Today I am sharing my thoughts on THE SUPER SECRET BOOK, a fantastic adventure full of superheroes and supervillains!
The Super Secret Book, by Tian En
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(This blog posts also contains a review copy that was sent to me by the author. However, all opinions expressed are my own and in no way influenced by external parties)
Violet Vivien is your not-so-typical seventeen-year-old girl. Better known as the sharpshooting superhero KOOLARA, she has dedicated her life to defending Diamond City alongside the city’s teenage crime-fighting team, the SUPER SECRET! These six young superheroes have always made taking down bad guys look like a breeze with their high-tech gadgets and unparalleled combat skills, but when a powerful, mysterious diamond falls into the hands of a vengeful supervillain, the Super Secret is forced into the biggest fight of their lives and must reconsider what it means to be a superhero before it’s too late…
Check out my reading vlog for this book!
The Super Secret Book was truly an amazing sci-fi, fantasy read. I loved how innovative and yet at the same time, realistic the author was with all aspects of it – the superb high-end gadgets, to the various nuances of human relationships among the heroes themselves.
The writing was great as well and I was hooked from the very beginning. With the turning of every page, it just got more and more thrilling and it is therefore, no wonder that I finished it so soon!
My favourites!
I have to say that my personal favourites were Lady Damage and The Mystery and I look forward to seeing more of them, and learning more about them in the next book! (I am so happy this is going to be a series!)
Overall, I think it was a wonderful middle-grade fantasy read. I rated it 4/5 stars and will probably pick it up again!
Lost Transmissions is a lavish storehouse on lost or under-appreciated works of sci-fi and fantasy, in various fields like fashion, music, literature, etc!
Lost Transmissions
I received a review copy from the publishers in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Sci-fi and fantasy storehouse!
This book is an amazing collection of essays, interviews, etc. If you are into sci-fi/fantasy, this is definitely a book you need to pick up. It also has been specifically divided into segments of Literature, Film & TV, Architecture, Art & Design, Music, Fashion and Fandom & Pop Culture.
Why pick up this sci-fi/fantasy book
I personally have been interested in fantasy for quite some time now. However, sci-fi is a genre that I need to explore more, and so this was a perfect revelatory starting point for me. Whatever your interests might be, it covers the wide ground. That is why, I believe, this book has something for everyone! The content is very expansive and since it covers a myriad of different topics, it also throws light on how sci-fi has affected broader culture. Not only is this a very informative book, but it is also really fun to read.
My likes and dislikes:
While the literature segment was my favourite, I skimmed through the fashion and music segments. I am sure that for some others, those two might be interesting. One of the pieces worth mentioning is ‘On Fantasy Maps’! A mention by me about a piece on the Voynich Manuscript was enough to make Dad eager to read the book too!
A superb cover and apt title!
The cover, as well as the whole presentation of the book, is superb. The illustrations also help make this a definitive book in the genre. The title was also very apt – as the book does talk about forgotten sci-fi related stuff – “transmission” is a really well-chosen word.
Publisher: Rock the
Boat, an imprint of Oneworld Publications
Publication date: 6 June
2019
Genre: Science
fiction/fantasy
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
No. of pages: 470
Synopsis:
From the internationally bestselling authors of THE ILLUMINAE FILES comes an epic new science fiction adventure.
The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch…
A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder An alien warrior with anger management issues A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering
And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.
They’re not the heroes we deserve. They’re just the ones we could find. Nobody panic.
My review:
I received
a review copy from the publishers in return for an honest review. Opinions
expressed in this review are completely my own.
Superfluously
saying, if the cover does not make you pick up the book itself, then I’m sure
the synopsis will. Aurora Rising is an adventure story, set in space, one that
is bound to keep you turning the pages on and on, eager to know what happens
next. I was literally at the edge of my seat when I was sitting and reading,
and had to actually sit up in attention, when I had been lazing on my bed while
reading. Such is the writing of this powerful duo. I finished this book in like
5 hours and I went crazy throughout!
