Category / Book reviews

by The Booked Unicorn

The Lies of The Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi

Summary ( From Good reads):

They say there is no water in the City of Lies. They say there are no heroes in the City of Lies. They say there are no friends beyond the City of Lies. But would you believe what they say in the City of Lies?

In the City of Lies, they cut out your tongue when you turn thirteen, to appease the terrifying Ajungo Empire and make sure it continues sending water. Tutu will be thirteen in three days, but his parched mother won’t last that long. So Tutu goes to his oba and makes a deal: she provides water for his mother, and in exchange he will travel out into the desert and bring back water for the city. Thus begins Tutu’s quest for the salvation of his mother, his city, and himself.

The Lies of the Ajungo opens the curtains on a tremendous world, and begins the epic fable of the Forever Desert. With every word, Moses Ose Utomi weaves magic.

The Review

This is a review copy granted to me by Tor/Forge via Netgalley all opinions are mine.

It follows Tutu who initially set out into the dessert to find water and save his people in order to become a hero. His people are suffering from a severe water drought and to top it all when one comes to a certain age their tongues are cut off and they become dumb.

Following Tutu on his journey are other characters from the city of lies that have their eyes and ears taken from them in exchange for something. Initially he is weary of them because he has been told ”there are no friends in the city of lies” but he discovers that there is more to this saying. And so the journey morphs from bringing water back to his people to who are the Ajungo? The truth is shocking.

Everything about this book is just A+. The world that Moses built shows the corruption of power and how it is used to deliberately harm the poor in other to keep them in the dark. I loved the friendship he found in the Sahara desert, the girls were protective of him. And even though it was bittersweet, I loved how precious and necessary they were to his growth. In the harshness of the desert, they were his softness (that could still kick your butt and look pretty doing it).

I went into this book expecting great storytelling and i was not disappointed. From the first line’‘There is no water in the city of lies”. I knew i was in for a treat and boy was this an adventure. This 96-page book packed a punch, it was filled with the naiviety of a young boy who grew into the wizened man who had learnt the truth.

I also loved seeing shokologobango a name I had not heard since I was a kid, this made me laugh.

I noticed that in this book you could have all your senses complete and still not understand what’s going on around you. Until you search for the knowledge you will not find it. And that was what Tutu had to do to find the truth. And on the other side of the truth was rage, a justified rage in my opinion.

In conclusion, this book was on my anticipated reads for 2023 and I was not disappointed at all. I look forward to reading more of this author’s work. My rating of this book is a solid 4.75⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️.

I highly recommend this!

As Always,

Nelo- The Booked Unicorn!

by The Booked Unicorn

The Future God of Love By Dilman Dila ( Luna Novella #4)

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Summary from GoodReads

The Future God of Love is a romance fantasy, set in an African world where stories are essential for the survival of humanity.

Jamaaro, a struggling storyteller, is the future god of love and must create a story every full moon for the prosperity of his town.

When he falls in love with a strange woman, having known loneliness all his life, he ignores the clues that she might not be what she seems.

Trigger warning: Mention of Suicide and intention to commit suicide

This is my first time reading a book from this author and it is also my first time reading a book set in Uganda. And i loved it!

The story follows Jaamaro a future god of love who has writers block and cannot produce a story for his village. Jaamaro also has love problems…he cannot get and keep a girl to save his life. Because of loneliness, he nearly falls into a deadly trap that could have him and his gift dead! Now he has to go on his own personal journey to discover the nature of his gift and the truth surrounding a mysterious beauty that has him head over heels.

Ah Jaamaro my poor baby, i felt his sadness off the page. When you read it it may seem like he’s whining a lot but if you take your time and i implore you to if you pick up this book, you’ll discover that he is lonely and emotionally underdeveloped. Yet he bares the burden of being the Future God of love, a being who would one day be worshiped by Lovers from all over.

