Quarterly Favourites (January-March 2020)

The first quarter of 2020 flew by and it wasn't necessarily all sunshine and rainbows. With the epidemic plunging the world into a global crisis, why not make the time in quarantine a little bit better with some great reads. My favourite genres are science fiction and fantasy so it's no surprise that my top books of the quarter are either fantasy or sci-fi. I absolutely devoured these books in the past few months and hopefully one of this will immerse you whole new worlds. 

I'll be going through the books in the order I've read them so feel free to jump to the review you're interested in: 

• The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon 
• Starsight by (Skyward #2) Brandon Sanderson
• Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet

(Wayfarers #1)

by Becky Chambers

Adult, Science Fiction

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet is a quiet story following the diverse interspecies crew of the patchwork tunnelling ship, the Wayfarer, as they traverse through the galaxy to a distant planet outside governed space. Along the way, they learn more about the other species, each other and the universe they live in. This is an exploration not only of the possibilities of other life forms and intergalactic communities but also a profound study of humanity.

"A small, angry planet, surrounded by warships of people who wanted to control it."

This was a character-driven story, and in some way a character study on humanity with the issues and ideas Becky Chambers intertwined within the stories. The general plot of the story included the classic sci-fi trope (and I mean this in the best way possible) you could want and a multifaceted crew that will keep you invested in their journey. The crew consisted of Ashby who was a gem of a captain, Sissix a badaas and affectionate Aandrisk pilot, Kizzy the eccentric mech tech who honestly might surprise you, the AI-loving comp tech Jenks, Corbin the ever grumpy algae specialist, Ohan the private Navigator, Lovey the always helpful AI and the new addition, Rosemary who has a past to run away from. I just love all of them and how much they deeply and truly cared for one another. Moreover, I loved how they each remained true to their moral compass and didn’t stray from their ethics and morals no matter the situation they were up against. This crew is the most uplifting group of species I’ve read from in a while.

"The people we remember are the ones who decided how our maps should be drawn. Nobody remembers who built the roads."

Moreover, the author did a great job in expanding the universe that you really encounter most species that exist within this world. However, there were many different species mentioned and described within this that it took a while to really have a clear image of most of them in my mind and properly distinguish them from one another. I found myself googling fan arts and noting down the different species to help me fully visualise the characters, which I'll include below. 

Art by Elsa Varland

Alien Species:

• Aandrisk—reptilian species with a flock of feathers on their head and are a touchy/physically affectionate species 
• Aeluon—species covered in sleek fish-like scale that are considered to be beautiful by most species
• Harmagians—glob-like invertebrates 
• Sinat Pairs—four-limbed species covered in white fur which has intricate patterns cut into them, infected by the “Whisperer” which allows them to view the secrets of the Universe but results into their seclusion from the rest of the galaxy 
• Grum—six-limbed species that is a “mix of an otter and caterpillar” and sexually transitions from female to male to neither 
• Quelin—for some reason I picture them as the crustacean from Moana but with Darth Vader’s mask (blue) as their face

I found the discussions on race, privilege, religion, discrimination, prejudice, extremist groups, and the negative and positive aspects of humanity to be so intriguing and exceptionally crafted into a galactic setting. It was very interesting how such issues were made relevant in that setting. An example would be the case with discrimination between different species. The things brought up in those discussions can be easily attributed to modern societal racism based on outward appearances. It was such an intriguing reading experience making those connections. Also, looking at humanity from a completely different angle opened up a whole new avenue to reconsider some of our more problematic attributes, such as violence, prejudicial mentality and so on. It was also interesting to perceive other more positive aspects and learn to appreciate the good in humanity. I just loved the messages this book contained and I honestly don’t want to spoil/give to much away about this.

Overall, I really loved the characters, the messages, the topics explored and the quiet nature of the story. Though I do wish the ending conflict had more time to unfold but, nevertheless, I 100% recommend this and I can’t believe it took me this long to get on this.

The Priory of the Orange Tree 

by Samantha Shannon

Adult, Fantasy

The Priory of the Orange Tree is an enchanting epic fantasy split between multiple perspectives. Sabran Berethnet, a burdened queen who will do everything to protect her people. Ead, a lady-in-waiting with a dangerous affinity of magic and a secret mission to uphold. Tané, an orphaned child aiming to be a dragon rider and will stop at nothing to achieve her ambition. This is a highly feminist tale of adventure, politics, magic and dragons.

