Skip to Content
The Urban Reader

The Urban Reader

Read it, Click it & Talk About it!

  • Home
  • Navigation Links
  • Review Policy
  • About Me
The Urban Reader

Month: February 2021

> 2021 > February
Review: Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard

AuthorsurbhiUpdated onFebruary 18, 2021February 18, 2021 CategoriesBook Review0 Comment

Review: Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard

Fireheart Tiger by Aliette De Bodard is a sapphic romantic high fantasy novella. But it’s also so much more than that. Adding to that, the cover of the book is exceptionally beautiful! Set in a Vietnam-esque world, our main character Thanh is the youngest princess of Bình Hải who was kept as a captive princess …

Read More
Review: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

AuthorsurbhiUpdated onFebruary 5, 2021February 5, 2021 CategoriesBook Review0 Comment

Review: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

Have you ever had a hard time reviewing a book? Have you ever read a book you can’t make up your mind about? The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang is that book for me. The Poppy War is set in a world inspired by 20th century China and is based on the second Sino-Chinese war. …

Read More
Search for:

Follow The Urban Reader

Subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new book reviews on your email!

Thank you for subscribing! Happy reading!

Oops! Something went wrong.

Hope you enjoy the book reviews!

Follow Me on Instagram

theurban_reader
It's Also About Mynah by Rucha Chitrodia Rating: It's Also About Mynah by Rucha Chitrodia Rating: 🔖🔖🔖.5 It's Also About Mynah is an urban contemporary tale of over a dozen people whose lives happen to cross paths with one another in the hustling bustling city of Bombay. As the title suggests, this book isn't just about Mynah but is also about her. She moves to Mumbai to join an ad agency to work as a copy writer much against the wishes of her single parent - Gopala. She ends up finding accomodation with Aruna aunty as a paying guest in the Lalbaug locality. From here, you're introduced to the various characters none of whom are portrayed to be any less important. Honestly, keeping a track of all the characters was a bit overwhelming initially but I started having fun when I created a character map for all of them, which definitely added to the reading experience. While you may initially feel that you'd want to read more about Mynah afterall that's after whom the book is titled, but towards the end you'll come to realize that she's like a pebble thrown into a lake, only to see the beautiful ripple effect unfold itself, which in this case are the multitude of human relationships and experiences that you'll experience through the characters. Those ripples? I leave for you to discover as you read this book. The beauty of this book doesn't lie in a single character or in a progressive linear plotline but rather is an amalgamation of the raw human experiences and their dreams portrayed through the lives of maids, wives, husbands, fathers, mothers, children and their families - coming from all walks of life. The storyline flows flawlessly and never once will you find yourself to be lost. But what I'd liked to have felt more of would be a deeper connection to at least some of the characters and also the back stories of some of the characters - namely Kaveri and Raja - ironically seemed unnecessary to the story. Lastly, I'd recommend this to those who enjoy a story with multiple character point of views, to anyone who'd love to read about a Bombay which isn't belied as the star studded city that we long for from a distance. Thankyou @amaryllispublishing for the review copy. ✨ #letsreadownvoices Feb-22
The Dragon Republic by @kuangrf "Fire and water l The Dragon Republic by @kuangrf "Fire and water looked so lovely together. It was a pity they destroyed each other by nature." How do I even begin to talk about this book when my emotions are still all over the place? Ranging from sadness to hatred, from feeling betrayed to stabbing the book! The Poppy War had left me feeling underwhelmed while also hoping for a more confident Rin, better world building and return of a few characters allegedly dead. Once I moved on from that underwhelmed feeling and went ahead to read the next book in the trilogy - The Dragon Republic - I have to say that this book truly broke me. Usually the second book in a trilogy is used by storytellers as padding and a filler to the finale but that's not the case with The Dragon Republic. The Dragon Republic comes with its own set of gruesome horrors while wrecking you to the point where you'll not even want to turn back and look at the damage done. For the most part, it isn't as action packed as the first book in the series and only the last hundred pages are the ones which get your adrenaline rushing. But, I think I've come