Kingdom, Volume 1

 Rating: 3 action, adventure, orphan to hero

My Thoughts:

This is an English translation of a manga. It has also been an anime series and the story comes originally from a Chinese historical text. All of that does not matter. It is an adventure story of two orphans, Piao and Xin who train themselves as warriors by practicing in the fields after they are done with their chores. When a high ranking general seems they fighting in the field, the boys explain that they have sparred over 1,000 times and their win/loss record is very close. The general takes Piao to the court and Xin is left in the country to train on his own. The next time Xin sees Piao, there has been a coup and Piao, before he dies, sends Xin to a small shack in a dangerous town. 

The story gives us just enough to rush to get the 2nd volume before more assassins come looking for Xin and his new companion. The graphics are exciting. The drawings of the court officials are grossly exaggerated which makes this even more appealing. 

From the Publisher:

Xin is a war orphan in a poor village in the kingdom of Qin. He has big dreams of becoming a great general, and when his best friend’s life is cut short by political machinations, Xin sets off to find a deposed ruler and help restore his place on the throne, while working his way up through the ranks of the Qin kingdom’s army to do what no one has ever done before—unify China.

Xin’s journey begins when his friend Piao, another war orphan who imparts to Xin the same dream of becoming the Greatest Generals Under the Heavens, is offered a position in court in the capital. He leaves Xin behind to train on his own, and to meet him there one day. One fateful night, Piao returns bloodied and on the brink of death, with his dying words being for Xin to go meet a boy who turns out to look exactly like Piao. But this is no ordinary boy—it’s the king of Qin, Ying Zheng! And assassins are hot on his tail!

Publication Information:

Author                    Yasuhisa Hara

Publisher                Viz Media LLC (November 11, 2025)

Print length            224 pages

The Reckoning of Roku, Book 5

Rating: 3, more if you are fans of Avatar the Last Airbender series

My Thoughts:

My Goodreads reading summary of 2025 showed me that I started the year off with Randy Ribay's Everything We Never Had, so I wanted to start with another Randy Ribay book. I can't imagine that he is still teaching based on the kinds of projects he is doing, both original work like Patron Saints and Everything as well as being a team writer for a series like this. 

I think what he brings to this series is the angsty complex "hero" voice of Roku. I have seen that same voice in Patron and as a writer he is good at showing that complexity of character. I miss the playful Aang, but I think I love Aang because he reminds me of the Japanese comic series of the monk boy Ikkyū-san. 

This is a different kind of story in a good way mostly because Roku is fairly new at this Avatar role, but he is trying (sort of). He also has a cast of characters, like his best friend Prince Sozin, as well as his airbending master who refuses to teach him any airbending because he cannot figure out how to "let go." 

I actually listened to the audiobook since I gave back my iPad which I use as a Kindle for my ebooks, so I have the information on the ebook too. The ebook narrator, Nancy Wu, is easy to listen to. That is a good thing because this is a long listen.

 This is book 1 of 2026. #2026.1

From the Publisher:

Roku never expected to be the Avatar. Even his best friend, Crown Prince Sozin of the Fire Nation, doubts the accuracy of the Fire Sages’ announcement. After all, Sozin is the strongest Firebender of their generation, while Roku struggles to grasp basic airbending principles—even after months of training under Sister Disha, his airbending master.

 
When Sozin requests the new Avatar’s aid in preventing the Earth Kingdom from claiming a remote Fire Nation island, it doesn’t surprise Roku that Sister Disha advises him to decline. Convinced the Earth King’s aggressive expansion of territory points to a more insidious agenda, Roku steals away with the help of an irritating young Airbender named Gyatso. As the reluctant companions delve deeper into their wayward mission, they realize the fog-shrouded island harbors a secret that could lead to catastrophe in the wrong hands.
 

Plagued by self-doubt but eager to confront the dangers ahead, Avatar Roku must learn where to place his trust and what it means to be a spirit of no nation . . . even if the lesson comes at a great personal cost.that makes this series entertaining. 

