Empire of Sand | 
so-soI needed a lot of time to finish this one, and that may be one of the reasons I did not like it so much. At the start, the world is very black and white and although the main character is an adult, it has much of the simplicity of a YA novel. This is neither good nor bad, everyone has to decide for themselves.
I liked how the story ended, though.
Hello everyone!
How have you been? I've been absent for such a long time - but today I'm back 😁 currently reading this book, but not really invested in the story. Has anyone read it? Does it get better?
pickThis book was so good! I only listened to a few hours worth of chapters before I recommended it to my friend that loves reading about Mughal India. This book is so good, and the narrator on chirp was amazing. 10/10 recommend.
Read my full review at: https://www.rainyreader.com/single-post/empire-of-sand/
#romance #fantasy
so-soI don‘t know. I just don‘t. I think it was too busy. And distracting because of it. 😑😑🤔🤔🤔🤔
bailedFirst bail of 2022. 😔 The magic and the family dynamics that opened EMPIRE OF SAND convinced me I was gonna love it, but the stuff that hooked me quickly gave way to other plot lines that interested me way less. As of page 240, I just don‘t have enough investment in the story to keep going for 200+ more pages.
Yesterday‘s snow depressed the hell out of me, and I‘ve carried that over to today. I desperately need winter to END already.
Two positives: I live with a very sweet dog, and EMPIRE OF SAND feels like a book I could love.
pickI loved this one! Great world-building and characters- Mehr was a great protagonist. I finished it in about a day, I didn't want to put it down!
Tonight's plan
I can‘t wait to start reading this!
Has anyone read it?
What are your thoughts / opinions?
Really enjoying this “forced lovers to unlikely allies (are they though?) trope”
https://www.tor.com/2020/06/24/five-book-with-fantasy-worlds-inspired-by-india/
These all sound great! My tbr just got bigger!
#weeklyreport
I am having some issues after falling on the ice last week, so all I am aiming for this week is to finish Empire of Sand and A Court of Thorns and Roses on audio.
I might read more based on how I am feeling, but my mind is scattered!
#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain
1 - Empire of Sands and A Court of Thorns and Roses (audio)
2 - no, I have too many unread books as it is. lol
3 - 1 dog, Mackie, and 2 cats, Finn and Chloe.
pickI picked this up on a whim and I‘m glad I did. I liked Mehr, the mythology, dance, customs, setting, and world building. Mehr was a great character and I enjoyed the slow build of her relationship with Amun, considering its beginning. Plus, in spite of everything, Mehr never denied or gave up on the magic in her blood. I look forward to reading about Mehr‘s sister in the next book.
#fantasy
pickWonderful magic system rooted in traditional Indian dance - I believe it may be Bharatanatyam, or Kathak which was developed during the Mughal Empire. Strong female characters who stand at a moment of change for their world. Not quite a perfect read but one of the better for that I read this year.
so-soThe writing is excellent, if you like fantasy elements you won‘t be disappointed. The tale is well embellished with imaginative world building. The characters really seem to come alive, well described and with believable motivations.
Still, I can only give a 7/10. The plot slows to a crawl in the middle of the book. In the last half, I got tired of the interaction of the heroine and the spirits/gods. The heroine does very little else.
pickSo good , fantastic world building to give you a real sense of the Mugal Empire fantasy setting and the prose is lush and literary with involving characters .
Mail here has been suspended until today due to the polar vortex. Thank you so much my dear, sweet friend @Yeah_I_Read . This looks super good!
When you have a dog and also read so you use him as a book stand to make a photo for social media, and he is not impressed by any of it... #weekendread #fantasy
pickI really enjoyed this gorgeous debut from Tasha Suri. Great evocation of place from the Mughal-inspired architecture of Jah Irinah to the cool stone temple and the haunting, haunted desert. Strong, engaging characters and a gripping, nuanced exploration of control and consent. Good stuff.
Loving this lush, thoughtful debut so far. It‘s not overwritten, and I‘m enjoying how it gently challenges me. I appreciate the little moments of Mehr acknowledging her privilege and the different forms of power; and it makes me subtly uncomfortable, edgy, with its perspective and the threatening undercurrents. I don‘t want bad things to happen to these people.
pickMehr, a half-Amrithi noblewoman, finds herself in danger when she comes to the notice of the emperor after dancing one of her people's rites during a storm. Her father, the governor, has kept her safe and allowed her to practice her mother's beliefs, but now a group of mystics come and tell her she must marry one of their own. What choices does Mehr have to keep her family safe? A fantastic debut set in a world inspired by the Moghul empire.
Oh dang you Kindle deals! You're good. You're way too good to resist!
And The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano is only $1.99 too.
So.. there's 2 more ebooks added to my kindle 🤷🏻♀️
I need to refrain myself from checking the deals of the day email 🤦🏻♀️
Y‘all! I don‘t know how long this sale will last, but 10 books are for sale on amazon for only $2.99 each! #amazonsale #ebooksale #kindledeal
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/orbit-books/orbit-new-voices-2018/
A fun snow day, reading a new book and having some popcorn with the kids while they watch The Iron Giant 💕❄️
pickI was a huge fan of the world that was developed in this book as well as the cultures that inhabited it. I also adored that there was a striking magical component that set the races apart. There was a romance element to this story but it was a natural development. I was resistant to the idea but oh my was I won over! There is much love in this story but it isn‘t as you would expect. Full review at www.thegenreminx.com #TheGenreMinxBookReviews
Great reading views 👣🌲🏞📚| Empire of Sands is one of my most highly anticipated books this year. Thrilled I finally got to *dive* in while hiking by this loch.📖🔖🖤
What's the best place you've read in this summer?
