medievalfantasyqueen's reviews
127 reviews

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty

adventurous emotional medium-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? Yes

4.5

An excellent entry into the corpus of fantasy adventure literature, The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi brings back high seas and high stakes adventures,  with characters coming together after seeming retirement. What I admired was Chakraborty's amazing attention paid to the cultural richness of the Indian Ocean, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East - ranging from Christians, Muslims, and Hindus - and how cultural mixing and respect was greatly revered. Amina was fun and is horny on main - a mother who isn't the classic, bashful shy nurturer, which is a great pull away from typical presentations of mothers. A must read for everyone!

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

An excellent beginning to an intriguing series, perfect for fans of historical fantasy series. I was fond of the integration of the Islamic creation myth into the mythology of the series, with the splitting of the two kingdoms, the Jinn and the Clay (humans). Further, I adored both Kamran and Alizeh and though some may not quite like the quick love between the two, I beg to differ - it is the intense passion here that brings to mind Layla and Majnun and of course, Khosrow and Shirin. The ending was a jawdropper and I long to read more!

Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

An eye-opening poignant exploration into Palestinian identity, complicated human relationships and emotions, and the complexity of what is termed as the Pan-Arab identity. Yet another Palestinian book featuring queer characters that I enjoyed greatly - and had to stop every now and then to realise and see how the world does not seem to have changed much for Palestinians.

We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

adventurous dark emotional medium-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? Yes

4.5

I finished this book in two days, reaching the speed I had as a teenager back in the day, so this was amazing. I loved so many things about it, from the world, to the characters and the quite fascinating reworking of the quest narrative. I enjoyed the revelations, and the weaving in of Arabian/Islamic mythologies, and the inclusion of different types of beings we get to deal with. It seems to be somewhat of a rare opinion, but my heart was ripped by the fates of some of the secondary characters and I hope this is not the last we hear of them. I also liked the way assassinations were written, very reminiscent of Assassins Creed and Hafsah certainly shows that.
And you know what,

I am glad that Hafsah did not go down the faking of death route for Deen or Benyamin,

as much as it shredded my heart to pieces.
I hope that we get to see more in the sequel.

Apple and Knife by Intan Paramaditha

dark medium-paced

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

4.5

A collection of short stories inspired by folktales and fairytales, with Islam and Indonesian regional beliefs and mythologies serving as the backdrop and fundamental thrust into the exploration of the dark, macabre, grotesque and the gothic. Be prepared to find descriptions of blood, gore and decay in the slow turning way as the shimmering facade of identities and societies are scabbed and torn away, revealing the dark feminine of the female characters that appear in each tale. Growing up in Singapore, I am familiar with some of the legends and folktales covered, but the feminist reimaginings were very welcome. My favourites from the collection were Doors, Beauty and the Seventh Dwarf and Kuchuk Hanem.

The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A dark fairytale reimagining of Tsuru Nyōbō (The Crane Wife), The Crane Husband does a great job of subtle world building and storytelling mixed into the dark themes of spousal abuse and child neglect. The narrator is a 15 year old and her voice shows remarkably through the confusing nature of her mother’s relationships, and the combined metaphors of weaving, birds and flight, and art, fills the story with enchantment and life.

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Did not finish book. Stopped at 44%.

I couldn’t keep my focus but perhaps I’ll return next time.

Salt Houses by Hala Alyan

emotional sad medium-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? Yes

5.0

If I could give this book 6 out of 5 stars, I would. It kept me up past midnight, shedding tears for each and every character, angry at how everything was so painfully articulated in a book published in 2017, and I look at the world today, and not a whisker of change has happened. The way memory and storytelling is weaved into the multi-generational narratives, each one functioning as a sort of short story on its own with the thread of Atef's letters and guilt pulling it together like a messy shawl falling apart... I am beyond stunned at the beauty of the story, the prose and the characters. A MUST READ.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I took my time through my re-read because of the long wait, but in all senses of the word, this is a beautiful read. Breathtakingly stunning prose and world-building, The Name of the Wind lives up to all expectations and crushes it beyond recognition. A must-read for anyone interested in music, stories and storytelling, and multiplicities. 

Mother of Strangers by Suad Amiry

emotional sad medium-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? Yes

4.0

A touching tale of love and an English suit embedded into the historical events of the 1948 Nakba. I feel that the story was more of a historical recap, rather than an exploration of character. Nevertheless, it was a good read and very touching in several places.