#kritika h rao

[melanielocke]

Here are some of my favorite books I read this year, divided into three categories because I'm not good at choosing.

[haveyoureadthisscifibook]

vote yes if you have finished the entire book.

vote no if you have not finished the entire book.

(faq · submit a book)

[lastseenleaving]

High above a jungle-planet float the last refuges of humanity—plant-made civilizations held together by tradition, technology, and arcane science. In these living cities, architects are revered above anyone else. If not for their ability to psychically manipulate the architecture, the cities would plunge into the devastating earthrage storms below. Charismatic, powerful, mystical, Iravan is one such architect. In his city, his word is nearly law. His abilities are his identity, but to Ahilya, his wife, they are a way for survival to be reliant on the privileged few. Like most others, she cannot manipulate the plants. And she desperately seeks change. Their marriage is already thorny—then Iravan is accused of pushing his abilities to forbidden limits. He needs Ahilya to help clear his name; she needs him to tip the balance of rule in their society. As their paths become increasingly intertwined, deadly truths emerge, challenging everything each of them believes. And as the earthrages become longer, and their floating city begins to plummet, Iravan and Ahilya's discoveries might destroy their marriage, their culture, and their entire civilization.

[thegirlwiththelantern]

Insta: @ littlepiscesdreaming

[judgingbooksbycovers]

​The Surviving Sky

By Kritika H. Rao.

[the-bi-library]

Happy pride month!! Here are bisexual books out in June! 🩷💜💙 Books listed: Saints of Storm and Sorrow by Gabriella Buba The Fall of Elijah Gray (Moonlight Falls, #0.5) by Colette Rivera The Bound Worlds (The Devoured Worlds, #3) by Megan E. O'Keefe Pole Position by Rebecca J. Caffery Digging for Destiny (Dragon Circle, #2) by Jenna Jarvis The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye by Briony Cameron But How Are You, Really by Ella Dawson Shadows Dark and Deadly (Red Society Series Book 1) by Andrea Marie Johnson Hot Summer by Elle Everhart All Friends Are Necessary by Tomas Moniz Where Willows Weep by Luna Fiore Dandelion by Merlina Garance One Killer Problem by Justine Pucella Winans Napkins and Other Distractions (Teachers in Love, #3) by M.A. Wardell Bi-Partisan (District Love #1) by Dallas Smith Furious by Jamie Pacton and Becca Podos Blame It On The Stars by Elle Bennett Ballad for Jasmine Town by Molly Ringle Old Enough by Haley Jakobson (paperback edition) Accidentally Dominating the Vampire's Assistant by Cat Giraldo Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland Breaks Volume 2 (Breaks, #2) by Emma Vieceli and Malin Rydén

Only Fan Service by Cat Giraldo Something to be Proud Of by Anna Zoe Quirke

Heirs of Destruction (The Crownkiller Saga, #1) by T.N. Vitus London on My Mind by Clara Alves The Pecan Children by Quinn Connor A Divine Fury (Cesare Aldo, #4) by D.V. Bishop The Unrelenting Earth (Rages, #2) by Kritika H. Rao

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

💖 Sapphic Books Coming Out June 2024

🩷 There's something especially sweet about a sapphic romance. Here are only a few of the amazing sapphic books hitting shelves in June 2024. Which ones are you adding to your ever-growing TBR?

💖 Which ones are you adding to your TBR?

Contemporary 💖 But How Are You, Really - Ella Dawson 💖 Hot Summer - Elle Everhart 💖 Pony Dakota - Nat Burns 💖 Wish You Weren't Here - Erin Baldwin 💖 Something to be Proud Of - Anna Zoe Quirke 💖 London on My Mind - Clara Alves, Nina Perrotta (translator) 💖 Please Stop Trying to Leave Me - Alana Saab 💖 Looking for a Sign - Susie Dumond 💖 Triple Sec - T.J. Alexander 💖 Pages from the Book of Broken Dreams - Kat Jackson 💖 Director's Cut - Carlyn Greenwald 💖 Furious - Jamie Pacton, Rebecca Podos 💖 Cicada Summer - Erica McKeen 💖 Tehrangeles - Porochista Khakpour 💖 Women - Chloe Caldwell 💖 Experienced - Kate Young 💖 Liddy-Jean Marketing Queen and the Matchmaking Scheme - Mari SanGiovanni

Paranormal/Horror 💖 The Pecan Children - Quinn Connor 💖 Private Rites - Julia Armfield 💖 The Deep Dark - Molly Knox Ostertag 💖 The Science of Ghosts - Lilah Sturges, El Garing (ill.), Alitha Martinez (contrib.) 💖 Wolfpitch - Balazs Lorinczi

