This sequel is the outcome of white feminists trying to be intersectional, and it truly shows in a painfully 'beat-you-in-the-head-with-a-blunt-instrument' kind of way. The attempt to address the reality that BIPOC women suffer from both patriarchy and white supremacy was clumsy at best.

Anyway, if the third book still does not acknowledge trans and non-binary people, I'm going to rage.

Would I recommend this? Probably not. But am I curious to know this trilogy's conclusion? Admittedly, yes.

Pitched as Greek mythology meets Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters seems to be a book that readers either really love or really hate. While I was admittedly interested enough to keep listening to the audiobook until the story's conclusion, it's not a book that I can recommend to people.

Initial thoughts:

Right from the beginning, I was reeled in. Just when I thought this story could not be more compelling, the last one-third had me staying up until 2 AM to finish this.

Full review to follow.

Despite being heavily influenced by the ancient epic Mahabharata and other Indian lore, there is nothing quite like Mandanna’s novel – A Spark of White Fire is an absolutely unique, genre-defying gamechanger in YA.

- Perfectly seamless blending of fantasy and science fiction elements!
- Intricately developed world-building nicely integrated with Indian mythology!
- Meddlesome gods and goddesses, and celestial weapons blessed by them!
- Flawed, morally ambiguous characters of color!
- Family complexities and character relationships!
- Compelling plot with political scheming and fighting against the tides of destiny!
- A thrilling, satisfying conclusion that sets up the sequel very nicely!

Overall, A Spark of White Fire is wonderfully imaginative, culturally rich, and fascinatingly complex. It goes without saying that I absolutely enjoyed it! With a flawed heroine who grows stronger in the face of adversity, complex characters that are more than what meets the eye, a compelling plot with themes of family politics, betrayal, and loyalty, A Spark of White Fire is a brilliant space opera no one should miss out on.

Trigger/Content warning:

Spoiler

Death; themes of war; parental abandonment; murder.

Disclosure: I received a physical ARC of A Spark of White Fire from Samantha Shannon from Twitter. Thank you so much!

Rating: 5 stars
* Read the rest of this review in my natural habitat!

Second book syndrome? I don’t know her. I am giving this book all the stars because it broke me and the world is not ready.

Review to follow.

Pleased to say that with the author's blessing, I will be organizing a blog tour for A House of Rage and Sorrow, which you can sign up for!

This book swallowed my heart and spat it out. How rude.

Initial thoughts:

I'm torn and conflicted. Ravage the Dark is a fascinating follow-up and good conclusion to this dark, gritty fantasy duology. However, its boundless potential was not fully realized and that's largely due to the plot and pacing issues.

On one hand, I don't think that this story has enough material to be expanded into a trilogy. But on the other hand, I also feel that Ravage the Dark tried to cram in too many things within a finite number of pages. The change in pacing was hard for me to ignore, especially since I had reread Scavenge the Stars prior. And even more unfortunate, despite the sequel's brisk pacing, the plot did not carry the same level of energy. Much of the politics and conspiracies were left vague and lacking.

Nonetheless, I am impressed that the author managed to tie all loose ends - because believe me, there were plenty - in ways that are sensible and satisfactory. I also liked how this sequel handled grief, trauma, and healing. My main gripe lies in wishing the author had more time and more pages to work with.

Recommended!