The Burning God by R.F. Kuang – ARC Review

Thank you to Harper Voyager for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a wild ride and I’m still recovering from this book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

After saving her nation of Nikan from foreign invaders and battling the evil Empress Su Daji in a brutal civil war, Fang Runin was betrayed by allies and left for dead. 

Despite her losses, Rin hasn’t given up on those for whom she has sacrificed so much—the people of the southern provinces and especially Tikany, the village that is her home. Returning to her roots, Rin meets difficult challenges—and unexpected opportunities. While her new allies in the Southern Coalition leadership are sly and untrustworthy, Rin quickly realizes that the real power in Nikan lies with the millions of common people who thirst for vengeance and revere her as a goddess of salvation. 

Backed by the masses and her Southern Army, Rin will use every weapon to defeat the Dragon Republic, the colonizing Hesperians, and all who threaten the shamanic arts and their practitioners. As her power and influence grows, though, will she be strong enough to resist the Phoenix’s intoxicating voice urging her to burn the world and everything in it? 

This book had me terrified the whole time I was reading. I read it in two evenings and I could not put this book down. I wasn’t sure what to expect, all I knew was that I should be afraid for the lives of my favourite characters.

This book starts just after the ending of The Dragon Republic and we see Rin and Kitay having to regroup and figure out what they are going to do after the betrayal they suffered which also resulted in the death of the cike. (I am still not over what happened to my baby Ramsa.) As they are no longer on the side of the powerful they have to learn new ways in which they can defeat their enemies and it was really interesting to see how they had to adapt and how they struggled through that.

Rin goes through a lot in this book and we see her gain more control over the phoenix and channel that into the battles, she also begins to understand that not everything can be done through destruction and Kitay is always there to help and support her. Their friendship and bond is one of my favourite parts of this trilogy. Seeing them both grow together and then becoming linked even more deeply when Kitay becomes her anchor. I just loved them so much, though Kitay is my absolute favourite.

There are some incredibly difficult topics discussed in this book including different forms of trauma and we see Rin struggle with that throughout the book. From having to deal with being treated as lesser because she was a war orphan and has dark skin to dealing with being betrayed and having to watch those she was supposed to lead and protect be killed. She is able to channel all her anger to fighting to save her home but it also comes at a cost.

Another theme that is prevalent in this book is how the Hesperians colonise their land to “improve” it because Rin and her people are clearly inferior. I felt this deep in my soul because we see this so much in our lives and being Pakistani and knowing how the British colonised and destroyed the land made me so angry when reading about it in the book. Especially how when Rin goes to the New City and sees just how much it has been changed by the Hesperians. How they teach the people that they know better and that they are inherently superior, so they have the right to do this. It is scarily accurate to real life. Honestly for me they were the worst villains.

We also finally see the trifecta together and what happened to them and what truly happened to the Speerlys and it is even worse than what we already know. I was shook by everything that went down and then what Rin decided to do once the trifecta were destroyed.

This book has some epic battle scenes especially with Rin and Nezha. There is one scene especially which was written so cinematically with Nezha making it rain and Rin breathing fire and I just love seeing them interact. The dynamics they have where they both love and hate each other. Their banter and the way they fight each other. I just loved it.

And then we have THAT ending. I didn’t know what to expect for a trilogy like this and it utterly broke me. I don’t think I will ever be over that ending.

This trilogy is dark and brutal but I love it so much. With characters that you want to root for despite the awful things they have done and everyone is morally grey. Characters driven by power and revenge and willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. I haven’t read a trilogy quite like this and I highly recommend it.

Daevabad Characters as Cats

Here is my regular reminder to read The Daevabad trilogy S.A. Chakraborty! It is a trilogy that has become my favourite books of all time and I just cannot get enough of these books and characters.

This post is basically full of cute cat photos which I thought reminded me of each character in the first two books as I don’t want to spoil anyone for the last book.

So here are Daevabad characters as cats!

Nahri: This is the look of a girl who has just conned an arrogant man.

Ali: A little startled but trying his best to look presentable

Muntadhir: Always looking his best

Zaynab: A smart incredible woman who looks amazing no matter what she does

Jamshid: His most defining feature is of course his moustache (couldn’t resist using Sherlock with a moustache for this)

Dara: Looking like his intimidating self here

Lubayd: Just look at his cute self complete in a turban

Aqisa: Looking fierce as always!

Hatset: Looking beautiful and regal complete with a crown

Ghassan: No one mess with him, he will hurt you!

Manizheh: Looking fierce and intimidating as usual

So there we have it, some of the Daevabad characters as cats! I had so much fun looking through all the cat photos to find these! I hope you enjoy the post!

