Divine Rivals

I loved Rebecca Ross’ Elements of Cadence duology and will probably read everything else that she releases! In Divine Rivals, Iris is trying to hold things together. Her brother is missing in action on the front lines, and her mother’s substance abuse is out of control. Iris seeks out an opportunity to write for the Oath Gazette so she can find her brother. Her rival, Roman, is getting under her skin, but little does she know they have a connection stronger than she realizes. I thought this was a really unique fantasy novel and I look forward to the next book!

The Gilded Ones

This book is not something I would normally pick up, but I’m glad I did! The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna focuses on 16-year-old Deka. Deka is about to participate in her blood ceremony which will show her village if she is pure and can become a member, or if her blood will run gold and she will be put to death. Umm…I mean, if her blood is pure, there really isn’t a book, so I’m guessing you can assume what happens. We get to see Deka as she copes with who she is and tries to figure out where she belongs.

Fantasy / YA aren’t really my thing, but this one really hooked me. I liked the characters, I thought pieces of the story were really unique, and I just kept flipping the pages. I was able to borrow the second book and am excited to read that one, too!

The Starless Sea

I loved The Night Circus and really looked forward to Erin Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea. On my first library run of the year, this on practically jumped off of the shelf and into my hands. I really liked this book and savored it a bit, mostly reading it in the mornings before work. It was a great way to start my day (and very hard to put it down and go to work).

To be honest, I’m not even sure how to write a synopsis of this book. It starts in a world that we know, but quickly moves under the earth. Zachary, Mirabel, and Dorian are all working to save or finish something that I’m still not sure I fully understand. The story jumps between places and perspectives that eventually all come together (but it’s nice that you don’t have to wait until the end for that to happen). Just jump into this one – you don’t need to know anything about it – just be open to settling into something magical.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Instagram (and someone I swap books with all the time) convinced me to read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. I borrowed this one and will be selecting it as an add-on in a future box because my dog ate the cover of my borrowed copy.

I love that this book jumps in time and perspective – that’s always an automatic win for me. This book has some major Age of Adeline vibes (which is probably why I pictured Addie as Blake Lively?). Addie LaRue makes a deal with god and winds up living forever, but cannot be remembered by anyone she meets, until 300 years later, someone can remember and recognize her. The story jumps between Addie’s relationship with the first man who can remember her and her life since she made her deal to live forever.

I enjoyed this book, but it didn’t live up to all of the hype for me. I liked that it felt like a mix of genres – fantasy, romance, and a little mystery all rolled into one, but it didn’t have the page-turnery effect I was anticipating, and was slow at times. It was enjoyable, but in a year where I read so many great books, this one just didn’t quite jump to the top.

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Gods of Jade and Shadow

After reading Mexican Gothic, I realized that I had Gods of Jade and Shadow, also by Silvia Moreno-Garcia sitting on my TBR pile. It’s like nothing I’ve read before. A young woman opens a trunk that is usually guarded by her grandfather, and the Mayan god of death is in it. He takes her on a wild journey to defeat his brother and gain back his throne. Casiopea has never left her small town, but she is incredibly brave and smart as she heads on this journey. She faces danger she could have never dreamed of, but she does so with immense bravery and dedication. This book feels like a dark fairytale of sorts. It was fun to read!