[Review] We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Series: We Set the Dark on Fire #1

Rating: 4 stars 

Published: February 26th 2019

Goodreads Synopsis:

At the Medio School for Girls, distinguished young women are trained for one of two roles in their polarized society. Depending on her specialization, a graduate will one day run a husband’s household or raise his children, but both are promised a life of comfort and luxury, far from the frequent political uprisings of the lower class. Daniela Vargas is the school’s top student, but her bright future depends upon no one discovering her darkest secret—that her pedigree is a lie. Her parents sacrificed everything to obtain forged identification papers so Dani could rise above her station. Now that her marriage to an important politico’s son is fast approaching, she must keep the truth hidden or be sent back to the fringes of society, where famine and poverty rule supreme.
On her graduation night, Dani seems to be in the clear, despite the surprises that unfold. But nothing prepares her for all the difficult choices she must make, especially when she is asked to spy for a resistance group desperately fighting to bring equality to Medio. Will Dani cling to the privilege her parents fought to win for her, or to give up everything she’s strived for in pursuit of a free Medio—and a chance at a forbidden love? 

We Set the Dark on Fire was a great social commentary, allegorical to the current political crisis regarding the inhumane treatment of who is considered "illegal". It also addresses misogyny and sexism in a very real manner (from what I know of The Handmaiden's Tale, I consider this to be the YA version of it). 

"I grew up jut inside that wall, in a place full of other people just like me. Scared people. Beaten people. The kids up here got ghost stories, myths and legends, a lady with long hair searching the waves for lost children." 

Daniela Vargas lives in a world where high ranking political leaders and upperclass men are given two wives - a Primera, the official wife, who runs the daily affairs and is known as the 'intelligent one' and a Segunda, the mistress, whose job is to have a child with the husband and is known as the 'beautiful one'. Dani rises to the top of her class and is assigned to Mateo as Primera, alongside her enemy Carmen Santos. However, Dani hides a secret from all of them - she is not who she says she is, and is actually from a nation that Medio is currently at war with. Her family escaped with their lives through illegal documentation, and so, Dani must enter the den of wolves in order to survive and thrive. 

[Review] Morning Star by Pierce Brown

Morning Star by Pierce Brown

Series: Red Rising Saga #3

Rating: 5 stars

Published: February 9th 2016

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Darrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society’s mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within.
Finally, the time has come.
But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied—and too glorious to surrender.

BLOODYDAMN BRILLIANT.

A great way to end the series. But now that Iron Gold is out I need to read that too!

What I enjoyed about this book was the strong bonds that were examined and tested. Because Darrow could not be who he was without his friends - which said a lot about Darrow and a lot about his friends. The war had not only taken a toll on everyone mentally and physically, but also Darrow's friendships were at stake, and it was nice that Darrow reaffirmed how much he needed everyone (Victra, Sevro, Ragnar, Mustang, Cassius, etc) and how he learned from his mistakes - HE CAN'T JUST DO EVERYTHING ALONE.

Thematic Tuesdays - The Concept of Humanity in Sci-Fi

Thematic Tuesday #1: The Concept of Humanity in Sci-Fi

Featuring: Sleeping Giants and Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel 

&

Obsidio by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

Trying out something new as I reemerge from a long blog hiatus. I've realized when blogging for my school's English department that I've preferred analyzing themes from a series of books as opposed to reviewing. So these thematic reviews are less about what I liked/disliked and more about a general topic. I'll try to have these every other Tuesday (I'd normally say every Tuesday but I might be reviewing really big books).

Technically, my first thematic review was on Female Perspective in Science Fiction over here. I'll call it part 1 of my sci-fi reviews. I've been very much into the genre lately.

[Review] This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada

This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada

Series: This Mortal Coil #1

Rating: 3 stars

Published: November 7th 2017

Goodreads Synopsis:

Catarina Agatta is a hacker. She can cripple mainframes and crash through firewalls, but that’s not what makes her special. In Cat’s world, people are implanted with technology to recode their DNA, allowing them to change their bodies in any way they want. And Cat happens to be a gene-hacking genius.
That’s no surprise, since Cat’s father is Dr. Lachlan Agatta, a legendary geneticist who may be the last hope for defeating a plague that has brought humanity to the brink of extinction. But during the outbreak, Lachlan was kidnapped by a shadowy organization called Cartaxus, leaving Cat to survive the last two years on her own.
When a Cartaxus soldier, Cole, arrives with news that her father has been killed, Cat’s instincts tell her it’s just another Cartaxus lie. But Cole also brings a message: before Lachlan died, he managed to create a vaccine, and Cole needs Cat’s help to release it and save the human race.

