Fantasy

The Witch’s Tale by Genevieve Gornichec

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“There is a difference between understanding and forgiveness. It’s possible to have one without the other.”

What a beautifully written retelling of norse mythology and in particular the relationship Angrboda and Loki. The retelling makes you feel like you’re a part of a world with gods, monsters, and other magical creatures. In this retelling, Angrboda’s story starts out where many witches meet their end: a burning. The most powerful Norse god, Odin punishes Angrboda for refusing to provide him with knowledge of the future and the fire leaves her powerless and injured. She flees into the woods and soon meets a mysterious man by the name of Loki, and at first the two are at odds but soon fall in love. The union produces three children all with unique magical abilities, as they grow closer, the pair especially Angrboda wants to keep her family out of Odin’s watchful eye.

But, as time passes and Angrboda’s injuries begin to heal, she soon learns that everything she holds dear, including her precious family is is grave danger. Angrboda’s leans on Skadi, a skilled huntress with whom she shares a growing bond to help her. Angrboda will have to choose between remaking their future or accepting the fate that she has forseen for them.

What I truly loved about this book is the retelling and fleshing out of Angrboda with making her real and relatable and giving her a story where you really feel for her. The character development that she goes through during the trying and blissful events throughout the book stood out the most. I was intrigued by the development and you could see her growth and I loved how the book really focused on her. She demonstrated a lot of emotional intelligence, stability, resilience, and empathy and when you have a character with qualities that like, it’s hard not to be invested in them. This along with the plot and other characters made it a very enjoyable novel and I think many people will enjoy it just as much as I did.

Set Boundaries, Find Peace

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“People who use guilt trips are trying to get their needs met, but their needs may violate the requirements you have for yourself.”

Boundaries? They so simple and easy, all you have to do set and implement one and you’re good to go. Except that’s not how boundaries work and it is easier said than done as being able to assert your own needs and being able to feel confident with setting the boundary can be tricky as not everyone is going to respectful that the boundary the other person setting. Whether it be family, coworkers, friends, loved ones, toxic people etc., setting boundaries can be a challenge because many people don’t fully understand what healthy boundaries are until much later than in life. The focus on this book talks about a variety of different obstacles that can impact boundaries and how to set them with others in your life.

As someone who struggles with boundaries, I found this book incredibly helpful and enlightening as it helps things make sense for why I struggle with boundaries so much. I’ve been following Tawwab on Instagram for the last year or so and I have enjoyed her posts and find her words encouraging so I decided to start reading her books. Boundaries are something that many people struggle with and that struggle begins in their environment and how they raised and that follows people in adulthood and comes out in behaviors such as having hard time say no, ignoring your own needs for others, people pleasing among others. Many of of us including myself have grown up in dysfunctional environments and aren’t aware of how the dysfunction impacted the environment and only become aware of it when other issues are brought to light. I found her words, examples, stories that she used throughout the book very relatable and real and I did learn more about myself and how I can do this without feeling guilty. That is something that I’ve been trying to work on my my whole life and all we can do is take one day at a time and embrace growth.

Dating Makes Perfect

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“You want me to say that you’re stunning? That I wish I could take a photo, so that I can look at you all day? That the material is soft and touchable–and as skimpy as it is, it still covers way too much?” His eyes are black and furious and mesmerizing. I couldn’t look away if I tried. “Yeah, I could have said all that. No doubt, that’s what Taran’s going to be thinking. But I didn’t, because I have too much respect for you. Even after everything we’ve been through.”

The Tech Sisters don’t date in high school. Not because they don’t want to, not because they’re not interested but it’s all because their not allowed to do so. In a move that other Asian-Americans know all too well, six months after the oldest Tech sisters go to college and get asked by their parents about not being in a relationship or marriage. The sisters retaliated by saying that they won’t marry for ten years as they need to dating practice and that could take longer depending on other life events. But now things are different, the youngest sister Winnie must practice fake dating until her parents watchful eye. But as we all know, things don’t always go so easily and when Winnie’s parents pick the preferred match for Winnie to date, she could be less than pleased at the thought of dating her worst enemy.

