panSo slow. So dragging.
And the giant "racism/sexism" mallet with which the author hammered her message home from the start.
Ugh!
#SeriesLove2023 @TheSpineView @Andrew65
#RushAThon @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
My last #audiobook (The Secret Diaries... ) and my current audiobook are narrated by the same person. I did not notice until I was about half an hour into "Sorcerer" ??♀️
#RushAThon @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES @Andrew65
#SeriesLove2023 @TheSpineView
Here are the books I picked for you for #trappedonanisland!
I hope you love them all! I read and loved the top 3 books!
bailedI started this book on 12 Jan. Normally, a book this size would take me two, maybe three days. The writing style feels forced, the world building & character building lacks, and the plot is taking too long to get anywhere. After forcing myself to pick it up again tonight, I‘ve decided to admit I‘m not enjoying it and move on.
DNF‘d at 21%
This was my January #doublespin.
pickDueling gentlemen magicians, powerful witches, familiars, fairies, disrupted social structures, race, and politics all combine in this ultimately fun novel. Cho (pictured above) is a great world builder who gives a new spin on this sub genre. Magic is not just for old white men in this fantasy‘s version of regency England.
pickFunny, magical, adventurous - but Prunella and Zacharias were by far the best part! Because of the serious, old-fashioned writing style (which was masterfully pulled off), it took me a while to realise the book isn't as serious as it reads as; after that, I just fell in love with it. Looking forward to a reread ASAP.
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was a fun fantasy read that had a lot of wonderful things going on. Racial and gender inequality amongst London thaumaturges along with familiars and fairies and dragons, this was a very thoughtful book that packed a lot of story in but did a really good job not making the reader feel overwhelmed. I really liked this one. This was my #bookspinbingo No. 19 pick.
bailedDNF. There's nothing wrong with the book, really. But i just don't care. I'm not invested in the characters. The plot is inferiorly reminiscent of Dr. Strange and Mr. Norrell. And, Good Lord, is it slow. Gave up after page 100.
And it was a bookclub pick, so i wanted to finish it so i could join in on the discussion. But it just isn't worth it....
#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks
pickYes, yes, yes to everything about this book 🙌
British magicians, witches and sorcerers, fights against racism and sexism, diversity, a little bit of romance, and a lot of intrigue are the foundation of the story, and I‘m here for it!
I can‘t believe it took me this long to read it, but I‘m so glad I did. Now I just need the second book.
I‘m trying to alternate between new books and those that have been on my TBR for ages. Next up, this one from the bottom of the stack.
.... he was left in peace to pursue truth—even if that involved the occasional ingestion of a dubious cabbage leaf.
The caterpillars were a problem, however. Fat, fuzzy and complacent, they sat upon his vegetables in veritable hordes, ignoring him until he addressed one directly.
“Good morning, sir,” he said.
The caterpillar paused the busy movement of its jaws to reply:
“Pleasant weather, this, eh?”
Just starting this. Regency fantasy. Fun
💖 💖 💖 💖 🤍
pickBook 4 #newyearwhodis
This is a book I‘ve wanted to read for a long time but never quite got around to picking up. I‘m so glad @BarbaraJean had it on her list! A delightful fantasy set in regency England with magic and fairy familiars. I loved Prunella as a strong female character who does what she wants regardless of societal expectations. I liked Zacharias also and his advocacy for the change in women‘s rights to magic was well done. ⤵️
pickThis was just what I needed. It's not often you get a fantasy so fun and original. A diverse cast, a well-realised world and writing full of sparkle and wit. #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks #bookspinbingo
I hadn't realised that The True Queen was a sequel so I'm switching it for this one on my #bookspin bingo card. So far it's a fun, original story and it's been in my TBR for SO LONG @TheAromaofBooks
pickFun romp through an alternate historical English magical kingdom with a little added social justice lesson. I liked it.
#friYAYintro @howjessreads @4thhouseontheleft
☀️ Sunny and comfortably warm
🏕 Not a camper at all
👑 Prunella from the tagged book
☕️ Pre COVID, Saturday was always a work day for me. I‘d be happy to be doing that. But ... coffee and a book will be part of tomorrow morning for me.
pickLove fantasy that‘s a blend of historical fiction, magical fantasy, and social reality? Here, both MCs are POC and Cho blends her story with social commentary—against racism, classism, and ableism. She weaves these issues into the universe she creates, although her characters deal with their situation more magically than today‘s people of color would.
Full review http://www.TheBibliophage.com
#thebibliophage2020 #booked2020 #panasianauthor
Changed up all my plans and decided to use this one as my #panasianauthor pick for #booked2020. So far it‘s intriguing.
#WyrdAndWonder day 23: comfort reading
Why yes, when I think about the fantasy that gives me the warm fuzzies it DOES typically involve smashing the patriarchy 😇
Zen Cho‘s effervescent alt Regency romps have a dash of romance, a spite of Fae, a disdain of dragons and joyously obstinate heroines I adore (plus Zacharias is a cinnamon roll). What‘s not to like?
