I thought instead of posting about each individually, I’d do a general post about the books I read and loved in April!
The first one is A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab. I don’t know how, but I hadn’t even heard of it until I saw promo relating to the release of the last book in the trilogy – and I am SO GLAD that I did! Set in 1819, it follows the story of Kell, one of the last of the dying race of Antari – magicians who can travel between realms. He is the ambassador of Red London, a city where magic and decadence abound. He travels to Grey London (the London we know) and White London, a starved world with wonderfully psychotic rulers. Then there’s Black London… but nobody really talks about that *shifty eyes*. There is unusual magic, moral complexities, and beautiful and fascinating worldbuilding, along with bad-ass lady pirates, flirtatious princes, and sadistic villains. If that’s not enough to convince you to read it, then you and I have very different tastes in books!
I also listened to Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson which I enjoyed, but didn’t love in the way I loved ADSOM. Kiss of Deception follows the story of Lia, a princess who is about to be forced into an arranged marriage. But at the last minute she decides to run away, and live out life as a barmaid in the far-flung seaside town of Taravyn (I may have spelled that wrong… that’s the problem with audiobooks!). Unbeknownst to her, the prince she was supposed to marry and an assassin hoping to spark war are both on her trail. Like I said, I overall enjoyed it, but there were definitely slow bits. If I’d been reading it, rather than listening to it, I would have skimmed it. I did love the twists at the end, as I really didn’t see them coming though – and that pushed this book from 3 to 4 stars for me. I’d recommend you read it for that alone, as the way Pearson weaves the narrative together is quite unusual – using multiple POVs, and messing with your expectations (which I loved!).
And my most recent read is Caraval by Stephanie Garber. I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for a beautiful cover, and I’ve wanted to read Caraval since I first saw its cover on twitter. But seriously, just look at it. Take a second to bask in its beauty.
Done? Ok, on with the more sensible part of the review! I bought Caraval at the airport last week, and after a Twitter poll (because I’m terrible at making decisions), I decided to read it on the flight back. It’s about two sisters, Scarlett and Tella, who get swept up in the Caraval – an annual audience participation show, where nothing is what it seems and one winner will get a wish granted. It has a very carnivalesque, off-kilter feel to it, which made it really stand out to me.
Garber’s descriptions are also just ridiculously beautiful. I loved the slightly off-beat way she described magic, as it really drew me into this lush and magical world. As a writer, I’ll admit that I came away feeling completely inadequate (always a sign of a great book!). But not only was it beautiful, but I also loved the characters and there was plenty of action. Sometimes (but not always) books that are beautifully written lack in that way, but Caraval is not one of them. The mystery that wove its way through also kept me guessing right until the end, and I loved all the twists and turns.
I have such a long TBR… so I’m not sure what I’m going to be reading next! I’ve just started Truthwitch (which I’ve wanted to read for ages), and then I also just bought the sequel to ADSOM, A Conjuring of Light, so that’ll also jump to the top of the pile!