Tag: fantasybooks

March 2023 TBR

IndiaReadsALot1 Comment

After another successful month it is time to look ahead with my March TBR! This month’s theme is mystery and I think I have outdone myself with the line up this month! So there is a lot to read but I find that the mystery genre is very fast-paced genre so I get through those books quickly plus I have quite a lot of short books for this month.

Starting off and getting the fantasy books out of the way!

  • Title: Perilous Times
  • Author: Thomas D. Lee
  • Series: N/A
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: Adult
  • Genre: Contemporary Fantasy


Plot: Being reborn as an immortal defender of the realm gets awfully damn tiring over the years—or at least that’s what Sir Kay’s thinking as he claws his way up from beneath the earth, yet again. Kay fought at Hastings, and at Waterloo, and in both World Wars. After a thousand years, he thought he was used to dealing with a crisis. But now he finds himself in a strange new world where oceans have risen, armies have been privatized, and half of Britain’s been sold to the Chinese. The dragon that’s running amok, that he can handle. The rest? He’s not so sure. Mariam’s devoted her life to fighting what’s wrong with her country. But she’s just one ordinary person, up against a hopelessly broken system. So when she meets Kay, a figure straight out of legend, she dares to hope that the world’s finally found the savior it needs. As the two quest through this strange land swarming with gangs, mercenaries, and talking squirrels, they realize that other ancient evils are afoot. Lancelot is back too–at the beck and call of immortal beings with a sinister agenda. And if their plans can’t be stopped, a dragon will be the least of the planet’s worries. In perilous times like these, the realm doesn’t just need a knight. It needs a true leader. Luckily, Excalibur lies within reach–and Kay’s starting to suspect that the hero fit to carry it is close at hand.

  • Title: Twin Crowns
  • Author: Catherine Doyle & Katherine Webber
  • Series: Twin Crowns #1
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: YA
  • Genre: Fantasy


Plot: Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she would steal her sister’s place in the palace. Trained from birth to return to the place of her parents’ murder and usurp the only survivor, she will do anything to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves. Or she would, if only a certain palace guard wasn’t quite so distractingly attractive, and if her reckless magic didn’t have a habit of causing trouble… Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility. Marriage into a brutal kingdom awaits, and she will not let a small matter like waking up in the middle of the desert in the company of an extremely impertinent (and handsome) kidnapper get in the way of her royal duty. But life outside the palace walls is wilder and more beautiful than she ever imagined, and the witches she has long feared might turn out to be the family she never knew she was missing. Two sisters separated at birth and raised into entirely different worlds are about to get to know each other’s lives a whole lot better. But as coronation day looms closer and they each strive to claim their birthright, the sinister Kingsbreath, Willem Rathborne, becomes increasingly determined that neither will succeed. Who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown?

Now moving onto the mystery books!

  • Title: Black Queen
  • Author: Jumata Emil
  • Series: Standalone
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: YA
  • Genre: Contemporary Thriller


Plot: Tinsley McArthur was supposed to become homecoming queen, just like generations of McArthur women before her. But in a bid for diversity, Lovett High wants a black queen this year and the top contender is the bold and beautiful Nova Albright. Though Tinsley tries to convince her to drop out, Nova isn’t about to step aside for some rich white girl. On homecoming night, drunk and enraged, Tinsley is caught on camera declaring she should have killed Nova. The next morning Lovett High’s first Black homecoming queen turns up dead. Would Tinsley do anything for the crown? Nova’s best friend Duchess certainly thinks so. So when Tinsley asks Duchess for help to clear her name, she agrees. She’s determined to get justice for Nova, even it means befriending a murderer to find proof against her. But their investigation begins to uncover secrets about Nova’s past and one big secret that could change everything in their small town.

  • Title: Promise Boys
  • Author: Nick Brooks
  • Series: Standalone
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: YA
  • Genre: Contemporary Thriller


Plot: The prestigious Urban Promise Prep school might look pristine on the outside, but deadly secrets lurk within. When the principal ends up murdered on school premises and the cops come sniffing around, a trio of students—J.B., Ramón, and Trey—emerge as the prime suspects. They had the means, they had the motive—and they may have had the murder weapon. But with all three maintaining their innocence, they must band together to track down the real killer before they are arrested. Or is the true culprit hiding among them?

