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Jordan

@jemofabook

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✨Educator | 🇺🇸
📚96
📖 The Wretched Divine
✨Sci-fi and Fantasy Books
🛑 Not accepting author requests for review at this time

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ave you read anything recently that fits the season?

Currently I’m almost finished with Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. It’s a gritty, multi POV novel following Atl, an Aztec species of vampire, on the run and attempting to escape from the European vampire colonizers who are taking over the drug trade in her area. She ends up in Mexico City where the human gangs have successfully driven out vampires and she is attempting to make her way south and avoid capture and death from multiple different groups. I’ve been enjoying this one pretty well! It has great ambiance and has been moving at a good pace. I don’t know that I love many of the characters but Domingo, the human she enlists to help her is extremely endearing!

I also just started Witch Queen Rising by Savannah Stephens and am about 1/4 into it. We follow Phine, a witch who cut ties from her powerful New Orleans family and ran to make a life for herself. However when she is pulled back against her will by the death of the Prime witch, she suddenly finds herself leading all the witchkin who despised her for her siphoning abilities and thrust into a world of politicking with the other supernatural factions of the city. Lots of messy and traumatic family dynamics and CW-esque vibes so far to start!

It only recently started feeling like fall by me, so I apparently have to fit in all the rest of my spooky season books in the next week! Wish me luck!

#certaindarkthings #witchqueenrising #spookyseasonreads #fantasybookstagram by @jemofabook

Any fun weekend plans?

I’m hanging with a friend today to play board games and catch up! But first I’m starting my day out with a nice slow morning, drinking my tea, and reading An Uncertain Magic by AM Kvita.

This is the sequel to An Unlikely Coven which was one of my favorite books of last year! It’s been such a treat to be back with one of the most chaotic,but delightful, found families I’ve read in a long time as they attempt to thwart a magical apocalypse!

These are perfect diverse reads for witchy season (queer BIPOC author and characters) and I think they deserve so much more love from the community! The first book has less than 1000 ratings on Goodreads so if you’re looking for something with sapphic witches, messy family dynamics, a beautiful found family, just delightful characters and dialogue, strange cities, restless gods, and potential world ending conflict, I think you should give this series a go! by @jemofabook

Read or watched anything good recently?

I just finished up a reread of The Faithless by CL Clark earlier today, and I love this series! Touraine and Luca are some of my favorite characters and I absolutely love all the politics. The Unbroken is one of those rare books that I was 100% invested in within the first few pages. I can’t wait to finish this series finally.

My current audioboook is Bodies of Magic by Freya Marske, which follows a group of healers attempting to pass their Grand Exam but simultaneously attempting to solve the murder of their classmate. It fits the early fall vibes very well, and I’m absolutely loving my time with it!

I’m also currently watching Pride and Prejudice and Zombies at the moment and it is just as silly and delightful as I remember it being. Matt Smith as Mr. Collins is just perfection

Have an absolutely wonderful weekend ❤️

#magicofthelost #bodiesofmagic #fantasybookstagram by @jemofabook

What are you reading, watching, making?

I have been a little slumpy the last monthish, so I’ve been starting and stopping a lot of things, but these are currently my main two reads. I’m about 1/3 of the way into both:

❤️ Will They or Won’t They by Ava Wilder - this is a Hollywood romance between two costars on a hit supernatural drama with a complicated past. I’ve had a slow start on this but it has lots of elements that I love and I’m starting to get invested.

⚔️ The Wretched Divine by Adalyn Grace - we follow Aurelie a human knight caught in the middle of the war between angels and demons, quite literally, when she finds herself bonded to both and angel and a demon. I’m enjoying this one quite a bit so far - it’s got interesting world building and I love how Grace writes her characters!

