Nimona by ND Stevenson
In Nimona, Stevenson questioned a lot of things. What are heroes and villains? Can “heroes” be evil and “villains” principled? What is magic when we have science? Is the government trustworthy? Who are real friends?
Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust, read by Nikki Massoud
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW
Content warnings: kidnap, torture, murder
This is a breathtaking and artful retelling of Persian mythology and fairy tales. From the beginning of story, I fell in love with Bashardoust’s writing and Massoud’s narration.
Yeki bood, yeki nabood. There was, and there was not a cursed, poisonous girl named Soraya (18, bi+). She was the young shah’s twin sister, but kept away from everyone because of her venomous veins, deadly upon touch. When the shah captured a div—parik Parvaneh, Soraya knew she owed herself to seek answers of her own curse from the prizoner. And then there was Azad, a young man who understood her, giving Soraya the unconditional acceptance and love she craved the most, despite her poison. As she learned that the only way to undo her curse was to put her family’s lives at risk, would Soraya exchange their safety—a family who were ashamed of her monstrous quality—for her own human self, or keep herself tucked away for the rest of eternity?
Destiny’s Choice (Destiny and Darkness #3) by Karen Frost
Content warnings: ableism, deaths of secondary characters, kidnapping
If Daughter of Fire shares the theme with the MG/YA fantasy series by a certain transphobic author, Destiny’s Choice feels like an ode to The Lord of the Rings (which I have only watched onscreen).
Knights Asher, Taz, Henrek, Jazmen, and shapeshifter Great Mage Marandir accompany Knight Commander Bronwen (paraplegia) to negotiate for peace with the Souththerners. But no Iliryan has ever came back from the Southlands alive.
Daughter of Fire: The Darkness Rising (Destiny and Darkness #2) by Karen Frost
Content warnings: death, blood, cult, kidnapping, mind control
This story has certainly kept me on the edge of my seat. Frost made great decisions on where a chapter should break, and I find myself unable to even pause reading.
In part two of Daughter of Fire, Aeryn (16) finally learns that her family is likely alive. And some people around her are definitely up to no good. When things break into chaos, can Aeryn and her fellow students save the kingdom they don’t really care for?
Daughter of Fire: Conspiracy of the Dark (Destiny and Darkness #1) by Karen Frost
Content warning: death of minor characters, magical gaslighting, blood, kidnapping, minor character with cancer
This is part one of Daughter of Fire. Though possibly unfair to rate now, it was indeed published as two separate books. I am giving a somewhat positive rating since the story is fairly good so far. With the knowledge of only 50% of the plot, this review might be a little spoilery but not much more than what the publisher’s blurb already stated.