4.5/5 stars

This isn't necessarily a book you enjoy, but it is a book that will make you feel.

The entire time I was reading this, I felt sad and depressed. Everything was just so relatable, and I'm not even Taiwanese or Chinese. It made for a difficult read, but I also couldn't put it down. The romance was perfect (and that's coming from someone who hates romance), there were a few scenes that were kind of dramatic and had me wondering what the onlookers were thinking lol, but the ending was pretty satisfying and realistic.

Talking about Mei...I found her character to be really relatable. Especially the germaphobe part. While I don't constantly use hand sanitizer, my brain is always pointing out how certain things have germs on them/are dirty, and I'm always washing my hands or feeling the need to shower or do laundry etc. Seeing that in a book was actually really nice, cause it made me realize I'm not the only one who's like this lol

Mei's whole relationship with her family was also something that was really relatable. Her parents expectations really mirrored my family's expectations on me when it came to education, marriage, overall appearance and behaviour etc. The guilt that comes with not pleasing your parents, going against their wishes, even thinking differently from them, really connected with me. I felt the conflict Mei was constantly going through in her head. I understood how she knew her parents had worked hard and made so many sacrifices and only wanted the best for her, and I also understood how that made her feel more obligated to do what they wanted. I understood how her feelings conflicted with her parents, and how she felt that her feelings weren't important or didn't matter. I understood the controlling behaviour and tiger parent strategy. I understood the manipulation and threats. Everything was just too close to home and it hurt to read. I wanted to reach in and save Mei cause I could tell what was going to happen and how hard it was going to be.

When everything was revealed to Mei's parents about her visiting Xing and how she doesn't want to be a doctor, I felt so scared for her. And then when the inevitable happened, it was just so sad. I had hoped that maybe her parents would realize that they would lose both children this way, but they didn't realize that (at least not right away).

When Mei's mother's backstory was revealed, it really hit me how similar it was to my own mother's and that made this book even more difficult to read. I understood Mei's mother's reasonings behind her actions, and her owning up to it and telling Mei that it was her upbringing and lifestyle that made her think this was also right for her kids, really made me sympathize with her. If only that could happen irl more. If only parents could admit that they make mistakes and that they take out their frustrations on us because of what they've gone through, and that they're sorry and they understand that they're wrong and that they'll try and listen and be better. But unfortunately that's not the case for a lot of people out there and in many cases, you have to be like Xing and just do it – do what you know is right and will make you mostly happy, and every day it will get easier.

The ending was a good bittersweet. It felt realistic and something that I could see happening in a good case scenario. This book definitely left me feeling less alone, knowing that other people go through similar things, and in many cases have it worse than I do, but at the same time validating what I feel and making it okay to feel the way I do.

I think I’m Leon right now. I don’t have the words to describe how I feel about this book. I went into this story with a good feeling. You know what I mean. The bubbly, excited-nervous feeling, when you know you’re going to enjoy something, but a small part of you is pessimistic as always, and thinks it’s a trap. Usually I end up disappointed, but in this case, I fell in love harder than I was expecting.

Here’s my little Twitter thread that I made about 70% of the way into this book:

As I mentioned in that thread, I’m super picky with contemporary books, especially books with romance. I like to think that if I enjoyed a contemporary romance, then everyone else is bound to be 100% obsessed with it. So…all of you need to read this, whether you like romance or not. You have my guarantee that you’ll fall in love. If you don’t, feel free to yell at me.

I was mostly expecting this to be a cute, fun read, with some drama and classic misunderstanding between our two love interests. But this book is so much more. We have Leon’s brother, Richie, who was wrongfully charged with armed robbery. We get an insight into how screwed up the justice system is, and everything Leon and his brother have had to go through. We get to see a bit of Leon’s background with his mother and her many abusive relationships. And then we have Tiffy’s story, which is such a huge part of this book, and deals with toxic relationships and emotional abuse, and her journey discovering what was done to her, and her constant internal battles with herself as she struggles to break away from her past.