PS. I have lots more Daevabad content which you can find all over on my Daevabad trilogy section

My Favourite Quotes from The Kingdom of Copper by S.A. Chakraborty

Another post for the World of Daevabad Blog Tour today! Today I am sharing my favourite quotes from the second book in the trilogy!

So a while ago I shared my favourite quotes from The City of Brass on my blog so here is some of my favourite quotes from The Kingdom of Copper!

I loved this book even more than The City of Brass but this book caused me even more pain than the first book but omg this book is phenomenal and you should all go read it!

You can read my post of my favourite quotes from The City of Brass here

So here are some of my favourite quotes:

Alizayd al-Qahtani didn’t last a month with his caravan. – Excuse me but how can this be the first line of the book?! I was stressed and all I read was one line.

I need to put some men in their place. – This one of my favourite Nahri scenes! The way she stood up to Ghassan, I loved her!

You don’t stop fighting a war just because you’re losing battles. You change tactics. – Hatset giving the good advice! Thankfully we have one great adult in this book.

Because a lost little girl from Cairo thought she was living in some sort of fairy tale. And because for all her supposed cleverness, she couldn’t see that the dashing hero who saved her was its monster. – Muntadhir sometimes says what everyone else is thinking, even though he tells Ali not to do that exact same thing.

Go steal some happiness for yourself, my friend – Nahri telling Ali to be happy, this scene omg I love these two so much.

If I do not point it out often enough, your gender can be remarkably stupid. – Aqisa quickly became one of my favourite side characters especially how she fights first and asks questions later.

I’ve had enough of men hurting me because they were upset. – This line was so relatable and I think so many of us know exactly how Nahri feels here.

Is this liquor? Because I want to be completely intoxicated when Abba gets wind that his children are plotting a coup in a fucking closet. That’s weapons polish, Ali said quickly. – This scene with all the Qahtani siblings is one of my favourites in the whole trilogy!

I just hate that choosing to do the right thing in Daevabad always seems to come with a steep price.  – I hate how real this quote is

The only time you’re not wearing something stark and streaked with dirt, it’s because someone else has dressed you. – Nahri pointing out that Ali has zero fashion sense is my favourite thing!

We keep the peace, understand. – This whole scene omg it made me so afraid for everyone’s lives. But also gave me hope.

So there is some of my favourite quotes from The Kingdom of Copper! What are some of your favourite quotes?

Parallels Between Ali & Nahri in The City of Brass (Guest Post)

Today for the World of Daevabad Blog Tour I have a guest post by Jade! She is going to be discussing the parallels between Ali and Nahri in The City of Brass. Enjoy!

Nahri Fanart by Jade

During my rereads of the Daevabad Trilogy, I’ve noticed something curious about the two main protagonists, Nahri and Prince Alizayd. While they are definitely their own characters with their own arcs, they also share a surprising amount of similarities and parallels, even down to the language used. From their echoed actions and thoughts to certain life circumstances, Nahri and Ali are like two corner pieces that eventually meet in the middle.

Featuring major spoilers for The City of Brass and The Kingdom of Copper, I’ve compiled a list with 39 examples. However because of the length, I am splitting this into two posts, to cover each book. I’ve further divided these into three categories: actions/thoughts, life circumstances, and skills/interests, with quotes and page numbers (from the US hardback copies) for context. Let’s dive in! 

THE CITY OF BRASS (19)