to understand my problem with this trilogy. Why do I read fantasy books? It's mostly to travel to a realm where we find solace in a world unlike our own, to find distractions from the problems in the world around us. This trilogy? It's SO heavily inspired from history, SO in touch with human nature and their flaws that I couldn't find the escapism I usually look for. Do I wish I could remain blissfully ignorant to the atrocities and horrors of history and the world today? YES! But can? Unfortunately not. So no matter how frustrated I felt by Rin's choices and behaviour, by her inability to move on, by her constant want to remain ignorant, it's also the reason why I was finally able to empathize with her. I believe it's also the reason why I was hurt more than I thought I would since I finally connected with the characters. I won't be picking up The Burning God anytime soon due to obvious reasons, but I look forward to reading about a confident Rin I finally saw a glimpse of. Definitely recommend tho. #theurbanwaralong #letsreadownvoices Feb-18 #readwithhci
Disclaimer: I'm still in the middle of reading thi Disclaimer: I'm still in the middle of reading this book. Don't gimme any spoilers if you've already read it.✨ BETRAYAL. The other day, @_readgret_ made us count the number of letters in the word gratitude - it's nine. Betrayal on the other hand has only eight letters. Eight letters put together to express a painful heart wrenching feeling followed by tremendous anger. @bookgirl_sulagna and I were talking the other day when we discussed how we have a hard time making new friends because we don't trust people easily. TRUST. Google says trust is a firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something. Five letters put together to express invaluable virtue which one acquires over a period of time, sometimes instantly. Yesterday, while reading The Dragon Republic I felt betrayed. I could only feel betrayal because I had trusted. I felt anger. I threw the book away. I wanted to punch it too, I probably would've had this book been in human form. I called up @rexallica because he hears me out when I have to rant about a character or a book in general. I told him I felt betrayed and that I've never felt THIS betrayed before. He reminded me of our favourite Disney movie - Lion King. He reminded me that we've always been a witness to betrayal in one form or the other. To that I thought maybe we're stronger because of betrayal and how it teaches us an important lesson about life the hard way. But the betrayal depicted in The Dragon Republic is not romantic nor is it a bond of family, it's platonic, it's of respect, it's of friendship. And how do you overcome platonic betrayals? How do you overcome betrayal by a fictional character? Who will ever prepare you for a betrayal like that? #theurbanreader #thepoppywar #TheDragonRepublic #theburninggod #betrayal #bipocbookstagram #bipocinstagram #TheUrbanWarAlong #trust #platoniclove #flatlayindia #flatlaysquad #diversereads #representationmatters #southasianrepresentation #rant #thebigbookbox #tbbbox #candles #bookishcandles #bookblogger #indianblogger #bookstagramindia #delhibookstagrammer #thepoppywartrilogy #unitedbookstagram #mybookishfeatures #diversereading #booksofinstagram #readwithhci
TW: JKR, transphobia Today, I came across a post TW: JKR, transphobia Today, I came across a post shared by @_closet.door_ on @the_pundlit story. It was about JKR actively sharing/promoting a business which is clearly transphobic and goes further to spread hate, give others tools to spread hate. I know this conversation has gotten old. I know the number of times we've let out a sigh or shaken our heads and moved on. I am well aware that most of us at this point are simply tired of repeating this over and over again. BUT over the last one week, I have been tagged in HP giveaway posts, I have witnessed people talk about purchasing yet another HP box, I have tried explaining to someone close why they need to stop buying new HP books and merch (official and those created by small businesses) and that post made me say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. To businesses I ask: Do you know the number of fandoms out there? Do you who know the untapped potential of SO MANY fandoms in the world? Do your research! Do you know that YOU can still go on with your businesses without HP?? Do you realise that by continuously engaging in HP content you're becoming enablers???? To everyone else: I understand that so many of you grew up with it and that many of you found solace in the story. But can you go beyond just accepting that JKR is transphobic?! Please do better. Because with your money, you give her the power to do more than write essays and type tweets. Small vendors and businesses always have more world's and fandoms to turn to, but people from the trans community only have this one. I have shared a few book recommendations both old and new to help you expand your reading and empathy for the community. The recommendation has both fiction and non-fiction books, some are quite popular, some are not, I tried my best to incorporate it for all kinds of readers. The next time you think about buying new HP books/merch, hosting HP giveaways, gifting new HP box sets, curating HP boxes, putting out HP content, remember that YOU as an individual who has the power to influence kindness and spread love are instead enabling a billionaire who can actually harm real lives. #bookrecommendations #theurbanreader #transwomenarewomen #bipocbookstagram
