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anusha_reads
emotional
slow-paced
BOOK 9: STUDY FOR OBEDIENCE, SARAH BERNSTEIN #BOOKERPRIZE2023
The dictionary definition of OBEDIENCE is compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority.
This is a small yet powerful narrative of an unnamed lady who obeys her elder brother and constantly works towards keeping him happy. After a broken marriage, this brother calls his sister to be with him at the beck and call of his desire.
She is hated by this whole (nameless) town as there are a series of unfortunate incidents that occur after her arrival. Although the time frame sounds modern,( as she talks about using the internet and watching television, which refers to the current era), the people in this town are very superstitious and narrow-minded.
What makes people hate someone?
Do people fear the unknown, or do cultural differences, beliefs etc. create barriers?
She cries over a storm-uprooted willow, tends to the kitchen garden with the utmost care, observes the melting ice in the springtime and longs to be the ice, appreciating it for being multifaceted. The author describes her solitude so strongly, that it stirs the heart while reading.
Her world was one of introspection, exploring the boundless depths of her mind, questioning every move she made, doubting every action of hers.
The people in this town are prejudiced towards this lady who doesn't know their language and instead of helping her constantly blame her for all the mishaps that occur in the town. One can only sympathise with her subservient attitude as she believes that she has to be good in this terrible world.
Can upbringing brainwash a person to her core? Can someone be so very influential as to make her believe that obedience is the core value of life?
The whole book made me feel very uncomfortable as it is a very vivid portrayal of the life of this unnamed female protagonist in this unwelcoming town. I suppose that was the objective of the author?!
I found this plotless, descriptive narrative very difficult to read. It has long sentences with very few paragraph breaks. I found the whole narrative very sad though it's narrated without any emotions.
"I CONTINUED TO SPEND THE LONG YEARS SINCE CHILDHOOD CULTIVATING SOLITUDE, PURSUING SILENCE TO ITS EVER-RECEDING HORIZON, A PURSUIT THAT DEMANDED A PARTICULAR QUALITY OF ATTENTION, A SELF-FORGETFULNESS ON MY PART THAT WOULD ENABLE ME TO BRING TO BEAR THE MOST PAINSTAKING, THE MOST CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO THE OTHER, TO TREAT THE OTHER AS THE WORTHIEST OBJECT OF CONTEMPLATION. IN THIS PROCESS, I WOULD BECOME REDUCED, DIMINISHED, ULTIMATELY I WOULD BECOME CLARIFIED, EVEN CEASE TO EXIST. I WOULD BE GOOD. I WOULD BE ALL THAT HAD EVER BEEN ASKED OF ME."
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
BOOK 8: IN ASCENSION, MARTIN MACINNES #BOOKERPRIZE2023
“EVERYONE SHOULD BE ACKNOWLEDGED. EVERYONE SHOULD BE MISSED WHEN THEY ARE NOT RIGHT THERE WITH YOU BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY CARRY, THIS VERY DISTINCT WAY THEY HAVE OF BEARING THEMSELVES THAT IS LIKE NO ONE ELSE AND THAT IS BUILT BY EVERYTHING THEY HAVE DONE AND EVERYTHING THEY HAVE SEEN.”
The book is sci-fi and is divided into five parts. It is a nuanced story with a few scientific elements, which makes it interesting and insightful.
