TBR - Strong Female Characters

We're getting ready to close out National Women's History month, and I couldn't let March pass without sharing some of my favorite badass characters. It was super challenging to put together a short list, and I know there are a bunch missing because...well, we all know there are more than eight books with rad women in them. Which eight characters would you include on your list?

1. Camellia Beauregard - The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Camellia is a Belle, favored by her kingdom. When she discovers the darker side to Orleans, she has the choice to go along with things and remain in a privileged position or rebel against the only world she has ever known. I guess you could call her...a Rebel Belle. (I'll see myself out.)

2. Laia of Serra and Helene Aquilla - An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

I could keep going, honestly, there are lots of great women to choose from in this series! Laia is a scholar, enslaved by the leader of the Martials, and Helene is in training to become a Mask, part of the elite Martial military force. So much happens in this quartet that it's hard to sum up, especially without spoiling anything, so just...read it, y'all. Read it!

3. Tierney James - The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

This book has been pretty thoroughly reviewed on here, both by me and in a guest review of my sister's, so if we haven't convinced you to read it yet, I'm not sure what you're waiting for. Tierney isn't the only courageous woman featured in The Grace Year, either - read and cheer the rebellion on!  

4. Starr Carter - The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

After witnessing the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Starr has a choice - she can stay quiet, which is what both the cops involved and a powerful local gang leader want her to do, or she can use her voice to try and get justice for Khalil. If you've somehow missed hearing about this phenomenal book, I reviewed it a few years back...you should read it. (The book, not my review. Although you can read that too, if you really want to.)

5. Layla Amin - Internment by Samira Ahmed

In a version of the present day United States that doesn't feel terribly impossible, Layla and her family are taken to an internment camp for Muslim Americans. Not willing to duck her head to avoid the violence and watch in silence as more and more of her fellow internees disappear from the camp after clashes with guards, Layla and her friends form a resistance to fight back.

6. Mila - Maybe He Just Likes You by Barbara Dee

This one is a little bit of a departure from the types of books I've included so far, but I wanted to specifically include it because sometimes standing up for yourself can be one of the hardest things to do, especially when you're as young as Mila and a lot of the voices around you are telling you that you're making a big deal out of nothing. Mila recognizes that the way boys at school have been treating her is wrong, though, and doesn't let anyone talk her out of speaking up about it. (Also, let us never forget that Barbara Dee commented on my review of this book, and I about died.)

7. Elizabeth Bennett - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Honestly, having grown up incredibly Mormon, I can empathize with Elizabeth and the immense pressure she is under to find a man, get married, and pop some babies out. Make haste, lady! What else are you going to do with your life?! When you grow up being taught that marriage + motherhood is all you're cut out for, it can be tough to push back against that, but Elizabeth does...twice, no less. Go Lizzie, go!

8. Emoni Santiago - With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Emoni is a senior in high school, and she spends most of her time raising a toddler and struggling to scrape together enough money to help support her little family. Her plate is stuffed pretty full, but when her school adds a culinary arts class, she can't pass up the opportunity to learn more about cooking and working in a real restaurant. Can Emoni find a way to balance the needs of her family with her desire to become a professional chef?

Heart of Flames - Nicki Pau Preto

My rating: ⭐⭐

From the cover:

"You are a daughter of queens.

The world is balanced on the edge of a knife, and war is almost certain between the empire and the Phoenix Riders.

Like Nefyra before you, your life will be a trial by fire.

Veronyka finally got her wish to join the Riders, but while she's supposed to be in training, all she really wants to do is fly out to defend the villages of Pyra from the advancing empire. Tristan has been promoted to Master Rider, but he has very different ideas about the best way to protect their people than his father, the commander. Sev has been sent to spy on the empire, but maintaining his cover may force him to fight on the wrong side of the war. And Veronyka's sister, Val, is determined to regain the empire she lost - even if it means inciting the war herself.

Such is your inheritance. A name. A legacy. An empire in ruin.

As tensions reach a boiling point, the characters all find themselves drawn together into a fight that will shape the course of the empire - and determine the future of the Phoenix Riders. Each must decide how far they're willing to go - and what they're willing to lose in the process.

I pray you are able to pass through the flames.

This is the sequel to Crown of Feathers, which you may recall I previously reviewed here. You may also recall that the book was so long I ended up reviewing it before I had actually finished. Well...here we go again! I'm just over halfway through Heart of Flames, and once again, I'm reviewing before I'm done reading. In the former case, I was writing on a fake deadline I gave myself and didn't want to post the review late. For this one, I'm honestly not sure I'm going to finish the book.