World-Building:

Where to begin with this book? Let's star with the world. Samantha Shannon crafted such a complex and rich fantasy world. You could tell that she took the time to flush out the world and the histories of the different parts of this world. As she said in her acknowledgements, she drew inspiration from history to create her world and it clearly shows throughout the book. The West was governed by a constricted religious structure, they fear wyrms likened to stories of European dragons, and have an overall historical European influence throughout. The East was heavily influenced by Asian culture with their architecture, customs and beliefs as they worshipped dragons likened to Chinese dragons. The South, I’m guessing, took inspiration from African culture and landscape. These similarities to our world made it easier to really immerse myself and begin to understand the world and its lore. That said, this world has more fantastical elements namely magic and dragons. Like I previously said, the wyrms of the West were creatures of fire while the dragons of the East had affinities for water and air; complete polar opposites which was why people feared wyrms and worshipped dragons. I just loved how there were dragons from the start, they could talk and there was a variety of them. One of the selling points of this book were the dragons and I’m so glad that this book delivered. 

The beginning was quite jarring. Shannon throws you in the deep end with all the terms she used to reference certain objects, religion and other aspects in the world. Not to mention all the fantastical things within her world. Hence, the first 100 or so pages were quite slow and tedious to get through. But, thank goodness, she included a glossary at the back of the book to help with most of the terminology and history. Albeit, it did take me out of the story when I had to flip to the back. That said, once I had a solid footing in the world, I was able to immerse myself in the reading experience and the story definitely picked up from there. 

My favourite aspect of the entire world-building was without a doubt the mythology and history Shannon interwoven in the story. I loved learning about the history of this world and how they connected to each other. Uncovering the true history of the world was what I felt the overarching mystery of the story as we follow the characters retrace the steps of their ancestors who defeated the Nameless One. And it was so satisfying in the end to know what really happened in the past, partially because the mystery was solved but mostly because it showcased powerful women.

"All stories grow from a seed of truth... They are knowledge after figuration."

Characters:

As the story picked up, I got more insight into our protagonists and really started caring for them. Queen Sabran has a legacy on her shoulders and a duty to her people to conceive an heir so that this ancient enemy will never awaken and wreak havoc on the world, or so their religion dictated. Hence, she was constantly under scrutiny and was burdened with expectations from her people to "do her duty as queen". There was a scene in this book where she describes that she was seen more as a tool rather than an individual, and I truly felt for her at that moment.

Ead is a mage from the South who is undercover as a lady-in-waiting in the court of Inys whose mission is to protect the Berethnet line. She was a fiercely loyal character both to her beliefs and the people she deeply cared about. She was not afraid to do what needed to be done to protect her friends and Ead was such a badass heroine. I found her perspective so interesting as we saw the division of religion within the West. Also, I  love characters who wield magic in a world that fears magic users.

Tané is somewhat detached from the rest of the cast of characters since she was one of the few perspectives we have on the East and it was intriguing to see the drastic difference in beliefs between the West and the East. She was such an enigma at the start and I really wanted to know more about her importance to the story as she was a unique perspective as she was the only narrator who worshipped dragons (for good reason). And honestly, I just loved seeing her in action, seeing her interaction with her dragon, Nayimathun, and her own role to the story. I just wished we got to see more of her and there would’ve been greater attention to the East and its history like what the author did with the West. There is so much potential for further expansion in this world and further characterisation of Tané especially.

The other characters we follow were Artheloth “Loth” Beck, who was a close friend to both Sabran and Ead, and Niclays Roos, a banished alchemist who dreams of creating an elixir of life and who was plagued with grief over losing his beloved. Loth was presented as a virtuous man and throughout the story, you could see his internal struggle with accepting the conflicting views of his religion. It was also a coming-of-age tale from him as he went from a sheltered lord to someone with expanded horizons. Niclays perspective offered further insight into Eastern culture as he was banished to the East, as well as a somewhat non-religious stance. He was a person who served his own gain and does everything he can to survive in a world that was, quite frankly, constantly trying to kill him. Niclays was the mad scientist in this story, and sometimes you hate him for his actions, while other times you feel sorry for him and what he’s been through.

Themes:

What I loved about this world was how feminist it was. We have a Queendom, mages and warriors in the South who were predominantly women, a religion that praised a female warrior princess, myths and legends about powerful historical figures and most of our protagonists were kick-ass, amazing women. It was such a joy to see the spotlight on them, and they were inspirational. It showcased that women are powerful in their own rights, that they are not defined by stereotypes, that they are effective leaders and that they can change the world for the better. I had such an appreciation reading about Tané, Ead and Sabran as they embarked on their respective journeys that had a massive impact in their world.