  • Title: Speak of the Devil
  • Author: Rose Wilding
  • Series: Standalone
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: Adult
  • Genre: Contemporary Thriller


Plot: Seven women stand in shock in a seedy hotel room; a man’s severed head sits in the centre of the floor. Each of the women – the wife, the teenager, the ex, the journalist, the colleague, the friend, and the woman who raised him – has a very good reason to have done it, yet each swears she did not. In order to protect each other, they must figure out who is responsible, all while staying one step ahead of the police. Against the ticking clock of a murder investigation, each woman’s secret is brought to light as the connections between them converge to reveal a killer.

  • Title: Tokyo Express
  • Author: Seicho Matsumoto
  • Series: Standalone
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: Adult
  • Genre: Classic Crime


Plot: In a rocky cove in the bay of Hakata, the bodies of a young and beautiful couple are discovered. Stood in the coast’s wind and cold, the police see nothing to investigate: the flush of the couple’s cheeks speaks clearly of cyanide, of a lovers’ suicide. But in the eyes of two men, Torigai Jutaro, a senior detective, and Kiichi Mihara, a young gun from Tokyo, something is not quite right. Together, they begin to pick at the knot of a unique and calculated crime…

  • Title: Murder in Mesopotamia
  • Author: Agatha Christie
  • Series: Hercule Poirot #12
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: Adult
  • Genre: Classic Crime


Plot: It was clear to nurse Amy Leatheran that something sinister was going on at the Hassanieh dig, something associated with the presence of ‘Lovely Louise’, the wife of the celebrated archaeologist Dr. Leidner. But she couldn’t pinpoint it. In a few days’ time Hercule Poirot was due to drop in at the excavation site. With Louise suffering terrifying hallucinations, and tension within the group becoming almost unbearable, Poirot might just be too late…

Continuing my read-through of Ms Christie’s work!

  • Title: Whose Body?
  • Author: Dorothy L. Sayers
  • Series: Lord Peter Wimsey #1
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: Adult
  • Genre: Classic Crime

Plot: The stark naked body was lying in the tub. Not unusual for a proper bath, but highly irregular for murder — especially with a pair of gold pince-nez deliberately perched before the sightless eyes. What’s more, the face appeared to have been shaved after death. The police assumed that the victim was a prominent financier, but Lord Peter Wimsey, who dabbled in mystery detection as a hobby, knew better. In this, his first murder case, Lord Peter untangles the ghastly mystery of the corpse in the bath.

I said I was going to re-read this series! Now here we are!

  • Title: Death on Gokuman Island
  • Author: Seishi Yokomizo
  • Series: Lord Kosuke Kindaichi (Translation Order) #4
  • Format: Paperback
  • Age Rating: Adult
  • Genre: Classic Crime

Plot: Kosuke Kindaichi arrives on the remote Gokumon Island bearing tragic news – the son of one of the island’s most important families has died, on a troop transport ship bringing him back home after the Second World War. But Kindaichi has not come merely as a messenger – with his last words, the dying man warned that his three step-sisters’ lives would now be in danger. The scruffy detective is determined to get to the bottom of this mysterious prophesy, and to protect the three women if he can. As Kosuke Kindaichi attempts to unravel the island’s secrets, a series of gruesome murders begins. He investigates, but soon finds himself in mortal danger from both the unknown killer and the clannish locals, who resent this outsider meddling in their affairs.

I have been told it was loosely inspired by Christie’s And Then There Were None! I have to read it!

Godkiller Review

Quote IndiaReadsALot3 Comments

Kissen kills gods for a living, and she enjoys it. That is until she finds a god she cannot kill: Skediceth, god of white lies, who is connected to a little noble girl on the run. Elogast fought in the god war, and helped purge the city of a thousand shrines before laying down his sword. A mysterious request from the King sends him racing back to the city he destroyed. On the way he meets a godkiller, a little girl and a littler god, who cannot find out about his quest.

January 2023 Wrap Up!

