Title: The Sunbearer Trials

Series: The Sunbearer Duology #1

Author: Aidan Thomas

“Only the most powerful and honorable semidioses get chosen. I’m just a Jade. I’m not a real hero.”

As each new decade begins, the Sun’s power must be replenished so that Sol can keep traveling along the sky and keep the evil Obsidian gods at bay. Ten semidioses between the ages of thirteen and eighteen are selected by Sol himself as the most worthy to compete in The Sunbearer Trials. The winner carries light and life to all the temples of Reino del Sol, but the loser has the greatest honor of all―they will be sacrificed to Sol, their body used to fuel the Sun Stones that will protect the people of Reino del Sol for the next ten years.

Teo, a 17-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of Quetzal, goddess of birds, has never worried about the Trials…or rather, he’s only worried for others. His best friend Niya―daughter of Tierra, the god of earth―is one of the strongest heroes of their generation and is much too likely to be chosen this year. He also can’t help but worry (reluctantly, and under protest) for Aurelio, a powerful Gold semidiós and Teo’s friend-turned-rival who is a shoo-in for the Trials. Teo wouldn’t mind taking Aurelio down a notch or two, but a one-in-ten chance of death is a bit too close for Teo’s taste.

But then, for the first time in over a century, Sol chooses a semidiós who isn’t a Gold. In fact, he chooses two: Xio, the 13-year-old child of Mala Suerte, god of bad luck, and…Teo. Now they must compete in five mysterious trials, against opponents who are both more powerful and better trained, for fame, glory, and their own survival.

I have a new fave of 2022!!!

Teo is a semidioses (half god, half human) and is selected to compete in the Sunbearer Trials although he is a Jade and not a Gold which shook him to his very core…..at first. You’ll learn that Teo pretty much takes everything in his stride which I loved about him.

With his 2 friends, Xio and Niya they compete in the Trials along with 8 others including twins, Aurelio and Auristela.

Reading this was so much fun, I was hooked! It was sprinkled with humour and I was enamoured with the descriptions of all the places, the hierarchy and their world. Coupled with this was the utter acceptance of everyone and who they were and who they loved. It was beautiful. This book is actually educational too….I had to look up what a cloaca was!!!!!

This book totally stands on its own, it doesn’t need to be compared to anything. I absolutely loved every minute of it especially what I think was LotR shoutout at the end! Now I need book 2!!!!

Fairyloot Adult – August 2022

Arcane History

Apparently a wonderful dark academia book filled with secret society, student revolution, colonial resistance and the importance of language.

Babel by RF Kuang

Exclusive cover with 2 foils
Digital sprayed edges
Design on hardcover with foil details
Artwork on the endpapers @avendellart
Signed

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Topic: Books with Geographical Terms in the Title

What a great topic! I do have a lot of books with the word city in so I was well away here!!!!

Beach Read by Emily Henry
House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon
A Little Bit Country by Brian D Kennedy
Crescent City by Sarah J Maas

City of Ghosts by VE Schwab
City of Brass by SA Chakraborty
Enslaved by the Ocean by Bella Jewel
Sea of Ruin by Pam Godwin
All the Tides of Fate by Adalyn Grace

What books would you choose?

Title: Mindwalker

Series:

Author: Kate Dylan

Eighteen-year-old Sil Sarrah is determined to die a legend. In the ten years she’s been rescuing imperilled field agents for the Syntex Corporation—by commandeering their minds from afar and leading them to safety—Sil hasn’t lost a single life. And she’s not about to start now.

She’s got twelve months left on the clock before the supercomputer grafted to her brain kills her, and she’s hell-bent on using that time to cement her legacy. Sil’s going to be the only Mindwalker to ever pitch a perfect game—even despite the debilitating glitches she’s experiencing. But when a critical mission goes south, Sil is forced to flee the very company she once called home.

Desperate to prove she’s no traitor, Sil infiltrates the Analog Army, an activist faction working to bring Syntex down. Her plan is to win back her employer’s trust by destroying the group from within. Instead, she and the Army’s reckless leader, Ryder, uncover a horrifying truth that threatens to undo all the good Sil’s ever done.

With her tech rapidly degrading and her new ally keeping dangerous secrets of his own, Sil must find a way to stop Syntex in order to save her friends, her reputation—and maybe even herself.

I was really excited to read this, it sounded unique and right up my alley!

Sil Sarrah is a mindwalker, she has tech implanted in her and she takes over people’s minds to get them out of trouble. But there’s a time limit on her life because of it.

After a mistake, Sil finds herself on the run trying to get answers and hangs with a resistance member, Ryder Stone, who is also on a quest for answers.

Firstly let me say that I nearly stopped reading this book 30% odd in because of 1 thing. The incessant use of ‘Christ that..’. It wasn’t just a few times it was used, it was sprinkled about like confetti and got right on my wick!

But really that is my only criticism.

There was intrigue, drama, action, twists with the story that totally hooked me. There was one bit that did make me pause…and reread….and think. It was how their world got to where it is now. ‘Radioactive storms, epidemics, tsunamis, droughts . . . every worst-case scenario in the book started killing us off.’ Time to start the bunker prepping!

