May 2020 Reading Recap

May2020RR

May featured the Nebulas and continued work on myself during this unemployed time.

No special posts this month, but definitely an interview with K.A. Doore coming your way in June.

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ARC Review: THE FIERY CROWN (Forgotten Empires #2) by Jeffe Kennedy (2020)

Rating: 4/5 stars
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance
Year Release: May 2020
Source: NetGalley eARC
Buy links: Bookshop | Unabridged Books | Barnes and Noble

Read an ARC granted through NetGalley

When we last left Con and Lia, these two had gone from rivals to spouses, and this dynamic continuous throughout this sequel to The Orchid Throne.

Anure is still a big problem, but most of the political tensions in this fantasy stem from Con and Lia’s fundamental mistrust of each other. They are, after all, in a marriage of opportunity, rather than convenience. This especially comes to a head when they both learn that those in their  inner circles also can’t be trusted. At least these reluctant spouses can trust in their own political selfishness and it works so well.

I also really like the growth journey Lia went through. She’s not only a badass in that way where she’s a stern, but just leader. The entire last quarter of the book has her going through some shit. She shifts from defensive to offensive, especially when it’s shown just how monstrous the false emperor can be.

In addition, I absolutely cannot wait to see how the truth about Calanthe, the tropical paradise island, comes to fruition.

May 2020 TBR

Shelter-in-place continues through May in Illinois. Halfway through this month, I’m going to slowly start making a plan regarding employment and read these fine reads in the mean time. Things with a * are from last month’s TBR.

Hard Copies

  • The Art of Fiction by John Gardner
  • Bent Heavens by Daniel Kraus*
  • The Never-Tilting World by Rin Chupeco*
  • Out of Body by Jeffrey Ford (ARC)
  • Scapegracers by H.A. Clarke (ARC)*

Kindle

  • The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant (ARC)
  • Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender (ARC)
  • Flotsam (Peridot Shift #1) by R.J. Theodore*
  • The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer (ARC)*
  • Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (ARC)*
  • The Fiery Crown by Jeffe Kennedy (ARC)
  • The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall (ARC)
  • The Unconquered City by K.A. Doore (ARC)
  • Steering the Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story by Ursula K. Le Guin*

Audiobooks

  • Blood Countess by Lana Popovic
  • The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White
  • Highfire by Eoin Colfer
  • Lady Hotspur by Tessa Gratton
  • Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
  • Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
  • Uprooted by Naomi Novik
  • We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal

My own novel is still with alpha readers, so I’m returning the favor and also doing some beta reading this month.

Q&A with Jeffe Kennedy (The Orchid Throne Blog Tour)

AuthortoAuthor_JeffeKennedy.pngThank you St Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an early copy of The Orchid Throne (2019). The latest fantasy romance by Jeffe Kennedy features some lush world-building, political intrigue, and two thorny protagonists who start off as adversaries and end up as lovers. There’s a very crappy emperor and two different ideas of how to take him down.

Read on below for an interview with Jeffe about how the inspirations behind the political conflict in The Orchid Throne, her favorite scenes, and what to read next.

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Reading Recap: May 2017

RRMay2017.pngMay 2017 was a much better month for reading. I discovered two new favorites and got through some textbooks. Somehow, I had balanced enough to actually get my school reading done and have space for some fun projects. The read-along for The Alchemists of Loom was a blast, but there’s more I want to share.

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