Fireheart Tiger by Aliette De Bodard Rating: 🔖 Fireheart Tiger by Aliette De Bodard Rating: 🔖🔖🔖 Fireheart Tiger by Aliette De Bodard is a sapphic romantic high fantasy novella. But it's also so much more than that. Set in a Vietnam-esque world, our main character Thanh is the youngest princess of Bình Hải who was kept as a captive princess in Ephteria and is treated as a pawn in her own country. She's neither a warrior or a politician like her sisters - she's the princess who was sent away, who came back, not brash and confident, but quite and thoughtful. She's entrapped in a love triangle with her former lover Eldris and her fire wielding magical friend Giang. Between the two you'll come to love Giang and will observe the toxicity of Thanh's relationship with Eldris - the princess of Ephteria. As it's a novella you won't find a descriptive world building to take place, which at times you'll yearn for. Being a Tolkien's fan I think this is something I always look forward to in books - to live in the stories I read, to explore more of their world. The fire element explored through Giang's character reminded me of Rin from The Poppy War though this time the power to wield fire has nothing to do with a God yet control over it is in equal measures minimal. You'll sympathize with Thanh as she tries to make a place for herself in the world and discovers love in various forms. You'll enjoy the discussion of imperialism and colonialism. But most of all you'll be delighted to read a sapphic romance with South Asian representation. Though I do believe that the story would've been more impactful had it been a novel instead of a novella for which I rate Fireheart Tiger a solid 3 bookmarks. I think a full format of the story would've allowed the author to write more about a post-colonial Vietnam and elaborate on a romance which goes beyond calling the love interest as sister. Don't get me wrong the story is great but I wanted more from this story which comes out soon. 🔥 I'd like to thank @tordotcompub for providing an e-ARC of the novella. #theurbanreader #FireheartTiger #vietnam #letsreadownvoices 07-Feb #southasianrepresentation #diversityfeatures #readdiversebooks #bookishcandles #bipocbookstagram
Have you ever had a hard time reviewing a book? Ha Have you ever had a hard time reviewing a book? Have you ever read a book you can't make up your mind about? The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang is that book for me. The Poppy War is set in a world inspired by 20th century China and is based on the second Sino-Chinese war. We have a brilliantly flawed protagonist - Runin Fang aka Rin - who is also a war orphan. She lives with her opium-smuggling relatives who not only treat her poorly but also want to marry her off to an import inspector who of course is "a gross old man". Her only way to rewrite this preordained role is to try and get into Sinegard - the most prestigious military academy in the empire of Nikara. Read the entire review on my blog, link in bio! I really enjoyed Rin’s character build up but the supporting characters seemed unattended. The sudden killing of multiple characters was disappointing, especially those that I came to like and would have loved to see more of. Mind you that’s coming from someone who watched Game of Thrones. But I guess maybe that's what war is about, "War is never about who's right, but rather about who is left". Now I really wanted to LOVE this book. I liked it. I even felt an adrenaline rush through most parts. But once finished reading it, I was left underwhelmed. I thought that maybe it was because of the hype around this book. On thinking some more, maybe this is how one feels after the end of a war, all you can do is salvage whatever's left. But the main issue for me was that maybe this book wasn't meant to be a fantasy but rather historical fiction. Even so, the story’s history-to-fiction ratio was more in favour of the former. So you see, I can’t rate this book though I am reviewing it. I am hoping that I'll get to see a more confident Rin in the next two books, that the world building will make more sense and that a few characters will return from the dead. Would I recommend this book? Without a second thought I'd say definitely yes, but I would also suggest that you go into it without any expectations. Remember that this book is full of triggers ranging from self-harm to genocide. #theurbanreader #thepoppywar #bipocbookstagram #letsreadownvoices #readwithhci
