Tag Archives: warrior

Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , , ,
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir cover shows a girl with hair blowing in the wind behind a crouching warrior in a hooded cape.

An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1)
Sabaa Tahir
Razorbill Press
Published April 28, 2015

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About An Ember in the Ashes

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

My Review

I feel like the last person in the world to finally read AN EMBER IN THE ASHES. I’ve had a copy for years, and still, it took me forever. Not for any reason to do with the book. I heard Sabaa Tahir speak in 2016 at YALLFEST, and have been a fan of hers since then. For some reason, it has just taken me FOREVER to read her books. Can I just pretend I’ve been waiting until the fourth book is published before starting the series so I can binge read them? (Actually, no, I can’t, because the fourth one doesn’t come out until next year.)

Anyway, I really enjoyed the setting of AN EMBER IN THE ASHES. I like the desert setting and the complex political landscape. It’s not as simple as the good guys are good and the bad guys are bad. I liked that a lot.

And the character development. Laia grows SO much from the first page of the book to the last, and I love that. I found it so easy to identify with her timidity and her commitment to rule-following and staying safe at the beginning of the story, but I cheered for her every step of her journey, too, as she got bolder and more fierce.

I love that the story feels like it has so many layers, too. Laia and Elias each have goals and plans. The resistance has a plan. The emperor has a plan. And the Augers (like fates) have a plan, too. It definitely makes the story feel larger-than-life and like there are so many places it can go.

I think readers who enjoyed the DIVERGENT series by Veronica Roth or THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Mass will like AN EMBER IN THE ASHES.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Laia has bronze skin and dark hair and is from an oppressed and often enslaved people called Scholars.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Some references to sex.

Spiritual Content
One character uses magic to heal another. Augers relay prophesies about certain characters.

Violent Content – Trigger Warning
Soldiers execute family members of a suspected traitor and threaten to rape another. Laia becomes a slave to a cruel master who mutilates her slaves. Some graphic descriptions of those instances. A man tries to rape a woman after beating her.

Elias belongs to an elite unit of soldiers which uses extreme methods of discipline as part of training, including making soldiers watch/jeer at a younger trainee being whipped to death for trying to run away. He participates in some violent challenges which pit him against his peers.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: The Heir of Ariad by Niki Florica

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

The Heir of Ariad
Niki Florica
Elm Hill Publishing
Published August 13, 2019

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Goodreads

About The Heir of Ariad

The weight of a vanished father’s legacy and the secrets of the past have forced Kyrian to carve a place among his people at the price of his own sweat and blood. Ariad is withering. The Skies seem a strange place to die of thirst, but no one can fetch the Rains against the tyrant king’s will, and no one but the Creator who has vanished into legend can kill an invisible king.

But there is a force at work beyond Kyrian’s sight. A powerful, masterful will. Suddenly there is blood on his hands, the Skies are filled with enemies, and the only way to escape a dark end is to flee the clouds forever. But there in the Lands waits a powerful prophecy, along with a powerful weapon, and now as Ariad withers to dust all hope may rest with the one young mortal who fled his home a fugitive and must return to it a king.

My Review

THE HEIR OF ARIAD pretty much hooked me as soon as I realized it was a retelling of the biblical story of Moses but set in an unusual fantasy world. Each chapter begins with a Bible verse linking to the next scenes. I thought framing the “chosen one” story as a retelling of the story of Moses was a clever idea. I haven’t seen that done before.

I also enjoyed the story world in which people are divided into races– referred to as colors like Green, Grey, and Silver– based on where they live. Kyrian and his people live on clouds. Other, lesser humans live on earth.

The plot does require some willing suspension of disbelief. Some of the things that happen don’t get explained right away– like why the king still holds such power over his people if he hasn’t been seen in twenty years. Other things don’t get explained at all. Characters sometimes held grudges long past what seemed to make sense to me. Sometimes the plot got bogged down in what felt like a side quest.

