#tanaz bhathena

[pithia]

[W]e always want everything to unfold cleanly—in ways society calls unambiguous. But love is a strange thing. Fickle, fussy, older than the gods, more unpredictable than magic itself.

Tir (Of Light and Shadow by Tanaz Bhathena)

#quotations #Tanaz Bhathena #love

[the-final-sentence]

Nor did she see the streak of light in the sky - one associated with a falling star.

Tanaz Bhathena, from “A Goddess of Fire and Blood”

#Tanaz Bhathena #A Goddess of Fire and Blood

[jessread-s]

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

✩🖤💥Review:

“Of Light and Shadow” is an epic Indian fantasy romance!

Bhathena draws inspiration for her novel from Indian bandits throughout history—specifically from the famous female bandit Phoolan Devi. As someone who was not familiar with Phoolan’s historical impact before reading the book, I enjoyed learning about her through Bhathena’s fictional protagonist Roshan Chaya. Roshan closely resembles Phoolan in that she, too, was wanted for robbery and kidnapping after capturing Prince Navin during a raid. Despite her crimes, Roshan is beloved by Jwalian villagers—just like Phoolan was greatly admired by the people of India— because she does what she can to fight for their rights. 

Bhathena successfully weaves magic into her narrative to add intrigue. In the world of “Of Light and Shadow” there is life magic, death magic, and soul magic. The reader learns more about life magic and death magic through Roshan’s perspective. As a life magus, Roshan uses her energy to heal rather than harm. Though she saves many lives, the papers villainize her for being an outlaw. I for one found her character to be very admirable. She is a strong warrior who only wants the best for her clan. She does not shy away from a fight and knows how to hold her own, which is refreshing to see in a female protagonist. 

Prince Navin’s perspective offers readers insight on soul magic and palace life. In addition to using his voice to manipulate emotions, Navin’s soul magic allow him to see the aura of those who are bonded to him. But his powerful magic does not come without cost. As a soul magus, Navin is subject to painful mouth blisters when he overexerts himself. Up until he was held hostage by the Shadow Clan, palace hakims, healers, were at his beck and call whenever he used copious amounts of magic to avoid his responsibilities as the spare prince. 

At the beginning of the novel, the pair consider each other enemies. However, the longer Navin spends time with his captives while they wait for the queen to meet the clan’s demands, the more he begins to realize that his people are suffering under his grandmother’s rule. I loved watching Roshan and Navin butt heads while they worked together to enact change and struggle to deny their romantic connection before ultimately acknowledging their feelings.

➤ 4 stars

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

@fiercereadsya

#of light and shadow #tanaz bhathena #roshan chaya #prince navin #roshan and navin #ya retelling #indian mythology #dual pov #enemies to lovers #royal romance #ya romance #ya fantasy #fantasy romance #historical fantasy #book review #book blog #book blogger #booklr #ya recs #ya lit #book rec

[love-escapism-here]

Let’s just pretend it’s still AAPI month and that I’m not late dropping these recs:

YA ROMANCE

Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo (she has a lot of other books too that I bet are good)

Fake It Till You Break It by Jenn P Nguyen

29 Dates by Melissa De La Cruz

Counting Down With You by Tashie Bhuiyan

A Match Made in Mehendi by Nandini Bajpai

American Panda by Gloria Chao

Our Wayward Fate by Gloria Chao (I haven’t read Rent a Boyfriend yet but she also wrote that)

The Beauty of the Moment by Tanaz Bhathena (Hunted by the Sky is also on my tbr)

MORE

Anything by Marie Lu (Skyhunter, Legend, Warcross)

Anything by Elizabeth Lim (Spin the Dawn. Also I’m about to read Six Crimson Cranes and I’m super excited for that)

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Only a Monster by Vanessa Len

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong is on my tbr

#aapi authors #aapi #aapiwomenlead #ya romance #ya #book reccs #maurene goo #jenn p nguyen #melissa de la cruz #tashie bhuiyan #nandini bajpai #gloria chao #marie lu #elizabeth kim #intisar khanani #vanessa len #hafsah faizal #chloe gong #tanaz bhathena

[bookcoversonly]

Title: Of Light and Shadow | Author: Tanaz Bhathena | Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (2023)