Yes, you read that right. I'm not sure I can do it - shocking, considering my rave about the first book. I debated whether I should wait to post this review, because it doesn't seem fair to post a not-positive review without finishing a book, but honestly, if halfway through the book I'm still waiting for shit to happen...come on. With the world built and things coming to a head at the end of Heart of Flames, I expected Crown of Feathers to hit the ground running. Instead, it's been chapter after chapter of twiddling thumbs, Veronyka obsessing over her shadow bond with Tristan, Tristan second-guessing himself, and Val grumbling to herself about needing to get Veronyka back on her side. Swear to god, if I have to read one more chapter of Val talking about how a forced bond using shadow magic isn't the same as a true bond...half of her chapters so far could have been cut.

I was pumped for this sequel, and I wanted to love it, but it is so. effin. boring. Which is upsetting because I am dying to know what happens! With so many other books waiting to be read, though, including the entire Throne of Glass series that my husband just bought me for my birthday, I don't know if I can sit through another three hundred and twenty pages to find out. If I make it and the ending is so spectacular that it changes my mind about the first half of the book, I'll post an update, but man oh man...I am not holding my breath.

Sorcery of Thorns - Margaret Rogerson

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined."

This book has been sitting in my TBR pile for a while now, but I read Rogerson's last book, An Enchantment of Ravens, and while it wasn't bad it did drag a little bit. I was sure her second novel would be just fine, but I've had so many other things I was pumped to read that it ended up on the back burner. It kept calling to me, though, because...well...

It's so pretty!

I mean, look at it. One thing Margaret Rogerson's books definitely have going for them is that their covers are to die for. Something else that this particular book has going for it? That it kicks ass.

Yeah, that's right. I was sleeping on Sorcery of Thorns! I finished the book I had been reading before bed and needed a new one, so I was like meh...I've been waiting long enough on this one, might as well give it a go and see how it is. Y'all...I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this in three nights (and that's no joke! I'm fucking serious about my bedtime, I have an alarm set and everything). This book rocked. In the words of Pam Beesley, it rocked my ass off.

For starters, there's the dedication: "For all the girls who found themselves in books." 

I have observed to my friends on countless recent occasions that the older I get (or maybe the more librariany I get? I don't know, I just know that's when it all started), the more emotional I seem to become, and this book got me good. Elisabeth is intelligent, assertive, and courageous, basically everything that sweet baby Dewey wanted to be growing up, and while I feel like I've done pretty well by sweet baby Dewey in the grand scheme of things, I grew up being told that women were meant to be meek and submissive, so it is always a privilege when I get to read about a character who is strong, driven, and tough and who fights for what she believes in the way Elisabeth does. I wish that I had more examples like her growing up, and I will never stop being thrilled at all of the examples of strong women that are around in literature and movies today. Give me more tall as hell library workers with swords, please! I'll take them all.

As far as my worry that this book would drag the way Ravens did, I had no need to fear. It doesn't take long for things to get going, and once they do, the pace does not slow. And the characters, you guys. As mentioned, Elisabeth is fierce as fuck, which won me over immediately, but then we also get Nathaniel, who just...I mean...you couldn't ask for a more tragic, reluctantly heroic love interest (possible spoiler, I guess? But come on. You know as soon as he's introduced). And then there's Silas, arguably the best character in the book. (Don't argue with me, though. It's fine if you disagree, we're allowed to have different favorite characters.) The nuance he brings to the table and the way his narrative forces us to question  the black-and-white evil versus good worldview Elisabeth grew up with is a thing of beauty. I fell in love with him immediately, and even with his repeated reminders that however he might seem, he shouldn't be trusted, I couldn't help it. I also adored Elisabeth's roommate, Katrien, and if I had one wish for this book, it would be that she was in it more. But come on, if my one complaint is that the characters were so good that I wanted more of them, well...that's not so bad, is it?

Alright, I've talked a lot about this book without saying anything about the plot. I know that's weird, and honestly, I want to talk plot. So badly. But I'm a little afraid that if I do I'll spoil something without meaning to, and given the number of times I gasped out loud or had to stop and text my husband that my mind had just been blown, I really don't want to do that. So...I'm not going to. I'm just going to say that this book is magical and strongly recommend that if you are a fan of fantasy, strong female characters, and magic, you pick up a copy. You won't regret it!

