The heart wants what the heart wants, and our hearts want books.

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I don’t know how it’s going at your house dear readers, but it’s hot here.  My people are out of school for summer and they’re already pestering me about when we can go to the beach.  Well darling children, we do have those plans, and have already communicated them to you repeatedly, but as for me and my book, I am counting down the days until I get to take this hold off the shelf and open it up!  If you too are longing to take a “trip” to the beach before you can physically get there, join us in reading Emily Henry’s Beach Read and discussing it on June 18th at 7:30pm Central Time.  Be sure to SIGN UP HERE to get the directions (aka link) to the Virtual Book Club beach house!  

I’ve had a headline show up in my feed for the past few days (and naturally not today) about how YA dystopian trilogies are no longer a pop culture thing and it made me sad.  While I haven’t (yet) read The Hunger Games, I’ve read many a YA novel, and most of those are either dystopian or fantasy, and they are a special love of mine.  So when, in the second chapter of Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean, I texted Ashley with “THIS IS THE SELECTION WITH MAGIC?!” and then she replied with “this one? you mean all of themz?” I was not ok.  Once we got her ish dealt with and she realized I was talking about The Selection trilogy by Kiera Cass, I felt much better. [Ashley here: I thought she was saying our blog ‘selection’ not ‘The Selection.’ It’s VERY difficult to understand a text message with all capital letters that comes out of literally nowhere. Carry on.] I do, however, want to amend my statement – this is The Selection meets The Hunger Games with magic instead of technology (yes, there is a Game Maker equivalent!) and it was EVERYTHING I wanted it to be!

I want to say all the things about Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean, which likely means I should say very few things about it.  There is mythology perfectly placed throughout the story.  There is gorgeous world-building that places us firmly in both the rural and urban locations in feudal Japan, but also among the fantastical inhabitants and magic of it as well.  The writing is gorgeous, and suits the three characters who lend their perspectives to the reader.  This is a powerful text discussing young people finding their place in the world, slavery and racism, and how we deal with grief and loss.  

I want to share some of my favorite mic drop moments in Empress of All Seasons, just out of context.  There were so many amazing nuggets of wisdom scattered throughout and here are some that I love best:

“He was good at wearing masks. His favorite was a formidable expression. He used it often. So often that sometimes he forgot who lay beneath.”

“Isn’t that the foundation of bravery, resilience coupled with an iron will?”

“Do not let your fear decide your fate.”

“I am [spoilers removed] and whatever else I deem worthy and part of myself. I choose. No one else.”

I’m giving Empress of All Seasons 4.5 stars, rounding up to 5 for an amazing story, beautifully written.  I’m also really interested in her May 18, 2021 release – Tokyo Ever After (#1), and may have already recommended it to my local library!  

What have you read recently that reminds you of an old favorite?

~Nikki 

As Nikki said above, Emiko Jean is a YA author of 3 published works: 2015’s We’ll Never Be Apart, 2018’s Empress of All Seasons, and 2021’s new release and Reese’s YA Bookclub pick Tokyo Ever After. According to her website bio, she’s written “more than half a dozen” other books that have been rejected by agents and publishers, and admits that her Twilight Fan-Fiction exists on the internet but if you bring it to her attention she will “deny that she ever wrote it.” She’s a mom of twins and lives in Washington with them and her husband. When you read the acknowledgements at the end of Empress of All Seasons, Jean admits that during the publication of the novel she was pregnant for them, in the hospital on bedrest, had them early at thirty-one weeks, and then the babies spent a month in the NICU. Can you imagine the labor of love to birth a book at the same time as twins?! Nope, me either. Obviously it takes a village to accomplish both! Additional note, IceyDesigns is the creator of Jean’s website, and we know from this blog post that’s the company name of author Hafsah Faizal!

Darling readers, this book was everything I expected from Nikki’s surprise text messages and the marketing copy. Did I know anything about Japanese mythology going into reading this, nope. But, Jean does give us a list of specific books in her acknowledgements that I will share with you here in case you’re interested in a formal deep dive: Handbook of Japanese Mythology, Arts of Japan: MFA Highlights, Japanese Art and Design, The World of the Shining Prince: Court Life in Ancient Japan, The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore, and Edo Culture: Daily Life and Diversions in Urban Japan, 1600-1868. Yes, I know that’s a lot of links there, but I’m finding this topic fascinating and appreciate a well researched topic with a solid bibliography. Jean didn’t have to provide even one title for our edification and she provided seven for which I thank her.

I was engrossed in the characters, the plot, and the setting from beginning to end. Speaking of ends, there’s a helpful glossary at the back of the book (both digital and dead tree) for when you’re reading this doubly recommended book. It’s a full-on YA genre book but because of its fantastical setting and magical plot points Empress of All Seasons was the escapist read I needed after finishing a nonfiction title. Mari, our female lead character, – as Nikki mentioned there’s quite an ensemble cast- goes through the typical YA genre coming of age angst. It’s a coming of age tale but also a coming into one’s self-knowledge and -acceptance, personal power, and finding people who love you for who you ARE now, not just who you WERE or COULD become. That’s the kind of story that everyone should want to read.

I’m also giving Empress of All Seasons 4.5 stars rounded up to five. It was everything I needed it to be and I’m excited for Jean’s backlist and future titles!

