The Principle of Moments by Esmie Jikiemi- Pearson

Pages: 432

Publisher: Gollancz 

Released: 18th of January 2023 

A century-spanning space fantasy novel that will take you on a whirlwind adventure, from a Regency Era love affair between a time-traveller and the prince waiting for him in the past, to a rescue mission in the 60th century, where a girl desperately races against time as she searches for the sister the emperor stole.

6066: In Emperor Thracin’s brave new galaxy, humans are not citizens. Instead, they are indentured labourers, working to repay the debt they unwittingly incurred when they settled on Gahraan - a desert planet already owned by the emperor himself. Asha Akindele knows she’s just another voiceless cog working the assembly lines that fuel his vast imperial war machine. Her only rebellion: studying stolen aeronautics manuals in the dead of night. But then a cloaked stranger arrives to deliver an impossible message, and her life changes in an instant.

1812: Obi Amadi is done with time-travelling. Never mind the fact he doesn’t know how to cure himself of the temporal sickness he caught whilst anchoring his soul to Regency London, the one that unmakes him further with every jump. Or if the prince he loves will ever love him back. Or why his father disappeared. He is done. Until he hears about the ghost of a girl in the British Museum. A girl from another time.

When Obi’s path tangles with Asha’s and a prophecy awakens in the cold darkness of space, they must voyage through the stars, racing against time, tyranny, and the legacy of three heroes from an ancient religion who may be awakening, reincarnated in ways beyond comprehension.

What I Have to Say 

Prophecy, time travel and gay romance, this book has everything. It had so many threads that I was surprised they managed to fit it all in one book! But they did and it turned out to be a great one. There was a moment when everything was coming together, when I was really blown away by the scope of what was happening. It felt epic. 

I loved Obi and the threads from 1812 a lot. Even though, because of his temporal sickness, they couldn't use the time travel much for the resolution of the plot, I felt it gave him a really interesting backstory. I loved the little references like the one to the cat bus from Totoro, the little reminders that he was from more than just one time period. 

The prophecy, while confusing at first, also added a huge element to the book. Right from the first excerpt, I was excited to see where it would all fit in and become relevant and there was so many places where I could speculate as to what would happen. It was so great to see it all fit together. 

I'm really looking forward to the next book, which will hopefully have more prophecy and more time travel and even more fun. 

4 stars 

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

Twin Crowns by Katherine Webber and Catherine Doyle (audiobook)

Pages: 480 

Publisher: Electric Monkey 

Released: 12th of May 2022 

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?

What I Have to Say 

I had high expectations for this, and it was good, but not as good as I hoped. The setting didn't feel as vibrant as some of the other fantasy that I've read recently. I really liked the characters and the magic system though, so while I was a little disappointed, I really did enjoy the book. 

One of the best things about this book was that I couldn't see what the characters would do next. The ending was completely unpredictable for me. I'm really interested to see what happens in the next book because the ending really changed things for the plot. 

I think I liked Wren better than Rose, but I think that's because Rose is a bit more sheltered. I love a tough girl who can defend herself, it's just part of my preference. I think now that Rose knows more about the world around her, she'll feel a little less innocent. 

A great read for people who like a good story and a good princess switch! 

4 stars 

My thanks goes to Netgalley and Electric Monkey for providing me with this copy for Review. 

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang

Pages: 496 

Publisher: Solaris 

Released: 17th of August 2023 

Inspired by a classic of martial arts literature, S. L. Huang's The Water Outlaws are bandits of devastating ruthlessness, unseemly femininity, dangerous philosophies, and ungovernable gender who are ready to make history—or tear it apart.

In the jianghu, you break the law to make it your own.

Lin Chong is an expert arms instructor, training the Emperor's soldiers in sword and truncheon, battle axe and spear, lance and crossbow. Unlike bolder friends who flirt with challenging the unequal hierarchies and values of Imperial society, she believes in keeping her head down and doing her job.

Until a powerful man with a vendetta rips that carefully-built life away.

Disgraced, tattooed as a criminal, and on the run from an Imperial Marshall who will stop at nothing to see her dead, Lin Chong is recruited by the Bandits of Liangshan. Mountain outlaws on the margins of society, the Liangshan Bandits proclaim a belief in justice—for women, for the downtrodden, for progressive thinkers a corrupt Empire would imprison or destroy. They’re also murderers, thieves, smugglers, and cutthroats.

Apart, they love like demons and fight like tigers. Together, they could bring down an empire.

