Have I prepared some adjectives that are perfect to describe the notorious July 2021? I'll start with exhausting, because excluding the times I had to stay up late for work, the sleepless nights came again on some occasions even when my body was tired and it had practically begged sleep to claim me. Unexpected might be fitting to come second—a lot of things happened this month, stirred up my emotion, and that's that—which made it in a way memorable: it taught me that what's not meant to be mine will never be mine no matter how bad I’m hoping it to. In conclusion, it's a so-so season, precisely like how my reading progress has been thus far.
(Please skip this part if you haven't read Skyward)
Following where we left off in the first book, Starsight starts six months after the Battle of Alta Second. Now an official pilot for the DDF, Spensa learns the hard truth about her kind: they can hear the stars and it's terrifying. When an unknown creature crashes Detritus and it seems like she has the ability like Spensa does, she decides to go outside her planet to discover the secret of the Superiority and save humankind in the process.
Going through this book from Spensa's point of view was still as fun as before, though the spot specialized for a favorite was now miraculously held by M-Bot. Exactly like I had hoped earlier, our female main character got so much better here. Although, despite the creditable development, Spensa's training in Starsight didn't feel as interesting as her time schooling back in Detritus. It even felt a bit... dull at some point. However, Starsight amazed me in a way that Skyward never could: the world-building and fictional creatures were definitely top-notch.
Following the story of the name bearer, Nicola and the Viscount tells the tale of a sixteen-year-old orphan girl. Now that she has finished school, Nicola is ready to truly dive into real society with her best friend Eleanor Sheridan. Captivated by the godly Lord Sebastian Bartholomew, Nicola longs for a marriage proposal from the viscount himself. Of course, she considers herself the luckiest girl in the world when it happens sooner than she thought it would. So when Nathaniel Sheridan points out lots of things wrong with her fiancé, Nicola is quick to come to his defense. It's just that, it turns out that there is something really wrong with the viscount, and Nicola has to make things right before it is too late.
To sum up, I think it suffices to say that this book, though lacking it was of character development, was quite addictive. The characters were amusing as well as fun, and I ended up liking Nat as much as I did Michael Moscovitz from The Princess Diaries. If you're looking for a super-light read whilst finding yourself in the mood for something Romantic Period-related, consider this book the answer to your thirst. Just don't expect something too complicated and you'll enjoy it too.
The Winner's Curse follows the story of a seventeen-year-old Valorian named Krestel. As the general's daughter, Krestel is expected to enlist in the military. However, her lack of fighting skills and her love for music set her heart on something else. Krestel likes strategies. She just doesn't want to fight or kill. One day, when Krestel and her best friend Jess stumble upon an auction of Herrani slaves, something impulsive happens. Krestel ends up buying a blacksmith named Arin for fifty gold coins. This being her first time buying a slave, Krestel doesn't know what to do of him other than get him home and put him in the slave's quarter. The thing is, Arin himself has a deep secret too, and no matter the consequences, both can't stop their feeling to grow even if it means betrayal to their very tribe.
Overall, I don't think The Winner's Curse was a book for me, but for you maybe it would be. I genuinely understand why so many people love it and why this opinion can be considered vastly unpopular: this book was quite enjoyable and interesting. Therefore, even though I'm still debating whether or not I should pick up the next installment, I would still recommend it to you if you love a fast-paced fantasy book like The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller.