Actions/Thoughts 

1. Believing Daeva (& Nahid) shafit were probably killed as babies. CoB (Ali, ch. 6 pg. 128: “They probably smother them in their cradles.” and Nahri, ch. 7 pg. 143: “I probably would have been killed before my first birthday!”)
2. Didn’t want to walk to the garden together when they first met. CoB (Nahri, ch. 16 pg. 284: “‘That isn’t necessary,’ she protested. She wasn’t the only one. Alizayd pointed in Dara’s direction, a flurry of Geziriyya coming from his mouth.”) 
3. Secretly observing the other, but Ali got caught. CoB (Nahri, ch. 16 pg. 285: “He glanced over, probably in the hope of studying her in a similar fashion, but their eyes caught, and he quickly looked away.”) 
4. Considering the other person odd. CoB (Nahri, ch. 18 pg. 333: “What an odd person.” and Ali, ch. 25 pg. 443: “She was odd, to be sure.”)
5. Becoming friends as part of an agenda, and then falling for it. CoB (Ali, ch. 26 pg. 468: “I was their primary benefactor. My father found out and ordered me to befriend you and convince you to marry my brother as penance.” and Nahri, ch. 18 pg. 336: “And Nahri wanted to know what was in his books, especially if the information was damaging to Dara. If making this awkward boy her tutor was the best way to protect herself and her Afshin, then by all means. Besides . . . she did want to learn how to read.”) 
6. Taking note of the other’s laugh, use of the word warm. CoB (Nahri, ch. 20 pg. 355: “Ali laughed, a warm sound she rarely heard that always took her a bit by surprise.” and Ali, ch. 23 pg. 405: “Nahri laughed. It was the first time he’d heard her laugh in days, and the sound warmed his heart.”) 
7. Liking the other’s intelligence and curiousity. CoB (Ali, ch. 23 pg. 407: “He was enjoying his time with Nahri, he couldn’t help it. She was as intellectually curious as he was, and her life in the human world made for fascinating conversation.”) and KoC (Nahri, ch. 10 pg. 182: “She’d liked spending time with someone who shared her intellect and her curiosity, with someone who didn’t make her feel self-conscious about her ignorance of the magical world or her human skin.”)
8. Viewing their time together as a light. CoB (Nahri, ch. 20 pg. 358: “…and strangely enough, she was beginning to enjoy their afternoons together, the one bright spot in her monotonous, frustrating days.” and Ali, ch. 26 pg. 468: “It’s been a dark few months. My time with you . . . it was a light.”) 
9. Comparing Dara to a statue. CoB (Ali, ch. 19 pg. 345: “The power behind the Afshin’s blows made it feel like sparring with a statue.” and Nahri, ch. 26 pg. 462: “She grabbed Dara’s arm and tried to wrest him off, but it was like fighting a statue.”) 
10. Stepping in front of the other when faced with a threat. CoB (Nahri, ch. 26 pg. 465: “The Afshin swore and turned around. Nahri swiftly stepped between them. ‘Leave him alone.'” and Ali, ch. 26 pg. 472: “Ali immediately stepped in front of her. ‘She’s as innocent as I am, Dhiru.’”) They also do this with Rashid (CoB) and Manizheh (KoC). 

Life Circumstances

1. At risk of being killed as a baby because of who they were. CoB (Nahri, ch. 7 pg. 143: “‘Nahri, you didn’t grow up in my world. You can’t understand.’ ‘Thank God I didn’t! I probably would have been killed before my first birthday!’ Dara said nothing, his silence more revealing than any denial.” and Ali, ch. 29 pg. 501: [Ghassan:] “A second son with a powerful mother from a wealthy tribe. […] Within a day of your birth, I had two assassins from Am Gezira present themselves at court. Skilled men, the best at what they did, offering discreet ways to end my dilemma.”) 
2. Their main friend before meeting each other was an old man. CoB (Nahri, ch. 1 pg. 13: [with Yaqub] “She didn’t need to scare off her only friend simply because she had a few strange skills.” and Ali, ch. 6 pg. 130: [after Sheikh Anas’ execution] “He’d just witnessed the brutal death of his closest friend.”) 
3. Having people close to them decry their friendship for tribal reasons. CoB (Nahri, ch. 20 pg. 361: [Dara:] “Alizayd al Qahtani? Really Nahri? Could you not find an ifrit to befriend?” and [Nisreen, ch. 24 pg. 426:] “you spend all your free time with that Qahtani zealot… Nahri, our tribe doesn’t think lightly of disloyalty; we’ve suffered too much at the hands of our enemies.” and Ali, ch. 21 pg. 381: [Rashid:] “You don’t take friends from among the fire worshippers, Alizayd. That’s how they trick you.”)
4. They both survived something tearing into their throat before their world was irrevocably changed. CoB (Nahri, ch. 2 pg. 38: “Something popped in her elbow, but the pain barely registered. Because at the same time, it tore into her throat.” and Ali, ch. 26 pg. 476: “The young prince hit the wet deck hard and slid to the boat’s edge. He scrambled to his feet. ‘Munta–’ Dara shot him through the throat.”) 
5. Connection to the marid. CoB (Nahri, ch. 11 pg. 203: [Sakhr:] “’Astonishing really, I give the marid their due. At first glance, you’re completely human, but look past that and . . .’ He stepped closer to study her face. ‘There’s the daeva.’” and Ali, ch. 28 pg. 495: “A marid. He stared at his dripping hands as nausea swept over him. I gave my name and let some water demon use my body like a shiny new blade to murder the Afshin.”) 
6. They were saved by a monster. KoC (Nahri, ch. 10 pg. 188: [Muntadhir:] “And because for all her supposed cleverness, she couldn’t see that the dashing hero who saved her was actually its monster.” and Ali, ch. 11 pg. 209 : “The marid were a terror in Ta Ntry, monsters to be feared. Monsters who had saved him.”