Publication Information:

Author: Randy Ribay

Publisher for print book: Amulet Books (July 23, 2024)

Print length: 368 pages

Audiobook narrator: Nancy Wu

Publisher audio: Blackstone Publishing

Listening length: 11 hours, 27 minutes

Source: Hawaiʻi Public Library, Libby app

 

Icon and Inferno (Stars and Smoke #2)

 

Stars: 4 Unexpectedly good action and chemistry in this second novel

My Thoughts:

The first book, Stars and Smoke , is actually a good stand alone, but like Ms. Lu’s second Warcross book, Wildcard, this second book surprised me in how much more the author could add to this story. The additional characters made this more believable. In addition, the shocking loss put this out of the realm of YA bubblegum romance and into the realm of spy intrigue and loss. I actually liked this more than the first book, even if you need to read the first book to get a feel for the characters. 

From the Publisher:

A year has passed since superstar Winter Young last saw secret agent Sydney Cossette. After barely surviving their first assignment together in London -- and their intense chemistry – the two haven’t spoken at all. Though they’re never far from the other’s thoughts, or fantasies.

So when Syndey shows up at Winter’s studio one day with a new mission from Panacea, he has no choice but to accept. With the clock ticking, the duo prepares to head to Singapore to rescue an operative in danger -- only to learn he’s none other than Sydney's ex, a rogue agent known as the Arsonist.

Of course, nothing is ever simple when it comes to Winter and Sydney. Especially not with the glamorous Gavi Ginsburg, a globe-trotting socialite and Winter’s one-time girlfriend, in the mix. Is she back for Winter’s heart – or does she have her eye on another prize?

The smoldering sequel to New York Times-bestselling Stars and Smoke follows Winter and Sydney on yet another treacherous mission that grows more sinister with each twist and turn. To make it out alive, they'll have to figure out how to be partners again -- and if they can resist the burn of something more.

Publication Information:

Author: Marie Lu

Publisher: Roaring Books Press (June 11, 2024)

Hardcover: 320 pages

Grade level: 10-12

Stars and Smoke (Novel 1)

 

Stars: 3 It's a good escape. As far as enemies-to-lovers novels goes, it is a solid 3 because it does not give in to the happily ever after tropes, which means it's great for YA.

My Thoughts:

You have a teenage super spy and a teenage pop idol. You also have an elite covert ops group called Panacea who sits above any government agency. Again, go back to the teenage super spy for Panacea being a female, and suspend any kind of questions you may have. Once you do that, this is a fun read. It has danger and travel. It has beautiful people and killers. Really, it is a good way to spend a weekend. 

From the Publishers:

Meet Winter Young―A global pop sensation, with a voice like velvet and looks that could kill.

Meet Sydney Cossette―An agent in an elite covert ops group, and an ice queen whose moves are as dangerous as her comebacks.

When a major crime boss gifts his daughter a private Winter Young concert for her birthday, Sydney’s and Winter’s lives suddenly collide. To stop an international disaster, the two must infiltrate the organization’s inner
circle, with Sydney posing as Winter’s bodyguard and Winter tapped to join her as a new spy recruit. Sydney may be the only person impervious to Winter’s charms, but as their mission brings them closer, she’s forced to
admit that there’s more to Winter Young than just a handsome face . . .

Publication Information:

Author: Marie Lu

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press (March 28, 2023)

Hardcover: 336 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1250852816

Grade level: 7-9

Our Violent Ends (These Violent Delights Duet, book 2)

 

Stars: 5 Yes, use this as an alternative to R&J in your classroom. If you really must talk about iambic pentameter and rhyme scheme, use several of Shakespeare's sonnets and leave the action/drama/romance of R&J to Ms. Gong. 

My Thoughts:

   DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE FIRST BOOK!!!

Raybearer: Audiobook

 

4 stars: Good if you like fantasy, magic, a different kind of world building, afrofuturism.

