Book Review: The Rose and The Dagger by Renée Ahdieh

 

 As soon as I finished reading the previous book - "The Wrath and The Dawn" see my review here - I picked up reading this one, since the previous one ended on a cliffhanger and wanted to learn what was the conclusion of this epic story.

I was not disappointed at all!

This book is such a satisfactory conclusion to the story of Sharzhad and Khalid. I liked how cleverly the author used plot twists and turns, which were properly delivered. I enjoyed how certain elements from the classic tales we are familiar with were embedded on this story, but at the same time fresh storylines and places were included without making the plot feel crowded.

Our protagonists go through struggles and hardships, however their feelings remain strong for each other. Sharzhad valiantly faces several situations, and how she is challenged by her situation of being the Calipha (the Caliph's wife), since she had survived what others didn't. Her relationship with Khalid is more mature and less angsty, but not less emotional. They both face betrayals and many surprises, but the outcome of the story is positive.

As I was finishing this book, I felt this type of ending would have been what we should have had in several concluding sagas - wink Game of Thrones and Star Wars, especially shows what TROS could have been with proper storytelling - where there was pain and heartbreak but at the end of the day there is hope and love above all.

I feel as if anything I say will come out short of describing the true wonders of this book, especially this duology of books that takes its inspiration from One Thousand and One Nights but somehow give the flavour of a brand new story with added elements that make it good enough to stand on its own.

I enjoyed how the character of Khalid was complex to understand his motivations and the reasons behind his actions - and even if he had to live with what he had done, he could move forward and enjoy his love with Sharzhad and their family. It makes one think of how personal flaws on a character can provide proper basis for understanding, and how at a certain point, it gives a understanding too of the actions taken by Reza and Sharzhad's father.

I cannot recommend enough this book - it's such a rollercoaster with fantastic elements and it is a great conclusion for this story!

 

 

Book Review: Upper East Bride by David L. Kirby

 

 

 This book was quite entertaining to read. I thought it would be more like a Sex and the City type but it reminded me some of Cinderella meets Devil Wears Prada with a twist of Desperate Housewives and The Undoing.

Many of us picture life in New York City as glamorous as it can be, and Megan's story makes a great job by adequately portraying life in the Great Apple to be anything but for many of its inhabitants. At the beginning, Megan is a middle-class Midwestern girl out of collage trying her luck in the city that never sleeps, however she meets a rich guy and there you have it, a modern Cinderella story with no glass shoe, living a dream fantasy life of an upper east bride (hence the title) and all the changes such role involves.

However, even when no glass shoe was left behind when the clock bell rang, Megan finds things might not be as rosy as she would have figured. No spoiling here, but in the middle of that process she finds herself involved in the typical gossip and swirl of vanities typical of the members of the New-Yorker upper class.

I enjoyed the tales and how even when life changes around Megan, she tries to keep her own personality afloat, even if at a certain extent she falls prey of the vain lifestyle she's now part of - and it is totally understandable. The author makes a great job keeping her interactions credible and organic, as a contrast with her counterparts and the people she's closest to. I also enjoyed how Kirby intertwined these fictional characters with actual celebrities and it felt quite realistic.

I mentioned The Undoing (the HBOMax series, not the book) here not because there's a sordid crime like in that series, more because I feel it shows how sometimes we think of people in the upper class as free from any issues known to mortals. Perhaps this is not a way to justify the excesses they commonly fall into, more like understanding this as part of their human condition. Regardless of one's opinion about wealth distribution, and how ridiculous some of the "struggles" of the rich might be, reading this book is a way to be curious, not judgmental, and our main character realizes that too. At the end, Megan realises that a golden cage, even if made of gold, nevertheless is a cage so she proceeds accordingly. Totally recommend reading this book to find out how she did it!

Upper East Bride was released on August 13th, 2021 both in physical and digital formats. Thank you NetGalley and David L. Kirby for the ARC!

Book Review: Live Like a Vulcan, Love Like a Wookiee, Laugh Like a Hobbit by Robb Pearlman

 

 

As someone who has attended several comic conventions during the last few years, I felt as if this book was a pretty good description of the environment one lives while attending one. Of course there are the panels, the celebrity photo-ops and autographs, the exhibitors stands to get your attention but the experience of meeting other fellow geek fans is truly important.

I enjoyed reading this book and how the author exceeded at portraying accurately how this experience is for most of us, but at the same time, using knowledge and the learning given by a plethora of pop culture properties we are familiar with. It felt truly organic having four different characters, a Vulcan, a Wookiee, a Hobbit and an Elder - or four different individuals dressed as - interacting with the author from a first-person narrative and providing their wisdom and knowledge.