Four Dead Queens - Astrid Scholte

The inaugural #FirstPageFriday of the year! Can it be inaugural if I've already been doing #FirstPageFridays for a while? Who knows...who cares? Hopefully none of you. I've been waiting to read Four Dead Queens for a while, so I am pumped about this review. Also, I'm changing up the way I post and just posting my reviews on Friday, so y'all don't have to remember to check back. Woo! So, first things first, take in this gorgeous cover.

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Seventeen-year-old Keralie Corrington may seem harmless, but in fact, she's one of Quadara's most skilled thieves and a liar. Varin, on the other hand, is an honest, upstanding citizen of Quadara's most enlightened region, Eonia. Varin runs afoul of Keralie when she steals a package from him, putting his life in danger. When Varin attempts to retrieve the package, he and Keralie find themselves entangled in a conspiracy that leaves all four of Quadara's queens dead.

With no other choices and on the run from Keralie's former employer, the two decide to join forces, endeavoring to discover who has killed the queens and save their own lives in the process. When their reluctant partnership blooms into a tenuous romance, they must overcome their own dark secrets in hopes of a future together that seemed impossible just days before. But first they have to stay alive and untangle the secrets behind the nation's four dead queens."

AHHH! I give this book an extremely enthusiastic five stars. It's off to the races from page one (seriously, my first note is "I mean, I know it's called Four Dead Queens, but it got so real so fast!), and it does not let up. The character development, the plot twists, the world-building...

Chef's kiss!

Mackiel creeps me out from the jump, I might be a little in love with Varin, and I for sure have a tiny lady crush on Keralie. I stayed up way past my bedtime trying to figure out what was happening, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. This book was so unputdownable, I read it on the way to the grocery store with my husband, and when there was a line at the butcher I seriously contemplated pulling it out to read more while we waited. IT'S. SO. GOOD. I wish I could gush more without including spoilers, because all I want to do now that I've finished it is talk about this book, but no way am I ruining the mystery for other readers. Go read it. Experience it. Message me along the way and let me know what you think. Drop a comment with your thoughts. The messaging and commenting is optional - reading the book is not!

Crown of Feathers - Nicki Pau Preto

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"I had a sister, once…

In a world ruled by fierce warrior queens, a grand empire was built upon the backs of Phoenix Riders—legendary heroes who soared through the sky on wings of fire—until a war between two sisters ripped it all apart.

I promised her the throne would not come between us.

Sixteen years later, Veronyka is a war orphan who dreams of becoming a Phoenix Rider from the stories of old. After a shocking betrayal from her controlling sister, Veronyka strikes out alone to find the Riders—even if that means disguising herself as a boy to join their ranks.

But it is a fact of life that one must kill or be killed. Rule or be ruled.

Just as Veronyka finally feels like she belongs, her sister turns up and reveals a tangled web of lies between them that will change everything. And meanwhile, the new empire has learned of the Riders’ return and intends to destroy them once and for all.

Sometimes the title of queen is given. Sometimes it must be taken.

Crown of Feathers is an epic fantasy about love’s incredible power to save—or to destroy. Interspersed throughout is the story of Avalkyra Ashfire, the last Rider queen, who would rather see her empire burn than fall into her sister’s hands."

Y'ALL. So full disclosure, this book is long, and I am not finished. I'm about two-thirds of the way through, and while I got impatient at first for the story to really get going, I think it is fabulous. I was hooked from the beginning, both by the premise (badass warriors who fight on the backs of Phoenixes, primarily female warriors? What's not to love!) and by the relationship between Veronyka and Val. Is Val really as unfeeling as she seems? Or does she actually love and care for Veronyka? Are the moments of vulnerability she shows, like when she cries during the phoenix hatching at the start of the book, sincere? Or for show? I MUST KNOW! Another thing I love about it is the snippets at the beginning of every chapter and the pages included at the end of some chapters revealing the story of  Avalkyra Ashfire and Pheronia bit by bit. Fantastic.

Nicki Pau Preto writes so beautifully and evocatively, you can't read it without seeing and feeling everything that the characters do. Take this gorgeous description of Veronyka's bond with her Phoenix, for instance:

"It wasn't love--such a small word couldn't begin to encompass the feelings of respect and devotion, of trust and codependence that existed between human and beast. The bond was a unity that was written in the stars, older than the empire and the valley and the mountains, older than the gods, a connection that not even death could shake. Endless, limitless, and somehow timeless, Veronyka's fate was tied to this creature, and they would always be together."

