by Leialoha Humpherys
Poƫkahangatus by Tayi Tibble
Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo
Hula by Jasmin âIolani Hakes
VÄ: Stories of the Women of the Moana edited by Sisilia Eteuati and Lani Wendt Young
The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le
The Doâs and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar
Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao
Weird Fishes by Rae Mariz
The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim
One Boy, No Water by Lehua Parker
The Bone People by Keri Hulme
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
The Wonders We Seek by Saadia Faruqi & Aneesa Mumtaz
Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
The Dragon Prince: Stories and Legends From Vietnam edited by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang
Muslim Girls Rise by Saira Amir
Fish Swimming In Dappled Sunlight by Alison Watts & Riku Onda
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocco
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
Force Of Fire by Sayantani DasGupta
Rangikura by Tayi Tibble
Writing In Color by multiple authors (including but not limited to Nafiza Azad, Axie Oh, Joan He, Chloe Gong, and Darcie Little Badger)
I will be reblogging with reviews as I finish these!
#aapi authors#aapi books#aapi heritage month#bookblr#fantasy books#fantasy romance#romantasy#magic system#chinese mythology#diverse books#book review#book recommendations#long post
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Review: The Doâs and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar
Summary
Shireen Malik is still reeling from the breakup with her ex-girlfriend, Chris, when she receives news that sheâs been accepted as a contestant on a new televised baking competition show. This is Shireenâs dream come true! Because winning will not only mean prize money, but it will also bring some much-needed attention to You Drive Me Glazy, her parentsâ beloved donut shop.
Things get complicated, though, because Chris is also a contestant on the show. Then thereâs the very outgoing Niamh, a fellow contestant who is becoming fast friends with Shireen. Things are heating up between them, and not just in the kitchen.
As the competition intensifies , Shireen will have to ignore all these factors and moreâ including potential sabotageâif she wants a sweet victory!
Thoughts
I always enjoy Adiba Jaigirdar's books, but I didn't like this one quite as much as, say, Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating. The main character is very talented and relatable, but she is a bit self centered in her friendships. There was an element of this in The Henna Wars, but in that book I felt like the main character recognized it and learned from it. In this book there isn't as much self-awareness, which made it a little frustrating to be in Shireen's head at times. That aside though, the story was cute and the characters were good. I liked the puns in the chapter names. One of the judges on the show that Shireen competes in has a name that is like a funny version of Gordon Ramsey, which I didn't realize until more than half way through (I think itâs Galvin Kremsey or something? I listened to the audiobook so I have no idea how itâs spelled.) I did love that the main character is fat and it doesnât really come up that much, because I so rarely see plus sized main characters, and even when I do a large portion of the book is deprecating towards the character.
3.75 âïž
AAPI Heritage Month Hopefuls
(books I want to read if I can get them)
Rise of the ManĆ by Leialoha Humpherys
Poƫkahangatus by Tayi Tibble
Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo
Hula by Jasmin âIolani Hakes
VÄ: Stories of the Women of the Moana edited by Sisilia Eteuati and Lani Wendt Young
The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le
The Doâs and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar
Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao
Weird Fishes by Rae Mariz
The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim
One Boy, No Water by Lehua Parker
The Bone People by Keri Hulme
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
The Wonders We Seek by Saadia Faruqi & Aneesa Mumtaz
Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
The Dragon Prince: Stories and Legends From Vietnam edited by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang
Muslim Girls Rise by Saira Amir
Fish Swimming In Dappled Sunlight by Alison Watts & Riku Onda
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocco
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
Force Of Fire by Sayantani DasGupta
Rangikura by Tayi Tibble
Writing In Color by multiple authors (including but not limited to Nafiza Azad, Axie Oh, Joan He, Chloe Gong, and Darcie Little Badger)
I will be reblogging with reviews as I finish these!
