The month of June is already over, and so is my June TBR. Not to mention, now it truly feels like summer. So, I hope you will be able to go on some sort of holiday, albeit in your own country. Getting some time off to relax is always important.
And what better way to do so than with some good books? (smooth transition, right?)
To be honest, my reading efforts in June are falling a bit short. Why? Because I had 4 books on my June TBR pile, and I managed 2.5. I will say that the half one is HUGE. Like, a lot of pages. So, I kinda forgive myself for that.
Anyway, I think now it’s time for me to shut up and tell you what I read off my June TBR pile, my thoughts on the books, and if it’s something you’d enjoy.
Planet Adyn (Theonite #1) – M. L. Wang
Genre: YA Fantasy/Sci-fi
Pages: 298 pages
Publisher: Self-published
One of my reads was this lovely sci-fi fantasy from M. L. Wang. I read it for the June Challenge (Debut Novels). It’s a light read and an enjoyable one. It’s more of a set up as to what’s to come in the next book, though. So be aware that if you start reading this, there will be no nicely wrapped conclusion. However, to have all your questions answered (and I do mean all of them), you will have to read the next book as well. It’s great for YA readers (or adults who like YA books; I know I do), and if you love stories that feature someone with strange powers and a friendly alien family visiting earth.
Definitely worth 4 stars. ****
If you want to read my full review of the book: check it out here.
Buy the book on Amazon | Check on GoodReads
Dance of Despair (Ilvannian Chronicles #2) – Kara S. Weaver
Genre: Epic Action-Fantasy
Pages: 500 pages
Publisher: Self-published
I loved this SO MUCH! I was already a fan after Crown of Conspiracy, but Kara upped it a notch with DoD! It has everything my heart could want: action-filled sequences, high life-death stakes, despair (hence the title), betrayal, and romance. Not to mention the ending was like a sucker-punch in the gut.
It might be weird, but I think every book should give me that feeling in the end. Or should at least give me some feeling. I want to feel that I care about what happens to the characters. And I sure did. It was also fun to get both Shal’s and Tal’s perspective. There are still many loose ends, and the story is definitely not over yet. I can’t wait to see what Kara comes up with for the next book. I know I may still be waiting a while, but once it’s out, I’ll be sure to get a copy of the book!
So should you read this? YES! If you love fantasy, with good action, a kick-ass female character, and romance, you will want to read this book. It’s five stars for sure *****
Buy on Amazon | Check on GoodReads
The Sand Sea – Michael McClellan
Genre: Historical Epic fantasy
Pages: 792 pages
Publisher: Story Grid Publishing
So, I got the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review. Full honesty: I haven’t finished it yet. I’m a bit over half. I really want to like this book, but I’m struggling with it. On the one hand, there’s much about it to love: there’s gone much thought into the creation of the world, the alternate history, and the story itself.
But on the other hand, I’m having issues with the characters, who I don’t really care about. It might be because a lot of them are introduced, so I can’t really attach to any one of them. Some of them also seem quite passive; just going with the motions. The character I like most so far is Selena, whose story-line is also the most interesting. The story follows mostly two story-lines and a bunch of different characters. I must say I was a bit annoyed when over 25% in, I would still be introduced to a new character’s POV. There are some really good action sequences though, and they are some of the best I’ve read.
Unfortunately, these are alternated with some of the most boring scenes I’ve ever read. It has mostly to do with the writing style: there are just SO MANY character descriptions! Who cares what person A and B are wearing, what their height and physique are, if we’re never going to see them again after this scene? And I’m not that interested in a whole explanation of different types of guns in the middle of an action scene unless I need that info to understand what happens in the scene (spoiler: I didn’t). To sum up, it feels a lot of the information is there, just to showcase how much the writer has thought about it.
So, would I recommend it? Well, there are people who seem to love it, and it does have some really good scenes as well. It depends on your taste. For instance, if you read a book mostly for the completeness of the world, wanting to know every detail of the clothing, politics, environment, etc., you will love this book. For me, it will depend on the rest of the book, but so far it’s not looking great.
Buy it on Amazon | Check on GoodReads
Wrap-up
And that’s all from my June TBR. As you can see, they’re all quite different. And all-in-all it was a good month, with some good reading. July will see me finish the Sand Sea (I hope), and I will read ‘The Girl and the Stars’, ‘Red Rising’, ‘All Rivers run to salt’, and ‘Vi’Goshi’. Let’s see if I can finish them all! Stay tuned!