I’ve
never been a fan of sci-fi, to be honest. So many of us are not. But Aurora
Rising has completely made us switch sides! Although this book is so often described
as a SIX OF CROWS set in space, the only similarity I found was the presence of
this crew, where each one is so very different from the other. Through all the different
characters in this bunch, we see similarities in what each of them faces. The leader
of this team in known as the Alpha and he is Tyler, the golden-boy. He misses
the Draft because he is rescuing a girl frozen in time. So basically instead of
having his pick from the best, by the time he returns, the ceremony is over and
the other Alphas have picked the cream. Throughout the story, we see the inner
conflict in Tyler – he regrets that he was missing at the Draft but then again,
he was rescuing this historically significant person in their universe. Later on,
he is conflicted as to whether be the good pupil he has always been and follow
the orders of his superiors, or to do what he believes is right.
There
is also Scarlett, Tyler’s twin sister who is bold and flawed and yet is so very
caring. The brother-sister bond that these two share is so much beautiful to
see. Their love is always shining bright between them. And may I just say how
wonderfully charming she is? Scarlett is the Face of the group, the diplomat
basically and is an amazing people-person.
Then
we have the Ace – Cat. She is a very passionate person I feel. She hates with
all her might and she loves with all her might. Her love is real and made me
choke so many times. Her character arc is very relatable – her feelings towards
Aurora change from hate to respect and I love that the authors have made her so
bold. Women are too often subdued anyway.
Aurora
is literally the girl out of time. She had been cryogenically sleeping, you
could say, for 200 years, without ageing. And now, her dilemma and confusion as
she comes to terms with her new surroundings and learns more about what happened
to her that has led her here, is heartwarming. Her behaviour is funny and so
very awkward at times with the rest of the team and I couldn’t help but laugh
at so many parts. Her character arc is also significant in this story and
although I think there could be more to it, I look forward to the rest of the
books in this series. She is a person of our times and the references she makes
were like Easter eggs to me. Especially Middle Earth!
Finnin,
the alien (that rhymed!) is also another team member. He has always felt different
all his life and his struggles with it – underneath all that sarcasm, is slowly
revealed throughout the story. Zila is a character whose back story has still
not been properly explained in the book and I am very curious about her, I admit.
I look forward to reading more about her.
Lastly,
Kal is oh0my-god hot! If you have a thing for the tall, dark and brooding,
handsome kind. Especially, elfin-handsome kind! Aurora describing him as
Middle-Earth is so relatable and that is how I imagine him too. And may I say
that I am an absolute fan of the mate trope!
The
writing felt very interactive in nature and the reading just flowed for me. I am
absolutely in love with this duo’s writing and so I think that I am slowly going
to pick up and read all of their books. The world-building was also very
fascinating and made me stop and wonder myself, how it would feel like to stay
there – after remembering that I was not actually in the story. There’s humour
and the characters are so fierce in their natures, it was a fast-paced ride of
a read! The plot was very strong and the inclusion of multiple POVs worked
wonderfully with it. When there are so many characters, having multiple POVs
often make the story lose its beauty but in this case, it only gave more depth
to it.
Verdict:
I loved this book and I rate it a solid 5/5 stars! I know this review sounded more like an ode to these amazing complex but lovable characters, but god! You all need to pick it up ASAP!
About the reviewer:
Nayanika
Saikia, is one of the foremost book reviewers from the North-east and Assam,
and is also an admin for the official India bookstagram page on Instagram. She
publishes her own reviews and recommendations for poetry, fiction, non-fiction
etc. on her bookstagram account @pretty_little_bibliophile which won the
NorthEast Creator Awards 2018, as well as in daily newspapers, online magazines
etc. She can be contacted at nayanikasaikia98@gmail.com .