#aapi authors#aapi books#aapi heritage month#book blog#bookish community#queer books#queer lit#wlw romance#queer romcom#bookblr
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Review: The Wonders We Seek by multiple authors
Summary
In this biographical collection, with stunning portraits and illustrations by Saffa Khan, authors Saadia Faruqi and Aneesa Mumtaz highlight some of the talented Muslim physicians, musicians, athletes, poets, and more who helped make the world we know today.
A brilliant surgeon heals patients in the first millennium. A female king rules the Indian subcontinent. A poet pours his joy and grief into the world's best-selling verses. An iconic leader fights for civil rights. And many, many more.
Throughout historyâfrom the golden age of the empires of Arabia, Iraq, Persia, and India, up to modern dayâMuslims have shaped our world in essential ways, with achievements in music, medicine, politics, human rights, literature, sports, technology, and more. Give this book to readers who are excited to learn about the great figures and thinkers in history!
Thoughts
This book was educational, although it is written for a much younger audience than me. I did learn a lot that I didnât know before though, and now I have names and events I can actually look up to learn more about.
3.75 âïž
AAPI Heritage Month Hopefuls
(books I want to read if I can get them)
Rise of the ManĆ by Leialoha Humpherys
Poƫkahangatus by Tayi Tibble
Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo
Hula by Jasmin âIolani Hakes
VÄ: Stories of the Women of the Moana edited by Sisilia Eteuati and Lani Wendt Young
The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le
The Doâs and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar
Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao
Weird Fishes by Rae Mariz
The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim
One Boy, No Water by Lehua Parker
The Bone People by Keri Hulme
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
The Wonders We Seek by Saadia Faruqi & Aneesa Mumtaz
Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
The Dragon Prince: Stories and Legends From Vietnam edited by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang
Muslim Girls Rise by Saira Amir
Fish Swimming In Dappled Sunlight by Alison Watts & Riku Onda
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocco
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
Force Of Fire by Sayantani DasGupta
Rangikura by Tayi Tibble
Writing In Color by multiple authors (including but not limited to Nafiza Azad, Axie Oh, Joan He, Chloe Gong, and Darcie Little Badger)
I will be reblogging with reviews as I finish these!
#aapi authors#aapi books#aapi heritage month#book blog#book community#nonfiction books#middle grade books#muslim#diverse books
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Review: Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca
Summary
Reha feels torn between two worlds: school, where she's the only Indian American student, and home, with her family's traditions and holidays. But Reha's parents don't understand why she's conflicted--they only notice when Reha doesn't meet their strict expectations. Reha feels disconnected from her mother, or Amma, although their names are linkedâReha means "star" and Punam means "moon"âbut they are a universe apart.
Then Reha finds out that her Amma is sick. Really sick.
Reha, who dreams of becoming a doctor even though she can't stomach the sight of blood, is determined to make her Amma well again. She'll be the perfect daughter, if it means saving her Amma's life.
Thoughts
My first thought is⊠ow. This hit me right in the feels, over and over. I spent a good chunk of this book in tears. Itâs so so beautiful. Please everyone read this book đ
5âïž
AAPI Heritage Month Hopefuls
(books I want to read if I can get them)
Rise of the ManĆ by Leialoha Humpherys
Poƫkahangatus by Tayi Tibble
Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo
Hula by Jasmin âIolani Hakes
VÄ: Stories of the Women of the Moana edited by Sisilia Eteuati and Lani Wendt Young
The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le
The Doâs and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar
Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao
Weird Fishes by Rae Mariz
The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim
One Boy, No Water by Lehua Parker
The Bone People by Keri Hulme
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
The Wonders We Seek by Saadia Faruqi & Aneesa Mumtaz
Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
The Dragon Prince: Stories and Legends From Vietnam edited by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang
Muslim Girls Rise by Saira Amir
Fish Swimming In Dappled Sunlight by Alison Watts & Riku Onda
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocco
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
Force Of Fire by Sayantani DasGupta
Rangikura by Tayi Tibble
Writing In Color by multiple authors (including but not limited to Nafiza Azad, Axie Oh, Joan He, Chloe Gong, and Darcie Little Badger)
I will be reblogging with reviews as I finish these!