This last part was done so well. We really get to see into Tiffy’s mind as she struggles with coming to terms with the emotional abuse and manipulation. And as the reader, we see the signs so clearly. They literally scream at us from the page. But we come to understand that while all of these signs may seem rather obvious to us, for someone who has been abused in such a way, it’s not so clear or simple.

I really loved Mo’s character. Honestly, we all need a Mo. He’s so patient and has a presence about him that comes alive through his actions. He is exactly what Tiffy needed. I loved how he would stay silent and let Tiffy talk through her emotions. He always knew what to say, and yes, being a counsellor helps, but it was nice to see Tiffy coming to terms on her own, without her being pushed into it, or told this is what is happening to her.

Gerty I also really liked. She’s so strong and fierce and scary. I loved everything she did for Leon and Richie. I do think she’s a bit too harsh and judgemental, and I don’t know if I could necessarily enjoy being around someone like that, but she is there for Tiffy in the end, and I do love a strong, independent woman who can frighten any man with just one look.

Going back to Justin. I don’t want to be too spoilery, but the signs were there from the beginning. We gradually start to see the overall picture. And I guessed how Justin was doing what he was doing by the halfway mark. That being said, I still didn’t realize to what extent he went to get Tiffy back. It’s actually really freaky and I had goosebumps just reading the last bit of this book. Justin made me angry. Just as angry as Leon was at him. Men like him are the reason women fear for their lives. And honestly, I hope Gerty takes him to court and absolutely destroys him. He deserves worse than that honestly.

Okay, now for the romance. I know we’re all about romance and how amazing it is, which I’m sure it is, but here me out…

I have never aspired for a romantic relationship. But you know what I do aspire for? Tiffy and Leon’s relationship pre-shower incident (and if you’re asking me Sakina, what shower incident? I’m just going to say hehe cause if that makes you want to read this book, wait till I tell you that we have a “there’s only one bed in this hotel room” scene that will make you all scream in frustration cause Leon here is a pure English gentleman...most of the time).

Anyway, as I was saying. What sold me on this book was Tiffy and Leon’s early friendship. Seeing them get to know each other through the little notes they leave around the apartment was so cute and wholesome. I was squealing and laughing and smiling widely like a crazy person on public transportation. It just made me so happy. Those early stages of a couple getting to know each other are just great. And honestly, I would much rather get to know someone via notes/texts than in person, cause I’m antisocial. I didn’t realize that this is the kind of friendship/relationship I would want?? It never occurred to me this could be an option. No physical contact, no seeing the other person, just little notes and baking/cooking for each other. That is what I call an ideal situation.

Leon is wonderful. My fancast for Leon––cause this book definitely needs to be turned into a movie––is Alfred Enoch, aka our boy Dean Thomas from the Harry Potter movies. He was the first person that came to mind and it works perfectly, I won’t take anyone else for this role.



I still can’t settle on a fancast for Tiffy. But someone tall, curvy, with red-hair. And if anyone even suggests Scarlet Johansson they’re cancelled.

Leon is perfect. I haven’t read a character like him before. He’s so quiet and soft-spoken. He cares so much, and he hates change. He’s a hard worker and awkward. His relationship with Kay was kind of toxic in some ways. Kay seemed like a waaay milder version of Justin. At one point, Leon forgets to tell her where he is, and they have an argument. She’s also constantly blaming him for everything and making him feel guilty for something that isn’t even a bad thing. Plus she doesn’t believe Richie is innocent either.

Tiffy is bubbly and eccentric and I loved it so much. I also love how she’s an assistant editor for DIY books. That’s so unique and quirky and funny. The whole plot line with Katherin was so amusing and fun to read about. I found it hilarious how Katherin became famous because one of her Tweets caught the eye of a famous DIY youtuber. I love Tiffy’s sense of style and how open and spontaneous she is. She and Leon fit so well together, it was a match made in heaven, and I know Richie would agree, cause he was literally shipping them from his prison cell. Also, shoutout to the hospice staff at Leon’s work for rooting for Leon’s relationship without him even knowing he was in a relationship in the first place. Leon is surrounded by great people, and he deserves all the love and happiness. Tiffy also deserves to be loved and cherished and treated like the princess she is. This book had the perfect happily ever after ending. PLEASE, PLEASE SOMEONE MAKE IT INTO A MOVIE.

