Book Review: Sons of Day and Night | Mariposa Aristeo

Sons of Day & Night by Mariposa Aristeo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I AM SO ANNOYED AT THIS BOOK and yet I couldn't put it down.

Waruu is a Son of Day, and his one goal is to take the place of the king in order to free his people from tyranny. King Daccias is a Son of Night, and he will go to his grave with the secret of where the Separator is, even if his entire Kingdom is decimated by the plague.

As a retelling of the Prince and the Pauper, Aristeo has created a fascinating premise for this magical world - the fact that everyone has an opposite twin. Her writing pulls you through the story even when you don't want it to - I finished it in basically one sitting even though I spent half the time being VERY, VERY ANNOYED at a lot of things. It's also written in alternating first person POV, which made Daccias' sections even more annoying because he obviously has Reasons for not wanting to release the Separator, but he refuses to tell anyone WHY. Not even the reader.

So you spend the whole book not knowing why, and agreeing with everyone else that Daccias is a stupid, annoying brat of a king. And then you find out why and realise that actually, he is still a stupid, annoying brat. It's one of those tropes that I hate (whatever it's called) because all the tension is built up on one person refusing to explain something which would resolve ALL THE PROBLEMS and he refuses to say anything despite everyone asking him to (and almost forcing him to) because nyeh nyeh nyeh he is the king and can do whatever he wants. His twin/opposite Waruu is also an annoying brat, but he is at least entertaining, and trying his best. Waruu is also pretty upfront about all his motives, which is maaaaaybe why I liked him a little better. (Side note: Maybe this is why YA is irking me more and more - I have no more patience for teenage shenanigans. I would have probably enjoyed it more if I read this as a teen myself.)

There's a bunch of backstory to the founding of this kingdom and the stark separation between Day and Night layered into the things/history Waruu discovers when he takes Daccia's place. I found this pretty fascinating, especially since you don't really know anything about the current day except that the Sons of Night are the elite ruling class and the Sons of Day are the poor commoners.

So anyway, the plot and execution could be stronger, and I spent a lot of time thinking all the characters in the book are slightly dumb (or are prone to making brainless decisions) but it's fast-paced enough to pull you along anyway despite your better inclinations.

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

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Book Review: Embers | Ronie Kendig

Embers by Ronie Kendig
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I am slightly unsure what I think about this. On one hand, it's a pretty classic coming-of-age quest/adventure, where the young prince has to fulfil a quest in order to regain his throne and restore the nation. On the other, the premise pretty much reeks of misogyny because the 19-year-old crown princess Kaelyria gives up her throne and her powers to force her younger brother Haegan on the journey... to find permanent healing for himself and to... I suppose take her place on the throne? Because it would be better for him? And prevent the bad guy from stealing her gift? IDK, that part is still kind of fuzzy even to the end of the book. If this were explained better and didn't feel like the entire opening set up was because the story needed the Chosen One to be male, I probably would have liked it more.

ANYWAY, disregarding that...

Embers was a fun read overall, despite being (obviously) the setup of bringing The Fellowship together for the rest of the series. This is a faith-based fantasy, so it hinges on prophecy and also the mysterious workings of the god of the world - which in this case involves Abiassa the Goddess who gifts the Fire King and the accelerants their fire powers - to defeat the enemy, who (again obviously) denies God and wants to conquer the nation.

There's manipulation and deception galore, secret politicking, and warring factions, as well as long-hidden secrets that finally come to light - so whilst the entire plot does hinge on quite a few well-worn tropes, it's still interesting and twisty enough to keep my attention. The companions are pretty cool themselves too, especially Thiel, the one female character who makes sure they kinda use their brains and don't all rely on all testosterone-fuelled impulses and adolescent male rage.

That said, one other thing that annoyed me was weird fact that King Zireli decided to hunt down his own son like a traitor despite all evidence and the word of Kaelyria herself that Haegan is the one being manipulated and is just trying to survive. Then he regrets it later, lmao. I suppose Kendig was trying to show that the king is hot-headed and judgemental, but he just came across as annoying and stupid.

You will enjoy Embers if you're looking for a faith-based fantasy YA with a main male protagonist and a moderately large supporting cast.

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

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Book Review: The Haunted Librarian | Auralee Wallace

The Haunted Librarian by Auralee Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amelia Bates has three rules when dealing with ghosts, which basically amounts to ignoring anything and everything about them. But the old library on Prince Edward Island, where she's finally fulfilling her life-long dream of being a librarian, is filled with ghosts. And not just any ghosts she can ignore, but ones who are actively trying to get her attention. And of course, the head librarian just has to be the most dreamy - yet unattainable - guy, doesn't he?

I don't normally go for ghost stories, but this one sounded like not so much horror but more rom-com, ala Caspian the Friendly Ghost. It does have its darker moments - Amelia has to figure out the three resident ghosts' pasts in order to help them move on, and not all of that is pretty. The story as a whole, however, is light-hearted and cosy. Amelia has to confront her fears and her awkwardness, the ghosts have to face their pasts, and somewhere along the lines, they actually become friends.

Whilst love is a major theme - and weaves itself through the book- the actual romance side of it is super slow burn and no spice. I think this is partly because Amelia spends most of the book going "BUT HE DOESN'T LIKE ME" in the face of all the evidence. The main theme is self-acceptance with a huge dose of found family - not just for Amelia, but for all of them.

I brought this along with me during a weekend trip to Bangkok, and I have to say that The Haunted Librarian is a perfect light read over vacation. It's funny and light hearted, and though there are ghosts and malevolent happenings, there's nothing too dark to scare you while you're in unfamiliar places.

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

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The Haunted Librarian releases on Oct 6! Get it here (affiliate link).