IndiaReadsALot2 Comments

Here we are! We are already one month into 2023! How scary is that! This last month was my best reading month to date! I always start off too strong when it comes to January. Every Jan I read loads of books, probably powered by the fact that it’s a new year and new possibilities, and the following months while good never match up to the power of January. Let’s dive in!

Stats

  • I read 18 books this month
  • Genre: 13 fantasy, 1 historical fiction, 1 mystery, 1 non-fiction, 1 romance and 1 sci-fi.
  • Gender of authors: 4 women, 4 men and 1 various
  • Race of authors: 7 asian authors, 5 white authors and 2 black authors
  • Age range: 12 YA and 6 adult
  • Format: 13 paperback, 3 ebook and 2 hardback

Challenges

  • Sequel: Twilight Princess Vol.2 & 5 extra volumes of The Promised Neverland
  • Tor.com: Fruiting Bodies – Kemi Ashing-Giwa-Giwa

Fruiting Bodies – Kemi Ashing-Giwa (2 stars)

Plot: An alien fungal infection has ravaged a faraway planet, turning all but six of the colonists into ravenous alarinkiri. Inyama, a mycologist, is her species’ last hope. But it’s not expertise her fellow survivors want from her.

This just fell flat for me I’m afraid. It had such a great premise but I spent most of the story trying to figure out what was going on. I was a bit confused.

Night Train to the Stars – Kenji Miyazawa (2.5 stars)

Synopsis: A collection of short stories based on animals, nature and the growing increase in technology. These stories were written from the late 1800s- early 1900s.

Overall I felt this collection was a bit lacking. Barely any stories truly grabbed me but I did enjoy delving into the mind of this author and these little worlds he has created.

  1. A Stem of Lillies – 1
  2. The Man of the Hills – 1
  3. The Wild Pear – 1
  4. Night Train to the Stars – 2
  5. The Earthgod and the Fox – 2
  6. The Bears of Kametoko – 2
  7. Tokkobe Torako -2
  8. The Red Blanket – 2
  9. The Police Chief – 2.5
  10. Ozbel and the Elephant – 3
  11. The First Deer Dance – 3
  12. Gorsch the Cellist – 3
  13. The Thirty Frogs – 3
  14. The Ungrateful Rat – 3
  15. Night of the Festival – 3
  16. March by Moonlight – 3
  17. Down in the Wood – 3
  18. The Spider, the Slug and the Racoon – 3.5
  19. General Son Ba-Yu – 4
  20. Wildcat and the Acorns – 4
  21. The Dahlias and the Crane – 4
  22. The Fire Stone – 4
  23. The Restaurant of Many Orders – 5
  24. Kenju’s Wood – 5

Legends and Lattes – Travis Baldree (3 stars)

Plot: Retired barbarian Viv decides to set up shop and create the very first cafe in the city of Thune. Little does she know she can’t truly shake off the past.

Great characters and a beautiful cosy vibe but it was let down by the very quick pace and the fact that we simply couldn’t sit in the moment with the characters. We were always jumping from one plot point to the next leading me to not connect with the novel as a whole. I would also say that the big sapphic romance that was marketing was truly underwhelming and felt like a last min addition which was disappointing. Thimble though will forever be my fave!

TLOZ: Twilight Princess Vol. 2 – Akira Himekawa (4 stars)

Can’t go into too much detail about this as it will be spoilers but this was a solid volume. Literally no critiques.

The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Books – Martin Edwards (4 stars)

Synopsis: In this book Martin Edwards breaks down the history of the classic crime era sectioning into subgenre, years and influencing culture whilst also recommending some iconic classic novels.

I really enjoyed reading this. It was like one big long list of book recs as well as some really interesting components to the British publishing/writing world and beyond. There were some books that I had read plus some books already on my TBR! I love the British Library’s contribution to the crime genre.

Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol. 1 – Sorata Akiduki (4 stars)

Plot: A very loose re-telling of Snow White. Literally don’t go into this expecting Snow White.

Beautiful art, amazing characters, a protagonist you can’t help but root for! Plus a blossoming relationship between a prince and an apothecary! What I liked about this volume which I don’t see too much in manga was that each chapter was split into a different standalone story. Each story pushes the plot forward and we watch the characters grow but it was nice to see this structure over one continuous narrative.