4.5/5 stars

3.75/5 stars

I don't think I'm going to write a full review for this one.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The world and magic system is very unique and something I've never read before. I did find some of it confusing at first, and even by the end I sort of gave up trying to keep track of what each bell was supposed to do. The history of the world this book takes place in was probably the most interesting aspect. I really liked learning about Touchstone's past and everything to do with Kerrigor. The ending was good, but not amazing? I don't exactly understand what Sabriel did to Rogir. I know she trapped him in the ring and I guess that's equivalent to defeating him. I'm curious to see what happens with the cats though. I feel like the story isn't as wrapped up as it seems.

Mogget was such a cute, sarcastic, cat. I love him and his sassiness.

Woodman aka Touchstone was adorable. I loved everything about him and his initial interactions with Sabriel. I was sort of shipping Woodriel at first, but things kind of progressed really fast at the end, from them sort of having feelings for each other, to suddenly, without any kind of discussion beforehand, Woodriel was a thing? And then they apparently loved each other too. I feel like if the relationship had been developed throughout the series (this is me saying this without having read the other books), it would have been more enjoyable for me personally.

Looking forward to seeing more about this world and the magic system. Lirael is supposed to be better I think, so I think I might like it more.

OKAY THIS HAD EVERYTHING I WANTED. HANDA SENSEI’S PARENTS, A WHOLE CLUELESS HIROSHI CHAPTER, AND IT ENDED ON A CLIFFHANGER I WAS NOT EXPECTING OH NO POOR SEI SAN

Not sure what to rate this. It was going to be a 4, but by the end it felt closer to a 3.75, yet I still enjoyed it a lot more than Sabriel? I don't know.

Lirael is probably my favourite character so far. Everything she goes through, from the very beginning to the end of the book was really well done and just so relatable. I will admit though, I wish there had been a trigger warning for the start of the book. Lirael has a lot of suicidal thoughts and almost attempts it at one point and I wasn't really prepared for it. Besides that, I really felt for her character. She feels so alone and out of place because she doesn't have the Sight. And all she wants is to belong and feel normal. It really hit me how similar I am to Lirael and how much I wish I was normal. But I loved seeing her grow into her own, develop her Charter magic and just become more confident in her abilities. It was done slowly throughout the book, with the POV switching between her and Sam, but I really liked following on her journey slowly. It felt a lot more realistic and the time jumps were really well done too. By the end, Lirael is quite a different character, but we get to see how she gets there. Her desire to help people and do what she can is so different from who she was in the beginning. I just love how strong and confident she's become, yet she still is vulnerable and scared and struggling with where her new path is leading her. She doesn't suddenly get over her past because now she has a special mission. She still feels pain and sadness and bitterness and loneliness. She's such a complex character and I really think she's probably one of the best written characters I've read.

Sameth on the other hand... I did start off loving him a lot. He's just a soft, messy boy who is trying his best. The trauma he goes through in Death with Hedge was awful. And I totally understood how scared he was. I wasn't a huge fan of Ellimere and how she treated Sam, cause he did need some time off and a break, but about midway through the book, he did start to annoy me. I don't want to say he's a coward. He's just a kid, forced to do something he doesn't want to do/isn't prepared for. Honestly Sabriel shouldn't have left him to do all of this on his own. Even her own father spent time with her going over The Book of the Dead and didn't just leave it to her to figure it out. Sameth trying to tell his father and mother he wasn't ready and not being able to was a huge mood. But we get midway through the book and he starts making stupid mistakes. And while it was fine for a while, I did start to get annoyed a bit. Sam is quite intelligent and creative. He loves to build things, and the revelation we get at the end fits so well. Yet I wish he wasn't so passive and scared all the time. I felt like Lirael had more of a right to be terrified and timid. She's literally been in a library most of her life, talking to Dog, and passing notes to people cause she doesn't want to speak with them. Yet she goes off on this mission, doing things she's never done and somehow manages to handle things better than Sameth. I don't know. The part where Sameth suddenly realizes how attractive Lirael is and tells her she'd be prettier without her scarf and in a dress had me going ... ????! The revelation we get at the end, just makes this whole scene super awkward lol, but still Sameth saying that crossed a line for me. I do love how Lirael is so anti-romance and just wants friends though.

