Mailbox Monday #18

 I've had an insane weekend of reading! It's like the realization that I'm on break from studies suddenly hit and I devoured everything near me. So of course that also meant I went on a book buying binge. The first three books below are ones I bought myself, the last one is a NetGalley read. I did also buy the paperback of She Who Become the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan, since I absolutely adored the ARC I got from NetGalley. Keep your eyes peeled for my review next week :)

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists. It is hosted weekly over at Mailbox Monday and every Friday they do a round-up of some of their favourite, shared reads!

A Deadly Education (The Scholomance #1) by Naomi Novik (Del Rey Books, 9/29/2020)

Lesson One of the Scholomance: Learning has never been this deadly.

A Deadly Education is set at Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death (for real) — until one girl, El, begins to unlock its many secrets.

There are no teachers, no holidays, and no friendships, save strategic ones. Survival is more important than any letter grade, for the school won’t allow its students to leave until they graduate… or die! The rules are deceptively simple: Don’t walk the halls alone. And beware of the monsters who lurk everywhere.

El is uniquely prepared for the school’s dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out millions. It would be easy enough for El to defeat the monsters that prowl the school. The problem? Her powerful dark magic might also kill all the other students.

I couldn't help myself, I blazed through this book yesterday in one furious afternoon of reading. I only read Novik's Spinning Silver so far, which I adored, so I was really happy to also love A Deadly Education despite its completely different tone.

The Jasmine Throne (Burning Kingdoms #1) by Tasha Suri (Orbit Books, 6/8/2021)

Author of Empire of Sand and Realm of Ash Tasha Suri's The Jasmine Throne, beginning a new trilogy set in a world inspired by the history and epics of India, in which a captive princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic become unlikely allies on a dark journey to save their empire from the princess's traitor brother.

Imprisoned by her dictator brother, Malini spends her days in isolation in the Hirana: an ancient temple that was once the source of the powerful, magical deathless waters — but is now little more than a decaying ruin.

Priya is a maidservant, one among several who make the treacherous journey to the top of the Hirana every night to clean Malini’s chambers. She is happy to be an anonymous drudge, so long as it keeps anyone from guessing the dangerous secret she hides.

But when Malini accidentally bears witness to Priya’s true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled. One is a vengeful princess seeking to depose her brother from his throne. The other is a priestess seeking to find her family. Together, they will change the fate of an empire.

Turns out I can only resist an Indian sapphic Fantasy novel for so long. I'm sooo excited for this one, I think it's going to be my companion for my five-hour train journey this week!

The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1) by R.F. Kuang (Harper Voyager, 5/1/2018)

When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising.

But surprises aren’t always good.

Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.

For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .

Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.

The Poppy War has been on my mind since it came out in 2018 and this time I just decided to get it because how amazing does the blurb sound and how beautiful is that cover? I'm also very aware I'm getting myself into some series/trilogies here, so I feel like I've set myself up for future success.

Mother May I by S.E. Green (SEG Publishing, 5/1/2021)

Even though her husband was a TV evangelist, Nora never prayed unless she knew the cameras were focused on her. But she prayed tonight that they’d make this stupid baby he wanted.

Meet Nora: Flawless. Enigmatic. Conniving. Ruthless.

At seventeen, she escaped the grip of her cold and abusive mama after catching the eye of charismatic Merrell Hodges. His riches and fame became hers. In exchange, she could play the role of doting wife.

But she alone was not enough; he wanted a family.

With the birth of their perfect daughter, Elizabeth, something foreign and unnerving touches Nora: love. She wants to protect and lavish her child. She would show her mama how a real mother should be. But the sins of nature and nurture run deep. There’s a defiance and manipulation in young Elizabeth that’s all-too-familiar and triggering. Nora can’t shake her mama’s prophetic words: You’re going to hate that kid. Just wait. 

When Nora’s fortune goes sideways after a tragedy with shocking repercussions, she’s determined to reclaim her relevance. With a cunning plan—and surprising ally—Nora reinvents herself as benevolent icon, good mother, and the powerful, authentic woman she deserves to be.

But seeds of the past still fester, haunting Nora’s victory and explosive, contradictory behavior. Caught in a cycle of fate, she’s both the heroine and villain of her own story. And as Elizabeth grows into an equally stubborn and strongminded young woman, Nora may have finally met her match.

But if there’s one thing never to do, it’s to underestimate Nora.

So those are my books! What are you reading and what's new in your Mailbox?