YA World Challenge

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!

I loved this beautiful historical fiction fantasy that revolved around Baba Yaga and the infamous Ivan the Terrible of Russia.

I love reading anything that gives me a real taste of history from any part of the world and I especially loved this incredible folklore surrounding a very dark time. It's a bit slow in parts but that's not something that bothered me because the writing was so beautiful. I loved seeing the old gods of Russia in this story along with Baba Yaga. Also, I love how this author conveyed the importance of the mortal pieces that make up these immortal gods and half-gods creating a very human side to some of them.

A beautiful story that I definitely recommend to fans of Russian folklore!

Rating: 3/5

Book Blurb: The author of the visionary New York Times bestseller Dread Nation returns with another spellbinding historical fantasy set at the crossroads of race and power in America. It is 1937, and Laura Ann Langston lives in an America divided—between those who work the mystical arts and those who do not. Ever since the Great Rust, a catastrophic event that blighted the arcane force called the Dynamism and threw America into disarray, the country has been rebuilding for a better future. And everyone knows the future is industry and technology—otherwise known as Mechomancy—not the traditional mystical arts. Laura disagrees. A talented young mage from Pennsylvania, Laura hopped a portal to New York City on her seventeenth birthday with hopes of earning her mage’s license and becoming something more than a rootworker But six months later, she’s got little to show for it other than an empty pocket and broken dreams. With nowhere else to turn, Laura applies for a job with the Bureau of the Arcane’s Conservation Corps, a branch of the US government dedicated to repairing the Dynamism so that Mechomancy can thrive. There she meets the Skylark, a powerful mage with a mysterious past, who reluctantly takes Laura on as an apprentice. As they’re sent off on their first mission together into the heart of the country’s oldest and most mysterious Blight, they discover the work of mages not encountered since the darkest period in America’s past, when Black mages were killed for their power—work that could threaten Laura’s and the Skylark’s lives, and everything they’ve worked for.

Review:

Magic, race, and power all come together in this story about one girl’s journey about making a future for herself in a world that is set on putting her down. Set in 1937 New York City, the story follows 17 year old Laura Ann Langston who not only has to deal with racism but also the magical divide as there is a strong division between those who work in the magical arts and those who do not. In a world where you have to have a license in order to work magic and working magic illegally can land you in prison, all Laura wants is to get a license to work her magic in order to open her own bakery. Laura left home with the hopes of finally making it big in New York… but things are not working out and with no money to pay rent and a magical unicorn that advises her to go work for the Bureau of the Arcane’s Conservation Corps ( a branch of the US government dedicated to repairing the Dynaism, aka the catastrophic event that blighted the arcane force and threw America in disarray) Laura has no other options but to work for them. There she meets the Skylark, a powerful mage with a mysterious past who is reluctant to take Laura as her apprentice. The story follows Laura’s journey along with the Skylark as they try to fight against the Blight and work with other mages in order to save the world. The story felt a bit long and the overall reveal felt a bit late however the magic system was so fascinating and i definitely think this is an interesting read, especially with the way that the story includes photos, reports, and notes from the characters to make it fell so much more personal and real. It’s a great historical fantasy filled with adventure and magic, definitely give it a go!

Rating: 3/5

Book Blurb: Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Fable, this South Asian-inspired fantasy is a gripping debut about the power of the elite, the price of glory, and one girl’s chance to change it all.

Sixteen-year-old Koral and her older brother Emrik risk their lives each day to capture the monstrous maristags that live in the black seas around their island. They have to, or else their family will starve.In an oceanic world swarming with vicious beasts, the Landers―the ruling elite, have indentured Koral’s family to provide the maristags for the Glory Race, a deadly chariot tournament reserved for the upper class. The winning contender receives gold and glory. The others―if they’re lucky―survive.When the last maristag of the year escapes and Koral has no new maristag to sell, her family’s financial situation takes a turn for the worse and they can’t afford medicine for her chronically ill little sister. Koral’s only choice is to do what no one in the world has ever dared: cheat her way into the Glory Race.But every step of the way is unpredictable as Koral races against contenders―including her ex-boyfriend―who have trained for this their whole lives and who have no intention of letting a low-caste girl steal their glory. When a rebellion rises and rogues attack Koral to try and force her to drop out, she must choose―her life or her sister's―before the whole island burns.