"No woman should be made to fear that she is not enough."

As I said sporadically throughout, there is so much commentary on religion as the story presented a variety of religions which led to a division of the world. Religion was the main aspect, in my opinion, which resulted in the world being divided into different factions of beliefs. It honestly mirrors our reality in that way as our society is divided by our varying beliefs and customs. Though, I just hope that we won’t unite only in the face of a common enemy. In terms of representation, there were people of colour and LGBT+ relationships that I will not spoil.

Plot/Story:

The plot is quite complex. We follow a variety of characters on different journeys which converge at the climax of the book. As I mentioned previously, we have Ead and Sabran whose perspectives gives us insight into what was happening in Inys. As well as, some of the events in the South which was further shown through Loth's perspective. While Tané's and Niclays' perspectives gave us insight into the East and, of course, dragon-riding-related content. The story shifts between these perspectives to give us a full picture of the situation. 

As this is an epic fantasy standalone, there were certain elements that were drastically cut or shortened. When certain characters were travelling somewhere, we didn't get to see the middle of their respective journey. To those who love these scenes, you will most likely feel annoyed that they were cut out. Personally, I didn’t mind that they were not included because I either find them boring or they give me anxiety because I'm dying to know the end of said journey. The conciseness of the story also led some convenient plot points, such as characters easily figuring out a puzzle. Again, I can look past this as I honestly enjoyed that the story focused on the pivotal moments, and given my current reading mood, it was what I wanted. However, I do also agree with some reviews that this should have been at least a duology to really flush out the world and characters. It would have also made a massive improvement to the climax of the story if it had been more drawn out.

Which brings me to my biggest complaint which was the ending. Wow... was that ending rushed. Unlike the previous scenes, I could just make up my own story in my head of what happened to the characters when they were off the page in their own adventure (or there is that potential of future novellas), but the ending... I couldn't look past it. There was so much build-up to the climax, and the “epic” battle ended too quickly for my liking and we only had 1 perspective on that. And that battle happened in 2 areas of the world and we were left in the dark on the other battle. This book could’ve been made into a duology or, honestly, just make it a 1000-page book so that at least the conclusive battle would have been more drawn out and we got to see a satisfying climax. I can’t give this book the full 5-stars because of this glaring condensation in the what should have been the most impactful moment of the entire book. With the others, I enjoyed that aspect but not with the climax. It cheapened the ending for me and it hurts me since I thought that this was going to be one of my new favourite books of all time. Nevertheless, this book was still one of my favourites I've read in recent months.

""The one who wears the chains is a thousand times greater than the one who wields them.""

Overall Thoughts:

Overall, I loved The Priory of the Orange Tree with its enthralling fantastical world, its diverse cast of characters, and the myths and legends interwoven within the story which enriched the world and characters. There is so much potential to expand this story even further which I  hope Shannon will do in the future. That climax was my one gripe with this story, but other than that, I would highly recommend this book, especially if you’re someone who feels intimidated by fantasy. I know that this is a behemoth of a book but think of it as a trilogy in an 800-page standalone. 

Starsight

(Skyward #2)

by Brandon Sanderson

Young Adult, Science Fiction

Starsight picks off a few months after the conclusion to Skyward where our crew made life-altering discovers that may or may not save the human race. After Spensa and M-Bot steal information from the Krell, they learned that the whole galaxy is out to get them with the Krell only one of the many aliens that make up the Superiority. And, surprisingly, they are afraid of humans and cytonics, like Spensa, who have the power to listen to the stars. The DDF and the rest of humanity are desperate to find hyperdrives to escape their desolate prison, Detritus. When an opportunity to steal a hyperdrive presents itself, Spensa wastes no time in seizing it because it may just be humanity’s last hope for survival.

World-Building:

Sanderson wasted no time in expanding the world even further. Starsight is set in a popular hub, Starsight within Superiority space and features a diverse cast of alien species which reminded me of A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. Some of the alien races are so unique and bizarre while others are more common if you read other sci-fi stories, and a particular species I find so adorable.

What makes the different societies (the humans vs the Superiority) rather interesting is their view of aggression. In Skyward , we saw how aggression was favoured within the Detritus colony, however in this sequel we get another perspective on aggressive behaviour. Within the Superiority, any form of aggression is viewed as ‘primative’ and does not align to their views of ‘primary intelligence’. Through Spensa’s interaction with the different species on Starsight , we saw how much the government tries to promote peaceful/passive behaviour but their perspective is juxtaposed with Spensa’s as she live through the oppression the Superiority subject to her people. It made for a difficult situation where you can see both sides of the story, and really added to Spensa’s internal conflict and further character growth. 