The protagonist, Leigh, while narrating her story from her childhood, talks about a physically abusive father, a quiet mother who is a mathematician, and a sister. She grows up to be a marine biologist in Rotterdam and scales the depths of oceans and travels lightyears across the universe exploring, still admiring the blue dot we live on. I loved Leigh, a complex character who, despite having had a difficult childhood, is driven by her love for knowledge and is always keen to work. Whether on a mission diving into the depths of the sea exploring the huge cavity in the ocean or while she travels through space
The protagonist, Leigh, while narrating her story from her childhood, talks about a physically abusive father, a quiet mother who is a mathematician, and a sister. She grows up to be a marine biologist in Rotterdam and scales the depths of oceans and travels lightyears across the universe exploring, still admiring the blue dot we live on. I loved Leigh, a complex character who, despite having had a difficult childhood, is driven by her love for knowledge and is always keen to work. Whether on a mission diving into the depths of the sea exploring the huge cavity in the ocean or while she travels through space
“IT’S NOT EASY, YOU KNOW, BEING A PARENT. I HOPE YOU KNOW THAT. BUT I’M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT FAMILIES AND CHILDREN; I MEAN EVERYONE. EVERYONE IS A PARENT. THAT’S WHAT GETTING OLD IS: CATASTROPHIC SENESCENCE. THAT’S WHAT DYING IS.”
A term that caught my attention was ‘CATASTROPHIC SENESCENCE,’ a term that is close to ageing, a rapid decline or deterioration with age. It was interesting to read about it as aging sounds scary and is a process everyone goes through. The arguments over evolution whether it was abiogenesis or biogenesis, discussions on the life of algae, the life of Atlantic salmon and its relation to parenting, how weather patterns and existence are related and the inclusion of many mathematical terms like Fermi’s paradox, and Klein’s bottle etc. which were all very beautifully woven in.
A term that caught my attention was ‘CATASTROPHIC SENESCENCE,’ a term that is close to ageing, a rapid decline or deterioration with age. It was interesting to read about it as aging sounds scary and is a process everyone goes through. The arguments over evolution whether it was abiogenesis or biogenesis, discussions on the life of algae, the life of Atlantic salmon and its relation to parenting, how weather patterns and existence are related and the inclusion of many mathematical terms like Fermi’s paradox, and Klein’s bottle etc. which were all very beautifully woven in.
An exquisitely thought-provoking book that makes us contemplate life and explains and reminds us of our existence on this beautiful blue planet.
“IN MY MIND, THE WORLD IS NOT REASONABLE, AND CAN NEVER BE MADE REASONABLE. IT IS MUCH MORE INTERESTING THAN THAT.”
“IN MY MIND, THE WORLD IS NOT REASONABLE, AND CAN NEVER BE MADE REASONABLE. IT IS MUCH MORE INTERESTING THAN THAT.”
dark
medium-paced
BOOK 7: PROPHET SONG, PAUL LYNCH, #bookerprize2023
“All your life you’ve been asleep, all of us sleeping and now the great waking begins.”
It’s a heart rending, dystopian tale which is scary because I cannot imagine myself in this situation. There is warmth and a protective feeling when all the members of a family are around and safe. The moment a person in a family goes missing every member of the family is shaken up, missing the person terribly and that’s exactly what the author has vividly and chillingly portrayed and much more.
The book gives a creepy feeling, like George Orwell’s 1984, Franz Kafka’s The trial, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaids Tale or Anna Burn’s Milkman, but it’s a lot more .Its about a lady’s struggle at keeping her family safe after her husband has been taken away by people from this totalitarian government. Her husband is an active member of the Teachers union of Ireland who’s striving to make the teachers condition better.
It is painful to see Eilish suffer and running from pillar to post looking for her husband Larry. A mother of four children, Eilish herself is a scientist but goes through hell trying to protect her family and she finds herself in such harrowing circumstances and has to decide for herself, what is best for her family.
“If you say one thing is another thing and you say it enough times, then it must be so, and if you keep saying it over and over people accept it as true.”
It’s a novel that reads so real that it’s bound to give nightmares because such situations do exist in this world and the author has brilliantly concocted this tale showcasing this tyrannical system that ruins peoples lives.
I’m glad it’s been shortlisted and maybe this could be the one!
“All your life you’ve been asleep, all of us sleeping and now the great waking begins.”
It’s a heart rending, dystopian tale which is scary because I cannot imagine myself in this situation. There is warmth and a protective feeling when all the members of a family are around and safe. The moment a person in a family goes missing every member of the family is shaken up, missing the person terribly and that’s exactly what the author has vividly and chillingly portrayed and much more.
