THE QUEEN’S PERIL

YA Space Opera While nothing new is exposed in this prequel, it is a welcome addition to the in-depth character studies about Padmé Amidala that these books provide. Although truthfully, I'm biased here. To begin with, I'm a huge Star Wars fan. I like everything about the Star Wars universe. Secondly, Padmé is my favorite …

THE FOUNTAINS OF SILENCE

YA Historical This was a well-written book about Francisco Franco's autocratic regime in Spain. It's a period in history that a large part of the world is not very familiar with, and this book addresses that and also brings to life the horrors committed to the Spanish people under Franco. At the same time, it's …

GIRLS OF JULY

YA Contemporary I very rarely read contemporary fiction, my favorite genres being fantasy and historical. I do dabble in other genres, such as sci-fi and horror, and I read and re-read the classics, as well, but very rarely do I read contemporary. I like to escape the world around me and live out fantastical scenarios …

SORCERY OF THORNS

YA fantasy The best part about this book is the secondary character, Silas, the ironic, poised, and dangerous demon servant. He feels fully fleshed-out and I felt like I knew him and knew exactly what he was feeling in any given moment, even if the writer did not spell it out. The second-best part about …

CINDERELLA IS DEAD

YA fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling, horror I really liked the theme of this book, which is like a YA gothic/horror/fantasy Cinderella retelling with a bit of a Halloween vibe that I liked and that I think would cater to the tastes of horror fans, like me. But the plot was entirely too convoluted, making it …

THE QUEEN’S SHADOW

YA Sci-Fi This book has become an absolute favorite for me. I am seriously thinking of re-reading it, even though I read it already less than a month ago. I grew up with the first episodes of Star Wars and Padmé Amidala is a definite favorite character of mine. Many people will say Princess Leia …

SERPENT & DOVE

YA Fantasy This was an interesting book and the characters were very fleshed out. Some of them were unlikeable, but I ended up caring for them just the same. The ending was a little noisy and there is much moral ambivalence, but this adds to its spiciness. Lou was cool.

The Canal Tragedy

A recount of one of the most terrible tragedies that has ever befallen the nation of Panama. On the dusk of the 21st of April, the Panama Canal, a vital source of economic security for millions of Panamanian citizens, as well as a symbol of the dignity, worth, and freedom of the country, has just …

THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION

THE GUINEVERE DECEPTION by Kiersten WhiteYA Fantasy I picked up this book on my quest to read anything and everything Arthurian. It wasn't what I expected, but I thought the writing was very good and eventually I grew to like that so many legendary tropes were subverted in this mythical retelling. It makes this story …

WINTERSONG

WINTERSONG by S. Jae-JonesYA Fantasy This book is basically a mix of two retellings - Beauty and the Beast and the myth of Hades and Persephone. As such, it follows the trope of 'girl sacrificing herself to be with a guy (in this case it's the Goblin King) that's cruel and doomed, and then falling …