My Thoughts:

“You don’t have to help me change the world. But you mark my words; when I get going, this world will change. And you can be a part of that...or you can stand back and watch.”

16 year old Tarisai wants a family, wants to love and be loved. But the Lady, her mother, who for some reason I thought was a figment of her imagination, has other ideas for Tarisai. When Tarisai tries to kill the crown prince who she actually loves, she has to do what she needs to do to actually stop being a pawn and remove herself from all hope of family, love and goodness. Readers will feel for her as she fights for love. It is more than a 16 year old should bear.

The storytelling is lush and diverse for YA readers who are used to reading western centered novels. I think that is why I say it is a kind of world building. As our own country is in turmoil and unrecognizable as a civilization and nation of dreamers, it is good to be in a different culture and world to escape. This is a good escape. 

As far as the narrator, this was an easy listen, even at 13  plus hours. 

From the Publisher:

Nothing is more important than loyalty. But what if you’ve sworn to protect the one you were born to destroy?

Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as the Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the crown prince’s Council of Eleven. If she’s picked, she’ll be joined with the other council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But the Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: kill the crown prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won’t stand by and become someone’s pawn - but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself?

With extraordinary world-building and breathtaking prose, Raybearer is the story of loyalty, fate, and the lengths we’re willing to go for the ones we love.

Publication Information:

Author: Jordan Ifueko

Narrator: Joniece Abbott-Pratt

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing (August 18, 2020)

Listening Length: 13 hours, 48 minutes

Warrior Girl Unearthed

 

My Thoughts:

Angeline Boulley, native Indian author, probably one of 80 right now, worked in DC at Indian Affairs before leaving to become an author. What she brings to this book is an understanding of the bureaucracy of getting artifacts back to tribes. She brings this background into her sophomore book that she dubs "Indigenous Laura Croft, tomb raider." The way institutions are able to hide artifacts to loophole around policy may be fiction, but I am more worried that this just skims the surface and the true extent of grave robbery is even worse than it seems from this book. 

I am also obsessed with the warrior girl. How do I learn how to be a tomb raider too? What part can I play in repatriation of my own ancestors? I think if I were a young indigenous kid reading this book, I definitely would like to seek out more answers.

The pacing moves a little slow at times, but the horrors at the end, especially the description of the silo is so purely evil and sick that I read too fast to get to the end and I did not see the twist coming until it was right in. front of me. Sick!

If you already read Firekeeper's Daughter, you will see Daunis show up as the aunt to Perry and her twin. 

From the Publisher:

Perry Firekeeper-Birch has always known who she is - the laidback twin, the troublemaker, the best fisher on Sugar Island. Her aspirations won't ever take her far from home, and she wouldn't have it any other way. But as the rising number of missing Indigenous women starts circling closer to home, as her family becomes embroiled in a high-profile murder investigation, and as greedy grave robbers seek to profit off of what belongs to her Anishinaabe tribe, Perry begins to question everything.

In order to reclaim this inheritance for her people, Perry has no choice but to take matters into her own hands. She can only count on her friends and allies, including her overachieving twin and a charming new boy in town with unwavering morals. Old rivalries, sister secrets, and botched heists cannot - will not - stop her from uncovering the mystery before the ancestors and missing women are lost forever.

Publication information:

Author: Angeline Boulley

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Publication date: May 2, 2023

The Art of Prophecy

 

My Thoughts:

This fantasy, action, martial arts book is like a mini Game of Thrones in the backstabbing and betrayal. It is also like Game of Thrones in that you have to keep track of many characters as the chapters move the reader around until the fighting comes to a head in the "non-ending" continuation that is this book one. 

What makes this different is the irony that the young warrior, chosen because of a prophecy becomes inconsequential with the death of the great Khan.  In addition, a master wind whisperer, Taishi,  an older female warrior, long past her prime is sent to assess this young Wen Jian, the Prophesied Hero of Legend, and he is found lacking. He has potential, but first he must be broken. The funny verbal jabs between the two are really what make the two of them so endearing. 

