Welcome Back, Booklovers!
In case you missed it I've been participating all month in the SeaMaydenathon. I actually dipped into my backlist TBR and read books from it despite my mountainous list of arcs and new releases. May has been a busy month for reading with all these new books being released in June. It's actually a bit of a blessing a because my June arcs were piling up! And with release dates on the same day. Luckily June is a romance book heavy month.
If you missed my interview with Author Roseanne A Brown then you need to click the link and get familiar.
Finally finished ASOWAR. It usually takes me a little bit of time to get into fantasy while the world is initially being set up. This was no exception but after all the pieces were in place I was fully enthralled and ended up staying up into after 5 am to finish reading. I just couldn't break my reading streak and put it down!
This is a duology written in dual pov. We follow Malik who is a refugee from Eshra and Karina, the Crown Princess of Ziran. Malik has traveled from from his homeland with his two sisters in search of a better life. But unfortunately upon arrival into the city they run into trouble and Malik's little sister Nadia ends up being kidnapped. And he strikes a deal for his sister's safe return. In order to ensure his sister's safety he must kill Karina!
Karina is the Crown princess who everyone sees as a failure and an heir unfit to rule. She herself doesn't feel fit to rule and dreams of running far away from her kingdom. But when an ambush leads to her mother's assassination Karina must step up as sultana. But how can someone so unfit for the position lead her people? She can't even command her own court. No, Karina can't possible lead so when she discovers a ritual to bring the dead back to life she sees an opportunity to revive her mother. The only problem is she only has until the end of the Solstasia festivals and she needs to heart of a king to complete the ritual.
Fortunately for both Karina and Malik an annual competition provides opportunity for them both. Malik finds his opening to get close enough to the princess and Karina has the opportunity to find herself a husband.
The city of Ziran has a blend of many different sets of people and I loved the little traditions and customs described though out whether it came to the simple things like Karina's meal with Afua's family or the seductive dance between Malik and Katrina. Solstasia also has it's own unique festival traditions and there are live events and challenged throughout that are described vividly. I really felt the mixed of North and West African culture throughout the text.
Malik is no fierce warrior. He's a soft kind-hearted soul and the idea of competition rattles his nerves. But he holds some powerful magic inside of him that he can use to his advantage.
Karina has experienced a lot of loss and hides her sadness behind biting remarks and jokes. She is also very sheltered from the world after an accident claimed the lives of her father and sister.
I thought this novel found the right balance between character writing and giving us information to set up the duology while also giving enough action to stay intrigued. But it didn't rely on cheap tricks like excessive violence and instead had well thought out twists and turns. And while there is romance I thought it was well done. Sometimes in YA romance can overshadow the plot and even building of each character. That doesn't happen here.
This debut will keep you on the edge of your seat and have you wishing for book 2 immediately.
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