hannahsnerdycorner's reviews
115 reviews

Broken Empire by Brady Hunsaker

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Within the Heart of Wicked Creatures by Rima Orie

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adventurous dark informative reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I was selected to be an ARC reader for this book and I have to say: I want a sequel asap!

Within the Heart of Wicked Creatures has an overarching theme of many groups with different cultures working together to defeat the colonists who are trying to take over control and view the indigenous populations as savages and monsters. This makes it beautifully full of differing cultures and is done in an understandable way so that the reader doesn't get confused - if you do mix up which group has which look or belief, it isn't imperative to the story and will get retold to you if it is even slightly important.

It is that style of writing that means the reader doesn't get lost or confused throughout the book, and they learn alongside the character in a way that doesn't feel clunky or forced.

The book follows Priya, who is a blood child, as she learns to accept herself and her powers. A blood child is someone who is born on the blood moon night when monsters roam and exposure to the moon on these nights has serious repercussions for those who aren't blood children. Blood children have powers too, which the others fear and therefore blood children are often killed. Priya survives because her mother hid the fact she's a blood child, yet she also favours her other children over Priya - demonstrating a complex love-hate relationship between mother and daughter, which Priya also has with her younger sister Ishani who is the family prodigy and hope.

There is a cute (trope spoiler)

enemies to lovers

romance, however it is not the main focus of the book. The main focus is defeating the mother of monsters.

Priya's story features strong friendships, sisterhood, and heartbreak, as well as war, discrimination, and horrors.

It is well-worth the read and I recommend it to everyone! There were points that made me laugh, cry, squeal, and moments where I had to set my kindle down for a few minutes. All this whilst also being a thought-provoking story of colonisation, forced relocation, and discrimination in a fantasy-setting.

Babel by R.F. Kuang

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense slow-paced