This 85 page story is short but packs a punch. I was intrigued by the new words i had to learn, while reading it you will get a feel of the words used, like Kwaro means God I think, going into the bush-Now you have to google that one yourself but the meaning is interesting. I do think a glossary was maybe necessary but at the same time i am okay with no glossary, i think you’ll appreciate looking up some words yourself and get to learn some.

In this book, the unique magic system is the story. The stories give life to a place and without them, the towns would be dried up and lifeless. So you can imagine the burden Jaamaro had to bear, producing a new story every month. Imagine if they told authors to produce books every month, i’m pretty sure they would be loads of cursing and burn out.

I liked that the stories that had to be created were not just written, they had to be acted out and had to be pictures and music to accompany it. One can image a big bun fire night where this story is told and i am sure it would be fun. You can also image how much this would be a big burden for someone to do EVERY. SINGLE. MONTH…bruh!

When it comes to the world building i think the unique spatial arrangement each community and town had was interesting. Each town was different and the arrangement and architecture reflected this.

This book is easily in my top 10 for this years favorites, and i lovedevery moment of it. I recommend every one to read it. i shall be reading the authors other work A fledgling Abiba which is also available on scribd. This book has a well deserved nomination and i hope you to pick it up and enjoy a different kind of fantasy.

I discovered this book through the African speculative fiction society, it is available on scribd to read for free , on the link to read a copy of it. (this link would give you a free 60 day trial)
Thank you for reading this post i hope liked it , please share and comment!

As always

Nelo- the booked unicorn

by The Booked Unicorn

Book Review: The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

Hello Beautiful people

I wanted to post my monthly wrap up but this was more important. I read the death of Vivek oji by Akwaeke Emezi and i cried.

Th death of vivek oji

Tittle: The death of Vivek Oji

Genre: Lgbt+, Adult fiction, Nigerian Fiction

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher: Faber & Faber

Date Published:4/08/2020

Summary from GR

One afternoon, in a town in southeastern Nigeria, a mother opens her front door to discover her son’s body, wrapped in colorful fabric, at her feet. What follows is the tumultuous, heart-wrenching story of one family’s struggle to understand a child whose spirit is both gentle and mysterious. Raised by a distant father and an understanding but overprotective mother, Vivek suffers disorienting blackouts, moments of disconnection between self and surroundings. As adolescence gives way to adulthood, Vivek finds solace in friendships with the warm, boisterous daughters of the Nigerwives, foreign-born women married to Nigerian men. But Vivek’s closest bond is with Osita, the worldly, high-spirited cousin whose teasing confidence masks a guarded private life. As their relationship deepens—and Osita struggles to understand Vivek’s escalating crisis—the mystery gives way to a heart-stopping act of violence in a moment of exhilarating freedom.

The review

*this E-ARC was given to me in exchange for a review via Netgalley all opinions are my own*

This book was on the list of my anticipated books of 2020 . To be honest from the title i don’t know why i was expecting a happy ending. This is not really a spoiler but seriously Vivek is dead. At first i was thinking it was one of those haha he’s not really dead but let’s make it seem so and then boom we will reveal the truth at the end.

Boy was i wrong.

The book starts from the end to unravel how and why Vivek died. It takes you on a journey from his childhood to his short adult life.

So how do you review a book that made you bawl out in tears?

I don’t know but i’ll try.

Be warned that there’ homophobic issues in this book. And a questionable kinda love between cousins.

Okay here we go, i’ll try to make this spoiler-free as possible.

To get to the bottom of how Vivek died, we are introduced to the main characters and side characters early on. Now when reading this book i want you to pay attention to those side characters, they play an important part and in the end it circles back to them. Do not think the orange seller is not important, she is.

Family, religion, betrayal, friendship are deeply rooted in this book. Everything is connected, maybe everyone is responsible for his death.

