Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan

Pages: 439

Publisher: Orbit 

Released: 29th of February 2024 

Welcome to Tiankawi – shining pearl of human civilization and a safe haven for those fleeing civil unrest. Or at least, that’s how it first appears.

But in the semi-flooded city, humans are, quite literally, on peering down from skyscrapers and aerial walkways on the fathomfolk — sirens, seawitches, kelpies and kappas—who live in the polluted waters below. And the fathomfolk are tired of it. When a water-dragon and a half siren join forces, the path to equality is filled with violence, secrets, and political intrigue. And they both must decide if the cost of change is worth it, or if Tiankawi should be left to drown.

What I Have to Say 

I enjoyed this book so much. I loved the different types of Fathomfolk and the idea of a half sunken city. Everything added up to create a really interesting society that I was really excited to explore. I was especially interested in the sea witches, because there was so much to explore with their deals and ink. 

The themes of immigration and prejudice as well as the dangers of radicalisation that made up the book, were really well done. My heart ached for Nami as she was being manipulated by the Driftbacks. I wondered while reading if maybe we should have seen how much she was being manipulated so early on, but it did mean I was alert to all the signs and could really see how it was happening. 

The ending was really intriguing. I'm really looking forward to see where Tiankawi will go from here and what's in store next for the characters. 

4 stars 

My thanks goes to Netgalley and Orbit for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

Paper Dragons: Fight for the Hidden Realm by Siobhan McDermott

Pages: 315

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books 

Released: 1st of February 2024 

An extraordinary destiny unfolds . . .

Twelve-year-old Zhi Ging has always been an outcast. Until she receives an invitation to Hok Woh, an underwater school that offers her the chance to become immortal, and to finally belong.

There, she battles in hair-raising boat races, meets ageshifting tutors and competes in thrilling trials.

But there are rumours of a growing dark force . . . and students who fail the trials are disappearing. Can Zhi Ging uncover the truth before it's too late?

What I Have to Say 

This book had everything I love in Children's books combined to make one beautiful book. It was comforting and relaxing to read while also taking me on a wonderous adventure to explore a new creative and imaginative fantasy world, which I fell in love with straight away. 

The thing I loved most was Hok Woh. The society of the Cyo B’Ahon was so interesting, having people who have attained immortality doing research and inducting others into their ranks. I loved the jellyfish that they used to communicate, because that seemed like a really cool idea. 

The only thing that was missing for me, was that I would have liked to see more of the paper dragons that are alluded to in the title. I'm sure we'll get to see more of what they are as Zhi Ging explores her magic more, but they were very lacking for a book with such an interesting title. 

That's my hope for the next book, which I will definitely be rushing out to buy! That and more Malo because I loved him so much. 

 

4.5 stars 

My thanks goes Netgalley and Hodder for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

Pages: 401 

Publisher: Quercus 

Released: 13th of February 2024 

Some people think foxes are similar to ghosts because we go around collecting qi , or life force, but nothing could be further than the truth. We are living creatures, just like you, only usually better looking . . .

Manchuria, 1908.

A young woman is found frozen in the snow. Her death is clouded by rumors of foxes involved, which are believed to lure people by transforming themselves into beautiful women and men. Bao, a detective with a reputation for sniffing out the truth, is hired to uncover the dead woman’s identity. Since childhood, Bao has been intrigued by the fox gods, yet they’ve remained tantalizingly out of reach. Until, perhaps, now.

Meanwhile, a family that owns a famous Chinese medicine shop can cure ailments, but not the curse that afflicts them―their eldest sons die before their twenty-fourth birthdays. Now the only grandson of the family is twenty-three. When a mysterious woman enters their household, their luck seems to change. Or does it? Is their new servant a simple young woman from the north or a fox spirit bent on her own revenge?

What I Have to Say 

I love love love stories about foxes based around Asian mythology. I love the idea of the mischievous fox spirits, shape shifters and trouble makers that go into human society and cause chaos. This telling was based around the Chinese mythology and differed in many ways from the Japanese tellings I've read before, but I enjoyed seeing the similarities. 

I loved Snow's character in this. It was masterfully woven to bring in the wildness of the fox and combine it with human emotion to make her relatable. I enjoyed how the author kept reminding the reader that she was in fact a fox with the base personality traits of mischievousness and troublemaking. She's unlike any character I've seen before. 

I also liked how this story wasn't so romance based. This was a fox spirit who had already been married and wasn't really interested in the romance side of things. And though there was hints at romance, it was a more steadfast kind of love. It was just very different to a lot of the things I read. 

This is honestly just a really great read that I'd recommend to anyone! 