This is probably one of the cutest ya rom-coms that I’ve read in awhile. The premise, plot, characters, atmosphere and writing really made this a fun and interesting story from beginning to end. Before I go into what made this book so wonderful, I did want to point how much I enjoyed learning about the thai experience. As someone who has been accustomed to privilege my entire life, I understand how important it is for #ownvoices and having their stories told so I appreciated learning more about the culture. Not only did I love the characters but the dynamics between especially within the family and between the sisters, it was hard not to feel for them especially with wanting to be respected for who they want to be and the struggle of choosing their own identity and how differing from that can cause conflict within the family. The romance was very cute and I did feel like it was well written and not forced like other romance books that I’ve read. Overall, this is super cute and fun rom-com so be sure to check it out if it sounds like something you want.

The Vanished Birds

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“Take my day, they sang, but give me the night. Feed the hearth and ready the brew, for I am coming home to you.”

The Vanished Birds follows Nia Imani is a woman out of time and place traveling through space and the stars throughout the years as so many things have happened. Her friends and lovers have aged past her and all that she has left is her work. Alone and adrift, Nia finds herself longing for something more and soon she finds herself wrapped up in a new adventure, one of which will change the course of her life and make her question everything she thought she knew.

I would’ve given it a higher rating but there were parts where i felt very confused and not as invested in the story as I wanted it to be. The plot and writing is top notch but I felt other parts of the story and even the characters felt under developed and under utilized. It’s a space opera which is pretty freaking cool and I don’t read enough of those. Normally, you meet the main character in the first chapter but not this story which I think also contributed to my interest level. The first chapter was filled with lots of historical information and felt like more of a prologue than an introduction to the story. Besides the main character, Nia I didn’t have an interest in the others. While i enjoy reading about the main character, I want to invest in other characters in the book as they have interesting stories and when I can’t, I lose interest real quick. The story had great potential but I just didn’t click with it for several reasons. But, I’m sure others will enjoy for different reasons so to each their own.

Hana Khan Carries On

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“My father says that trying to stop hate is like trying to stop the tides,” Rashid said. “The best thing you can do is take advantage of it. Don’t stop the tide from flowing. Build a hydroelectric dam and make electricity instead, enough to power ten thousand houses. That’s how you stop hate.”

Sales are slow at Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the only halal restaurant in the close-knit Golden Crescent neighborhood in Toronto, Canada. Hana, works part time as a waitress while she dreams of making it big with owning her own radio show but for the time being she’s stuck being a waitress and trying outshine her fellow interns at the city radio station. Hana is confident that things will fall into place and she will be able to succeed but all that crumbles when a new Halal restaurant opens in Golden Crescent threatening to shut down Three Sisters for good. Hana finds herself thrown into different directions while trying to figure out who she is and how she can finally use her voice for what really matters.

First, I’m glad that romance wasn’t heavily focused as I was really immersed in Hana’s personal journey and the changes that she went through during the book. I thought she was a very well written main character who had flaws and struggles that many people can relate to especially with trying to find her own voice. I think that’s something that many people can relate to and trying to figure what really matters to them. While this is one of the main theme’s of the book, this book also touches on serious and heartbreaking issues especially dealing with racism that Hana and her family deal with as Brown/Muslims experience in the modern world. This is why I’m glad that romance wasn’t the main focus because I think the way the experiences and Hana’s personal journey was done was more interesting and compelling than the romance.

Even with the serious and heartbreaking issues that were covered, this is a light-hearted novel that was very compelling and interesting from beginning to end and I strongly recommend it others even if romance isn’t your thing.

The Extraordinaries by T.J. Klune

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“Sometimes, the people we want to protect the most might not understand why we do the things we do. But that doesn’t mean they love us any less. Only you can decide where your faith lies.”

Nick Bell, a superhero? Not what he thinks but as the famed writer behind The Extraordinaries, a popular series that has given Bell the praise, adoration, and success that he’s always dreamed about. But, when a chance encounter with Nova City’s famed superhero, Shadow Star and Nick’s biggest crush, he sets on a journey to make himself extraordinary with or without the help of his best friend and possible love of his life, Seth Gray.

I have mixed feelings about this book as I did enjoy the characters, the plot, and the writing, I was a bit surprised at the heavy subject material wasn’t handled with more care as it focused on the police. There were times reading through this book that I felt like it was glorifying the police and others time where I didn’t feel that way. Klune did address it and I give him kudos for that as some people would not only let it slide but get offended over the backlash. Besides this issue, I did enjoy the characters, humor, representation, and plot as it featured a variety of different characters that were all unique in their own way and I loved that he included a character with ADHD. I don’t see many ADHD characters in YA and as someone who was diagnosed with it as a child, I thought he did it very well. But, with the main issue I couldn’t give this book a higher rating so be aware of that when going into this book. That’s all for now!

