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We’re back again with another month of reading, this time with five books that are fairly across the board. Boy am I glad March is over. This was probably (hopefully) the busiest month I’ll have all year.
I did manage to get some good books in and I’m fairly satisfied with that. So, join me in my caffeine-filled blog post of all the books I have read this March.
The First Sister, Linden A. Lewis
Isn’t that what growing up means, learning to be disappointed by your parents? You’ve said it is accepting them as human, but that’s the same damn thing, Lito. Seeing your parents as humans instead of the perfect, loving caretakers of your childhood is accepting disappointment and learning to live with it. Childhood is a lie. The end.
Linden A. Lewis
Goodreads Synopsis
“First Sister has no name and no voice. As a priestess of the Sisterhood, she travels the stars alongside the soldiers of Earth and Mars—the same ones who own the rights to her body and soul. When her former captain abandons her, First Sister’s hopes for freedom are dashed when she is forced to stay on her ship with no friends, no power, and a new captain—Saito Ren—whom she knows nothing about. She is commanded to spy on Captain Ren by the Sisterhood, but soon discovers that working for the war effort is so much harder to do when you’re falling in love.
Lito val Lucius climbed his way out of the slums to become an elite soldier of Venus, but was defeated in combat by none other than Saito Ren, resulting in the disappearance of his partner, Hiro. When Lito learns that Hiro is both alive and a traitor to the cause, he now has a shot at redemption: track down and kill his former partner. But when he discovers recordings that Hiro secretly made, Lito’s own allegiances are put to the test. Ultimately, he must decide between following orders and following his heart.”
Genre
Science Fiction/Fantasy, Sapphic
My Rating
My Thoughts
A sapphic science fiction/fantasy novel that I had been meaning to read for a bit. In fact, I had been meaning to purchase it for a while. I came across a gift card and decided that it was a sign. I bought a few books and here we are.
Look, I did like it. It disturbed me in some ways that really got my attention. It also felt like it was a believable future for humankind. All that was fine and checked the boxes for me. Not to mention that there were a few big reveals that left me very surprised, and I absolutely love to be surprised. This doesn’t happen often, because like I probably mentioned before (I don’t remember if I did mention it but let’s pretend), I have pretty good pattern recognition skills. So when a book catches me off guard, I respect it and the author so much more.
You have action, diverse characters, a messed up government on both sides of this war (surprised?), and a strong story of friendship. The one thing that was lacking was the sapphic side of this story. I know it’s not all about romance, but I feel like I missed half of the sapphic side of the story. The characters had gone from a point where they weren’t really connecting and it was all awkward, then suddenly you’re getting all these confessions of love. Where did that even come from? I went back to skim through chapters because I genuinely thought I had missed part of their story where they actually fell in love.
Overall, this was a good read. Would I recommend it? Sure! As long as you’re not explicitly looking for romance as I often am. But it was interesting and I went through it pretty quickly.
The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea, Maggie Tokuda-Hall
Yes, she was an orphan, a sister, a pirate, a girl, and also a boy. But more importantly, she was a person who sought power to protect those she loved. Including herself. Or himself. Both were equally true to her. Neither told the whole story.
Maggie Tokuda-Hall
Goodreads Synopsis
“A desperate orphan turned pirate and a rebellious imperial daughter find a connection on the high seas in a world divided by colonialism and threaded with magic.
Aboard the pirate ship Dove, Flora the girl takes on the identity of Florian the man to earn the respect and protection of the crew. For Flora, former starving urchin, the brutal life of a pirate is about survival: don’t trust, don’t stick out, and don’t feel. But on this voyage, as the pirates prepare to sell their unsuspecting passengers into slavery, Flora is drawn to the Lady Evelyn Hasegawa, who is en route to a dreaded arranged marriage with her own casket in tow. Flora doesn’t expect to be taken under Evelyn’s wing, and Evelyn doesn’t expect to find such a deep bond with the pirate Florian.
Soon the unlikely pair set in motion a wild escape that will free a captured mermaid (coveted for her blood, which causes men to have visions and lose memories) and involve the mysterious Pirate Supreme, an opportunistic witch, and the all-encompassing Sea itself.”