Over all, though, I really enjoyed the unique, rich story world, and Kyrian and his sister Salienne were easily my favorite characters. I’m glad I read the book. THE HEIR OF ARIAD makes a good pick for readers who are looking for a more classical Christian fantasy novel.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Main characters have pale skin.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Characters use swear-like expressions such as “Oh, skies.”

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Lots of biblical and Christian symbolism or allegory. There’s some reference to a Jesus-type character, an innocent man killed as a sacrifice for the sins of others. The original king of Ariad is said to be the Creator. Many characters still believe he’s the rightful king and he appears in different forms throughout the story.

Violent Content
One soldier holds another at knife point. A soldier torments an elderly man. A young man beats a soldier to death. Some description of the fight. Some descriptions of a group of children attacking another child and severely beating him. A monstrous creature attacks Kyrian and his allies. Tree-like creatures attack Kyrian and his ally.

Drug Content
Some references to adults drinking an alcohol-like substance.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog. I received a free copy of THE HEIR OF ARIAD in exchange for my honest review.

Review: The Girl King by Mimi Yu

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

The Girl King
Mimi Yu
Bloomsbury YA
Published on January 8, 2019

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About The Girl King

All hail the Girl King.

Sisters Lu and Min have always understood their places as princesses of the Empire. Lu knows she is destined to become the dynasty’s first female ruler, while Min is resigned to a life in her shadow. Then their father declares their male cousin Set the heir instead—a betrayal that sends the sisters down two very different paths.

Determined to reclaim her birthright, Lu goes on the run. She needs an ally—and an army—if she is to succeed. Her quest leads her to Nokhai, the last surviving wolf shapeshifter. Nok wants to keep his identity secret, but finds himself forced into an uneasy alliance with the girl whose family killed everyone he ever loved…

Alone in the volatile court, Min’s hidden power awakens—a forbidden, deadly magic that could secure Set’s reign…or allow Min to claim the throne herself. But there can only be one Emperor, and the sisters’ greatest enemy could turn out to be each other.

My Review
Wow. Where to start! The Girl King has so much going on in it. I loved all three of the characters telling the story. Lu and her sister Min almost couldn’t be more opposite. Where Lu is bold and brash, Min is timid and constantly worries about disappointing or offending anyone. As Lu runs from home and the man who would kill her to secure his seat as emperor, she learns to depend on and value others. Left behind, Min gains a new boldness herself when her bitterness at being overlooked grows to overtake the shyness that’s kept her quiet until now.

And then there’s Nokhai, who wants to live a simple life in hiding, and instead has this huge task (saving the princess, saving his mentor, ultimately saving his people) thrust upon him. He’s smart and sweet and totally not charmed by Lu’s position or her temper.

Beyond the characters, The Girl King has a rich story world packed with history and conflict between ethnic groups. It felt very real and added lots of layers to the plot and the characters’ relationships.

For me the only struggle was with the amount of violence in The Girl King. I’m kind of a pansy where it comes to that sort of thing, and lots of the descriptions had me cringing. I might have skimmed over the aftermath of one particular battle late in the story. So I wish it hadn’t been so graphic in that way.

But I enjoyed the story and the characters so much. I felt like all three main characters grew so much through The Girl King, and the plot carried me away. Next year when the sequel comes out, I’m sure I’ll be looking for it.
If you like books by Leigh Bardugo (I loved Six of Crows, but I think Shadow and Bone probably makes a better comparison here, and I haven’t finished reading that one.) then you will want to check out The Girl King.

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Cultural Elements
Most of the characters are described as having ochre or tawny skin. Lu’s empire contains lots of different ethnic groups. Some have been persecuted and killed.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used somewhat infrequently. I didn’t keep a tally, but I’d say probably a dozen times or so. Some of the instances are intense because one character uses a curse to dehumanize and belittle another.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between a boy and girl. At one point, it looks as though the characters will do more, but they stop themselves.
At one point, a soldier threatens to rape a boy.

Spiritual Content
Some tribe (called Kith) members have the ability to shape shift into an animal. Shamanesses and those who’ve studied under them learn to use magic.
A shamaness placed a curse on a family as a means for revenge. Her spirit continues to haunt one family member.