What I Have to Say 

I enjoyed this book a lot, though I found it a bit slow. I also found the names sometimes a bit confusing as there were a lot of them and  some of them were very similar but by focusing on just the main characters, I found it wasn't too hard to keep track. It was just some of the background characters I had to remind myself who they were the few times they came up. 

I found the Liangshan beautiful from the start. It was wonderful that they had somewhere for those betrayed by the empire to come together for a fresh start, where any past lives or crimes were forgiven and they were able to fight for a better future. It was great to see a group of mostly women and also a group where transwomen were just accepted and seeing solely as women and not anything else. 

I really really liked the ending. I wasn't sure if it was going to end happily or not. I could see it going both ways. But the way it ended was just an absolutely perfect message of hope, justice and just so fitting for all the characters. 

4 stars 

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

 

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem

Pages: 523

Publisher: Orbit Books 

Released: 18th of July 2023 

Ten years ago, the kingdom of Jasad burned. Its magic outlawed; its royal family murdered down to the last child. At least, that’s what Sylvia wants people to believe.

The lost Heir of Jasad, Sylvia never wants to be found. She can’t think about how Nizahl’s armies laid waste to her kingdom and continue to hunt its people—not if she wants to stay alive. But when Arin, the Nizahl Heir, tracks a group of Jasadi rebels to her village, staying one step ahead of death gets trickier.

In a moment of anger Sylvia’s magic is exposed, capturing Arin’s attention. Now, to save her life, Sylvia will have to make a deal with her greatest enemy. If she helps him lure the rebels, she’ll escape persecution.

A deadly game begins. Sylvia can’t let Arin discover her identity even as hatred shifts into something more. Soon, Sylvia will have to choose between the life she wants and the one she left behind. The scorched kingdom is rising, and it needs a queen.

In this Egyptian-inspired debut fantasy, a fugitive queen strikes a deadly bargain with her greatest enemy and finds herself embroiled in a complex game that could resurrect her scorched kingdom or leave it in ashes forever.

What I Have to Say 

This book was very much not for me. It was slow, I hated the main character and the romance really creeped me out. I just don't think that there should be romance between an oppressor and the oppressed. I just couldn't get it out of my head that he was trying to wipe out her entire country.  Others may disagree but I don't think genocide has a place in romance. 

I did like the setting though. Though I kept getting a couple of the kingdoms confused because of their very similar names, it was interesting to explore each of the kingdoms through the different challenges of the contest. 

I also liked how challenging it was for her to use magic. The presence of the cuffs really changed things up. 

It ended in an interesting way, but I have no desire to read on with this series. 

2 stars 

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

Black Heat by Bex Hogan

Pages: 339 

Publisher: Orion Children's Books 

Released:  6th of July 2023 

Exile. Rebel. Healer. Three underestimated women, destined to be brought together by revenge in this dark and thrilling new YA fantasy.

Marzal - an exiled daughter with a plan for her return.

Rayn - a rebel blacksmith with a blade of blood.

Elena - a gentle midwife with a fiercely protected secret.

Each young woman wants peace for their country, but in times of war, not everyone fights by the same rules. As their countries burn around them, and the stakes of victory rise, each woman will have to decide how far she is willing to go for peace.

But the desire for revenge also burns deep...

A dark and thrilling new fantasy from the author of The Isles of Storm and Sorrow trilogy.

What I Have to Say 

This was another great book from the author of Viper. Though I didn't like it as much as Viper, the characters were strong, the plot was good and the banter was on point. It was nice to relax into a fantasy world and into the heads of these three characters for a while. 

Though I found it a touch predictatable in places, the plot of this book was pretty well thought out. There was nothing out of place about it. Even though I guessed the twist at the end, there was a sense of inevitability about it that just felt right. 

I loved how each girl was so different as well. From the manipulative princess who is looking to survive court life, to the rough and ready blacksmith who wants revenge on the empire, to the gentle midwife who wants to heal and help people. They're all drawn together and fit nicely into the rebellion. 

4 stars 

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

The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

 

Pages: 304

Publisher: Picador

Released: 12th May 2022

In Strasbourg, in the boiling hot summer of 1518, a plague strikes the women of the city. First it is just one – a lone figure, dancing in the main square – but she is joined by more and more and the city authorities declare an emergency. Musicians will be brought in. The devil will be danced out of these women.

Just beyond the city’s limits, pregnant Lisbet lives with her mother-in-law and husband, tending the bees that are their livelihood. Her best friend Ida visits regularly and Lisbet is so looking forward to sharing life and motherhood with her. And then, just as the first woman begins to dance in the city, Lisbet’s sister-in-law Nethe returns from six years’ penance in the mountains for an unknown crime. No one – not even Ida – will tell Lisbet what Nethe did all those years ago, and Nethe herself will not speak a word about it.