The story consists of a complicated series of relationships and betrayals that keep readers on their toes. After all, anyone can die at any time so do not get too invested in some of the main characters. It has the potential to be that kind of book with the complicated choreography of different styles of fighting.  However, I do wish that I could have a map or genealogy. Anything to keep the characters straight would be nice. 

This book just came out in August, so this will probably be a reread in about a year when the next one drops.

From the Publisher:

So many stories begin the same way: With a prophecy. A chosen one. And the inevitable quest to slay a villain, save the kingdom, and fulfill a grand destiny.
 
But this is not that kind of story. 
 
It does begin with a prophecy: A child will rise to defeat the Eternal Khan, a cruel immortal god-king, and save the kingdom. 
 
And that prophecy did anoint a hero, Jian, raised since birth in luxury and splendor, and celebrated before he has won a single battle. 
 
But that’s when the story hits its first twist: The prophecy is wrong. 
 
What follows is a story more wondrous than any prophecy could foresee, and with many unexpected heroes: Taishi, an older woman who is the greatest grandmaster of magical martial arts in the kingdom but who thought her adventuring days were all behind her; Sali, a straitlaced warrior who learns the rules may no longer apply when the leader to whom she pledged her life is gone; and Qisami, a chaotic assassin who takes a little too much pleasure in the kill.
 
And Jian himself, who has to find a way to become what he no longer believes he can be—a hero after all.

Author: Wesley Chu

Publisher: Del Ray

Publication date: August 9, 2022

Children of the Flying City

 

My Thoughts:

This action packed first book reads like a Lemony Snicket story in that  the narrator speaks directly to the reader. He warns us, in fact that things will go wrong and we should stop reading, which of course, forces me to read on. It also quickly pulls readers into the street life of a band of orphans banding together to steal enough to eat and pay tithe to the boy "Total King." 

Milo Quick, the leader of his group was brought to Highgate when he was five. Although not quite 13, he is responsible for a family of children, including Dagda, also called Mouse, a "12-year old girl" who unbeknownst to the crew has been 12 for hundreds of years,  and his backup "man" Jules. What he doesn't know is that ever since he arrived in Highgate, there have been powerful men paying The Sandman to both let Milo Quick grow up to be a boy on the streets as well as protect his life should harm come to him. This story is comfortably familiar like Oliver Twist meets Blade Runner.

When we enter the flying city, war is coming in the form of an Armada just outside the gates. These orphans, though, canʻt be bothered by grown up problems. They are just trying to survive. When Milo Quick is called to show up in the court of the Total King, he finds out that the captain of a flying mail ship has just snuck in and revealed Miloʻs real name. They have orders to take him alive  so to stay hidden, the Total King wants Milo and his gang to provide more tithing from their spoils. This starts the series of "unfortunate events" for these groups. Not everyone survives and the story does not end with this book, but it is a fantastic ride: emotional, gripping, sweet and horrifying. Keep reading.

From the Publisher:

Brought to the flying city of Highgate when he was only five years old, orphan Milo Quick has never known another home. Now almost thirteen, Milo survives one daredevil grift at a time, relying only on his wit, speed, and best friends Jules and Dagda.

A massive armada has surrounded Highgate’s crumbling armaments. Because behind locked doors—in opulent parlors and pneumatic forests and a master toymaker’s workshop—the once-great flying city protects a powerful secret, hidden away for centuries. A secret that’s about to ignite a war. One small airship, the Halcyon, has slipped through the ominous blockade on a mission to collect Milo—and the rich bounty on his head—before the fighting begins. But the members of the Halcyon’s misfit crew aren’t the only ones chasing Milo Quick.
 
True friendship is worth any risk in this clever, heart-racing adventure from award-winning author and journalist Jason Sheehan. Sheehan weaves together wry narration and multiple points of view to craft a richly imagined tale that is dangerous and surprising, wondrous and joyful.

