#shveta thakrar

[arctic-selkie]

I’m so excited to share the cover I did for @shvetathakrar ‘s new magical novella, Into the Moon Garden, that comes out May 18 from @audible

You can pre-order the book here: https://audible.com/pd/B0C4BGSBFF

#audible #audiobook #shveta thakrar #cover art #book cover #fantasy #desi #into the moon garden

[melanielocke]

So, I really need some book recommendations.

I usually read fantasy but I also like dystopian, sci-fi and stuff. As long as it's fictional. I also like rewrites (if that makes sense).

Since the request wasn't super specific, for this one I just picked a couple of very different fantasy books that I read recently and have not yet discussed. I don't have a lot of recent dystopian (publishing currently believed dystopian is dead, I think). For sci-fi, check out this post

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen is a retelling of the Goose Girl. That's a relatively unknown Grimm fairytale where a wicked maid steals the identity of a princess. This book tells the story of the maid, Vanja Schmidt, who is the adopted daughter of Fortune and Death. She used to be Princess Gisele's maid, until she stole Gisele's enchanted pearl necklace that changes her appearance and takes her place. Now, Vanja leads a double life as princess and jewel thief, seeking to make enough money to escape before she has to marry her creepy fiance, and so she can escape her mothers. But when she crosses the wrong god, she is cursed to slowly turn into a statue of jewels as punishment for her greed, unless she finds a way to make up for what she stole. I'd recommend this book if you like unlikeable main characters.

Vanja is very selfish, but she if she doesn't put herself first, no one else will, so it is definitely understandable. She has a tendency to push everyone away, but deep down she's very lonely. She's a gremlin, and I love her.

There are also some very charming side characters, including the daughter of the god who cursed Vanja, a shape shifter who does not quite understand human behavior, and a prefect (a magic detective of sorts) chasing the jewel thief.

This book also makes some great social commentary on class and wealth. Vanja might have done a bad thing stealing Gisele's life, but Gisele wasn't entitled to all that wealth and prestige in the first place, and this book heavily criticizes nobility.

The Forever Sea and the Endless Song are part of a series and I have only read book 1 so far (book 2 just came in yesterday). This is an adult fantasy series and as such it is heavier on the world building and more complicated than most YA fantasy, so if you've only ever read YA fantasy I don't think this is the best book to transition into adult, but if you're used to reading adult this is a good series to try.

The Forever Sea is one of the most unique fantasies I've read, and this mainly lies in the world building. The premise of this world is an ocean made out of very high grassland. Ships can sail on this grass with the help of a magic hearthfire, and if this fire would go out you would very slowly sink beneath the grass. Sailors go out onto the sea mainly to harvest all sorts of plants used for food and medicine.

Kindred was raised by her grandmother, the Marchess, a legendary captain and hearthfire keeper. When her grandmother disappears beneath the sea, everyone assumes it was a suicide. But Kindred finds a note from her grandmother implying that it was not suicide, but that she was searching for what is down at the bottom of the sea, and might still be alive there. So Kindred sets out to find her, traveling across the Sea and through a legendary pirate city to see if her grandmother could still be out there, and what is at the bottom of the sea.

This book is very plot driven with a huge emphasis on the environment and descriptions on it, but also lots of world building on how this works exactly. There isn't a lot of emphasis on it, but there is also a sapphic relationship in here between the main character and another sailor. As I said, I haven't read book 2 yet but will start it soon. It's also not out in the US yet (coming 14th February, but the UK edition was released already) From the reviews I gathered there's going to be a third (last? idk) book.

In the Ravenous Dark is a dark fantasy that is marketed as YA, but I think it's very upper YA, maybe more NA but publishing doesn't think that is a thing, so YA it is.

This is set in a world inspired by ancient Greece, but only vaguely (clothes, buildings etc, much of the world building is completely made up), and Rovan, the main character, is a blood mage. Since her father's death, she's kept her blood magic hidden, but when her magic is revealed she is taken to the palace and bound to Ivrilos, a dead spirit who can control here, which is something that is done to all blood mages.