#books #Of Light and Shadow #Tanaz Bhathena

[whatmakesagod]

#of light and shadow #fantasy #tanaz bhathena #zoroastrian author

[teenageread]

Review: A Girl Like That

Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Zarin Wadia is many things: a bright and vivacious student, an orphan, a risk taker. She’s also the kind of girl that parents warn their kids to stay away from: a troublemaker whose many romances are the subject of endless gossip at school.  You don't want to get involved with a girl like that, they say. So how is it that eighteen-year-old Porus Dumasia has only ever had eyes for her? And how did Zarin and Porus end up dead in a car together, crashed on the side of a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia? When the religious police arrive on the scene, everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is questioned. And as her story is pieced together, told through multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that she was far more than just a girl like that.

Plot:

Parents warned their children about Zarin Wadia, an orphan girl living with her aunt and uncle, whose many romances could lead her to jail, and whose big mouth could get her killed. No one wanted their child to mess around with a girl like that. Thus, it was no surprise to the parents of her peers when they heard that Zarin's body was found in a crashed car along with a boy who was not related to her. Schoolmates knew that boy, from either picking Zarin up from school, or they saw him at the deli shop where he worked. Porus Dumasia was good-looking enough, hard-working, and kind, and yet he only had eyes for Zarin, despite her not giving him the time of day. See, despite what gossip blogger Mishal tried to dig up on Zarin, no one knew what was going on in that girl's head before her death. As Zarin did not have many friends, only boys who took her on dates with the hope to get something, Zarin remained a mystery to her peers. But Zarin was no mystery. She was just a girl, trying to escape the harsh hands of her Masi, the societal pressures of Saudi Arabia, and find someone willing to love her for more than just her body. Where Zarin’s and Porus lives ended tragically on the highway, their story is not just sorrow, but one full of life and self-discovery, as Zarin, despite what her peers and community think, is more than just a girl like that, but one full of spirit and love.

Thoughts:

Tanaz Bhathena writes this tragic tale of sixteen-year-old Zarin Wadia, who begins the novel as a spirit floating above her own dead body, watching her Masi (aunt) and Masa (uncle) grieve for her. Going backward, Bhathena tells us the story of Zarin and how she ends up in this accident, with the story divided into sections such as beginnings, a girl like any other, blood, shame, and more. Starting off with a dead Zarin does have an interesting hook to it, as readers start the story with plenty of questions about Zarin, Porus, and where they were going in that car. However it also spoils the story, and Bhathena could have created a more gut-wrenching heartbreak to have readers form this relationship with Zarin, hoping she makes it out, only to kill her off near the end. After all, throughout the book you root for Zarin to get out of this life, only knowing that she never does. This is why this story is so heartbreaking, as you want Zarin to find happiness, knowing that she never does. Zarin as a character, is honestly pretty loveable, despite what her peers think. Her wit and ability to stand up for herself made her a strong character to like, and her tragic past made her someone you wanted to succeed. The narration in the story is first person, but changes from the point of view of mainly Zarin, to secondary characters of Porus and Mishal, and a few tertiary characters of Rizvi. Unique to this contemporary story is its setting of Saudi Arabian, in which the country’s customs play a huge role in the story, and how Zarin is ostracized by her peers. Items such as religious police, where you can get buried when you die, or Zarin's lack of religious identity, play a role in this story. Where I am not sure Bhathena got all the Middle Eastern concepts right, they do focus heavily on the idea of rape culture, and lack of women’s rights that Zarin faced in Saudi Arabia, and how she could get arrested if seen on a date with a peer. Overall, this story is heartbreakingly tragic, as Zarin, the girl who wanted love and freedom, finally gets it, if only it exists in the afterlife, as her tragic death helps her escape her confinement, and she gets to experience true freedom.

Read more reviews: Goodreads

Buy the book: Amazon

#A Girl Like That #Tanaz Bhathena #book review

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌙 Ramadan Mubarak - Books ft. Muslims

🦇 Good morning, my beautiful bookish bats. To celebrate this Islamic holy month, here are a FEW books featuring Muslim characters. I hope you consider adding a few to your TBR.

