I started the year off really well and read 9 books and one short story. Here's what I read and some of my thoughts and opinions on them...
This Cruel Design by Emily Sudeva - This is the second book in the This Mortal Coil trilogy, which is a Sci-Fi series surrounding genetic coding. I don't read a lot of Sci-Fi, but this series makes me want to change that. Sudeva's series is complex and thought provoking. I really enjoyed this installment, and I like how the story has developed and I've formed a deeper attachment to the characters.
The Cruel Prince, The Lost Sisters, and The Wicked King by Holly Black - These are the first two books in The Folk of Air Trilogy, which is set in a faerie world from the perspective of a human girl. The Cruel Prince was my second favorite book I read last year, there are so many twists and turns and I became extremely invested in the characters. I've been itching for a reread since the end of last year, but I held off until the beginning of the year, so that I could reread it closer to the release date of the second book. I also read The Lost Sisters for the first time, which is a short story that was published in October, that is supposed to be read between the first and second book. I was really disappointed with The Lost Sisters as I feel it didn't add much to the plot between the two books. I feel that it functioned more as supplementary material to keep readers engaged before the publication of the second book rather than anything else. Finally all those pages led up to The Wicked King, which was spectacular. Holly Black took all the creative world building and tension from the first book and turned it up. I need the third book to come out already.
If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio - This book follows seven college theater majors after one of them mysteriously is found dead. This book was recommended to me because of my love for Vicious, and I noticed a few similarities in the way the stories are told, but the plots are completely different. I really enjoyed this book, I listened to the audio and I like how it brought the Shakespeare sequences to life.
The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black - This book is set in a human town that has strong Faerie attachments and follows the twins, Hazel and Ben, after a Faerie in a glass coffin escapes. This was my second time rereading this book, and after the four years between the readings I had forgotten so many elements. I was incensed to reread this book after my book hangover because of The Wicked King and because there are some elements in this book that tie into The Folk of the Air trilogy. I really enjoyed this book the second time around, but because of my obsession, I mostly read this book with eyes for The Cruel Prince.
Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan - This book follows Lei as she is captured from her home and is forced to serve the Demon King as his concubine. I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand the world has a lot of potential, the representation of f/f romance is so important, and I admire how the author tackled the subject of sexual abuse. But I struggled with understanding the main character, I do intend on picking up the sequel when it's released, because I think this series has a lot of potential.
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas - This book follows Bri, an aspiring rapper, as she tries to break out in the music industry, while her family struggles financially. I really enjoyed Angie Thomas' follow up from The Hate U Give, which is one of my favorites, and I like how this book takes place in the same setting as THUG. I really like how Angie Thomas is still tackling issues that black people experience in this book, and I love how this book had so much representation.
Pax by Sara Pennypacker - This is a middle grade book that follows a boy and his fox, after a war tears them apart, and their attempts to reunite. This is a really sweet story of friendship and the bond between humans and animals. I don't read as much middle grade these days, but I still really enjoyed this read.
King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo - This book is the first installment in a duology surrounding Nikolai, from the Grisha verse. I strongly recommend reading the previous installments in the Grisha verse before diving into this book, because this book directly intertwines with the Shadow and Bone trilogy and features a character from Six of Crows. I absolutely loved this book, I love revisiting this world and the characters and getting to read from Nikolai's perspective. I'm already planning on rereading the entire Grisha Verse before the next book comes out so that I can fully appreciate the events of this book.
And those are all the books I read in January. I also started Peter Pan, which I'm slowly making my way through. There are quite a few February releases that I'm looking forward to getting to this month, particularly Bloodwitch, and I'm rereading the Witchlands series as we speak in anticipation ot reading it. - Jessica