Fantasy 💖 Mirrored Heavens - Rebecca Roanhorse 💖 The Fire Within Them - Matthew Ward 💖 Digging for Destiny - Jenna Jarvis 💖 Saints of Storm and Sorrow - Gabriella Buba 💖 Markless - C.G. Malburi 💖 Sleep Like Death - Kalynn Bayron 💖 The Afterlife of Mal Caldera - Nadi Reed Perez 💖 The Pale Queen - Ethan M. Aldridge 💖 The Unrelenting Earth - Kritika H. Rao 💖 Ballad for Jasmine Town - Molly Ringle 💖 Six of Sorrow - Amanda Linsmeier

Historical 💖 A Bluestocking's Guide to Decadence - Jess Everlee 💖 A Divine Fury - D.V. Bishop 💖 The Ballad of Jacquotte Delahaye - Briony Cameron 💖 Hall of Mirrors - John Copenhaver

Mystery/Thriller 💖 One Killer Problem - Justine Pucella Winans 💖 The Last Note of Warning - Katharine Schellman 💖 Shanghai Murder - Jessie Chandler 💖 And Then There Was One - Michele Castleman

Sci-Fi 💖 Lady Eve's Last Con - Rebecca Fraimow 💖 The Stars Too Fondly - Emily Hamilton 💖 Moonstorm - Yoon Ha Lee 💖 You're Safe Here - Leslie Stephens

[kadoore]

June 2023 Queer Adult SFF Books!

TRANSLATION STATE by Ann Leckie 6/6/2023

nonbinary MCs

once human, Translators have been changed to serve as spokespeople for an alien race

but one Translator wants More, and sets off in search of their own life

adventures and mysteries ensue

THE FIRST BRIGHT THING by J.R. Dawson 6/13/2023

f/f

wives who circus together,

travel the midwest in an alt post-WWI world together

magical circus vs magical circus, but make it dark

THE SURVIVING SKY by Kritika H. Rao 6/13/2023

queer MCs in a m/f relationship

floating jungle city above a raging Earth

magical architects keep it afloat, until suddenly they can't

a struggling marriage, illegal magic, and misplaced reverence!

SAVAGE CROWNS by Matt Wallace 6/13/2023

enby and bi MCs

an ostensibly utopian nation has been exposed as anything but

now the rebels who would remake their country meet on the battlefield to decide its future

3rd in SAVAGE REBELLION series

THE GHOSTS OF TRAPPIST by K.B. Wagers 6/27/2023

queernorm world, queertastic cast

Coast Guard but make it spaaaace

ships are going missing and even the pirates are a bit scared

ghost ships and voices and mysterious songs - oh my

3rd in NeoG series

THE INFINITE MILES by Hannah Fergesen 6/20/2023

pan MC

her best friend disappears for 3 years only to return and demand they find the hero of a fictional TV show, who happens to be real,

strands the MC in 1971,

and then things get weird

[accidentalspaceexplorer]

2023 Book Reviews: New Releases, Part 1

A group of books all released in 2023 - not the biggest part of my reading this year, but enough to warrant a few round-ups.

1. Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire: 4.75/5

Pitch: #8 in a series of novellas exploring portal fantasy tropes and implications

Review: To me, the Wayward Children series definitely feels like it's getting stronger in the latter books, with lots more hints about how the Doors work and what the bigger plot is shaping up to me, and this one was no exception. I loved Antsy's perspective, and I'm really excited that book 9 looks to be centering her again. I also really appreciated the way that Seanan McGuire handled the difficult topics in this one - her author's note was a great way to warn people but also make it clear how far it would go.

2. The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older: 4.5/5

Pitch: SF mystery with sapphic romance set on a colonized Jupiter

Review: This was one of my most anticipated releases this year, and I'm glad I managed to get to it pretty early since I really enjoyed it! A fun mystery, an understated but believable romance, and some fun world-building around living on Jupiter. It also dug into the implications of trying to hold on to the Earth that was lost in a really interesting way that I wasn't expecting.

3. Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell: 3.5/5

Pitch: YA fantasy romance about a girl who accidentally poisons her father with her out of control magic and her childhood best friend returns to help save him

Review: This was definitely cute, very cottagecore (one of the book's self-professed characteristics), and I enjoyed the main character's story and her journey. However, I wasn't invested in the romance (I just didn't buy it) and I wish the worldbuilding was deeper.

4. Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert: 4/5

Pitch: YA contemporary romance about two former best friends each trying to win a scholarship contest and falling in love instead

Review: This was super cute! Didn't quite steal my whole heart like her adult romances, but it was definitely worth it, and I'd recommend it, especially to those of you who are actually still *young* adults.

5. The Surviving Sky by Kritika H. Rao: 3.5/5

Pitch: a dystopian science fantasy about a group of people living in floating sky cities because of the cataclysmic storms on the surface

Review: There are a lot of really interesting things this book is doing, but ultimately it ended up being confusing instead of revolutionary. I still had a fun time reading it, but I probably won't continue the series.

[melanielocke]

Most anticipated 2024 books!

I am anticipating a lot of books. To keep track of them, I made a 2024 tbr shelf. It has 123 books. I certainly won't be reading all 123, but since I can sort the list by release date it helps me keep track of new releases. Unfortunately, 123 is so many that half of them I don't even remember adding them or what they're about, so I decided to boil it down to 10 most anticipated new books and 10 sequels.

New

Faebound - Saara El-Arifi - Jan 18

Voyage of the Damned - Frances White - Jan 18

Fathomfolk - Eliza Chan - Feb 27

A Botanical Daughter - Noah Medlock - Mar 19

Otherwordly - FT Lukens - Apr 2

The Sins on their Bones - Laura R. Samotin - May 7

Not for the Faint of Heart - Lex Croucher - May 7

The Honey Witch - Sydney J. Shields - May 14

Running Close to the Wind - Alexandra Rowland - Jun 11

Swordcrossed - Freya Marske - Oct 10

Sequels

The Cursed Rose - Leslie Vedder (book 3 of the Bone Spindle, final book) - Feb 6

The Eternal Ones - Namina Forna (book 3 of Deathless trilogy) - Feb 13

Merciless Saviors - H.E. Edgmon (sequel to Godly Heathens, final book) - Apr 16

Heavenly Tyrant - Xiran Jay Zhao (sequel to Iron Widow, final book) - Apr 30

Mirrored Heavens - Rebecca Roanhorse (book 3 of Between Earth and Sky trilogy) - Jun 4

Hearts that Cut - Kika Hatzopoulou (sequel to Threads that Bind) - Jun 4

The Unrelenting Earth - Kritika H. Rao (Book 2 in the Rages trilogy) - Jun 18

The Lotus Empire - Tasha Suri (book 3 in the Burning Kingdoms trilogy) - Jul 18

Celestial Monsters - Aiden Thomas (sequel to the Sunbearer Trials, final book) - Sept 3

Alecto the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir (book 4 in the Locked Tomb series) - release dat unknown, likely late 2024

[thenighttrain]

books read in 2023

finally continuing my yearly tradition. all rated out of 5 stars. bolded are my faves!

The Daughters of Izdihar (The Alamaxa Duology, #1) by Hadeer Elsbai ★★★☆☆

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland ★★★☆☆

Last Violent Call (Secret Shanghai, #3.5) by Chloe Gong ★★★☆☆

The Magician's Daughter by H.G. Parry ★★★★☆

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi (Amina al-Sirafi, #1) by Shannon Chakraborty ★★★☆☆

The Lies of the Ajungo (Forever Desert, #1) by Moses Ose Utomi ★★★☆☆

The Surviving Sky (Rages, #1) by Kritika H. Rao ★★★☆☆

The Will of the Many (Hierarchy, #1) by James Islington ★★★☆☆

Immortal Longings (Flesh and False Gods, #1) by Chloe Gong ★★☆☆☆

Gods of the Wyrdwood (Forsaken, #1) by R.J. Barker ★★★☆☆

To Shape a Dragon's Breath (Nampeshiweisit, #1) by Moniquill Blackgoose ★★★☆☆

Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1) by Rebecca Yarros ★★★☆☆

The Third Daughter by Adrienne Tooley ★★★☆☆

After the Dragons by Cynthia Zhang ★★★★☆

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang ★★★★☆

White Trash Warlock (Adam Binder, #1) by David R. Slayton ★★★★☆

The River Has Teeth by Erica Waters ★★★☆☆

The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones ★★★☆☆

All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown ★★★☆☆

Fury of the Dragon Goddess (Adventures of Sik Aziz #2) ★★★★☆

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang ★★★★☆

My Dear Henry: A Jekyll & Hyde Remix by Kalynn Bayron ★★★☆☆

Serwa Boateng's Guide to Vampire Hunting (Serwa Boateng, #1) by Roseanne A. Brown ★★★☆☆