Defeated, crushed, and driven almost to
extinction, the remnants of the human race are trapped on a planet that is
constantly attacked by mysterious alien starfighters. Spensa, a teenage girl
living among them, longs to be a pilot. When she discovers the wreckage of an
ancient ship, she realizes this dream might be possible—assuming she can repair
the ship, navigate flight school, and (perhaps most importantly) persuade the
strange machine to help her. Because this ship, uniquely, appears to have a
soul.
My review:
I read this
book as a part of the Underrated Book Club read for April 2019.
I
really enjoyed this book and I think this might be a sort of very very informal
write-up on it, unlike the reviews that I usually write. Okay.. disclaimer
done, moving on.
The
book totally gave me Top Gun vibes in the beginning, and I absolutely loved it.
The world building is great but can probably do with a bit more of description
as we read on. The social system is also unique and I quite enjoyed reading the
book.
The
character development of Spensa is great. In the beginning, we see her as a
know-it-all, who is also very dramatic, mind you, almost too much at times, and
also appears to be immature, unwilling to sometimes just accept things as they
are. She also lacks control! Nonetheless, she is humourous and very optimistic,
to be honest and it is refreshing.
The
classroom bantering all is so amazing to read – because it is so very
relatable. Despite the fact that they are in a completely different environment
than we are, the back and forth replies are really cool. Jerkface, oh sorry,
Jorgen is just as funny – I actually like reading about him. Cobb too is a
pretty cool and understanding teacher and I am so thankful that he is willing
to take on a chance when it came to Spensa’s admission.
The
book also talks about a lot of other important issues that are very relatable
to our world today – losing one’s life in the line of duty, understanding that
life is not divided into only black and white and that there are so many grey
areas in between. The toxic expectations of bravery is also shown and Cobb’s
own speech about it says a lot – “The only reason we have this stupid culture
of self-martyrdom is because somebody feels they have to justify our casualties.
To make them seem honourable, righteous”. This is the reason Hurl does not
eject and it is heartbreaking – that all pilots would rather do this than ne
termed as a cadet.
On
a humourous note, Doomslug is so funny and interrupts with her sounds! Also,
should I say more about M-Bot ?
A couple of destructor blasts hit M-Bot’s
shield. “Hey!” M-Bot said. “Just for that, I shall hunt your firstborn children
and laugh with glee as I tell thm of your death in terrible detail, with many
unpleasant adjectives!”
How
can a mere ship be this funny? Another instance of M-Bot’s humour goes –
“Humans have many holes in them. Would you like
me to provide you with a list?” “Please don’t.” “Ha. Ha. That was humor”
I
felt so bad for the richer kids actually – like FM, Arturo, Jorgen etc. and slowly,
Spensa understands that she is perhaps more free than the rest of the her
flight mates. The little moment between Jorgen and Spensa was so good though –
I am still not sure if I would like to have a romance yet… how he inspires us
is firstly beautiful and also nice for us readers to read about.
“When you fly, you are amazing. You’re so
determined, so skillful, so passionate. You’re a fire, Spin. When everyone else
is calm, you’re a burning bonfire. Beautiful, like a newly forged blade.”
However,
at times, it felt a bit separate from the reader. Using such technical terms in
the beginning was a bit difficult in the beginning. And as such, I think that
if the reader just reads on despite this problem in the beginning, the story grips
you and pulls you in.
Verdict:
I
really enjoyed the book and look forward to the sequel. For now, I rate this
one a 4.5/5 stars.