Speaking of friends. THE DISREPUTABLE DOG. I did really like her, even though I'm not a huge fan of dogs lol. She is such a good friend to Lirael and I loved their relationship. Lirael having no one to talk to among the Clayr, but being able to confide in her dog was so special. I wish I had an animal/familiar thing to talk to sometimes, cause honestly I think they'd understand me better than actual people. But I also love how Dog doesn't just spoil her with love and kisses, but is also a little harsh at times and makes sure she's not drowning in self-pity. That's a good kind of friend right there.

When Mogget finally appeared I was so excited!! I missed my sassy cat and even though he slept through a lot of this book, it was kind of funny and definitely made this book a little lighter.

The plot though was so dark and a lot of the themes were too. Seeing glimpses of what was happening to the refugees crossing the border, what Hedge was up to, etc. was creepy and disturbing. But the end with Nicholas was just wow. I did like him at first, just because it was nice to see his friendship with Sameth, but he's so blind and ignorant and stubborn. By the end, I really did hate him, though I'm sure some of what he does and says at this point isn't him entirely.

We get a lot of world-building in this one, especially surrounding the Charter. I'm excited to see what happens next. Though I will say, this book felt like it was building up to a huge battle scene at Edge, near the Red Lake. But the way it ended was sort of anti-climatic. There were multiple smaller climaxes throughout the book, but it didn't end in a huge one, which made the book feel a bit off and unfinished.

Probably going to pick up the next book tomorrow!

Ahhh this book. I don’t have much to say except I love Lirael, Sam definitely grew as a character and I like him a bit more than I did in Lirael. Nick is meh and I don’t care much about him. The ending was so epic and fast-paced, though I was expecting Hedge’s end to be more dramatic. Also Chlorr has disappeared and I’m a little suspicious. Mogget sort of took me by surprise. He was acting very weird and I wasn’t sure what he was planning, but also it wasn’t too surprising considering how everything really concluded in the last couple pages. THE DOG THOUGH. She better not be dead Dead. She’s like Lirael’s one true friend and I get Lirael has a family now, but she needs her Disreputable Dog. I sad. Also glad Sabriel and Wood King are alive.

This was cute, a little cheesy and dramatic, but I enjoyed it just the same.

I live for NARU and Sensei’s relationship

This book was incredible. I didn’t know going in that Jill is Canadian, but it made me appreciate everything even more. I knew a bit about diving, but barely anything about cave diving. And while I always knew about how there’s water under us everywhere, to actually hear Jill talk about her expeditions made me realize how vast it actually is. She’s seen so much and been to so many different caves all over the world, it’s just so impressive and inspiring. Also, watching her overcome all the prejudice and bullying that comes with being one of few female cave divers was incredible. I really loved the pictures at the end and I kind of want to check out some of the documentaries that she’s been a part of or filmed.

I went into this book with really high expectations. When it was first announced, I remember being so excited. Another diverse fantasy, set in a Middle Eastern-inspired world, written by a Muslim author?!! After The City of Brass, I was craving something just as rich and unique. It was for that reason that I decided to join the WHTF street team. I ended up in the Demenhur group, which at the time I had no idea what it meant, and it was really nice being surrounded by people so excited for this debut. I was looking forward to getting a physical arc or an e-arc, and when I finally got the link to my e-arc, it didn't work, so I didn't end up reading the book before the release date. In a way, it might have been a good thing because I'm not sure what I would have done if I hadn't liked it then.

