I read some books, which means it's time for some mini reviews! This week, I have a fantasy romance that started weak but ended strong and memoirs from the former First Lady.
Title: The Orchid Throne (Forgotten Empires #1)
Author: Jeffe Kennedy
Source: Publisher
Rating: 3.75 Stars
The Orchid Throne started off weak which had me wary at first, but I came to really care about the characters and their differing motivations. Conri was an escaped slave, leading his people to overthrow the murderous emperor. While he was filled with murderous rage, there was also an innocence and timidness to him. Euthalia was the queen of a kingdom that had bowed to the emperor early on and seemed to live a charmed life while other realms suffered, but she had a hidden side that was always planning and fought to put her people's needs above her own. The first third of the book was a ton of info-dump as Kennedy set up the world and how the emperor came to power. I was fairly overwhelmed for all of this information but got more comfortable with the story once we settled into Conri and Euthalia's perspectives. The pacing was the weakest aspect to The Orchid Throne, but it did all seem to come together in the end. Despite the roller coaster pacing, I am curious about this series and truly fell in love with Conri and Euthalia towards the end. I can't wait to see how their story continues in the sequel.
Title: Becoming
Author: Michelle Obama
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5 Stars
And like we all expected, Becoming was all I ever needed, and possibly more. As a young black woman from Chicago, Becoming pulled at my heartstrings a little bit more than the average reader. I adored hearing about her youth and how Chicago was quickly changing, both politically and demographically. Her growth and determination was an inspiration and as a fellow INTJ, I saw a lot of myself in her. It was also just an interesting insight to see the side of the Obama presidency that we didn't get to see and how Michelle Obama fought to ensure that her daughters knew that they were a priority and had relatively normal lives despite the ups and downs of their time in the White House. Becoming made me nostalgic at times and enraged at others. While we know the unfortunate ending of the Obama family welcoming the next "president" into the White House, Becoming filled me with hope and determination to create a United States that reflects the values we demand.
Have you read any of the above?
Have you read anything by Jeffe Kennedy (I'm curious to try some more)?
Are you registered to vote???
Labels: 3.75 stars, 5 stars, becoming, book review, forgotten empires, jeffe kennedy, les petites revues, michelle obama, mini reviews, the orchid throne
