May the Fourth be with you! Sorry I just couldn’t resist 😂. April was a pretty good reading month for me! Thanks to lockdown I managed to get through 9 books, most of which were on my Netgalley backlog. This was another month I really struggled to narrow down my favourite reads and so I’ve picked the Four that really stood out to me. These books are completely different reads, one a finale in a magical series that I adored, one a fun filled space romp and the other, a really thought provoking sci-fi novel set in the multiverse, and a book filled with Dragons and prophecies and magic. What was your favourite read(s) for April? Let me know in the comments.

Empire of Gold

After a brutal conquest stripped the city of its magic, Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her resurrected commander, Dara, must try to repair their fraying alliance and stabilize a fractious, warring people. But the bloodletting and loss of his beloved Nahri have unleashed the worst demons of Dara’s dark past. To vanquish them, he must face some ugly truths about his history and put himself at the mercy of those he once considered enemies. Having narrowly escaped their murderous families and Daevabad’s deadly politics, Nahri and Ali, now safe in Cairo,

face difficult choices of their own. While Nahri finds peace in the old rhythms and familiar comforts of her human home, she is haunted by the knowledge that the loved ones she left behind and the people who considered her a savior are at the mercy of a new tyrant. Ali, too, cannot help but look back, and is determined to return to rescue his city and the family that remains. Seeking support in his mother’s homeland, he discovers that his connection to the marid goes far deeper than expected and threatens not only his relationship with Nahri, but his very faith. As peace grows more elusive and old players return, Nahri, Ali, and Dara come to understand that in order to remake the world, they may need to fight those they once loved . . . and take a stand for those they once hurt.

Favourite Quotes.

“…She wasn’t waiting around for the magical world to save her. Nahri had another world.”

“Nahri didn’t stop. She made sure each step was steady. For if she paused, if she slipped and was submerged, she was not certain she’d have the strength to fight for another breath.“

“Nahri had to bit back a hysterical laugh. She’s tricked Manizheh – a woman who controlled peoples limbs with her mind and summoned back dead Afshin from the ash – and then stolen the seal ring her mother had been after for decades. Yes, Nahri would say they were in trouble.”

I may have squealed and done a happy dance of joy when my wish for this was granted on Netgalley. This has become a favourite series of mine and the ending was absolutely perfect. I could go on and on about how much I loved it, but I’ll just leave the link to my review here.

Aurora Burning

First, the bad news: an ancient evil—you know, your standard consume-all-life-in-the-galaxy deal—is about to be unleashed. The good news? Squad 312 is standing by to save the day. They’ve just got to take care of a few small distractions first. Like the clan of gremps who’d like to rearrange their favorite faces. And the cadre of illegit GIA agents with creepy flowers where their eyes used to be, who’ll stop at nothing to get their hands on Auri. Then there’s Kal’s long-lost sister, who’s not exactly happy to see her baby brother, and has a Syldrathi army

at her back. With half the known galaxy on their tails, Squad 312 has never felt so wanted. When they learn the Hadfield has been found, it’s time to come out of hiding. Two centuries ago, the colony ship vanished, leaving Auri as its sole survivor. Now, its black box might be what saves them. But time is short, and if Auri can’t learn to master her powers as a Trigger, the squad and all their admirers are going to be deader than the Great Ultrasaur of Abraaxis IV. Shocking revelations, bank heists, mysterious gifts, inappropriately tight bodysuits, and an epic firefight will determine the fate of the Aurora Legion’s most unforgettable heroes—and maybe the rest of the galaxy as well.

Favourite Quotes.

“It is difficult. To be the one who endures.”

“Tyler is the one to break the silence. He is huddled in the corner with his sister pressed against him, his knees lifted to protect his crotch. I should ask to examine his most recent injury, but I calculate that the probability of a refusal, followed by a sarcastic remark from Finian, is almost one hundred percent.”

“He asks for nothing, this boy. No favour. No quarter. He lives every moment of his life in pain, but still, he lives it. And he stands, where others would have long ago fallen.”

“The enemy within surges against the prison of my ribs, longing got bloodshed. He wants to be out there with his brothers and sisters, wading through the black and the red, revelling in the taste of salt and smoke, dancing in the dance of blood. But we can dance in here well enough.”

This book gave me all the feels! Yes its as fun and witty as the first but we also get to delve more into the characters histories and motives and boy was I not ready. Also, that ending is the worst. If I hadn’t been reading the book on my phone it would have been out the window.

The Space Between Worlds

Multiverse travel is finally possible, but there’s just one catch: No one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Enter Cara, whose parallel selves happen to be exceptionally good at dying—from disease, turf wars, or vendettas they couldn’t outrun. Cara’s life has been cut short on 372 worlds in total.On this Earth, however, Cara has survived. Identified as an outlier and therefore a perfect candidate for multiverse travel, Cara is plucked from the dirt of the wastelands. Now she has a nice apartment on the lower levels of the wealthy and

walled-off Wiley City. She works—and shamelessly flirts—with her enticing yet aloof handler, Dell, as the two women collect off-world data for the Eldridge Institute. She even occasionally leaves the city to visit her family in the wastes, though she struggles to feel at home in either place. So long as she can keep her head down and avoid trouble, Cara is on a sure path to citizenship and security.But trouble finds Cara when one of her eight remaining doppelgängers dies under mysterious circumstances, plunging her into a new world with an old secret. What she discovers will connect her past and her future in ways she could have never imagined—and reveal her own role in a plot that endangers not just her world, but the entire multiverse.

Favourite Quotes.

“If this is how death finds me, at least it will be different. I have died a hundred ways, but never in defence of another. Not until now.”

“Come now, old man. It can’t really be theft if I’m just reading. You cant steal something that’s still there when you’ve taken it.”

“My mother used to say I was born reaching, which is true. She also used to say it would get me killed, which it hasn’t. Not yet, anyway. Not here.”

I hadn’t really read a book before that explored the multiverse so was slightly worried it might go over my head in parts. Luckily, though there are sciency bits, I found it all really easy to follow. This was a really thought-provoking read and I devoured it in a matter of hours. You can read my full review here.

Burn

Sarah Dewhurst and her father, outcasts in their little town of Frome, Washington, are forced to hire a dragon to work their farm, something only the poorest of the poor ever have to resort to.The dragon, Kazimir, has more to him than meets the eye, though. Sarah can’t help but be curious about him, an animal who supposedly doesn’t have a soul, but who is seemingly intent on keeping her safe.Because the dragon knows something she doesn’t. He has arrived at the farm with a prophecy on his mind. A prophecy that involves a

deadly assassin, a cult of dragon worshippers, two FBI agents in hot pursuit—and somehow, Sarah Dewhurst herself.

Favourite Quotes!

“I’m just a girl.” “It is tragic how well you have been taught to say that with sadness rather than triumph.”

“He was the thing the world had suffered from most in her four billion years of existence, a stupid man with power.”

“An animal without a soul is still an animal, no matter how many words it’s learnt to lie with.”

I defy you to read this book and not instantly fall in love with the writing and the characters. I honestly had no idea what I was in for when I started and I flew through the book in about 4 hours, unable to put it down. Cut to me adding everything Ness has ever written to my TBR.