Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.
Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor’s son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.
To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.
As the title of this book review states, this might be my favorite fantasy of the year (as of April). And I have read a lot of good fantasy this year (She Who Became the Son, Six Crimson Cranes, Legendborn, Little Thieves) to name a few. This novel took the war intrigue and protagonist bad-assery from She Who Became the Sun and combined it with strong relationship-building to form, quite literally, my perfect fantasy story.
Sue Lynn Tan is an expert at playing with my emotions. There were several times reading this book where my heart dropped, and I had to put it down for a few minutes. The relationships were so complicated, and I could not see an easy fix to any of the problems. It was truly heart-wrenching but in the best possibly way because Tan’s writing is exquisite.
I’m not sure how she does it, but every line of Tan’s writing just feels magical. I don’t need beautiful writing to enjoy a story, but, man, does it seriously make a difference.
I could not believe this was a debut novel when I did some research after finishing. I am so excited to see what is next for Xingyin and for Tan’s writing.
Ok, I technically was not tagged in this. BUT I’m kinda just making up my own rules with this blogging thing. I’ve been running this blog for three months, which is honestly a lot longer than I expected myself to get with this. I saw Leslie do this, so I thought I’d take it and use it as a 3-month milestone post!
Hi y’all! I’m Louise! I’m a 24-year-old grad student studying to be a librarian, and I currently work in an engineering library on campus. I am definitely considering going into public librarianship, though, because I love working with kids and other people who aren’t in academia 🙂 I’m currently living in Illinois but am originally from Boston! And that is pretty much all I have to say in way of introduction lol.
Something most everyone wants to know…do you have any pets?
I have a 6 year old maltipoo named Gigi (after George Harrison), but she’s back home in Boston with my parents while I’m in school 😦
Here’s one of my favorite pictures of her after a grooming!
What is your favorite thing to drink?
Going to be veeeery boring here and just say water. There’s nothing like drinking a glass of ice water when you’re thirsty. Although, I do love a glass of wine on nights where I don’t have to work the next day!
What is your favorite season?
Spring!!! I love the feeling of everything coming back to life and the first warm day after a cold winter. It also just gives me a lot of nostalgia for when I was younger and would be finishing up the school year.
Do you have any special talents?
My family is all very musical, so we’re all singers and play instruments. I like piano and flute even though I haven’t spent much time practicing either. Not really a special talent, per se, but just a normal talent.
Blogging
When and why did you start your blog?
I’ve been blogging technically since I was about 14 on different platforms. First Tumblr, then I shared a WordPress book blog with a friend throughout high school. I started this one 3 months ago, obviously. Every time has been because I love talking about books and I wanted to share that with others. Not many people in my life are huge readers, so having all of you is really important to me 🙂
What is something that you wish you knew about blogging when you first started?
This is definitely premature, but I wish I had known all the WordPress tricks I do now. Other than that, I think there’s probably still a lot I have to learn!
What has been the hardest part about blogging?
Just getting myself to sit down and actually write the stuff out. I have all these ideas I want to post, and it’s been hardest to get myself to put them down on paper. Even though it feels good when I’m actually writing it out, I have so much going on with school and work that sometimes it’s just hard to stop myself from watching two hours of TikTok when I have some free time.
What has been the most rewarding part of blogging?
Definitely everyone I’ve interacted with so far!! I love seeing books I have in common with people and finding new books from people I follow. I hope to really get to know a lot of you continuing on 🙂
Do you write your posts ahead of time or write them the day of posting?
Usually write them day of, unless I have time to write two posts in one day. I don’t plan things out, because then it would become too much of a chore for me.
Reading
Who are your top 5 favourite authors?
This was incredibly hard but:
Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Jennifer L. Armentrout
Ali Hazelwood
Emily Henry
Jane Austen
What genre do you read the most?
This year it has been romance, but definitely overall fantasy/romance/romantasy are my top genres. I will never move away from these genres.
What genre surprised youby how much you love it?
Science nonfiction! I shouldn’t have been surprised because I love random facts, but I am a story girl through and through. Science nonfiction kinda snuck up on me in a few of the classes I was taking. I readThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks for a biology class as an undergrad as well as a few others and was hooked on the genre!
Which popular book didn’t live up to the hype for you?
I’ve said this before, but it will always be the first to come to mind. I really did not like House of Earth and Blood. Sooooo so long with barely anything that happens.
