Category: Books

How do I express my love for the first favorite of 2022? It’s a complex political fantasy filled with blood and magic.

Here’s more about The Unbroken

Touraine is a soldier. Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, her only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. But now, her company has been sent back to her homeland to stop a rebellion, and the ties of blood may be stronger than she thought.

Luca needs a turncoat. Someone desperate enough to tiptoe the bayonet’s edge between treason and orders. Someone who can sway the rebels toward peace, while Luca focuses on what really matters: getting her uncle off her throne.

Through assassinations and massacres, in bedrooms and war rooms, Touraine and Luca will haggle over the price of a nation. But some things aren’t for sale.

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My thoughts

This was such a fantastic book and I honestly don’t know how to approach writing this review! It’s a heavy political fantasy about a small country called Qazal and the Balladairan colonists who inhabit the space. However, it’s not just about the political fantasy, but it’s also about the characters that are tasked to protect the colony, the rebels who try to fight against the colonizers, and the soldiers slung between the two worlds. Honestly, this book really blew me away with its intense storytelling, the development of its characters, and there’s even a sapphic romance and some magic! What more can anyone ask for?

There’s two main characters that play intricate components of the story, but I felt like one had more attention than the other. Touraine is a soldier who was kidnapped as a child and forced into the Balladairan army. There’s a lot in that story itself to unpack. She returns to Qazal, the land where she was stolen from to find that it’s in turmoil with a rebel group trying to take back the land from the colonizers. However, she no longer knows this life, these people, and doesn’t really relate with them at first. In fact, her main ambition is to be promoted to captain just like her mentor and leader, General Cantic.

Touraine and her soldiers are also called “The Sands,” a derogatory term for the kidnapped Qazali children that are forced into the Balladairan military. So not only is she accepted in Qazal because she’s a Balladairan soldier, but she’s not even considered a part of the military she’s forced into. You can already tell that this is a super complicated world.

Luca is the other main character. She’s the princess of Balladaire whose arrived in Qazal to make a name for herself. As a disabled person, she’s already been labeled a weak link and not suitable for reign, but Luca proves them wrong in her intelligence, her perseverance, and her ability to continue her fight despite the pain it physically causes her. She wants to be different than her uncle and father and the way they ran things, but as you continue to read, you find out that things are a bit more difficult than she thought it might be.

I also loved the internal struggle Luca dealt with. She wanted to be a good leader, but that was also meant understanding the situation in Qazal isn’t as simple as freeing them from their colony. You can tell Luca struggles with this throughout the story trying to please both sides of this war, but ultimately there’s only one choice she can make and it’s kind of interesting what she decides.

Both of these characters are slung between this war taking place in Qazal between the rebels who want it back and the Balladairans who refuse to leave. And since you get this dual perspective, you get to read this book from both camps and see what each side is dealing with. However, I felt like there was more story behind Touraine that there was Luca. Because of Touraine’s unique position in the book, I felt like CL Clark was really able to capture these two sides of the conflict through her.

Of course, this book is a fantasy book so you’re going to have a whole cast of characters being introduced. And each of them felt like their own person. I loved the people closest to Luca like Gil and Guerin, but I also loved the rebels and how formed they were as their own people. It felt like I could actually know these people!

Let’s not even discuss the drama as well! There was betrayal after betrayal after betrayal. CL Clark really keeps you on your toes on which side you’re rooting for. One minute it’s Touraine, but then it’s Luca. Then back to Touraine! OMG, the conflict between these two characters was palatable!

And CL Clark is not shy about this war either. The story is covered in blood with random attacks that really capture a realness to the story. No one is safe and CL Clark is a brutal author. I had my jaw on the ground with the death toll that kept creeping up every few chapters. It was so viscerally real and the losses were not kind, but they brought the story to life.

In the end, I felt like this story was a story of its characters. The rebellion and the conflict between the Qazali and the Balladairan created the landscape for these characters and the external/internal struggles they find themselves caught in. If anything, you come away from this story with a deeper sense of who these people are and how war has affected them in so many ways that I personally couldn’t fathom in my lowly civilian life. Truly a spectacular story so deeply layered and complex with its characters, its world, and its vision. I’m excited to see what the next book offers.

I love it when a book creeps in right at the end of the year and manages to really blow you away. This book isn’t out until later this January, but I have to say it made my top 20 list for last year! Thanks to Harper Voyager for sending me a gifted copy of this book.

Here’s more about Daughter of the Moon Goddess

Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.

Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor’s son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.

To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting, romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.

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My thoughts

Where do I begin? Well, first I’ll say that I’m not okay. The story follows Xingyin, a young girl who’s been living on the moon with her mother Chang’e. For all intents and purposes, everything seemed okay, but when the Celestial Kingdom comes to pay a visit to the moon, it turns out that Xingyin’s existence is a secret and she needs to hide in order to survive. So what does her mother do? She sends her to Earth to hide there while the empire calms down from their search.

And after that, it’s this incredible journey of Xingyin to become a warrior, a woman, and a fierce and loyal friend. Seriously, I loved her growth throughout the story. Watching as Xingyin faces everything on her own without the help of her mother scared me, but her strength and the hope that things will turn out okay really just blew me away. It’s that level of bravery that I want; not the bravery to face huge demons (which she does), but the bravery to survive when the odds are against you.