Rovan falls in love with two people she can't trust, the spirit Ivrilos, and princess Lydea, another blood mage, and together they uncover a plot of what is going on in the world of the dead and living, and why blood mages must be bound to spirits.

I think the magic system in this book was very well done, including the way spirits work and the realm of the dead. The book was at times a little messy, and I think it might have worked better as a duology since there was so much going on, but I don't bother me much while reading it.

There's a poly relationship between Rovan, Ivrilos and Lydea, which I really liked, and there's Japha, a really cool non binary side character who's essentially the fourth part of the found family.

Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman is a YA fae fantasy set in a second world focusing on an autistic main character

Seelie is a changeling. Though she looks exactly like her twin Isolde, she's actually a fae creature trying to control her unpredictable magic. She and her sister had to flee their home due to prejudice against changelings, and end up stealing to survive. When they get caught up in a heist gone wrong, they team up with unexpected allies to go on a quest and unravel a mystery to do with fae and human history.

The plot of this book is what you'd expect from a YA fantasy, fast paced, not super unpredictable or anything. The strenght of this book is the main character. Seelie is autistic and written by an autistic author, and while it is set in a world where the term autism does not exist, it is portrayed really well and I found Seelie very relatable as an autistic person. In this world, changelings are typically autistic (because real world changeling myths often derive from disabled children, including autistic children). The sister relationship is also intersting, because Seelie and Isolde are so different, and have very different ideas of what their life should be like once they're finished with this quest.

It is the first in a duology and I have no clue when book 2 is coming out

The last book on this list is the Dream Runners by Shveta Thakrar which is a contemporary fantasy inspired by Indian mythology, specifically, the naga. Naga in this world can't dream on their own, so they have children taken from the human world who become dream runners. They travel to the human world to collect dreams from humans for the naga.

Tanvi is such a dream runner, she's been in Nagalok for the past 7 years. Dream runners don't dream themselves and are devoid of emotion, but for Tanvi this is slowly returning and she's desperate to make it stop.

Venkat is a dreamsmith, the only human in Nagalok who is not a dream runner. Instead, he shapes dreams collected by the dream runners into dream stones used by the naga.

They team up to figure out what is going on with Tanvi, and uncover a plot that could destroy the naga world.

I loved the creative world building in this book, with how the dream runner system works. Tanvi was a little difficult to relate to at first, because she was very obsessed with earning a charm bracelet in exchange for her dreams and I found this confusing, but this will make sense later on, and this book had some twists I really liked.

I hope this helps!

#book recommendations #nina's 150 follower celebration #150 followers #little thieves #margaret owen #the forever sea #the endless song #Joshua Phillip Johnson #in the ravenous dark #a.m. strickland #unseelie #ivelisse housman #the dream runners #shveta thakrar #ask answered #anon ask #thanks for the ask!

[books-to-add-to-your-tbr]

Title: Star Daughter

Author: Shveta Thakrar

Series or standalone: standalone

Publication year: 2020

Genres: fiction, fantasy, mythology, romance, contemporary

Blurb: If the night sky holds many secrets, it holds Sheetal Mistry’s secret the closest - a secret that explains why her hair is the silver of starlight, or why some nights, the stars call Sheetal by name; stars like her mother, who returned to her place in the constellation Pushya years ago. Since that day, Sheetal has been forced to hide. As her seventeenth birthday draws near, the pull from the sky is growing stronger - so strong that Sheetal loses control and a flare of starfire burns her human father...an injury only a full star’s blood can heal. Sheetal has no choice but to answer the starsong and ascend to the sky...but her celestial family has summoned her for a reason: to act as their human champion in a competition to decide the next ruling house of the heavens. Desperate to save her father, Sheetal agrees...but nothing could have prepared Sheetal to face the stars’ dark history, or the forces that are working to shut the gate between the realms for good.

