This time, I swear I was minding my own business. 

Except for the fact that I follow Tatiana Obey, the magnificent author, on IG and well, if an author I like recommends a book, how could I not go check it out?

To not do so would be, not-me.

And since I love being me, when Ms Obey recommended Conquest by Celeste Harte, and described it so interestingly, I downloaded it from Kindle Unlimited.

I had just finished another book and was fuzzy on what to read next. But Conquest had me curious, and I figured I’d try a few pages and see. That was about 10 am on Saturday, by 10 pm on that SAME Saturday… I was done.

I was not okay, but I was done.

Conquest is characterized as Afro Futurism Fantasy. Celeste Harte is an Indie Black Author, but what I am yet to see someone say, is that this book and author perform teleportation magic on anyone reading these words. This is the book form of stepping onto a spaceship and having your molecules torpedoed across the galaxy not only onto a new timeline, but to a universe far away that is still somehow adjacent to ours. And this alternative universe… it makes your head spin like a top, as it tries to absorb all the sights and sounds your consciousness is suddenly downloaded into.

The book has EVERYTHING!

Aliens, dragons, cyborgs, hovercrafts, holograms, enemies to allies, a war!

Then there is found family, arranged marriage, orphan with a hidden talent, birth family drama, secrets, colonists, and rebels!

EVERYTHING!

Reality tells us this should not work. In the book world, you pick a point in time, a few tropes, and you stay in that pocket. Celeste Harte and Conquest are proof we have been lied to! This story is amazing. All these ideas mesh together and give readers a fantasy novel that is a wormhole of book reading joy! One step in and voooshhhhhhh you are gone!

Let me give a bit more detailed insight.

Jashi, our orphan with her hidden talent, opens the book as she quits another job because of that talent. Only one other person knows what she can do, and that is the Matron who raised her in the orphanage. She goes home and is trying to figure out her next steps, like rent and food, when she is suddenly whisked away to meet the Great Faresh. He is THE warrior who took over the kingdom she lives in when the previous royal family was assassinated. 

Oh yeah, add political intrigue and betrayal aplenty to the lists above 😉

She is scared, because as far as she knows, he is a cold warlord who has been killing traitors around him every time he blinks. And he blinks… a lot.

On entering the room she sees the Matron who raised her and the scary king. The Matron leaves after hugging her but says nothing about the situation. The scary king then tells her… we are getting married.

Clearly she freaks out. But here is the plot twist. That secret talent she has, he has it too, and knows she has it as well.

And THAT is how the book begins. There are more twisty details, but I really refuse to spoil this book for anyone reading this review. You should have the chance to experience the joy of discovering all the intricacies and sticky-sweet details for yourself. 

Btw it just gets more intriguing from there. 

I KNOW it sounds impossible, but it is true.

Which is why I started at 10 am and was finished by 10 pm on the SAME day.

It sounds like a lot, but it does not feel overwhelming while reading. You simply feel transcended into a new space and time, where humanoids come in all colors and shapes, with varied abilities.

Parts of me are still reeling and I will need a bit before I jump into the other two books in this series. But I definitely will go back. This is not the kind of book magic you uncover and then walk away from. This is the kind of book magic you loop into your soul and tie a knot to, so you can never lose it again.

Needless to say, I think you should read this book. In fact, read the trilogy. You should get your snacks, clear your day, and take a deep breath and dive right in… as soon as possible!