Who are some popular authors you haven’t read?
Casey McQuiston! Her books have been on my TBR for a while, I just haven’t gotten to pick them up yet.
What upcoming release are you excited to read?
Emily Henry and Ali Hazelwood. Enough said.
Do you listen to music while reading?
Nope! If I listen to music, I’ll just end up singing along. Yes, even if it’s classical music.
Happy Wednesday, everyone! I’m finally getting out of a major slump this week, so I have some good books for you today!
Currently reading: Daughter of the Moon Goddessjust came in from the library the other day, so I’ve been speeding through it! My finals are pretty much done, so I don’t have much to do at work. Yesterday I was able to read through most of my shift! I’ve also been listening to Dave Grohl’s new autobiography, The Storyteller. It took a bit to get into, but he’s finally getting into how he got into music and his time with Nirvana, so I’m really enjoying it!
Recently finished: I just finished The Honey-Don’t List yesterday. I had been going through it quickly and just decided to sit down and read the rest yesterday. It was a really cute and quick read! Review will be up in the next few days 🙂
Reading next: I just got approved for the ARC of Of Beasts and Burden which comes out in a few weeks, and I think I am very in the mood for a fae story right now. My audiobook of These Violent Delights as well as a kindle version of The Inheritance Games also just became available to me this week through the library, so I think I’ll need to prioritize these three, possibly reading them at the same time. Wish me luck!
What are you reading this week? Link your WWWs or current reads down below!
I saw this tag on Jordyn Reads and thought it looked fun! While I usually love a lot of popular authors and series, I do have some opinions that many of you might fume over for a while. To that, I just have to say: I’m sorry! And with that, here we go!
A POPULAR BOOK OR SERIES THAT YOU DIDN’T LIKE
This is probably my most controversial opinion. I hatedHouse of Earth and Blood when I read it in 2020. I usually love Sarah J. Maas’s writing, but this one was just soooooo slow and boring. I felt like nothing happened in this book. Everyone was getting so excited about the sequel that came out a month or two ago, and I just cannot understand where all the hype is coming from.
A POPULAR BOOK OR SERIES THAT EVERYONE ELSE SEEMS TO HATE BUT YOU LOVE
Ok, so this is a very beloved series. BUT there are a lot of people who think this series is poorly written which I could not disagree with more. I also technically have not read the fourth book yet, but there was a lot of drama surrounding a specific plot point (yes I was spoiled) that we ALL should have seen coming. So, if you were mad about that, I’m sorry but it was 100% foreshadowed.
A LOVE TRIANGLE WHERE THE MAIN CHARACTER ENDED UP WITH THE PERSON YOU DID NOT WANT THEM TO END UP WITH OR AN OTP THAT YOU DON’T LIKE
I’m going to steal Jordyn’s answer and go with Shadow and Bone. This is mostly because I just watched the Netflix series recently and Jessie Mei Li and Ben Barnes have insane chemistry. I do remember loving the Darkling when I read this series years ago, and I still feel like the series could have gone a different way with this.
A POPULAR BOOK GENRE THAT YOU HARDLY REACH FOR
I usually say that I’ll read pretty much any genre. Graphic novels, though, are probably a genre I’ve read the least of, and I’m not really sure why. I think this is just because I don’t enjoy consuming two types of media at the same time–it just slows down the story for me.
A POPULAR OR BELOVED CHARACTER THAT YOU DO NOT LIKE
This is another one I’m cheating on. I haven’t read this one. I DID just watch the new movie adaption on Hulu. If the movie characters are anything like their book counterparts, I absolutely hate them. So, so annoying and Joshua is not hot at all.
A POPULAR AUTHOR THAT YOU CAN’T SEEM TO GET INTO
Colleen Hoover. I actually read a good amount of Colleen Hoover books years ago and just have no interest in revisiting her writing. To be honest, I get really tired of seeing her books all over my feed.
A POPULAR BOOK TROPE THAT YOU’RE TIRED OF SEEING
I don’t see this as much anymore, but I’m sick of seeing the evil woman trope, where there is a girl who is just evil and antagonistic toward the protagonist for no reason or without any sort of redeeming quality. I’ve never met a woman with no depth. They do not exist. Stop writing them as if they do.
A POPULAR SERIES THAT YOU HAVE NO INTEREST IN READING
I actually love Naomi Novik’s writing, but I’m kinda over dark academia. Although, I thought of this originally, now reading the synopsis I kinda wonder if I would enjoy it🤔 Anyway, I probably will never read this even though everyone says this is an incredible series.