It is the beginning of a few weeks that will change everything for Lisbet – her understanding of what it is to love and be loved, and her determination to survive at all costs for the baby she is carrying. Lisbet and Nethe and Ida soon find themselves pushing at the boundaries of their existence – but they’re dancing to a dangerous tune . . .

What I Have to Say 

I liked this book but it didn't blow me away. It was a calm read for me. I wasn't desperate to find out what happened next, but I was interested enough in the characters and their stories to want to know how the story progressed. I really liked Nethe's character and I liked Lisbet's perspective and her relationship with the bees. 

I guessed very quickly what Nethe's "sin" was and was happy with the way it was revealed and the hints that were given along the way. I didn't feel cheated because I guessed it at all. It worked well with the theme of rebelling against the constraints of a very Christian society. 

I do wish there'd been a bit more lightness and hope at the end though. It was not a completely unhappy ending but it felt very futile and the characters seemed to have lost so much. 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Picador for providing me 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! 

Fated by Teri Terry

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 448

Publisher: Orchard Books 

Released: 7th of March 2019 

I'm just one girl. What can I do?

Sam's cosy life as daughter of the Deputy Prime Minister is about to end. These are turbulent times. Borders have closed and protests are turning violent. The government blames the country's youth, and is cracking down hard. Mobile phones are blocked, gatherings are banned and dissent is brutally crushed.

Sam is torn between family loyalty and doing what is right. when she meets Ava and Lucas her mind is made up.

One girl, one choice. She can make a difference: she must. Even if her life - and her heart - are on the line 

What I Have to Say 

I loved the Slated series so much and though my reread put me off it a bit, I was still really excited to read the prequel. It caught the feel of the original series really well while giving us a really good look into what happened to change everything into the Dystopian society we see in Slated. 

It felt a bit bleaker reading this book than it did originally reading Slated. For one thing, some of the things that triggered the world to change are actually happening, most importantly Britain Leaving the EU. Slated was always a world where things were startlingly close to real life, but reading Fated , things felt way too close for comfort! 

I really liked seeing how the world came to be. How little things that change, slowly taking away the rights of teenagers, can change the country into something so scary and controlling. A lot of dystopia takes place after major wars or world changing events, but Slated showed little things that can be used to slowly place control on people while they don't notice. It's the way that real places change, real dictators take control, so it's both fascinating and really interesting to see. 

I loved the characters. The two girls had great voices and made the story really good to read. I loved them both so much. They were also both super attracted to each other and f/f relationships make my heart melt from happiness, so that made it even better! 

If you're a fan of the Slated series then this is a must read!! 

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

Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 384 

Publisher: Gollancz

Released: 8th of November 2018 

In a palace of illusions, nothing is what it seems.

Each generation, a competition is held to find the next empress of Honoku. The rules are simple. Survive the palace’s enchanted seasonal rooms. Conquer Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Marry the prince. All are eligible to compete—all except yōkai, supernatural monsters and spirits whom the human emperor is determined to enslave and destroy. 

Mari has spent a lifetime training to become empress. Winning should be easy. And it would be, if she weren't hiding a dangerous secret. Mari is a yōkai with the ability to transform into a terrifying monster. If discovered, her life will be forfeit. As she struggles to keep her true identity hidden, Mari’s fate collides with that of Taro, the prince who has no desire to inherit the imperial throne, and Akira, a half-human, half-yōkai outcast.

Torn between duty and love, loyalty and betrayal, vengeance and forgiveness, the choices of Mari, Taro, and Akira will decide the fate of Honoku.

What I Have to Say 

This is definitely one of my new favourite books. Set in a world where yōkai live alongside humans, mistrusted and feared so much that they are enslaved, their powers bond by metal collars, it was so interesting to see the tensions between them and the ways that the different yōkai were fighting back against the system. 

I loved Mari. She was a beautiful character with so much strength in some ways and so much vulnerability in others. I loved that she struggled with her yōkai abilities and how she was so kind and different from the rest of the women in Tsuma. It was a really great take on the Crane Wife and showed the strength of women taking power back from the men who would enslave them. 

I loved it all. From the competition between the girls in the season rooms to the range of characters and their interactions in and out of the palace to the perfect ending, satisfying and compelling right to the last page. I loved the romance between Mari and Taro and was heartbroken by the way things changed over the course of the novel. 

