Iron Widow
PSA: Author Xiran Jay Zhao states this is not a YA novel. Please honor their word and spread the word to prospective readers! While I had a few gripes with Iron Widow—particularly regarding its action, worldbuilding, and lead character arc—it still had a plethora of great elements. Heavenly
The Poppy War
After reading Yellowface, which became one of my new favorite books, I just had to check out her other work. Naturally, I started with her first, The Poppy War. Her bibliography is the epitome of what I want to have once I'm a published author: a catalog of
Scholomance
I have to admit, I don't hate the magic school trope whatsoever—if anything, when done right, it's one of my favorite tropes. I was super excited to see what horrifying traps might come around the corner, or what insane implications a deadly school might entail.