Tag: Fantasy Books

Book Review and Author Interview: Jade City

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 2 Comments

34606064Rating Five Star

Title: Jade City

Author: Fonda Lee

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Series? Yes, 1 of 3

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Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book from Hachette Australia in exchange for an honest review.

Jade City

I read Jade City after a brief reading slump (thanks, Animal Crossing Pocket Camp!) and it was everything I needed to reignite my love for reading and losing myself in another world. Today I have both a book review and an author interview with Fonda Lee to share with you! You’ll find the interview at the end of the post, please check it out and give Fonda’s books some love!

Jade City Review

Jade City is a boldly ambitious and culturally distinctive urban fantasy, merging gangster drama with wuxia flair to create a complex story about family, honour, and national pride. The book sets the bar sky-high on numerous fronts, whether it’s attentive character development, sensory stimulating fight scenes, or cut-throat political trade wars. However, what I loved most about Jade City is its carefully considered and provoking theme which ties jade to birthright, to power, to duty, and to family. I found the book’s exploration of identity in a nation ruled by jade and blood immensely moving and powerful. Continue reading “Book Review and Author Interview: Jade City” →

Book Review: City of Brass

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 22 Comments

36475759Rating Five Star

Title: City of Brass

Author: S. A. Chakraborty

Series? Yes, 1 of 3.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

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Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Harper Voyager Australia in exchange for an honest review.

For me, City of Brass takes the title of Fantasy Debut of the Year. It contains an impressive and expansive world, populated by a cast of diverse and morally-complex characters. This is fantasy at its finest, imaginative and mesmerising, while also offering cutting commentary on the real world. There’s engaging action, compelling palace intrigues, slow burn romance, and everything else I could possibly love in fantasy – get this book into your hands!

City of Brass Continue reading “Book Review: City of Brass” →

Book Review: The Tiger’s Daughter

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 6 Comments

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Rating Four Star

Title: The Tiger’s Daughter

Author: K. Arsenault Rivera

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

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Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Tor and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Tiger’s Daughter captured my imagination the moment I heard about it. The summary suggested a sprawling tale of love and lost, where star-crossed lovers are caught in a predestined battle with ancient demons. Shizuka and Shefali’s relationship encompasses everything I seek in a romance –  filled with tragedy and promise, poetry and passion, and a sense of longing that left my heart aching.

The Tiger's Daughter Continue reading “Book Review: The Tiger’s Daughter” →

Book Review: Godsgrave

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 6 Comments

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Rating Three Star

Title: Godsgrave

Author: Jay Kristoff

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Series? Yes, 1 of 3

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Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Harper Voyager Australia, in exchange for an honest review.

Note: This review will contain spoilers for Nevernight, the prequel of Godsgrave. It will NOT contain any spoilers for Godsgrave itself.

I read Nevernight last year and was quickly taken in by both the book’s darkness and its ever-present sense of self-deprecating humour. Godsgrave contains the same wicked delights that made Nevernight an entertaining read. The latter half of Godsgrave amped up the stakes and imbued the series with a fresh new direction. However, I felt the book’s exploration of slavery was rudimentary, especially considering the significance of the subject matter.

Godsgrave

Let’s begin with the positives. With Godsgrave, we can see marked improvements in Jay Kristoff’s technical writing. While I enjoy descriptive and ornate writing, I have previously felt that Kristoff’s writing veered a little close to purple prose. The writing within this novel is more confident, with vivid imageries conjured by concise yet artful sentences. Like Nevernight, Godsgrave also features alternate narrative timelines. The main narration followed Mia as she slowly made her way into the arena of Godsgrave, and the ‘past’ narration documents why she decided to take this bloody and hopeless path. Continue reading “Book Review: Godsgrave” →

Book Review: The Wall of Storms

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 4 Comments

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Rating Five Star

Title: The Wall of Storms

Author: Ken Liu

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Series? Yes, 2 of 3.

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Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Harper Voyager Australia in exchange for an honest review.

NOTE:  The following review will contain some spoilers for The Grace of Kings, the first novel within this series.

After reading The Grace of Kings, I knew that Ken Liu has changed the game for epic fantasy. With The Wall of Storms, he continues to push on the boundaries of expectations and raised the bar even higher.

TheWallOfStorms

The Dandelion Dynasty was established within the first novel, with the text raising some tough questions about the philosophy of governance in times of war. In The Wall of Storms, the book take these ideas one step further by discussing economic and infrastructural development in the time of peace. While that may all sound like cumbersome and tedious reading, The Wall of Storms manages to be a page-turner despite its hefty length and ambitious themes. It’s no secret that I adore Ken Liu’s writing, and The Wall of Storms has become my favourite of his published books. Continue reading “Book Review: The Wall of Storms” →

Book Review: Red Sister

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 16 Comments

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Title: Red Sister

Author: Mark Lawrence

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Series? Yes, 1 of 3

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Disclaimer: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from the Harper Voyager Australia in exchange for an honest review.

 

From its very first lines, Red Sister had me hooked and wholly invested. It promised warrior nuns, political and religious intrigue, along with a cast filled to the brim with complex ladies. Red Sister delivered on all counts. I especially loved its exploration on relationships between females, from friendship, to mentorship, to rivalry.

RedSister

It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size. For Sister Thorn of the Sweet Mercy Convent, Lano Tacsis brought two hundred men.