#star daughter #shveta thakrar #standalone #2020 #fiction #fantasy #mythology #romance #contemporary

[publishedtoday]

The Dream Runners - Shveta Thakrar

Seven years ago, Tanvi was spirited away to the subterranean realm of Nagalok, where she joined the ranks of the dream runners: human children freed of all memory and emotion, who collect mortal dreams for the entertainment of the serpentine, immortal naga court. But when one of Tanvi's dream harvests goes awry, she begins to remember her life on earth. Panicked and confused, she turns to the one mortal in Nagalok who might be able to help: Venkat, the dreamsmith responsible for collecting the dream runners' wares and shaping them into the kingdom's most tantalizing commodity. And as they search for answers, a terrifying truth begins to take shape--one that could turn the nagas' realm of dreams into a land of waking nightmare.

tw: brainwashing, grief, kidnapping, mind control, trauma

#dream runners #shveta thakrar #harperteen #june 28 2022 #POC #south asian

[thegirlwiththelantern]

Into the Moon Garden

Title: Into the Moon GardenAuthor: Shveta ThakrarNarrator: Soneela Nankani, Rita SharmaDemographic: AdultGenre: Romance, FantasyPublisher: Audible Originals Synopsis: Make a wish.The words have haunted Rashmi since she first heard them whispered the night before her mother died, when she was just 10 years old. Rashmi’s mother used to tell her stories of a magical garden lit only by the moon,…

View On WordPress

#Audible #Book Review #Books #Fantasy #Into the Moon Garden #Review #Romance #Shveta Thakrar

[bookcoversonly]

Title: The Dream Runners | Author: Shveta Thakrar | Publisher: HarperTeen (2022)

#books #The Dream Runners #Shveta Thakrar

[someonelookingpraediti]

Book Box Club Unboxing

For the Dreamers June 2022

Since I've skipped this month's OwlCrate box, I thought I'd treat myself to a different box instead. This is the last ever box from Book Box Club. I've only had one of their boxes previously, and wasn't very impressed - the books aren't customised and the goodies aren't great. But it's their last box, so I thought I'd give it a final shot.

When the post arrived at the door thing morning, the first thing I noticed was the overwhelming scent of lavender the postman brought with him. Hint: it was this box.

The book is "The Dream Runners" by Shveta Thakrar. As always with this company, the book is uncustomised. But I have been looking forward to reading it, and it has arrived a full month before the UK release date.

The first item out the box is a shower steamer. I love shower steamers, but this one smells of lavender. I HATE lavender. It's overpowering, it's unpleasant, it lingers for ages, and it burns my nose and throat. I cannot emphasise how much I detest lavender. If I was going on holiday, and the plane smelled of lavender, I would simply get off the plane and not go on holiday. That's how much I hate lavender. And now everything else in the box smells of lavender too.

The next item is a tote bag. It's very basic, with an amateurish sort of design on the front, saying "stay bookish". It looks like maybe it's supposed to be the women who run the company? The slogan on the front is very much a "goodbye" to the box, which is not necessarily relevant to the theme. It smells very strongly of lavender.

Next is an artwork print featuring an Edgar Allan Poe quote. It's a nice design, but a really odd shape, it's like a standard business envelope size. Also, it smells very strongly of lavender.

Then there's a trinket dish. It's an ugly, childish little thing in the shape of a cloud. It's got nothing to do with books, or the theme. But at least the ceramic hasn't absorbed the lavender smell as much.

And there's a sachet of hot chocolate. This smells entirely of lavender. The chai-ness and the chocolate-ness and the general food-and-drink-ness of this has completely disappeared under the saturation of lavender. It's so infused with lavender, that it would definitely taste of lavender, and I'm not even sure it would be safe to drink.

Finally, there are a couple of bits of advertising. There's the first 30 pages of "Earthlings" by Ray Star, an advertising card for a couple of Kalynn Bayron books, and a "money off when you spend x amount in our shop" coupon. I am deeply against advertising in a book subscription. A spoiler card for the next box? Fine, they want to keep you hooked. But advertising for other stuff? No way! You have already paid for the box, they should not be charging you to advertise products to you. You want to send me the first book in a series, or an ARC? Great! I'd love to read it and review it for you. You want to send me a sample so you can sell me the book? I'm now not reading that book on principle. A paid subscription is not the place for that.