Review:

A deadly race to win glory, a girl desperate to survive and protect her family, and a world on the brink of war. Sixteen year old Koral is a hunter, her family capture monstrous maristags ( horse like creatures) that are dangerous and poisonous to be tamed and used in the Glory Race ( essentially the Hunger Games). When Koral’s older brother Emrik is injured trying to capture one, it was their last chance to be able to find a way to afford her little sister’s medication… and her abusive father suggest that Koral be sold off to the marriage mart in order to afford medication and to pay off their debts, but Koral comes up with another solution… the Glory Race. In a world where there are Landers and Renters, one group of people living protected underground and another being forced to live in dangerous monster infested land above ground… the Renters have never participated or even allowed to participate in the Glory Race, yet Koral knows if she wins the race she will be able to pay off all her family debts and be able to afford all the medical care that would save her sister’s life. The Glory Race is a dangerous game though with only one winner and contestants who are constantly being killed… with politics thrown into the race the moment Koral enters as the first Renter to enter… things are about to get complicated. Koral will now have to survive not only the race itself but the contestants and rebels who want to kill her and her family. It does not help that Koral is racing against her ex-boyfriend, the one person she knows was made to win and has been training his entire life to win and will do anything to win… including killing her. This definitely DEFINITELY was a mixture of The Scorpio Race meets the Hunger Games. Koral is our Katniss, willing to do anything to save her younger sister, including participating in a race that would get her killed as well as falling for a contestant who she has history with and even her dealings with the Landmaster ( aka this books version of President snow), the one thing I really liked about Koral was that she was so determined to win and determined to protect her family. Dorian on the other hand is our resident Peeta.. except he isn’t as lovable, kind, or well as good as a love interest. Dorian is trained by Koral and they have history… until he leaves her and now is trying to kill her… he’s definitely got daddy issues and as mentioned by Koral the guy has three separate versions of himself that he works with. While this book ends on a cliffhanger, the tension in this book wasn’t ever as high as the Hunger Games, but I did really empathize with Koral’s constant struggles. The politics of this world were kind of overshadowing the race in a way that made the race seem not as important or as high stakes compared to the actual dangers that Koral was constantly facing outside of the race. The romance was very very small but I definitely think there is potential for the second book. I will definitely give the second book a read because I am curious to see where Koral goes next and how the story progresses, I personally really liked Koral. She’s a bit head strong and stubborn but she’s sixteen, she’s living in a world where her family situation is horrible, where people are constantly trying to kill her and put her down, and all she wants is to make it out alive with her family. 

ok idk how to make tumblr moots idk if u guys can tell but i am from book twt so heres an intro lmao

i'm k!

i'm 16

she/they

fav books are the court series (sarah j maas), the crave series (tracy wolff), the song of achilles (madeline miller), and the osemanverse (alice oseman)

I am not your perfect Mexican daughter by Erika L Sanchez review

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As a daughter of Mexican immigrant parents this book really hit the nail on the issues one faces in a Mexican household. I started reading this book 2 months ago and I was having trouble finishing it because it was literally depicting what I’ve experienced growing up, the struggle of differences of my generation and my parents generation culturally and the traditions in a Mexican household where many of us don’t agree with our parents because they’re views don’t align with our views of today. Julia struggles with mental illness such as depression and anxiety due to her sister’s death and with how her parents view her and always been compared to her dead sister. This book really depicts many issues that most first-generation Latinas have to deal with. Us Latina’s trying to move on with our lives with our hopes and dreams while trying to understand our parents fears and expectations for us. The ending of this book made me so emotional because Julia who is moving to New York and is starting a new beginning attending at NYU she said something really touching that made me cry because I think many of us Latinas can relate is that what we do for ourselves it’s not just for ourselves it’s for our parents sacrifices for leaving their hometown and leaving everything behind so that we can have a better future that’s what made me cry because that’s what many of us are currently experiencing or/and have experienced. I definitely recommend anyone to read this book please check the trigger warnings! It’s a really great book the reason why I only gave it four stars because there’s a lot of problematic writing and I don’t think it’s the authors fault but a lot of what I felt that was a bit iffy for me is the stereotypes of the lgbtq community and the Mexican community. But I do believe what the author was trying to prove was how us Mexicans tend to be very colorist, racist and homophobic and we need to do better. What I mean is that many us us growing we where taught all these harmful views. And it’s our job to dismantle those views so that we can be more inclusive. We need to learn to be more accepting.

Namina Forna really said no TERFs allowed in my feminist fantasy series and I love her for it.

This was a really refreshing take on gendered magic systems. (A trope I previously believed to be impossible to do right.)

It was so amazing to see a character preciously from a sheltered conservative village fight tooth and nail for her trans and non-binary companions and put transphobic characters in their place, as well as be instantly supportive when they come out to her.