Book Review: The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

Book title: The Final Strife
Author: Saara El-Arifi
Genre: Fantasy
Published: June 23, 2022
502 pages
My rating: 4/5

“If your blood runs red, go straight ahead
If your blood runs blue, you’re not coming through
Translucent hue, who are you, who are you, who are you?”

The Warden’s Empire is divided by blood: the red-blooded Embers rule over the blue-blooded Dusters and the clear-blooded Ghostings. Sylah Alyana, a twenty-year-old Ember, was stolen as a baby and forged into a weapon to change the empire from the inside – until her adoptive family was killed. Anoor Elsari has been told her whole life that she is worth nothing by her mother, the Warden of Strength. But when Sylah crashes into Anoor’s life, Anoor is determined to show her mother wrong by entering Aktibar, a competition where the next Wardens are decided.

The Final Strife is an adult fantasy and the first book in The Ending Fire trilogy by Saara El-Arifi. The story is told from four points of view: Sylah’s point of view is the most prominent, followed by Anoor’s. Small parts of the story are also told from the points of view of Hassa, a Ghosting transwoman, and Jond, Sylah’s friend and part-time lover.

Editing a Cozy Fantasy Short Story and (Almost) Finishing Draft 5

I've had a productive May so far! Yesterday, I finished the first pass of draft five of Project Prehistory. I still want to read it through once more and make some minor tweaks, but it's getting ready for querying.

I also started draft two of a cozy fantasy short story that I wrote in November 2023. It's been waiting for a right moment for me to edit it, and I decided the moment was now. It's set in wintertime, which makes it bit odd text to edit at this time of the year, but the worldbuilding and the characters are so much fun. I'm really enjoying the editing process, although I've only had time to edit the first third of the text. Hopefully I can finish it in June and get it ready for submission before the fall.

Check out my most recent writing vlog below if you want to see more of what I've been up to!

Book Review: The Library of Broken Worlds by Alaya Dawn Johnson

The Library of Broken Worlds by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Title: The Library of Broken Worlds
Author: Alaya Dawn Johnson
Genre: science fiction
Published: June 6, 2023
448 pages
My rating: 3/5

Seventeen-year-old Freida has lived her whole life exploring the tunnels of the Library, the celestial peacekeeper of the three systems. As the daughter of a Library god, she has unique access to the information stored in the depths of the Library. When she meets Joshua, a mortal boy desperate to save Tierra, and Nergüi, a disciple of a persecuted religious minority, she decides to break ranks with the gods and help them. For that, she must kill the bloodiest of gods. But first, she will tell him her story.

The Library of Broken Worlds is a science fiction novel set in a far-future society with its (apparently AI?) gods, planetary wars, and philosophical musings about multiverses. The concept was certainly interesting, but I felt the execution was lacking. The worldbuilding was complex and difficult to follow, despite the narrative having tons of exposition.

Book Review: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Title: The Count of Monte Cristo
Author: Alexandre Dumas
Genre: classic
Published: May 27, 2003 by Penguin Classics (originally publ. 1846)
Translator: Robin Buss
1276 pages
My rating: 5/5

Alexandre Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo first appeared in serialized form in 1844 to 1846 and was published in book form in 1846. The main character Edmond Dantès, a nineteen-year-old sailor, is falsely accused of treason and imprisoned without a trial in the Château d’If, a fortress off the coast of Marseille. A fellow prisoner Abbé Faria deduces that the people responsible for Edmond’s imprisonment are his romantic rival, an envious crewmate, and an ambitious magistrate who is desperate to protect his career. When Faria is on his deathbed, he reveals the location of a secret treasure to Edmond. Edmond escapes the prison, finds the treasure, and enters the 1830’s Parisian society to avenge himself as the mysterious Count of Monte Cristo.

This was a fun book! This review will have spoilers because the book is a classic—if you haven’t read it yet, do yourself a favor and read it.

Authors Are Weird (Am I?)

A couple of months ago on YouTube, I came across a fun tag with ten questions about weird habits authors and writers might have. I obviously wanted to know if my habits can be considered weird! Check the video below to find out my answers (spoiler: it seems I'm not very weird).

Favorite Classics: Daniel Defoe

Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe

In this second instalment of some of my favorite classics, let’s talk about Daniel Defoe (c. 1660–1731). Defoe was one of the earliest advocates of the English novel and helped popularize the genre in Britain. Besides novels, Defoe wrote books and pamphlets on diverse topics, including politics, religion, and psychology. From modern standpoint, his novels are clearly products of their time, but Defoe's influence in the development of the genre is irrefutable. I’ve only read two of Defoe’s novels, but they are probably his best-known works, and well worth reading.

April Wrap-Up and May Goals

April reads

April Wrap-Up

• Finished: 5
• Started/continued but not finished: 4
• Total pages read: 2,746
• Average rating: 3.2

April was a lackluster month, at least rating-wise. I finished five books in April, but only one of them was a novel. I read an ancient Greek retelling, Sarah Underwood’s Lies We Sing to the Sea (2/5 stars). I had high hopes for that book but unfortunately, it was a massive disappointment. You click the link and read more about why I didn’t like the book.