THE SAYING GOES ‘THE BOOK IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN THE MOVIE’, BUT WHAT MOVIE OR TV SHOW ADAPTATION DO YOU PREFER MORE THAN THE BOOK?
THE HANDMAID’S TALE. Hands down. I love the book but the show is just. Perfection. Highly, highly recommend this show to literally everyone. Yes, over the book.
Do you agree with any of my unpopular opinions? Share your own hot takes below!!
I saw Jordyn Reads do this tag, and thought it looked fun (also I’ve been in a reading slump the past couple weeks), so thought I’d jump on the tag train! If you want to do this, consider yourself tagged by me 🙂 I’m not sure who actually created the tag, so if you know please tag them below!!
How many books have you read so far?
I’ve read 30 so far! Definitely my best year so far since 2014, and although I’m currently in a slump, I think this is a good sign for the rest of the year!
Have you already found a book you think might be a 2022 favorite?
LISTEN, I will NEVER get over The Love Hypothesis. I am counting down the days until Love On the Brain. Fake-dating/enemies-to-lovers will always reign in my brain. I also can’t get over Maggie Shipstead’s Great Circle. It was just so beautifully written, and the way the characters develop throughout their lives is perfection. Cannot recommend enough.
If not, what was your favorite book you read that wasn’t quite five stars?
So, I did have two favorites (obviously), but I wanted to give honorable mention to these three romances. Just so cute and aghhhh. I wish I could read them all again for the first time. I technically rated The Roughest Draft and The Spanish Love Deception five stars, but they were really more like 4.75 stars in my head. You Deserve Each Other was a solid 4/4.5 stars.
Have you read any one star books this year? Or what has been your least favorite read so far?
The Moonstone Girls. Racism and horrible writing. Enough Said. Honorable mention to Ramón and Julieta which just had horrible writing. DNFd both. Don’t want to spend any more time thinking about them, lol.
What is your most read genre so far?
I knew it would be romance, but here it is straight from Storygraph. This all checks out.
What is a book that surprised you?
Going with two on this one. Rules of Arrangement was just such a unique story, and I did not expect it to be so dark and romance-focused, but I really enjoyed it! As for Little Thieves, I think I just expect to be very underwhelmed by young adult fantasy, but this one proved me wrong because it was just so fun!
Is there a book that has come out already in 2022 that you want to read but haven’t yet?
She Gets the Girl immediately came to mind with this question. I have it on hold at the library, and I will be dropping everything to read it once it becomes available to me.
What’s one goal you’re succeeding at?
I definitely am doing way better at maintaining this blog and my bookstagram than I thought I would be! As Spring is upon us, I just feel very excited about the reading and interactions I’ll be having through this platform.
What’s one goal you need to work on?
I need to be better at reading a variety of genres. I have so many books on my shelf that aren’t romance, but that look so good. Romance is very easy for me to speed through, but I need to feel less intimidated by my books that are outside the genre.
How are you all feeling about your reading a quarter way through the year?
I’m finally back with another WWW Wednesday. My Grandma passed away last week, and other than that work has been really busy. After taking some time to heal by myself, writing is helping me heal some more, so I am back!
Currently reading: I got an ARC of Island Time by Georgia Clark a while ago, and it’s coming out in June so I’m slowly working through it. It’s a lot different than I thought it would be, which isn’t inherently bad, but I definitely had to adjust my expectations. Very slow so far, but I’m hoping to finish by next week. I’ve also been listening to A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow. I borrowed the audiobook from the library, and it’s been a great read while I work out or play video games. The characters are so sweet, and I intend to finish within the next few days.
Recently finished: With everything going on with my grandma last week, I didn’t feel much like reading. So, I haven’t finished anything recently. I did start Ana Huang’s Twisted Love while mourning, but it really was not what I wanted from a romance. I don’t see myself picking that one up again.
Reading next: I’m kinda up in the air. I’m a mood reader, but I usually know what I wanted to read next. Right now, though, I just don’t know what I want in general. I do know that I have been thinking about reading G. R. Macallister’s Scorpica for a while now, so it might be time to pick that up. We shall see.
This month was a prime example of why I absolutely cannot be held to a set TBR every month. I don’t know how y’all do it. I had a plan for my reading when I went on vacation mid-March, and it went completely out the window when I actually got to my destination.