Hamra and the Jungle of Memories by Hanna Alkaf ★★★★☆

Bonesmith (House of the Dead, #1) by Nicki Pau Preto ★★★☆☆

Garden of the Cursed (Garden of the Cursed, #1) by Katy Rose Pool ★★★★☆

Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse ★★★☆☆

Don't Want to Be Your Monster by Deke Moulton DNF

The Buried and the Bound (The Buried and the Bound, #1) by Rochelle Hassan ★★★★☆

The Meadows by Stephanie Oakes ★★★☆☆

If Found, Return to Hell by Em X. Liu ★★★☆☆

Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations, #1) by B.B. Alston ★★★★☆

Starter Villain by John Scalzi ★★★★☆

Amari and the Great Game (Supernatural Investigations, #2) by B.B. Alston ★★★☆☆

The Chalice of the Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #6) by Rick Riordan ★★★★☆

The Fragile Threads of Power (Threads of Power, #1) by V.E. Schwab ★★★☆☆

The Hexologists (The Hexologists, #1) by Josiah Bancroft ★★★☆☆

Foul Heart Huntsman (Foul Lady Fortune, #2) by Chloe Gong ★★★☆☆

Darkhearts by James L. Sutter ★★☆☆☆

The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros ★★★★☆

Séance Tea Party by Reimena Yee ★★★☆☆

The Prince's Poisoned Vow (Infernal War Saga, #1) by Hailey Turner ★★★☆☆

The Emperor's Bone Palace (Infernal War Saga #2) by Hailey Turner ★★★★☆

Beholder by Ryan La Sala ★★★★☆

Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle ★★★★☆

The Forest Demands Its Due Kosoko Jackson ★★★☆☆

Reforged by Seth Haddon ★★★☆☆

The Scarlet Alchemist (The Scarlet Alchemist, #1) by Kylie Lee Baker ★★★★☆

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White DNF

The Spirit Glass by Roshani Chokshi ★★★☆☆

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs ★★★☆☆

All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters ★★☆☆☆

Frostheart (Frostheart, #1) by Jamie Littler ★★★★☆

The Vanquishers (The Vanquishers, #1) by Kalynn Bayron ★★★★☆

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller ★★★☆☆

Dark Moon, Shallow Sea (The Gods of Night and Day #1) by David R. Slayton ★★★☆☆

Dark Heir (Dark Rise, #2) by C.S. Pacat ★★★★☆

[lastseenleaving]

Illustrated book covers 2023

(artist: Leo Nickolls)

[rockislandadultreads]

January NoveList Challenge: Read a 2023 Debut

Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling

In the far north of Canada sits Camp Zero, an American building project hiding many secrets.

Desperate to help her climate-displaced Korean immigrant mother, Rose agrees to travel to Camp Zero and spy on its architect in exchange for housing. She arrives at the same time as another newcomer, a college professor named Grant who is determined to flee his wealthy family’s dark legacy. Gradually, they realize that there is more to the architect than previously thought, and a disturbing mystery lurks beneath the surface of the camp. At the same time, rumors abound of an elite group of women soldiers living and working at a nearby Cold War-era climate research station. What are they doing there? And who is leading them?

The Surviving Sky by Kritika H. Rao

High above a jungle-planet float the last refuges of humanity - plant-made civilizations held together by tradition, technology, and arcane science. Here, architects are revered deeply, with humanity’s survival reliant on a privileged few. If not for their abilities, the cities would plunge into the devastating earthrage storms below.

Charismatic and powerful, Iravan is one such architect. His abilities are his identity, but to Ahilya, his archeologist wife, they are a method to suppress non-architects. Their marriage is thorny and fraught - yet when a jungle expedition goes terribly wrong, jeopardizing their careers, Ahilya and Iravan must work together to save their reputations. But as their city begins to plummet, their discoveries threaten not only their marriage, but their entire civilization.

This is the first volume of the "Rages" series.

The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

All Talasyn has ever known is the Hurricane Wars. Growing up an orphan in a nation under siege by the ruthless Night Emperor, Talasyn has found her family among the soldiers who fight for freedom. But she is hiding a deadly secret: light magic courses through her veins, a blazing power believed to have been wiped out years ago that can cut through the Night Empire's shadows.

Prince Alaric, the emperor's only son and heir, has been forged into a weapon by his father. Tasked with obliterating any threats to the Night Empire's rule with the strength of his armies and mighty Shadow magic, Alaric has never been bested. That is until he sees Talasyn burning brightly on the battlefield with the magic that killed his grandfather, turned his father into a monster, and ignited the Hurricane Wars. In a clash of light and dark, their powers merge and create a force the likes of which has never been seen.

