A long awaited post! I’ve found some titles that have left me surprised this year. Some unexpected ones were 5 star reads which is always great. I’ve seen a lot of book bloggers do this and so I thought I would try it too. I’m going to start with a few books that I’ll be reading this month and maybe the next. Hopefully report back with how it went. I’m really hoping this isn’t a complete flop. Do you have any 5 star predictions?
5 Star Predictions
We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faizal
The sequel to the New York Times–bestselling We Hunt the Flame, Zafira and Nasir must conquer the darkness around—and inside of—them.
The captivating closing installment to the Sands of Arawiya duology!
The battle on Sharr is over. The dark forest has fallen. Altair may be captive, but Zafira, Nasir, and Kifah are bound for Sultan’s Keep, determined to finish the plan he set in motion: restoring the hearts of the Sisters of Old to the minarets of each caliphate, and finally returning magic to all of Arawiya. But they are low on resources and allies alike, and the kingdom teems with fear of the Lion of the Night’s return.
As the zumra plots to overthrow the kingdom’s darkest threat, Nasir fights to command the magic in his blood. He must learn to hone his power into a weapon, to wield not only against the Lion but against his father, trapped under the Lion’s control. Zafira battles a very different darkness festering in her through her bond with the Jawarat—a darkness that hums with voices, pushing her to the brink of her sanity and to the edge of a chaos she dare not unleash. In spite of the darkness enclosing ever faster, Nasir and Zafira find themselves falling into a love they can’t stand to lose…but time is running out to achieve their ends, and if order is to be restored, drastic sacrifices will have to be made.
I got an arc of this! This is one of my highly anticipated books of 2021. I’ve started reading it already and I’m so hoping it will be a 5 star read. I need it to be a 5 star read. I’m attached to these characters and I love that the story has a unique twist to it. (Thank you Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the gifted review copy!)
—
The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty
The final chapter in the bestselling, critically acclaimed Daevabad Trilogy, in which a con-woman and an idealistic djinn prince join forces to save a magical kingdom from a devastating civil war.
Daevabad has fallen.
After a brutal conquest stripped the city of its magic, Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her resurrected commander, Dara, must try to repair their fraying alliance and stabilize a fractious, warring people.
But the bloodletting and loss of his beloved Nahri have unleashed the worst demons of Dara’s dark past. To vanquish them, he must face some ugly truths about his history and put himself at the mercy of those he once considered enemies.
Having narrowly escaped their murderous families and Daevabad’s deadly politics, Nahri and Ali, now safe in Cairo, face difficult choices of their own. While Nahri finds peace in the old rhythms and familiar comforts of her human home, she is haunted by the knowledge that the loved ones she left behind and the people who considered her a savior are at the mercy of a new tyrant. Ali, too, cannot help but look back, and is determined to return to rescue his city and the family that remains. Seeking support in his mother’s homeland, he discovers that his connection to the marid goes far deeper than expected and threatens not only his relationship with Nahri, but his very faith.
As peace grows more elusive and old players return, Nahri, Ali, and Dara come to understand that in order to remake the world, they may need to fight those they once loved . . . and take a stand for those they once hurt.
Ah the trilogy of my heart. I know you’re all tired of me talking about this but it’s so good and you can’t stop me! I just know deep in my bones that this will be a 5 star read. I just know it. I’m only 200 pages in so far and I’m already buried in all the feels so can you imagine when I *shudder* finish the book?
—
The Rose and the Dagger by Renée Ahdieh
The darker the sky, the brighter the stars.
In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad is forced from the arms of her beloved husband, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once thought Khalid a monster—a merciless killer of wives, responsible for immeasurable heartache and pain—but as she unraveled his secrets, she found instead an extraordinary man and a love she could not deny. Still, a curse threatens to keep Shazi and Khalid apart forever.
Now she’s reunited with her family, who have found refuge in the desert, where a deadly force is gathering against Khalid—a force set on destroying his empire and commanded by Shazi’s spurned childhood sweetheart. Trapped between loyalties to those she loves, the only thing Shazi can do is act. Using the burgeoning magic within her as a guide, she strikes out on her own to end both this terrible curse and the brewing war once and for all. But to do it, she must evade enemies of her own to stay alive.
The saga that began with The Wrath and the Dawn takes its final turn as Shahrzad risks everything to find her way back to her one true love again.
I read the first book when I first started university which was 4 years ago. I remember really enjoying it but I never got around to reading the sequel. Now is the time for me to get back to it. I have a feeling it will be a 5 star read?
—
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.
It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.
There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.
I’m finally reading this in September! I made a readalong for this series since many readers wanted to either start on reread the books before the last one comes out. This has been on my shelf for ages and I really need to finally get to it. Finger crossed it’s a 5 star read!
—
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising.
But surprises aren’t always good.
Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.
For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .
Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.