At first we see a tight knit family. Chika and Varita are the parents of Vivek while Ekene and Mary are the parents of Osita. Ekene and Chika are Blood brothers, the children of Ahunna. Osita and Vivek are only children of their parents and so they are brothers, very close. The Nigerwives, a group of foreign wives who band together, Varita is in this group because she is Indian. Their children go on to form their little family that would become useful years later.

What i saw here was pure trust, trust that allows you to go to your friends house and eat their food, Sleepovers without questions . The kind of trust that you can tell your friends and inlaws anything and they will help you. It was beautiful to read, especially amongst the children who grew up later to deepen this bond they have.

But then as always something is always lying in wait to destroy good things.

Religious fanaticism, this might trigger some people in this book but be aware that its there. It was a difficult part for me to read, it was like i felt Viveks pain what he went through here. Akwaeke makes the reader see what it’s like to be different in a place where ”different” means you are sent from the devil/possessed. I felt anger and betrayal and i understood why Vivek had to hide from his family.

Some People can’t see softness without wanting to hurt it-Vivek

I loved Vivek’s friends, they allowed him to be himself, no questions asked. They supported him and protected him, it made me happy to see a support group like this. They became his found family. 

The love interest is taboo and i don’t know how i found myself okay with it…. but here i am…telling you that i somehow found myself okay with it. Maybe you will, or maybe you’ll run to the hills. 

EDIT: I loved the Igbo lore  in this: reincarnation (we can argue about how this is real later) . Vivek is the reincarnation of his grandmother and the way it happened was incredibly spooky. I loved this! I loved seeing my language and lore in this book, and i noticed it wasn’t Italicized! I don’t know if there’s a glossary of words at the end of the printed book, but google will help you with some words. 

I would also like to point out that although the pronoun He is used often, Vivek is gender-fluid and towards the end a different name or rather the name she was supposed to have was used. You will see how reincarnation played into this.

I liked the way the story is written, flashbacks are interwoven with the present, we have POV’s for the Mc’s and third person narration. I found it easy to read and i liked the way it written its beautiful to read. 

In conclusion: Listen, this book is heartbreakingly beautiful. It’s not meant to  give you a happy ending, but it will make you think and in a way make you softer and more empathetic. I can’t promise it will make you a better friend without you trying to be one and if you are a parent it will teach you to listen. I highly recommend this. It has the Unicorn seal of approval. So yeah get reading.

 

Thank you for reading!

Please share, comment and like!

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Copy of The Death Of Vivek Oji (1)

As always,

Nelo-the Booked Unicorn.

by The Booked Unicorn

Mini Reviews and Recommendations

Hello beautiful people!

I have had my nose in a book all July and i am happy! So here are my top five books i recommend along with a mini review of them. I hope you enjoy and support these authors.

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  • fangsFangs by Sarah Anderson: this book was given to me by the publisher(Andrew McMeel Publishing) via Netgalley all opinions are mine. Although It’s different from the comics Sarah is known for, it is a fun read. Love between a vampire and werewolf ( who are supposed to hate each other) this brings a romcom of opposites attract. If you need a fluffy fun read check this one out.  

summary: Vamp is three hundred years old but in all that time, she has never met her match. This all changes one night in a bar when she meets a charming werewolf. FANGS chronicles the humor, sweetness, and awkwardness of meeting someone perfectly suited to you but also vastly different.

