Book Reviews | Luchia Houghton

✨ Book Mail! ✨ What was the last book mail yo

✨ Book Mail! ✨

What was the last book mail you received? 📦

A huge thank you to harpervoyager_uk for this gorgeous early copy of Godkiller by hanfrankan that arrived last night! 😍

Releasing on the 19th of January, this is one beautiful standard copy. The cover alone is beautiful, and the ENDPAPERS?! Swipe to see them as they make it even more special 😍

Jackalope Funko Pop! has been included in the photos due to the super cute Skedi, but swipe to the fourth photo to see how he’s actually described 🥹 I’m two chapters in and he’s stolen my heart already ❤️

If you haven’t heard of this yet then make sure it’s on your radar! I’ll post the synopsis below but thebrokennbinding will be selling a special, signed and numbered edition in a general sale tomorrow, and there’s another beautiful signed edition available from Waterstones! (And one other edition is highly likely based on reveals 👀👀)

✨ Synopsis ✨

Kissen’s family were killed by zealots of a fire god. Now, she makes a living killing gods, and enjoys it. That is until she finds a god she cannot kill: Skedi, a god of white lies, has somehow bound himself to a young noble, and they are both on the run from unknown assassins.
Joined by a disillusioned knight on a secret quest, they must travel to the ruined city of Blenraden, where the last of the wild gods reside, to each beg a favour.
Pursued by demons, and in the midst of burgeoning civil war, they will all face a reckoning – something is rotting at the heart of their world, and only they can be the ones to stop it.

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#godkiller #hannahkaner #harpervoyager #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #ukbookstagram #bookish #booksbooksbooks #fantasybooks #2023debuts #booksbooksandmorebooks

✨ Comfort Worlds ✨ Are there any bookish worl

✨ Comfort Worlds ✨

Are there any bookish worlds you’d love to live in? 🌌

I don’t think there are many I’d actually survive in, but I’d love to try living in the Celestial Kingdom! 🥰

This dragon pin by glitter.punk came in a paperorangeuk box this year, and I adore how well it matches the fairyloot edition of Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan! 🥺💙

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Short and sweet today, I’m off to try sleep off this illness and pain again 😣 hope everyone is okay 💙💙

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#22debuts #bookstagrammer #fantasybookstagram #fantasybook #debutauthor #bookblogger #bookstagram #readmorebooks #fantasybooks #bookstagrammeruk #bookbloggeruk #ukbookstagram #bookstagramuk #booksofinstagram #beautifulbooks #bookaholic #fantasybooklover #yafantasy #yafantasybooks #diversereads #bookaholic #daughterofthemoongoddess #suelynntan #harpervoyager #fairyloot #fairylootunboxing

✨The Red Scholar’s Wake Tour Stop! ✨ Thank

✨The Red Scholar’s Wake Tour Stop! ✨

Thank you to pridebooktours and gollancz for allowing me to be a part of this tour, and for the lovely finished hardcover copy here! (Isn’t this cover art just mind-blowingly gorgeous?!)

I’d wanted to read The Red Scholar’s Wake by aliettedb since I saw it described as ‘lesbian space pirates’, and it definitely delivered on that front but it was so much more simultaneously.

The story revolves around Xich Si, a scavenger who (under normal circumstances) would most likely be killed by pirates after being captured by them, just so happens though that Rice Fish, the pirate ship who caught her, wants to marry her instead.

At first, Xich Si feels solely despair at her situation, but she learns fairly quickly that everything isn’t quite what she expected when it comes to pirates.

She’s able to grow close to Rice Fish pretty quickly, and even forms some friendships with other pirates (Crow’s Words was probably my favourite side character of these, he’s loyal to Xich Si from the beginning).

There’s a lot of politics mixed in with the story, think of that scene in Pirates of the Caribbean At World’s End where all of the ships meet up (but set in space, of course) and there are multiple power plays at hand, especially following on from the loss of Rice Fish’s first wife.