Helloo people of the gram ✨🌼 I've set a rath Helloo people of the gram ✨🌼 I've set a rather ambitious reading goal for myself this month 🙈 BUT. It's a really good TBR imo. So I bring to you my February TBR: 📚 The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang- Having finished reading The Poppy War ofc I had to move onto the next book as part of #TheUrbanWarAlong 😄 📚 Fireheart Tiger by Aliette De Bodard - It's a sapphic romantic high fantasy set in a world inspired by precolonial Vietnam which comes out Tuesday! 🔥 📚 The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead - It's #BlackHistoryMonth and I know I won't be able to read a stack of books, I'd like to do justice to promise to read one book instead and fulfill it. Having said I'd be ensuring that I read books honouring #BIPOCauthors the whole year around which makes more sense to me personally. 🌻 📚 The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millwood Hargrave - This is my selection for participating in the February pick for the #ColorBookedReadathon hosted by @avanireads and @thequirkyreader 💙 📚 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - I'm reading this book with a bunch of fabulous readers this month as part of a readalong and hopefully it'll be conquered. 🤭 So you see what I meant by ambitious? 😝 As I close this post I'd like to add that at the end of the day what really matters is to remember that no matter how many books you read... YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO MAKE EVEN THE TINIEST DENT TO YOUR TBR BECAUSE WE LOVE READING AND THERE'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE SO MANY MORE BOOKS THAT WE'LL WANT TO READ NEXT!!!! 😂 I bet you didn't see that coming! (Be nice guys, say you didn't even if you did will you? 🤪) Also, muft ka gyaan (translation: knowledge you didn't ask for but I'm gonna give it to you anyway) - be kind to each other, I've never see anyone resolve any issues while yelling at each other even if it was on the internet. Peace. ✌🏻 #theurbanreader #februarytbr #firehearttiger #thedragonrepublic #thenickelboys #littlewomen #readingplanner #theislandattheendofeverything #sappicbooks #highfantasy #romancefantasy #ThePoppyWar #bipocinstagram #bipocbookstagram #southasianrepresentation #OwnVoices #diversereads #representationmatters #diversityfeatures #thebigbookbox #tbrstack
It's mid week already!! Yass! It's February 2021 a It's mid week already!! Yass! It's February 2021 already!! Whaa?! Don't worry, I'm fine, I think. 😝 Soo, for the last two years I've been seeing thousands of BGs doing monthly wrap ups where they've read like 8-15 books in a month, which is amazing but also intimidating. But this year I was like "wth, so what if I read only 3-4 books a month", so here's my wrap up for January! 🤭😄 1. Firekeepers Daughter by @angelineboulley This book was my only 5 bookmarks read and I cannot recommend it enough! If you're looking for a book which will get your adrenaline rushing then this is the book for you. If you're looking to discover new culture then this is what you want to pick up. If you're looking for an #OwnVoices read, again here's your book. It's brilliant in every way and have you even checked that cover out yet?! Basically, I'm shouting through BG that YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!!! 2. Black Buck by @askmateo This book was a solid 3.5 bookmarks for me. A good book, well paced and addresses #racism in corporate America. You'll find quite a few #sales101 and #SelfHelp tips throughout the book but it's never preachy. This was another own-voices read set amidst the NYC startup culture. 3. The Poppy War by @kuangrf I cannot bookmark this book. I tabbed it. I tabbed it A LOT! I am yet to review it but will I recommend it to you? YES! Ofc yes, but read the triggers first cause the content is heavy. You have an imperfect MC who you'll be rooting for from page one but there was definitely room for more world building and a bit more elaborate portrayal of fantasy. I've moved onto reading The Dragon Republic now as part of #TheUrbanWarAlong and it does get better. I didn't finish or even start reading Little Women as planned but I am reading it this month and will hopefully finish it too. ❤️ #QoTD What's a book you look forward to reading this month? How did you feel about your reads in January? #theurbanreader #januarywrapup #thepoppywar #thedragonrepublic #blackbuck #firekeepersdaughter #readdiversebooks #diversityfeatures #letsreadownvoices #bipocbookstagram #delhibookstagrammer #delhibookstagram #flatlaysquad #mybookfeatures #thebigbookbox #adultfantasy #bookish
Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins
There has been a problem with your Instagram Feed.

