WWW Wednesday is three quick questions, hosted by Taking on a World of Words, that provide a quick reading update. Everyone and everyone is welcome to join in!
This has been a very strange month. My family have just had a bereavement which was two weeks of thinking we’d get the call any day. As such, I’m in a very strange place emotionally right now and waiting to see how that affects my reading.
1. What are you currently reading?
My current physical read is a review copy of THE SHIP OF SHADOWS, by Maria Kuzniar. It’s a MG pirate adventure and debut I was sent as I’m part of the blog tour for this book, so I need to finish it and prepare my post for Monday! (This is not the first review copy I have been cutting it fine with these past few weeks)
This is a wonderful debut that you’ll love if you like pirates, adventure, or rich worlds. Set during the Spanish golden age of exploration, this feisty boat of female pirates are about to sweep a little girl up on an adventure she will never forget…
My current audiobook is THE FIFTH SEASON, by N. K. Jemisin. I tried reading this book about two years back – maybe even three or four – and I did not get on with the narrative style. So I’m trying again with the audiobook, and it is just a fight. I am so tempted to DNF it, but I am determined to read the whole way through it for once.
It is gorgeously written, but I just spend the whole time confused as to why I should be caring about these three separate story lines (I can’t work out how they link, and that’s important for me with multi-POV books) and struggling to work out what the overarching point of the story is, what the book is leading too. The characters have short term goals, but I can’t see where it’s all going.
2. What have you recently finished reading?
I just finished EMBER QUEEN, by Laura Sebastian, the finale to her ASH PRINCESS trilogy. This was a buddy read with a friend, as we’d both had it on our shelves since its publication in February. Why did it take that long? I left it in York.
But, I finally retrieved my copy and it was worth the wait. Theo has escaped those who’ve destroyed her home and kept her prisoner, has found allies, and now is taking back her country. Epic battles, dangerous magic, and terrible odds make for a riveting finale. I am so excited for her next books, and are hoping to hear of UK acquisitions soon!
The last eARC I read was SEVEN DEVILS, by Elizabeth May and Laura Lam. This is a sci-fi romp as misfit band of five “heroes” (yeah, it’s a bit of a misleading title) square off against the all-powerful empire and its indoctrination before all freedom can be swallowed.
The empire’s lost heir and a slum rat are forced into a wary partnership by the rebellion and cross paths with a kid-genius, a deserter, and a courtesan and quickly uncover a plot to destroy the other civilisation fighting for room. Interspersed with flashbacks, this space-opera is fast paced and left me wanting to read the sequel now.
Because THE FIFTH SEASON is taking so long to listen to, my last audiobook was actually THE TRAITOR QUEEN, by Danielle L. Jensen. This is the second book in her first THE BRIDGE KINGDOM duology, as Lara must free her husband and reclaim his kingdom, all while dealing with the consequences her betrayal wrought on their relationship – and everyone’s willingness to let her help. It also hints at the plot of the other duology coming in this world, which should be fun.
3. What do you think you’ll read next?
Once I’ve finished THE SHIP OF SHADOWS, I’ll be picking up TILLY AND THE LOST FAIRY TALES, by Anna James. This is the sequel to TILLY AND THE BOOKWANDERS – and I can’t wait to climb back through the pages of books with Tilly, Oskar, and her grandparents. Fairy tale characters are coming to life and causing havoc. Can Tilly find the source and restore peace before it’s too late?
This will also (probably) be my last MG book for a while, as I’ve been devouring all the ones on my shelf. Time to get cracking on all the YA piling up!
I don’t know much about CHALLENGER DEEP, by Neal Shusterman, but I really need to read the eARC as it comes out at the beginning of August. I’m assuming it’s an underwater adventure as a boy explores an undersea trench? I like the cover and wanted to see what he would write after wrapping up the SCYTHE series.
This month I really need to prioritise reading through the eARCs stacking up as I went on a NetGalley spree in June only to then discover my kingle was refusing to download any, so there are almost 20 waiting to be read. Oops.
THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR, by Amal el-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, has been consistently recommended to me this year for its prose and general wreck-ability of a story, so I thought I might as well get it in an audiobook sale.
Two time travellers on opposing sides of a war write letters and fall in love even as they fight. It sounds so promising, and I’m hoping it lives up to everyone’s recommendation. It’s also really, really short, so I’m hoping for a quick listen to fall in love with.
How has your reading been recently?
Sifa Elizabeth Reads 