The book gives a creepy feeling, like George Orwell’s 1984, Franz Kafka’s The trial, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaids Tale or Anna Burn’s Milkman, but it’s a lot more .Its about a lady’s struggle at keeping her family safe after her husband has been taken away by people from this totalitarian government. Her husband is an active member of the Teachers union of Ireland who’s striving to make the teachers condition better.
It is painful to see Eilish suffer and running from pillar to post looking for her husband Larry. A mother of four children, Eilish herself is a scientist but goes through hell trying to protect her family and she finds herself in such harrowing circumstances and has to decide for herself, what is best for her family.
“If you say one thing is another thing and you say it enough times, then it must be so, and if you keep saying it over and over people accept it as true.”
It’s a novel that reads so real that it’s bound to give nightmares because such situations do exist in this world and the author has brilliantly concocted this tale showcasing this tyrannical system that ruins peoples lives.
I’m glad it’s been shortlisted and maybe this could be the one!
dark
emotional
fast-paced
BOOK 6: A SPELL OF GOOD THINGS, AYOBAMI ADEBAYO #bookerprize2023
“SHE HAD NEVER BEEN ABLE TO SHAKE THE SENSE THAT LIFE WAS WAR, A SERIES OF BATTLES WITH OCCASIONAL SPELL OF GOOD THINGS.”
This is a Domestic/ political fiction, a story about Eniola and Wuraola. Eniola is a sixteen-year-old boy whose father has lost his job and hence the family of mom, dad, sister, and Eniola are trying hard to make ends meet. Wuraola is from the richer strata of the society and she is a hard-working resident doctor. This part of the story depicts the struggles of a lady doctor in her professional and personal life. One learns academically but life experiences are not taught.
Do the lives of these two families move on a projectile defined by the state or fate?
The book describes the economic, social, and political stance of the society. The author vividly portrays the stark extremities in the lifestyle of the two families. One throws lavish parties, wearing expensive jewellery and clothes while the other can't even get a square meal.
It also clearly depicts the pronounced patriarchy present in society, how ladies cow down to the whims and fancies of the men and they are expected to conform to the expectations of the family. In some cultures misogyny is so deeply embedded that females start accepting it as normal and even go to the extent that they reprimand the other females if they try to go against it, even overlooking the abusive nature of men.
The book talks about the Nigerian food and the music bands they listen to, and is sprinkled with Yoruba words and one can see how they address their elders too.
I liked the sisters of Wuraola and Eniola, both the sisters were bright, feisty and outspoken. They demanded what was right and stood their ground. I hated the character Wuraola for being reticent and submissive.
An optimistic title for a potentially powerful storyline, delving into challenging themes and character dynamics. Loved the story for its intensity and different ending.
“SHE HAD NEVER BEEN ABLE TO SHAKE THE SENSE THAT LIFE WAS WAR, A SERIES OF BATTLES WITH OCCASIONAL SPELL OF GOOD THINGS.”
This is a Domestic/ political fiction, a story about Eniola and Wuraola. Eniola is a sixteen-year-old boy whose father has lost his job and hence the family of mom, dad, sister, and Eniola are trying hard to make ends meet. Wuraola is from the richer strata of the society and she is a hard-working resident doctor. This part of the story depicts the struggles of a lady doctor in her professional and personal life. One learns academically but life experiences are not taught.
Do the lives of these two families move on a projectile defined by the state or fate?
The book describes the economic, social, and political stance of the society. The author vividly portrays the stark extremities in the lifestyle of the two families. One throws lavish parties, wearing expensive jewellery and clothes while the other can't even get a square meal.
It also clearly depicts the pronounced patriarchy present in society, how ladies cow down to the whims and fancies of the men and they are expected to conform to the expectations of the family. In some cultures misogyny is so deeply embedded that females start accepting it as normal and even go to the extent that they reprimand the other females if they try to go against it, even overlooking the abusive nature of men.