I wanted to enjoy This Mortal Coil because I'm a chemistry major and STEM in YA is great - and for the most part, the book made all the science of coding and DNA really cool, but there were still a bunch of flaws in the book that I didn't like.

[Review] Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

Series: Rise of the Empress #1

Rating: 5 stars

Published: October 10th 2017

Goodreads Synopsis:

An East Asian fantasy reimagining of The Evil Queen legend about one peasant girl's quest to become Empress--and the darkness she must unleash to achieve her destiny.
Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng's majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high?
Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins--sorcery fueled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute.

FANTASTIC. Evil Queen retelling that has all the right levels of evilness. I love multifaceted characters, and even more so antiheroines/villains with so much depth to them.

Xifeng has been trained since birth to be the next Empress; however there are many factors holding her back. She has this dark power within her that she must use in order to fulfill her destiny.

[Review] Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart

Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart

Series: Grace and Fury #1

Rating: 4 stars 

Published: July 31st 2018

Goodreads Synopsis:

In a world where women have no rights, sisters Serina and Nomi Tessaro face two very different fates: one in the palace, the other in prison.
Serina has been groomed her whole life to become a Grace - someone to stand by the heir to the throne as a shining, subjugated example of the perfect woman. But when her headstrong and rebellious younger sister, Nomi, catches the heir's eye, it's Serina who takes the fall for the dangerous secret that Nomi has been hiding.
Now trapped in a life she never wanted, Nomi has only one way to save Serina: surrender to her role as a Grace until she can use her position to release her sister. This is easier said than done. A traitor walks the halls of the palace, and deception lurks in every corner. But Serina is running out of time, imprisoned on an island where she must fight to the death to survive and one wrong move could cost her everything.

Grace and Fury was a fast-paced read! It certainly was a page turner.

Serina and Nomi Tessaro are sisters in the kingdom of Viridia. Their land is one where women are considered second-class and have no rights whatsoever. In order to have some say in their lives, Serina trains to become a Grace, one of the concubines of the next ruler, the Heir, Malachi. Nomi refuses to subjugate herself to this, but untimely ends up becoming one of the Graces in her sister's stead. Serina is instead sent to Mount Ruin as punishment, keeping her sister's secret with her to the end.

[Review] A Touch of Gold by Anne Sullivan

A Touch of Gold by Annie Sullivan

Series: A Touch of Gold #1

Rating: 3 stars 

Format: ARC

Published: August 14th 2018

Goodreads Synopsis:

King Midas once had the ability to turn all he touched into gold. But after his gift—or curse—almost killed his daughter, Midas relinquished The Touch forever. Ten years later, Princess Kora still bears the consequences of her father’s wish: her skin shines golden, rumors follow her everywhere she goes, and she harbors secret powers that are getting harder to hide.
Kora spends her days locked in the palace, concealed behind gloves and veils, trying to ignore the stares and gossip of courtiers. It isn’t until a charming young duke arrives that Kora realizes there may be someone out there who doesn’t fear her or her curse. But their courtship is disrupted when a thief steals precious items from the kingdom, leaving the treasury depleted and King Midas vulnerable. Thanks to her unique ability to sense gold, Kora is the only one who can track the thief down. As she sails off on her quest, Kora learns that not everything is what it seems—not thieves, not pirates, and not even curses. She quickly discovers that gold—and the power it brings—is more dangerous than she’d ever believed.
Midas learned his lesson at a price. What will Kora’s journey cost?

The premise of A Touch of Gold sounds really cool - a retelling of King Midas? Never heard of that before.

Everyone knows the story of King Midas - well here, as he was turning everything he touched to gold, the first to fall victim to his powers was his daughter, Kora. He begged the god Dionysius to save her, but the gods have a way of convoluting their wishes. Now ten years later, Kora still has her gold skin and a secret.