Last month, our friends at Literary Bound Tours put together a gorgeous bookstagram tour for Beasts of Prey– check out the pictures below and make sure to give them a like!
Beasts of Prey
By Ayana Gray
496 Pages | Ages 12+ | Hardcover
ISBN 9780593405680 | Putnam BFYR
There’s no such thing as magic in the broken city of Lkossa, especially for sixteen-year-old Koffi, who holds a power within her that could only be described as magic – a power that if discovered could cost her life. Indentured to the notorious Night Zoo, Koffi knows the fearsome creatures in her care and paying off her family’s debts to secure their eventual freedom can be her only focus. But the night those she loves are gravely threatened by the Zoo’s cruel master, Koffi finally unleashes the power she doesn’t fully understand, upending her life completely. As the second son of a decorated hero, Ekon is all but destined to become a Son of the Six – an elite warrior – and uphold a family legacy. But on the night of his final rite of passage, Ekon encounters not only the Shetani – a vicious monster that has plagued the city for nearly a century and stalks his nightmares, but Koffi who seems to have the power to ward off the beast. Koffi’s power ultimately saves Ekon’s life, but his choice to let her flee dooms his hopes of becoming a warrior. Desperate to redeem himself, Ekon vows to hunt the Shetani and end its reign of terror, but he can’t do it alone. Meanwhile, Koffi believes finding the Shetani could also be the key to solving her own problems. Koffi and Ekon form a tentative alliance and together enter the Greater Jungle, a world steeped in wild, frightening magic and untold dangers. The hunt begins. But it quickly becomes unclear whether they are the hunters or the hunted.
A couple of weeks ago, our friends at Storygram Tours put together a gorgeous bookstagram tour for Iron Widow – check out the pictures below and make sure to give them a like!
Iron Widow
By Xiran Jay Zhao
400 Pages | Ages 14+ | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735269934 | Penguin Teen Canada
The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn’t matter that the girls often die from the mental strain. When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it’s to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected – she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead. To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way – and stop more girls from being sacrificed.
Our friends at Caffeine Book Tours recently wrapped up an excellent tour in support of Xiran Jay Zhao’s Iron Widow. Make sure to catch up with all the participants below!
August 23, 2021
A Cup of Cyanide: “Anime as f*ck, seeped in historical Chinese influence, characters, and mythology, and one hell of a power trio!”
Lyrical Reads: “Iron Widow digs deep to dismantle the misogyny in a sci-fi/fantasy world that has lifted historical figures and planted them into this new context.”
Solace in Reading: “Iron Widow is life-changing, especially for me as an Asian woman, and it’s great to see sexism and the patriarchy called out and challenged in a fantasy novel.”
Credit: Lyrical Reads
August 24, 2021
B for Bookslut: “Iron Widow is definitely written with a lot of heart, passion, and soul; it practically leaps off the pages and I was dragged hook, line, and sinker into Zetian’s world.”
It’s Just a Coffee Addicted Bibliophile: “This is a fast-paced feminist retelling of the only female Chinese Emperor that had me sitting on the edge of my seat.”
Kristy’s Book Reviews: “I just want everyone to read and love this book because I sure did. . . . The wait for book 2 is going to kill me off honestly!”
August 25, 2021
Books & Bookish: “All in all, Iron Widow is a breathtaking, thrilling debut novel that defies the norms of a typical YA book.”
This Belle Reads Too: “I have no qualms about the book. Iron Widow enraptured me from the beginning till the end.”
China Sorrows: “Wu Zetian, you are stunning. And this is one of my favourite books of the year.”
Mel to the Any: “This story is truly so powerful, so beautiful, and so high on my recommendations lists for you all!”
Myths n’ Mis-adventures: “I’ve never read a book that is so unabashedly about toppling the patriarchy. It’s gutsy and powerful and delivers blow after blow relentlessly.”
Thank you to everyone who took part in the blog tour and a big thanks to Shealea at Caffeine Book Tours for putting it together!
Are you ready for Iron Widow?
Iron Widow
By Xiran Jay Zhao
400 Pages | Ages 14+ | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735269934 | Penguin Teen Canada
Release Date: September 21, 2021
The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn’t matter that the girls often die from the mental strain. When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it’s to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected – she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead. To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way – and stop more girls from being sacrificed.
Meg Rosoff’s new book, The Great Godden, came out this week and we’re obsessed. A sexy stranger? A British seaside? A narrator without a name or a gender?? We loved it so much, we asked some bookstagrammers to join us for a mini tour – keep scrolling to see their photos and make sure to check them out on Instagram!
And don’t forget to check out Erik’s review over at breakevenbooks!
The Great Godden
By Meg Rosoff
256 Pages | Ages 14+ | Paperback
ISBN 9780735268319 | Penguin Teen Canada
This is the story of one family, one dreamy summer. . . . In a holiday house by the sea, our watchful narrator sees everything, including many things they shouldn’t, as their brother and sisters, parents, and older cousins fill hot days with wine and games and planning a wedding. Enter two brothers: irresistible, charming, languidly sexy Kit and surly, silent Hugo. Suddenly there’s a serpent in this paradise – and the consequences will be devastating.
A few weeks ago, the lovely people at Hear Our Voices Book Tours hosted a blog tour for Peter Lee’s Notes From the Field! We’ve rounded up their contributions below, make sure to check them out!
Hanna put together a lesson plan and classroom décor.
Musfira recreated the cover and did a fantastic job (in our humble opinion).
Have you met Peter Lee yet? Let us know! And if not, we highly recommend getting to know him and his family – you can pick up Peter Lee’s Notes From the Field from your favorite bookstore now!
Peter Lee’s Notes From the Field
By Angela Ahn
Illustrated by Julie Kwon
312 Pages | Ages 9-12 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735268241 | Tundra Books
Eleven year-old Peter Lee has one goal in life: to become a paleontologist. Okay, maybe two: to get his genius kid-sister, L.B., to leave him alone. But his summer falls apart when his real-life dinosaur expedition turns out to be a bust, and he watches his dreams go up in a cloud of asthma-inducing dust. Even worse, his grandmother, Hammy, is sick, and no one will talk to Peter or L.B. about it. Perhaps his days as a scientist aren’t quite behind him yet. Armed with notebooks and pens, Peter puts his observation and experimental skills to the test to see what he can do for Hammy. If only he can get his sister to be quiet for once – he needs time to sketch out a plan.
Beasts of Prey
