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A review by kjharrowick
Summoned by M.A. Guglielmo
5.0
Why I picked up this book:
I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. Okay, let's be super honest . . . I adore M. A. Guglielmo and I was lucky enough to read an early draft of this story years ago. So when I found out the ARC was ready, I was all grabby hands to read Zahara's story again. She's the type of character you both want to cuddle and punch in the throat.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
Zahara is by far my favorite character. Constantly obsessed with how people see her, this lovely lady is always primping her own breasts, wearing the tiniest, most see-through clothes, and demanding everyone's attention be on her. But when her true form is revealed, it's hilarious to see how much it affects her—how something so simple to any other character forms one of the strongest cornerstones of her insecurity.
This story is full of Moroccan beauty and culture, including several words readers may not be familiar with. Each one adds a deeper layer of flavor to the overall world.
What I'd love to see more of:
I'm a huge fan off deep world building and even deeper character emotions. While I loved Zahara's story, one of the things that kept me a bit distanced from the characters is the emotions didn't seem to run deep, and some reactions felt a little off-hand to the severity of the drama.
Overall:
This is a beautiful debut for M. A. Guglielmo! Due to some of the content, I'd recommend for older teens and adults, and could hit the sweet spot for both contemporary and contemporary fantasy readers. Can't wait to see more from this lovely author!
I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. Okay, let's be super honest . . . I adore M. A. Guglielmo and I was lucky enough to read an early draft of this story years ago. So when I found out the ARC was ready, I was all grabby hands to read Zahara's story again. She's the type of character you both want to cuddle and punch in the throat.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
Zahara is by far my favorite character. Constantly obsessed with how people see her, this lovely lady is always primping her own breasts, wearing the tiniest, most see-through clothes, and demanding everyone's attention be on her. But when her true form is revealed, it's hilarious to see how much it affects her—how something so simple to any other character forms one of the strongest cornerstones of her insecurity.
This story is full of Moroccan beauty and culture, including several words readers may not be familiar with. Each one adds a deeper layer of flavor to the overall world.
What I'd love to see more of:
I'm a huge fan off deep world building and even deeper character emotions. While I loved Zahara's story, one of the things that kept me a bit distanced from the characters is the emotions didn't seem to run deep, and some reactions felt a little off-hand to the severity of the drama.
Overall:
This is a beautiful debut for M. A. Guglielmo! Due to some of the content, I'd recommend for older teens and adults, and could hit the sweet spot for both contemporary and contemporary fantasy readers. Can't wait to see more from this lovely author!