About the
author:
Brandon’s major
books for the second half of 2016 are The Dark Talent, the final volume in Alcatraz Smedry’s
autobiographical account of his battle against the Evil Librarians who secretly
rule our world, and Arcanum Unbounded, the collection of short fiction in the
Cosmere universe that includes the Mistborn series and the
Stormlight Archive, among others. This collection features The Emperor’s Soul,Mistborn: Secret History, and a
brand-new Stormlight Archive novella, Edgedancer. Earlier this year
he released Calamity, the finale of the #1 New York
Times bestselling Reckoners trilogy that began with Steelheart. Brandon Sanderson was born in 1975 in
Lincoln, Nebraska. As a child Brandon enjoyed reading, but he lost interest in
the types of titles often suggested to him, and by junior high he never cracked
a book if he could help it. This changed when an eighth grade teacher gave
him Dragonsbaneby Barbara Hambly. Brandon was working on his thirteenth novel
when Moshe Feder at Tor Books bought the sixth he had written. Tor has
published Elantris,the Mistborn trilogy and its followup The Alloy of Law,Warbreaker, and The Way of Kingsand Words of Radiance, the first two in the planned ten-volume
series The Stormlight Archive. He was chosen to complete Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series; 2009’s The Gathering Stormand 2010’s Towers of Midnightwere followed by the final book in
the series, A Memory of Light, in January 2013. Four books in his
middle-grade Alcatraz
vs. the Evil Librariansseries have been released in new editions by
Starscape, and his novella Infinity Blade
Awakeningwas an ebook bestseller for Epic
Games accompanying their acclaimed Infinity Blade iOS video
game series. Two more novellas, Legionand The Emperor’s Soul, were released by Subterranean Press and
Tachyon Publications in 2012, and 2013 brought two young adult novels, The Rithmatistfrom Tor and Steelheartfrom Delacorte. The only author to make
the short list for the David Gemmell Legend Award six times in four years,
Brandon won that award in 2011 for The Way of Kings. The
Emperor’s Soul won the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Novella. He has
appeared on the New York Times Best-Seller List multiple
times, with five novels hitting the #1 spot. Currently living in Utah with his
wife and children, Brandon teaches creative writing at Brigham Young
University.
About the
reviewer:
Nayanika
Saikia, is one of the foremost book reviewers from the North-east and Assam,
and is also an admin for the official India bookstagram page on Instagram. She
publishes her own reviews and recommendations for poetry, fiction, non-fiction
etc. on her bookstagram account @pretty_little_bibliophile which won the
NorthEast Creator Awards 2018, as well as in daily newspapers, online magazines
etc. She can be contacted at nayanikasaikia98@gmail.com .
In a thrilling new fantasy from the bestselling
author of the Storm Siren Trilogy, one girl makes a stand against society and
enters a world made exclusively for boys.
Every year for the past fifty-four years, the
residents of Pinsbury Port have received a mysterious letter inviting all
eligible-aged boys to compete for an esteemed scholarship to the all-male
Stemwick University. The poorer residents look to see if their names are on the
list. The wealthier look to see how likely their sons are to survive. And Rhen
Tellur opens it to see if she can derive which substances the ink and parchment
are created from, using her father’s microscope.
In the province of Caldon, where women train in
wifely duties and men pursue collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur
wants nothing more than to become a scientist. As the poor of her seaside town
fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a
cure. But when her mum succumbs to it as well? Rhen decides to take the future
into her own hands—through the annual all-male scholarship competition.
With her cousin, Seleni, by her side, the girls don
disguises and enter Mr. Holm’s labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the
scholarship prize. Except not everyone is ready for a girl who doesn’t know her
place. And not everyone survives the deadly maze.
Welcome to the labyrinth.
My review:
I
received a review copy for Netgalley in return for an honest review. Opinions
expressed in this review are completely my own.
When I read
the description of the book, I was mesmerized. To Best the Boys has all the
elements that make an amazing fantasy read, replete with romance, adventure, a
bit of family drama and friendship. With a dash of some je ne sais quoi, the
author has created a veritable masterpiece.
Throughout
the novel, we see a strong and dynamic female lead in Rhen Tellur, who pursues
her passions without being afraid of what society will say. Her cousin, Seleni
is placed against her, and oh! What an amazing contrast. We see Seleni as what
you would call a ‘girly girl’, but the her own words when she says that there
is the difference between them both – Rhen was more career-oriented, but Seleni
would like to get married and have kids with her beau, is a joyful one. It
speaks of the essence of feminism – a feminist does not have to be always a
career oriented person or such as so many believe, but a woman in her own right
– who knows herself and accepts herself as she is. Rhen and Seleni are great
role-models. They do not take any nonsense from their male counterparts and
dish out just as well as they get.
the plot
actually spans just a few days – under a week, but the narrative is wrapped up
in such a way that as a reader, as you start reading, you get sucked in and get
absorbed with it. The sci-fi element in the book is also fantastic and curious.
