Another Monday is upon us. We’re now at May 19 and that means I’ve completed another week of reading. Since my sister’s bridal shower was this past weekend, I didn’t have a lot of time to sit still. I managed to get a few books in anyway! Here’s the recap.

1. A Fire in the Sky – Sophie Jordan

CW: Graphic Depictions of Violence & Injuries, Child Abuse, Forced Marriage, Fire & Burn Injuries, Graphic Sexual Content, Abandonment, Genocide, Discrimination, Bullying, Toxic Friendship, Vomit, Animal Death, Blood

Summary:

Tamsyn is used to enduring pain for the sake of others. Her whole life, she’s been raised as the royal whipping girl, taking any punishments on behalf of the crown princesses she’s lived beside. It’s better treatment than she’d get elsewhere, especially looking the way she does. Those red hair like her are believed to have magic, and its wielders are being hunted out of existence as the dragons were before them. However, she has no special powers except the way she’s learned to bear pain to spare her sisters.

When a celebrated warrior of the north nicknamed Lord Beast demands a princess as a bride in reward for his deeds, Tamsyn is once again willing to stand in their stead. Embarking on her new life as a northern lady at his side, she finds much she did not expect – in her new husband, the world at large, and especially in herself.

My Thoughts:

At the time of last week’s post, I was roughly two thirds of the way through the book. I was already enjoying it thoroughly, and that continued all the way through to the end. The world that the story is set in is fascinating. Like I mentioned last week, although this is the first in a standalone series, it is set in the same world as the Firelight series by the same author. I haven’t read that one yet, but seeing the richness of the world in A Fire in the Sky is tempting me to do so.

I also loved the dynamic between the lead duo as well as their inner voices. Both were very well defined – unique but distinct mixtures of toughness and vulnerability, strength and softness. I liked watching the ways they overcompensated and the inevitable fallout when they did. I’ll say again that I was impressed with how well the author created unambiguous consent in the consummation of a coerced marriage. From there, the relationship continues to become more and more interesting.

This was the kind of book where I saw a twist coming from more than 200 pages away and still got that squealing, feet-kicking glee when it turned out I was right. I’m really looking forward to finding out what comes next in the second one. It’s titled A Scar in the Bone and will be coming out on October 14th in both standard and special editions. I was lucky enough to be selected for an advance reader copy (ARC), so you’ll be seeing my review well before then!

2. The Ressurrectionist – Sophie Jordan

CW: Graphic Depictions of Violence & Injuries, Graphic Depictions of Medical Procedures, Loss of Parent, Loss of Sibling, Corpse Mutilation & Dismemberment, Blood, Sexism, Body Horror, Permanent Injury, Animal Death

A very big thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the eARC! This one will be coming out on October 7th, and is currently available for pre-order.

Summary:

The best way to describe this one is as a YA reimagining of Frankenstein as a teenage year old girl, and set in Whitechapel in 1888. Dilly’s father has recently passed away, leaving her and her twin sister orphans. Since they have little support system, they’ll both need to find employment. Even though Dilly’s a woman and it’s “not the done thing,” she dreams of becoming a skilled surgeon like her father. Now that her father’s notes and texts are hers, she’s even more determined. When her attempts to gain admission to the local medical college are met with resistance, not even Dilly is prepared for how far she will go to prove herself.

My Thoughts:

This book is a phenomenal love letter to Mary Shelley. If you’re a fan of the creepy or of the gothic style, this one will be delightful. It continues to explore many of the same questions that Frankenstein did, but keeping more of a focus on the doctor. Many will find Dilly far more relatable than Victor, most notably in her familial relationships and her grief. She fascinated me. Even when the reader understands fully that the outcome of her decisions will be bad, it’s easy to see why she makes them. The author makes great use of dramatic irony by inserting at the beginning of each chapter Dilly’s future thoughts on the events about to occur.

I had so much fun with this one. No one between these pages can be trusted. The twists just kept coming all the way through to the very last page. They never felt disorienting, however. I was always leaning into them and eager for even more. In addition to reimagining classic literature, it does the same with historical true crime. Any true crime aficionados will recognize the setting of Whitechapel in 1888. That was the backdrop for the infamous Jack the Ripper. I was hunting for clues the whole time, and this book kept me guessing and turning pages. I finished this one in two days.

3. The Fifth Season – N. K. Jemisin

CW: Graphic Depictions of Violence & Injuries, Child Loss, Blood, Vomit, Discrimination, Eugenics, Abandonment, SA (more to come)

Summary:

The world is ending. This time, it’s for the last time. Someone has ripped open the Earth, and it’s spewing out its ashen innards. A mother is still trying to save the one of her children who might still be alive. She’d tried to keep her powers a secret. She’s not the only one who has them.

My Thoughts:

I’ve just started with this one. I haven’t even reached page 100 yet, but I know that I’m on board. This is the first I’ve read of Jemisin’s work, but it comes highly recommended by numerous people whose opinions I value. Her voice is every bit as distinct as everyone says. I’m loving the colloquial narration and the visceral descriptions. This is actually the first time I’ve read a book that has cast me as a character using the second person narrative voice. I wouldn’t say that I’m used to it yet, but I’m enjoying a new experience in that regard.

I’m looking forward to the rest of it. I’m curious to learn all about this world and the people in it. It’s the first in a trilogy, so there’s a lot there for me.

May 19 is Now in the Books

May 19 marks the start of a new week, too. I’m on to the week and the books to come! Let’s see how much of a dent I can make in my TBR list this week. I’ve got a few more ARCs to get to, plus a great big stack of physical books gathered from all my indie bookstore adventures. I plan to visit every single one in the state. Since I’m in Massachusetts, I’m lucky enough to have a lot of them. You can join in along with my partner and I in our explorations – we have a whole playlist of bookstore videos for you to check out!

Keep an eye out on my YouTube channel or the main updates page here to follow along on all my bookish adventures. My reading recaps go out on Mondays and bookstore adventure videos go out on Thursdays. Plus, there are lots of little shorts in between. As always, I want to hear from you! What have you been reading lately? Are you having fun with it? Have you read any of these titles, and if so, what did you think of them? Tell me everything, and follow along for more!