What I’ve read this summer

By Jennifer Trend, Staff Writer

With summer comes much more time to read and immerse into multiple new worlds and stories. Don’t worry, all these will be spoiler free unless they are a sequel or in a series. Perhaps you can find a new read to fill up your time!

JUNE

The Reluctant Queen by Sarah Beth Durst

The sequel to The Queen of Blood, The Reluctant Queen follows Daleina’s journey as she adjusts to the new life as the queen and to the news that her health could endanger and kill her people. Meanwhile, Naelin battles facing the truth of what kind of power she has, pressured by the many around her to be able to control the spirits, but is the role of heir or queen really what she wants?

After reading the first book, I was excited to read the next one, and Durst did not disappoint. Reading it, I was unable to put it down and finished it in two sittings as the plot along with the characters and imagery pulled me in and entrapped me in the world that was Aratay. New perspectives were brought in, showing what life was like, how they struggled and how they overcame them. In some books, it’s easy to forget what exactly the characters are fighting for, or it becomes a constant reminder it’s annoying. But not this book as the character’s conflict was evident enough that it compelled them and was always evolving and adapting given the circumstances, which was nice to see. The ending was also very surprising and unexpected, and it took me a while to accept what had just happened, but it did wrap the story up very nicely without any nerve eating unanswered questions that couldn’t be answered in the next book. Overall it was a very well written book and I’m excited to see what is in store for the third installment of the series.

Chihayafuru, Volume 1 by Yuki Suetsugu

Chihaya Ayase, a young schoolgirl, meets a fellow classmate, Arata Wataya, and is drawn into the world of the hyakunin isshu karuta, a card game that involves memorization and speed with the hundred poems created by one hundred individuals. The story follows her as she has troubles with friends and the karuta competitions that is now her life.

I read the Japanese version to work on my Japanese, but there are English versions available. I did enjoy reading the different dialect and how Chihaya interacted with others. Given that this is the second time I’ve read this, it was refreshing to see how karuta works and how much Chihaya immerses herself into the game and competition.

The Magician’s Nephew & The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

Adventure into the world of Narnia and it’s creation with Digory and Polly in The Magician’s Nephew and with the four Pevensies in The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe. Follow along as interesting characters from other worlds interact within different worlds, and as they all fight for power or peace within the magical lands of Narnia.

It was so refreshing to begin to reread the series, and it’s just one of those series that never gets old no matter how old you become. Little details of information that you may have glossed over once now stand out, and Lewis’s mind is so complex and interesting to experience. The writing style is unique in its own way, presenting a third person that sometimes breaks that fourth wall to talk to the reader instead of just presenting the story, which I truly enjoyed. Reading the series is very calming and relaxing, given to the fact that there are virtually no stressful situations unlike most books and conflicts nowadays. 

JULY

Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair & The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis

The rest of the Narnian Chronicles continue with the Pevensie’s journey but also introduces new characters and adventures into the world of Narnia.

Just like the first three books of the series, I immensely enjoyed these books with its very unique writing technique and very relaxing story. But I was very surprised by the end of the last book and how the plot twist played out. I still stand by what I said with the first three books.

Entwined by Heather Dixon

A retelling of the fairytale, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, this book follows Azalea, the eldest of her sisters, as she tries to fix everything after her mother’s death which took her father’s joy away. Being banned from dancing, the only thing left by their mother and one joy, they are left heartbroken and on edge. But upon finding a mysterious passageway which leads to another realm, they find a safe haven to dance their heart away- at what cost?

This story was really beautiful and intricate, and I enjoyed every second of it, feeling exactly how Azalea was when the plot twists or surprises were known. I just felt that the romance was more of a side story, and didn’t really need to happen, but I did like how realistic it seemed. Throughout the book there were multiple references to different types of dances and curtsies given their love for the art, and it was nice to see how it played out in the book.

The Glass Spare by Lauren Destefano

Wilhelmina Heidle, the only daughter of the king, is different from the rest of her family- a free spirit who looks nothing like her three brothers and has been a spy for her father since a young age. One night she discovers powers that allow her to crystalize anything living and accidentally kills someone she loves dearly, causing her to run away to escape exile and death. On her journey to find someone that could stop her powers, she comes across two individuals who would do anything to use her, and the three of them band together for a common goal- to save both their lands from pure destruction.

This was a darker book but I did like how Wil interacted with people given her childhood. How her powers worked in response to certain things and not just when it was right, was understandable, and never really confusing at all. The only thing that really bothered me was how the blooming romance occured- it felt too forced and built on almost nonexistent feelings.  

Dark Breaks the Dawn & Bright Burns the Night by Sara B. Larson

A retelling of The Swan Lake, the duology tells a story of Princess Evelayn who has just come to the height of her power on her eighteenth birthday. But then her mother, fighting in a ten year war with the neighboring kingdom, dies, leaving Evelayn to take over. Will she learn to control her light powers while balancing a war and ruling a kingdom or will it fall to the hands of darkness?