The book talks about the Nigerian food and the music bands they listen to, and is sprinkled with Yoruba words and one can see how they address their elders too.
I liked the sisters of Wuraola and Eniola, both the sisters were bright, feisty and outspoken. They demanded what was right and stood their ground. I hated the character Wuraola for being reticent and submissive.
An optimistic title for a potentially powerful storyline, delving into challenging themes and character dynamics. Loved the story for its intensity and different ending.
slow-paced
BOOK 5: THE BEE STING by PAUL MURRAY #bookerprize2023
“IN THE NEXT TOWN OVER, A MAN HAD KILLED HIS FAMILY” These are the opening lines of the 600-plus-page book.
It’s a family saga which talks about Dikie, a car dealer, his beautiful wife Imelda and their children Cass and PJ. Cass is about to graduate and is keen on joining college and PJ, amazed by science, is always quoting facts like “DID YOU KNOW THAT THE FIRST PART OF THE HUMAN BODY TO FORM IN THE WOMB IS THE ANUS?”.
The author describes the plight of every family member and the thoughts they go through while talking about their past and present. It is a wild concoction of family ties, sacrifices, love, hatred, despair and disappointments. On one hand, the author talks about Dikie being a father who was fun and would read LORD OF THE RINGS to his kids and in another moment there is a complete disconnect.
The book is set in Ireland in the wake of the 2008 recession. Imelda being bitten and smitten by the buying bug worries about what she might miss out on or what she might have to sell off. Cass worries about her college admission, while PJ thinks that his parents might divorce. Subsequently, Dikie runs away to the woods to build a shelter for some apocalypse.
The book is set in Ireland in the wake of the 2008 recession. Imelda being bitten and smitten by the buying bug worries about what she might miss out on or what she might have to sell off. Cass worries about her college admission, while PJ thinks that his parents might divorce. Subsequently, Dikie runs away to the woods to build a shelter for some apocalypse.
It encapsulates the struggles of the father (Dikie), his sacrifices, his helplessness, and his guilt which makes him a pitiable character.
I was in a quandary, trying to get acclimatized to the non-grammatical chunk of the book, which was devoid of commas, full-stops and semicolons and one had to just understand that the sentence had ended or begun. Then again there was a sudden change; it shifted to the second-person narrative. I found it interesting that by pushing the boundaries of traditional storytelling the author created such a unique writing style and depicts his creative brilliance.
Do all families bring out the best in you? Do families help you get through troubled times? Are families synonymous with unconditional love? Can one feel lonely even when he/she has a family? Is the current era the age of humans or the age of loneliness?
Read this epic to know what happens!
reflective
medium-paced
BOOK 4: THE HOUSE OF DOORS, by TAN TWAN ENG #bookerprize2023
‘FACT AND FICTION ARE SO INTERMINGLED IN MY WORK THAT NOW, LOOKING BACK ON IT, I CAN HARDLY DISTINGUISH ONE FROM THE OTHER.’- SOMERSET MAUGHAM, THE SUMMING UP.
True to this epigraph, the story has elements of reality and elements of amazing imagination. Going by the definition of a story, it has a series of events, a brilliant plot, and evokes emotion too.
True to this epigraph, the story has elements of reality and elements of amazing imagination. Going by the definition of a story, it has a series of events, a brilliant plot, and evokes emotion too.
Tan Twan Eng has woven this tale using real people: Somerset Maugham, Sun Yat Sen, Ethel Proudlock; some real facts, some real events and an amazing novel that only feels real.
The house behind every door has a story and a door often represents transitions, changes or opportunities. Curiosity to unravel what is behind the door makes us embrace even the unfamiliar.
The book was inspired by Somerset's Play The Letter, which was also made into a film.