Drifting Dragons, Vol. 1 – Taku Kuwabara (4 stars)

Plot: Follow a team of Dragon Hunters aboard their ship as we learn about them as individuals plus their interpersonal relationships. Also food is a major factor in this manga.

Probably the manga series I read this month with the best art-style. From the background design to the pictures of food. BEAUTIFUL! I really liked this more stripped back series where the focus is on the characters more than an over-arching plot. It was a big change to all the other series I was reading and it made for a nice break. I am so excited to read the next volume and see where the characters are heading next.

Children of the Whales, Vol. 1 – Abi Umeda (4.5 stars)

Plot: The world is covered by oceans of sand and 513 people live in isolation on an islandlike ship that is adrift on the sand. As he investigates an abandoned ship Chakuo — the island’s archivist — meets a mysterious girl named Rikosu. It marks the first time that an island inhabitant has made contact with someone from the outside world. Chakuro wonders if it is a sign that a new world awaits.

This was super, super good. The art was beautiful, the setting was unlike something I have ever seen and that ending was IMPACTFUL. It threw me so off guard. My jaw hit the floor. I am super interested to see where the rest of the series goes as we have only just scraped the surface.

The Promised Neverland, Vols. 7-11 – Kaiu Shirai (4-5 stars)

I WILL SCREAM ABOUT THIS SERIES UNTIL I AM DEAD. I literally cannot discuss too much due to spoilers but omg everyone pick this series up!

The Faraway Paladin, Vol. 1 – Mutsumi Okubashi (5 stars)

Plot: We follow a young boy who is being trained by 3 members of the undead but he soon starts to question who he is and what their stories are.

A manga I was not expecting to give 5 stars to, yet here we are. Such an underrated series with beautiful art. Found family, tragic backstories and really interesting lore!

Six of Crows – Leigh Bardugo (5 stars)

Plot: A bunch of reckless individuals with nothing to lose but a lot to gain go on an insane heist.

I mean, I think everyone knows this book let’s be honest. I can’t believe it took me this long to pick it up. I picked this up for a book group I am apart of and I am so thankful I was able to read it. All the characters were so distinct and I truly enjoyed learning and following each one. I felt that Bardugo did a great job with her more morally grey characters as well and tackling such difficult topics. I thought the plot was really engaging and I flew through the book. I did get a bit confused in the beginning and the middle of the book but that ending had me shook! Cannot wait to read the sequel.

Legendborn – Tracy Deonn (5 stars)

Plot: After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers at UNC–Chapel Hill seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus. And that is literally all the can be said as I don’t want to spoil ANYTHING.

Now, here is another book I wish I had read way earlier! Literally everyone was talking about how amazing this book was and I knew I needed to finally see what all the hype was all about. I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!!! The lore, the magic, the exploration of grief both current but also generational. I loved Bree so much and I really enjoyed the romance in this book! I found the ending to be so incredibly powerful and I needed to read the second book ASAP.

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels – Janice Hallett (5 stars)

Plot: A true crime journalist/writer sets out to write about the Alperton Angels case and gets caught up in the conspiracies, lies and truths of what happened years ago! Told in Hallett’s iconic epistolary style.

Every January I can’t wait to sit down with the latest Janice Hallett novel and expect my brain to explode from my genius. This book was no exception. I literally read this book in 2 days. I was up late into the night to finish this book. Hallett’s brain is just so smart and talented. I found this book to be my favourite of the 3 she has written so far. The plot is so smart, the characters so interesting. I highly recommend this book.

Legends and Lattes Review

Quote IndiaReadsALot1 Comment

Worn out after decades of packing steel and raising hell, Viv the orc barbarian cashes out of the warrior’s life with one final score. A forgotten legend, a fabled artifact, and an unreasonable amount of hope lead her to the streets of Thune, where she plans to open the first coffee shop the city has ever seen. However, her dreams of a fresh start pulling shots instead of swinging swords are hardly a sure bet. Old frenemies and Thune’s shady underbelly may just upset her plans. To finally build something that will last, Viv will need some new partners and a different kind of resolve.