Review: THE LOVE MATCH by Priyanka Taslim – Of Love Triangles, Comedy and Vibrancy

Blurb: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets Pride and Prejudice in this delightful and heartfelt rom-com about a Bangladeshi American teen whose meddling mother arranges a match to secure their family’s financial security—just as she’s falling in love with someone else.

Zahra Khan is basically Bangladeshi royalty, but being a princess doesn’t pay the bills in Paterson, New Jersey. While Zahra’s plans for financial security this summer involve working long hours at Chai Ho and saving up for college writing courses, Amma is convinced that all Zahra needs is a “good match,” Jane Austen style.

Advertisement

Chat Over Chai: Interview with Ann Liang, author of If You Could See the Sun!

Dark Academia? Check. Rivals to lovers but he’s always been in love with her? Check. An ambitious girl who monetizes her invisibility powers? Check. If any of these things got your eye, I’m sure you’re going to have fun reading If You Could See the Sun!! I’ve had so much fun reading this book; the academic vibes, Alice and Henry and the way it slipped in socio-economic commentary, all combined into this story that brought Beijin to life. I’m excited to have the debut author, Ann Liang on the blog today for this interview as we get her insights on the characters and themes and also some cool memes that totally did not make me miss Alice and Henry.

Review: NIGHT OF THE RAVEN, DAWN OF THE DOVE by Rati Mehrotra — Politics, Monster Slaying and A Whole Lot of Tension

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb: To learn what she can become, she must first discover who she is.

Katyani’s role in the kingdom of Chandela has always been clear: becoming an advisor and protector of the crown prince, Ayan, when he ascends to the throne. Bound to the Queen of Chandela through a forbidden soul bond that saved her when she was a child, Katyani has grown up in the royal family and become the best guardswoman the Garuda has ever seen. But when a series of assassination attempts threatens the royals, Katyani is shipped off to the gurukul of the famous Acharya Mahavir as an escort to Ayan and his cousin, Bhairav, to protect them as they hone the skills needed to be the next leaders of the kingdom. Nothing could annoy Katyani more than being stuck in a monastic school in the middle of a forest, except her run-ins with Daksh, the Acharya’s son, who can’t stop going on about the rules and whose gaze makes her feel like he can see into her soul.

Review: THE SUNBEARER TRIALS by Aiden Thomas – An Adventure Filled Story With A Memorable Cast And A World Rich With Mexican folklore

Rating: ★★★★☆

Blurb: Welcome to The Sunbearer Trials, where teen semidioses compete in a series of challenges with the highest of stakes, in this electric new Mexican-inspired fantasy from Aiden Thomas, the New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys.

“Only the most powerful and honorable semidioses get chosen. I’m just a Jade. I’m not a real hero.”

Review: THE SPEAR CUTS THROUGH WATER by Simon Jimenez — Terrific, Original and Ingenious In Every Sense

Rating: ★★★★★

Blurb: Two warriors shepherd an ancient god across a broken land to end the tyrannical reign of a royal family in this new epic fantasy from the author of The Vanished Birds.

The people suffer under the centuries-long rule of the Moon Throne. The royal family—the despotic emperor and his monstrous sons, the Three Terrors—hold the countryside in their choking grip. They bleed the land and oppress the citizens with the frightful powers they inherited from the god locked under their palace.

But that god cannot be contained forever.