Chimera Speaks

Here's the June Roundup of books which I forgot to post earlier due to a busy semester:

- Among Others by Jo Walton

When I was a teenager, I pretty much grabbed any SFF tome that was available in the library so Morwenna's love for science fiction and fantasy novels made me smile. The magical rules Morwenna follows in her daily life builds a grey world between magic realism and fantasy. This blurred boundary contributed to a powerful ending. Recommended for any lover of SFF.Recommended for any lover of SFF.

- Merrow by Ananda Braxton Smith & Tantony by Ananda Braxton Smith

'What I needed is my own, my very own story. One that would lie like a reptile over the hot rock of my heart and tell others to go away.'

I'm a new fan of Ananda Braxton Smith's writing. I wrote a short review of the first book Merrow which I'll post later but Merrow and Tantony can also be read separately as stand-alone books.

- Brown Skin Blue by Belinda Jeffrey

“I’m like a river without a name. Flowing through life because that’s what I do without knowing where I’ve come from and where I’m going. There’s beasts that have made a good home in me, too.”

I love Jeffrey’s writing. Darwin as the setting was vividly combined with Barry’s intense voice as the protagonist. Barry struggled with the disconnection between how others see him and how he perceives himself in relation to his mixed Aboriginal identity. This book also re-affirmed my fear of crocodiles. Prehistoric predators indeed.

- Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen

I thought the plot development was moving too fast in the first quarter of the book but the plot clicked for me as I read on. I was hooked by the magic and the politics of this trapped world of trolls. The character's flawed personalities made me laugh.There's a dash of potential romance (and youthful attraction) but the political struggles, magical system and linked identity issues weave into the main crux of the story. I'm looking forward to the sequel. Recommended for readers of YA fantasy books like Throne of Glass by SJ Maas or an interesting original YA series like The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer.

On a random note, I thought that the heroine was POC based on the cover model so I was mildly disappointed when I realised she wasn't but I recommend the novel.