❓What was the last book you read that taught you something new OR what's at the top of your TBR?

🌙 A Woman is No Man - Etaf Rum 🌙 Amal Unbound - Aisha Saeed 🌙 Love From A to Z - S.K. Ali 🌙 Hana Khan Carries On - Uzma Jalaluddin 🌙 Yes No Maybe So - Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed 🌙 Evil Eye - Etaf Rum 🌙 I Am Malala - Malala Yousafzai 🌙 Exit West - Mohsin Hamid 🌙 Written in the Stars - Aisha Saeed 🌙 The Night Diary - Veera Hiranandani 🌙 Much Ado About Nada - Uzma Jalaluddin 🌙 The Eid Gift - S.K. Ali 🌙 More Than Just a Pretty Face - Syed M. Masood 🌙 Yusuf Azeem Is Not a Hero - Saadia Faruqi 🌙 If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan 🌙 Snow - Orhan Pamuk 🌙 Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged - Ayisha Malik 🌙 The Proudest Blue by Ibtihaj Muhammad 🌙 And I Darken - Kiersten White 🌙 The Last White Man - Mohsin Hamid

🌙 Hijab Butch Blues - Lamya H 🌙 The Bad Muslim Discount - Syed M. Masood 🌙 Ms. Marvel - G. Willow Wilson 🌙 Love from Mecca to Medina - S.K. Ali 🌙 The City of Brass - S.A. Chakraborty 🌙 The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim 🌙 A Map of Home by Randa Jarrar 🌙 A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi 🌙 An Emotion of Great Delight by Tahereh Mafi 🌙 The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan 🌙 The Moor’s Account - Laila Lalami 🌙 Only This Beautiful Moment by Abdi Nazemian 🌙 Salt Houses by Hala Alyan 🌙 When a Brown Girl Flees by Aamna Quershi 🌙 Jasmine Falling by Shereen Malherbe 🌙 Between Two Moons by Aisha Abdel Gawad 🌙 Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini 🌙 A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini 🌙 The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini 🌙 Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal

🌙 Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie 🌙 All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir 🌙 The Bohemians by Jasmin Darznik 🌙 Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin 🌙 A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif 🌙 Chronicle of a Last Summer by Yasmine El Rashidi 🌙 A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena 🌙 Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga 🌙 The Mismatch by Sara Jafari 🌙 Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah 🌙 You Truly Assumed by Laila Sabreen 🌙 Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali 🌙 Once Upon an Eid - S.K. Ali and Aisha Saeed 🌙 Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan 🌙 Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson 🌙 The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar 🌙 A Show for Two by Tashie Bhuiyan 🌙 Nayra and the Djinn by Michael Berry 🌙 All-American Muslim Girl by Lucinda Dyer 🌙 It All Comes Back to You by Farah Naz Rishi

🌙 The Marvelous Mirza Girls by Sheba Karim 🌙 Salaam, with Love by Sara Sharaf Beg 🌙 Queen of the Tiles by Hanna Alkaf 🌙 How It All Blew Up by Arvin Ahmadi 🌙 Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan 🌙 Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi & Yusef Salaam 🌙 She Wore Red Trainers by Na'ima B. Robert 🌙 Hollow Fires by Lucinda Dyer 🌙 Internment by Samira Ahmed 🌙 Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa 🌙 Love in a Headscarf - Shelina Zahra Janmohamed 🌙 Courting Samira by Amal Awad 🌙 The Other Half of Happiness by Ayisha Malik 🌙 Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy 🌙 Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed 🌙 Mad, Bad & Dangerous to Know by Samira Ahmed 🌙 Muslim Girls Rise - Saira Mir and Aaliya Jaleel 🌙 Amira & Hamza - Samira Ahmed 🌙 The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf 🌙 Nura and the Immortal Palace by M.T. Khan

🌙 As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh 🌙 Counting Down with You by Tashie Bhuiyan 🌙 Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor by Xiran Jay Zhao 🌙 The Yard - Aliyyah Eniath 🌙 When We Were Sisters by Fatimah Asghar 🌙 The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty 🌙 Maya's Laws of Love by Alina Khawaja 🌙 The Chai Factor by Farah Heron 🌙 The Beauty of Your Face - Sahar Mustafah 🌙 Hope Ablaze by Sarah Mughal Rana

#ramadan #muslim writers #muslim #books #book list #ramadan mubarak #ramadan kareem #batty about books #battyaboutbooks

[richincolor]

New Releases for the Week of May 22, 2023

We have a nice collection of books to look forward to this week with a few contemporary realistic fiction novels, one fantasy anthology, and a story with a bit of a mystery. 

