BOOK REVIEW : THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES BY ALEX E. HARROW
The Once And Future Witches is my first book by Alex E. Harrow. I haven't read her debut novel, Ten Thousand Doors Of January. But I have seen a lot of raving reviews for it and, I knew I needed to check out her feministic story of justice and women's rights movements with witching to aid the cause. It is a story told from the perspective of the three Eastwood sisters, and we get to know them intimately through the novel as it unfolds. The three estranged sisters come together in New Salem at a suffragist's march, pulled by ancient witching. They want to make the fight for women's rights…
BOOK REVIEW : THE IMMORTAL WORDS (THE GRAVE KINGDOM #3) BY JEFF WHEELER
The Immortal Words picks up right from where the story left off in The Buried World. Bingmei is set out to accomplish her task of fulfilling the prophecy while having to escape both Echion and Xisi. The challenges that are in front of her keep on getting tougher with each step. She has to deal with her fear of death and also do something that will put an end to the era of cruelty and destruction brought forward by the reign of the dragons. The story was interesting and had raised the stakes higher with lots of fight sequences and near-death moments. The story and history are slowly unraveled and…
BOOK REVIEW : THE STRANGE ADVENTURES OF H BY SARAH BURTON
The Strange Adventures Of H is a fascinating memoir-style coming-of-age story of a young girl by the name H. This story is set during the Great Plague of London. It also covers The Great Fire of London and The Shrove Tuesday Riots that happened in London. H tells the readers her life story by taking us through a series of unfortunate events that drive her to make difficult decisions and having to fend for herself in the 17th century London that wasn't kind to young women who didn't have a man's protection. This is such an honest and raw account of her life experiences that make her the person she…
BOOK REVIEW : MYTHOPEDIA – AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MYTHICAL BEASTS AND THEIR MAGICAL TALES BY GOOD WIVES AND WARRIORS
Mythopedia is a brilliantly illustrated encyclopedia of mythical beasts and fantastical creatures from around the world. The beautiful cover pulled me in from the moment I laid my eyes on it. The book is well researched and filled with enlightening information regarding various beasts and creatures often heard in lores. It was an absolute delight to read this book and a visual feast as well. I was awed by the vivid details added to the beautiful art in this book. The bright colors, the imagery this book presents is breathtaking!!
BOOK REVIEW : BLACK SUNDAY BY TOLA ROTIMI ABRAHAM
Black Sunday by Tola Rotimi Abraham is a West-African literary fiction set in Lagos. I requested this book primarily because of the cover. That cover drew me in, and once I read the synopsis I was intrigued by it. The story is told from the POVs of the 4 siblings who were left by their mother and then, later on by their father as well. They were entrusted to the care of a reluctant grandmother with whom they spent their life. The story is an up-close examination of the 4 individuals' lives, and how they grow up with abandonment, loss, poverty, and other struggles. There are several important social issues…
BOOK REVIEW : THE BEAUTY OF YOUR FACE BY SAHAR MUSTAFAH
The Beauty Of Your Face by Sahar Mustafah is a great book that talks about the journey of a Palestinian-American woman Afaf. The story is filled with wisdom, compassion, and grace. We follow Afaf through her different stages in life. We see Afaf struggling with her identity and her lack of self-esteem. Also, the neglect from her mom leads her down a path of bad decisions. In a time filled with personal struggles, she finds strength in faith. Her becoming closer to faith helps her tackle the issues slowly but surely. All of this is told through her memories as she listens to the progress of a terrorist attacking her…
BOOK REVIEW : CHALLENGER DEEP BY NEAL SHUSTERMAN
Neal Shusterman's Challenger Deep is my first experience with the author, and what an experience it was. I had a hard time reading this book, and now even more of a hard time rating it. I don't know if I'll be able to articulate all my thoughts into this review. This was a difficult read for me in every sense of the word. I had to put it down several times and take breaks in between as well. This book requires patience, strength, and determination to push through. The story is about a young teenage boy Caden who struggles with mental illness. We follow his journey and his decline of…
BOOK REVIEW : SCARLET ODYSSEY (SCARLET ODYSSEY #1) BY C.T. RWIZI
Scarlet Odyssey is an epic fantasy debut from the first-time author C.T.Rwizi. The book is an African inspired fantasy filled with a vibrant world and a rich magic system. The story follows young Salo who has learned magic deeply without his tribe's permission. Men of his trib are not supposed to be practicing magic. Their job is to be warriors and training should be what Salo should be spending his time on. A certain mystic attacks his tribe murdering fellow clans people urging Salo to come forward and request permission from the Queen to be a clan mystic for his tribe. While the Queen accepts his proposal he is sent…
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BOOK REVIEW : THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS BY STEPHEN GRAHAM JONES
The book follows a couple of characters and we get to learn their stories as we move forward. The story is about a supernatural entity that hunts 4 Indian men for something that they did in their past. The story combines speculative fiction, horror, and social commentary wonderfully. Lewis an Indian man who left the reservation at a young age moved to the city working as a postal worker. He and his wife were leading their life happily when some hallucinations and certain supernatural events take place that leaves him unsettled. With him dealing with the guilt of what happened ten years ago and struggling to understand the forces that…
BOOK REVIEW : CHOSEN ONES (THE CHOSEN ONES #1) BY VERONICA ROTH
Chosen Ones is the first book I have read from the author Veronica Roth. I was intrigued by the synopsis and wanted to see how the author took the trope of The Chosen One and applied it. The story follows the chosen ones selected to fight against the Dark One who brought terror, destruction, and widespread death to the world. The 5 chosen ones were in their teens when they were recruited by the government. We follow their journey as adults and how their experiences have shaped them. We follow Sloane and we get the story from her perspective and how she battles with the aftermath of the encounter. The…
