tara sim – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 400 pages
Author: Tara Sim
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books
Release Date: June 25th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Frankenstein meets Indian mythology in this twisty, darkly atmospheric fantasy where the horror is not the monsters you face but the ones you create.

After her sister Lasya’s sudden death, Kajal vows to do whatever it takes to bring her back. No cost is too great, even if it means preventing Lasya’s soul from joining the cycle of reincarnation. But as Kajal prepares for the resurrection, her sister’s trapped soul warps into a bhuta—a violent, wraith-like spirit hell-bent on murdering those who wronged it in life. With each kill, the bhuta becomes stronger and fiercer, and Kajal’s chances of resurrecting Lasya with her soul intact grow slimmer.

Blamed for Lasya’s rampage and condemned as a witch, Kajal is locked away with little hope of escape. That is, until two strangers who label themselves rebels arrive and offer to free her. The catch: She must resurrect the kingdom’s fallen crown prince, aiding their coup to overthrow the usurper who sits the throne. Desperate to return to Lasya’s body, Kajal rushes to revive the crown prince . . . only to discover that she’s resurrected another boy entirely.

All her life, Kajal has trusted no one but her sister. But with Lasya dead and rebels ready to turn her over to the usurper’s ruthless soldiers, Kajal is forced to work with the boy she mistakenly revived. Together, they must find the crown prince before the rebels discover her mistake, or the bhuta finally turns its murderous fury on the person truly responsible for Lasya’s death: Kajal.

Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tour and Penguin Teen for the gifted book.

INTRIGUED.

This was a total cover read and I really enjoyed the inside of this book too! I loved that this was based in Indian mythology (not something I know a lot about so I loved the author’s note at the end explaining different aspects). Not to mention there’s an undead dog that is a shining character in his own right.

I love how loyal Kajal was to her sister and their story. While I did feel the pacing was off for more than half of the book I started getting invested towards the end as reveals and further plot lines were revealed. I enjoyed the world building and found the magic system to be intricate and dark. The necromancy and reincarnation created a perfectly spooky atmosphere.

I’m looking forward to further expansion of these characters and how it will all come together in that forever battle of good vs. evil and the balance it takes to maintain the world. And there’s a subtle slow burn romance that I must see more of!!

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy
Language: low
Romance: kisses
Violence: high
Content Warnings: loss of loved one, weapons violence

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Young adult fantasy + retelling
Length: 336 pages
Author: Tara Sim
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: January 7th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When Amaya rescues a mysterious stranger from drowning, she fears her rash actions have earned her a longer sentence on the debtor ship where she’s been held captive for years. Instead, the man she saved offers her unimaginable riches and a new identity, setting Amaya on a perilous course through the coastal city-state of Moray, where old-world opulence and desperate gamblers collide. Amaya wants one thing: revenge against the man who ruined her family and stole the life she once had. But the more entangled she becomes in this game of deception—and as her path intertwines with the son of the man she’s plotting to bring down—the more she uncovers about the truth of her past. And the more she realizes she must trust no one…

Packed with high-stakes adventure, romance, and dueling identities, this gender-swapped retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo is the first novel in an epic YA fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sabaa Tahir, and Leigh Bardugo.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

THE COUNTESS IS HERE.

I feel like I first need to note that I know nothing about The Count of Monte Cristo. Unfortunately that means, I can’t really speak to how well the retelling went. What I can say is that I reallllly enjoyed this book.

Countess Yamaa, aka Amaya was a force to be reckoned with. She’s still a bit naive in this installment and has some more growing to do. There was a nice character build around her and her arc is showing great promise. Amaya has had to battle her way back from a heinous situation that leaves a mystery in its wake. I love her fierce protectiveness over the younger children around her and her tenacity to get the job done.

Her burgeoning romance with Cayo is a bit dry for me, but they did have some good moments. I love the tiny chances when they were together and both able to be who they wanted, not what was forced of them at the time. There’s definitely some sparks and connection there. I have hopes for how book two will round out.

I would have loved a little more revenge aspect. Amaya talked about it a lot, but it took her a real long time to do anything about it. The late middle section of the book is when her lust for vengeance started to come alive. I like this darker edge to her personality and gives a lot more depth to her character.

Cayo took some time to grow on me. What I appreciated most was his focus and love for his sister, Soria. Their tightbond was amazing and it drove all of Cayo’s decisions [and mistakes]. I did love him by the end and was impressed with the new leaf he was attempting to turn over after falling into a gambling addiction.

The only thing this book is lacking is world-building. There were mentions of a lot of different kingdoms and nations but I knew nothing about them. I think a map or a more direct description of the world surrounding Amaya would drastically help my understanding of the lands.

This was a great, quick, fluid read. I found myself wanting to turn back to it and curious to what happens next. I definitely can’t wait for book two and hope I get a lot more revenge from my girl, Amaya.

Overall audience notes:

Young adult fantasy retelling
Language: some
Romance: a few kisses
Violence: physical
Trigger warnings: children being sold to debtor ships as labor, child abuse, gambling addiction, someone being drugged without their consent