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Showing posts from January, 2021

Bringer of Fire - Michele Amitrani - ★★★★.¾

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AUTHOR: Michele Amitrani SERIES: Rebels of Olympus, #3 GENRE: Greek Myth Retelling PUBLICATION DATE: November 1, 2021 RATING: 4.75 stars. Greek mythology can be too much to take in one shot. There are so many characters with so many intertwined incestuous relationships that you soon get caught in an endless spiral of confusion. This is where Michele Amitrani's novellas work well. I've already read and loved Soul of Stone , so this second read had set high expectations in my mind. And they were well fulfilled! Bringer of Fire narrates the story of Prometheus, the Titan who was doomed to eternal punishment by Zeus for gifting fire to the humans. This part isn't new. What is new is the way the author brings the story to us. Narrated by a brave adventurer named Zid, the story reveals Prometheus' tale as seen by Zid in first person, thereby bringing the action closer to us. The writing is crisp and quick, and you will just speed through the pages because you won't be abl...

Soul of Stone - Michele Amitrani - ★★★★.½

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AUTHOR: Michele Amitrani SERIES: Rebels of Olympus, #2 GENRE: Greek Myth Retelling PUBLICATION DATE: January 1, 2020 RATING: 4.5 stars. This was a fast and easy read, one that hooks you from start to end.  Medusa is one of the most intriguing characters in Greek mythology, and I loved how Michele Amitrani sought to humanise her in this retelling.  The story is captivating with the right amount of suspense and emotional appeal. At the same time, a part of me wishes it were longer. At just 76 pages, the story ends before you realise it. But the book is still worth a read whenever you are looking for a quick breather in between long tomes. I received an advance review copy of the book from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

That Can Be Arranged: A Muslim Love Story - Huda Fahmy

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AUTHOR: Huda Fahmy GENRE: Graphic Novel RATING: 5 stars. This is one of the most hilarious and honest books I've read in recent times. Huda Fahmy, an American with Egyptian roots, is a popular comic artist with her "Yes, I'm hot in this" series that talks of life as a hijab-wearing Muslim in a light-hearted manner. "That can be arranged" talks of the universal bane of all girls from traditional families: an arranged marriage. There are so many LOL moments in this book. At the same time, I could relate to most of her personal struggles as the Indian mentality is quite similar towards its daughters. (We're probably a little worse.) Huda uses her own love story as the basis of this book. The illustrations are cute, and the humour is spot on. She writes about her insecurities before marriage in an endearing and honest way. I also loved her love for my love: Jane Austen. 😁😁 A lot of Muslim #OwnVoice representation in books sounds either extremely defensive ...

The Midnight Library - Matt Haig - ★★★.¾

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AUTHOR: Matt Haig GENRE: Philosophical Fiction, Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: August 13, 2020 RATING: 3.75 stars. Remember “Dark Matter” by Blake Crouch? Every decision taken spawns into a multiverse and thereby results an endless chain of multiverses springing from decisions. What if, in your dominant life, you are always worried about the decision not taken, always burdened with the regret of what-ifs? Would you like a second chance at those decisions? Will you find the other life satisfactory, suitable, even perfect? That is essentially the theme of “The Midnight Library”. But written in a much, much better manner than “Dark Matter”. The lead character of Matt Haig’s latest book, Nora Seed, is a depressed woman in her mid-thirties. One fine evening, she realises that there is no one left in her life who needs her. As she is already struggling with her sense of self-identity and self-acceptance, this final rejection makes her take the desperate step of committing suicide. Only, instead o...