4 stars 

My thanks go to Quercus and Netgalley for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

Spirits Abroad by Zen Cho

Pages: 347 

Publisher: Tor 

Released: 17th August 2023 

Taking us from the mundane to the magical, this award-winning collection will entertain and delight.

Drawing inspiration from Asian myth and folklore, Zen Cho guides the reader through enchanted realms inhabited by dragons, vampires and incorrigible grandmothers. These nineteen sparkling stories are full of joy, humour and tenderness.

We’ll meet an elderly ex-member of parliament, who recalls her youthful romance with an orang bunian. This was forbidden. Not because her lover was an invisible jungle spirit, but because she was Muslim and he was not. Then a teenage vampire struggles to balance homework, bossy aunties, first love . . . and eating people. A mischievous matriarch returns from the dead to disrupt her own funeral rites, pitting granddaughter against granddaughter. An earth spirit becomes entangled in protracted negotiations with an annoying landlord. And Chang E, the Chinese moon goddess, spins off into outer space – the ultimate metaphor for diaspora.

Enjoy this journey into magical new worlds of the imagination.

What I Have to Say 

This was a really strong selection of short stories. Comparing it to A Spoonful of Malaysian Magic which I reviewed earlier in the year, I think they're both really strong, really interesting anthologies of Malaysian fantasy. I feel like Spoonful was easier to relax into and just read. Spirits Abroad, I found I had to look up more though. It was nice because I learnt more Malay and Hokkien words, so I think it really depends what you're in the mood for. 

I enjoyed many stories from this book, but some of my particular favourites were Rising Lion - The Lion Bows, Prudence and the Dragon, The Perserverance of Angela's Past Life, Monkey King, Faerie Queen, Liyana and Four Generations of Chang E. 

I really liked the ones that had British culture as well as Malaysian because I think it highlights the dual nationality of the author really well and gives a nice mix to the two cultures. It gave me a familiar touchstone and let me see my own culture entwined with that of Malaysia. 

4 stars 

My thanks goes to Netgalley and Tor for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

A Bright Heart by Kate Chenli (audiobook)

Pages: 344

Publisher: Dreamscape Lore 

Released: 14th of November 2023 

What if you could avenge your own murder? A brilliant young woman gets a second chance at life in this debut YA tale of vengeance, court intrigue, and romance, inspired by classic Chinese tropes.

 

Mingshin outsmarted three princes to help the man she loved become king. But she doesn’t see Ren’s betrayal coming, not until she’s lying in a pool of her own blood on the palace steps.

 

As she’s dying, Mingshin makes a desperate plea to the gods to turn back time and give her a chance to make things right.

 

Mingshin wakes up two years earlier, her prayer granted, and swears two things: Ren will never become king, and she will never fall in love again.

 

But the timeline in this life has changed: a dignitary gifted with dark magic is threatening her kingdom’s peace, and Ren’s thirst for power runs deeper than Mingshin could have imagined. 

 

She finds herself allying with Jieh, another contender for the throne. Mingshin knows better than anyone not to give her heart to a prince. But in the viper’s nest of the royal court, she and Jieh prove a phenomenal team. Can Mingshin avert the catastrophe of her past by once again learning to trust…and maybe even love? 

 

What I Have to Say 

This is political intrigue done right! 

I really enjoyed listening to this book. I think they did a really great job with the audio and it was also just a really fun book. Some books that are filled with political drama like this can get a bit boring, but this wasn't at all. I was really rooting for all of Mingshin's plans. 

I think the thing that I most liked was Mingshin's character. She was smart. Like really smart. Right from the start she was working to outmanoeuvre her enemies even when she was lying in the snow about to be killed by her betrothed.

If there was one thing I'd change about this book though, I would have made the time travel a bigger thing in the plot. I felt it was really underutilised. By going back in time Mingshin should have had more prior knowledge of events but while there was a tiny bit of that at the start, I felt the author had her early actions changing too much stuff so that she couldn't predict it a lot of the time. 

I really did love this book and this narrator though. I'll be interested in reading more in the series. 

 

4 stars 

My thanks goes to Netgalley and Dreamscape Lore for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

Mermaids Never Drown ed. Zoriad Córdova and Natalie C. Parker

Pages: 320

Publisher: Titan Books 

Released: 26th of September 2023 

14 Young Adult short stories from bestselling and award-winning authors make a splash in Mermaids Never Drown - the second collection in the Untold Legends series edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker - exploring mermaids like we've never seen them before!

A Vietnamese mermaid caught between two worlds. A siren who falls for Poseidon's son. A boy secretly pining for the merboy who saved him years ago. A storm that brings humans and mermaids together. Generations of family secrets and pain.

