Book Review: Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White by Amélie Wen Zhao

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White
by Amélie Wen Zhao

Book title: Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White
Author: Amélie Wen Zhao
Genre: YA fantasy
Published: January 2, 2024
345 pages
My rating: 4/5

I am Sòng Lián, survivor of the Sòng clan and heir to the Order of Ten Thousand Flowers. I will bring an end to the Four Demon Gods and the vicious cycle of power, war, and bloodshed they have wrought upon this land and its peoples.

Eighteen-year-old Lan must find an ancient weapon to destroy the demon gods and to rid her land of the occupying, cruel Elantians. At the same time, Zen seeks to harness the dark powers of the demon gods. Both will find what they are seeking in the desert city of Salakhira, but once they find the hidden city, they uncover dangerous secrets.

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White is the second book in Amélie Wen Zhao’s young adult fantasy duology Song of the Last Kingdom. I read the first book, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, last year. Unfortunately, over the year, I had forgotten a lot about what had happened in the first book, and Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White didn’t do a very good job of reminding me of all the things I had forgotten. I wish more fantasy series did something like what Saara El-Arifi’s The Ending Fire trilogy did with the second and the third book beginning with a recap of the events of the previous books.

Book Review: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Book title: Mansfield Park
Author: Jane Austen
Genre: Classic
Published: 1814
479 pages
My rating: 5/5

“Fanny Price was at this time just ten years old, and though there might not be much in her first appearance to captivate, there was, at least, nothing to disgust her relations. She was small of her age, with no glow of complexion, nor any other striking beauty; exceedingly timid and shy, and shrinking from notice; but her air, though awkward, was not vulgar, her voice was sweet, and when she spoke her countenance was pretty.”

My choice for this year’s Jane Austen July was Austen’s third published novel, Mansfield Park. This review is a rather spoilery one, so if you haven’t read all (or any) of Jane Austen’s novels, be warned. Ten-year-old Fanny Price is sent to live with her rich relatives at Mansfield Park. Growing up with her cousins, she is constantly aware how precarious her place in society is. When a dashing couple from London, Henry and Mary Crawford, enter this rural world, they manage to dazzle everyone except Fanny, who sees through their superficial glamour.

Book Review: Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price

Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price

Book title: Pride and Premeditation
Author: Tirzah Price
Genre: YA historical mystery, Jane Austen retelling
Published: April 6, 2021
368 pages
My rating: 3/5

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a brilliant idea, conceived and executed by a clever young woman, must be claimed by a man.”

Seventeen-year-old Lizzie Bennet dreams of becoming a barrister like her father. When she learns of the murder of Mr. Hurst, she quickly deduces that the man suspected of the murder, Mr. Bingley, might be innocent. She suggests to Bingley that they find the real murderer, but she is faced with opposition from Bingley’s friend and lawyer, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. 

Pride and Premeditation is Tirzah Price’s young adult historical murder mystery inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I read it for this year’s Jane Austen July. This was the first Jane Austen inspired murder mystery I’ve read, and I was excited to see how the author would handle the source material in a new setting.

Comes with an Attitude Is Out Now!

Comes with an Attitude (A modern Pride and Prejudice retelling)

Comes with an Attitude, is out now! Comes with an Attitude is a modern Pride and Prejudice retelling, and I'm super excited to share it with the world. The book is now available on Amazon in several formats (e-book, paperback, and hardcover), and it’s also free on Kindle Unlimited. You can get the book here (*Amazon affiliate link). If you’re looking for a fun contemporary romance with Jane Austen vibes, enemies/rivals to lovers, slow burn, and low spice (kiss only), here’s the blurb for you:

June Wrap-up and July Hopefuls

Two of my June reads

June Wrap-Up

• Finished: 9
• Started but not finished: 2
• Total pages read: 2,738
• Average rating: 3.944

I had not expected that I’d read so many books in June! I thought I’d have time to finish five books, but I read four more. In the beginning of the month, I read one novel in verse, Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming (5/5 stars), which was also my favorite book of the month. I also read Sarah Brooks’s steampunk fantasy The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands (3/5 stars), which unfortunately was a bit of a disappointment.

Jane Austen July 2026

Jane Austen July hopefuls

 

Jane Austen July is a month long readathon all about Jane Austen, her novels and other writings, and her time period. I’ve taken part in the challenge the last two years (you can find my 2024 TBR and wrap-up as well as the 2025 TBR and wrap-up behind the links). As Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors, I’ve loved this challenge, and naturally, I want to take part this year as well.

There are seven challenges in this readathon: five books and two screen adaptations. You can find more information about the challenge from the Youtube videos posted by the hosts of the challenge (Katie from Books and Things, Marissa from Blatantly Bookish, and Claudia from Spinster’s Library).

Here’s what I’m planning to read this year and my reasons for picking them.

Book Review: The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks

The Cautious Traveller's Guide
to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks

Book title: The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands
Author: Sarah Brooks
Genre: Steampunk fantasy
Published: June 18, 2024
372 pages
My rating: 3/5

“There is a woman on the platform with a borrowed name. With steam in her eyes and the taste of oil on her lips. The shrill, desperate whistle of the train turns into the sobbing of a young girl nearby and the cries of the trinket vendors, hawking their flimsy amulets as protection against Wastelands sickness.”

1899, a train runs from Beijing to Moscow across the Siberian Wastelands where strange phenomena are taking place. Marya Petrovna, a young woman with a borrowed name, boards the train to find out what happened to her father on the previous crossing. Weiwei, a girl born on the train, defies the rules of the train company and protects a stowaway girl. Henry Grey, a disgraced naturalist, is determined to restore his reputation. Together, they must survive the journey even as the uncontrollable Wastelands seem to break into the train.

The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands is Sarah Brooks’s debut novel. The premise sounded fascinating, and I was excited to read this steampunk fantasy, but unfortunately, the book left me a little disappointed.