  • Queen Move by Kennedy Ryan: I have been wanting to do a review on this books but i just don’t know where to start other than to shout READ THE DAMN BOOK!  This is a friends to lovers story, except this isn’t as easy as it seems. There are obstacles to be overcome and secrets that are threaten the peace. The sex scenes? SCORCHING! off the charts! Seeing a black woman in politics owning her power and walking tall..PRICELESS. Seriously check this book out!  ( Okay this one’s summary was long AF so click the link to read)
  • take a hint dani brownTake a Hint Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert: Last year i was on everyones neck to read Get a life Chloe Brown. This year i am telling you to get in line and read Take a Hint Dani Brown. Why? Because you are about to meet Zafir and Danika Brown #Dr Rugbae and fall in love with them. We have a sweet and sensitive ex-rugby turned security guy and a black queer,Plus size ( and Sexy Af) phD student with pink hair…are you swooning yet? No? okay get this , they have to fake date meanwhile they are pining for each other . It was sweet to watch Dani fall in love with Zafir, her character development was well done. And Zafir my sweet cinnabun who just wants a to love his woman in peace, i like that he found someone to be there for him and appreciate him the way he is. He brought out the best in Dani and she did the same…a match made by Oshun.  Summary: Danika Brown knows what she wants: professional success, academic renown, and an occasional roll in the hay to relieve all that career-driven tension. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. Romantic partners, whatever their gender, are a distraction at best and a drain at worst. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits—someone who knows the score and knows their way around the bedroom. When brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it’s an obvious sign: PhD student Dani and ex-rugby player Zaf are destined to sleep together. But before she can explain that fact, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral. Now half the internet is shipping #DrRugbae—and Zaf is begging Dani to play along. Turns out, his sports charity for kids could really use the publicity. Lying to help children? Who on earth would refuse? Dani’s plan is simple: fake a relationship in public, seduce Zaf behind the scenes. The trouble is, grumpy Zaf’s secretly a hopeless romantic—and he’s determined to corrupt Dani’s stone-cold realism. Before long, he’s tackling her fears into the dirt. But the former sports star has issues of his own, and the walls around his heart are as thick as his… um, thighs. Suddenly, the easy lay Dani dreamed of is more complex than her thesis. Has her wish backfired? Is her focus being tested? Or is the universe just waiting for her to take a hint?

Continue reading →

by The Booked Unicorn

Book Review: The Mermaid the Witch and the sea

Hi guys,

Aside from cover hoe-ism, the promise of adventure drew me to this book.  A genderfluid pirate, a lesbian Lady and spies all aboard a ship called the Dove. Hmm What could possibly go wrong? Lets find out.

I was given this book in exchange for a review by Candlewick press via Netgalley.  All opinions are my own.

the mermaid the witch and the sea

Tittle: The Mermaid, the witch and the sea

Author: Maggie Tokuda-hall

Genre: Lgbtqia+, fantasy

Rating: 3 stars

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Date published: 5/05/20

 

The review:

*Please note i use she/ he for Flora/Florian *

The plot:

Flora/Florian is a pirate aboard the Dove, it masquerades as a passenger ship when it is in fact a slaver ship. She is trying to fit in on the Dove as a man and in order to do that she commits an atrocious task that will forever hunt her. Once this task is complete she dons on the name Florian and he is her and she is he ( listen when i wrote this part it sounded nice in my head). Now all she/he wants to do is escape this hell called the dove.

Lady Evelyn Hasegawa grew up in a cold, unloving household and is eventually sold off as a ”wife” to the highest bidders in order to pay off her parents debt. She boards the dove that would take her to the Floating islands to meet her husband. When Florian is assigned as her guard, something special and dangerous blooms between them…..

 And then the adventure begins.

What i liked:

The book starts off slow, introducing characters and setting the pace for the story. Its divided into three parts and it has interludes in which the seas point of view is shared. In this book, the sea is given the identity of a mother and her daughters; the Mermaids are her memories. I thought this was interesting and i liked the idea of the sea as a mother who is both fearsome and gentle but cannot be tamed.

The world Maggie created was one that had imperial rule and colonialism, and the effects of this are shown on different characters throughout the book. When you read there are two types of characters you will see

  • The ones who forever hate the emperor and therefore hate imperial nobles
  • The ones who for some reason saw colonialism as a good thing
  • The imperialists who thing they are better than everyone

And you can relate to this on a personal level if you are from a colonised country, when you think about what was lost. 

It is an interesting world building, in the sense that the Emperor has colonized and set the imperial rule around the known world and now he is trying to conquer the sea.