Find all these stories and more in this gripping new collection that will reel you in from the very first page! Welcome to an ocean of hurt, fear, confusion, rage, hope, humor, discovery, and love in its many forms.

Edited by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, Mermaids Never Drown features beloved authors like Darcie Little Badger, Kalynn Bayron, Preeti Chhibber, Rebecca Coffindaffer, Julie C. Dao, Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Adriana Herrera, June Hur, Katherine Locke, Kerri Maniscalco, Julie Murphy, Gretchen Schreiber, and Julian Winters.

What I Have to Say 

This was a really strong short story anthology. It had many different types of stories and many different styles of writing, all featuring mermaids, sirens or the cultural equivalent! I had a great time reading it and really enjoyed some of the stories. There weren't any stories I absolutely hated in this one, which is always a good sign! 

 Some of my particular favourites were The First and Last Kiss by Julie Murphy, The Merrow by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker and Jinju's Pearls by June Hur, but there were many other good ones that really stood out for me! 

I liked sirens a lot, so it made me really happy to see Sirens feature so much in this book. I was glad that they really went into the dark sides of myths as well as having some lighter stories. 

If there's a mermaid obsessed reader in your life, this would be the perfect book for them! 

4 stars 

My thanks goes to Netgalley and Titan Books for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

A Spoonful of Malaysian Magic ed. Anna Tan

Pages: 306 

Publisher: Teaspoon Publishing 

Released: 23rd of November 2023 

A burong descends from Tansang Kenyalang in the midst of a dire catastrophe. A shapeshifter frees Kedah from the dreaded Raja Bersiong only to uncover a darker secret. A woman learns to channel her family’s food magic. A young huntress of supernatural creatures charts her own path of love.

This anthology of short stories offers fresh takes on Malaysian folklore and fairy tales, adds enchantment to the ordinary, and bursts with new, wonderful flavours. Stir a little spoonful of magic into your tea, whether you’re from these shores or from far away.

What I Have to Say 

I really enjoyed this short story collection. I think there were only two stories that I disliked in the whole collection! Unfortunately one of them was the very first story in the book, so it was a little hard to get into at first, but once I was past that one, it was great. 

I loved the diversity in the stories. Malaysia is such an interesting country in that it has people from so many different cultures who make their home there. It gave such a variety to the stories that you don't see in cultures that aren't so diverse. 

My favourite story in the book was probably Remembering How to Cook by Sharmilla Ganesan, but I also loved Rosetta and the Fairy-in-Training a lot and Rivers and Lakes and Visitor in the Night # as well. Like I said though, this was a really strong set of stories so many were noteworthy! 

This is truly a great way to explore Malaysian culture. 

4 stars 

My thanks goes to Netgalley and Teaspoon Publishing for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

If I Have to Be Haunted by Miranda Sun

Pages: 369

Publisher: Magpie 

Released: 14th of September 2023 

Your first love will always haunt you…

The most haunting, heartwarming debut of 2023. Perfect for fans of strong female leads and supernatural stakes in Buffy, with all the sweetness and romance of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

Cara’s just trying to stay on top of all her classes, excel at her extracurriculars, and prepare for college – which means not speaking to the dead, an ability she inherited from her grandmother. Ghosts are trouble, and Cara doesn’t need to add their problems to her own.

But then she stumbles upon the body of Zach – the super popular but very newly dead high school golden boy – in the woods, and guess what? He wants her to resurrect him.

Cue trouble.

Miranda Sun’s debut touches on the power and conflicts in a mother-daughter love, first romance – and finding your place in the world while honouring your culture. Full of heart, humour and thrills, If I Have to be Haunted will put a spell on you.

What I Have to Say 

This one let me down a bit. I was hoping for more sassy banter and back and forth, which is the best thing about any enemies to lovers, but most of it just seemed to be them telling the other how much they hated one another. Then there was the romance, which employed my favourite trope of them refusing to say that they like the other or see that the other clearly likes them when it's so obvious. I just wanted to bash their heads together to make them see sense. 

I really liked the ghosts though. The ghost lore with the silver around so you could tell they were ghosts was really interesting and I liked seeing what they could and couldn't interact with. Like the fact that they could touch Cara but Cara couldn't touch them back. It was an interesting take on ghost lore that I've seen elsewhere. 

I also liked the adventure. I liked seeing the different places they went to, especially the extinction meadow which is now one of the top places in a book that I'd like to visit. 

All in all, this could have been better. It was mostly the romance and the lack of banter I didn't like, though that was because it was employing a trope I don't like. So if you like the trope, you might have a better time of it than me. 