Skills/interests

1. Knows how to open a locked door. CoB (Nahri, ch. 2 pg 35: “‘It’s locked,’ she said. ‘Give me one of your daggers, I’ll pick it.’” and Ali, ch. 4 pg. 75: “Fortunately, Ali was Citadel trained– and the Daevas were troublemakers enough that breaking through the enchantments they used to guard their homes and businesses was a skill taught to the youngest cadets. He closed his eyes, murmuring the first incantation that came to mind. The door swung open.”) 
2. They both enjoy being in the water. CoB (Nahri, ch. 2 pg. 48: “The press of the cool water was like the touch of a friend.” and Ali, ch. 25 pg. 442: “He liked it, even if most djinn –especially his father’s people– looked upon swimming with utter revulsion.”) 
3. An interest in reading, economics, Egypt. CoB  Reading: (Nahri, ch. 18 pg. 334: “She ran a hand along the multihued spines, overtaken by a sense of longing. ‘Do you like to read?’ Alizayd asked. Nahri hesitated, embarrassed to admit her illiteracy to a man with such a large personal library. ‘I suppose you could say I like the idea of reading.’”) Economics: (Nahri, ch. 18 pg. 335: “’I would like to know how people run businesses in Daevabad, how they make money, negotiate with each other, that sort of thing.’ […] Something seemed to perk up in his face. ‘Economics, then . . .’ He sounded strangely excited.”) and Egypt: (Ali, ch. 18 pg. 336: “I must admit an obsession with the human world. […] Particularly your corner of it. I’ve never met anyone from Egypt. I’d love to learn more about it, hear your stories, and perhaps even improve my own Arabic.”) 

Next time: Kingdom of Copper! 

Make sure to go follow Jade on her social media! (She has created some excellent fanart of the books too)

Twitter: @leafyjade

Instagram: @leafyjade

Tumblr: Musogato

Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes – ARC Review

This book had me at psychic cats! Once I started reading I was completely and entirely hooked! Also can we take a moment to appreciate this book cover because it has become one of my favourite covers ever! Complete with space cats!

Rating: 4.5/5

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Captain Eva Innocente and the crew of La Sirena Negra cruise the galaxy delivering small cargo for even smaller profits. When her sister Mari is kidnapped by The Fridge, a shadowy syndicate that holds people hostage in cryostasis, Eva must undergo a series of unpleasant, dangerous missions to pay the ransom.

But Eva may lose her mind before she can raise the money. The ship’s hold is full of psychic cats, an amorous fish-faced emperor wants her dead after she rejects his advances, and her sweet engineer is giving her a pesky case of feelings. The worse things get, the more she lies, raising suspicions and testing her loyalty to her found family.

To free her sister, Eva will risk everything: her crew, her ship, and the life she’s built on the ashes of her past misdeeds. But when the dominoes start to fall and she finds the real threat is greater than she imagined, she must decide whether to play it cool or burn it all down.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading this but it was amazing and took me on a wild ride! This book is fast paced and action packed and every time I thought I had figured things out, I was hit with a plot twist that had me reeling and I loved every second of it!

This book has a wonderfully diverse cast who are all so different from each other yet they work so well together and have become family. I loved how they looked out for each other and protected and supported each other. They each have their own flaws and baggage but are there for each other and help them through it.

The main character, Eva, is a wonderful character who I immediately fell in love with. She isn’t perfect and has a lot of baggage which still haunts her but we see her go through some really great character development. She is sassy and sarcastic and doesn’t tolerate any crap from anyone, though it does get her in trouble at times. She is also bilingual and unapologetically Latinx. I loved how her culture was an important part of her life and how she switched from Spanish to English mid-sentence. Especially as I also switch between Urdu and English regularly when I talk.

Eva already has a lot on her plate, from dealing with her sister being kidnapped and her having to work for a crime syndicate to get her back and on top of that she ends up insulting an alien called Glorious, who is the living embodiment of toxic masculinity and male privilege. It’s something that’s really relatable and made me angry on Eva’s behalf because she was blamed for the mess and there is no consequences for him.

This book has such great world building and takes us to all the far corners of space and it was so great to see different places as it showed how vast the world is. We get to see so much from psychic cats to mind controlling parasites and all the aliens! I had total Firefly vibes reading this and I just loved it so much, from the space drama to family bond and so much more!

I also loved the plot twists, which I did not see coming and left me mind blown! The story itself takes place over a longer period than I thought it would too so that made it even more interesting to see where the story would take us next. One of the things I loved in this book was the chapter titles. I know it doesn’t affect the story but they did make me giggle! The whole story is hilarious, I constantly had a grin on my face reading the book.

This book is a great debut and I am so looking forward to seeing where Eva and her crew go next especially there’s unresolved things at the end of the book. Also I would like to just put it out there that I would love to see more psychic cats, even a whole book about them. Please and thank you.