#book blog#aapi authors#poetry book#novel in verse#middle grade fiction#aapi books#aapi heritage month#tbr list#five star review
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Review: Rangikura by Tayi Tibble
Summary
"Rangikura is the fiery second collection by Tayi Tibble. These poems live in the space between the end of the world and a new day. They ask us to think about our relationship to desire and exploitation. They are both nostalgic for, and exhausted by, the pursuit of an endless summer" âPublisher's website.
Thoughts
My feelings about this book were very similar to that of the other collection I read by his author. She has such a unique narrative voice that really makes you feel the words, but unfortunately poetry is still just not really my thing. It wasn't too long though, so I had a decent time with it.
3.5 âïž
AAPI Heritage Month Hopefuls
(books I want to read if I can get them)
Rise of the ManĆ by Leialoha Humpherys
Poƫkahangatus by Tayi Tibble
Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo
Hula by Jasmin âIolani Hakes
VÄ: Stories of the Women of the Moana edited by Sisilia Eteuati and Lani Wendt Young
The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le
The Doâs and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar
Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao
Weird Fishes by Rae Mariz
The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim
One Boy, No Water by Lehua Parker
The Bone People by Keri Hulme
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
The Wonders We Seek by Saadia Faruqi & Aneesa Mumtaz
Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
The Dragon Prince: Stories and Legends From Vietnam edited by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang
Muslim Girls Rise by Saira Amir
Fish Swimming In Dappled Sunlight by Alison Watts & Riku Onda
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocco
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
Force Of Fire by Sayantani DasGupta
Rangikura by Tayi Tibble
Writing In Color by multiple authors (including but not limited to Nafiza Azad, Axie Oh, Joan He, Chloe Gong, and Darcie Little Badger)
I will be reblogging with reviews as I finish these!
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Review: The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad
Summary
Meet the Wild Ones: girls who have been hurt, abandoned, and betrayed all their lives. It all began with Paheli, who was once betrayed by her mother and sold to a man in exchange for a favor. When Paheli escapes, she runs headlong into a boy with stars in his eyes. This boy, as battered as she is, tosses Paheli a box of stars before disappearing.
With the stars, Paheli gains access to the Between, a place of pure magic and mystery. Now, Paheli collects girls like herself and these Wild Ones use their magic to travel the world, helping the hopeless and saving others from the fates they suffered.
Then Paheli and the Wild Ones learn that the boy who gave them the stars, Taraana, is in danger. He's on the run from powerful forces within the world of magic. But if Taraana is no longer safe and free, neither are the Wild Ones. And that...is a fate the Wild Ones refuse to accept. Ever again.
Thoughts
I liked this book a lot. It was very magical, with a lot of emphasis on the fact that healing is not linear, and there is no shame in taking care of yourself first. I think Nafiza made such a unique world and vibrant characters, and I'm so glad I picked this up.
4.25âïž
AAPI Heritage Month Hopefuls
(books I want to read if I can get them)
Rise of the ManĆ by Leialoha Humpherys
Poƫkahangatus by Tayi Tibble
Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo
Hula by Jasmin âIolani Hakes
VÄ: Stories of the Women of the Moana edited by Sisilia Eteuati and Lani Wendt Young
The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le
The Doâs and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar
Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao
Weird Fishes by Rae Mariz
The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim
One Boy, No Water by Lehua Parker
The Bone People by Keri Hulme
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
The Wonders We Seek by Saadia Faruqi & Aneesa Mumtaz
Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
The Dragon Prince: Stories and Legends From Vietnam edited by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang
Muslim Girls Rise by Saira Amir
Fish Swimming In Dappled Sunlight by Alison Watts & Riku Onda
Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocco
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
Force Of Fire by Sayantani DasGupta
Rangikura by Tayi Tibble
Writing In Color by multiple authors (including but not limited to Nafiza Azad, Axie Oh, Joan He, Chloe Gong, and Darcie Little Badger)
I will be reblogging with reviews as I finish these!
