Nyxia is the most racially diverse book I've ever read and it does it so well. The diversity creates an understanding of different cultures while also showing that we're all the same no matter color or culture. The story follows Emmett, an African-American teenager from Detroit. He wants to free himself and his family from the harsh reality of poverty. Along with nine other kids his age, he is selected by The Babel Corporation to board a lightship bound for an earth-like planet called Eden with the hope of returning home with the economical means to support his family. But in the search for a better life does freedom actually exist and who controls it? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Comes out … [Read more...]
Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller
Mask of Shadows is the story about a genderfluid main character, Sal, who enters an audition to become part of the Queen's Left Hand. The Left Hand is a team of assassins whose identities are secret. Going in, I was excited to read a new fantasy with a diverse main character. But it just did not live up to my expectations. ⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Comes out August 29th. I wanted it to blow my mind, but it's nothing new or groundbreaking. To me, it is a very average young adult fantasy. The fact that it follows a genderfluid thief is what drew me in, but Sal is boring and unlikeable. Sometimes unlikeable characters are great, but in this case because of the utter lack of character development … [Read more...]
Zero Repeat Forever by Gabrielle Prendergast
Zero Repeat Forever is the first book in The Nahx Invasions series. The novel follows a girl called Raven. As a result of a rebellious streak, she lands herself in a summer camp in the Canadian wilderness along with her boyfriend, his twin, and a couple of other teens. Along side Raven, we also follow Eight who's a 'Nahx', a soldier who's part of the invasion. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Comes out August 29th. Zero Repeat Forever is action-packed and the plot is engaging. It's a slow burn, and it took me a good while to read because of the density at times. The first 150 pages or so were rough to get through. The writing style threw me off, but it either became more complex after the … [Read more...]
Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. We often see books and movies about going to another world, but what happens when the adventure ends? What happens to the characters when they come home? That's what Every Heart a Doorway is about. Spanning only 173 pages, this is a very short book. Yet it manages to say much more than just the words on the pages. It presents a different side of portal fantasy, one that deals with the cruel pain of experiencing a true sense of belonging just to have it ripped away. Stripped of one's significance. Banished to a life of conformity, not knowing when, or even if there is a way back home. Hope hurts. That's what you need to learn, and fast, if you don't want … [Read more...]
Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Ink and Bone is an alternate history novel, where The Library of Alexandria has expanded to all corners of the world. The Library controls the flow of knowledge with an iron fist. It's illegal to possess original books and the only way to access literary knowledge is through the Library-issued 'blanks'. These blank books can display books from the Library's vast collection of originals. But it's not the same as handling a real book. The story follows Jess, who comes from a family of book smugglers. He loves books just as much as us readers, but to his family, books are the source of income. There is no sentimentality involved, unlike Jess' relationship with books. … [Read more...]
And I Darken by Kiersten White
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. Lada is brutal and sometimes downright cruel. She's a complex character, because she is also capable of love. As much as she picks on her 'weak' younger brother, Radu, when push comes to shove, she loves him like nothing else. The story is never black and white. The most important parts are in the nuances, which makes the story come to life and makes it able to impact the reader with honest emotion and unavoidable facts of life. Like the story, the characters are outlined with ink-black broad hard strokes and slowly layered with color and nuance of strengths and weaknesses. Vlad the Impaler reimagined as Lada is one hundred percent human, which is more … [Read more...]