There wasn't a character in this book that I didn't love (or love to hate) and I adored the little snips of stories about the gods throughout the book. This is definitely a book that any fantasy lover should pick up. 

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

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 374 

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Released: 6th of November 2018 

Each year, eight beautiful girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king. It's the highest honor they could hope for...and the most cruel.

But this year, there's a ninth girl. And instead of paper, she's made of fire.

In this lush fantasy, Lei is a member of the Paper caste, the lowest and most oppressed class in Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father, where the decade-old trauma of watching her mother snatched by royal guards still haunts her. Now, the guards are back, and this time it's Lei they're after--the girl whose golden eyes have piqued the king's interest.

Over weeks of training in the opulent but stifling palace, Lei and eight other girls learn the skills and charm that befit being a king's consort. But Lei isn't content to watch her fate consume her. Instead, she does the unthinkable--she falls in love. Her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens the very foundation of Ikhara, and Lei, still the wide-eyed country girl at heart, must decide just how far she's willing to go for justice and revenge.

Trigger Warnings: Kidnap, sex trafficking, forced prostitution, rape, animal death.

What I Have to Say 

I have been looking forward to this book ever since I heard about it, which was a very long time ago. Every step in between from seeing the cover to finally getting hold of a copy at YALC this year has added to the excitement. It was so, so amazing to read it after all this time. I'm so glad it was good, because with that amount of hype it would have been a huge letdown! But it lived up to my excitement and now I'm desperate for the sequel. 

So lets talk about girls. This book is LGBT and the girl that Lei falls in love with is my new crush. A beautiful, bad-ass girl with hidden secrets that just make me love her more. The LGBT representation in YA has been so much more geared towards male pairings that it's just so amazing for me to have such a beautiful fantasy book that has two girls who are madly in love at it's centre. 

The world building was beautiful. Gorgeous and inspired and so wonderful to see so many of the different parts of Asia represented in the girls. I hope we'll get to see more of the world in the next book. I could do a whole paragraph on the world-building, but the girls are at the heart of this novel and I've only had time to talk about two of them! Every one of the girls is wonderful. I loved all of them. It was interesting because I couldn't help but love each character for the way they affected me, but at the same time I found myself hating a couple of them because of their actions.  I am fully invested in all of them though. I want to see them reach their full potential and get out of the horrible position they're in!

I really cannot wait to find out what happens next. These girls have far from reached their full potential, because like the title says, they may be paper, but at their hearts they are fire.

My eternal gratitude goes to Hodderscape for having ARCS on their stall at YALC. 

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 592

Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books 

Released: 8th of March 2018 

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl, and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers - and her growing feelings for an enemy.

What I Have to Say 

This book took my breath away. The cover alone is so beautiful and I've been so excited to read it. I'm happy to say that it didn't disappoint. The book inside is just as powerful and amazing as the cover. Zélie was a fantastic character to start off with, I loved her from the first page. She may just want to be left in peace at the start, but she soon becomes a force to be reckoned with. A fantastic role model for any young girl, but a desperately needed one for Black teenagers everywhere who can see themselves in a role model that is as powerful and brilliant as Katniss, Tris or any other of the characters who have been out there for white girls for years. 

The magic and the story of the book were just as beautiful as the characters. There was so much that I didn't expect to happen in this book and I enjoyed every twist and turn. I loved the magic system and the entire setting. I loved the way they rode big cats into battle, the images conjured up of the characters being chased by people riding giant snow leopards. Escaping on their own stead. It was unique and felt so right for the story that was being told. 

There is so much in this book that I adored that it would take days to write it all out. But it's also a book and setting that has so much potential to go further. I can't wait for the next book to see more from this world. 

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

The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 304

Publisher: Gollancz

Released: 12th of October 2017 

In the beginning, there was the Namsara: the child of sky and spirit, who carried love and laughter wherever he went. But where there is light, there must be darkness—and so there was also the Iskari. The child of blood and moonlight. The destroyer. The death-bringer.

These are the legends that Asha, daughter of the king of Firgaard, has grown up learning in hushed whispers, drawn to the forbidden figures of the past. But it isn’t until she becomes the fiercest, most feared dragon slayer in the land that she takes on the role of the next Iskari—a lonely destiny that leaves her feeling more like a weapon than a girl.

Asha conquers each dragon and brings its head to the king, but no kill can free her from the shackles that await at home: her betrothal to the cruel commandant, a man who holds the truth about her nature in his palm. When she’s offered the chance to gain her freedom in exchange for the life of the most powerful dragon in Firgaard, she finds that there may be more truth to the ancient stories than she ever could have expected. With the help of a secret friend—a slave boy from her betrothed’s household—Asha must shed the layers of her Iskari bondage and open her heart to love, light, and a truth that has been kept from her. 