When attending a con, it's common to act as the character you're dressed with. You're no longer John, an accountant from Kansas or Laura, a teacher from Illinois, you're embodied by your cosplay and that's a really nice experience. To have these four people engaging in such enriching conversation covering different topics with the author felt as if one as the reader was sitting aside them, listening to them.

And regardless the discourse that might exist in all types of fandom, I appreciated that the author acknowledge the different point of views from fans without focusing too much on it. Generally speaking, the perspective of this book is focusing on the positives rather than the negative side of the fandom. On how a person attending on its own can find themselves as part of a larger community and find kindred spirits to hang out with. And this book meets its purpose: on bringing a nice perspective on attending a con and enjoying the experience, not only the activities per se, but the people you get to meet when you go to one. 

Having this book released after a year and a half of pandemic is quite cathartic - I had tickets to attend Ace Comic Con in March 2020 in Boston and was so ready to go but pandemic happened, so it brings back memories of why is a really nice experience, attending a con. Even though con activity has restarted at a certain extent, it is not back yet to pre-pandemic levels - for reasons like delta variant -  but hopefully it will be a time when things might improve, so this book is quite helpful to remember and value that person-to-person con experience as something worth having. 

Live Like a Vulcan, Love Like a Wookiee, Laugh Like a Hobbit will be released on October 5th, 2021 both in physical and digital formats. Thank you NetGalley and Robb Pearlman for the ARC!

Book Review: The Wrath and The Dawn by Renée Ahdieh

 

I started reading this book by recommendation of my friend Arezou, who wrote a great piece about books inspired in "One Thousand and One Nights".

This one, dear reader, it is GOOD.

Just imagine mixing the premise of One Thousand and One Nights with power struggles á-la-Game of Thrones (but like the good bits, before Season 8) and throw a little bit of Reylo and Beauty and the Beast for good measure.

The result? This masterpiece.

Slow-burn at its finest.

For those who are unaware of what's Reylo, it's the name of the ship that includes Rey (just Rey, I refused to call her any surnames) and Kylo Ren/Ben Solo.

Even the name of Khalid's - the caliph of Khorasan - mother is Leila, which is how in Italy they call Princess Leia. And what's the name of the city where his palace is? Rey. I rest my case, Your Honour.

But enough of my Star Wars-related blabbing.

Imagine Robert's Rebellion featuring characters and stories from One Thousand and One Nights to portray the story of two star-crossed lovers, and how, as Dr. Pym from Ant-Man would say: "I believe everyone deserves a shot at redemption". What I enjoyed from the stories from One Thousand and One Nights were the lessons behind those stories, and I think the author made a fantastic job weaving those lessons into her storytelling.

If you think this will be a retelling of Shahrzad's tales, it won't be, though some of the stories are mentioned for good measure as part of the plot. The writing is fairly middle-school/YA book so it isn't complicated to read, and all the characters feel organic, and I enjoyed how the author drew inspiration from real places, using actual words for clothing and food, paying a respectful homage to the Middle Eastern and South Asian culture.

The book ends on a cliffhanger - a perfect bridge into a follow-up book, "The Rose and The Dagger" that I couldn't help but start reading immediately.

Definitely recommend reading this book!

 

Book Review: Over The Hedge by Paulette Mahurin

 

 

As it is widely known, WWII was a period of time where humanity went through darkness and evil, however, there was light to fend off the darkness at a certain extent, from the hands of those who refused to witness evil without doing something to help.

As I mentioned on another review, I applaud sincerely the intent of bringing this kind of stories into public awareness, especially during these trying times when we are still going through a pandemic, when there are a lot of social causes we might need to do something to help others. Works like this one are a good source of inspiration on how when there is a will, there might be a way, and we can be resourceful in times of need.

Over the Hedge is the story 0f members of the Dutch Resistance who helped saving hundreds of Jewish children from a terrible fate. I truly enjoyed reading from their perspective, from the point of view of real characters who were helpful and in times of sacrifice, they made their contribution.

I loved how the author presented a perspective for each of the characters who at the end of the day were humans, who were facing the new reality they were dealt with, and how their personality is shown and the portrayal of each of them was nuanced, showing their humanity and the normal type of questioning, doubts they might have faced. I commend this book for telling the story of two Jews literally working for the Nazis, which could have been a sign of treachery during their time but it was powerful to see their own reckoning about having to endure so much pain and evil in order to help as much as they can. Also the story of Johan, a non-Jew coordinating the safe transport of little Jewish children smuggled to be saved from the Nazi is truly commendable. A Righteous Among The Nations, someone who risked his life saving others. Mr. van Hulst is a true inspiration for how one person can make a difference, even in the darkest of times.