Honestly, there's a reason this company went under. I gave them that one final chance to impress me, and I was so disappointed. This is a zero star box. I'm glad to have the book (although I could do without the lavender smell, I hope that fades) and I'll definitely read it. But absolutely no effort went into this box, and it shows.

EDIT: It's been four days since this box arrived, and I've had the book propped in front of an open window ever since. The lavender smell is still soaked into the pages. I contacted them (obviously without much hope, as they're closing down) asking if I could swap the book, and they said they had run out and they wouldn't swap it "based on the smell anyway". Then they said they shower steamer shouldn't make the pages smell that much, try using baking soda to get rid of it. I could smell it through the unopened box while the postman was holding it outside. Clearly something is wrong here? No shower steamer should be that strong?

#unboxing #book box club #the dream runners #shveta thakrar #if i sound petty its because i am

[yaworldchallenge]

Some new releases from June-July that fit the YA world challenge!

🇫🇮  Finland

Wind Daughter - Joanna Ruth Meyer

🇬🇷  Greece

Game of Strength and Storm - Rachel Menard

🇬🇾  Guyana

The Signs and Wonders of Tuna Rashad - Natasha Deen

🇭🇹 Haiti

A Girl’s Guide to Love & Magic - Debbie Rigaud

🇮🇳  India

The Dream Runners -  Shveta Thakrar

🇯🇲  Jamaica

Empress Crowned in Red - Ciannon Smart

🇯🇵  Japan

The Dragon’s Promise - Elizabeth Lim

🇲🇦  Morocco

A Darkness at the Door - Intisar Khanani

🇳🇴  Norway

The Valkyrie’s Daughter - Tiana Warner

🇵🇰  Pakistan

The Man or the Monster - Aamna Qureshi

🇵🇪  Peru

Valiant Ladies - Melissa Gray

🇵🇭  Philippines

Dauntless - Elisa A. Bonnin

🇻🇳  Vietnam

Calligraphy Guild - R.M. Archer

🇬🇧  Wales

The Drowned Woods - Emily Lloyd-Jones

#new release #new books #book release #booklr #ya books #bookish #reading #book recs #finland #greece #guyana #haiti #india #jamaica #japan #morocco #norway #pakistan #peru #philippines #vietnam #wales #the dragon's promise #the valkyrie's daughter #dauntless #the drowned woods #empress crowned in red #wind daughter #the dream runners

[alastairstom]

Could you rec me some fantasy novels?

I assume you don't mean Cassandra Clare books since *gestures to myself*, so I'll just move on to others.

First is of course my eternal plea to read A Charm of Magpies by KJ Charles. Book one is The Magpie Lord. Subsequent books are A Case of Possession, Flight of Magpies, and Jackdaw. The series is sort of romantasyish but also kind of not, it's a genre-bend.

Some others I really like (no particular order):

The Four Horsemen series by Laura Thalassa *

The Bargainer series by Laura Thalassa *

Divine Rivals duology by Rebecca Ross *

We Hunt the Flame duology by Hafsah Faizal

Bridge Kingdom by Danielle Jensen *

Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco *

A Stitch in Time by Kelly Armstrong * (Wessa nation, this one's for you)

The Diviners quartet by Libba Bray

The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal by KJ Charles *

Passenger duology by Alexandra Bracken

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Barshadoust

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin duology by Rosanna A Brown

A Darker Shade of Magic trilogy by VE Schwab

Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar

A * indicated romantasy, a genre I adore.

[beautifulpaxielreads]

23 in 2023

Thank you to @thereadingchallengechallenge for the open tag. I hope you enjoy Little Thieves - I read it last year and absolutely loved it.