Author: Jason Sheehan

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers

Publication date: March 15, 2022

The Cruel Prince (The folk of the Air Book 1)

From the Publisher:

Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him--and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

My thoughts:

Damn, damn, damn!

I hate when a hyped book turns out to be hype worthy. Not because I don't enjoy reading it. No. More because it takes me longer to get a hold of the next one. 

This might be a good movie, but the movies for books have been so disappointing because of casting (Mortal Instruments, Hunger Games, Divergent) and/or what they do to the original writing (Cirque du Freak being the most disappointing). I think the series needs to play out before I really know if I want to see this made.

For now, this is what is hype worthy about this book:

• Jude is a flawed protagonist who is both clever, stubborn, brave and unsure of herself. She watches her parents get murdered by her half sister's father (fey), is taken in by him (along with her half sister and her twin). This is enough to cause teen angst and rage. And yet Jude is complicated. She feels more comfortable in this world than the mortal world. She both hates her step father and craves his acceptance. Love, sisterhood, romance, familial love, friendship. . . everything is so juicily complicated. 
• Cardan is cruel but not deadly. He is both conniving and charming, hurtful and being hurt. Unlike other princes in stories, he is horrible as a warrior, more drunk than strong. Again, complicated.
• No one, can be trusted. Like Aelin from the Throne of Glass series, no one really knows what Jude is planning until she does it. She is the ultimate liar.  I am not sure at this point if she craves power or she really wants to protect people. Complicated.

Next book (with still a 2 week wait from my library) The Wicked King.

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4)

My thoughts:

I don't have enough free time in the day or night to devour these, but usually by this time in a series, my interest waives. Not this time. My new understanding about the main characters:

• Aelin the Schemer/Trickster/Queen reveals her super power and that is cunning and smarts.
• Team Aelin and whoever makes her happy (Rowan for now) - but this just shows that she can save her own damn self
• The loyalty and honor amongst the women in this series, even those who are enemies makes this stand out from other similar series. 
• This one could actually end the series but the fact that it does not just means there is more disappointment ahead and we cannot make up any happy ending so have #5 in hand and expect heartbreak. 

Crown of Midnight

Description:

She is the greatest assassin her world has ever known.

But does she have the heart of a killer?

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. But Calaena is far from loyal to the crown. Keeping up the charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her skills in an entirely new way. And it certainly isn't the only point of confusion for the young girl. Because though she's made her choice between Dorian and Chaol, the ways of the heart are never simple...

My Thoughts:

Sometimes you go to a restaurant in your neighborhood and you keep ordering the same thing, not because you do not eat anything else, but just because it is a sure thing. There is comfort in going to a familiar place and ordering what you know will be good. It is not a surprise except if for some reason, the chef had an off day or something and your familiar tastes a little different.

This second book in the Throne of Glass series is my regular order - girl power, warrior, fantasy, action, betrayal, blood, death. . . I know what I like. This is what I like. So far, Ms. Maas, as the chef, does not disappoint. Therefore, I will be back (as soon as I work my way down the waiting list), and I will have another, thank you so much. 

Warrior of the Wild

Publication date: February 26, 2019

Description:

An eighteen-year-old chieftain's daughter must find a way to kill her village’s oppressive deity if she ever wants to return home in Warrior of the Wild, the Viking-inspired YA standalone fantasy from Tricia Levenseller, author of Daughter of the Pirate King. 

How do you kill a god?

As her father's chosen heir, eighteen-year-old Rasmira has trained her whole life to become a warrior and lead her village. But when her coming-of-age trial is sabotaged and she fails the test, her father banishes her to the monster-filled wilderness with an impossible quest: To win back her honor, she must kill the oppressive god who claims tribute from the villages each year or die trying.

My Thoughts:

I put this on my TBR list because I like reading this kind of fantasy-ish (no magic), Viking-ish (not really Vikings but it seems cold and they like to fight), girl power Clan of the Cave Bear ish wilderness feminism, survivalist adventure with a bit of YA rated romance. 

