#thecaffeinatedscribbler

Lately, it’s been rare for me to find novels on NetGalley that I enjoy. Crown of Coral and Pearl was a diamond in the rough, and made my long subway ride feel like a hot second. It’s by no means a flawless read, but it stood out from the pack thanks to Rutherford’s beautiful writing. 

In comparison to the last book I reviewed (”Gravemaidens”), I felt the bonds of sisterhood in this one. Nor and Zadie are identical sisters who live in a small village surrounded by water. The village is known for beautiful maidens, and sending a bride to marry the royalty of Ilara. (Yes, vapid, but that’s the point.) Nor is itching to see the world, but only the woman chosen to be married is ever allowed to leave the village. And she has a permanent scar that determined years ago her sister, Zadie, would win the Crown Prince’s hand. In a twist of fate, Nor is sent to Ilara to marry the Crown Prince in her place. Her future husband is Prince Ceren, a cold, quirky boy who lives in a castle devoid of sunlight. He’s not easy to like, so good thing she fell madly in love with his half brother, Prince Talin, at first glance. 

Let me be clear - there are no surprises in this one for a well-read individual. You watch the plot unfold, but don’t feel like you’re in it with the MC in all the twists and turns. There is no murder mystery. The romance is kind of crap to be honest. What was interesting for me was watching Nor make the choices she does. I know that sounds strange, but it’s kind of intriguing as she unravels every little thread and realizes how big the world she lives in really is. Her world was her village, and she discovers that in the grand scheme of things, Ilara has way bigger fish to fry. Reason why it was also so fun? Nor is a strong, opinionated character with a set of morals she stuck to the whole book. Weirdly enough, it’s a rare sight to see such a predictable path from MCs, and I admired it. 

World-building was A+. The pacing was great. And if Talin and their quick, vapid romance wasn’t involved, Nor was a fun character and a loyal sister. You felt how much she cared through the pages. 

Crown of Coral & Pearl: 3.5 stars

Sometimes life hits us hard, & there’s not much room to breathe. It’s been awhile, but I’m back and reviewing! First up from the trusty Brooklyn Library Kindle collection is An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson. I saw the word fair folk and sold my soul before reading any of the reviews in great length. (Clearly riding a high from The Cruel Prince by Holly Black and craving some fae action.) Sort of wish I had glanced at them, but still read the whole thing in 2 1/2 train rides. 

review: tithe & white cat by holly black

When I was younger, I read Tithe by Holly Black. It was a dark novel, full of Fae, blood, and imagery that gave me shivers. I loved it because it was different. It was polished, yet unpolished for a young adult novel. It was a raw, dark fairy tale. That was in 2002. A few weeks ago, I re-read the novel in hopes for the same experience I had when I was younger. Being 15 years older and wiser and all that jazz, it totally fell short.

Gravemaidens has an interesting premise. What if you lived in a society where a woman’s death was glorified? What if it was an honor to be chosen to be buried with your ruler when they died? Welcome to Alu. 

When Alu’s ruler falls ill, Kammani’s little sister, Nanaea, is chosen to be one of the “sacred maidens” to join him in the afterlife. Nanaea is over the moon about it. She gets to live and die the life of a queen. But Kammani sees the disguise behind this “honor” & will stop at nothing to save her sister from the grave. 

There are plenty of other reviews covering the plot, so I’ll dive into the character development. Overall, the story wasn’t bad, but did trend toward juvenile.  Kammani should be intelligent considering her vast healing knowledge. However, she made so many idiotic choices towards the end of the novel that half of me just wondered if Coon was trying to rush on the plot. The villain was so obvious, I wanted to hit this MC on the head. A very narrow-minded character, god bless her soul. She’s noble, but her IQ is questionable. She also refuses to accept she loves Dagan, her love interest, and spends majority of the novel leading him on. Aye. 

And her sister was truly a piece of work. I enjoyed the realistic sister relationship (I have two sisters myself), but Nanaea was so utterly annoying. The caricature of a spoiled younger sister.

The love interest was a dedicated Kammani fan, but boring. I was waiting for some “umph,” but he was almost too wallflower-like. I feel like some may find the loyal, respectable, “friend turned lover” path appealing though, so to each his own. 

What I did love: the fact that Kammani wanted to be the greatest healer- or an Az-u. Total girl power. Her destiny encompasses more than children (much like her neighbors). Or does it... 

Anyway. I won’t give away the ending, but it wraps up everything in a pretty bow. Take from that what you will. My favorite part of this book was what it was based on - sacrifice in Ancient Sumer. I love it when writers read something from history, wonder, then build a world from it. 

