Ruthless Gods by Emily A. Duncan (Something Dark and Holy book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Wicked Saints, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher on the first book.

“Darkness never works alone...

Nadya doesn’t trust her magic anymore. Serefin is fighting off a voice in his head that doesn’t belong to him. Malachiasz is at war with who--and what--he’s become.

As their group is continually torn apart, the girl, the prince, and the monster find their fates irrevocably intertwined. They’re pieces on a board, being orchestrated by someone… or something. The voices that Serefin hears in the darkness, the ones that Nadya believes are her gods, the ones that Malachiasz is desperate to meet—those voices want a stake in the world, and they refuse to stay quiet any longer.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Well, if that wasn’t a bombshell dropped in the opening chapters. Most of this book revolved around the ending of the first book and building up to the ending and the setup for the final book. A bit slow, the story drags and there is little action until the end. Now, onto the conclusion that promises to pack a punch.

The trilogy will be concluded with Blessed Monsters on April 6, 2021.

Visit Emily A Duncan’s website.

This is My Brain in Love by I. W. Gregorio

 

“Jocelyn Wu has just three wishes for her junior year: To make it through without dying of boredom, to direct a short film with her BFF Priya Venkatram, and to get at least two months into the year without being compared to or confused with Peggy Chang, the only other Chinese girl in her grade.

Will Domenici has two goals: to find a paying summer internship, and to prove he has what it takes to become an editor on his school paper.

Then Jocelyn's father tells her their family restaurant may be going under, and all wishes are off. Because her dad has the marketing skills of a dumpling, it's up to Jocelyn and her unlikely new employee, Will, to bring A-Plus Chinese Garden into the 21st century (or, at least, to Facebook).What starts off as a rocky partnership soon grows into something more. But family prejudices and the uncertain future of A-Plus threaten to keep Will and Jocelyn apart. It will take everything they have and more, to save the family restaurant and their budding romance.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This was a cute boy meets girl romance until Jocelyn's father stepped in and attempts to put the brakes on her blooming relationship with Will. With the Wu family struggling to keep their family restaurant, A Plus Chinese Garden afloat, Will soon realizes just how much he and Jos have in common, their mental health issues. Written from a #OwnVoices standpoint, Will and Jos's issues aren't glossed over but provide others with Insight on how to get help for themselves. 

Visit I. W. Gregorio’s website.

Sisters of Sword and Song by Rebecca Ross

 

“After eight long years, Evadne will finally be reunited with her older sister, Halcyon, who has been proudly serving in the queen’s army. But when Halcyon appears earlier than expected, Eva knows something has gone terribly wrong. Halcyon is on the run, hunted by her commander, and charged with murder.

Through Halcyon’s life is spared during her trial, the punishment is heavy. And when Eva volunteers to serve part of Halcyon’s sentence, she’s determined to find out exactly what happened. But as Eva begins her sentence, she quickly learns that there are fates much worse than death.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This book has to be one of the best fantasies I have read in a long time. And the best part is that it is a stand-alone read. Full of sisterly love and sacrifice, Halcyon and Evadne prove over and over again that they would do anything to protect the other. But working off part of Hal's sentence and working for the Straton household, Eva soon learns the secrets that her sister was trying to protect her from. And Damon's part in the story was phenomenal. This book and author are both definitely underrated.

Visit Rebecca Ross’ website.

Broken Places & Outer Spaces by Nnedi Okorafor

 

“A powerful journey from star athlete to sudden paralysis to creative awakening, award-winning science fiction writer Nnedi Okorafor shows that what we think are our limitations have the potential to become our greatest strengths.

Nnedi Okorafor was never supposed to be paralyzed. A college track star and budding entomologist, Nnedi’s lifelong battle with scoliosis was just a bump in her plan—something a simple operation would easily correct. But when Nnedi wakes from the surgery to find she can’t move her legs, her entire sense of self begins to waver. Confined to a hospital bed for months, unusual things begin to happen. Psychedelic bugs crawl her hospital walls; strange dreams visit her nightly. Nnedi begins to put these experiences into writing, conjuring up strange, fantastical stories. What Nnedi discovers during her confinement would prove to be the key to her life as a successful science fiction author: In science fiction, when something breaks, something greater often emerges from the cracks.