The magic system in the book is unique, stories are spells. They are cast and in exchange for  something. You would have to pay close attention when reading this part it can get quite confusing.

What didn’t work so well

This is why i rated it three stars

I didn’t find the characters interesting, i tried but i just couldn’t. I wish the secondary characters in the were more developed, maybe that would have helped a bit especially the pirate supreme their story felt incomplete to me. Although the witchcaft system was interesting, i would have liked to see more of it. It was just used three times and then dropped. I felt the ending was rushed. It was like…one two three KABOOM. The end.

 

And that’s all  for this review, remember to pick up the book if you are interested in it.

Thanks for reading please subscribe and share this post.

As always,

Nelo- Booked Unicorn 

 

by The Booked Unicorn

Book Review : The House In The Cerulean Sea By TJ Klune

Hi Guys,

This is my first book by TJ klune and i can say for sure i am incredibly moved.  I went in this book expecting fluff, i got that but i also learnt about compassion. So stick around and read my review of this beautiful book. But first! Some stats

The house in the cerulean sea

Tittle: The House In The Cerulean Sea

Author: T.J Klune

Genre: Fantasy,LGBT

Rating: 5 ‘ Theodore’s button’ Stars

Publisher: Tor

Date of publication: March 17th 2020

Pages: 398 pages of compassion

Trigger warning: Child abuse

 

GR Synopsis:

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he’s given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours

 

  The Review

The Characters

Linus Baker :lives a dreary boring life, he has the same routine everyday and is kind of a pushover at work. He is a caseworker for The Department In Charge of Magical Youth and although he does a good job, he makes sure to Keep a distance in order remain objective [As per instructions written in the Rules and Regulations Tome]. But all that is about to change and he will be forced to realise he has been living in a colorless world.

Arthur Parnassus : The Master of the Marsyas Home on Marsyas Island. He lives with six extraordinary kids (and somehow hasn’t gone crazy) and an Island sprite. The most compassionate man ever. He has a terrible secret to keep. And for some reason he likes Kant? Socks game on point!

Zoe: A Get off my lawn kind of sprite. Well she owns the whole island and could actually get you off.

Extreme Upper Management: A bunch of people with sticks up their arse.

The Kids

Lucy: Has Spiders in his brain, may bring on the apocalypse before dinner but he has the best music collection ever. And he may also want to kill you so that Talia could use you as fertilizer.

Talia: A rare Female Gnome who just wants to bury people in her garden so that they become useful fertilizer is that too much to ask?

Phee: A forest Sprite who thinks humans would be better as trees. 

Theodore: A Wyvern He deserves all the buttons in this world.

Chauncey: Chauncey is bestboi and the best bellhop in history. He’s ermm a jellyfish/green glob???

Sal: The cutest were-pomeranian who deserves all the world.

Themes of this book:

Compassion, Bravery and letting go of prejudice.

What i thought about this lovely gem of a book

If i could hug every character in this book i would have. Aside from being funny, this book tugs on the kokoro (heart)  strings. TJ Klune taps into the ugly side of human prejudice and my god it is scary af what people can do when their hearts are covered. However, you will see the amendments made to correct this mistake and you will also see how obstinate people are in their ways.   I would divide the world into two: You have the Rainy side with the ”mindless bot factory” and annoying neighbors from hell. And then you have the Sunny ”don’t you wish you were here” adventure side. Overall i would say the world is kinda big brother-ish ( with the see something say something posters).

The characters in this book would stay with me for a long time because there’s just something so pure about them. I liked how Linus developed in this book, he went from being bland af, distancing himself from his wards even though he cares and being timid to caring for his wards and saying F*ck the whole establishment.  Linus does his best make up for his mistakes  and he actually grows balls of steel in the end. 