Luckily, she does get some help along the way and as she becomes one of the best archers in the Celestial Empire, she also befriends the Crown Prince, Liwei. Of course, it’s more than just friendship that these two share, but instead of it being a bit of an insta-love, it was the kind of romance that you want. But things don’t always work out the way we want it and this book is a prime example of that. Reading Xingyin face some revealing truths truly stunned me with her maturity and ability to discern for herself.

As you read, the book just keeps getting better and better. The pacing was perfect; not too fast and not too slow so that you had enough to learn about these characters, get to know them and like them, and then have action sequences and reveals that will keep you pushing through. The writing is also covet-able. Honestly, I wish I can write like her and I want to read everything by Sue Lynn Tan because it’s just gorgeous. It’s visually stunning, creative enough to really get your imagination going, and really kept me reading.

Much of this book felt like I was watching one of my favorite C-dramas. Filled with drama, romance, action/adventure, and big lessons to be learned, I felt like I was completely immersed in this story. I love it when a book makes me feel like I can escape for a little while. I’m probably overlooking some glaringly obvious issues with the story, but I don’t care because it just captured me from the beginning all the way to the very end.

And this isn’t the end. Nope, this is a duology and will be finishing up the rest of the story eventually. However, you’re not left with a gaping hole of a cliffhanger at the end. Instead, it wraps up pretty well and keeps your curious as to what the conclusion will look like. Obviously, it didn’t stop me from wanting the second book immediately, but I also love having something to look forward to.

The highly anticipated ending of the Green Bone Saga and it’s a doozy. Filled with character growth, changing times, and a lot of introspection, this book isn’t like the others in the series. However, it will keep you interested especially if you’ve invested your heart and soul into the success of the No Peak clan. Thanks to Orbit Books for the gifted read. My opinions haven’t been influenced by the publisher or the author.

Here’s more about Jade Legacy

Jade, the mysterious and magical substance once exclusive to the Green Bone warriors of Kekon, is now known and coveted throughout the world. Everyone wants access to the supernatural abilities it provides, from traditional forces such as governments, mercenaries, and criminal kingpins, to modern players, including doctors, athletes, and movie studios. As the struggle over the control of jade grows ever larger and more deadly, the Kaul family, and the ancient ways of the Kekonese Green Bones, will never be the same.

The Kauls have been battered by war and tragedy. They are plagued by resentments and old wounds as their adversaries are on the ascent and their country is riven by dangerous factions and foreign interference that could destroy the Green Bone way of life altogether. As a new generation arises, the clan’s growing empire is in danger of coming apart.

The clan must discern allies from enemies, set aside aside bloody rivalries, and make terrible sacrifices… but even the unbreakable bonds of blood and loyalty may not be enough to ensure the survival of the Green Bone clans and the nation they are sworn to protect.

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My thoughts

I don’t know how to review this epic story. There’s so much that happens, but I also don’t want to spoil anything because it is a ride of a lifetime and you really need to get into it on your own. The book is a little over 700 pages long, which I thought at first was a bit excessive. But similarly to any epic story that’s coming to its end, the reason for the pages is to wrap everything up into a neat and clean bow; no straggling trails of story because this is it. This is the ending.

The story was such a saga and I was surprised by the way Fonda Lee decided to end the series. Instead of sharing the next part of the story, she shares the next 20+ years of the lives of all the characters. It was interesting to see their lives and the way they shape the No Peak clan throughout the years. I mean, you start off with them just starting to get their foot into the business and then you read how the clan ebbs and flows throughout the years. It’s really like reading a generational story and there are definite leaps into the future. The jumps into the future were kind of surprising and it took me a moment for me to understand what’s happening. I would keep an eye on the headers to remember when you are in the story.

I think the biggest part of this story is that you watch these characters grow. You see the people they become and I guess that’s the whole point of a legacy, you see what they leave behind for the next generation of Green Bones to look after. All the characters had some amazing moments and they all try to live their lives to the fullest. Some are blessed with some great things while others were devastated by their losses. But overall, these characters really come to life throughout the book, making decisions for themselves and for their family and for the clan. I think my favorite growths were Wen, Anden, and even Hilo. I was so surprised by how much Hilo changes throughout the story. He’s completely different from the man he starts off with in the beginning of the series.

Of course, the story wasn’t without its trademark fight scenes and power grabs, but I felt like there were less of these throughout the book and more into the political intrigue and character growth. I understand how the story evolves from being about clan fights and it was so interesting to see the evolution of these clans into the modern age; less about the fights and more about the business. However, that isn’t to say that this isn’t without its fights. There were a few key instances that really bend the story for you. It’s not that the clans stop fighting all together, but much of their fight is in obtaining as much power within Kekon and beyond. The political intrigue was the most palatable I’ve read in a really long time with lots of layers of information and backstabbing and surprises.

The most surprising part was how it ended. I kind of saw it coming, but at the same time you don’t. You think that they’re going to go on living as peacefully in their slow war for the rest of their days until the new generation comes up, but the ending definitely brings you back to the first book of the series.

Overall, the whole book was such a great way to end the series. I’ve never read a series ending that’s so detailed and deep. I took my time reading it, savoring every page because I knew that this was the end.