3 stars 

My thanks go to Magpie and Netgalley for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

 

Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim

Pages: 384 

Publisher: Hodderscape 

Released: 29th of August 2023 

From the New York Times bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes comes a tale of two sisters - one as beautiful as the other is monstrous - who must fight to save each other when a betrothal contest gone wrong unleashes an evil that could sever their bond forever.

One must fall for the other to rise.

Channi was not born a monster. But when her own father offers her in sacrifice to the Demon Witch, she is forever changed. Cursed with a serpent's face, Channi is the exact opposite of her beautiful sister, Vanna-the only person in the village who looks at Channi and doesn't see a monster. The only person she loves and trusts.

Now seventeen, Vanna is to be married off in a vulgar contest that will enrich the coffers of the village leaders. Only Channi, who's had to rely on her strength and cunning all these years, can defend her sister against the cruelest of the suitors. But in doing so, she becomes the target of his wrath - launching a grisly battle royale, a quest over land and sea, a romance between sworn enemies, and a choice that will strain Channi's heart to its breaking point.

Weaving together elements of The Selection and Ember in the Ashes with classic tales like Beauty and the Beast, Helen of Troy, and Asian folklore, Elizabeth Lim is at the absolute top of her game in this thrilling yet heart-wrenching fantasy that explores the dark side of beauty and the deepest bonds of sisterhood.

What I Have to Say 

This book broke me. I thought that I would be okay. I knew how it ended from reading Six Crimson Cranes and The Dragon's Promise. I was prepared. Or at least I thought I was. In reality it was so intensely tragic. 

The thing I loved most about it was all the little nods to Six Crimson Cranes. The bowl that Vanna sleeps with over her breast to stop the light keeping her awake. Shiori's father coming to see Vanna and offering a crane sculpture. All of it made me so happy, because I loved Six Crimson Cranes so much. 

I was really worried it wouldn't live up to my expectations, but it did. It may not have been as perfect as Six Crimson Cranes, but it stood out as a book in it's own right and had the beautiful writing style that I've come to expect from Elizabeth Lim. I loved Channi's character, so different from Shiori, but still someone you could really like and root for. 

Honestly it was better than I ever could have hoped for a prequel. 

 

5 stars 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Hodderscape for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

Zhara by S. Jae- Jones

Pages: 416

Publisher: Wednesday Books 

Released: 1st of August 2023 

Sailor Moon meets Cinder in Guardians of Dawn: Zhara, the start of a new, richly imagined fantasy series from S. Jae-Jones, the New York Times bestselling author of Wintersong.

Magic flickers.

Love flames.

Chaos reigns.

Magic is forbidden throughout the Morning Realms. Magicians are called abomination, and blamed for the plague of monsters that razed the land twenty years before.

Jin Zhara already had enough to worry about—appease her stepmother’s cruel whims, looking after her blind younger sister, and keeping her own magical gifts under control—without having to deal with rumors of monsters re-emerging in the marsh. But when a chance encounter with an easily flustered young man named Han brings her into contact with a secret magical liberation organization called the Guardians of Dawn, Zhara realizes there may be more to these rumors than she thought. A mysterious plague is corrupting the magicians of Zanhei and transforming them into monsters, and the Guardians of Dawn believe a demon is responsible.

In order to restore harmony and bring peace to the world, Zhara must discover the elemental warrior within, lest the balance between order and chaos is lost forever.

What I Have to Say 

This was the perfect blend of a magical girl anime and fantasy novel. You could really see how the author was inspired by the magical girl genre and used it as the base of this great new series. I loved how she even included animal companions for the girls to have though I was a bit sad that they didn't talk. 

The language used was a big part of this book, with the author trying to give a nod to the more formal language that would be used in the setting. I thought it worked really well. Especially the honorific avoidance of personal pronouns. It added to the various characters relationships and tension. I also have to mention Xu, the non-binary character who I loved. 

I did feel that occasionally plot points were forgotten about for a bit, especially with Han and Xu getting out from the palace. There was so much emphasis on them dressing in disguise and sneaking out and then it was just ignored for half the book. 

It was a really strong start to the series though and I can't wait to read on. 

3 stars 

My thanks go to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for providing me with this gifted copy for review. 

Shanghai Immortal by A. Y Chao

Pages: 352 

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton 

Released: 1st of June 2023 

This richly told adult fantasy debut teems with Chinese deities and demons cavorting in jazz age Shanghai.

Pawned by her mother to the King of Hell as a child, Lady Jing is half-vampire, half-hulijing fox-spirit and all sasshole. As the King’s ward, she has spent the past ninety years running errands, dodging the taunts of the spiteful hulijing courtiers, and trying to control her explosive temper – with varying levels of success.

So when Jing overhears the courtiers plotting to steal a priceless dragon pearl from the King, she seizes her chance to expose them, once and for all.

