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.
Kamilah Cole constructed a world with all the home-grown ideals and morals that are drilled into Caribbean-ites from birth. She then smoothly threaded in fantastical elements of gods and dragons, which all built the story into an all-consuming fantasy you cannot put down until you know exactly what happens next.
I picked the book up and did not put it down until I finished. The book ravished me. No other way to describe how I felt after. It was feisty, smart, unpredictable, and absorbing in a way I know I will never forget. This author is now one whose work I will follow closely, because she has without a doubt fully captured my attention. To Shape a Dragon’s Breath, the First Book of Nampeshiweisit, is for me, a must read.
It is gut boiling. And to her credit, I felt it. That is the potency of Rebecca Yarros and her words. Because a good book, for me, is one that disrupts me. It takes me out of my lane, steals my focus, and commands my attention. Yes, I was upset while reading, but she had me. And in hindsight, Iron Flame is the perfectly laid conduit to transition readers away from Basgiath War College into the deeply engulfing world of The Empyrean.
From the first few test pages, Devonnie had me hooked. All I remember is downloading the first book from Amazon, then I blinked and in a few days, the full 5 book series was done. The fog that engulfed me had lifted and, once again, I was able to read. To fully read and finish books! That was a HUGE relief. How did that happen? Well!
The problem with finishing an EPIC series very late at night is that you have to lie there alone in the dark and contemplate the meaning of life. You cannot message your friends, you might wake them and make them start reading. You cannot scream into the abyss and ask, “What am I supposed to do now?” You might wake up your household.
This was a great read. It reminded me of Game of Thrones, but without the degradation of women, and random descriptions of their anatomy (like pert boobs bouncing while she is just walking in a stable smh). The main characters are women who understand what it means to lead no matter how difficult and heartbreaking it may be.
But sometimes, one of those books that tops every list and that is currently burning the fingers of influencers everywhere slips through and lands on my kindle. And boy was this one worth every single drop of HYPE that came with it. At this point, look at the cover image and read the small tiny line above Fourth. It says, “Fly…or Die.” You may be thinking this is a fantasy, the author is well known for her romance books, that is just more hype. I am here to tell you it is not!