I’m also a sucker for a leading guy and it appears I am a sucker for Ryder Stone! 

‘Do not let them rule you. Do not let them own you. Do not surrender control.’

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

Hi everyone, hope you’ve had a good week?

A week of great sadness for us here with the passing of our Queen, Elizabeth, on Thursday. The only monarch I’ve known. I feel absolutely so sad. I’m not an emosh person but I shed some tears. What a great lady. And now we have a King, King Charles III. It feels so surreal.

It was back to school for my son this week and us getting back into the same routine, it was tiring!

As well as the below reads I’ve started listening to Babel but it’s huge so no way I would’ve got it finished this week, hopefully next week!

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What I’ve Read

Heartless by Marissa Meyer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
See my review here.

🎧 Lightlark by Alex Aster
Unfortunately a DNF at 40% for me.

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New arrivals

Nothing this week! Look how good I’m being!

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You might have missed…..

Review – The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
Unboxing – Fairyloot YA: August 22
Unboxing – Ember Stag: Join the Foxes
Review – It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
Feature – Books I want releasing in October

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What have you read lately?

Part of me loves doing these posts because then I can try and stick to buying just these but then another part of me thinks I should be posting more books that are releasing to appeal to more people.

What do you think? Just post what books I am looking forward to….or more?

I’ll look at your comments and go from there!

These are 2 books that are releasing in October that I want!

Strike the Zither by Joan He
The Whispering Dark by Kelly Andrew

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What books are you looking forward to?

Title: It Happened One Summer

Series: Bellinger Sisters #1

Author: Tessa Bailey

Piper Bellinger is fashionable, influential, and her reputation as a wild child means the paparazzi are constantly on her heels. When too much champagne and an out-of-control rooftop party lands Piper in the slammer, her stepfather decides enough is enough. So he cuts her off, and sends Piper and her sister to learn some responsibility running their late father’s dive bar… in Washington.

Piper hasn’t even been in Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won’t last a week outside of Beverly Hills. So what if Piper can’t do math, and the idea of sleeping in a shabby apartment with bunk beds gives her hives. How bad could it really be? She’s determined to show her stepfather—and the hot, grumpy local—that she’s more than a pretty face.

Except it’s a small town and everywhere she turns, she bumps into Brendan. The fun-loving socialite and the gruff fisherman are polar opposites, but there’s an undeniable attraction simmering between them. Piper doesn’t want any distractions, especially feelings for a man who sails off into the sunset for weeks at a time. Yet as she reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in Westport, Piper starts to wonder if the cold, glamorous life she knew is what she truly wants. LA is calling her name, but Brendan—and this town full of memories—may have already caught her heart. 

It’s not often I get this hooked into a book and devour it but I did with this book!

Oh I absolutely loved this!!!!!

After making a monumental mistake, Piper’s stepdad sends her off to her deceased dad’s fisherman town and bar to sort herself out and her sister, Hannah, tags along too.

There she finds a dilapidated bar and apartment and bumps into fisherman, Brendan, who has lived in small town, Westport forever.

Piper is so sweet, I loved her and Brendan is a man I want to know!!!!!!

How their relationshop developed, their chemistry, the tension, their quiet banter made my heart bloom!

I can’t wait to read the next book now and I know that IHOS will be a book I reread over and over again! 5 wheelhouse stars!

So you know I have an addiction to bookish candles….well I’ve been at it again and grabbed the Join the Foxes Limited edition candle box from Ember Stag Candles!

It’s based on the All for the Game Trilogy (Foxhole Court) by Nora Sakavic, a series I am obsessed with!

🕯The Foxhole Court candle
🕯Edgar Allen Ravens
🕯Cracker Dust candle

🫕You are a pipe dream melts
🥛Minyard and Josten mason jar (with straw!)
🎒Palmetto State Foxes tote bag
🧦Orange and white team socks
🔑Fox Tower key ring



I love all of this and the candles will have pride of place in my shelf!

August Young Adult theme – TELL ME LIES!

There are so many different lies: lies of omission, denial, fabrication and exaggeration. But what about the white lies that are told on a daily basis, whether to our selves or to others?

Items inspired by Gilded, Romeo and Juliet, an item inspired by a mix of fandoms and a fandom neutral item.

🖤 Bookshelf Tote designed by @chattynora
🖤 List Pad featuring a quote from Romeo and Juliet, designed by @catarinabookdesigns
🖤 Celestial Jewelry Box designed by @Jezhawk
🖤 Gilded Pin (Marissa Meyer) designed by @no0nedesigns
🖤 Mythology Bookmarks – Anansi and Apate with art by @gracezhuart
🖤 Tarot Cards illustrated by @arz28 with characters from Only a Monster

BOOK OF THE MONTH

Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen

Exclusive cover
Ombre sprayed edges
Artwork on hardcover by @_saintdri
Endpaper art by @_saintdri
Signed bookplate