With the help of a gentle mortal tasked with setting up the Central Bank of Hell, Jing embarks on a wild chase for intel, first through Hell and then mortal Shanghai. But when her hijinks put the mortal in danger, she must decide which is more important: avenging her loss of face, or letting go of her half-empty approach to life for a chance to experience tenderness – and maybe even love.

What I Have to Say 

I loved the vibrant setting and the Chinese concept of the afterlife, but the character was so, so annoying. The character was meant to be approaching adulthood at 100 years of age, but half the time she acted like a five year old. It was a relief during the times when she actually decided to be responsible for stuff because we got a break from the brattiness. 

Despite that though, I really enjoyed the book. The setting was just really interesting and I was invested in seeing how everything worked. I loved the idea of the roosters coming into hell because it was popular to burn paper roosters for the dead so that hell was just infested with wild roosters. That really spoke to me. 

I enjoyed the stuff in the mortal world as well. It was nice to see Jing away from the pettiness of the court so that she could just relax and be herself. It didn't get rid of all of the brattiness, but it did help a lot. 

Read for Chinese culture and traditions and a really interesting world. 

4 stars 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with this copy for review. 

 

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao

Pages: 400 

Publisher: Harper Collins 

Released: 2nd of February 2023 

In a fallen kingdom, one girl carries the key to discovering the secrets of her nation’s past—and unleashing the demons that sleep at its heart. An epic fantasy series inspired by the mythology and folklore of ancient China.

Once, Lan had a different name. Now she goes by the one the Elantian colonizers gave her when they invaded her kingdom, killed her mother, and outlawed her people’s magic. She spends her nights as a songgirl in Haak’gong, a city transformed by the conquerors, and her days scavenging for what she can find of the past. Anything to understand the strange mark burned into her arm by her mother in her last act before she died.

The mark is mysterious—an untranslatable Hin character—and no one but Lan can see it. Until the night a boy appears at her teahouse and saves her life.

Zen is a practitioner—one of the fabled magicians of the Last Kingdom. Their magic was rumored to have been drawn from the demons they communed with. Magic believed to be long lost. Now it must be hidden from the Elantians at all costs.

When Zen comes across Lan, he recognizes what she is: a practitioner with a powerful ability hidden in the mark on her arm. He’s never seen anything like it—but he knows that if there are answers, they lie deep in the pine forests and misty mountains of the Last Kingdom, with an order of practitioning masters planning to overthrow the Elantian regime.

Both Lan and Zen have secrets buried deep within—secrets they must hide from others, and secrets that they themselves have yet to discover. Fate has connected them, but their destiny remains unwritten. Both hold the power to liberate their land. And both hold the power to destroy the world.

Now the battle for the Last Kingdom begins.

What I Have to Say 

Well I enjoyed this a bit more than Blood Heir, but it still had a lot to be desired. 

I'll start with the things I liked. The world was perfectly built. I didn't feel the same disconnect between the setting and the story that I felt with Blood Heir. It was a beautiful, interesting society with overtones of colonialism and war. I loved the school, it was a dream school and I would love to go there and learn magic. On that note, the the magic system the Hin used was fascinating, I love the idea of a magic system based on writing and Chinese characters. I also want to learn more about the Elantian metal based writing system. 

All this stuff was great, but I wished that the main character would actually do something. Either she relied all on the boy or she unleashed an unknown power that wasn't really in her control. She just seemed so reliant on those around her and she couldn't stand on her own two feet. There were also a few things that confused me about the ending which I won't go into here. 

I haven't decided yet whether I'm going to read on or not. I really hope the next book improves though because this world has so much potential. 

3 stars 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Harper Collins for providing me with this copy for review. 

 

The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri

Pages: 512

Publisher: Orbit 

Released: 16th of August 2022 

Series: The Burning Kingdom #2 

The prophecy of the nameless god—the words that declared Malini the rightful empress of Parijatdvipa—has proven a blessing and curse. She is determined to claim the throne that fate offered her. But even with the strength of the rage in her heart and the army of loyal men by her side, deposing her brother is going to be a brutal and bloody fight.

The power of the deathless waters flows through Priya’s blood. Thrice born priestess, Elder of Ahiranya, Priya’s dream is to see her country rid of the rot that plagues it: both Parijatdvipa's poisonous rule, and the blooming sickness that is slowly spreading through all living things. But she doesn’t yet understand the truth of the magic she carries.

Their chosen paths once pulled them apart. But Malini and Priya's souls remain as entwined as their destinies. And they soon realize that coming together is the only way to save their kingdom from those who would rather see it burn—even if it will cost them.

