Book Review: Heir to the sky by Amanda Sun

This book had so much going on.

• Monsters
• Floating cities
• That cover
• Man/Woman vs. nature themes
• Romance (lowkey)
• A rebellion
• Villainous fiancee 
• Interesting mythology

BUUUUUT...I  just. Couldn't. Get. Into. It.

Why? Let's delve into it shall we?

I am going to try very hard to describe my mixed feelings for this book and why it was a miss. There were parts I loved and then some that just left me confused? There was so much potential for the story to completely blow us away but in the end there was some essential ingredient missing.

Great concept: Kali is the future heir to a floating kingdom in the sky. She is a true believer of the ancient phoenix that brought them all up there. She is ready to burn for her people and light the way for them. Then things take a turn. A secret she learns leads her to become one of the fallen. Leaving behind the comforts and securities of home, she now has to battle the monsters that plague the earth, if she is to survive.

Okay, so as far as I can remember I have not read many, if any, books about floating continents. Which is why I really dig the idea. While I wanted to enjoy the journey with Kali desperately, I felt myself becoming very detached from her situation. Her thought process irked me because it was very black and white. Very basic, I guess. Her character, especially through the first half of the novel came across as flat. Everything was either good or bad.

I really liked how she was "trained?" by Griffin and his sisters to become equipped to handle danger, but I totally didn't buy HOW good she got in such little time. I mean Griffin had trained all his life to be slaying monsters the way he was. This sheltered little princess comes along and saves him several times giving him a run for his money?

Wait what?

Griffin and Sisters: these were the characters I wanted more of. While Griffin's attraction for Kali was too close to insta-love I found the majority of his reactions pleasantly surprising. Not to mention, he was super at kicking some monster butt. The sisters also surprised me. I don't know why, but I was expecting hostility from all of them. Instead they displayed kindness, compassion, and understanding. Even offered Kali gifts and helped her understand her world and the politics of it.

The Romance:  It was merely an afterthought. The book could have benefited from a deeper chemistry between the pair, but I didn't mind too much. I would much rather have a simple lighter romance that takes a backseat and does not offend then a misplaced heavy handed one that is all about life and death but fails to convince me of its authenticity. Also, no love triangles, thankfully.

The action: I enjoyed all of the monster kills. Esp. the last one Yay! #nospoilers

The revelations: there were some good moments I didn't see coming, which is always neat. Mostly though,the plot was predictable and kinda benign because for the type world Kali lived in the stakes should have been higher.

The ending: too quick and tidy, but then again I am used to reading trilogies/series. For a standalone, I guess it was to be expected. Still, I think the climax could have been heavier...should have made me feel more. I kind wanted to pour out my emotions by the end. Meh. But as I mentioned, the action near the end was particularly hot 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 I found myself fascinated by that scene.

Overall: Of course, I would not read again (I rarely do except my favs). Might read a follow up if one was available, purely for more Griffin and the Benu which I found didn't get the attention they deserved. Also, Jonash seemed like a character with sooooo much potential. But again....standalone.

I wish other people can enjoy this book more than I did. For me though, it was not as exciting as I had hoped. In another universe I am sure this book is somehow more powerful.

Have you read Heir To The Sky? What were your thoughts on it? Liked the romance? Hated it? Which monster was your favourite? Leave a comment below and let's talk!

Also looking for some nice book recommendations. Young adult/ sci-fi/ fantasy. Something like The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. My fav!

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Back in the game

After starting this blog more than ten years ago my life and in turn the blog has gone through so many ups and downs. The goodtimes had me writing and blogging my heart out. And then I started university and unfortunately was unable to keep up with the blogging scene. I made the mistake of deleting the blog. Forward to some years later and it was back up, if only to hold my writing and poetry. Sort of like a showcase. But I have lost all followers and there have been no knew posts. Until this one.

I am glad to be back in the blogging scene. Medschool although stressful and time consuming has been endured. I have grown and changed in so many ways. And I am ready to discover my new voice in the storm that is storytelling. The sparks of imagination fly again. I write again. I Read again. I dream again. And so I blog again. Please come back followers. Come to the dark side with me. There are lots and lots of cookies.