#book blog#book community#aapi authors#bookish community#fantasy books#aapi books#aapi heritage month#tbr pile
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Hula by Jasmin âIolani Hakes and Banyan Moon by Thao Thai are two heavy hitters I read most recently. Both litfic, both made me cryâŠ
Fuck daddy issues, what are some mommy issues book recommendations?
#bookblr#book recommendations#book talk#book community#bookish community#reading community#aapi books#aapi heritage month#mommy issues
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Somebody Told Me by Mia Siegert
A novel of trauma, identity, and survival.
After an assault, bigender seventeen-year-old Aleks/Alexis is looking for a fresh startâso they voluntarily move in with their uncle, a Catholic priest. In their new bedroom, Aleks/Alexis discovers they can overhear parishioners in the church confessional. Moved by the struggles of these "sinners," Aleks/Alexis decides to anonymously help them, finding solace in their secret identity: a guardian angel instead of a victim.
But then Aleks/Alexis overhears a confession of another priest admitting to sexually abusing a parishioner. As they try to uncover the priest's identity before he hurts anyone again, Aleks/Alexis is also forced to confront their own abuser and come to terms with their past trauma.
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â ïžURGENT HELP NEEDED FROM FELLOW QUEERSâ ïž
Okay so basically I am a very closeted queer person who is 21. I just moved back in with my parents in the turnaround time between apartments. I have never been to a pride event but I desperately want this year to be the first. I cannot have anyone in my family know that Iâm going however (and I donât have childcare aside from them) so I need to find something close enough (within about three hours) that I can go and be back in the same day. My birthday is June third, which means I can probably tell my mom that I want to meet a friend for my birthday and go to the pride event instead. This means it has to be in the beginning of June - the first two weeks.
Iâm really struggling to find something close enough in that timeframe. Iâve checked the bigger towns/small cities that I know of with little luck (for example, Ames Iowa has a pridefest and would be the perfect distance, but theirs isnât until August).
So my question is, does anyone know of a pride festival in the Midwest United States that falls in the first two weeks of June?? Iâm really hoping I can make this happen đ„Č
#sorry the explanation is so convoluted#idk if I made any sense but oh well#please help#bookblr#pride festival#in the closet
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I will be doing â30 Days of Queer Booksâ in honor of pride month, starting June 1st. Be prepared to see a lot of queer books, at least one every day :)
(I will also be posting my TBR for the month soon)
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This is why Rick Riordanâs statement about his views on Palestine is unacceptable to me. There is no âboth sidesâ, no matter how gently you put it or how much you say you want people to be safe. The video doesnât address it, but I also really hate how half way through the post he basically says âwith that out of the way, buy my new booksâ and spends several paragraphs talking about tours and new releases and whatnot.
#reblogging my main again to talk about why Iâm boycotting Rick riordan#even setting this aside though#heâs under Disney#which is high up on the boycott list#there is no both sides to genocide#percyjackson#pjo tv show#rick riordan#free palestine#death to israel#fuck the idf#bookblr
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At least once a day I remember the fucking train wreck that was A Fire in the Flesh by Jenifer L Armentrout and get annoyed all over again. I cannot adequately describe my utter disdain for this book.
Today I am annoyed about the ways in which JLA characterized her villain as opposed to her love interest, because they are VERY SIMILAR and so she has to do a whole bunch of absolutely rancid shit to make it clear to us that Kolis is bad.
All of said rancid shit made me irritated, but today I am specifically thinking about how she took every possible opportunity to remind me, as the reader, that Evil Villain Man is creepy because his smiles look as if he learned to copy other peopleâs smiles, and the fact that it doesnât come naturally to him is off-putting and makes him seem monstrous.
Donât get me wrong, I loathe Kolis with my entire being. But as an autistic person who actually did have to learn âappropriateâ facial expressions by copying others, and who has consequently been described as heartless and robotic, this felt so gross and ableist. And I know Iâm not the only person whoâs experienced that phenomenon.