The twist regarding the identity of The Holm is also an unexpected one albeit
happily welcome.
And I do
not think I shall elaborate much on the beautiful romance, which, although not
placed at the center, is really inspiring. The respect and support these two
lovers give each other is ideal.
One problem
that I found was that the sentences often tended to be long and rambling and I
am not sure if I am a fan of that. But the overall effect was great and gelled
well with the narrative.
Verdict:
I
really enjoyed reading this book and I rate it a 4/5 stars.
About the reviewer:
Nayanika
Saikia, is one of the foremost book reviewers from the North-east and Assam,
and is also an admin for the official India bookstagram page on Instagram. She
publishes her own reviews and recommendations for poetry, fiction, non-fiction
etc. on her bookstagram account @pretty_little_bibliophile which won the
NorthEast Creator Awards 2018, as well as in daily newspapers, online magazines
etc. She can be contacted at nayanikasaikia98@gmail.com .
ANNOUNCEMENT!!!
💥
So my #bookstagram bestie Gayatri @per_fictionist and I are holding a weekend #readalong for the amazing #cityofbrass #and #kingdomofcopper , book 1 and 2 respectively of the #thedaevabadtrilogy which is an epic fantasy set in the 18th century Middle East ! This is truly a fantasy book unlike any other!
We are absolutely very excited for this and we invite you all to join us! Tag me and Gayatri and we will share all of your favourite quotes, pictures and reviews!!
.
1. The readalong spans from Friday, 15 to Sunday, 17 !
2. You can read the books in whatever format you have !
3. Gayatri and I will be giving regular shoutouts to the participants!
.
.
#qotd : have you read this fantasy series? If not this one, then any other Middle East inspired ones?
Update:
I have finished reading both these books and I absolutely loved them both! Click on the links below to check out my reviews!
Recommended for: All sci-fi
lovers as well as those who would like to start with this genre
Synopsis:
To accommodate an “extra day” in our
calendar a worldwide shut down of electromagnetic activity has been called for.
Which means no use of electric or battery operated appliances, no internet, no
vehicular movement and there will be no record of any activity on that day as
well. After the midnight of 18th June 2019, there will be an undocumented
period of 24 hours post which the calendar will roll over to the 19th June and
we resume life as if nothing happened. Only Veer, an astrophysicist at the helm
of managing this cosmic aberration knows of one thing that will happen as a
direct consequence. A portal will open into a Parallel Universe. When the fated
day arrives, Veer reaches out to Samara to make her see for herself that he did
not sacrifice their relationship for ambition. In his theory of the Multiverse,
you don’t choose one over the other. Both choices play out in different
Universes. He implores her to travel with him through this portal and witness
their “happily ever after”. But when the portal does open, it’s a
Pandora’s box. There is not one, but many Parallel Universes. Dev and Desiree
are another couple who explore astral projection to deal with complex human relationships.
The day when the Universe is paused, they accidentally discover the Multiverse.
The worlds of science (the Multiverse) and spirituality (the 4th dimension)
collide as the story climaxes.
My review:
For
a debut novel, The Day That Nothing Happened sure packs a punch. Sonal Sehgal’s
novel is a surefire and one which will undoubtedly spark quite a few
discussions among the readers.
Although
a sci-fi, it is not a very hardcore one and as such, I think this book can be
understandable by everyone. The words used may seem pretty new to many but the
author has not failed to describe and talk over all the concepts through her
characters. Apart from usual sci-fi lovers, I think other who may want to dip a
toe into the huge ocean of sci-fi can surely begin with this one – it is easy
to understand for any newbie, does not use very many jargons etc. One other
thing that I think will make it easy for new readers to ease into this genre
through this book, is that it is not hardcore sci-fi like I have already said.
