Hey everyone! My reading has been going so good lately, mostly because of the amazing books that I keep coming across, so maybe I should just warn you beforehand that my July Wrap-Up is going to be loooong.
Anyway, today I'm doing my first post in a series called All The ARCs, where I will diligently talk about all the e-galleys that I get from NetGalley or anywhere else so you can have all you're New Releases in one place.
Speaking of which, don't forget to check out my previous post where I give you some handy tips n tricks to find out and keep track of all the upcoming releases you might be interested in.
But that's it for self-promo today, so without further ado, let's get into it!
Alright, here we go!
The Escapement by Lavie Tidhar
Release Date-
Publisher-
RATING- 🌟🌟🌟🌟
If you're a fan of bizarre fantasy world, absurdist stories or even magical realism, I think this book is perfect for you.
It follows the story of this man whose son is really sick and hospitalized and someone tells him to find the Ur-Shanabi, the Flower of Heartbeat, as that might be the only way to save his son.
We follow the same character in the two different world- one, the real world history of world called the Escapement.
So in the Escapement, the Flower of Heartbeat is a thing that does exist, and this man is traveling around the place looking for it. Along the way, he will meets a lot of people, a lot of very strange, very weird people; but it also alternates with glimpses of the real world.
The writing is very fluid, beautiful and fever dream-like, almost bordering on the edge of lucidity.
Although the individual chapters are very long, the book itself is pretty short only 13 to 14 chapters, I think. The story is very emotional very different and refreshing.
It shows the lengths a father would go to protect his son. I thought it was incredible and I highly recommend picking this one up.
The Boy With Fire by Aparna Verma
Release Date- 31st August
Publisher-
RATING- 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I'm sure it is no surprise the wonders of reading a great fantasy story can do to my mood. After seeing this book being loved by so many bloggers that I follow, I was delighted when I got approved for an ARC and immediately jumped into it even though I had 10 others waiting on the shelf. I have no regrets.
The book follows the story of this girl named Elena, the princess of a kingdom who is about to ascend the throne, but in order to do that she has to learn to hold fire as her magic, or she might never be able to be Queen.
Leo Ravence, Elena's father and the King, on the other hand is not ready to give up the kingdom yet. He is obsessed with finding and killing the Prophet, a prophecized hero who is supposedly not burnt by fire and can be danger to the throne of Ravence.
Then there is our other main character (also my favourite) Yassen Knight, who was the best Assassin of the notorious guild of assassins, the Arohassin.
But after a terrible accident, he is on the run from them, until he gets the chance to save himself by becoming the personal guard of Elena, the Ravence heir.
The story is very fast paced, full of explosive high-stakes action, (literally and figuratively) with shocking plot twists and a lot of backstabbing. I was honestly second guessing myself at every turn because I couldn't predict which character would turn out to be the traitor next.
The atmosphere is very intense and things go wrong at the speed of light. If that sounds like your cup of tea, or if you just merely trust my reading tastes, do not miss this book.
Out of Character by Annabeth Albert
Release Date-
Publisher-
RATING- 🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is a YA, LGBT romance that follows two boys, Milo and Jasper. Even though you might pick it up for romance, you can learn a lot from it. It discusses many things like the microaggressions against the queer community, bullying, forgiveness, and learning from your past mistakes. It is the story of a kid who once upon a time let someone bully his best friend and moved away when he came out, but a few years later he needs that friend's help after he makes a mistake. It's about giving people a second chance and becoming a better version of yourself while rectifying your past mistakes. Definitely give this debut a chance.