Have a great week, friends! by @jemofabook

Have you read any new releases this month?
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I’ve read several, but two that I’d like to highlight are Six Wild Crowns by Holly Race (thank you @orbitbooks_us and @netgalley), and The Witch Roads by Kate Elliot (thank you @torbooks for my gifted copy)!
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👑 Six Wild Crowns is a reimagining of the wives of Henry VIII if the king were married to all of them at the same time in order to power the magical defenses along the coasts. We follow two of his wives, Boleyn (a force of nature, queen bee) and Seymour (a would-be-assassin, disaster pansexual). They start out rivals, as all the queens must, but eventually become friends, uncovering a dark secret at the heart of the kingdom.
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It is fully of courtly intrigue, politics, and feminine rage. I fell in love with the characters, and I absolutely loved this one! I can’t wait for the next book! Sidenote: there are lap dragons and hunting dragons so that was a fun touch!
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👻 The Witch Roads has one of my favorite covers I’ve seen so far this year! It is a questy adventure of a story following Elen, a 30-something deputy courier, and her trans nephew Kem. They must guide an arrogant prince and his entourage through the dangerous wilds of the country. However, after entering a haunted tower, the prince that emerges is not the same price who entered.
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I enjoyed exploring the mystery that was Elen’s previous life, and the journey of healing that she undergoes with Kem after a falling out over Elen’s past. The worldbuilding is really interesting, and I hope we see more of it in the next book.
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Have you read either of these, or are either on your radar?
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#sixwildcrowns #hollyrace #thewitchroads #fantasybookstagram #fantasybookreviews #womeninsff by @jemofabook

What book or series has some of your favorite art on the cover?
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For me, The Ending Fire series is definitely up there! I LOVE the character art on the front of the US editions. I especially love seeing Hassa on the cover of The Ending Fire, a Black, trans, disabled woman. The fact that the cover artist included her bilateral upper limb amputations? Perfection. I definitely got really emotional seeing that!
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I was so glad to wrap up this series earlier this year. I absolutely adored this series. The world building was so compelling and creative, and the diverse representation was incredible. It is definitely a dark world, but I really loved the time I spent in it with the characters.
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I think that this series takes on a LOT as the world and the plot continues to open up and get bigger as the series continues. I think that it got a little bit unwieldy towards the end and there are some things that I wished were handled differently in terms of character development in the second two books, but overall, I still loved this series and am so glad that I read it!
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I hope that you all are doing well and taking care of yourselves!
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#theendingfiretrilogy #saaraelarifi #thefinalstrife #thebattledrum #theendingfire #fantasybookstagram #seriesreview #shelfiesunday by @jemofabook

What was your favorite May read?
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I had a fantastic month with several new favorites!
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Absolutely Loved It, 5⭐️
🌟The Incandescent by Emily Tesh
🌟 The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim
🌟 Siren Queen by Nghi Vo
🌟 Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli

Loved it, 4.5⭐️
🌟 The Wishing Pool by Tananarive Due

Really Enjoyed It, 4⭐️
🌟Overgrowth by Mira Grant
🌟 The Scarlet Throne by Amy Leow

Enjoyed It, 3.5⭐️
🌟 The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
🌟 Tideborn by Eliza Chan
🌟 Behooved by M Stevenson

Reread
🌟 Amari and the Night Brothers by BB Alston
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Have you read any of these, or are any of them on your radar?
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#maywrapup #fantasybookstagram #fantasybooks #thegodandthegumiho #theincandescent #thecrimsonmoth #nghivo #tananarivedue by @jemofabook

What’s an upcoming release you’re looking forward to?
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Happy book birthday to The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig! And special thank you to @orbitbooks_us for sending a gorgeous review copy!
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The Shepherd King duology is one of my favorites, so I was so excited for the start of this new series, and it did not disappoint!
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In this, we follow Sybil, a diviner who is reaching the end of her 10 years of service. However, before she and her fellow diviners are able to re-enter the world, they start disappearing one by one. She enlists the assistance of a heretical knight and heads off on a quest to find her sisters.
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Overall, this was a compelling read and an interesting world. I greatly enjoyed following Sybil’s journey of growth. I enjoyed the side characters, Maude and Rory, and I LOVED the animated gargoyle statue who follows Sybil on her quest.
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There is a romance in this one that I wish we had a little more build-up bc at times it felt a little insta-lovey, but ultimately I did really enjoy it and was rooting for the characters. The ending is a bit of a cliff hanger, and I am looking forward to the next installment!
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Take care my friends!
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#rachelgillig #theknightandthemoth #bookreview #fantasybookstagram #romantasybook by @jemofabook