#if JLA has no haters Iâm dead#Iâll probably rant about this book many more times in the near future#i hate it here#this I why I donât read âromantasyâ#bookblr#book blog
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Review: The Emperor And The Endless Palace by Justinian Huang
Summary
In the year 4 BCE, an ambitious courtier is called upon to seduce the young emperor-but quickly discovers they are both ruled by blood, sex and intrigue. In 1740, a lonely innkeeper agrees to help a mysterious visitor procure a rare medicine, only to unleash an otherworldly terror instead. And in present-day Los Angeles, a college student meets a beautiful stranger and cannot shake the feeling they've met before.
Across these seemingly unrelated timelines woven together only by the twists and turns of fate, two men are reborn, lifetime after lifetime. Within the treacherous walls of an ancient palace and the boundless forests of the Asian wilderness to the heart-pounding cement floors of underground rave scenes, our lovers are inexplicably drawn to each other, constantly tested by the worlds around them. As their many lives intertwine, they begin to realize the power of their undying loveâa power that transcends time itself...but one that might consume them both.
Thoughts
I canât believe this is a debut novel. Huang handles the multiple timelines well enough that I didnât get confused (which happens often to me). I like how blatantly sexual it is, since a lot of authors seem to sort of tiptoe around the subject of sex if it is not between a man and a woman. This book doesnât really do happy endings, and the last chapter absolutely destroyed me.
The Emperor and the Endless Palace is gritty, bold, and unapologetically frank. It presents the concepts of love, lust, and desire, wonders whether those are all the same thing, and asks us if weâre sure. We watch as these two souls chase each other through time, coming together again and again but never getting their happily ever after.
My thoughts are somewhat jumbled at the moment, but here is a link to a more eloquent review that I really like and agree with:
AAPI Heritage Month Hopefuls
(books I want to read if I can get them)
Rise of the ManĆ by Leialoha Humpherys
Poƫkahangatus by Tayi Tibble
Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo
Hula by Jasmin âIolani Hakes
One Boy, No Water by Lehua Parker
The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le
Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao
Weird Fishes by Rae Mariz
VÄ: Stories of the Women of the Moana edited by Sisilia Eteuati and Lani Wendt Young
The Bone People by Keri Hulme
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
The Dragon Prince: Stories and Legends From Vietnam edited by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang
Fish Swimming In Dappled Sunlight by Alison Watts & Riku Onda
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
Rangikura by Tayi Tibble
I will be reblogging with reviews as I finish these!
#book blog#book community#aapi authors#bookish community#fantasy books#queer books#mlm books#fantasy#diverse books#aapi heritage month#aapi books
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Review: Weird Fishes by Rae Mariz
Summary
When Ceph, a squid-like scientist, discovers proof of the oceanâs slowing currents, she makes the dangerous ascent from her deep-sea civilization to the uncharted surface above. Out of her depths and helpless in her symbiotic mech suit, Ceph relies on Iliokai, a seal-folk storyteller, who sings the state of the sea and has seen evidence of clogged currents as she surfs the time gyres throughout the lonely blue. Navigating the perils of their damaged ocean environment, and seemingly insurmountable cultural differences, Ceph and Iliokai realize that the activities of terrestrial beings are slowing the spiralling currents of time. On a journey that connects future and past, the surface and the deep, the unlikely friends struggle to solve a problem so big it needs a leviathan solution.
Thoughts
Okay this book was seriously SO up my alley, I absolutely loved everything about it! Sci-fi meets queerness meets deep-sea exploration meets climate activism, and with a huge theme of âweâre all more connected than we think and we need to stop seeing others as less-than if weâre ever going to survive collectivelyâ that I always gravitate to. I seriously cannot say enough good things about this book! Oh, and itâs fairly short which made it very easy to read. This might be at the top of my Top Ten list this year.
