mad-rdr

[mad-rdr]

March Books

6 books this month!

Jade City by Fonda Lee (★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5)

Jade War by Fonda Lee (★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5)

Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee (★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5)

Cakes for the Grump by Sookh Kaur (★ ★ ★ ★/5)

Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang (★ ★ ★ ★/5)

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger (★ ★/5)

[mad-rdr]

The Catcher in the Rye - J. D. Salinger

★ ★/5

Depressed child roams around New York and acts grown. I didn't read this in high school so I figured I'd finally do so and... meh. Unimpressed but it was short and to the point so I guess that's a win.

[mad-rdr]

Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang

★ ★ ★ ★/5

This was highly enjoyable! I love an ambitious woman who will stop at nothing to get her way. Not sleeping for like three days straight to research something so she can make history? YES YOU GO GIRL. I loved the twist on the Utopia even though I kinda saw it coming. The only thing I didn't care for was the "romance" subplot. There was good discussion with class and race relations regarding it, but honestly it felt out of place with the rest of the story. Overall, though, loved this standalone and would definitely recommend.

[mad-rdr]

Cakes for the Grump - Sookh Kaur

★ ★ ★ ★/5

A private chef falling in love with her employer because she accidentally left a cake in his kitchen makes for a weird book opening but honestly, I enjoyed this more than I expected to. I have no idea how old these characters are supposed to be or why this book is set in Barcelona when Luke is from OHIO and Rita is from Mumbai but honestly you can forget about these plot holes because there’s other things to focus on. Like the ridiculous banter. And a stupid hot rich (not to mention pathetic) man down bad on his KNEES for his girl. Honestly, it’s a win. I didn’t care for the third act break up, but I respect the hell out of Rita for having her own ambitions and not just letting Luke try and fix everything for her. There’s a lot of stereotypical tropes but I found that they didn’t bother me like they usually do in other romance books- there were some scenes that fr had me giggling and blushing. Overall, I found this book quite enjoyable!

[mad-rdr]

Jade Legacy - Fonda Lee

★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5

As I found myself giving each book of the Green Bone Saga 5 stars, I took a second to think if this series really was that good or if I was just impulse rating. And then I remembered how drawn into the world I was and how impossible the books were to put down and yeah, this was a 5-stars-all-the-way-through trilogy. I cannot stress enough how good these books are. Everything single character plays such a unique role and has their own development and voice that by the end, you can see how much they've grown (in both good and bad ways). In this finale to the Green Bone Saga, Lee really draws out the timeline, ending about 26 (?) years after the events of the first book. It truly has been a slow war between the No Peak and Mountain clans and every time something happens where I think one will finally prevail, the tides shift again. We see Hilo's kids grow, and their cousins and friends, and we begin to see the next generation of the clans rising up... although it might not be led by the ones we expected. Some take a few roundabout ways of getting there and some don't make it (if you know who I'm talking about...). I feel like if I went through each character's actions in this book, we'd be here forever so let's just say that if you've ever thought about reading this series but didn't know if you wanted to commit- this is your sign to READ IT. You will be thinking about it long after you've closed the last page (probably with tears in your eyes). It's truly an epic tale in every sense of the word and Lan, Hilo, Shae, Anden, Wen, Niko, Ru, Jaya, the Maik brothers, Lott, and Woon are just *chef's kiss*

[mad-rdr]

Jade War - Fonda Lee

★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5

In this explosive sequel to Jade City, the tension between the No Peak and Mountain clans only increases. Once again Lee plays with death as we lose characters near and dear to our hearts while other continue to thrive like cockroaches (I'm looking at you, Bero.). No matter how drawn into the politics and strategy I get, Lee is killing someone on the next page to remind me that no one is safe- which is incredibly stressful but so, so well done. I highly enjoyed seeing more of the world outside of Kekon in this book with Anden being exiled (studying away?) in another country as he grapples with his relationship with jade. He's such an interesting character and I've loved seeing him develop from the naive teenager we met in Jade City. Shae, the woman that she is, only continues to be more of a badass. Her duel with Ayt has me turning the pages faster than I could read them and I've so enjoyed her settling into her position as Weather Man. Hilo. HILO. Man, I didn't care for him too much in the first book and I was so pissed when he ended up kinda becoming the main character after Lan died but I get it now. He's such a complex character that makes such conflicting decisions. He's a fighter at heart and can't take or do anything in half measures. Him bringing Lan's son, Niko, back to Kekon was so brutal and yet so in character. To him, nothing is more important than making sure a Green Bone is raised as such (though I do wonder how Niko's origin story is going impact him as he grows up). And I can't talk about the ending of this book without talking about Wen! Another badass woman who has overcome so much to support her husband and cheats death out of sheer willpower (and some help from Anden). I love her. Point. blank and period- I hope Hilo forgives her and she enters her full potential in the final (gulp) book. I truly have no idea how Lee is going to wrap up such an insane story and world, but I know I'm probably going to cry along the way.