Everyone has been reading The Poppy War this month! and I started it too. I’m not 100 pages in just yet but it’s so so interesting so far. All I’ve seen this month are 5 star ratings and well, I hope there’s a 5 star rating from me too.
Good luck! I’ve recently done this too and can’t wait to read my picks so I hope you enjoy yours
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! I hope you enjoy yours as well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you
LikeLike
I love reading 5 star prediction posts they’re so fun! I absolutely need to read The Poppy War and An Ember In The Ashes because I think they’ll be new faves of mine
LikeLiked by 2 people
Right? I’ve read so many and got excited to make my own! I think they will be too. Really hope we’re right 🙈
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope you love them! I absolutely loved The Poppy War, and I really liked The Rose and the Dagger but not as much as the Wrath and the Dawn for some reason
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! Really looking forward to The Poppy War. I honestly can’t remember much of Wrath and the Dawn so I’m thinking of a reread maybe? Guess I’ll see.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooh I love An ember in the ashes and The Poppy War! I hope you end up lovning those as well!
I’m also anticipating The Empire of Gold to be a 5 star read for me!
(www.evelynreads.com)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Can’t wait to read them both! 😍 Ah I hope Empire of Gold is a 5 star read for you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I also have high hopes for when I get around to reading An Ember in the Ashes! I’m also hoping that Serpent & Dove is a 5-star read for me. I read the Rose & the Dagger and enjoyed it! Hopefully you like it 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Can’t wait to read Ember too! Hope you enjoy Serpent & Dove. Really loved that one.
LikeLike
I hope you enjoy The Poppy War! It’s an absolute favourite read of mine this year! I also cant wait for WFTS as well since I enjoyed WHTF so much~
LikeLike
Started it already! I haven’t reached far yet but really enjoying it. Hope you get to read it soon!
LikeLike
I hope you enjoy all of these! 😁 The Empire of Gold was a 5 star book for me and I really need to read We Hunt the Flame.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! I already know Empire of Gold will be a 5 star read because I’ve already started weeping 😭❤ Hope you get to read it soon!
LikeLike
I haven’t read any of these but know you’ll definitely get a couple of 5 stars!! (: I’m hoping to start City of Brass this month, and maybe even The Poppy War too! ♥
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope so too! 😊 I hope you love both of them. I’m so happy you’re picking up City of Brass. It has become one of my favorite trilogies ever.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope all of these will be 5 stars! 🙂 I’m planning on reading book 2 in the Daevabad trilogy in September!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! I hope so too. Yay I’m so excited for you to read it I loved it so much! 😭❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Eeepp hope you love all of these! Ember was definitely a 5-star for me so crossing my fingers you love. I’m hoping City of Brass and The Poppy War are some of mine xx
LikeLike
Thank you! I hope you love both of those 🥰 so excited to start Ember!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Rose & the Dagger was 5-stars for me, both books were. I thought this was beautifully written and very entertaining.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I read the first book a long time ago and I’m really looking forward to reading the second one soon!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve heard good things about The Poppy War, but I haven’t red it myself yet.
I’m hoping Ink & Sigil by Kevin Hearne will be 5 stars. It was just released this past week and I’m waiting on my copy in the mail!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooh hope that’s a 5 star read for you!
LikeLike
one of mine was where dreams descend and it was so good and gorgeous! also the burning god (hopefully) because tpw and tdr were both 5 stars for me!
LikeLiked by 1 person
So excited to read Where Dreams Descend soon! Looking forward to continuing The Poppy War.
LikeLiked by 1 person
oh my goodness I love The Poppy War so much!!!!! I hope you love it too, the main character and the intense dark setting is chef’s kiss ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so excited!! I’m not far in yet but it’s so good right now ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
AHHHH hope u enjoy the poppy war!!! So excited to hear your thoughts
LikeLiked by 1 person
Can’t wait to read it!
LikeLike
most of these books are still on my TBR but I’m so excited for them, and I hope you’ll enjoy them!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh my gosh I’m so excited for you too read An Ember in the Ashes!! Everything about that book was brilliant so I really do hope you enjoy it. The Poppy War is another good book and I really need to re read it, but great picks this month!
LikeLike
So excited! It has take all my power not to pick it up before our September readalong 😂💜 The Poppy War is one I’m excited to read! I’ve started it but haven’t gotten anywhere just yet.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think The Poppy War and The Daevabad trilogy will be 5 star reads for me, I just need to make time to read them! 😅
LikeLike
[…] Noura shared her latest 5 star predictions! The Poppy War is one of them and I’m just over here like 👀👀👀 […]
LikeLiked by 1 person
i really hope you enjoy an ember in the ashes! i remember this first book was a five stars for me when i first read it.
i also ended up taking a really long break in between the two books in the wrath and the dawn duology and i kinda regret it, because i ended up not really liking the second one. i was already a bit detached from the characters and i didn’t care as much for their relationship. i hope you enjoy it a lot better than i did, though!
LikeLike