rezelazny's Reviews (1.09k)

I don't pass up the opportunity to read a book about myths, the shaping of history, magic and of course, my favorite place, Ireland. Wonderful read. It is dense, but don't let that stop you from picking up this wonderful work and digging in. Aisling and Anya are the twins of legend. Born to shape and be the Goddess that will join all the forces controlling Ireland. Tragedy strikes and the twins are no longer. Outside forces move to extinguish magic from the world and especially from Ireland. Heroes are born, enemies are made and you forget that you are reading a book with historical truth. There are many story lines threaded throughout this work. It does take a bit of patience to get everyone straight. Totally worth it. Please, oh please let this be a series and not just a one off.
Read through the First to Read program.

A fabulous retelling of the fairytale Aladdin, full of magic, suspense, romance and a bit of current liberal thinking. What if the jinni was a girl? Aladdin discovers a lamp and sure enough a jinni emerges to grant him 3 wishes. But, this girl jinni is using the thief Aladdin. Hoping to fulfill a promise to her master that will gain the jinni Zahra her freedom, she plays a dangerous game that will make her risk everything. I so enjoyed this retelling. I loved that the princess was a strong warrior and not some fumbling fool. I loved that this retelling focused on the jinni, the magic of the story. A wonderful fairy tale for strong girls!
a free galley was given to me through the first to read program

Ugh, double ugh. I had a hard time slogging through this story of thirty-something year old Elise trying to 'find' herself. Elise doesn't know what she wants from life, love or even work. I loved the parts about Elise's Sri Lankan travels. Didn't need the politics, was that supposed to go somewhere? I didn't feel sorry for Elise or even like her very much. This was a chore to read. I didn't mind the excessive sex chatter, but it does become just that, excessive.
received a free galley through the first to read program.

I just finished this book and I am sitting here struggling with my thoughts and feelings on this one. This is by no means fast read, or even an easy read. Told through the perspective of the youngest Tsai daughter, this is the story of a family, put through hell and how they lived through it, even though everyone was against them. But, it is also the story of a people, of a country, who like the Tsai family, have been through horrible events and have struggled to stay strong, stay sane, and stay true to themselves. I loved the history lesson of this book. Most of these historical events are not touched upon heavily by US schools. I enjoyed the family dynamics, the cultural lessons and how love can truly triumph. This is not a happy story, but one of family dramas that spans decades and shapes lives.
Given a free galley through the First to Read program.

I really, really enjoyed this book. That being said, I had a terrible time getting into the world that the author created. I was really confused on the terms for things, the geography, the royal family and heirs-but I stuck in out and in the end I am pretty sure I have enough of a grasp on what is happening to get me through this series. It took me a bit to find Jin and Amani likeable. I found Amani lacking and the mysterious Jin questionable rather than mysterious. Give the author a break, you can tell this is a first work. During the final chapters I was routing for Amani, I was actually surprised by the twists that the author dished out-go author! I still find Jin annoying. I will be reading the rest of this series just to find out if the Rebellion is successful. The secondary characters are just as interesting as the primary. Another huge plus.
Read through the First to Read program.