[mad-rdr]

Jade City - Fonda Lee

★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5

Wow, it's been a while since I've read such a good fantasy debut. This first book of the Green Bone Saga comes out swinging. Although the action is slow to rise, you are immediately thrust into the politics of the island of Kekon, specifically the capital city of Janloon, which is controlled by two rival clans; No Peak and Mountain. Most of this book we follow four siblings on the renown Kaul family, essentially the leadership of the No Peak clan. There's Lan (oldest, Pillar), Hilo (Horn), Shae (semi-estranged sister), and Anden (adopted, student). These four are so well written, they're all incredibly complex and play different roles in the clan that has been their entire lives. Lan is the Pillar, or the leader, of No Peak, he was appointed such when their grandfather, Sen, become too old to continue to lead. Lan has to navigate older advisors who think he is too young, his rambunctious and violence-prone younger brother Hilo, and the weakening position of No Peak... needless to say, I do not envy him. Hilo is a true warrior, the right-hand man to his brother, he's responsible for keeping No Peaks territories in check. Shae, after dating a foreigner and studying abroad, is back in Janloon after wanting nothing to do with clan business. She, notably, took out her jade, the precious gem that Green Bones rigorously train for and use for heightened senses. Lastly, Anden is an adopted Kaul after being born into a family that is known for going mad with jade power, although it is thought that he will be able to overcome his family history and bring much needed power to No Peak's fighters. The main climax of this book hits when someone dies, and No Peak goes to war with the Mountain and predictably, chaos ensures. The world building and "magic" system of this urban fantasy is incredibly complex and well thought out, as are the gang/mafia hierarchies and relationships. This book was so, so good, no number of words I write could do it justice. Lee is obviously a talented writer, and I'm strapped in for a wild ride in these next two books... I can't wait.

[mad-rdr]

February Books

7 books this month!

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros (★ ★ ★ ★/5)

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske (★ ★ ★ ★/5)

Bound by Ravens by Jesikah Sundin (★ ★ ★/5)

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah (★ ★ ★ ★/5)

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5)

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske (★ ★ ★ ★/5)

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske (★ ★ ★ ★/5)

[mad-rdr]

A Power Unbound - Freya Marske

★ ★ ★ ★/5

The thrilling finale to the Lasting Binding series, this book was definitely the best of all three. Unlike the second book, with a limited cast of characters (due to it taking place on a boat ig), this one had everyone, which definitely gave it it's strength. I'd missed Robin and Edwin sm, whatever would our gang do without Edwin going into lengthy and complex explanations about magic that no one appreciates him for (except Robin who stares at him with hearts in his eyes and not a thought in his head!!). In this book we finally get more info about the one and only Lord Hawthorn (Jack!) and how he really lost his magic. Really, this whole problem starts with his cousin and so Jack, although he drags his feet at every turn, feels obligated to help the crew retrieve the items of The Last Contract and put a stop to this shit. And if he, say, got to know Alan a little better and found out he's the author of a collection of books that cater to... deviant tastes... all the better, right? These two were so fun together and quite a little spicier compared to the previous couples. Sidenote- I absolutely loved how Marske balanced class politics in this book and how socioeconomic status also relates to magical status. There were so many good parallels and political insights that really added to this fantasy world. Anyways, although I knew our protagonists would ultimately prevail, I gotta say there were so many times when I thought they wouldn't- which did kinda led to a few extra conflicts that weren't completely necessary, but hey, I enjoyed it. Overall, this was a good end to the series and I'm glad I continued with it. I love historical queer romances and Marske delivered three that ate the whole way through!!