This has become one of my favorite books, and every page had an interesting story to tell. Evelayn’s actions were always plausible and the second hand embarrassment I’d constantly come across in books didn’t appear in these books. The romance fit very well, and it really did hurt when the plot twists appeared in the second book.

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

Diana has always wanted glory and to show her Amazonian sisters that she is worthy to be on Themyscira. But one day a ship is destroyed right off the coast, and something within her compels to save the human left to die, even if it means risking exile. But this mortal is no ordinary human as Alia is a Warbringer, a descendant of Helen of Troy, who will bring a senseless war to the world of men unless the two join forces and fight to get rid of the evil.

As a DC Comics fan myself, I was very excited to read this, and Bardugo did not disappoint. DIana’s story was very intricate, and it was interesting to see how Alia and Diana clashed given their very different backgrounds. The plot twist at the end was very unexpected, but I enjoyed this book very much.

AUG

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Mare Barrow is just like any other Red in The Stilts, condemned to conscription to the king’s army when she turns eighteen just like the rest of the Reds in Norta- a people less than the Silvers because of the color and power of the blood that runs through their veins. One day it all changes when she is told to serve as a servant of the king’s court. But an accident occurs and all of a sudden Mare is a Red with unique lightning powers, and she is forced to become a long lost member of the nobility forced to hide who she is- in order to protect the people she knows and loves. Will she bend to the Silvers who have controlled her entire life or will she fight back?

This was the second time I have read this book, and I enjoyed every page, especially as Mare’s actions were plausible and understandable. I didn’t wholly enjoy how quickly she fell in love with Maven as while it was forced by the king, sometimes it felt like the feelings came out of nowhere, and it seemed like there was another romance that was subtly hinted at. But overall, the plot, characters and setting were amazing, and I did enjoy it.

Trickster’s Choice by Tamora Pierce

Alianne, the only daughter of the Lioness Alanna and the greatest spymaster has only wanted one thing: to live up to the greatness that her parents are and to prove she is just as capable of the dangers that they have faced. But after being denied to work as a spy, she sets off only to be captured and sold off as a slave, resulting in a deal with the trickster god. For a summer Aly has to protect the wild spirited princesses, heirs to a throne that would be denied to them given their race, in exchange for Aly’s freedom.

Going into the book, I didn’t realize that this book was a small part of Pierce’s Tortall world, and that this was somewhere in the middle of the collection of series. And so the first part of the book where it introduced the land and politics was very confusing. Even so, the characters and plot were introduced as if this were the first book, making it a very interesting read. I don’t think I’ve seen so much female power in a fantasy book before. Usually, in fantasy books with a female royalty lead, it’s common to see them pushed to the side for male dominance and they struggle greatly to gain some sort of power. But not in this book- Aly and all the female characters were very headstrong and had their own unique power which was a very refreshing and nice change of pace. And so I immensely enjoyed everything about the book, and I’m sure that if I had read the previous books I would have appreciated the book and all the intricate backstories there were.

The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Violet Lasting is one of the surrogates, the only girls who have the power to healthily reproduce the nobility’s children and to keep the bloodlines pure. When Reckoning Day, the day the girls of age are sold to the nobility, comes around, Violet accepts her fate, saying goodbye to her family and only friend for the last time. She ends up being sold to the Duchess of the Lake, and her life changes, faced with the possibility of death, immense fear of her owner and knowing that she is essentially an object now. And with the arrival of a new love interest, will Violet choose love and risk her life and small freedom or will she try to save herself as much as she can from the Duchess’s wrath?

This book was a bit odd in the beginning as I was getting used to how this society worked. It was interesting to see how the story unfolded, and how the different characters, no matter if they were main or side characters, all reacted to certain changes and events. The love interest was well written, but after Violet had broken up with him in a sense to save both of them, it almost idiotic to get back together which, as they had both predicted, ended in their very painful demise. I also didn’t like how the Duchess confessed that Violet was like a daughter to her after all the things she had and would do. But overall, I did like the book, and am interested in seeing how the next book plays out.

Dividing Eden by Joelle Charbonneau

Twins Carys and Andreus have always protected the other from harm and from exposing the curse that Andreus was born with, glad that they could have some freedom given that their brother is the crown prince of Eden. But after he and their father dies, no one is sure whether the line of succession continues on with Carys or Andreus. And so a contest to decide who shall be the next ruler begins- but what lengths will the twins go to to win the crown?

I did like this book and how the story played out. But there were a handful of unanswered questions at the end that I’m not sure will be answered in later books. I also thought that the Queen going crazy and Imogen controlling Andreus the way she did was out of place and odd. The romantic pairings in the book were also not very believable and didn’t seem that clear. But other than that it was a really interesting read and I liked how the twins individually responded to events differently.