It took a while for me to actually read my physical copy. Not because I had doubts, but because I was waiting for the mood to set in. So when I picked it up finally, I was expecting to mostly enjoy it, though Gretal had told me she didn't care much for the romance. Romance is always a hit or miss for me. But there are times when the main couple grows on me and I end up liking them. This wasn't the case.

To start off with, the writing felt a little off. It just didn't seem to have a natural flow and I found myself stopping a lot and having to reread parts. (Though this could totally have to do with the fact that I was bored for a lot of this book and also sleepy from work). The prose was too poetic at times, other times it was just confusing, and sometimes it was dense to the point where it felt like things were dragging.

Speaking of that...this book is SO SLOW. The pacing was honestly the worst part. Not only do we have super short chapters, but very frequent POV switches. You would be in Nasir's mind for two pages, and then it would switch to Zafira for a page, and then back to Nasir or Zafira again, and it was just too jarring. It didn't help progress the plot or the story, and just made it drag on and on. It was almost like we got two books in one. A book from Zafira's perspective, and then a book from Nasir's, where every single thing that happens, we get to see both their reactions and thoughts. I found this to be so unnecessary, especially when there's no purpose behind it except to really hammer in the fact that Nasir has a dark, troubled past, and Zafira is sad and has no idea what she's doing or who to trust. As the reader, we get that already.

I guess in hindsight, maybe this book was supposed to be mostly character-driven? But it didn't feel that way at all. The found-family trope, or in this case found-zumra trope, just didn't work for me. I wasn't really rooting for the gang at all and I had no idea how any of them were so willing to die for each other when they had just met literally two seconds ago. There were chapters right after Benyamin and Kifah were introduced, and Zafira was like I will protect them with my life and I care about them so much *rolls eyes cause girl you can't even decide if you should trust Nasir or Altair and you want to go ahead and die for some strangers* We didn't see a gradual friendship develop and considering how slow this book felt, we had plenty of time for it. We were mostly told that they're now sort of friends, and I guess the banter between the characters was supposed to make us believe it further, but it just didn't work for me.

I was expecting a good chunk of this book to be the characters trying to make their way through the Arz and then the Baransea. But that literally took a chapter and I was shook at how easy it was. And then the rest of the book was just spent travelling in a desert and being attacked by ifrit occasionally and sometimes having huge revelations a la Benyamin cause he's the only one with answers, except of course he'll only tell them things when he feels like it cause PLOT TWISTS NEED TO HAPPEN. That really annoyed me. We barely got any world building and there were so many unanswered questions that could have been answered easily instead of just being held back for plot devices. I was told the book picks up in the second half, but it didn't. And even by the end, it felt like an info dump all at once during a battle scene that lasted waaay too long, and a lot of it was confusing and I had to read it twice to sort of get it.

I want to discuss the characters a bit, starting with Deen. Deen was honestly such a sweetheart, and I really liked his character and his dynamic with Zafira. I was just not a huge fan of the childhood friends/technically siblings-to-lovers trope. At least it was one-sided, but it felt like Deen's entire purpose was pointless and made no sense to the story. He had so much potential and it went to waste. I loved his relationship with Zafira though, I just wish the romance hadn't been added, only to be removed for another love interest to waltz in.

Benyamin was honestly the one side character that interested me the most. I wanted to learn more about him and Alderamin and also how he uses potions (??) to fight off the ifrit. And what is he constantly reading?? We do get a glimpse of his life, and just like the others, he has a tragic past that's meant to make us feel for him. I did find his backstory to be the saddest, and I really like how he has a wife who he loves very much and is waiting for him at home. We don't see stuff like this a lot in YA. I feel like everyone is usually single, ready to mingle, or already making eyes at someone.