[mad-rdr]

A Restless Truth - Freya Marske

★ ★ ★ ★/5

In this sequel to A Marvellous Light, we follow Maud and Violet as they travel from America back to England. Maud, escorting one the ladies that created The Last Contract, and Violet, returning home after a brief stint as a theater actress in America. I think one of the main drawbacks of this book is that it all takes place on a boat... and you can tell. Trust that these two still manage to get up to a wholeee bunch of trouble, with newly made friends Hawthorn and Alan. I lovedd the friendships in this book, and I especially loved the banter. They made a great team, with Maud's desire to help her brother with The Last Contract, Violet's magic, Hawthorn's knowledge of magic and runes, and Alan's skill of thieving. I adored getting to know Maud more, it was nice to see her as more than just Robin's little sister. Violet is also such a cool character, not caring what anyone thinks of her and trying to cause as much scandal as possible while she makes her way home to take over an estate left to her by an eccentric old woman. The parts that fell flat for me in the first book (the magic system, the importance of The Last Contract) were remedied in this book as I got further into the plot. The romance in this book wasn't as fun though, Maud and Violet are great, but there's sooo much miscommunication for no reason and bunch of stereotypical shit that writers always attribute to wlw romances. Overall though, this was not a bad middle book and I'm looking forward to wrapping up the series with A Power Unbound.

[mad-rdr]

Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates

★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5

In this incredibly powerful letter to his son, Ta-Nehisi Coates invites everyone to reflect on what it means to be a Black American. I, for one, was very intrigued with his description of the Dream, and his discussion of the Dreamers (white people, or “people who named themselves White,” as Coates puts it), who immerse themselves in the Dream to ignore the reality of the world they built. Here are some quotes that I think make the whole book-

“…the Dreamers are quoting Martin Luther King and exulting nonviolence for the weak and the biggest guns for the strong.”

“They have forgotten, because to remember would tumble them out of the beautiful Dream and force them to live down here with us, down here in the world. I am convinced that the Dreamers, at least the Dreamers of today, would rather live white than live free.”

“The Dreamers will have to learn struggle themselves, to understand that the field for their Dream, the stage where they have painted themselves white, is the deathbed of us all.”

[mad-rdr]

Winter Garden - Kristin Hannah

★ ★ ★ ★/5

Wow. Kristin Hannah strikes again. Set in the early 2000's, sisters Meredith and Nina struggle with their relationships with each other, their mother, and their romantic partners as they learn more about their family history and themselves. This story was incredible, touching, and so emotional. On his deathbed, their father makes their mother promise to tell their daughters a story, which starts off presented as a fairytale and is revealed to actually be about their mother's life in the Soviet Union in the 1940s. Her story is chilling and heartbreaking, and makes Meredith and Nina realize they never really knew their mother at all. I also enjoyed Meredith and Nina figuring out what they want in their current lives, and how learning their mother's history impacts the choices they make at the end of the book. Hannah has such a soulful way of telling historical stories, highlighting the struggles and battles that women faced during wartimes. With each book of hers that I read, I have a greater appreciation for her writing. I'm sure this will not be the last Kristin Hannah book I have the pleasure of reading.

[mad-rdr]

Bound by Ravens - Jesikah Sundin

★ ★ ★/5

A short standalone fantasy, this was action (and romance!) packed. The "enemies to lovers" part of this book only lasted 20 pages btw so don't expect drawn out banter or anything. Definitely the victims of insta-love, Finn and Taryn are thieves from rival gangs that are inexplicably drawn to each other and end up mate bonded? A little lost on the logistics but the world seems very complex and intriguing, I wouldn't mind spending more time in it. Overall, this story was quick to the action and climax, perfect if you need something to get you out of a reading slump.

[mad-rdr]

A Marvellous Light - Freya Marske

★ ★ ★ ★/5

This was fun! I love reading historical gay romances and this one included magic- what's not to love? This world building was interesting, and I like that we got to see a lot of it in Robin's perspective (who is new to magic). I despise Edwin's family- they're a bunch of spoiled bullies and if I never have to see any of them again it'll be too soon (unfortunately we'll have to see Walt if Robin and Edwin are gonna beat him). Robin and Edwin!! They're so cute and I love the mild enemies to lovers (really Edwin is just grumpy) in the office. Absolutely loved Edwin's little nerd brain compared to Robin the jock- normally an overplayed trope but I think it worked well in this book. Idk yet if I'm gonna read the next book, the whole three magic items contract thing was less important to me tbh, so we'll see.