Chills. Just beautiful.

Do you need more? Let's talk about the rich world-building and character development. So many amazing details, like the custom among Veronyka's people of keeping their hair in braids and weaving into them tokens of like experiences, like a shell from the beach Veronyka swam to after she first learned how.  And the strong personalities of each character (Kade is my dude, from the first time he talks to Sev he had my heart). Even characters who (at this point, at least) are side characters have a fully formed, developed history. That so much detail is worked in about characters you only catch glimpses of blows my mind.

I would love to continue raving about this empowering, thrilling story, but I presented for the first time ever at a professional conference today, then drove several hours home, and it is now almost an hour past my bedtime, so if I want to sneak in a few chapters before I pass out, I need to sign off and head upstairs. Read this book, though, friends! Especially if you're a fan of strong female characters, because Veronyka will inspire you. Read it! And then comment and tell me what you think.

Leah on the Offbeat - Becky Albertalli

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Leah Burke—girl-band drummer, master of deadpan, and Simon Spier’s best friend from the award-winning Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda—takes center stage in this novel of first love and senior-year angst.

When it comes to drumming, Leah Burke is usually on beat—but real life isn’t always so rhythmic. An anomaly in her friend group, she’s the only child of a young, single mom, and her life is decidedly less privileged. She loves to draw but is too self-conscious to show it. And even though her mom knows she’s bisexual, she hasn’t mustered the courage to tell her friends—not even her openly gay BFF, Simon.

So Leah really doesn’t know what to do when her rock-solid friend group starts to fracture in unexpected ways. With prom and college on the horizon, tensions are running high. It’s hard for Leah to strike the right note while the people she loves are fighting—especially when she realizes she might love one of them more than she ever intended."

Leah Burke is my filthy-mouthed high school BFF soul mate. I started this book after I came home from work a couple days ago and finished it before I went in for work the next day. It was hard to put down, and honestly I would have finished it faster, except I kept stopping to text my sister my favorite Leah one-liners. This book is hilarious. 

Those of you who weren't fans of Leah in Simon Vs. may not dig this one, but if you were down with her in the first book and want more of their world, pick this up. It had its flaws--mainly, for me, dragging out the drama between Leah and Abby too long and then hastily wrapping all the conflict in an epilogue--but hot damn, it will hook you and keep you giggling. It's a good read.

Sky in the Deep - Adrienne Young

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Raised to be a warrior, seventeen-year-old Eelyn fights alongside her Aska clansmen in an ancient rivalry against the Riki clan. Her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield — her brother, fighting with the enemy — the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother's betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki, in a village where every neighbor is an enemy, every battle scar possibly one she delivered. But when the Riki village is raided by a ruthless clan thought to be a legend, Eelyn is even more desperate to get back to her beloved family.

She is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend, who sees her as a threat. They must do the impossible: unite the clans to fight together, or risk being slaughtered one by one. Driven by a love for her clan and her growing love for Fiske, Eelyn must confront her own definition of loyalty and family while daring to put her faith in the people she’s spent her life hating."

I read this too fast to take notes! Gahhhh!

The synopsis from the cover gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect. Eelyn is fighting in a battle against the Riki clan, and one of the Riki gets the best of her. He's about to kill her when her brother, who died years ago, materializes out of nowhere and stops him. After the battle, her father convinces her that it was his spirit, sent by Sigr to protect her. She's almost sold on the idea...until the Aska go to battle a second time against the Riki and she sees him again. This time she follows Iri, and she ends up being taken captive by his warrior brother. 

As winter sets in, she finds herself a slave to the Riki family who took her brother in after he fell to what she presumed to be his death. At first Eelyn is angry. She can't understand why her brother betrayed his clan by staying with the Riki instead of returning home to the Aska, and she wants to hate Fiske, his mother, and his younger brother for taking Iri away from her. The more time she spends with them, however, the more she begins to realize that rival clan or no, the Riki are a lot like her own people--looking out for their own, caring for each other, keeping their clan safe. When the unthinkable happens and the Riki are raided by the ruthless Herja, Eelyn knows what needs to be done. The Riki and Aska must put aside their blood feud if they have any hope of surviving the Herja...but will she be able to convince the clans to work together?

This book is full of action, emotion, and heart. Eelyn, Fiske, and the others were fantastic characters, the plot was riveting, and I couldn't put it down. If you're a fan of fierce female warriors, Viking battle scenes, and the like you'll be a fan of this book.