Trying to read amid my hubby‘s home improvement projects.
pickThis was a delight. I think this is what might result if Jane Austen was tasked with writing Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. Take a similar setting and themes—a decline in English magic, quarrels within a society of English magicians, some back-and-forth with Fairy—but treat it with far more lightness, throw in some witty banter & a charmingly nonconformist female magician, make it 400 pages shorter...and you have Sorcerer to the Crown. Loved it.
April reads! I‘m in the middle of a few others, but doubt I‘ll finish any of them tonight. So here are my #AprilStats!
🗡SFF: 2
📕Nonfiction: 2
👧🏽Kids/YA: 2
📚Fiction: 1
✒️Poetry: 1
🗯Comic: 1
📚Print: 5
💻eBook: 4
📚TBR: 4
🏫Library: 4
🔂Re-read: 1
Favorites were Sorcerer to the Crown and The Little White Horse—both were an absolute delight! And Word by Word was lovely (daily readings). I still need to write reviews for most of these...😬
pickEnjoyed the characters, the political intrigue, and a nice twist. A well done allegory about women's place in the world during an period in time where few felt women should be in the halls of power.
pickThis had a lot of good aspects throughout; the characters and world - even being another imperialist Britain injected with magic - were engaging and new, despite with a lot of repetitiveness during dialogues and some of the context given being heavy handed. Will definitely be reading the sequel.
So, in total I currently have 11 books checked out of the library. What am I currently reading? This one from my own shelves! 🙄
Let's do this thing! Going to have to go out latter for reading snacks, but it's the dawn of the first day and I WANT to read for 24 hours!
#24in48 #challenge #librarybook #fantasy #book1
pickLoved this story of magic, treachery, and politics. Prunella and Zacharias were wonderful complex characters. The ending was not a great surprise but I enjoyed the journey so very much. I intend to find the next book and read it as well. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
so-soBailed on this last summer, picked it up again this summer and pushed through. Just didn‘t do much for me, even though fantasy and kick-ass females are usually my jam. 🤷🏼♀️
Sitting in my hotel room in Atlanta the night before the race reading. It is the 50th Anniversary of the Peachtree Road Race so I bought the shoes to commemorate it. Also, the books I purchased today. Enjoying my trip!!
So someone sent me this book but I don‘t remember who it was. Sorry! This is the arc but it was published in 2015 so anyone can read it. Going to start this after a nap.
pickI love everything about this book. Had to force myself to slow down this second reading, as it only took me a day the first time. Took me two days this time. The voice is one of my absolute favorites, the protagonists are two of my favorite fictional characters. I have ridiculous high hopes for the sequel. 5 out of 5 on GR.
panWell...this is awkward. Everyone I know who has read this loves it...like LOVES it and I feel like I'm missing somsthing or...got the wrong book? I was bored the whe damn time! Its like another Cruel Prince situation where I have no idea ehat I'm missing while 99% of readers would have themselves buried with this book.
I just...meh about the whole cast (though props for the diversity), the magic, the world. I just...dont get the point?
pickGoodness this book was so delightful. I am in love. The setting, the world building, the characters all were fantastic. The twists and turns and way she wove everything together was riveting. I can‘t wait to read more by the author, this book was such fun. Highly recommend.
Starting a new book!
pickThis was really good. I definitely recommend it. 🐉🐲
Got this from the library, now I just gotta finish Children of Blood and Bone first. Yay books!
so-soFinally finished this book after abandoning it midway. Definitely not my sort of reads with it‘s British prose and politics. Luckily the good ending makes up for the overall book.
pickReread! Now I'm ready for The True Queen. Prunella is a delight and the ending is cute.
9th #WyrdandWonder read! Not on my #TBRbingo card at all, but is from the list of 22 I picked for this month. (Did I mention someone bet me I can't finish all 22? Dangerous, I hate not taking bets, though if I want to win I need to read faster!)
Rereading! I picked it up to read a couple of pages to gauge how fast I might finish it... looked up 100 pages later. Oops! :D
@TCLinrow thank you so much for the everything in my #sffs package! I ❤ everything, especially the tote bag (When in doubt, go to the library), candle (infinite tbr), and books! I'm probably going to start the tagged one today as I've just finished one of my other books!
Also thanks to @Avanders for organising!
pickI really enjoyed this! If you liked Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell, or if you like the idea of JS&MrN but found the footnotes tedious, pick this up!!! Very Jane Austen-ish, a bit slow to start, and I still haven‘t decided if I truly like Prunella, but overall a good read! 4 🌟‘s
“But that was the trouble with children...They were confoundedly liable to pattern themselves upon one‘s conduct, when one would rather they simply did what what they were told.”
Story of my life 😫😫
#frideas @SailorMoon
1. Cinema Paradiso
2. Atonement
3. One Day (That English accent!)🤦♀️🙉
4. Keira Knightly
5. ⬆️tagged....
Sorcerer to the Crown (Sorcerer Royal, #1) | 