Also I am starting book reviews again. You'll be seeing them posted here (and goodreads) regularly so please leave a comment to encourage me, thanks. Let's talk and discuss books. Super excited! I am looking for new blogs to follow as well so leave a link in the comments and I will be forever greatful.

Take care my lovelies.

The Non Unique State of Things

So today is one of those days. You know the ones. That kind of day.
And I am sitting here procrastinating as usual, diverted temporarily from studying, and wondering to myself: Am I unique? I mean really, actually, truly? What makes me so, or what even ever led to me to think I was to begin with? I bet it was my parents. Probably.

See? Philosophy kind of day.
Seriously though. You are not unique. Think about it. What do you do that no one else can do or already does. For example, here I am, a medical student studying for final year surgery exam. The home stretch and all you know? But that's not unique. Okay okay, so I am also procrastinating, downloading all my favorite sci/fi television shows off the meganet, wondering wow is somebody else also doing this exact thing out there right now? Yeah, I bet they are. Not unique. So now I am being forced to think of everything I do that is mundane and what would be extraordinary?

And really what it?
Nothing.

Questions/ Comments? Go ahead and leave me a thought. Guess what? I bet whatever you write WILL be unique. Or just share your mundaness too. Please and Thank you.

Shine

Not knowing how he feels,
I dream he feels the same.
Not knowing what he sees,
I dream he sees me.
Not knowing what he thinks, what he breathes, what he speaks,
I pray he speaks my name.
Chants it over and over
But.
Let's just say he doesn't--
If his prayer is of some other being. His soul calls to another's.
Well, then surely all dreams must be the realities of parallel universes. Somewhere in the chaos of time and space we must exist as a single entity--
Results of a massive collision of two dying stars.
We must be the sun in each others worlds somewhere.
Me and him.
We must,
Shine.

Bittersweet

Something in me stretches and coils
A burning desire
A consuming fire
And if I am to never tire of these fumes
I must forge a path clean through the streets of my heart,
Through to a centre much more sound and sane,
To a mind much more free than the cage that is your love.
You smoulder, but trap.
You kindle, I crack.
We are such deficits of each other that any fire and all desires burn each street raw
Until I am at the core of you I am nowhere and then when I am there I am also lost.
We are such parodies of lovers that despite all that stretches and coils within me,
I am nothing but an embarrassment of you.
And yet if I were to die within a day,
I would do it scrubbing clean the ash strewn streets,
Our messed up dreams, so that when I am gone,
You are no longer just me.

My Love Has Died And Gone Away

Because my love has died and gone away, ashes to the wind, I grab at every speck of dust, keeping it safe in a crystal box of hope. But every day the sun rays burn through that crystal as if it were wax and my collection comes loose to escape. It flies free to another land where I must chase it.

Because when I thought of digging the grave I realized I'd need flowers to aid me mask the horror of his pale face so I went in search of it. But sad to say even that decay could not please the angels.

Because my love was an unrepentant sinner I cannot even pray for the ground to receive him gently. The dirt is now wet with rain and I think I've stood too long crying in it. If only these tears were not so bloody they could have blended and I could have fooled the lonely souls eagerly watching me.

Because I am bad at lies and forgiving sinners and false hopes and catching wandering ash, my love is no place for me to get lost in. The words like a maze keep twisting and take me into exile, where I stand now and I'll stand here a while longer than necessary. Because so broken I am that my love has died, with pleasure, and gone away.

Stuck

Nobody listens to the screams of those buried underground. What happens to the voices lost beneath the sand? Or the sounds behind the roar of the world? Do they exist past that one desperate moment of relief? Do I dare break my silence? Or let others rule my life forever? Is it wrong to change what I need from what I thought I wanted? Maybe, since I've grown as a person so has my ability to think and decide. Why is it so hard for people to understand I CAN choose for myself, that I will not always be a child requiring guidance. If a flower was forever a seed it would never bloom into a colored beauty, and be trapped within it's shell, always. I crave so desperately the taste of untainted air within bubbled freedom. Now if i could just breathe in and spread out my wings wide. But afraid of falling, I never prepare for flight. I wish there was a ray of light guiding me, a hand that let me take it along for the ride instead of making me follow it. Can't these restrainers be my courage instead? When will I see hope? I wait.