titalindaslibrary's Reviews (687)

Honestly just not in the mood for this and I have more compelling library holds that just arrived 😬

While this type of litfic isn’t my usual favorite, I have endless admiration for authors who can create such tender emotions from what might be viewed as a simple and somewhat mundane plotline. 

Khong is wonderful at stringing together these little moments with such a sharp eye and reflective nature. It all feels very nostalgic and heartfelt. It wasn’t until the last half where the passages started to hit hard for me, so I’m glad I stuck with it! 

There are definitely pacing issues with this book, but the themes of violence, justice, and rebellion are so compelling. I really enjoyed the two main POVs by Ashoka and Shakti!

I’m definitely interested in seeing where this series goes and will be picking up the next book when it comes out. 

A bit of a slow start for me, and it took a while to get into. Also, there are multiple POV changes within the same chapters, so that was a bit confusing to navigate on audio.

But! Once I got the characters down and the main gist of how this world worked, I was sucked in! This gives me strong Princess Mononoke vibes and I really enjoyed that aspect, although I’m still a bit put off by the Valiants’ and their need to change native landscapes (

that THEY’RE a part of to be historically accurate??

) and essentially create colonies 🧐 The final battle and epilogue do show that this changes, but it just happens so fast and feels a bit rushed. 

But overall? I liked it. An adventurous YA fantasy featuring Filipino characters  and world! 

All I do is read about fucked up fictional characters and cry over them apparently.

A welcome addition to the Filipino diaspora conversation, rooted in Filipino history and examining the long lasting effects colonialism has left on our people.

This memoir is a reflective piece, mashing together Filipino, Bay Area, and personal history into a book I really enjoyed!