What is your strategy for reading series with releases very spread out?
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I usually am a rereader. I prefer to reread as much as I am able before continuing with a series. Lately though I have been questioning this strategy, especially as a mood reader!
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I know some people take notes, others that I know just remember the first book (but how!?), some don’t read series until they are complete, so I was wondering what you all do
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I have a terrible memory for details and once we hit 2+ years between books, even my memory for vibes has usually failed me 😂 theres way too many series I need to continue but definitely need a refresher first.
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Sometimes I love a refresher, other times I feel annoyed with my brain and just want to dive into something new.
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Hope you all are doing well! I am nearing the end of another school year, so I’m buckling down for a wild ride for these last few weeks until kids are done!
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#bookstagram #reread #fantasyseries #theadventuresofaminaalsirafi #fantasybooks by @jemofabook

What is something that you are looking forward to? Bookish-related or otherwise!
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Book-wise I’m excited to get my Illumicrate book this month as it’s one of my favorites and I can’t wait to see what they did with it!
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Non bookish, I’m very much looking forward to the end of this school year. It’s been a particularly long one, but we are getting close to summer, and I am looking forward to recuperating in the sun!
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Enjoy some pretty edges today and I hope you have the most fantastic week!
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#fairyloot #illumicrate #sprayededges #fantasybookstagram #prettybooks #specialedition by @jemofabook

What’s the longest series you’ve finished?
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As of a few weeks ago, my answer can officially be The Expanse by James SA Corey!
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Overall, this was an excellent series and very consistent in the writing and the pacing of each book. At the heart of it, we follow the crew of a spaceship called the Rocinante as the universe goes through some pretty big changes over a span of decades.
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I, to nobody’s shock, preferred some of the more introspective and character focused installments to the non-stop action and plot heavy books, but every book ended up being at least a 4 star read for me.
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The bonds of forged family run deep in this series, and woven throughout are the politics and ethical questions that accompany humanity’s expansion to the stars. I love the crew of the Roci with my whole heart, with Amos and Alex being my favorites. Bobbie and Avasarla hold a close second place.
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Now that I have finished this series after two years, I can dive into Vorkosigan! Although I might try to at least read one Realm of the Elderlings book first. I’ve been working on THAT long series for 5 years now, but who’s counting? 😂
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Take care out there, friends!
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#theexpanse #scifiseries #jamessacorey #seriesreview #sffbooks by @jemofabook

Have you read any standout books this year? What did you love about it?
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I feel like I’ve had a lot of highly enjoyable reads, but these three are some of favorites so far - the kind of books that I completely disappeared into and was 100% invested:
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In January I read The Space Between Worlds by Michaiah Johnson. This is a sci-fi dealing with the multiverses. It is a tightly plotted, character-driven, slowburn of a story that explores classism and economic privilege, with an extremely compelling main character.
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In February I read Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods. It is a beautifully told, historical fantasy. The author weaves together elements of the Little Mermaid and Cinderella in a tale that is as dark as it is enchanting. It’s a historical fantasy set in France where we follow Lucinde. She is the adopted daughter of a corsair with a physical disability. She longs not for the world of parties and society that she grew up in, but for the sea. We soon discover a world filled with secrets, fae, and old magic.
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Then most recently, I just finished The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson. This is a delightfully twisty, political fantasy that just scratched my brain perfectly. This has trials to choose the next emperor, deep worldbuilding, and incredibly clever and well created characters. The high emphasis on interpersonal dynamics between the characters, combined with the plotting and pacing made it absolutely perfect for me. I am plain obsessed! Thank you @netgalley and @orbitbooks_us for the arc! It’s a new favorite!
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Have you read any of these, or do you have them on your radar?
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#thespacebetweenworlds #uponastarlittide #theravenscholar #bookreviews #fantasybooks #scifibooks by @jemofabook