What fiction title have you read that thrilled you by its author’s attention to research and detail accompanied by bibliographical prowess?

~Ashley

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The following post includes affiliate links. More details here.  As you’re doing your Amazon shopping, we’d be ever so grateful if you’d use our affiliate link to do so as it helps pay the bills around here!

Sometimes you’re mentally in vacation mode and need the experience of vacation while you’re sitting in your house with people and animals running amok. (amok. amok. amok) Find yourself a big comfy chair, a soft sofa, or a luxurious bed, turn on the ocean via a white noise app, shut off the rest of your house, and settle in to read Emily Henry’s Beach Read. Then join us on June 18th at 7:30pm Central Time to discuss your mental vacation!  SIGN UP HERE to join us for a relaxing book discussion, delicious beverages with tiny umbrellas encouraged but not required.

I need to begin this book review blog post with some confessions: I knew nothing of Mayan mythology before I read Gods of Jade and Shadow (the Kindle book is, as of this post, $4.99!). This is what happens when you don’t study Spanish in high school, but French and Latin. So, I started the book with no preconceived notions about what the members of this mythological tradition were, are, looked like, or could do magically. Moreno-Garcia admits that the book is, first and foremost, a fantasy story based on the Popol Vuh which, according to the glossary at the back of the book, is a narrative of creation myths from the K’iche’ people and were originally passed down through oral storytelling.

Additionally, I probably should have done more research on the mythology of the Mayans before I went on our 2016 cruise where I required Adam to accompany me to the site of Chichen Itza in the Yucatan peninsula. We took the day trip excursion from the ship to the historic site with lunch and swimming in a cenote. This stop was certainly the highlight of the cruise stops for me because collecting the world’s pyramids is a travel goal of mine. Gods of Jade and Shadow has brought to life a facet of my travels I had never considered before – like the cenote is an entrance to the underworld as well as a place of healing. Cenotes are protected now – no sunscreens or other products are allowed in the waters to keep a film from forming and the ecosystem being destroyed. It is a magical experience and I would love to go back and recommend everyone go to such cultural sites over more beach time when enjoying a cruise!

Silvia Moreno-Garcia, just like in Mexican Gothic (you can read our review post here) brings us into the world of a fully-relatable female protagonist who makes decisions based on what she wants for her life, not necessarily what her family would approve of in 1927 Mexico. Yes, she releases the cursed god Hun-Kamé from the chest at the foot of her hateful grandfather’s bed and in so doing unintentionally binds her life with that of the Lord of Xibalba. Casiopea, named after the constellation, is forced to accompany Hun-Kamé on a quest through Mexico to find his missing body parts – his left eye, ear, and index finger – and powerful jade necklace, or die because she did not remain in his presence. Not much of a choice, to be sure, but Casiopea Tun is up for the adventure and shows her resilience and power of character throughout the journey.

This novel is brilliantly written, progressing from stop to stop on the journey unerringly, like a river in the underworld, in a measured pace with no unnecessary fluff or plot holes wanting to be filled. The entire time I was reading the dead tree library book I could picture the movie in my mind and very seriously it would make a perfect film – it is a “visual” masterpiece. I give Gods of Jade and Shadow five stars. Moreno-Garcia is now officially a season-pass favorite author, a powerhouse wordsmith, whose works top my best of year lists!

~Ashley

Oh readers, while I love the Greco-Roman mythology I grew up learning (which is a whole other situation), learning about other pantheons and oral histories is one of my favorite things as an adult!  It also brings me joy that one of my littles just finished the Percy Jackson series and dove straight into The Kane Chronicles.  The story of Popol Vuh was brand new to me and I loved every second of this hero’s journey based on it, with a female lead!  I want to say all the things about it, but Ashley said them so well, I’m going to go a different direction today.  

The most shocking thing to me about Gods of Jade and Shadow was at the end, the preview of Mexican Gothic, because after this amazing adventure, I completely forgot that this title is actually a year older!  After reading and loving, two of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s titles, I have already recommended (and here zero readers are surprised) Certain Dark Things, which is being rereleased this fall (original publication date of 2016).  Let’s be real, the author had me already, she also gets a pass from me, but the first line of the marketing copy was speaking to me, “Welcome to Mexico City, an oasis in a sea of vampires.”  Yes please!  This is the fall book I didn’t know I desperately wanted.  I’m also really interested in her debut collection of short stories too- This Strange Way of Dying: Stories of Magic, Desire & the Fantastic, and her expected 2022 title The Daughter of Dr. Moreau.  I also want to point out one more thing dear readers, Moreno-Garcia’s first novel, Signal to Noise came out in 2015, so in six short years, she’s written seven novels, plus I assume she’s wrapping up her anticipated 2022 release as the publication process usually takes a year or so!  

So yes, in summary, I have officially added Silvia Moreno-Garcia to the list of authors whose work gets an automatic add to my TBR, and Gods of Jade and Shadow is officially on my list of potential 2021 favorite reads.  If you remember, our list has zero things to do with publication date, and is just the books we read in a given year.  

Who’s on your list of authors whose work you are automatically interested in because their writing has impressed you so thoroughly?  

~Nikki 

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