In Broken Places & Outer Spaces, Nnedi takes the reader on a journey from her hospital bed deep into her memories, from her painful first experiences with racism as a child in Chicago to her powerful visits to her parents’ hometown in Nigeria. From Frida Kahlo to Mary Shelly, she examines great artists and writers who have pushed through their limitations, using hardship to fuel their work. Through these compelling stories and her own, Nnedi reveals a universal truth: What we perceive as limitations have the potential to become our greatest strengths—far greater than when we were unbroken.

A guidebook for anyone eager to understand how their limitations might actually be used as a creative springboard, Broken Places & Outer Spaces is an inspiring look at how to open up new windows in your mind. - taken from Goodreads.com

An inspiring read that really resonated with me. Sci-fi and fantasy author Okorafor details the summer when she went from star tennis player to becoming paralyzed from the waist down after surgery to correct her severe case of sclerosis. Throughout her recovery, she details how she felt betrayed by science and started her journey as an award-winning author.

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Visit Nnedi Okorafor’s website. See her TED talk

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram (Darius the Great book 1)

 

“Darius doesn't think he'll ever be enough, in America or in Iran.

Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He's about to take his first-ever trip to Iran, and it's pretty overwhelming—especially when he's also dealing with clinical depression, a disapproving dad, and a chronically anemic social life. In Iran, he gets to know his ailing but still formidable grandfather, his loving grandmother, and the rest of his mom's family for the first time. And he meets Sohrab, the boy next door who changes everything.

Sohrab makes sure people speak English so Darius can understand what's going on. He gets Darius an Iranian National Football Team jersey that makes him feel like a True Persian for the first time. And he understands that sometimes, best friends don't have to talk. Darius has never had a true friend before, but now he's spending his days with Sohrab playing soccer, eating rosewater ice cream, and sitting together for hours in their special place, a rooftop overlooking the Yazdi skyline.

Sohrab calls him Darioush—the original Persian version of his name—and Darius has never felt more like himself than he does now that he's Darioush to Sohrab. When it's time to go home to America, he'll have to find a way to be Darioush on his own.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I adored Darius and his emotional journey as he visits his mother’s family for the first time in Iran. Dealing with depression and a belief that he doesn’t live up to his father’s expectations, Darius discovers himself and comes into his own during the trip.l Darius discovers his heritage, makes a true friend, and meets for the first and last time his dying grandfather. 

I loved all of the details of Iran and it felt like I was there alongside Darius. The ending was emotional and satisfying. I cannot wait to see where Darius goes next.

Book two, Darius the Great Deserves Better, is out now. 

Visit Adib Khorram’s website.

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown (A Song of Wraiths and Ruin book 1)

 

“For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts Malik’s younger sister, Nadia, as payment into the city, Malik strikes a fatal deal—kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia’s freedom.

But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been assassinated; her court threatens mutiny; and Solstasia looms like a knife over her neck. Grief-stricken, Karina decides to resurrect her mother through ancient magic . . . requiring the beating heart of a king. And she knows just how to obtain one: by offering her hand in marriage to the victor of the Solstasia competition.

When Malik rigs his way into the contest, they are set on a course to destroy each other. But as attraction flares between them and ancient evils stir, will they be able to see their tasks to the death?” - taken from Goodreads.com

This book has an incredibly beautiful cover with a girl on it but don’t let that fool you about this book. The story is told from two different points of view; Malik, a refugee who is looking for a better life for him and his sisters, and Karina, the daughter of the sultana. When Malik’s little sister is kidnapped and Karina’s mother is assassinated, these two are thrown together unknowingly to use one another to save their respective loved ones. I fell in love with this African fantasy that is full of fantasy, adventure, and romance. The ending kept me on my toes and the betrayal cut deep but will leave readers clamoring for the next book.

The story will continue with book two, A Psalm of Storms and Silence, in 2021.

Visit Roseanne A. Brown’s website.