Something I enjoyed too was the portrayal of some of the German military members who interacted with our main characters. I liked how Mahurin explored their backgrounds and it is interesting to think the motivations that caused a lot of people to support Hitler's genocidal quest. The way the author present that information is in no way to justify their actions or look for sympathy; I can see the usefulness behind, to understand how economic downturn and geopolitical mishaps can be used for some people for their own agenda's gain - and how, unfortunately, history can repeat itself if we as a society are not careful.

As a postnote, the author adds this quote by Simon Wiesenthal: "For evil to flourish, it only requires good men to do nothing." And I insist, stories like this can be inspirational to assess our own reality and see what can we do to help others, not to fall into inaction. Totally recommend reading this inspiring story of courage under evil, of kindness under loss.

Over The Hedge was released on July 31st, 2021 both in physical and digital formats. Thank you NetGalley and Paulette Mahurin for the ARC! 

Book Review: Hope is a Verb: Six steps to radical optimism when the world seems broken by Emily Ehlers

 

Isn't it common in our daily lives, as we read the news headlines and hear the state of the world and most of the times we feel like we want to make an impact but most of the times we aren't sure where to start? Especially in these pandemic times with all the social and environmental issues we'd love to help in some way.

As Bernice King said in a tweet, "Hope is not naiveté. Hope is being honest about where we are, yet believing there's better AND participating in the work for better. It involves disciplining our minds with strategy for good and our hearts with faith in the future."

Hope is a verb by Emily Ehlers is a fantastic cathalist to change by defining six steps on how to spring into action. That's the meaning behind the title, as if hope is not a passive word, but as active like a verb that can lead us to become an agent of change. Ehlers does that by presenting the content of this book with fantastic illustrations that include pieces of knowledge and information valuable for everyone who wants to be part of a change. This book is a practical guide on how to stay hopeful and helpful when the world seems to be broken (Ehlers call it "radical optimism").

The book is kicked off by mentioning her personal example of being involved in different causes and how there might be a burnout involved by being unable of doing it all. I enjoyed how the author is empathic in the content, as the illustration encompass perfectly the bits of wisdom and guidance added on each one of the steps.

As a Sustainability professional, I loved to see the definition of sustainability with a great illustration of the world in a three-legged stool, where each of the legs represents one of the three pillars of society: economy, environment and social equity. I loved how Ehlers represented us individuals having three pillars that need to be taken care of: mind, body and soul. Also, the bit where she highlights the importance of storytelling and the power of stories was truly endearing, since this bit works reinforcing the idea that when we create new stories and open the door to new possibilities and potentially better endings. This perspective is truly empowering as a reader (here's the illustration I just mentioned):

The format is user-friendly, so this book works like a good source of help when needed. I think it has a lot of inspirational content that is sorely needed nowadays, both the content and the coloring gives you a good boost of inspiration to focus on any quests one might have, as well as providing ideas for any endeavours that could be pursued. Definitely recommend it!

Hope is a verb was released on September 14th, 2021 both in physical and digital formats. Thank you NetGalley and Emily Ehlers for the ARC!

#FBF Book Review: Bloodline by Claudia Gray

 For today's #FlashbackFriday post, here's a review I posted on another blog a while ago (back in 2016). It is interesting to read my thoughts and perspective regarding this book and the role I thought it might play in a larger scale for the sequel trilogy. This was, of course, before the masterpiece called The Last Jedi and oh well, the ending chapter of the saga that I'm not really sympathetic about.

Please join me reading the unfiltered comments of my 2016-self regarding this book!

My immediate reaction after reading this book (Spoilers are coming):

OMG. Finally finished reading this book. And if my own personality was not as similar as Leia's I would be crying my heart out right now.

I have no words. Perhaps it was more my prior admiration for Leia that compelled me to read the book as soon as I could, turning page by page with the hope of finding out what happened 6 years before the events of The Force Awakens on a galaxy far, far away.

But Claudia Gray does a great job developing Leia Organa's character. She is the same feisty, duty-bound Princess we met back at the Tantive IV in A New Hope. I could write two pages worth of the events we do know about her, but the point is that she portrays her same as stoic, but with her own flaws as a human being. And one of those flaws is the way she handles the fact of being Vader's daughter. When The Force Awakens came out, I was already wondering that she might have not come to terms with her inheritance the same way as the old Expanded Universe (now called Legends) books had portrayed - see Truce at Bakura, Tatooine Ghost and the original Thrawn Trilogy - which it is interesting per se since we could take this as a proof of what Yoda said: "Difficult to see. Always in motion is the future.". Had she publicly acknowledge this in the early stages of the New Republic would have changed the outcome? Being a Game of Thrones fan, it reminded me of the following quote by Tyrion Lannister:

"Never forget what you are. The rest of the world will not. Wear it like an armor, and it can never be used to hurt you."