What I Have to Say 

I'm not always into big chunky fantasy books with tons of politics and different threads you have to follow, but this series is something special. Suri has a way of writing that makes it really easy to keep track of everyone and understand what's happening all the time. It was also really easy to get into this book despite not remembering much from the previous book, she had reminders of what happened worked in so subtly that I barely noticed they were there. 

I love all the different religions in this book and how they all seem to have some truth to them. In this book you could really see the different religions start work against each other and the consequences of that. It really feels like there are different gods out there with their own believers and different feelings about how things should be. 

I love Malini and Priya together. They work well as a pair whilst having some interesting contrasts in personality. I have a fondness for Priya but I love how Malini is ambitious and pragmatic (and all the traits that are often see as bad in a women) and is still treated as a sympathetic and worthy of love. Priya pulls at my heartstrings, Malini is my empress. 

The ending of the book naturally had me devastated, so definitely don't read it without tissues to hand, and I can't wait for the next book. 

(5 stars) 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Orbit for providing me with this copy for review. 

 

The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim

Pages: 400 

Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton 

Released: 30th of August 2022 

Series: Six Crimson Cranes #2 

From the New York Times Bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes comes a thrilling new adventure! A journey to the kingdom of dragons, a star-crossed love, and a cursed pearl with the power to mend the world or break it... Fans of Shadow and Bone will devour this soaring fantasy.

Princess Shiori made a deathbed promise to return the dragon's pearl to its rightful owner, but keeping that promise is more dangerous than she ever imagined.

She must journey to the kingdom of dragons, navigate political intrigue among humans and dragons alike, fend off thieves who covet the pearl for themselves and will go to any lengths to get it, all while cultivating the appearance of a perfect princess to dissuade those who would see her burned at the stake for the magic that runs in her blood.

The pearl itself is no ordinary cargo; it thrums with malevolent power, jumping to Shiori's aid one minute, and betraying her the next—threatening to shatter her family and sever the thread of fate that binds her to her true love, Takkan. It will take every ounce of strength Shiori can muster to defend the life and the love she's fought so hard to win.

What I Have to Say 

Six Crimson Cranes was one of my favourite books from last years, so I had high expectations for this book but I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. 

It took me a little time to remember what had happened in the last book (I was confused for a little while about why she had made the promise to Raikama until I remembered them reconciling), but it quickly came back to me and I fell back in love with the characters once more. Shiori is one of my favourite characters of all time and Kiki has a special place in my heart, so it felt very much like coming home again. I'm really going to miss these characters. 

I loved how so many elements of Chinese mythology are bound up in this duology. From the dragons and their pearls to the red string of fate that connects Shiori and Takkan, it is full of Lim's take on these very Chinese elements while adding her own fantasy elements as well. 

I also thought it came together in a very satisfying way. I definitely hope this isn't the last we hear from the characters as I know she's had cameos before. 

I was so relieved that I still have the Spin the Dawn duology on my shelf to read as I'm so in love with Lim's writing. 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for this copy for review. 

Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin

Pages: 368

Publisher: Walker Books 

Released: 5th May 2022 

Teen fantasy adventure set in a world of flying ships and sky cities, where chosen ones have the ability to bring paper to life and work as Crafters - people who hunt wild paper spirits called shikigami. Inspired by Asian culture and exploring themes of empire, slavery and freedom.

Kurara has never known any other life than being a servant on board the Midori, but when her party trick of making paper come to life turns out to be a power treasured across the empire, she joins a skyship and its motley crew to become a Crafter. Taught by the gruff but wise Himura, Kurara learns to hunt shikigami - wild paper spirits who are sought after by the Princess.

But are these creatures just powerful slaves for the Crafters and the empire, or are they beings with their own souls - and yet another thing to be subjugated by the powerful Emperor and his Princess? 

What I Have to Say 

I adored this world. I'm a big fan of Japanese culture and love doing origami so the idea that origami could be alive and that there could be magic around folding and crafting was beautiful to me. 

I also loved the main character, Kurara. I can't say much about why I like her because of spoilers, but the whole mystery around her past and her relationship with Haru was so interesting. I guessed some of the reveals but that made me feel clever rather than thinking the plot was predicatable. 

It has to be said that Akane was beautiful and I would die for her. Also, I want to say as someone who speaks Japanese on an intermediate level, I loved the Japanese terms that were used. There was at least one pun and various little bits that I could pick up on as a Japanese learner. 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Walker books for providing me with this copy for review. 

An Arrow to the Moon by Emily X. R. Pan

Pages: 400 

Publisher: Hachette Children's Group 

Released: 12th April 2022

Romeo and Juliet meets Chinese mythology in this lyrical and magical novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Astonishing Colour of After.