Rating: 4.25/5
AAPI Heritage Month Hopefuls
(books I want to read if I can get them)
Rise of the ManĆ by Leialoha Humpherys
Poƫkahangatus by Tayi Tibble
Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo
Hula by Jasmin âIolani Hakes
One Boy, No Water by Lehua Parker
The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le
Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao
Weird Fishes by Rae Mariz
VÄ: Stories of the Women of the Moana edited by Sisilia Eteuati and Lani Wendt Young
The Bone People by Keri Hulme
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
The Dragon Prince: Stories and Legends From Vietnam edited by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang
Fish Swimming In Dappled Sunlight by Alison Watts & Riku Onda
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
Rangikura by Tayi Tibble
I will be reblogging with reviews as I finish these!
#bookblr#aapi books#aapi heritage month#book blog#book community#aapi month#diverse booklr#diverse books#aapi authors#bookish community
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It's a little late this year, but next year I'm going to make an anti-mothers day reading challenge and rec list. It'll feature books about people who have/had abusive and/or neglectful mothers, and none of the recs will end with reconnection. This will be a week-long challenge for people who spend every mother's day reflecting on the fact that the person who was supposed to love and care for them more than anyone else did the most damage. Our stories matter, and there aren't nearly enough of them.
Happy mothers day to those of you who celebrate. I hope you have a lovely time with your family, or just with yourself - I know there's a growing trend of moms taking the day for themselves, and I love that for you! Get that mini vacation!
And happy YOU day to those of you who raised yourself. You are all loved.
#I love my mother but itâs very cathartic to see these things because I did mostly raise myself#and my closest friend in the world has the worst mother ever and I cannot forgive her like everyone wants me to#anti-mothers day
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Announcing Pride with a Bite - An Upcoming Indie Publisher of LGBTQIA+ Horror
Happy Saturday, Everyone!
I am excited to officially announce a project that I have been developing â Pride with a Bite, an indie publisher of LGBTQIA+ based horror by LGBTQIA+ creators for the LGBTQIA+ community!
My new indie publishing house will officially launch in June 2024.
This indie pub will feature a quarterly eZine, anthology opportunities, and solo projects. I am still developingâŠ
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Review: Poƫkahangatus by Tayi Tibble
Summary
âThese are warm, provocative, and profoundly original poems, written by a woman for whom diving into the wreck means taking on new assumptions - namely, that it is not radical to write from a world in which the effects of colonization, land, work, and gender are obviously connected. Along the way, Tibble scrutinizes perception and how she as a MÄori woman fits into trends, stereotypes, and popular culture. With language that is at once colorful, pas-sionate, and laugh-out-loud funny, PoĆ«kahangatus is the work of one of our most daring new poets.â
Thoughts
Iâve been trying to dive into the world of poetry, most recently with Concrete Kids by Amyra LeĂłn, another collection. Iâm beginning to realize that poetry just isnât really my thing, but Tayi Tibble has such a unique voice that she kept me engaged anyway. I rated PoĆ«kahangatus (pronounced like Pocahontas) 3.75 stars, and I plan to read her other collection, Rangikura, soon.
AAPI Heritage Month Hopefuls
(books I want to read if I can get them)
Rise of the ManĆ by Leialoha Humpherys
Poƫkahangatus by Tayi Tibble
The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo
Hula by Jasmin âIolani Hakes
One Boy, No Water by Lehua Parker
The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le
Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao
Weird Fishes by Rae Mariz
VÄ: Stories of the Women of the Moana edited by Sisilia Eteuati and Lani Wendt Young
The Bone People by Keri Hulme
Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
The Dragon Prince: Stories and Legends From Vietnam edited by Thich Nhat Hanh
Fish Swimming In Dappled Sunlight by Alison Watts & Riku Onda
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
Rangikura by Tayi Tibble
I will be reblogging with reviews as I finish these!
#book blog#book community#aapi authors#bookish community#tbr list#aapi heritage month#aapi books#poetry
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