[mad-rdr]

Onyx Storm - Rebecca Yarros

★ ★ ★ ★/5

Alright, sit down and buckle up because I have THOUGHTS. First of all, let me just say that I was pleasantly surprised with this book. After being incredibly annoyed with Iron Flame, I decided that if I didn't like this book I was going to stop with the series. This series, which should've stayed a trilogy btw, keeps getting drawn out in a way that shows the author is just trying to wring every penny possible from the hype Fourth Wing received. In this book, Violet and Xaden are far less annoying, but it almost feels like they barely interact. And when they do all Xaden talks about is not wanting to lose control- which btw, that whole plotline just fell so flat after the big twist ending in Iron Flame- Xaden is lowkey fine the entire book. I highly enjoyed their adventures to the Isle and I do love the history given to us by Violet's dad, but there's not really a ton of progression in terms of the overall story. It's book three and honestly, I can't tell you wtf they're all fighting for- not to mention the big bad villain in this book (who randomly appears) is killed at the end. It honestly just feels like Yarros got herself into a world too complicated to write herself out of. This idea should've sat on the cooker for a big longer (and gone through another round of editing jfc). I truly think it could be so much better if it was written better... There's so many random characters who appear and people from the first two books are barely mentioned. The stakes are dramatized so high that nothing really seems to actually hold severity (Xaden being the prime example- AND that one scene with Mira). Don't even get me started on that shit with Andarna WHAT WAS THE POINT!! Ugh anyways, even though I just nothing but complain, I liked Onyx Storm much more than Iron Flame and for that alone it gets 4 stars. Guess I'm seeing this through to the end now.

[mad-rdr]

Hunt on the Dark Waters - Katee Robert

★ ★ ★/5

Iconic of me for reading the sequel before the first book, but honestly, I don't think it matters. This being the first book, there wasn't a ton of world building that would have been important for me to know before reading Blood on the Tide. This book follows a witch, Evelyn, who steals from her vampire ex (which tbh she is so wrong for that even though it gets resolved in the second book anyways) and jumps into a portal into a realm where she essentially has to give up her entire life and become a pirate or die. And because the captain of the ship she lands on is Hotty McHotPants (Bowen), she caves and goes yeah, I didn't have anything for me in my home realm anyways. And then these two proceed to waste no time before getting it on and decide to start a revolution. That's it, that's the plot. I never said I read Katee Robert books because they were good y'all- sometimes you just need a book that is predictably bad but fun! so here we are

[mad-rdr]

The Mirror Visitor Quartet - Christelle Dabos

A Winter’s Promise: ★ ★ ★/5

The Missing of Clairdelune: ★ ★ ★ ★/5

The Memory of Babel: ★ ★ ★/5

The Storm of Echoes: ★ ★/5

It’s hard to sum up four 450+ page books into an overall series review, so bear with me. Overall, I was really disappointed by this series. I was never a fan of the first book, but the second book made me want to continue. However, the last two just weren't it. Ophelia is fun, but she gets herself into the same situation every damn book- from being disguised as a valet in a cruel court, a storyteller to a ill-tempered god, a student in the world's most competitive university, and lastly, a patient in a fucked up medical study. Every time she is tested, essentially tortured, and clings to the strings of a barely there relationship with her husband. I don't mind that this was the slowest slow burn to ever exist, Ophelia and Thorn are ultimately good to each other. But they probably have a total of 100 pages together in the entire 4-book series and half the time Thorn barely acknowledges Ophelia's existence. As a character, Thorn is as fascinating as he is frustrating... which is a lot. There are a lot of good side characters, but it doesn't go unnoticed that Ophelia doesn't have a single female friend. I know a lot of other people has called this series misogynistic and I can definitely see it. There's also so many things in the world that just don't make sense. Things just felt all over the place and honestly had me questioning whether or not I was stupid. The real question is whether or not this series is bad because of the time period it was written in (early 2010s) or because it's been translated. Highly likely that this is the last time I read this series.

tldr; I read this entire series and for what. There's a repetitive plot, a barely there romance, and a deeply unsatisfying ending.