Genre
YA Fantasy, Queer/Sapphic
My Rating
When I got this book, I was looking for a sapphic mermaid story. My girlfriend has been wanting to read one, so I’ve taken it upon myself to go searching. And my searching led me here.
Without spoiling anything, because I know she’ll probably be reading this at some point, it wasn’t exactly as I expected it to be. While you did get that mermaid aspect, you also got much more. A pirate, an aristocrat, sea battles, some mangy witch you can’t really figure out if you like or not, and more.
This did have the romance I was looking for. It’s a young adult novel and the romance was sweet, saving each other over and over. I truly am a sucker for that trope, so I got what I was looking for there.
You’ve got the complexity of families, but you also witness and hear about a lot of the trauma the characters go through, and have gone through. Some of it is uncomfortable, and you just get hints of it, but you know what it means. But it was important to me that we see this in literature, especially the aftermath, in particular, the aftermath of it years down the road. Everyone copes in different ways, and you see that here.
I saw a lot of myself in this book. In the main character, yes, but also in the other characters. I was able to relate to a lot of their struggles, their traumas, and also their wins.
Would I recommend this book? Yes! It’s an interesting story and I found myself really enjoying it.
The Red Pyramid, Rick Riordan
I just love family meetings. Very cozy, with the Christmas garlands round the fireplace and a nice pot of tea and a detective from Scotland Yard ready to arrest you.
Rick Riordan
Goodreads Synopsis
“Since his mother’s death six years ago, Carter Kane has been living out of a suitcase, traveling the globe with his father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane. But while Carter’s been homeschooled, his younger sister, Sadie, has been living with their grandparents in London. Sadie has just what Carter wants—school friends and a chance at a “normal” life. But Carter has just what Sadie longs for—time with their father. After six years of living apart, the siblings have almost nothing in common. Until now.
On Christmas Eve, Sadie and Carter are reunited when their father brings them to the British Museum, with a promise that he’s going to “make things right.” But all does not go according to plan: Carter and Sadie watch as Julius summons a mysterious figure, who quickly banishes their father and causes a fiery explosion.
Soon Carter and Sadie discover that the gods of Ancient Egypt are waking, and the worst of them—Set—has a frightening scheme. To save their father, they must embark on a dangerous journey—a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family and its links to the House of Life, a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.”
Genre
YA Fantasy, Mythology
My Rating
My Thoughts
Another Rick Riordan book? No way! Yes way, friends. You think I’d stop with just the Greek mythology? Or perhaps Norse? Come on. It was past time that I got my feet into the Nile.
I think Riordan is a great young adult writer. He produces great stories and characters that you can really root for, but they’re not always right, and they’re not always going to come out on top. It feels good to read his work, so I obviously got into The Kane Chronicles starting with book one, of course.
Here we have two siblings in an incredibly complicated family dynamic, which I always happen to find myself reading. I love those books. Anyway. So these two siblings find themselves entangled with Egyptian gods and goddesses, fighting some immortal power that has got them on the run. It was entertaining, light, and made for a great book to listen to at night as I fell asleep.
The one thing that made this not as enjoyable is mainly my fault. I really have the most basic knowledge about ancient Egypt. Nearly zero clue what went on, who these gods are, and so on. All I remember about ancient Egypt was from sixth grade when we mummified a chicken, and I remember being weirded out that their deities were a hybrid of an animal and a human. I feel like if I knew at least who some of the gods were, and some of the vocab that was unfamiliar to me, I would’ve probably enjoyed it more.
When all is said and done, I think I’d still recommend it. Probably not to anyone my age (unless they’re a fan of ancient Egypt), but I’d recommend it all the same.
Switchboard Soldiers, Jennifer Chiaverini
It helps to remember that the one who loses their temper has relinquished control of a situation. The one who remains calm controls the outcome.
Jennifer Chiaverini
Goodreads Synopsis
“In June 1917, General John Pershing arrived in France to establish American forces in Europe. He immediately found himself unable to communicate with troops in the field. Pershing needed telephone operators who could swiftly and accurately connect multiple calls, speak fluent French and English, remain steady under fire, and be utterly discreet, since the calls often conveyed classified information.
At the time, nearly all well-trained American telephone operators were women—but women were not permitted to enlist, or even to vote in most states. Nevertheless, the U.S. Army Signal Corps promptly began recruiting them.
