Book Review: A River From the Sky | Ai Jiang

A River from the Sky by Ai Jiang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A River from the Sky picks up right after A Palace Near the Wind. Liu Lufeng is escaping the Palace near Feng with her younger siblings Chuiliu and Changqing, along with Geyser, also known as Exile Song. They are to meet Sangshu in Gear, but an encounter with the rebels disrupts all their plans.

This second novella of the Natural Engines duology is told in two POVs: Lufeng and Sangshu. On one hand, this gives us a deeper perspective of all the things that Lufeng has been completely unaware of. On the other, it makes for another confusing ride - we're not just grappling with the present, we're also having to come to terms with everything Sangshu has gone through in the years since she left Feng.

Where Lufeng had been almost passive, only stirring at last to try to save her younger siblings, Sangshu's story is one of both great ambition and betrayal. Sangshu caught up in all that progress and science seems to offer, only to find that gaining what she wants means giving up other things just as precious to her. These are presented as hard choices in the struggle for survival, and it's just not progress versus tradition, old vs new.

It's progress, but at what cost? Who (not just what) are you willing to sacrifice to get richer and more powerful? And is it truly worth it? But, as with the world we live in, everyone is complicit in the system and breaking away completely may have a higher cost than maintaining the status quo, no matter how terrible the system is.

There's layer upon layer of deception slowly being laid bare, and it should be exhilarating to finally discover what drives this world. And yet... after the build up in A Palace Near the Wind, the reveal here wasn't half as devastating as I was led to believe it would be. I found myself going, "Oh, that's it?"

Still, it's a gripping tale of surrender and sacrifice, and the desire to make the world a better place, not only for yourselves but for everyone - including your perceived enemies. Ai Jiang points out the interconnectedness of Feng, Glace, Clay, Engine; Wind Walkers and Water Shifters, Cogs and Land Wanderers, Natural Titans. Just like our world, no one place or people truly stands on their own.

Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Titan Books via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Book Review: Strange Familiars | Keshe Chow

Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gwendolynne Chan really needs to make Dux to get that cushy ministry job and help save her family's struggling restaurant. Harrisford Briggs also really needs to make Dux, both because his father expects it, and to provide him an out from working at Magecorp after graduation. The two academic rivals hate the sight of each other... or do they? Either way, they need to work together to figure out the strange magical surges that's causing chaos and threatening their final year exams (and the rest of London).

Strange Familiars was a romp of a read. There's witty banter and snark, academic rivalry with close score-keeping, a grumpy talking cat (and other more exotic familiars), exploding magic, and lots of chemistry.

Chow does especially well in showcasing Gwen's troubles as a second-generation immigrant in the UK - being Manchester-born and raised, and yet expected to know everything about her Chinese ancestry, even rare mythological creatures like the qilin. Gwen deals with both subtle and not-so-subtle racism, plus the problems of being poor and trying to scrape by. She has tremendous drive (and pride), which plays off perfectly against Harrisford's ego.

But whilst Harrisford is rich and proud, he's also rather socially aware, or woke if you want to put it that way. Since Chow also writes in his POV, you get to know the real Harrisford behind the mask that he puts up for the public, getting both the insecurities and blindspots that plague him. And you can't help but like him because he's actually rather earnest and nice. And also rather vulnerable.

At any rate, the TENSION. (Also, reader note: this is firmly very New Adult, so there is on-page sex.)

Before you think this is just a romance, there ARE a lot of things going on in the background - magical surges, political intrigue, government coverups, and exploitation, all in the name of keeping the magic (and the money) flowing. Both mystery and romance have their parts to play and they feel perfectly balanced in drawing me further and further into the story.

I kinda missed this was a duology when I picked it up, so when I got to the end I was like no, nooo why? Oh, there's book 2. So. Now I gotta wait for book 2 *sobs*

Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Ace via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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