I Have Lost My Way by Gayle Forman

As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh

Desiree by Annemarie Selinko

Where You Left Us by Rhiannon Wilde

Something Fresh by P. G. Wodehouse

Defend the Dawn (Defy the Night #2) by Brigid Kemmerer

A Fire Endless (Elements of Cadence #2) by Rebecca Ross

The Upwelling by Lystra Rose

This Rebel Heart by Katherine Locke

The Balloon Thief by Aneesa Marufu

Record of a Spaceborn Few (Wayfarers #3) by Becky Chambers

Stateless by Elizabeth Wein

East (East #1) by Edith Pattou

The Girl With No Soul by Morgan Owen

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy (Monk and Robot #2) by Becky Chambers

Strike the Zither (Kingdom of Three #1) by Joan He

The Jasmine Throne (Burning Kingdoms #1) by Tasha Suri

The Smoke Thieves (The Smoke Thieves #1) by Sally Green

Legendborn (The Legendborn Cycle #1) by Tracy Deonn

Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar

The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros

Gearbreakers (Gearbreakers #1) by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Portable Magic: A History of Books and their Readers by Emma Smith

Again, I'm making this an open tag, so anyone who wants to do it, consider this your invitation!

#beautifulpaxiel reads #book talk #bookish quizzes #fun stuff #23 in 2023

[writingtheother]

Writing the Other Resources — Video: Family, Culture, and KidLit

In this video kidlit authors Shveta Thakrar and K. Tempest Bradford discuss the ways families are often portrayed in Young Adult and Middle Grade books (i.e. usually based on middle-class WASP culture) and how these portrayals don't always ring true for BIPOC readers or authors.

There are many different types of families in the world, so where are all the extended families in kidlit? The nuclear family isn't the default for everyone.

Do parents need to be absent/oblivious/abusive so kids are free to save the world or find independence? Nope. Yet so much fiction for kids (especially in YA) hinges on this trope.

Listen in as Shveta and Tempest talk about what authors need to be aware of when exploring different familial frameworks and how to portray them well.

#writing the other #writing craft #ya #middle grade #ya fiction #middle grade fiction #family and relationships #Writing the Other Resources

[arctic-selkie]

I just finished my dear friend Shveta Thakrar's newest book and can't recommend it enough. Dream magic and Hindu mythology weave together to create a lush and immersive world sprinkled with literary faerie tales. One thing I so admire about all of Shveta's writing is the compassion and empathy at its heart. So much of fantasy takes the "solve by stabbing" approach to problem solving, but I love how Shveta's characters resolve conflict with creativity, compassion, and communication. Plus, her aesthetics are a dream in and of themselves.

I was so honored to go to the launch party for this beautiful book, and can't wait for the next one!

https://bookshop.org/.../the-dream-runners.../9780062894663

#the dream runners #shveta thakrar #desi #desi fantasy #hindu mythology #naga #garuda #ya fantasy #books #brown girl magic

[bookaddict24-7]

(New Young Adult Releases Coming Out Today! (June 28th, 2022)

___

Have I missed any new Young Adult releases? Have you added any of these books to your TBR? Let me know!

___

New Standalones/First in a Series:

Sometime in Summer by Katrina Leno

Blood & Moonlight by Erin Beaty

The Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede

The Dream Runners by Shveta Thakrar

Ride with Me by Lucy Keating

The Black Girls Left Standing by Juliana Goodman

Stealing Infinity by Alyson Noël

M is for Monster by Talia Dutton

Katzenjammer by Francesca Zappia

The Song that Moves the Sun by Anna Bright

Imagining Elsewhere by Sara Hosey

My Name Is Jason. Mine Too.: Our Story. Our Way. by Jason Reynolds & Jason Griffin

A Secret Princess by Margaret Stohl 

Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow

Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert

New Sequels: 

Godslayers (Gearbreakers #2) by Zoe Hana Mikuta

Blade Breaker (Realm Breaker #2) by Victoria Aveyard

___

Happy reading!

#books #bookish #booklr #bookworm #bookaholic #bibliophile #book blog #book blogger #new releases #new books #Features #yalit #yareads #young adult #june 2022 #book list #victoria aveyard #zoe hana mikuta #melissa albert #rebecca barrow #margaret stohl #jason reynolds #jason griffin #sara hosey #anna bright #francesca zappia #talia dutton #alyson noël #juliana goodman #lucy keating

[richincolor]

I've started counting down the days left in summer, and there are a few more fantasy books I'm hoping to squeeze in before fall begins. Have you had the chance to read any of these yet?

