booksonmars's Reviews (670)

suri's writing is something i will always appreciate in fantasy books: poetic and lyrical, it paints a vivid image of this world, a world where magic, and women, are burned, and where we find our two protagonists priya and malini, who are victims of both. the pair find their lives intertwined with their desire for carving out a place in this world with ever-shifting politics and power that envelop them.  i think suri does a beautiful job portraying their story, and others; some people have argued that the multiple POVs got too much, but i think they were necessary in showing what this empire has inflicted to individual inhabitants, and how they've responded in their own unique way. bhumika, ashok and priya are all victims of the same trauma, and it's eye-opening to witness the ways it changes each of them, for the better and the worst. out of all the characters their development and plotline i enjoyed the most. 

i do still have some qualms on the book: the pacing is frustratingly slow, with most of the necessary plot occurring in the last third of the book, with the former two thirds used to build on characters and set the current political scene of the world. there isn't an info dump with historical or fantasical context, something i don't always enjoy, but without i was left disoriented and felt out of the loop in the first few chapters. i also think that despite character work being a preferrred tool in this book, i didn't really learn much about characters like malini until her last few chapters. the 'protagonist' role leaned more towards priya than a shared balance. in regards to their relationship, i wasn't convinced that they had any profound feelings for each other that wouldn't have existed without their constant proximity; even their parting promises felt stilted and not very believable. 

what i took for this book is that it is intended to be a buildup for the second two books, with the plot picking up there, which i hope is the case. i'm invested in the outcome for all the characters mentioned and the future of this world. 

the most magical intergenerational book i've ever read, that will make you fall in love with black women and being black. 

one of the best YA contemporary books i've read in a while, and one that definitely should be adapted into a tv show! in the vein of never have i ever, it follows a teenager girl grappling with grief, her sexuality and finding her voice through her favourite rap artists and poetry. also like nhie, the relationship rana has with her parents, particularly her mother, is a main focus in the book as well as a strikingly accurate portrayal inside immigrant families. this was beautiful, poetic, raw and magical, and i'd highly recommend!! 

this review is gonna be also on the series as a whole, considering it's the last book. throughout reading these, i've had the feeling that i'm supposed to like this series: it objectively has good writing, an ezpansive worldbuilding and characters with insurmontable depth. but there's always a few been niggling pieces that have stopped me from loving it instead of liking it. 

what i liked:

what i didn't like:

it seems like there's more that i disliked than liked but i did enjoy reading this book, props to rfk for the sheer amount of prowess needed to write a book this packed with historical strife and suffering. i'm interested to see if the rumours of a new book in this series is true, but i can't forget the number of times it felt like i had to push through and finish this book, making it more of a struggle than something i enjoyed reading. the jury's still out on whether i'd recommend this book.

nezha i must confess i’m in love with you and your daddy 

I really enjoyed this book: the summer mirage of Europe spilling through the pages, the cast of characters, being in Tom's head and the lines he blurred to excuse the things he did. I didn't know this was a series prior to starting the book, and I'm now interested in reading more.

(read for the laufey book club)

do not engage with this book if you are a people pleaser that overthinks every social situation with a strained relationship with your parents (particularly your mother), base your worth on your creativity and, due to a dose of childhood trauma, feel incapable and unworthy of love. 

yulin kuang you did your thing. and by thing i mean making me invested in these two sad and self-torturing individuals find the sweetest love together. yes i cried and yes i cannot wait for the emily henry adaptations now were in good hands!! 

i’ve seen this recommended everywhere, and tbh it was a bit of a disappointment. the discussions it had on death and grief were profound, and i did tear up at times, but the middle section dragged a lot. and the author has an obsession with having every character describe something as wicked. like ‘wicked hot’ or ‘wicked smart’. 
a good and moving novel, but only if you push yourself through those middle chapters. 

didn’t enjoy this as much  as the first one; there was less of a romanti builup i think because the author leans on the belief of chemistry by saying they’re second chance lovers. i cringed way more than i did in the first one. i did enjoy the plot and the mc’s relationship with those around her, particularly her mother. idk if axie is setting up a book about sun, but i’d really love to see one, especially because for a second there i thought he and sori had really good chemistry.