It does not disappoint. It has enough relationship angst to appeal to the girls, enough blood, gore and action for the boys and enough disappointing, clueless, rigid adult characters that make up most YA stories.  With these types of books, there is just so much pressure on the young main characters to basically save the world or die trying. Enter strangers who become friends and allies, including the first LGBTQ character in this type of genre. **Note - the fact that here is an LGBTQ character has nothing to do with the story and it does not add any kind of contemporary agenda which is how it should always be. 

Having said that, this book is not original, but it is still entertaining in its familiarity. Like the Hunger Games' Primrose "Prim" Everdeen who is the healer to her older sister Katniss' warrior, Rasmira in this book has her older sister Irrenia who is the nurturer and healer of the family.  The landscape reminds me of the also fantasyish girl power book Sky in the Deep, and finally, like Kagawa's Iron Fey series, Rasmira, like Meghan, seems to be the main person to save the day for everyone else. If readers devoured any of these, they will devour this too. 

Closing Words:

I am Rasmira Bendrauggo. . . I am both a woman and a warrior. . . And I will not let anyone cause me to forget.

An advanced copy provided by Net Galley for an honest review

Empress of All Seasons

Publication date: November 6, 2018

Tags: fantasy, feudal Japan, supernatural, YA, adventure, romance, action

My thoughts:

Hooray for the new breed of Japanese female warriors cropping up in YA fantasy! They bring their culture and their collective ferocity and loyalty to a genre that sometimes makes the men weak in order to raise up the women. 

The two books that will introduce the YA/Fantasy audience to feudal Japanese, strong, female characters are Empress of all Seasons and Julie Kagawa's October release Shadow of the Fox.

I don't think their stories, although both fantasy, are similar in plot, however, the main characters have similar dispositions and the supernatural element as well as the time period is so similar that for a little while I felt like I had read this book before. 

Also, once the competition starts in the season rooms, things start feeling a bit like Catching Fire.

So yes, this book feels familiar, but it is a good familiar and I enjoyed the read. 

Description:

In a palace of illusions, nothing is what it seems.

Each generation, a competition is held to find the next empress of Honoku. The rules are simple. Survive the palace’s enchanted seasonal rooms. Conquer Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Marry the prince. All are eligible to compete—all except yōkai, supernatural monsters and spirits whom the human emperor is determined to enslave and destroy. Mari has spent a lifetime training to become empress. Winning should be easy. And it would be, if she weren't hiding a dangerous secret. Mari is a yōkai with the ability to transform into a terrifying monster. If discovered, her life will be forfeit.  As she struggles to keep her true identity hidden, Mari’s fate collides with that of Taro, the prince who has no desire to inherit the imperial throne, and Akira, a half-human, half-yōkai outcast. Torn between duty and love, loyalty and betrayal, vengeance and forgiveness, the choices of Mari, Taro, and Akira will decide the fate of Honoku in this beautifully written, edge-of-your-seat YA fantasy.

An advanced copy provided by Net Galley and the publisher for an honest review.

Warcross

From the Publisher:

For the millions who log in every day, Warcross isn’t just a game—it’s a way of life. The obsession started ten years ago and its fan base now spans the globe, some eager to escape from reality and others hoping to make a profit. Struggling to make ends meet, teenage hacker Emika Chen works as a bounty hunter, tracking down Warcross players who bet on the game illegally. But the bounty-hunting world is a competitive one, and survival has not been easy. To make some quick cash, Emika takes a risk and hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships—only to accidentally glitch herself into the action and become an overnight sensation.

Convinced she’s going to be arrested, Emika is shocked when instead she gets a call from the game’s creator, the elusive young billionaire Hideo Tanaka, with an irresistible offer. He needs a spy on the inside of this year’s tournament in order to uncover a security problem . . . and he wants Emika for the job. With no time to lose, Emika’s whisked off to Tokyo and thrust into a world of fame and fortune that she’s only dreamed of. But soon her investigation uncovers a sinister plot, with major consequences for the entire Warcross empire.