The whole story takes place in Penang, Malaysia. Lesley is the wife of a lawyer named Robert. Robert and Willie(Somerset Maugham ) are friends. They invite Willie over to their house. Lesley starts telling Willie about Sun Yat Sen and Ethel Proudlock, which in turn helps him write great books. Robert warns Lesley that she shouldn’t tell Willie about personal incidents as they could chance upon the stories in one of his books. The story unfolds revealing a lot of secrets, deceit, homophobia, infidelities, political turmoil, concealed sexuality, and gender bias. The book prominently highlights the problems faced by gay people in that era.
I felt that Lesley was the most prominent character in the book, though the book is about Somerset Maugham.
I felt that Lesley was the most prominent character in the book, though the book is about Somerset Maugham.
Its a layered novel with narratives moving between Willie and Lesley.I thought that the whole idea of weaving a story around this author is brilliant.
Tan Twan Eng’s debut novel The Gift of Rain was nominated for Booker long list in 2007 and his novel The Garden Of Evening Mists won the @walterscottprize 2013 and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2012.
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
BOOK 3: THIS OTHER EDEN by PAUL HARDING, #bookerprize2023
When we talk about history, we talk about prominent figures that radically changed the fabric of society, but we hardly know about our ancestors who brought about changes in our culture or the family tradition. We don’t even know the names of our forefathers ten generations behind us.
Coming to this novel I can only say that it is an epic-of-a-novel with diverse characters and is based on real events. The author Paul Harding won the Pulitzer Prize (for fiction) in 2010, for his novel Tinkers.
"Children bit sour Greenings on dares and laughed at one another when their eyes watered and mouths puckered."
They hardly had enough food, they wore threadbare clothes, and they shivered with cold. They are seen singing and chatting and enjoying the starlit nights, the trees, and the sea. This island is a vibrant inclusive community of multicolored people.
The story begins in 1793, on a fictional reimagined island called Apple Island. Benjamin Honey, an American, Bantu, Igbo, a runaway slave, and his Irish wife Patience settle on this island and plant Apple trees, hence the name of the island. The story continues about a hundred years later with Esther Honey, their great-granddaughter, who is seen with her granddaughter. Esther is portrayed as a strong woman. Though she is haunted by the memories of her painful past, everyone looks up to her as a trusted advisor.
A prejudiced white missionary teacher comes to the island to teach the children and starts identifying talented children there. Even he is seen perturbed by the eviction.
If seven or eight generations live on the same property, which spans more than a hundred years, doesn’t the property belong to them?
It’s a lyrically written prose with vivid descriptions and evocative imagery. It beautifully explores the themes of displacement, loss, and the complex relationship between humans and the environment.
This compelling tale is a reminder of unjust power and bigotry. The masterfully crafted story highlights the painful reality faced by the islanders, who were cast aside in the name of prejudice and discrimination.
This brilliant book could be the one!
When we talk about history, we talk about prominent figures that radically changed the fabric of society, but we hardly know about our ancestors who brought about changes in our culture or the family tradition. We don’t even know the names of our forefathers ten generations behind us.
Coming to this novel I can only say that it is an epic-of-a-novel with diverse characters and is based on real events. The author Paul Harding won the Pulitzer Prize (for fiction) in 2010, for his novel Tinkers.
"Children bit sour Greenings on dares and laughed at one another when their eyes watered and mouths puckered."
They hardly had enough food, they wore threadbare clothes, and they shivered with cold. They are seen singing and chatting and enjoying the starlit nights, the trees, and the sea. This island is a vibrant inclusive community of multicolored people.
The story begins in 1793, on a fictional reimagined island called Apple Island. Benjamin Honey, an American, Bantu, Igbo, a runaway slave, and his Irish wife Patience settle on this island and plant Apple trees, hence the name of the island. The story continues about a hundred years later with Esther Honey, their great-granddaughter, who is seen with her granddaughter. Esther is portrayed as a strong woman. Though she is haunted by the memories of her painful past, everyone looks up to her as a trusted advisor.
A prejudiced white missionary teacher comes to the island to teach the children and starts identifying talented children there. Even he is seen perturbed by the eviction.
If seven or eight generations live on the same property, which spans more than a hundred years, doesn’t the property belong to them?