Violent Content
The Girl King contains quite a bit of graphic violence. Assassins chase the princess. Descriptions of the battle get pretty graphic. Later, a soldier threatens a boy, acting as if he means to rape him. He meets a pretty violent end.
After a battle in the sky (you had to be there), soldiers and participants fall to the ground, leaving bloodstains and carnage everywhere below. Some of the descriptions of that are pretty vivid, too.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Warfare by Julie Hall

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Warfare
Julie Hall
Published on June 13, 2017

Amazon | Goodreads

About Warfare
The battle is far from over.

When the lives of her loved ones are put in peril, who will Audrey turn to for help? On the surface, Audrey’s existence in the afterlife is coming together. Her quirky new mentor guides her on the path to becoming the demon hunter she always hoped. She has great friends and even a kinda-sorta-maybe new boyfriend. But if things are so wonderful, why is Logan never far from her thoughts?

After learning that her family is the target of an unprecedented demonic siege Audrey puts all she’s gained in jeopardy by defying heavenly authorities and returning to Earth. Stranded at the place she once called home with the one person she’s been desperate to forget, she’ll face vicious monsters, betrayers, and a legion of demons with an insidious weapon that even her celestial sword can’t defeat.

Will Audrey’s mistakes in the afterlife be what destroys the lives of the ones she loves the most?

My Review
From a plot perspective, this book is so much stronger than the first book in the series. Audrey has a goal right from the first moment, and she’s not giving up, no matter how high the stakes get. She’s still that same adorably awkward girl we fell in love with in Huntress, but her training definitely shows. Now she’s a powerful warrior. I’m so loving that!

Most of the spunky, fun characters from the first book reappear in this one, with a few notable additions. I loved Audrey’s mysterious mentor, Hugo. He’s wise and both fierce and gentle. And funny! Total win. We also meet a surprise guest from Logan’s past, who turned out to be one of the most intriguing characters in the whole book! (No spoilers… but I’m really hoping we get to see more of this in book three!)

My enthusiasm for this book came to a screeching halt toward the end, though. I’ve stepped onto my soap box below in the romance notes section, so you can read the whole tirade there. But readers with any history of sexual trauma should be aware of a potential trigger.

I’m so torn about this book. I liked so much of it, and I feel guilty for liking it so much because of the consent issue. I’m going to read the third book in the series, and see how it resolves.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity. Audrey uses faux swears like “shoot” and “gosh.”

Romance/Sexual Content
Kiss between boy and girl without her consent.

Okay, to be honest, it’s a brief kiss, but the way it happens and the way other characters react really bothers me. Basically, in the story world, a kiss creates a bond between two people, a strong spiritual tie that’s supposed to lead to marriage. It can be broken, but that’s a painful process.

So taking a kiss without someone’s consent is a big deal, because even without consent, the bond is apparently created.

It goes down like this: he kisses her without permission, and at first she’s like whoa, wait! And then she’s into it. So he’s pretty cocky because, hey, by the end, she liked it.

I think this is a really dangerous message. It’s NOT cool to kiss a girl who doesn’t express permission because she might consent after a minute or two. No, no, NO.

Also, when she tells her friends and family about the incident, they basically roll their eyes and laugh it off, like, hey, we all know you’re into that guy anyway, so just chill out.

Wow. Not okay.

Seriously. Not a single character says, wait, he didn’t have your permission? That’s not cool. You have every right to be upset, girl!

No one.

She’s just supposed to ignore her own feelings about it.

Again, not cool. At all.

Spiritual Content
Most of the story takes place in Heaven. Audrey briefly meets Jesus (though she doesn’t recognize him and he calls himself Joe) and angels. It’s based in Christian doctrine, but there are some big departures. For instance, Audrey and others are assigned to a strict physical training regimen for service on a team called Hunters. These Hunters go to earth to battle demons who attack living humans.