Ultimately, a lot of this story is about healing and wanting to become better, whilst opening up to love. Character development is another bonus, we see Xich Si becoming less scared and Rice Fish overcoming certain insecurities slowly, truly if you’re a fan of either sapphic or sci fi stories (or both!) this is definitely one you’ll enjoy. 💖

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QOTD: What was the last sci-fi book that caught your eye? 💖

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#theredscholarswake #aliettedebodard #scifi #lesbianspacepirates #gollancz #orionbooks #bookstagram #spaceopera #bookmail #lesbianscifi #bookreviewer #readmorebooks #booksbooksbooks #bookstagramuk #explorepage #pridebooktours #sapphicbooks #bookreview #bookrecommendations #lovetoread

Good morning loves! ❤️ Quick post before I p

Good morning loves! ❤️

Quick post before I post my review for The Red Scholar’s Wake later today! 👀

Thank you kindly to gambit589 orbitbooks_uk for this proof copy of The Daughters of Izdihar by hadeerofthesea! 💙

A sapphic romance with elemental magic sounds pretty great to me, and honestly if I hadn’t already been dying to read it then it would be a cover-buy for definite! 😂

Synopsis below in case this wasn’t on your radar yet! ❤️

✨ Synopsis ✨

Trapped in an arranged marriage to a man she does not love, Nehal dreams of attending the Weaving Academy. There, she can take control of her powers, bending any water to her will, and pursue a glorious future on the battlefield with the first all-female military regiment. Her husband, indifferent and secretive, is in love with another woman, a poor bookseller named Giorgina.

Giorgina has her own secret. She is an earthweaver with dangerously uncontrollable powers. Her only solace comes from meetings with the Daughters of Izdihar, a women’s rights group fighting for freedom. They come from very different means, yet Nehal and Giorgina have more in common than they think.

Enticed by the group’s enigmatic leader Malak Mamdouh, the two women are drawn into a web of politics, violence and threats of war as they find themselves fighting to earn – and keep – a lasting freedom.

A powerful feminist fantasy set in an Egyptian-inspired world, with breathtaking elemental magic and sapphic romance, perfect for fans of The Jasmine Throne and The Once and Future Witches.

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Also very excited for the Egyptian-inspired setting! We don’t get treated to nearly enough books with that kind of inspiration (though if you could recommend me a couple below I’d be grateful please!) 💙

Sorry in advance for chaotically posting twice today also, I had this all set up for last night but was too ill to actually post it then 😮‍💨

Hope everyone is doing okay! ✨

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#thedaughtersofizdihar #hadeerelsbai #fantasy #fantasybooks #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks #booksbooksandmorebooks #bookstagrammer #orbitbooks #adultfantasybooks #diversifybookstagram #diversereads #readdiversebooks

What was the last book you read that surprised you

What was the last book you read that surprised you in the best kind of way? ✨

From the first time I heard of Strike The Zither by joanhewrites I knew I’d like it, but the twists in this book still caught me off guard and I love that! 🥹

This is my personalised finished copy that I HAD to grab from booksofwonder after loving the story. Swipe to see a couple of the awesome character art drawings and intricate map included inside, and the peacock bookmark that was a part of the indie preorder campaign 🥹🦚

And of course… the amazing cover art from kuri_huang ?! 🔥🔥 if you haven’t read this book already then please do soon and wait with me for the painful wait for book two 😂❤️‍🔥

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#strikethezither #joanhe #bookstagram #book #bookstagramuk #booksbooksbooks #preorderincentive #yafantasy #readmorediversebooks #fantasybooks #yafantasybooks #yabookstagrammer #bookstagrammer #bookstagramfeature #bookreview #bookrecommendations #bookrecommendation #booksbooksbooks #booksbooksandmorebooks

💖 Sunday Shelfie time! 💖 What’s a favour

💖 Sunday Shelfie time! 💖

What’s a favourite style of design you like to see on edges? Or your dream kind of design!

Personally I’m partial to flowers, dragons and skulls, and I’m very glad that flowers in particular are fairly common for designs! This photo has special editions from Fairyloot, Illumicrate, Goldsboro and Waterstones 🥰🌸

(My favourite edge is also here, but no prizes for guessing which, it’s probably obvious by now 😂 VERY excited to see the sequel edition in person for it 😭💖)

For a dream design though please someone make a special edition of Jurassic Park with raptors on. Plz. (It probably won’t beat my all-time fave but if I’d love it A LOT) 🦖❤️

Hope everyone has a good week ahead! I’m trying to get back into the swing of posting regularly, stay tuned for a review upcoming on Wednesday for The Red Scholar’s Wake by Aliette De Bodard! (Currently reading and loving it 🥺)

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#sundayshelfie #shelfiesunday #sprayededges #spredges #goldsboro #waterstones #illumicrate #fairyloot #shelfies #shelfie #bookedges #stencillededges #bookstagrammer #booksbooksbooks #bookstack #floweredges #specialeditionbooks #bookbox #flowers #bookstagram #bookstagramuk #booksbooksandmorebooks

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