It’s a lyrically written prose with vivid descriptions and evocative imagery. It beautifully explores the themes of displacement, loss, and the complex relationship between humans and the environment.
This compelling tale is a reminder of unjust power and bigotry. The masterfully crafted story highlights the painful reality faced by the islanders, who were cast aside in the name of prejudice and discrimination.
This brilliant book could be the one!
emotional
medium-paced
BOOK 2: PEARL by SIAN HUGHE, #bookerprize202a
What is so magical about a mom’s love that it gets etched into our souls? Why don’t we ever talk about a father’s love towards children?
If a child is rendered motherless, can fathers fill the void? Does it affect the children all through their life?
PEARL is a bildungsroman/psychological fiction.
A mother disappears, leaving behind her husband Edward, her baby Joe and eight-year-old Marianne.
The narrator of the story is Marianne. While reminiscing about the time she had spent with her mom, she talks about all the happy moments she had with her mom, reading books like Alice in Wonderland, Little Princess, Charlotte’s Web, and Harriet the Spy. She recollects the rhymes they would sing together, the bike rides, and how her mother used to be happy doing things for them. Then why did she leave them? Did she leave them? Did something happen to her?
The narrator of the story is Marianne. While reminiscing about the time she had spent with her mom, she talks about all the happy moments she had with her mom, reading books like Alice in Wonderland, Little Princess, Charlotte’s Web, and Harriet the Spy. She recollects the rhymes they would sing together, the bike rides, and how her mother used to be happy doing things for them. Then why did she leave them? Did she leave them? Did something happen to her?
She worries, thinks, mulls over, contemplates, regrets, doubts, and blames herself constantly and calls it a misadventure. She recollects but then she doubts her memories too, blaming herself again. One can feel the angst in the child, how she misses her mother, whom she spent all her time with. What would an eight-year-old child feel if she is being questioned time and again about her mother’s disappearance?
The people around them are not very empathetic towards them. The house they used to live in is dilapidated, but it is her house, and she knows its nooks and crannies. They move out of it, but she misses it a lot.
Being home-schooled for many years, Marianne finds it difficult to adjust and she plays hooky from school mostly.
I admired their father, Edward’s patience, who brought up the children as best as he could. He had injected the reality of the mother’s desertion into his life.
Later when Marianne becomes a mother, she keeps doubting herself, whether she might ditch her daughter the way her mom did or if she might pass on some bad genes to her daughter.
Later when Marianne becomes a mother, she keeps doubting herself, whether she might ditch her daughter the way her mom did or if she might pass on some bad genes to her daughter.
Like Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca, Marianne’s mom’s presence and absence are felt throughout the book.
It’s a beautiful heart-breaking story with a sprinkle of gothic elements. Every chapter has an epigraph, and it is invariably a cute rhyme.
The author has brilliantly portrayed the mental trauma Marianne goes through, throughout her life.
The author has brilliantly portrayed the mental trauma Marianne goes through, throughout her life.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
BOOK 1: #bookerprizelonglist2023
The protagonist is thirteen-year-old Jamie O’Neill. There are two intertwined stories, one about Jamie and another about the teacher Mrs Tess Mahon.
“Humans can survive without poems. It is nice to have them, but without them, no one suffers, whereas the world needs maths.”
Jamie loves tall trees, winter, November, complete tales and poems of Edgar Allan Poe and Mathematics. He doesn’t like Francis Bacon but likes Paul Henry. He is a brilliant boy but is not like other students.
“To understand how a person might feel, see it as a compliment. That’s how I’d see it. Sensitive people solve a lot of the world’s problems, so they’re problem solvers, ultimately.”
Sometimes people do not accept those who are different and often ridicule them and then some recognise them and accept them for who they are. I hated the principal Father Faulks for being mean and partial.
“To some, the world is filled with threats. To others, opportunities.”
Jamie wants to build a machine with which he can connect with his mother, who is no more.