I held my tears in most of the chapters, recognizing passages from the new canon - like the Vader Down comics reference to Vrogas Vas - or the sole mention of Padmé being an inspiration for her daughter, made me feel a big lump in my throat. But the keepsake box was too much for me to handle - I could hear the soft voice of Jimmi Smits as Bail Organa in my head, talking to his adopted daughter, with a background music piece being a mix of "Across The Stars" and "Princess Leia's Theme", while snippets from Episodes II and III would show as a background for the revelation being given, and I could not hold the tears anymore. Especially since a lot of SW fans that hate the prequels consider Padmé a weak character, which she might end up being portrayed as by the end of the trilogy, but not during the first two episodes - as a courageous child Queen and a impulsive yet brave Senator.

I agree that Lost Stars - the Star Wars canon book written by the same author - might provide us with an enhanced perspective since we are getting to know characters that are not familiar to us, on a timeframe of events we already know, but that we end up liking them. In this case we know Leia, surrounded by our favourite scoundrel - I'll be talking about that relationship in a minute - and mostly new characters, some of them recently acquainted in The Force Awakens. It helped a lot following Claudia Gray's Pinterest to get her mental casting for most of the characters we don't know previously from Episode VII, but I found myself really engaged after reading about them. Maybe the one I ended up most infatuated with was (oh surprise) the Centrist Senator Ransolm Casterfo. Here Gray does one of the things I found more endearing from Lost Stars: she portrays her characters as sentient beings, whose political allegiance should not be used as a base for prejudice. At first I thought Casterfo was just any random Empire-worshipping fanboy, but getting to know him could help me understand why he was like the way he was and why he did what he did. But Gray proves a point: not because you are a Centrist that means you are despicable. (Well, I cannot talk about the new character Carise Sindian. I utterly despise her.)

Another thing of the book I loved was the mention of the Jabba the Hut incident from Return of the Jedi. I'm definitely getting a shirt with the image "Huttslayer" on it.

(Note from 2021-self: I did!)

I liked newcomers Greer and Joph a lot. Having not seen them included in The Force Awakens as part of the Resistance led by Leia could mean a lot of things, but part of me thinks their history might have taken a tragic turn, due to her condition. Could they make a spin-off story for them??? Just wondering. Anyhow, I liked Leia interacting with them, when watching the races and sipping on jet juice - lol, with this and the Sabacc game I can tell a certain Corellian scoundrel has been an influence for the Alderaanian princess lol.

And well... talking about that one, Han Solo. For some of us, the simple fact of having them apart, in love but apart by the time Bloodline takes place might sound not like the best thing we might have foreseen for these two, but we have to face it: they are maybe two of the Galaxy's most difficult, stubborn people. Her nature was to be a politician and to serve; his was flying. Both had really strong personalities - we knew it from the time they met at the detention block shootout. It reminded me of a quote by Mexican painter Frida Kahlo about her husband, Mexican painter Diego Rivera: "Perhaps you might expect to hear from me tales of suffering about my life with a man like Diego. But I do not think the margins of a river suffer for letting it flow." (Small license: Kahlo might have been talking about his extra-marital affairs, but in this case we can use it for the two strong-headed characters of Han and Leia lol).

I would have wanted to hear more about Luke and Ben. Their absences and the way Luke is described make it sound like Luke followed the Jedi way to the extreme: not to mess with the New Republic business, and living a life apart with his Jedi Academy. In some way, after the exhilaration of the Victory Celebration in Endor, makes me feel like Luke ended up living like what Gary Kurtz mentioned it was going to be originally the end of Return of the Jedi: Luke as a lone Jedi Knight, walking off into the sunset alone.

And I could not imagine what was coming to Tai-Lin. (Insert shocked and sad face here.) In some way, I'd love to find out later that Casterfo was not actually sentenced to death and that he might make it to later episodes - only if they cast Tom Hiddleston, pleaseeee! That was why seeing Tom Hiddleston and Carrie Fisher together at the White House Correspondants Dinner two weekends ago was really nice for the people like me waiting for the Bloodline release (and for Claudia Gray too, based on the mention she made on her Twitter account):

Anyway, I feel like I'm pouring my thoughts in a random way and that later I might have a greater picture of everything. However, I confirm what I have said previously: Leia is the strongest and most tragic character of the entire saga. And by the effect of his inheritance, both this post-"Return of the Jedi" material and the Sequel Trilogy are still the extended Tragedy of Anakin Skywalker - just hope it's not because there is a reincarnation in the future! (I am talking to you, Reddit rumored plot leaks for Episode VIII!)

Back to 2021:

Oh well. I still think this book is really good. It is obviously way more poignant to think that a few months later, we lost Carrie Fisher. I got to give it to this book, that it started me to move me towards the Bendemption hype train and to be sympathetic to the idea of Leia's son being saved. And regardless of the missed connections with further entries to the saga *cough TROS cough* I think this is a good book. Totally recommend it.