Images from Goodreads
[16] Daughter of the Blood (The Black Jewels, #1) by Anne Bishop
Fiction / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy, recommendation from Tricia
Trigger Warnings: Abuse, Child Abuse, Inappropriate sexual conduct with minors
Synopsis: The prophecy of a new all-powerful Queen/Witch is coming true, but she is young and susceptible to influence, and the existing Queen wants her dead before she comes to power.
Review: I have so much to say about this book. Does that synopsis sound confusing? It’s because this book is confusing and not set up well. It’s set in a kingdom with three realms (one being hell) with witches and warlords, where their jewel color dictates their power level and societal rank. There are also common people with no powers/magic. How hard would it have been to explain that in the beginning of the book? Not hard. I got that all from a Goodreads review.
It was prophesized that a new Queen, so powerful she’d be known as Witch (???) would appear, but it didn’t happen for centuries. When it finally does, everyone wants to influence her, including Saetan (Satan) and his son Daemon (who also goes by three other names, which is very confusing), and the existing Queen. This new potential Queen, Janelle, needs to be protected though – she’s only twelve and her family does not take care of her and thinks she’s crazy.
In this world, women are in power and control all the men, especially sexually. There are men who are sex slaves and controlled by a ring around their penis. There’s abuse of these slaves.
I did not think I would finish this book, but it finally became interesting about 40% in, when I started to understand a bit more. The ending was exciting, but I don’t understand what happened, or how it ended. Not because of a cliffhanger, but because of bad scene building and explanation of WTF is going on, and what all the magic means, and etc. etc. Just what the heck. How are there ten of the book in this series that people love?
And am I curious about book 2? Yes, only because I don’t understand what happened at the end of one. Do I recommend this?
Recommend? NOPE
[17] Da Vinci’s Cat by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Juvenile Fiction / Science Fiction / Time Travel, saw in “available now” on Libby
Synopsis: A young boy living in sixteenth-century Rome stumbles across a wardrobe and realizes it’s magical when a kitten goes in and comes out as a cat. He soon learns people can travel through it too, and ends up being connected to a young girl in present-day New Jersey.
Review: I needed a palate cleanser after the last book and went with this time travel middle grade book and it was just what I needed! The story ended up being really cute, and it was fun to read the author’s take on what these virtuosos (Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, etc.) were like back in their time. The 16th century young boy was annoying but we’ll chalk that up to him being a product of his time, ha.
Recommend? Yes
[18] The Boy Who Runs: The Odyssey of Julius Achon by John Brant
Sports & Recreation / Running & Jogging, gift from Dad
Synopsis: Julius Achon was kidnapped and forced to be a boy solider in his native Uganda at the age of twelve. He escaped and became determined to do something untraditional with Ugandan customs with his life, so he became a professional runner and went to the US, but his heart was always in Uganda.
Review: I loved that I knew nothing about Achon’s story when I read this, so everything was new to me. I was surprised to learn he ran as a pacer in the Nike Oregon Project with Rupp and Goucher, but when I read more, it made sense why I’d never heard of him – they treated him like he was nothing but a pacer. But that’s getting ahead of myself, and a bit spoiler-y although most reading this will have no idea what I am talking about. Achon’s story is inspiring and heartbreaking. He has such a pure soul and desire to help his people, despite the struggles he’s gone through – even when he really could have used the money he was making himself, he sent it back to Uganda. I loved reading the history of Uganda and about their customs and seeing how it shaped Achon’s life and his actions. I definitely recommend this!
Recommend? Yes!