Kifah's character needed more. Her backstory is again sad, though maybe I'm stupid, but I still don't exactly understand what her father did or tried to do? I wish we could have had more interactions between her and Zafira, besides Kifah cooking and offering her something to eat. I just didn't understand where the zumra came from, cause it didn't feel like a gang, but more like a bunch of people who happen to be walking in the same direction. Altair flirting with Kifah hints at something more happening down the road, but I'm also annoyed cause is everyone in this gang going to pair off now? I guess the way things ended makes sense now lol

Nasir. Lol. I'm sorry but I'm over the dark, brooding, self-deprecating, deeply tortured male love interest. Nasir's POVs were annoying to read. He's constantly wondering how Zafira looks at him without fear, yet I swear he's not that scary. And then we get the typical he can't stop looking at Zafira and noticing everything about her, and how is he supposed to kill her when he might have feelings for her, BUT WAIT HE CANT CATCH FEELINGS CAUSE TRAGIC PAST STORY ALERT! And then of course we have a

Spoiler

make out scene in the middle of a creepy, dark, marble room because that's the only way Nasir can get Zafira out from under the Lion's grasp, by kissing her duh, only for Nasir to be like "what haha no, that meant nothing, you mean nothing, I'm nothing, I deserve to die, my past is too dark and horrible, everyone I love dies, I hate you" and Zafira reciprocates with "haha, I knew this was a ploy for you to get close and kill me, I AM A SMART WOMAN AND I WILL NOT FALL FOR YOUR TRICKS", meanwhile both are like "nonono we shouldn't being saying those things cause they're not at all true" in their heads.

*BANGS HEAD AGAINST WALL* I'm sorry, I am not a romantic. I'm sure for plenty of people, this was everything, but it wasn't for me. Take my review with a grain of salt, cause I'm picky lol

Altair and his flirting. It was cute and funny in the beginning, but eventually it became kind of annoying. Every other sentence out of his mouth is some kind of innuendo. And while it was funny at times, especially when it was directed towards Nasir, the reveal we get later on, made me feel weird about the whole thing? I understand characters who are naturally flirty, but I feel like they also need to balance between being the comic relief and also being serious? It just sounds tiring being Altair, and while he can be charming, he goes from aww-that's-cute, to ugh-can-he-please-shut-up super quick.

Zafira as a character was alright. I just didn't really feel for her as much as I should have. Her reunion with her mother in the beginning was definitely a beautiful moment, and I liked her relationship with her sister Lana and her best friend Yasmine. And while I understand her motivations on joining this quest, I didn't really follow the whole "she did this because she wants to be loved" thing?? I don't get where that comes from? Is love synonymous with famous? But I swear she was curious about the darkness and she wanted to save her people, I didn't really see any selfish part of her wanting to become famous? She has people who love her at home anyway? Besides that, we get a lovely scene where she's bandaging up our love interest and it's very sensual and weird. Why can't we have a scene like this but platonic??? AND WHY DID SHE HAVE TO STRADDLE HIM. WAS THAT EVEN NECESSARY? I DO NOT SEE DOCTORS STRADDLING THEIR PATIENTS IN THE HOSPITAL IN ORDER TO BANDAGE THEM OR PERFORM SURGERY. Oh and I almost forgot the whole, I-want-to-fight-you-cause-sexual-tension scene. That made me roll myeyes. There were just a lot of tropey moments and scenes that did not work for me.

Overall though, I was bored. Like really bored. I sort of flew through the first half of the book, mostly because I was waiting for the other side characters to show up and hoping we'd get more plot and world building and answers and something other than walking through a desert. But then things got really slow and nothing new was happening and I had to force myself to keep reading. That's not what I want in a book. I decided about 3/4 of the way through that I wasn't going to read the second book. I just don't care enough about the characters or the story or the world to keep on reading. Even the ending didn't really sway me. The book overall wasn't that memorable and didn't have parts that stood out to me. I'm sad cause this could have gone so well and it didn't, and I am partly disappointed in myself because I know a lot of what I didn't enjoy is just me and not the book itself.

I'm lowering my rating to a two stars, cause it's more accurate, even if its a little harsh. I still think that a lot of people will enjoy this book. I have friends who did. But I guess my expectations are just higher after The City of Brass. And that's my fault cause you can't really compare an adult fantasy to a YA fantasy, but I can't help doing it anyway. I still think my opinions are honest and true to what I read though.