Arthur Parnassus is a strong character, he has every right to be downright evil but my god did he turn his tragic past into something positive.  He is patient and kind but will mess you up if you touch what is his. I think Arthur shows us we have a choice,  you can wallow in the past or use it to make you stronger and better.

The children I LOVE ALL OF THEM AND WOULD ADOPT THEM. They have been through the worst with human beings and are healing. I liked how Arthur tuned into their individual needs, he listens to them and knows what they need to heal. He brings out the best in them.  I loved how funny they were their little shenanigans.

“I’ve always wanted to see if humans make good fertilizer. It seems like they would.” She eyed him up and down hungrily. “All that flesh”. -Talia

TJ Klune’s writing takes you on a journey of compassion. Its soft when it needs to be and sucker punches you when you see how bogoted people can be. At the end its like a warm ray of love and compassion shining down on you. I loved this book and i am sure you will love it too or you might just be the grinch (jk,jk) to each his own. 

Sometimes, Mr. Parnassus said, “our prejudices color our thoughts when we least expect them to. If we can recognize that, and learn from it, we can become better people.- Arthur parnassus

I highly recommend this. I read mine on kindle but i want to a physical copy to hug.

Thank you for being a champ and reading this post please like subscribe and share!

 

As Always,

Nelo-The Booked Unicorn

by The Booked Unicorn

Book Review: The Empress of Salt And Fortunes

I received this digital ARC (through Netgalley) from the publishers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

empress of salt and fortune

Title: The Empress of Salt and fortune

Author: Nghi Vo

Rating: 5 ‘Women friggin rock” stars

Genre: LGBT, Fantasy

Pages: 112 

Publisher: Tor

Date of Publication: 24/03/2020

About this lovely gem ( Synopsis from GR):

With the heart of an Atwood tale and the visuals of a classic Asian period drama The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a tightly and lushly written narrative about empire, storytelling, and the anger of women.

A young royal from the far north is sent south for a political marriage. Alone and sometimes reviled, she has only her servants on her side. This evocative debut chronicles her rise to power through the eyes of her handmaiden, at once feminist high fantasy and a thrilling indictment of monarchy

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My review

”Angry Mothers raise women fierce enough to fight wolves”

The most powerful line in a book I have ever read till date!

This story consists of an Enby clerk, a talking bird [named Almost Brilliant] and an old lady who lives by a spooky lakehut and has a story to tell. The story is told in flashbacks, the clerk asks questions and then the old lady dives into the history of the object. Some are beautiful and touching while some are painful and horrific to remember.

This book is short, but it packs a punch. It’s very easy for you to finish this in one sitting but i would advise you to pause in order to savour this book and transport your mind to the world Nghi created. You need to see the beauty and intelligence of woman and the bond between them and woman power because my God this book delivers that.

Do i recommend this HELL YEAH! The plotation of it all, the queerness, revenge, female power and a dash of male blood. yes that’s the recipe for greatness. Get on this you won’t regret it.

 

Thanks for reading my post, please share it and comment if you’ll be picking up this powerful novella.

angry mothers

This is my review of the month for Lovely Audiobooks

As Always,

Nelo- The Booked unicorn

by The Booked Unicorn

Book Review: The Circle (# Omega Academy 2)

Hallo!

Last year i mentioned that Lily Archer was one the authors i discovered on kindle unlimited. 

This year, she just killed me with this book. 

 

The circle

Title: The circle

Author: Lily Archer

Genre: Definitely not YA, Sci-fi, fantasy, reverse harem

Rating: 5 ‘oh shit i have to wait again’ stars

Date published: 9/02/2020

GR Summary

Joining with my Alphas has changed me at my most basic levels. I can’t seem to control my powers, but with Jeren, Kyte, and Ceredes at my side, I think I’ll eventually stop with the accidental outbursts of lethal energy. Hopefully. But my powers aren’t the only problems: I have an Omega who wants me dead, a Sentient who is still trying to kidnap me, and an undeniable need to mate with my Alphas. The entire fleet is slowly reaching a boiling point as the Sentient threat grows, and when they attack and take someone dear to us, the circle vows to fight back. But as the council of regents begins to fracture, secrets slip through the cracks. When I discover the truth, will I be able to withstand it, or will the circle break under the weight of my past?Divider (2)

The review

A little reminder of who we are dealing with

Alpha's of omega AcademyFrom left to right: Kyte, Ceredes and Jaren. Image from Mignon Art.com

And we are back with my favorite gang!