Talasyn and Alaric both know this war can only end with them. But a greater threat is coming, and the strange new magic they can create together could be the only way to overcome it. Thrust into an uneasy alliance, they will confront the secrets at the heart of the war and find, in each other, a searing passion - one that could save their world...or destroy it.

This is the first volume of "The Hurricane Wars" series.

The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero-Lacruz

Reina is desperate.

Stuck living on the edges of society, her only salvation lies in an invitation from a grandmother she’s never known. But the journey is dangerous, and prayer can’t always avert disaster.

Attacked by creatures that stalk the region, Reina is on the verge of death until her grandmother, a dark sorceress, intervenes. Now dependent on the Doña’s magic for her life, Reina will do anything to earn - and keep - her favor. Even the bidding of an ancient god who whispers to her at night.

Eva Kesare is unwanted.

Illegitimate and of mixed heritage, Eva is her family’s shame. She tries her best to be perfect and to hide her oddities. But Eva is hiding a secret: magic calls to her.

Eva knows she should fight the temptation. Magic is the sign of the dark god, and using it is punishable by death. Yet, it’s hard to deny power when it has always been denied to you. Eva is walking a dangerous path, one that gets stranger every day. And, in the end, she’ll become something she never imagined.

This is the first volume of "The Warring Gods" series.

[readinthedarkpod]

It's time for the best, worst, and the so-so books of the year! Did you read any of them with us?

Here are just a few of the books we discussed:

Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon Wild Spaces by S. L. Coney The Surviving Sky by Kritika H. Rao The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Join our book club @wornpagelibrary!

And if you want, follow the hosts @adxmparriish @figonas @laequiem and @hazelsheartsworn

[the-bi-library]

Bi books out in June!

This month we have 18 books!

Also, preorders help greatly, so preorder any book(s) that catch your interest 💕

Here is the goodreads list of these books.

Books listed

💕 Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler 💕 Old Enough by Haley Jakobson 💕 When It All Syncs Up by Maya Ameyaw 💕 By Your Side: A Queerplatonic Short Story by Margherita Scialla 💕 Of Knights and Books and Falling In Love by Rita A. Rubin 💕 Ode To My First Car by Robin Gow 💕 When the Stars Alight by Camilla Andrew 💕 Things I'll Never Say by Cassandra Newbould 💕 The Secret Summer Promise by Keah Brown 💕 Not Queer Enough by Madison Nicole 💕 The Surviving Sky (Rages, #1) by Kritika H. Rao 💕 The Longest Summer by Alexandrine Ogundimu 💕 Vivian Lantz's Second Chances by Kathryn Ormsbee 💕 Keep Your Witches Close by Colette Rivera 💕 Starlings by Amanda Linsmeier 💕 We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian 💕 The Good Ones by Polly Stewart 💕 The Last Drop of Hemlock by Katharine Schellman

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

💙💜💖 Bi Books Coming Out June 2024

💖💜💙 Do you know what we could always use a little more of? Bi books! Here are a few coming out in June that would make fabulous additions to your never-ending TBR! Happy reading!

💖 But How Are You, Really - Ella Dawson 💜 Something to be Proud Of - Anna Zoe Quirke 💙 One Killer Problem - Justine Pucella Winans

💖 Ballad for Jasmine Town - Molly Ringle 💜 Saints of Storm and Sorrow - Gabriella Buba 💙 The Pecan Children - Quinn Connor

💖 The Unrelenting Earth - Kritika H. Rao 💜 A Divine Fury - D.V. Bishop 💙 The Last Note of Warning - Katharine Schellman

💖 Mirrored Heavens - Rebecca Roanhorse 💜 The Fall of Elijah Gray - Colette Rivera 💙 The Bound Worlds - Megan E. O'Keefe

💖 Pole Position - Rebecca J. Caffery 💜 Digging for Destiny - Jenna Jarvis 💙 Shadows Dark and Deadly - Andrea Marie Johnson

💖 Dandelion - Merlina Garance 💜 Where Willows Weep - Luna Fiore 💙 All Friends Are Necessary - Tomas Moniz

💖 Bi-Partisan - Dallas Smith 💜 Napkins and Other Distractions - by M.A. Wardell 💙 Breaks v2 - Emma Vieceli and Malin Rydén

💖 Furious - Jamie Pacton and Becca Podos 💜 Heirs of Destruction - T.N. Vitus 💙 Blame It On The Stars - Elle Bennett