Hunter Yee has perfect aim with a bow and arrow, but all else in his life veers wrong. He's sick of being haunted by his family's past mistakes. The only things keeping him from running away are his younger brother, a supernatural wind and the bewitching girl at his new high school.

Luna Chang dreads the future. Graduation looms ahead, and her parents' expectations are stifling. Then her life is turned upside down by the strange new boy in her class, the arrival of unearthly fireflies, and an ominous crack spreading across the town of Fairbridge.

As Hunter and Luna uncover hidden secrets and navigate the feud between their families, everything around them begins to fall apart. All they can depend on is their love . . . but time is running out, and fate will have its way.

An Arrow to the Moon, Emily X.R. Pan's brilliant and ethereal follow-up to The Astonishing Colour of After, is a story about family, love, and the magic and mystery of the moon that connects us all.

What I Have to Say 

I didn't like this as much as The Astonishing Colour of After.  I don't know why really. It just fell a bit flat for me. I do wonder if it's just that I wasn't in the right mood for this book. It's a fantastic story, based on the Chinese legends of the Moon Goddess. It skilfully wove the legends together with the contemporary setting to make a beautiful new story. Maybe I'll reread it sometime and see if my opinion of it changes. 

I'm really glad that I was already acquainted with the story of Chang'e and Houyi. I could read a lot deeper into this book and all the foreshadowing because of that knowledge. If both books appeal to you, definitely read Daughter of the Moon Goddess or at least read through the legends before you read this one because you'll have so much more appreciation for the story. 

In all, I'm really disappointed that this book didn't live up to what it should have done. I don't think this review gives it any kind of justice. Maybe I'll re-review it some time in the future.  It was really a beautiful story and I feel I should have enjoyed it a lot more. 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Hachette Children's Group for providing me with this copy for review. 

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

 

Pages: 336 

Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton

Released: 22nd of February 2022 

Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.

Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village—and the beloved of Mina’s older brother Joon—may be the legendary true bride. But on the night Cheong is to be sacrificed, Joon follows Cheong out to sea, even knowing that to interfere is a death sentence. To save her brother, Mina throws herself into the water in Cheong’s stead.

Swept away to the Spirit Realm, a magical city of lesser gods and mythical beasts, Mina seeks out the Sea God, only to find him caught in an enchanted sleep. With the help of a mysterious young man named Shin—as well as a motley crew of demons, gods and spirits—Mina sets out to wake the Sea God and bring an end to the killer storms once and for all.

But she doesn’t have much time: A human cannot live long in the land of the spirits. And there are those who would do anything to keep the Sea God from waking… 

What I Have to Say 

A book absolutely steeped in Korean mythology, this book read like the best of fairy tales. There are people who compare it to a Gibli film and they are absolutely right, from the main character being transported to another word, to the strange spirits helping her along, it reads just like a Gibli movie brought to the page. 

I haven't read the original mythology, but I'd really like to. I've always been interested in Asian mythology, though I haven't read much about the Korean ones, but this awoke a desire in me to learn more. I'd like to see the original tale and see how it has been changed and adapted to create this book. 

I absolutely adored the main character, Mina. She was strong, stubborn and wilful with ideas about sacrifice and not looking the other way which anyone should admire. She was definitely the just and true heroine of this beautiful fairy tale. 

This is definitely a book for the fairy tale or mythology fans, the Gibli fans and just about anyone who enjoys a good story. 

My thanks go to Hodder and Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me with this copy for review. 

Girls of Storms and Shadows by Natasha Ngan

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 416

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton 

Released: 5th of November 2019 

Lei and Wren have escaped their oppressive lives in the Hidden Palace, but soon learn that freedom comes with a terrible cost.

Lei, the naive country girl who became a royal courtesan, is now known as the Moonchosen, the commoner who managed to do what no one else could. But slaying the cruel Demon King wasn't the end of the plan---it's just the beginning. Now Lei and her warrior love Wren must travel the kingdom to gain support from the far-flung rebel clans. The journey is made even more treacherous thanks to a heavy bounty on Lei's head, as well as insidious doubts that threaten to tear Lei and Wren apart from within.

Meanwhile, an evil plot to eliminate the rebel uprising is taking shape, fueled by dark magic and vengeance. Will Lei succeed in her quest to overthrow the monarchy and protect her love for Wren, or will she fall victim to the sinister magic that seeks to destroy her? 

