I read a lot, and though it took me longer to read due to having a newborn, I felt like I flew through Strike the Zither by Joan He and can't wait to read the sequel when it comes out. It has made me want to get her other books to read when I have some time. I was first brought into the story through the beautiful cover art and character art at the beginning of the novel. A fictionalized story loosely based on Chinese history, the book nods to the Chinese culture through the art styles, the chapter numbers in Chinese script, and the names of the characters.
The plot follows Zephyr, a strategist for a landless lordess Xin Ren. Zephyr somehow manages to survive a multitude of near death experiences and gets Ren out of many scrapes as they fight for what Ren believes is right. Without spoiling too much, Zephyr goes to the enemy's side to try and recruit more support for Ren. In doing so, she finds people she'd never thought she would see again and made a multitude of frenemies along the way. She is often forced to make the difficult choices that no one else is capable of making, often making her hated and loved at the same time.
One of the things I loved about the story is I couldn't predict everything that would happen. Like Zephyr, I think I can predict what will come next, and once again, like Zephyr, I'm left surprised often about what happens when Zephyr gains new friends and faces more betrayals as she seeks to lead Ren to the power she deserves. Definitely consider this story if you like political intrigue mixed with a healthy dose of fantasy. I'll definitely be picking up more stories from Joan He in the future.
I received "Duskfire Dragon's Mate" by Zoe Chant as an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC). "Duskfire Dragon's Mate" is a shifter romance between a human and a dragon who had a lot of misunderstandings in their past. While trying to avoid too many spoilers, Maya had fled from Corin and the human world to Hideaway Cove, a safe haven for shifters, to protect her son, Tomas, in the previous story, "The Lightning Dragon's Mate." Maya receives a mystery package that brings Corin back into her life. Worried about her son, Maya agrees to allow Corin to stay and they begin to discover a world of misunderstandings, not just their own. It's a sweet story of new beginnings and second chances, as well strengthening of familial bonds with some surprising twists in the plot. Also, who can resist Tomas' adorable baby dragon antics and stealing of gold? Though this is the 4th book in Chant's Hideaway Cove series, it can be read as a standalone. Howe...
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