A Failed Queen Without a Kingdom

~This Woven Kingdom~
Book 1
By Tahereh Mafi
Amazon ~ Powell's

Clashing empires, forbidden romance, and a long-forgotten queen destined to save her people—Tahereh Mafi’s first in an epic, romantic trilogy inspired by Persian mythology.

To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.

The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can’t put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom—and the world.


I'm obviously no stranger to Mafi's works, having made my way through her entire 11-part Shatter Me series. But upon finishing the last installment of that series last fall, I noticed a 2-chapter preview of her upcoming fantasy work, This Woven Kingdom, and decided to try it. Having also read through her fantasy books, Furthermore & Whichwood, I knew she'd dabbled in the genre before, but I was interested to see what track she'd take with fantasy, romance, and YA. Needless to say, I was immediately hooked, and was then forced to eagerly await the book's release. A secret queen of a magical people, forced to hide her identity in squalor and servitude, tormented by whispers from the devil, and unknowingly headed toward a forbidden romance—what more could I ask for?

We Rise From the Ashes Together

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous book, Wings of Ebony, or don't mind knowing spoilers for it.
SPOILER ALERT

~Ashes of Gold~
Wings of Ebony
Book 2
By J. Elle
Amazon ~ Powell's

Rue has no memory of how she ended up locked in a basement prison without her magic or her allies. But she’s a girl from the East Row. And girls from the East Row don’t give up. Girls from the East Row pick themselves back up when they fall. Girls from the East Row break themselves out.

But reuniting with her friends is only half the battle. When she finds them again, Rue makes a vow: she will find a way to return the magic that the Chancellor has stolen from her father’s people. Yet even on Yiyo Peak, Rue is a misfit—with half a foot back in Houston and half a heart that is human as well as god, she’s not sure she’s the right person to lead the fight to reclaim a glorious past.

When a betrayal sends her into a tailspin, Rue must decide who to trust and how to be the leader that her people deserve…because if she doesn’t, it isn’t just Yiyo that will be destroyed—it will be Rue herself.


This was kind of a surprise pickup for me. I didn't love the first book, finding it just okay when compared to some of the other books surrounding the same sort of topics, so I wasn't exactly chomping at the bit to return to Rue's world. But when ads described this as the conclusion to a duology—a surprise to me—I figured it would be a good idea to go ahead and finish the series. So I went ahead and re-read Wings of Ebony and jumped straight in on this sequel.

The Lost Girls Who Could’ve Been So Much More

~The Lost Girls~
By Sonia Hartl
Amazon ~ Powell's

When Elton Irving turned Holly Liddell into a vampire in 1987, he promised her eternal love. But thirty-four years later, Elton has left her, her hair will be crimped for the rest of immortality, and the only job she can get as a forever-sixteen-year-old is the midnight shift at Taco Bell.

Holly’s afterlife takes an interesting turn when she meets Rose McKay and Ida Ripley. Having also been turned and discarded by Elton—Rose in 1954, and Ida, his ex-fiancée, in 1921—they want to help her, and ask for her help in return.

Rose and Ida are going to kill Elton before he turns another girl. Though Holly is hurt and angry with Elton for tossing her aside, she’s reluctant to kill her ex, until Holly meets Parker Kerr—the new girl Elton has set his sights on—and feels a quick, and nerve-wracking attraction to her.


Another YA pick for Maven's Vampire Book Club, and a shorter one at that. Mainly this was due to scheduling issues that cropped up in January, pushing back the official discussion of that month's book a couple weeks, so she figured a shorter option would be easier to slot in and get things back on track. Besides the length, and the GoodReads blurb citing "dark humor and queer love," I really didn't know anything going in. Would this vampire story edge more cutsie, or have some real bite?

Did I Ever Mention How Much I Love Wolves and Cheetahs?

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous two books in the Teen Titans graphic novel series, or don't mind knowing spoilers for them.
SPOILER ALERT

Beast Boy Loves Raven
Teen Titans
Book 3
By Kami Garcia & Gabriel Picolo
Amazon ~ Powell's

It seems like years, but it’s only been a few days since Raven Roth recovered her memories, trapped her demon father, Trigon, into her amulet, and had her heart broken for the first time. But she doesn’t have time to think about the past…she has to focus on finding a way to get rid of Trigon for good.

Garfield Logan still can’t believe he has powers that allow him to change into different animals, but the price of knowing that his parents kept this secret hidden from him just feels too high. And what’s more, his difficulty controlling these abilities could have unexpected consequences.

Both are seeking answers from the one person who seems to have them all figured out: Slade Wilson.

When their paths converge in Nashville, Raven and Gar can’t help but feel a connection, despite the secrets they both try to hide. It will take a great amount of trust and courage to overcome the wounds of their pasts. But can they find acceptance for the darkest part of themselves? Or maybe even love?


Coming off of both characters introductions, I was itching to finally move on with their story. Add to that the anticipation of seeing one of my first major OTP's coming into the story, and you can bet I was that much more impatient to dive in. After waiting for my library to finally get a copy in, I wasted no time getting into it.

Vampires Are Eternal, Reborn, and Living in Our Nightmares

~Vampires Never Get Old~
Tales With Fresh Bite
An Anthology by Zoraida Córdova, Natalie C. Parker,
Samira Ahmed, Dhonielle Clayton, Tessa Gratton, Heidi Heilig, Julie Murphy, Mark Oshiro, Rebecca Roanhorse, Laura Ruby,
Victoria "V.E." Schwab, & Kayla Whaley
Amazon ~ Powell's

Eleven fresh vampire stories from young adult fiction’s leading voices!

In this delicious new collection, you’ll find stories about lurking vampires of social media, rebellious vampires hungry for more than just blood, eager vampires coming out―and going out for their first kill―and other bold, breathtaking, dangerous, dreamy, eerie, iconic, powerful creatures of the night.

Welcome to the evolution of the vampire—and a revolution on the page.


My library has been a bit hit-or-miss with the Vampire Book Club's selections, but I was able to find this one for December. Admittedly, I wasn't in the best mental space to read books surrounding death and immortality, having lost my grandmother last year and having that wound reopened with our cat's death (cancer) just after reading the first story. But after a bit of time (and some Christmas movies & music) I was excited to dive back in and experience some new takes on one of my favorite paranormal creatures.