What I Have to Say 

This series keeps breaking my heart over and over, and I couldn't be more addicted to it. I just want Lei and Wren to be happy and free and in love, and all this thrilling, captivating and incredibly upsetting stuff keeps happening to them. It's not often that I get quite so invested in certain characters and relationships, but when it happens it is always a sign of an incredible series that I will love forever. I'm so attached to Wren and Lei, and also some of the other girls, that their victories and defeats thrill and hurt me. Ngan is a genius with a pen and her words are truly magic, if cruel, vicious magic that makes me want to cry and scream in frustration, especially with her cruel, heartless endings.

I really liked exploring more of the world in this book after spending so much time trapped in the palace in the first book. It was fascinating to see the different kinds of demons and the way they lived. I especially liked the birds and the way that their palace was set up and streamlined for flight, while also having stairs in place for the steel and paper castes to allow them to walk between levels.

I also loved seeing the different viewpoints throughout the book; seeing glimpses of what was happening with the Demon King and the paper girls who remained back at the palace. It feels weird to say but I think the Demon King's voice was one of my favourite viewpoints as it showed a glimpse into the mind of a monster, showing the way he thinks and also the fact that Lei has gotten under his skin, an incredible victory that I took so much pleasure in.  I also really liked Aoki's chapter even though it was so heartbreaking to read. Her feelings towards the Demon King show the trauma bond that can form between a victim and their abuser and this was a well written insight into those kinds of feelings.

I can't wait and am also dreading the third and final part of this trilogy and seeing how everything comes together. The heartbreak, betrayal, death and beautiful writing make this series such an incredible edge-of-your-seat journey.

My thanks go to Hodderscape for providing me with this free copy! 

The Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 384 

Publisher: HQ Young Adult 

Released: 25th of June 2019 

THE TIME OF THE WISH APPROACHES…

Yumeko the shapeshifter had one task: take her piece of the ancient and powerful scroll to the Steel Feather temple and prevent the summoning of the great Kami Dragon. But she has a new enemy now. The demon Hakaimono, has escaped and possessed the samurai she thought would protect her, Kage Tatsumi of the Shadow Clan.

Hakaimono has done the unthinkable and joined forces with Genno, the Master of Demons, to break his curse and set himself free. But Genno wishes to overthrow the empire and cover the land in darkness. To do that he needs only one thing, the scroll Yumeko is hiding. As the paths of Yumeko and the possessed Tatsumi cross again the entire empire will be thrown into chaos.

AND CHAOS WILL DARKEN AN EMPIRE.

What I Have to Say 

I fell back into this world so quickly that it was like coming home. Sometimes it's so hard to remember what characters are doing and who they are when you've had a year between books, but Kagawa has a knack of reminding you everything without making it feel like an info-dump. You just get back into a beautiful setting with fantastic characters. 

I loved seeing how much Yumeko grew in this book. It felt for a start like Kagawa was falling back into old patterns of having female characters being protected by the males because they have no fighting skills, but instead what we saw was Yumeko going through a journey of learning how illusion can be used to fight and do damage. She became a complete badass and I can't wait to see more of her fox magic, especially because it's such a unique form of fighting that isn't utilised much in books. 

I just love to get lost in Kagawa's writing so much. I love this setting and these characters. I can't wait for the third book. 

My thanks go to HQ and Netgalley for providing me with this free copy for review. 

The Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 419 

Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company  

Released: 9th of April 2019 

Tyrants cut out hearts. Rulers sacrifice their own.

Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, but when her beloved father is murdered, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of an unstable kingdom. Determined to find her father’s killer, Hesina does something desperate: she engages the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by death... because in Yan, magic was outlawed centuries ago.

Using the information illicitly provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust even her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant investigator who’s also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of her kingdom at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?

In this shimmering Chinese-inspired fantasy, debut author Joan He introduces a determined and vulnerable young heroine struggling to do right in a world brimming with deception.

What I Have to Say 

This book was great, but a little overhyped for me. So in this review I'm going to try and be objective and see past the fact that I wasn't blown away by how fantastic it was and focus on the stuff that I did really like. I loved the characters. Hesina was a really deep, well thought out character. Joan He did a fantastic job of showing the pressures that are put on rulers and how much it takes to be a good one. 

The murder mystery element was also a fantastic addition. We need more murder mystery fantasy novels. Especially with the high political stakes that this was had. It was made even better by the twists that were revealed later in the book. There was some stuff I guessed, but wow, there was one very major thing I just did not see coming! 

I liked the different factions, the sooths and those that wanted them gone, the neighbouring countries that are ready to use that to their advantage. I liked how much of Hesina's work was a balancing act between all of it, as well as how she quite clearly had a side despite not being able to show it in her role as queen. 

I really really liked this world and these characters and overall, while I didn't get that feeling of amazement and love that I expected to get from this book, I just want to see more of this world. 

My thanks go to Albert Whitman & Company  and Netgalley for providing me with this free copy for review.