If You Still Recognize Me by Cynthia So Harperteen

Elsie has a crush on Ada, the only person in the world who truly understands her. Unfortunately, they’ve never met in real life and Ada lives an ocean away. But Elsie has decided it’s now or never to tell Ada how she feels. That is, until her long-lost best friend Joan walks back into her life.

In a summer of repairing broken connections and building surprising new ones, Elsie realises that she isn’t nearly as alone as she thought. But now she has a choice to make… — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Magic Has No Borders edited by Sona Charaipotra and Samira Ahmed HarperTeen

A pair of star-crossed lovers search for a way back to one another against all odds…

A girl fights for her life against a malignant, generations-old evil…

A peri seeks to reclaim her lost powers…

A warrior rebels against her foretold destiny…

From chudails and peris to jinn and goddesses, this lush collection of South Asian folklore, legends, and epics reimagines stories of old for a modern audience. This fantasy and science fiction teen anthology edited by Samira Ahmed and Sona Charaipotra contains a wide range of stories from fourteen bestselling, award-winning, and emerging writers from the South Asian diaspora that will surprise, delight, and move you. So read on, for after all, magic has no borders.

With stories by: ▪Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Ember in the Ashes series, and winner of the National Book Award and Printz Award for All My Rage ▪Sayantani DasGupta, New York Times bestselling author of the Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond series ▪Preeti Chhibber, author of Spider-Man’s Social Dilemma ▪Sona Charaipotra, author of Symptoms of a Heartbreak and How Maya Got Fierce, and coauthor of The Rumor Game and Tiny Pretty Things, now a Netflix original series. ▪Tanaz Bhathena, award-winning author of Hunted by the Sky and Of Light and Shadow ▪Sangu Mandanna, bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and the Celestial Trilogy ▪Olivia Chadha, author of Rise of the Red Hand ▪Nafiza Azad, author of William C. Morris Award nominee, The Candle and the Flame ▪Tracey Baptiste, New York Times bestselling author of The Jumbies series and Minecraft: The Crash ▪Naz Kutub, author of The Loophole ▪Nikita Gill, bestselling author of Wild Embers and Fierce Fairytales ▪Swati Teerdhala, author of the Tiger at Midnight trilogy ▪Shreya Ila Anasuya, New Voices selection ▪Tahir Abrar, New Voices selection — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes Balzer & Bray/Harperteen

Ariana Ruiz wants to be noticed. But as an autistic girl who never talks, she goes largely ignored by her peers, despite her bold fashion choices. So when cute, popular Luis starts to pay attention to her, Ari finally feels seen.

Luis’s attention soon turns to something more, and they have sex at a party—while Ari didn’t say no, she definitely didn’t say yes. Before she has a chance to process what happened and decide if she even has the right to be mad at Luis, the rumor mill begins churning—thanks, she’s sure, to Luis’s ex-girlfriend, Shawni. Boys at school now see Ari as an easy target, someone who won’t say no.

Then Ari finds a mysterious note in her locker that eventually leads her to a group of students determined to expose Luis for the predator he is. To her surprise, she finds genuine friendship among the group, including her growing feelings for the very last girl she expected to fall for. But in order to take Luis down, she’ll have to come to terms with the truth of what he did to her that night—and risk everything to see justice done. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

Forever is Now by Mariama J. Lockington Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Byr)

I’m safe here.

That’s how Sadie feels, on a perfect summer day, wrapped in her girlfriend’s arms. School is out, and even though she’s been struggling to manage her chronic anxiety, Sadie is hopeful better times are ahead. Or at least, she thought she was safe. When her girlfriend reveals some unexpected news and the two witness a violent incident of police brutality unfold before them, Sadie’s whole world is upended in an instant.

I’m not safe anywhere.

