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Based on an ancient Roman-like culture, the Scholars have been subjugated by the Martials. When Laia's brother is imprisoned and her grandparents killed, Laia goes to the resistance. Her paernts were resistance fighters, long dead. The resistance leader gives her a mission to be a slave in the Commandant's household and spy for the resitance. In exchange he will rescue her brother. Elias, the Commandant's (hated) son is in the last few weeks of his martial training as a 'mask'. He hates the cruel system and is planning to do a runner when he is chosen for the trials to select the next emperor. It's not what he wants, but he's stuck. He and Laia meet in passing and he's drawn to her. They end up being each other's salvation when it turns out that the resistance leader is not exactly on Laia's side. This is the first book in an ongoing story but it has a good conclusion and a lead into the next book. It's violent - there's a high body count and a lot of beatings and maimings, but the two main characters are interesting and it's a good page turner. Sabaa Tahir is not kind to her characters.Oct. 31st, 2021
Based on an ancient Roman-like culture, the Scholars have been subjugated by the Martials. When Laia's brother is imprisoned and her grandparents killed, Laia goes to the resistance. Her paernts were resistance fighters, long dead. The resistance leader gives her a mission to be a slave in the Commandant's household and spy for the resitance. In exchange he will rescue her brother. Elias, the Commandant's (hated) son is in the last few weeks of his martial training as a 'mask'. He hates the cruel system and is planning to do a runner when he is chosen for the trials to select the next emperor. It's not what he wants, but he's stuck. He and Laia meet in passing and he's drawn to her. They end up being each other's salvation when it turns out that the resistance leader is not exactly on Laia's side. This is the first book in an ongoing story but it has a good conclusion and a lead into the next book. It's violent - there's a high body count and a lot of beatings and maimings, but the two main characters are interesting and it's a good page turner. Sabaa Tahir is not kind to her characters.
Five girls are chosen each year, supposedly for great things, but they are never seen again. Snow knows that's not good because her aunt Lyric, murderer and usurper, is the Witch Queen of Cresilea. Snow lives with the ex guard who rescued her and ruined her face to make her unrecognisable. She knows she should keep her head down, but when the choosing comes around she catches the eye of the Hunter and the story begins. She's taken to the castle where Lyric begins to train the chosen girls in the use of magic, but things are not what they seem. There are lots of intersections with different fairytales, Snow White and Rose Red being the obvious one, but also expect dwarves, fae, a magic mirror etc. There's also a romance. I enjoyed this while I was reading it, but found it didn't stay with me beyond the last page. Review copy via NetGalley.
Irene, a librarian of the Secret Library, is sent to acquire a book which could prevent the world she went to school on from falling into chaos. Along with Kai, her dragon prince companion they contact a mysterious fae trader of rare objects, Mr Nemo, and are invited to dinner on his secret Caribbean island where they meet unlikely company. Mr Nemo requires them to bond as a team and steal a painting for him from a 21st Century museum in Vienna. There's a dragon techie, a Fae thief, a gambler, a driver, and the muscle. In return Nemo will give all of them what they want. One complication is Kai's estranged sister – one of the team. This is a heist story with added politics. Somehow I missed Book 5 in this series where a peace treaty was signed between the dragons and the fae, but (having read Books 1 – 4) I was able to pick up the threads. I would suggest that this is not a starting point for this series, but it's well worth reading the earlier books.
I love Sherwood Smith's writing, so I was delighted to find this.
Three siblings raised on a remoter island grow up not realising that their parents (Hanu and Danno, now known as Olt and Iley) are a pair of lovers who ran away from an unforgiving angry prince. A single phoenix feather is an omen that promises great things.
The eldest child, First Brother Muinkanda, has learned advance martial arts techniques from his father. The middle boy, Second Brother Yskanda, wants nothing more than to be an artist. The youngest, a girl, Arikanda, known as Mouse, wants nothing more than to follow her brothers around, usually dressed as a boy in their cast-offs. She is determined to help First Brother to greatness. Second brother gets a place as an apprentice scribe – his dream job. When First Brother Muin is accepted as a cadet for officer training in the army, Mouse, disguised as a boy, goes with him as his servant. Her quick wits often direct him to success as foretold by the phoenix feather, but Mouse has talent and skills of her own, skills she must hide lest they lead investigators back to her parents. Highly recommended.