""We encourage species to be more and more like us... But at the cost of individuality? That we must find a way to change""

Characters:

Speaking of Spensa, I really loved the direction her character is going towards. In the beginning, she starts off confused with her cytonic abilities and as the book progressed, we witness her feeling the burden of her entire colony on her shoulders when she infiltrated Starsight. This installment really highlighted more of Spensa’s internal fears and conflicts as she struggles with her new perspective of the galaxy and the threat her newfound powers possesses and how it could ultimately impact her humanity. And let me tell you that her powers were equal part incredibly useful as she can listen in on cytonic communication and self-hyperjump (when she has the proper training) but also equal part horrifying as she always passes through the ‘nowhere’ where the eyes were watching her (talk about creepy). I love watching her character grow and her lying is always something to behold. 

Moving onto my two favourite sidekicks, M-Bot and Doomslug! I loved M-Bot from the moment he awoke. I just love his sarcasm, his view on ‘organics’ and, in this book, his existential crisis. Honestly, I feel like most of this book is him asking Spensa if she thinks he is alive, and that discussion of what it means to be alive gave me more of A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet vibes with that topic. Though, Sanderson’s approach to that had that dash of M-Bot personality. And now to Doomslug who we found out is a ‘she’ and now plays an important part to our story. Not gonna say anything more than that and that I also want my own Doomslug. 

""Feelings aren't proof. Feelings are the opposite of proof." ... "Not when the thing you're trying to prove is someone's humanity.""

We didn’t get to see much of Skyward Flight with the whole different setting so it was sad to not spend as much time with Kimmalyn, Jorgen, FM, Nedd, Arturo , Cobb and Spensa’s family. I missed the banter and dynamics between these characters and though I did like some of the new characters introduced and I’m curious to see what they’ll bring to the story in the long term, we didn’t have that much page time with them. 

Plot/Story:

Similar to Skyward, there is quite the number of flight battles featured in the story though this time around it's set in space. However, I felt like their were not as intense as the ones in Skyward because the crew involved species from the Superiority and they don't like showing passion in violence. 

Similar to Skyward, there is quite the number of flight battles featured in the story though this time around it's set in space. However, I felt like they were not as intense as the ones in Skyward because the crew involved species from the Superiority and they don't like showing passion in violence. The lack of life-threatening panic in some of the real battles also lessened the stakes of the story. There were moments of Spensa’s wicked flying and I just loved watching her destroy her enemies.

With the plot of the story revolving around espionage, I felt like we didn’t get to see a lot of action with the ‘heist.’ The whole undercover aspect was more so Spensa expanding her perspective on the galaxy and learning the customs of different alien races. Also, it doesn’t add to the stakes if your opponent is non-aggressive since some of the Superiority will just run and hide and wait for the ‘lesser,’ more aggressive species to take care of the problem. So in terms of the amount of action in this book Skyward has more of those epic battle scenes.

Overall Thoughts:

Starsight was definitely more focused on the expansion of the world and exploration of Spensa’s cytonic abilities. While I still enjoyed Skyward more, this was a great sequel and I honestly cannot wait for the next book. The last part was truly amazing and the ending was a cliffhanger and I just the third book now!

Strange the Dreamer 

(Strange the Dreamer #1)

by Laini Taylor

Young Adult, Fantasy

Strange the Dreamer is a story filled with dreams, gods, monsters, mysteries and love. Lazlo Strange, an orphan turned library apprentice, has always dreamed of travelling to the lost city of Weep. Though, he fears that he does not have the courage or skill to make it to this mythical city. When a strange band of travellers arrives the library, looking for volunteers to help solve the troubles plaguing Weep, Lazlo jumps at the chance to fulfil his dreams. However, the lost city of Weep holds secrets too fantastical for the scientific and the dreamers alike which could cause devastating consequences. 

""You're a storyteller. Dream up something wild and improbable. Something beautiful and full of monsters.""

I’ve heard so many reviewers praising Laini Taylor for her lush writing style and they weren’t wrong. The author had such a way with words and I found myself immersed in the story with how vividly she described the setting, atmosphere and magic of story. Taylor had a way to bring life to every aspect of the world to create a memorable reading experience The beautiful storytelling was what ultimately made me fall in love with the setting and the characters.

Read full non-spoiler review (with a spoiler section) here!