That’s how Sadie feels every day after–vulnerable, uprooted. She retreats inside as the weeks slip by and relies on her phone to stay connected to the outside world. When Sadie’s therapist gives her a diagnosis for her debilitating panic–agoraphobia–she starts on a path of acceptance and healing. Meanwhile, Sadie’s best friend, Evan, updates her on the protests taking place in their city. Sadie wants to be a part of it, to use her voice and affect change. But how do you show up for your community when you can’t even leave your house?

I can build a safe place inside myself.

That’s what Sadie learns over the course of one life-changing summer, with some help from her family, her best friend, an online platform for activists, and a magnetic crush she develops for the new boy next door. — Cover image and summary via Goodreads

#new releases #young adult lit #YA Lit

[runwithskizzers]

LOOK AT THIS COVER

I'm so excited to be a part of this anthology of South Asian stories written by South Asian (incl all aspects of diasporic) writers.

You can preorder here: https://www.littleshopofstories.com/book/9780063208261

A pair of star-crossed lovers search for a way back to one another against all odds . . .

A girl fights for her life against a malignant, generations-old evil . . .

A peri seeks to reclaim her lost powers . . .

A warrior rebels against her foretold destiny . . .

From chudails and peris to jinn and goddesses, this lush collection of South Asian folklore, legends, and epics reimagines stories of old for a modern audience. This fantasy and science fiction teen anthology edited by Samira Ahmed and Sona Charaipotra contains a wide range of stories from fourteen bestselling, award-winning, and emerging writers from the South Asian diaspora that will surprise, delight, and move you. So read on, for after all, magic has no borders.

With stories by:

Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Ember in the Ashes series, and winner of the National Book Award and Printz Award for All My Rage

Sayantani DasGupta, New York Times bestselling author of the Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond series

Preeti Chhibber, author of Spider-Man’s Social Dilemma

Sona Charaipotra, author of Symptoms of a Heartbreak and How Maya Got Fierce, and coauthor of The Rumor Game and Tiny Pretty Things, now a Netflix original series.

Tanaz Bhathena, award-winning author of Hunted by the Sky and Of Light and Shadow

Sangu Mandanna, bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and the Celestial Trilogy

Olivia Chadha, author of Rise of the Red Hand

Nafiza Azad, author of William C. Morris Award nominee, The Candle and the Flame

Tracey Baptiste, New York Times bestselling author of The Jumbies series and Minecraft: The Crash

Naz Kutub, author of The Loophole

Nikita Gill, bestselling author of Wild Embers and Fierce Fairytales

Swati Teerdhala, author of the Tiger at Midnight trilogy

Shreya Ila Anasuya, New Voices selection

Tahir Abrar, New Voices selection

Cover credits:

Artist: Jyotirmayee Patra Designer: Joel Tippie

#my stuff #writing #author life #south asian #diaspora #lit #kid lit #young adult #preeti chhibber #anthology

[pithia]

There are moments in life that define us. Then there are other moments where we turn things around, changing that very definition. Not even rocks stay the same across a lifetime.

Roshan (Of Light and Shadow by Tanaz Bhathena)

#quotations #Tanaz Bhathena #moments #perspective

[bookaddict24-7]

New Young Adult Releases! (May 23rd, 2023)

___

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:

Four Found Dead by Natalie D. Richards

Of Light & Shadow by Tanaz Bhathena

Something Like Possible by Miel Moreland

Picture Perfect Boyfriend by Becky Dean

Riley Weaver Needs A Date to the Gaybutante Ball by Jason June

Lost in Taiwan by Mark Crilley

Ever Since by Alena Bruzas

The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes

A Starlet’s Secret to A Sensational Afterlife by Kendal Kulper

Magic Has No Borders by Various

New Sequels: 

City of Vicious Night (Requiem Dark #2) by Claire Winn

___

Happy reading!

#books #bookish #booklr #bookworm #bookaholic #bibliophile #book blog #book blogger #Features #on books #on reading #read #reader #reading #tbr #to-read #new releases #new books #may 2023 #yalit #yareads #young adult #book list #claire winn #kendal kulper #sonora reyes #alena bruzas #mark crilley #jason june #becky dean

[stanning-reyna]

I just finished reading Rising Like a Storm by Tanaz Bhathena (go check it out) and there’s this concept in it called “compliments” where two people have a magical bond that allows them to combine powers, speak telepathically, etc and I think percabeth should have this.