It is a sweet story about lost links, relationships, missing people, hurt, hidden truth, the chaos one builds around themselves or the mess others create due to all these reasons and more.
Despite having many problems, some admire and appreciate the beauty in life. Some make it their objective to encourage and appreciate the effort of others.
Jamie is a well-drawn-out character one is sure to fall in love with. One falls for his innocence and his brilliance.
“chaos is a branch of maths that proves dynamical systems whose random states of disorder and irregularities are governed by determined laws that are highly sensitive to initial conditions, right?”
The clear crisp prose and the beautiful story make the book unputdownable, so I relished it. Parts of the book reads like a poem. The story is narrated with such tenderness that one melts reading it. The book speaks for itself depicting the brilliance of the author.
slow-paced
Fourth wing is romance/fantasy. Having seen this book all over bookstagram, I was tempted to read this book. Fourth wing was a very different and easy read.
“A dragon without its rider is a tragedy.
A rider without their dragon is dead.”
It felt like hunger games with a sprinkle of fantasy and some steamy scenes. I was looking forward to loads of dragons and magic. I wanted more dragon-based scenes, most probably because I started reading the book with a preconceived notion.
“Basgiath War College isn’t known for being kind to…well, anyone, even those of us whose mothers are in command.”
Protagonist Violet Sorrengail gets forced by her mom to take up a career as a rider as opposed to being a scribe, which she enjoys thoroughly. I’m sure part two of this book will have a reason as to why her mom forced her into it although it’s very difficult, challenging, and dangerous. I somehow feel moms have a sixth sense when it comes to deciding something for their children, though I do not support the fact that children be forced to pursue some career of their parents choice. One must only take up an occupation that one enjoys.
Most of the book talks about Violet’s training and her relationship with various other people in her quadrant. Violet faces constant threats from many people, goes through rigorous training and trials and then faces the dragons. The dragons choose the riders or otherwise, I enjoyed this part the most and I found the golden dragon very cute. The author does not talk much about Violet's childhood or the family background as she wants the readers to keep guessing and expecting some answers in the other parts of the book.
“One generation to change the text. One generation chooses to teach that text. The next grows, and the lie becomes history.”
Though one knows that it is followed by the next book, I still enjoyed the last hundred pages the most as it’s the most thrilling, adventurous and with twists and turns.
A famous book which is only the first part in the five-part Empyrean series. It is followed by IRON FLAME, which is expected sometime in November this year.
“A dragon without its rider is a tragedy.
A rider without their dragon is dead.”
It felt like hunger games with a sprinkle of fantasy and some steamy scenes. I was looking forward to loads of dragons and magic. I wanted more dragon-based scenes, most probably because I started reading the book with a preconceived notion.
“Basgiath War College isn’t known for being kind to…well, anyone, even those of us whose mothers are in command.”
Protagonist Violet Sorrengail gets forced by her mom to take up a career as a rider as opposed to being a scribe, which she enjoys thoroughly. I’m sure part two of this book will have a reason as to why her mom forced her into it although it’s very difficult, challenging, and dangerous. I somehow feel moms have a sixth sense when it comes to deciding something for their children, though I do not support the fact that children be forced to pursue some career of their parents choice. One must only take up an occupation that one enjoys.
Most of the book talks about Violet’s training and her relationship with various other people in her quadrant. Violet faces constant threats from many people, goes through rigorous training and trials and then faces the dragons. The dragons choose the riders or otherwise, I enjoyed this part the most and I found the golden dragon very cute. The author does not talk much about Violet's childhood or the family background as she wants the readers to keep guessing and expecting some answers in the other parts of the book.
“One generation to change the text. One generation chooses to teach that text. The next grows, and the lie becomes history.”
Though one knows that it is followed by the next book, I still enjoyed the last hundred pages the most as it’s the most thrilling, adventurous and with twists and turns.
A famous book which is only the first part in the five-part Empyrean series. It is followed by IRON FLAME, which is expected sometime in November this year.