The first lines of Red Sister are some of the most captivating I’ve read in several years, and it sets the tone for the entire book. Mark Lawrence’s writing style is meticulous and vivid, his sentences pulse with life and intrigue. In particular, I love the way he writes action scenes – I’ve admitted several times in the past that I am not a particularly visual reader when it comes to fight scenes, but Lawrence’s writing are cinematic even to someone like myself.  Continue reading “Book Review: Red Sister” →

Book Review: Crooked Kingdom

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 23 Comments

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Title: Crooked Kingdom

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Rating: 5/5 stars

Series? Yes. 2 of 2.

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Note: This post will contain spoilers for the prequel, Six of Crows. It will be completely spoiler-free for Crooked Kingdom.

Six of Crows was one of my favourite releases of last year, making Crooked Kingdom my #1 anticipated book of 2016. The conclusion to this epic duology delivered in every way possible. Crooked Kingdom enthralled and delighted, even while some of the content reduced me to tears. Kaz, Inej, Nina, Matthias, Jesper, and Wylan will forever be marked as one of my most beloved fictional crew.

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Graphic by me. Kaz Character Art by Kevin Wada.

No Mourners, No Funerals

First, let’s talk characters! The friendship forged between our beloved six outcasts remain my favourite thing (in a very long list) about this series. Not only do the characters have meaningful, heartbreaking relationships with their respective romantic partners – they also share beautiful moments with platonic members of the crew. Crooked Kingdom is filled with character bonding, as well as interaction and development within the numerous friendships within the main group. Continue reading “Book Review: Crooked Kingdom” →

Recs: Diverse SFF Short Stories

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 13 Comments

Diverse SFF Short Stories

If you’ve been on Twitter this past week, you’ll notice that the community is abuzz with discussions on representation in fantasy. I can barely believe that it’s still up for debate. I am continually disappointed that while white and heteronormative narrative continues to dominate the genre, we still get people leaping to its defense when someone questions about the absence of diversity.

Somehow, there’s an idea that diverse fiction is a genre unto itself, that we should not demand to see ourselves reflected in popular fiction. In my mind, good fiction should be relatable and to some extent, it should accurately reflect the real world – even if it’s a fantasy.

To soothe my anger at the twitter debate, I went on Tor’s website to read through several of the SFF short stories they publish. I love the fiction published on this site because i) it’s free! and ii) it’s always quality and pushes to be inclusive. At the end of the day, the best way to support inclusive stories is to read them and shout your love to the world about them. So here’s a list of great SFF stories you can enjoy by just clicking on the link!

THE WEIGHT OF MEMORIES by Cixin Liu / translated by Ken Liu

We made a terrible mistake in thinking that replicating memories was sufficient to replicate a person.

Cixin Liu took the world by storm with The Three-Body Problem, one of the first Chinese science fiction to be translated into English. I love how he uses daring ideas on science, and reapplies it to answer questions about humanity. This short story about engineered and inherited memories between a mother and her unborn child captures his style perfectly. Ken Liu delivers a smooth and technically impressive translation, as always. Continue reading “Recs: Diverse SFF Short Stories” →

Book Review: Nevernight & Recap Of The Melbourne Book Launch

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 33 Comments

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4-star

Title: Nevernight

Author: Jay Kristoff

Series? Yes. 1 of 3.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

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Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Harper Voyager Australia in exchange for an honest review.

I posted a list of ‘5 Reasons You Should Preorder Nevernight’ a couple of months back, so it should come as no surprise that I absolutely adored the book. Nevernight has just the right blend of nostalgia and fresh, original elements. It dares to go dark places, but is also never afraid to poke fun at itself and its genre, making it one of the best fantasy I’ve read this year.

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The book starts off with a bang, seamlessly mixing sex and death in a memorable opening sequence. It’s a hint of things to come, as Nevernight is filled to the brim with both lust and love, violence and despair, and ceaseless heartstopping action. Within the book itself, Jay Kristoff also employs a myriad of different story telling techniques, from occasional changes in point of views and narration, to the use of those clever little footnotes. Like the story, the craft employed within this book is unpredictable and ever-changing. Despite employing all of these narrative techniques, the book never becomes confusing, and the narrative voice is usually a perfect fit for a the scene at hand. Continue reading “Book Review: Nevernight & Recap Of The Melbourne Book Launch” →

Pre-Release Thoughts: 5 Reasons You Should Preorder Nevernight

~ aentee @ read at midnight ~ 58 Comments

I want to start a new blog series focusing on pre-release hype and what I think of the book in question. This is because I sometimes get the opportunity to read ARCs months before publication date and I have to wait entirely too long to talk about them, and forget stuff along the way. I will always post full reviews closer to the date, just think of these posts as a taster.

The first in this series will look at Nevernight!

Nevernight-Preorder

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff will be released August 9th (US) and August 11th (UK/Aus)

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Destined to destroy empires, Mia Covere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.

Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything.

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and demons at the heart of a murder cult.

The Red Church is no Hogwarts, but Mia is no ordinary student.

The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.

Disclaimer: I was sent a copy of this book from Harper Voyager Australia in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way contributed the intensity of my fangirling.

Hype Met? EFF YES!

I finished this book earlier on in the month and enjoyed it so much, I thought I’d write a short post urging you all to i) read it immediately if you have access to the ARC and ii) go and preorder it, because you’re worth it. I buddy-read this book with the wonderful Aila, which made the experience all the more enjoyable. I’ll write a full review closer to the date of release. Continue reading “Pre-Release Thoughts: 5 Reasons You Should Preorder Nevernight” →