The bond first formed at the end of ttc (you know when they dance together 😚) but neither of them realize it till they’re back at Camp for the summer in botl. They’re playing Capture the Flag and the creek suddenly erupts but Percy is standing there like “I did not mean to do that”

Annabeth was too panicked to admit it at first because nothing like that had ever happened before but the next day she tells Percy that she could almost feel the water and they end up telling Chiron about it. He thinks on it for a while and then concludes that they’re compliments, though that hasn’t been seen in demigods for centuries. Annabeth and Percy are both blushing of course because “we have a magical bond? does that mean they know I like them???” (No it doesn’t but you don’t need magic to figure that one out)

Anyways that summer they train to combine their power and by the Battle of Manhattan they can upend entire rivers just by Annabeth amplifying Percy’s abilities

#i like this very much #percy jackson #heroes of olympus #pjo #hoo fandom #pjo fandom #hoo series #annabeth chase #pjo series #percy jackson and the olympians #percabeth

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4/5

Book Blurb: Of Light and Shadow is a novel about magic, mayhem, love, and betrayal—the story of a bandit and a prince who change each other in unexpected ways. When they don’t give us our birthright, we steal it. Roshan Chaya is out for justice. Abandoned by her parents at birth and adopted by the kingdom of Jwala's most notorious bandit before his brutal murder, she is now leader of the Shadow Clan, a gang of farmers-turned-bandits impoverished by the provincial governor’s atrocities and corruption. Roshan’s goal: to avenge her adoptive father and earn back rights and dignity for her people. Prince Navin has always felt like an outcast. Second in line for the throne, he has never been close to his grandmother, Queen Bhairavi of Jwala. When a night out drinking with friends leads to his capture by the infamous Shadow Clan, Navin schemes to befriend Roshan and use her as a means to escape. His ploy, however, brings Navin closer to the corruption and poverty at the heart of Roshan’s province, raising questions about its governor and Navin’s own family. To further complicate things, the closer Roshan and Navin get, the harder it becomes to fight their growing attraction. But how can they trust each other when the world as they know it starts to fall apart? Set in a magical world inspired by the badlands of 17th century India, this standalone epic fantasy novel by Tanaz Bhathena is packed with political tensions, dangerous schemes, and swoon-worthy romance that asks the age old question: can love conquer all?

Review:

She’s the leader of bandits known as the Shadow Clan who wants to get revenge for the murder of her father and save her people from the governor’s atrocities and corruption. He’s the second in line prince, an outcast who spends his day flirting and drinking and he has soul magic. Two people whose’s lives completely change when they meet, or rather when she kidnaps him and holds him for ransom and he schemes for his release... yet the more he spends time with Roshan the more he discovers what is truly happening to his hand and people and that this bandit might just have stolen his heart. Prince Navin was only suppose to be something to help Roshan get her goals and help her people but things become complicated as Roshan and Navin learn about each other, spend time together, and actually work together to save the people from corruption. They are so different yet so alike, they both want whats best for their world but with so much on the line, can they really succeed? This was definitely an interesting read, it starts off a bit iffy but absolutely picks up and has a great ending overall. I found myself getting invested snd liked how the story wrapped up. The romance was great and I liked the magic system that was made. 

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

#book review #bookish #book #of light and shadow

[starsandsteelandbrokenglass]

April 2023 Reading Wrap-Up

I really thought that only being in one class this semester would mean a really chill end of the semester, but between other projects and trying to figure out my summer it has been...not that chill. But I no longer feel like I have to spend every free minute of every day studying, so I have been reading more! This month I read 13 books and about 5,300 pages:

The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher- 3.75/5 stars

Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood- 3/5 stars

Rust in the Root by Justina Ireland- 4/5 stars

Children of Ragnarok (The Runestone Saga #1) by Cinda Williams Chima- 3/5 stars

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson- 4/5 stars

The Atlas Paradox (The Atlas #2) by Olivie Blake- 2.5/5 stars

This Is Not a Ghost Story by Andrea Portes- 1/5 stars

Mister Impossible (Dreamer Trilogy #2) by Maggie Stiefvater- 3.25/5 stars

Greywaren (Dreamer Trilogy #3) by Maggie Stiefvater- 4/5 stars

The Jasmine Throne (The Burning Kingdoms #1) by Tasha Suri- 3.75/5 stars

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde #1) by Heather Fawcett- 3.5/5 stars

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance (The Tithenai Chronicles #1) by Foz Meadows- 4.5/5 stars 

None Shall Sleep (None Shall Sleep #1) by Ellie Marney- 3.25/5 stars

My favorite book I read this month was A Strange and Stubborn Endurance. Really good mix of mystery, court politics, and romance!

Currently Reading: Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena and Classic Ghost Stories

#reading #mine #monthly wrap up #monthly reading wrap up #april 2023

[c-m-li]

Supernatural romance books that aren’t Twilight:

So I read the Twilight series when I was in junior high, right at the ideal age range for them, and I remember loving them. Now, I can see them as cringey as they are with the realization that if they had focused on literally any of the other characters other than the 80 year old virgin or the high school student with the personality of cardboard, it would have been so much better.

but that’s a whole other rant

I’ve always loved the whole supernatural creatures/elements in modern day and figuring out how those two coincide and interact with each other, but it’s also much harder than it should be to find books that aren’t bodice rippers/majority smut or super tiny.

Like, if those do it for you, then good for you, but I’m always reading these things and skipping past the smut like come on *claps hands* let’s get back to the monsters and the magic!

Also, what is with making these books so tiny? I could grab one of them and finish it in an afternoon.

The following are books with supernatural/paranormal plotlines, elements, or characters. Most of them I consider YA since I read all of them except for one of the series when I was in high school.

The Fae:

The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa

The Wicked Lovely Series by Melissa Marr

Ghosts / Reapers / Death as an Entity:

The Servants of Fate Trilogy by Sarah Fine

(these I do remember having smut in them, but they’re not super long and I just flipped through the pages until they were done)

A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena

(this is the least supernatural of the bunch - mostly here bc of the POV it’s told through)

Magic:

The Beautiful Creatures Quartet by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

The Once a Witch Duology by Carolyn MacCullough

The Witch Child Duology by Celia Rees

(the 1st book takes place in colonial america, the 2nd one switches between modern day and colonial america)

Sea Monsters:

Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

Tides by Betsy Cornwell

Vampires:

The House of Night Series by P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast

The Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Werewolves:

Fateful by Claudia Gray

(not strictly modern day, it takes place in the mid-1900′s, but I credit it with getting me interested in werewolves, so I had to put it on here)

The Wolves of Mercy Falls Series by Maggie Stiefvater

Books w/ Multiple or General Spookies:

Another Faust Duology by Daniel & Dina Nayeri

(the two are in the same universe, but not necessarily connected - if you have to read one, I’d suggest the first one)

The Killer Unicorn Duology by Diana Peterfreund

The Pivot Point Duology by Kasie West

(these ones ride the line of almost being sci-fi instead, just bc of the setting, but the main character is considered clairvoyant so it goes with the supernatural)

The Templar Chronicles by Sarwat Chadda

(I don’t know what happened to the author, but these are the only two books that ever came about)

The Pinnacle of werewolf and vampire:

The Courtyard of the Others Series by Anne Bishop

The World of the Others by Anne Bishop

The first 5 (The Courtyard of the Others) follow the same main characters and story arc to it’s conclusion and the bottom 3 (The World of the Others) takes place in the same universe, but focuses on different characters outside the first story arc.

These can technically be in modern day, but it’s an alternate universe so some things are just slightly to the left of actual modern day.

I read these in college, but honestly, it’s just bc that’s when they were published. They are just a tad more gory than any of the others and while sex happens and is discussed it’s not really described.

i want to say they’re more mature than the others, but considering the heavy themes in the other ones, it’s not strictly speaking, true

they also have my absolute favorite portrayal of vampires

Happy reading!

#supernatural books #paranormal books #werewolves #vampires #fae #magic #witches #reapers #selkies #mermaids #ghosts #unicorns #shapeshifters #what if