Follow Me on Twitter

The Urban ReaderFollow

The Urban Reader
theurban_readerThe Urban Reader@theurban_reader·
4 Feb

I would soooo read this book. Write it someone!

Kwame “Preorder LAST GATE OF THE EMPEROR” Mbalia@KSekouM

*kicks in the door* OKAY LISTEN ONE OF MY FAVORITE TROPES, no stop give me the mic back, ONE OF MY FAVORITE TROPES IS WHEN ONE PARTNER WHO HAS TROUBLE FALLING ASLEEP/SLEEPING PEACEFULLY CAN FINALLY DO SO WHEN THE OTHER PARTNER IS NEARBY. BONUS POINTS IF THEY WERE ONCE ENEMIES.

Reply on Twitter 1357274220888137728Retweet on Twitter 1357274220888137728Like on Twitter 13572742208881377281Twitter 1357274220888137728
Retweet on TwitterThe Urban Reader Retweeted
JuliaCarmel__Julia Salazar@JuliaCarmel__·
21 Jan

Imagine having a Harvard Law degree and thinking that the Paris Climate Agreement is actually about Paris https://twitter.com/SenTedCruz/status/1352040800646029312

Senator Ted Cruz@SenTedCruz

By rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, President Biden indicates he’s more interested in the views of the citizens of Paris than in the jobs of the citizens of Pittsburgh. This agreement will do little to affect the climate and will harm the livelihoods of Americans.

Reply on Twitter 1352059136922497029Retweet on Twitter 135205913692249702930612Like on Twitter 1352059136922497029215741Twitter 1352059136922497029
theurban_readerThe Urban Reader@theurban_reader·
21 Jan

Just received my ARC for #MalibuRising by @tjenkinsreid 🤩

Cannot wait to get started on it! It's coming out this May so keep an eye out for it. Definitely one of my most anticipated reads for 2021!

Reply on Twitter 1352268694378872834Retweet on Twitter 1352268694378872834Like on Twitter 1352268694378872834Twitter 1352268694378872834
theurban_readerThe Urban Reader@theurban_reader·
18 Jan

I don't know what a good hair day is anymore. It's now called oh-i-finally-decided-to-comb-my-hair day.

Reply on Twitter 1351234581677137923Retweet on Twitter 1351234581677137923Like on Twitter 13512345816771379232Twitter 1351234581677137923
theurban_readerThe Urban Reader@theurban_reader·
18 Jan

This is one of my most anticipated reads for 2021 and I just received a digital galley for it! Can't wait to read it!!!! ❤️❤️❤️

Thankyou @aliettedb @TorDotComPub

#FireheartTiger

Reply on Twitter 1351206838356893697Retweet on Twitter 1351206838356893697Like on Twitter 13512068383568936971Twitter 1351206838356893697
Load More...

Archives

  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
© All Rights Reserved. Surplus Concert by Surplus Themes. | Powered by WordPress.