The last chapter in book one had me sitting on the edge, I almost started spamming Lily with the Oh dear God were is book two. And now that book two is here i am contemplating asking her WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME!!!!

To recap a little ( see my review of book one), Lana is an omega who gets shipped of to another planet, she finds out that she is part of a reverse harem circle and that means a war is at hand. 

In the last chapter we find out that the barrier surrounding the school was opened, this means that there’s a traitor in the school but who is it?

Dun Dun duuuuuuun!

You ever finish a book so quickly you wish you could go back and then start it again just so you could savor the moments. 

In book two the circle is finally formed but it is met with criticism from the council and the students. Lana has to learn to control her new powers or risk hurting the people close to her; and on top of that someone wants to kidnap her? In conclusion Lana can’t catch a break.

I enjoyed how their bond deepened in this one, they protect each other and are not afraid to stand up to whoever wants to challenge them. If i said book one was YA, well folks book two is DEFINITELY NOT. Its totally worth it because the smexy times are smexy af.

I was hoping for more information on Lana’s past in this book because there is more info on the other guys; but here there’s one MAJOR BOMB about Lana and then get this….it friggin ends. Oh yes lovely hoomans reading this, this book is sweet torture because honey the cliffhanger is strong with this one. And don’t even get me started on the traitor- ( i mean i suspected but i was hoping it wasn’t true , but i understand why)- because when it happened i was like nah uh bitch you did not!

In conclusion, Lily Archer has once again given me blue balls waiting on the third installation. I shall spend my time catching up with the fae series then.

This book is available on KU for all interested, if you are looking for a perfect reverse harem check this out.

Thank you for reading my review i highly recommend you get on this series
Let me know in the comments what your favorite reverse harem books are.

 

As always,

Nelo-Booked Unicorn

This is my Review of the Month for the book review link-up on LovelyAudiobooks.info.
by The Booked Unicorn

Book Review: The Half God of Rainfall

Hi hello welcome

I pride myself in telling you and bringing you good books to listen to and read. Most of the time I wish I could just be brave and make a video just so you could see my expression and believe me [soon]. But alas I would have to make sure my words reach you and that you believe me when I tell you…

You need to listen to this book to save your life and get vengeance!

I will admit that I had been in a tiny slump. But I really wanted to read something and I picked up The Half God of rain fall and OH MY GOD why didn’t I pick this up sooner .

half rain god

Tittle: The Half-God of Rainfall

Author: Inua Ellams

Genre: Epic poems, Mythology

Rating: 5 ‘ Zeus got what he deserved’ stars

Publisher: Fourth Estate

Date published: April, 4th 2019

My review

I listened to the Audio book and it’s narrated by the author. I just have to tell you that he did (pardon my french) a ducking brilliant job of it, i couldn’t stop listening. I had planned to just listen a bit and then go to sleep but Holy potatoes on a muthafriggin stick couldn’t drop this book. When I tell you from beginning to end I was hooked and shooketh best believe I’m telling you the truth. 

I would warn that there is a major trigger : Rape. 

The story woven in the poem crosses Nigerian deities -the Orishas and the Greek gods. Its about a Half-God Demi who is excels in basketball to the extent it makes the gods nervous. It touches on the fragile male pride and the horrible effects afterwards. To an extent it also made me ask why do the gods just sit and watch while bad things happen instead of helping ( even if you have taken an oath or whatever couldn’t you just break it for someone who serves you and is dedicated?).