The story also shows prayer offering protection from demonic forces (which fits with Christian doctrine.). It also shows that sometimes God chooses to let demons harass people as part of a larger plan or purpose. Audrey specifically learns some hard lessons about how disobeying God’s plan to do what seems to make more sense in the moment can be a huge mistake and cause big problems. Obeying even when it doesn’t make sense yields much better results.

Violent Content
Battles between Hunters (human) and demons. Some brief gore.

Drug Content
None.

Review: Huntress by Julie Hall

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , , ,

Huntress
Julie Hall
Published on May 16, 2017

Amazon | Goodreads

About Huntress
No one’s afterlife is as dispiriting as Audrey’s―at least that’s what she believes after waking up dead without her memories and being promptly assigned to hunt demons for the rest of eternity. She’s convinced God’s made a cosmic mistake; after all, she’d rather discuss the color of her nails than break them on angelic weapons.

It doesn’t help that her trainer, Logan, is as infuriating as he is attractive. And just when Audrey and Logan appear close to developing an amicable relationship, a decision made under duress pushes their hearts in a direction neither of them saw coming.

Despite her sub-par fighting abilities, an ancient weapon of unparalleled power chooses Audrey as its wielder, attracting the cautious gazes of her fellow hunters and the attention of Satan himself. With Satan’s eyes now fixed on Audrey, a battle for the safety of the living looms in the shadows.

My Review
Huntress is one of those unexpected, adventurous books that make for ideal weekend or poolside reading. Audrey is a fun character—sometimes clumsy, both physically and in her words—and yet she’s clearly a strong force to be reckoned with and a creative strategist. Her mentor, Logan, has that dark, unapproachable, aloof and handsome thing going on, which makes the perfect foil for Audrey’s big emotions. The other characters in the book are just as colorful, too—from Alrik, the Viking, to the more reserved Romona, who knows Audrey better than she’ll admit.

My biggest struggle with the book was in the plot. For most of the story, Audrey has no idea what’s going on or what her purpose or goal is. She remains a passive character until the last fifty pages or so, when she finally finds something to fight for. At that moment, I really invested in the book. I’m not sorry to have read it, but I wish I’d seen that side of Audrey much earlier in Huntress.

While the story itself is off the map in terms of Christian understanding of Heaven and the afterlife, it’s pretty solidly framed within an Evangelical understanding of scripture. Demons attack humans and whisper lies in an attempt to destroy them, but humans make the choices themselves. God sends angels (and in this case, Hunters) to intervene, but their response and power depend on God’s will and the faith of the people under attack.

I’ve heard the book compared to Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness, and in the sense that it has angel and demon characters, yes, it does have a connection there. Whereas Peretti’s book focuses on the human characters and uncovering a huge, focused plot against humans on earth, Huntress is more about Audrey and her role in the Hunter team as well as her angsty relationship with her mentor, Logan. It reminded me a bit of I Woke Up Dead at the Mall by Judy Sheehan because it has some of the same lighthearted voice and connection with family.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Characters are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
No profanity. Audrey uses faux swears like “shoot” and “gosh.”

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. Later Audrey learns that kissing in Heaven is more significant than it is on earth in that it creates a bond between two parties and is meant to lead to marriage.

Spiritual Content
Most of the story takes place in Heaven. Audrey briefly meets Jesus (though she doesn’t recognize him and he calls himself Joe) and angels. It’s based in Christian doctrine, but there are some big departures. For instance, Audrey and others are assigned to a strict physical training regimen for service on a team called Hunters. These Hunters go to earth to battle demons.

When Audrey wakes up in Heaven, she knows she’s dead, but has no memories of her life or her relationship with God. She rediscovers God’s existence and begins to learn about him through experiences with other characters and a face-to-face encounter.

There’s some discussion about how demons prey on the minds of humans, feeding them ideas or leading them away from truths about God. At one point, Audrey and her team intervene in a high school where one student has a gun.

Violent Content
Audrey spars with a training partner and battles demons using a sword. Some of the descriptions are graphic in terms of fighting and injuries/gore. One sequence of scenes shows Audrey and her team intervening in a school shooting situation. The story doesn’t show students being injured, but does show a student with a gun firing shots.

Drug Content
None.