More than 7,600 women responded, including Grace Banker of New Jersey, a switchboard instructor with AT&T and an alumna of Barnard College; Marie Miossec, a Frenchwoman and aspiring opera singer; and Valerie DeSmedt, a twenty-year-old Pacific Telephone operator from Los Angeles, determined to strike a blow for her native Belgium.
They were among the first women sworn into the U.S. Army under the Articles of War. The male soldiers they had replaced had needed one minute to connect each call. The switchboard soldiers could do it in ten seconds.
Deployed throughout France, including near the front lines, the operators endured hardships and risked death or injury from gunfire, bombardments, and the Spanish Flu. Not all of them would survive.
The women of the U.S. Army Signal Corps served with honor and played an essential role in achieving the Allied victory. Their story has never been the focus of a novel…until now.”
Genre
Historical Fiction
My Rating
My Thoughts
I’ve always had an interest in women’s history, particularly when it comes to wartime history. Women have done a lot more in history than we’re given credit for, so it is always nice to learn. I enjoyed learning about the war efforts of women in the United States on the switchboards. It was a piece of history I was unfamiliar with, so I love that I was able to learn about it.
This novel was fairly paced, and had enough in it to keep me interested. It is historical fiction, so while it is pretty true to fact, there is always some dramatizing going on just for the story itself to unfold.
While the book was interesting, it wasn’t incredibly memorable for me. I’ve read a few different books about women’s wartime history, and while this is a good read, it is not my favorite one.
Would I still recommend it? Sure. Especially if you enjoy history, in particular, women’s history.
The Faithless, C.L. Clark
I think it might be her, Aranen. I may be the world’s biggest idiot, but I think I want her. And for the first time, it won’t hurt anybody else.
C. L. Clark
Goodreads Synopsis
“In the second installment of C.L. Clark’s Magic of the Lost trilogy, soldier Touraine and princess Luca must return to Balladaire to reclaim Luca’s throne and to face the consequences of dismantling an empire.
The rebels have won, and the empire is withdrawing from Qazal. But undoing the tangled web that binds the two nations won’t be easy, and Touraine and Luca will face their greatest challenge yet.
Luca needs to oust her uncle from the Balladairan throne once and for all and take her rightful place as Queen. But he won’t let go of power so easily. When he calls for a “Trial of Competence” and Luca’s allies start disappearing from her side, she will have to prove her might. And she knows someone who can help…
Touraine has found a home in the newly free country of Qazal. However, she soon realizes that leading a country and leading a revolution are two very different tasks. And, even more importantly, if Luca won’t keep her promises, the Qazali could end up right back where they started.
Together, the two women must overcome their enemies, their history, and their heartbreak in order to secure Luca’s power and Touraine’s freedom.”
Genre
Sapphic Fantasy
My Rating
My Thoughts
This is the second book in Clark’s Magic of the Lost trilogy. I read the first book, The Unbroken, sometime last year. I really don’t remember when, I just know it has been a while. At last, I bought the second book and finished it fairly quickly.
We’re back with the star-crossed lovers, in a fantasy world that resembles the Middle East and Europe, in my opinion. Colonization is a huge part of this story and you see the constant struggle in each book. It is also a critique on racism and the complexity of living in a space that isn’t meant for you, but was forced upon you. Homophobia isn’t huge deal here, which I can always appreciate in the books I read. I get enough of it in real life, it doesn’t need to follow me into my escape.
I continue to read this series because I enjoy the characters, I enjoy the complexity of the romances, the complexity of family, and the difficulties of existing in spaces that aren’t really yours. Obviously, I have a different perspective and experience than the characters in the novel, but there are always aspects of every book that can be applicable to your own life.
All the female characters in this novel are incredibly strong and you’re rooting for them. Powerful, influential women who move people by actions or words.
The one critique I have is aimed slightly at the romance. I feel like it wasn’t as smooth as I wanted it to be, in terms of pacing. We jumped around a lot and there was too much of the will-they-won’t-they, but hey, that’s just my opinion. Someone else might really like that stuff. I do to a certain degree. After that, it just gets a little repetitive.
Would I recommend this? Yes! I definitely would. But obviously start with the first book. I think if you enjoy fantasy, you can enjoy a lot about this novel.
From Rivne to the River Neretva 
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