Hot Girls Read Podcast

Julia

Following my previous update, I am now on book 3 of the City of Brass Trilogy and loving every second of it! Some of my favourite parts of the series are not just the dramatic plots and rich world building, but actually the smaller dynamics at play that build the characters in such a multi dimensional way. 

The book has a lot of complex familial relationships, between siblings and also between generations — at times they might be on different sides of a mounting civil war, yet they still care deeply for each other. There are also lots of references to how different interpretations of religious texts and blind faith lead to deep societal rifts, with the main characters each having their own battle with the questions and consequences. These themes are so relevant to our world and they are artfully rendered in the books. 

One of my favourite characters is probably Ali, a rebel prince of sorts. He’s made out to be a somewhat of a religious fanatic and a bit prude which is so unusual in a dashing and heroic main male character, and I love that juxtaposition. He is also a huge economics nerd which is a funny detail and I really relate to his struggles of being from two different ethnicities (even if they are fantasy djinn ethnicities!). 

Overall, these books have some of the most interesting and developed characters I have had the pleasure of reading about in a while. 

Ayesha

I’ve got a fairly short reading update this week. I finished book two of the Farseer trilogy and I hate to say it but I wasn’t left ecstatic by the end. I don’t know. I was really looking forward to reading this after book one but I suppose I simply didn’t find the ending to be satisfying. I will of course read the last book to see how it ends, and can only hope for the ending I want in the final book.