Overall, not a bad debut. Great pacing, predictable plot, and an interesting cast of characters. Not my cup of tea, but would definitely recommend for the older teens. 

Gravemaidens: 3 stars

I’m on a binge-reading frenzy and I can’t stop. 

recents:

all you can ever know by nicole chung: POV from an adoptee with a closed adoption. super interesting, but so many questions on some of the reasons behind inaction. felt like parts were essays > narrative. (3 stars) 

am I there yet? by mari andrew: super relatable on my part, but felt like the narrative was all over the place. author didn’t ground us from start. (3.5 stars) 

vita nostra by sergey and marina dyanchenko: it took me 50 page to get through rough translations, but in the end, this russian novels was so utterly fascinating. russia + dark fantasy + philosophy. thought-provoking. (3.75 stars)

court of frost and starlight by sarah j maas: love her writing, but this was such a segue book. I thought it was a novella at first (still not convinced it’s not). nothing in here needed to be here. (3.25 stars)

darkest minds by alexandra bracken: read this years ago, and still think there’s so much potential that’s barely being explored. ending also was a little “really.” would love to read more outside main character’s POV when everything began. (3.25 stars)

the hating game by sally thorne: a friend recommended this to me - light, summer read. a little funny, completely predictable, steamy when you need a pick-me-up. (4 stars) 

In the spirit of full disclosure, I read The Hazel Wood awhile back when it was first being released to the masses. I told myself I’d review it later, then life happened, and well, here we are. Despite its sometimes scattered narrative, what stuck with me all these months is the writing. Albert has mastered the art of disguising a whimsical voice and purple prose within the dialogue of a seventeen-year-old girl named Alice. If you enjoy dreamy magical realism and metaphors, this is for you. The novel embodies a dark fairy tale within a modern setting - there’s mystery, words that mean nothing and maybe something, and misdirect. 

review: mirage by somaiya daud

You never know what world you’re about to delve into when you first start a book. And believe me, the world Somaiya Daud created in Mirage was completely unexpected. This novel is so saturated with culture, hell, it basically bleeds it. I loved how while this novel is technically set in an alternate, future-ish scifi universe, it is a meld of new and old. It’s sci-fi that could be fantasy, could be historical, there’s even a touch of magical realism here and there. It’s one of those novels that you almost need to re-read immediately after to capture every detail. 

review: when the moon was ours by anna-marie mclemore

This book cover does this story absolutely no justice. Why? Because McLemore’s novel was magic. This novel is more than just a love story, it’s a becoming story, a story of friendship. It’s timeless. It’s magical. And it’s perfect to snuggle up with in this upcoming fall weather. (I just can’t believe I only now discovered it.) 

My life has been a little insane lately with work (hence the slower time in between reviews), but When the Moon Was Ours was the perfect pick-me-up. First off, it’s magical realism to the core. If you’re not in the mood to have your wonder and belief be suspended, then wait. The story straddles the line between fantasy and reality. It’s all about the metaphor, and the novel is about the struggles each character faces. 

The writing is ethereal. I don’t know how to describe it otherwise. I feel like when it was written, the author was channeling the moon, darkness, stars, and a little witchcraft. If I had to assign it a month, it’s very October/November. A cold night with a slight breeze. A feeling you can’t explain that leaves you giddy. The exaltation you have at the start of a new beginning. 

The story arc revolves around two teenagers - Miel and Samir. Miel is Latina and Samir (Sam) is an Italian-Pakistani trans boy. They’re best friends, and both a little strange in their own ways. Miel spilled out of a water tower when she was 5, and has roses that grow from her wrist. Sam is an artist known for the moons he paints and hangs in trees. He’s the oddball in town because where he comes from. I loved how culture and tradition were so closely interwoven with lunar references and the magical realism in this novel. And it was worked in so naturally that you didn’t even question what was what. 

The main antagonists are the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters that are the same as much as they are different. They’re after Miel’s roses, and will use secrets as knives to get them. In this novel’s case, they were used more as a tool to unravel the characters than as ways to move along the plot. I think we all  are parts of a Bonner sister. They represent hopes, dreams, and perspectives that are altogether sometimes extremely misguided. Miel and Sam were even moreso relatable. 

It’s alarming to say, but I haven’t read a ton of same-sex non-contemporary novels. This one tackled teen issues with such sensitivity and grace, it was almost heartbreaking at times. When The Moon Was Ours covers social issues (transgender, racism, same-sex, etc.) in a way that I’ve never seen before. It’s not sensationalized, it’s not glossed over. It’s respectful. It’s powerful. It’s moving.