The Dream Runners by Shveta Thakrar Harper Collins

Seven years ago, Tanvi was spirited away to the subterranean realm of Nagalok, where she joined the ranks of the dream runners: human children freed of all memory and emotion, charged with harvesting mortal dreams for the consumption of the naga court.

Venkat knows a different side of Nagalok. As apprentice to the influential Lord Nayan, he shapes the dream runners’ wares into the kingdom’s most tantalizing commodity. And Nayan has larger plans for these mortal dreams: with a dreamsmith of Venkat’s talent, he believes he can use them to end a war between nagas and their ancient foe, the garudas.

But when one of Tanvi’s dream harvests goes awry, she begins to remember her life on Earth. Panicked and confused, she turns to the one mortal in Nagalok who can help: Venkat. And as they search for answers, a terrifying truth begins to take shape—one that could turn the nagas’ realm of dreams into a land of waking nightmare.

The Dragon's Promise (Six Crimson Cranes #2) by Elizabeth Lim Knopf Books for Young Readers

Princess Shiori made a deathbed promise to return the dragon's pearl to its rightful owner, but keeping that promise is more dangerous than she ever imagined.

She must journey to the kingdom of dragons, navigate political intrigue among humans and dragons alike, fend off thieves who covet the pearl for themselves and will go to any lengths to get it, all while cultivating the appearance of a perfect princess to dissuade those who would see her burned at the stake for the magic that runs in her blood.

The pearl itself is no ordinary cargo; it thrums with malevolent power, jumping to Shiori's aid one minute, and betraying her the next—threatening to shatter her family and sever the thread of fate that binds her to her true love, Takkan. It will take every ounce of strength Shiori can muster to defend the life and the love she's fought so hard to win. -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

A Girl's Guide to Love & Magic by Debbie Rigaud Scholastic Press

Cicely Destin, a Haitian American teen living in Brooklyn, loves the annual West Indian Day Parade that takes place in her neighborhood. The colors, clothes, tastes, sights, and sounds all celebrating Caribbean culture fill her with pride and joy. This year, the parade will be extra special: it falls on Cicely's birthday, AND Cicely will get to hang out with her awesome aunt, Mimose, a social media influencer known for dabbling in Haitian vodou. But when Mimose's dabbling becomes a little too real, and she seems to be possessed by a rogue spirit right before the parade, it's up to Cicely, plus her best friend, Renee, and her crush (!), Kwame, to try to set things right. Cicely and her friends set off on a winding, thrilling scavenger hunt through Brooklyn to find the items that will undo the possession. But can Cicely help her aunt if she doesn't fully realize her own powers just yet? -- Cover image and summary via Goodreads

#the dream runners #the dragon's promise #a girl's guide to love and magic #book lists #weneeddiversebooks #fantasy

[publishedtoday]

Upcoming: Fantasy with South Asian rep

Coming June 28, 2022: Children are kidnapped, wiped of all memories and emotions, and collect mortal dreams for naga’s entertainment, until one of them starts to remember her human life.

The Dream Runners - Shveta Thakrar 

#upcoming #the dream runners #shveta thakrar #june 28 2022

[timetravellingkitty]

Hi there! 1, 3, 5, and 42 for the book asks?

Hey thanks for the ask!

1- a book that is close to your heart

I'd say the Riordanverse and The Hunger Games trilogy cause I read them during my formative years and really influenced me (still love them). I'd say A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini too!

3- a stand-alone that you wish was a apart of a series

Even though I'm not a huge fan, I think Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar. It would be interesting to see a sequel that could greatly improve on this (also I just feel like it could be part of a series)

5- something in fiction that reads like poetry

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (I've heard the same for On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, a book I really wanna read)

42- a book that made you scream by the time you got to the end

Allegiant by Veronica Roth. Oh my God, it was so dumb, it was painful. It was not worth it.

#asks #phantom #books