The story of Demi resembles that of Icarus but I think it’s i will say its Icarus minus the pride. Because just as it said in the poem

”no one ever talked about how Icarus actually flew all they talk about was the fall”

There’s a conversation Demi had with another half-god when you listen to it the first time its easy for you to say woah! This dude is way too proud. Instead of seeing a proud boy, what i saw was someone who was frustrated with how his mother was treated and he was supposed to hide his powers because bitch ass Zeus was Jealous.

The horrible effects of rape are shown as Modupe tells her son Demi  how he was conceived and how it still hunts her. The author touched on the trauma that accompanies what happened to her, his description of the rape was ‘simple’ but the effect it had on Modupe was enough to shake the reader.

I had to give this book five stars because it was just beautiful storytelling, the kind of tale you tell at campfires. It draws you in from the first page till the last, the length of the audio is just perfect ( 1 hour of pure goodness).

What I loved the most that bitch ass Zeus got what he deserved. I would be re-reading this later this year.

I highly recommend that you get to read this. And when you do i hope you enjoy this short story.

 

Thank you for reading this review, please share!
Also let me know in the comments which villains you would love to see the protagonist get revenge on

 

As always

Nelo-Booked Unicorn

by The Booked Unicorn

Book Review: The Travelling cat Chronicles

Hello and welcome

Its been a while since a book had me on the verge of tears. And i think this is going to set the tone for the year, am i ready  open my heart and let the bookish gods rip it out?

Tabineko

Title : The Traveling Cat Chronicles

Author: Hiro Arikawa

Genre:  Japanese fiction, humor, contemporary

Rating: 5 ‘Nana is your Boss cat’ Stars

Publisher:Trans world Digital

Pages: 256

Blurb

Nana is on a road trip, but he is not sure where he is going. All that matters is that he can sit beside his beloved owner Satoru in the front seat of his silver van. Satoru is keen to visit three old friends from his youth, though Nana doesn’t know why and Satoru won’t say.

Set against the backdrop of Japan’s changing seasons and narrated with a rare gentleness and humour, Nana’s story explores the wonder and thrill of life’s unexpected detours. It is about the value of friendship and solitude, and knowing when to give and when to take. TRAVELLING CAT has already demonstrated its power to move thousands of readers with a message of kindness and truth. It shows, above all, how acts of love, both great and small, can transform our lives.

My Review

Last year i read about a kind man helping out a grumpy woman ( Get a life, Chloe Brown) and this year i kicked it off with a kind man and his cat…seriously books are making me want to be a better human.

This book hits you right in the kokoro ( the heart), if you are hardcore human prepare to be soft and bring tissues to this party because your eyes will get misty.

The book starts with Satoru finding a stray cat and how their bond is formed. The journey Nana and Satoru go on is to find a new place for Nana to stay, and on this journey you will see how Satoru impacted on his friends lives. 

The story is narrated by Nana and his thoughts are funny.  I loved how Nana and Satoru were in sync with each other through out the book, Satoru understood Nana and didn’t just treat him as a cat but as family their bond till the end was truly beautiful. Nana is a wise cat ( i mean he says so himself) and he has the best quotes in the book.

Humans who think we don’t understand them are the stupid ones.- Nana

The authors writing flows beautifully , both past and present ( the past Cat and Satoru’s past interactions with their friends) were side by side this makes it easy for the reader to see how Satoru was in the past and why people appreciate him and also his love for his first cat Hachi. I gave the book five stars because it was funny, thoughtful and heartbreaking all at the same time.

 

Do i recommend this?: yes its a short read that packs a punch. If you have pets this book would make you appreciate them and see them in a different light. And its available for 99p on amazon right now.

Thank you for reading! let me know if you have read this or  you are interested in the comments.

As Always,

Nelo-Booked Unicorn

This is my Review of the Month for the book review link-up on LovelyAudiobooks.info.