As such, the author has included various perceptions and stories in it. The
family, romance angles have also been shown which makes it a pretty smooth
read.
The
concepts of the multiverse, portals, parallel universes, astral projection,
etc., are so very fascinating and keeps the reader hooked on. The length of the
novel is not that huge either so it is a quick and understandable read too.
The characters of Samara, Veer, Dev, Desiree are well made and individualistic on their own. I would have loved a more of a backstory to Desiree because she is quite fascinating. Samara and Veer, and their character evolutions are also well plotted and very much relatable to us individuals as we work and sleep and work, and live our lives.
The
research done by the author is quite evident in this work. I personally really
liked the way the author ended the books on such a real note – and I shall
leave it at that, and not give any spoilers. The cover of the book is also
amazing and beautiful. Must read if you are a newbie and want to delve into
this genre.
Verdict:
Quite an enjoyable read. I rate it 4/5 stars.
About the author:
Sonal
Sehgal is an actor, screenwriter and copywriter. She is an English Hoours
graduate from Delhi University and holds a Diploma in Filmmaking from New York
Film Academy, New York. She has played the protagonist in critically acclaimed
films such as “Aashayein” and “Mantostaan”.
She
has co-written the screenplay for “Lihaaf” adapting Ismat Chugtai’s famous
story for a feature film, where Sonal also plays one of the two lead
characters.
About the reviewer:
Nayanika
Saikia, is one of the foremost book reviewers from the North-east and Assam,
and is also an admin for the official India bookstagram page on Instagram. She
publishes her own reviews and recommendations for poetry, fiction, non-fiction
etc. on her bookstagram account @pretty_little_bibliophile which won the
NorthEast Creator Awards 2018, as well as in daily newspapers, online magazines
etc. She can be contacted at nayanikasaikia98@gmail.com
.
Publishers: B!gfoot Publications Synopsis:
Ishita Singh, a student of St. Pierce’s College, Mumbai was living a pretty normal life with her group of friends, a caring senior and scarily enough, a creep who followed her. Shweta wakes up in the unknown planet of Isthenope and sets out with Alexander Ishutin, a former spy of the RSV, to discover more about the unknown planet which was built for a future civilization. Underlying the lives of the two in completely different worlds, there lies a dark secret which was partially blacked out in some corner of Shweta’s memory and unknown to Ishita. Will they ever come to know about the secret or will it be so chilling that it won’t be worth living for? My review:
I quite enjoyed this novel and would like to describe it as a utopian novel, along with elements of fantasy and adventure. It definitely keeps you hooked.
In terms of the plotline, the events were very well related to each other and one can see that the author has given a lot of attention to detail and planning. The outlandish elements as well as interesting to read and well-crafted. The space-time differences between the chapters were also very well maintained I feel like. Written in the third-person perspective, the language used is quite simple and easy to understand for non-native English speakers, even people not having English as their second language. The transitions in between the two worlds are amazing and gradual- not at all sudden and disjointed.
The characters were also very real and easy to connect to. You feel as if they are close to you as you read through. I found the flabbergasted Shweta a very interesting character- as she wakes up in Isthenope- a world far away from our solar system. Her romance with Alexander also blossoms beautifully and gradually. Ishita, on the other hand, tries to build her new life in Mumbai as she enrolls in an esteemed college. Her love story with Vivek, her classmate is also cute and wonderful to read- making one feel nostalgic about their own college days. Towards the end, you just cannot help but question Ishita’ sanity. And for the record, I hate Jay.
The themes of rape, the role of media in social life as well as of the police, were well explored. The overall story kept me hooked throughout, except for some parts in the middle. In terms of the cover, I think it could have been much better and I think that it matched with neither the story nor the title. Verdict:
I enjoyed the book but I wouldn’t read it more than this once. I rate it a 3/5 stars.