What I Have to Say 

This book had everything stories, dragons, a rebellious and kick-ass main character. It was easy to get absorbed into the world and the beautiful, complex main character and her struggles. Asha was truly a beautiful character and it was really great to see her go through her journey and character dIevelopment as she started to do what was right and wrong. 

I'd also like to see more of this world. I feel like what we saw was almost the least interesting part of it, dragons aside. I want to see more of what the kingdom used to be and what it becomes after the events of the book. I want to see more of the other cultures in the book. I enjoyed the book so much, but I feel like there's so much more to see of this world. 

I definitely want to see more from this author and this beautiful fantasy world. 

My thanks go to Gollancz for providing me with this copy for review. 

Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 512

Publisher: Faber & Faber 

Released: 2nd of February 2017 

This is not about blood or love. This is about treason.

Nearly a year has passed since Amani and the rebels won their epic battle at Fahali. Amani has come into both her powers and her reputation as the Blue-Eyed Bandit, and the Rebel Prince's message has spread across the desert - and some might say out of control. But when a surprise encounter turns into a brutal kidnapping, Amani finds herself betrayed in the cruellest manner possible.

Stripped of her powers and her identity, and torn from the man she loves, Amani must return to her desert-girl's instinct for survival. For the Sultan's palace is a dangerous one, and the harem is a viper's nest of suspicion, fear and intrigue. Just the right place for a spy to thrive... But spying is a dangerous game, and when ghosts from Amani's past emerge to haunt her, she begins to wonder if she can trust her own treacherous heart.

What I Have to Say 

I adore this series. Not only does it show a world full of exciting exotic settings, but it is also written in such a beautiful way. Sometimes Hamilton adopts an almost fairytail way of story telling, recounting things and making everything more magical by doing so. The only problem with that came in this book, where at the start she recounted everything that happened in the first book, which I felt was just too much of an info-dump. It's fine when it's a story that we haven't been told yet, but I just didn't need a recap like that. 

One of the things that defines these books, other than the setting, is the characters. The characters are so well defined. You can easily see how true their reactions are. Whether it's Jin running away so he doesn't have to see his girlfriend die, Ahmed covering for his brother or Amani desperately trying to rescue everyone. I love all the characters so much. 

But it's because I love Amani so much that I felt she was given a disservice with what happened at the palace. I felt that her headstrong and reckless nature was cast aside a little while she relied on others to get her out of danger. It felt very much like she was being changed into the the damsel in distress, waiting on her prince to come rescue her. And maybe that's mostly because she was kept in the harem rather than in a different part of the palace. It just felt wrong really. An injustice to this strong woman to see her dressed up and paraded around like something to be owned. 

Even so, these books are still such beautiful books and I can't wait for the next one to find out what happens next! 

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

Liberty's Fire by Lydia Syson

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 348 

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Released: 7th of May 2015

Paris, 1871. Four young people will rewrite their destinies. Paris is in revolt. After months of siege at the hands of the Prussians, a wind of change is blowing through the city, bringing with it murmurs of a new revolution. Alone and poverty-stricken, sixteen-year-old Zephyrine is quickly lured in by the ideals of the city's radical new government, and she finds herself swept away by its promises of freedom, hope, equality and rights for women. But she is about to fall in love for a second time, following a fateful encounter with a young violinist. Anatole's passion for his music is soon swiftly matched only by his passion for this fierce and magnificent girl. He comes to believe in Zephyrine's new politics - but his friends are not so sure. Opera-singer Marie and photographer Jules have desires of their own, and the harsh reality of life under the Commune is not quite as enticing for them as it seems to be for Anatole and Zephyrine. And when the violent reality of revolution comes crashing down at all their feet, can they face the danger together - or will they be forced to choose where their hearts really lie? 

What I Have To Say 

This book made me want to re-watch Les Mis so badly. It was a similar kind of story, not just because of the barricades but because of the love and rebellion and the fact that they believe so strong in their cause. 

The characters were so strong and different. I don't think there was a character I didn't like! The historical backdrop was really vividly written and it was very easy to get a feel for the camaraderie  and enthusiasm from the people of France at this time. This came especially from Zephyrine and her friends. 

I loved the fact that one of the characters was a photographer as well. It was really cool to get an insight into what the cameras were like at that time and how much of an effort went into every shot. 

This is a beautiful tale of French Rebellion.