My Thoughts:

This blog was started because as an English teacher, I was always trying to up the number of books I could booktalk that would appeal to the reluctant (mostly male) reader. I still believe, based on my 26 years in the classroom, that we lose our male adult readers if we do not capture them in middle school. 

I used to see this 20 something Hawaiian kid on the airplane when I was flying a lot for work. He always sat down early and had a paperback novel with him. I was not as bold as to ask him what he was reading, but he always read for the whole 40 minute interisland airplane ride. I look for books that will appeal to the younger him and will create this kind of young man who will continue to read way beyond the school assignment to read.

For those kind of male readers, if you like sci fi, dystopia, the action part (versus the political part) of Hunger Games, online gaming, this book is for you. If you liked the movie Hackers or Ready Player One, this is your next read. Warcross should be a movie, it is that fast paced. 

For me, this book appeals to me because it is headed by a street smart, on her own Asian American, Emika Chen. It is a science fiction novel written by an Asian female author. Although it talks about the ethics of technology, it really is about the chase. If that appeals to you too, this is your next book. 

Finally some Hideo Tanaka-isms.

Everything's science fiction until someone makes it science fact.

Everyone pays lip service to world peace. They use it as a pretty answer to pointless questions. 

Binti: Night Masquerade

I don't normally do posts for individual books in the series, but the the first book was a novella, the second was a slim 100 pages, so it took until this third book for everything to meld together. 

Now that I am done, who should read this?

If you are interested in sci fi, African/Indigenous sci fi, adventure, fantasy, space, melding of cultures and coming of age, try the Binti series. It is both familiar and surprising, even for someone who reads a lot of this type of genre. 

Sky in the Deep

This is geared toward readers who like fast paced, girl power, woman warrior stories set in the northern climates similar to  the communities beyond the wall in Game of Thrones. The story starts in the middle of a clan war as Eelyn and her battle partner Maya from the Aska clans fight the Riki clans. These two teenagers are seasoned warriors who plow through the enemy ranks until Eelyn gets separated from Maya and is cornered by a massive and powerful Riki warrior. Just as Eelyn believes that he will kill her, she is saved by her brother, but she must be mistaken. She saw her brother die five years ago and this warrior who looks like her brother is wearing the armor of the enemy.

I labeled it fantasy-ish just because it is not really in an unrealistic setting or containing the kind of magic or fantastical creatures found in the genre, but as a fantasy buff, it contains enough of the elements to make this devour worthy.  Carve out enough time for this.

A digital advance copy provided by Net Galley and the publisher for an honest review.

New Orleans Requiem by D.J. Donaldson

Author: D. J. Donaldson
Publisher: Astor + Blue Editions
Rating: 4.5

Andy Broussard is the lemon ball popping New Orleans Chief Medical Examiner, and Kit Franklyn is his criminal psychologist who are trying to quickly solve a series of gruesome murders even as they are hosting a conference for other medical examiners, psychologists and criminologists.

There's something appealing about setting this fast-paced story in New Orleans. I have been fascinated with New Orleans post Katrina, from the cuisine, the music and the mystery of this place. Perhaps it's my HBO GO marathons of Treme. New Orleans, after this, is definitely on my bucket list.

The murders are appealing. A missing eyelid. A newspaper with cut letters spelling something and nothing. A countdown of the letters from KOJE to KOJ. A race agains the clock. Mesmerizing.

Finally, as someone who went to college thinking that I wanted to be a medical examiner, and ending up as an English teacher, I truly appreciate the massive amount of detailed research that Donaldson puts into this novel. This is the first time reading this series, but Broussard and Franklyn are so likable that I definitely will be looking for more books with these characters.  This is one of the best mysteries I've read in a while and if you've ever read Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpatta novels this is the perfect YA equivalent.