I really wanted to reread all of the FBAA series so that I could read The War of Two Queens when it came out. I think I got so caught up in the drama surrounding the contents of this book (I got spoiled, unsurprisingly), that I just didn’t want to deal with the series at that moment. I definitely do want to keep going with my reread, though.
Aside from all that, I had a pretty good reading month! I read 8 books (4 of which I finished this past week!).
March Favorites:
All of these are enemies-to-lovers in some way which is my favorite favorite of all time trope. So, it’s really no surprise that these are my favorites this month.
March Least Favorite:
I honestly feel bad putting Dream On with Ramón and Julieta just because I really, really disliked the latter. But both did nothing for me, and I need to say they were both my least favorite.
The Rest:
FBAA would be a favorite, but it was just a reread so it’s in this category. The rest of these, I enjoyed but they weren’t anything too special. I don’t see myself coming back to these at any point.
Have you read any of the books on my March Wrap-Up? What did you think of them?
In 1817 Edinburgh, a young woman, Hazel Sinnett, is destined by birth to marry her cousin and be the lady of his estate despite her dreams of becoming a surgeon. Jack Currer exhumes recently buried graves and sells the remains to surgeons looking for practice. The two come together to help each other and the city, not knowing they are at the center of something sinister happening around them.
Schwartz’s writing style made me so excited to read this story. I really felt the atmosphere she was trying to create of 19th century Edinburgh. The medical descriptions were along with the care taken to deliver Hazel’s passion for surgery were exquisite. I think I could have read a whole novel just about Hazel’s professional career.
I really ended up enjoying the mystery that Schwartz sets up within the Anatomist’s Society as well. I knew something was up, but I couldn’t really pin what. These were the most enjoyable parts of this novel.
Upon finishing, I wasn’t really sure why this is considered a love story. The medical aspects and the mystery seemed to me the focus, and the romance felt like it was just thrown in there at the end. I honestly did not even really feel a connection between the two except for a strong friendship. I wonder if this is due to it being a Young Adult novel, in which case this part maybe is not meant for me to enjoy so much and is fine.
Overall, though, I loved the writing and the vibe I got from this book as well as the characterizations of everyone. I’ll be looking out for other stories from Dana Schwartz.
Have you read this novel? What did you think about it?
This book has been on my TBR for a while, but I somehow never realized that it and Six Crimson Cranes were written by the same author. So, when I did realize this, I ran to the library to pick this one up.
Maia has hopes of becoming a master tailor someday, despite being a girl in a world where girls are not allowed to hold such positions. When the opportunity arises to compete to become the Emperor’s tailor, then, Maia disguises herself as her brother and heads to court. Here, a journey of magic and romance ensues for her.
Lim’s writing style is really enjoyable, and I can see that across both of her duologies. I really got sucked into Maia’s story from the beginning as she talks about her brothers and her talent for tailoring.
The competition aspect was also super exciting. The book was pitched as a Fashion Runway type book, and I really enjoyed seeing Maia use her talent. This might have been just an issue with my expectations, but I wish the book had more of a focus on the competition instead of going off on a second journey. I didn’t feel that the story flowed very well in this way. The romance also felt a bit rushed and just kind of inserted into the story in the second half. I loved Edan and his banter with Maia, but their relationship developed a little too quickly for the story.
The story and characters were also just a little too underdeveloped for my liking. I didn’t feel a very strong connection to anyone, including Maia even with how much I liked her. While the story had development and pacing issues, it was definitely a solid fantasy, and I’m still debating on whether I’ll go on to read the second book.
Have you read this series? Let me know what you thought!
Currently reading: Doing my reread of From Blood and Ash before the release of The War of Two Queens in two weeks!! It’s been a bit slow going so far because of work. I’m about 100 pages in and I love it just as much as I did the first time I read it. Hope to really get into it and finish it this week so I can move onto the second and third books.
Recently finished: Dream On is an eARC I got from NetGalley that I decided to read a bit early. It took me a while to finish; I just was not that into it. It was a cute romance, but I’m glad to be moving on from it.
Reading next: Aside from the FBAA series, Ramón and Julieta came in from the library this week, so I’ll be picking it up to read on my Kindle. It doesn’t have the best reviews, but I’m hoping the spice will make up for it!
Have you read any of these? What are you currently reading?
Louise Reads 