Book Of The Week: A Lesson In Vengeance

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“Once upon a time I found it so easy to forget the stories about Godwin House and the five Dalloway witches who lived here three hundred years ago, their blood in our dirt, their bones banging from our trees.”

A year after the tragic death of her girlfriend, Felicity Morrow is back at Godwin House trying to make sense of everything that happened. She still resides in the room that is rumored to be haunted by the five Dalloway witches died under mysterious circumstances. Felicity isn’t going to let some ghost story bother her and throws herself into her school work and leaves her dark past behind her or so she thinks. When the charismatic and lively, Ellie Haley arrives on campus for her first year, Felicity finds herself dawn to the eccentric girl who has already amassed a following. Ellie is working on her second novel and wants Felicity’s help with uncovering what happened to the Dalloway sisters. Felicity knows what dangers lurk in the shadows but she can’t help herself feel drawn to Ellie in more ways than one. But, history will reveal itself not only with the Dalloway sisters but within herself.

This is dark academia done right. This is a haunting and dark mystery thriller that will keep you turning the page in anticipation. It will also fill you with doubts about what is really going on and have you second guessing until the end. If you like mystery and suspense thriller, then you should check this out. I was blown away by the writing as Lee was able to craft an haunting yet beautiful atmosphere that made you feel like you were a part of it. The writing along with the characters were the best parts of the book as I felt Felicity, Ellie, and the other girls were well written with unique and interesting personalities. There were a few times I was annoyed by Ellie but I did enjoy her for the most part and I think it was part of her character as a budding novelist who has hundreds of people following her. Plus, she was young so I feel that was very in character although annoying.

I don’t think this should be considered as fantasy but more supernatural thriller, there really isn’t a fantasy element to it. Overall, a very haunting mystery that will keep you guessing from page to page so I would definitely recommend this.

Wendy, Darling by A.C. Wise

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TW: Abuse, Misogyny, Abandonment Issues, Death, Loss of Parents, War

She has the sudden impression that bits of his skin might lift away, like a mask hiding something terrible underneath.”

Wendy, Darling is a dark retelling of Peter Pan that focuses on the oldest child, Wendy and what journey she took after coming back from Neverland. Her brothers, Michael and John were able to condition themselves to forget their time in Neverland, Wendy wasn’t able to do and spent time in an Asylum thus damaging the relationship with her two brothers. She feels bitter and resentful towards them and spends time wondering if their parents hadn’t died on their cruise ship, would she have been put in the asylum or would things be different? Although she doesn’t speak of it, Neverland isn’t far from her mind and one night she gets a visit from the last person she expected to see. She finds out that Neverland is what it used to be and there is darkness lurking on the island and the visitor is looking for another Wendy, and before she knows it her young daughter Jane is taken in her place.

I love retellings and I have see a lot of Peter Pan retellings so I was looking forward to this. Sadly, it wasn’t what I expected it to be and it was a bummer. While the story was interesting, I felt it was a bit too dark for my liking and it was hard to invest in the other characters besides Wendy. I found her to be a very interesting and well written protagonist with a harrowing journey that makes you feel for her. I did like the alternating POV’s between Wendy and her daughter, Jane and reading about her adventures in Neverland and I was pleased with how it ended. But, the lack of depth in the characters made me struggle to stay invested so that was a bummer.

Music and Mirrors by Candace Robinson

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The souls are inside you, as theirs are and now the reflections are all just that, reflections.

While the first book followed the adventures of Auden and Lark, this one follows the other side of mirror where Leni and Ridley, the antagonists who were tasked with getting rid of Lark and Auden and failed to do so. The two are facing punishment and in order to save them from a terrible fate, they must seek help from the two they tried to kill or Leni will end up dead and Ridley will become someone he truly hates.

Robinson’s follow up to Lyrics and Music was just as captivating, original, engaging, and full of twists and turns that kept me turning the page in anticipation. The big draw of both books are the characters, as they are all very unique, interesting, and so well written you feel like you know them. It was interesting seeing the other side of it and the perspectives from Leni and Ridley, it really helped you feel compassion for them and understand the plight they were under. The dynamics between the characters helped give the relationships more depth and the writing helped the story flow very well. I was surprised at how much I liked these books, they were very fun, mysterious, engaging, and exciting all in one and I hope that there will be more in this series.