Author: Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

An avid reader whose current interest lies in mysteries and thrillers. Line 'em up! Also personally love fantasies and any stories to do with magic, and a sucker for the occasional (good) romance.
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Let’s Talk Bookish – Writing as a Reader

Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Aria @ Book Nook Bits is the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

November 17: Writing as a Reader

Prompts: What are your favorite kinds of writing? How has being a reader shaped your writing? Are there certain books that have impacted your writing style? How does your reading connect to your writing?

Welcome back another week of LTB here at DTRH, everyone! Today’s topic is about writing, particularly writing style as a fellow reader. No doubt what you read influences what you write, but in what ways?

My favourite kinds of writing are, unsurprisingly, the ones that are written very directly and simply, and really shows off a character’s thoughts to really bring me into the book. Where I want the complexity is in the plot weaving, and how characters can fade in and out of “view” in the story to come together to make an interesting story arc. Those are the kinds of books that really take the cake for me. These are the kinds of styles that really work for me in mysteries and thrillers so I’m always looking for this kind of writing.

However, I think I have recently discovered that this also works with fantasy books and I really enjoyed it. Sometimes the overly flowering language or the extreme descriptions can really take me out of a book (though I feel like sometimes it can work too), so I tend to stray away from books that have sentences that make me really have to think before I even get what they’re saying. I think I take this to heart when I write too. I try not to be too unnecessarily ambiguous, and I generally want to give my direct thoughts over meandering back and forth over something. I want to read clear writing and I want to write clearly, simple as that really.

I don’t think any book in particular has really affected my writing style. But I think through observation and over time I have noticed that there can be a lot of styles that work, and it can really be catered to the topic and what you’re trying to convey. I also learned that short. Abrupt. Sentences. Can sometimes be used strategically to really quicken the pace of a plot or to even put strategic stopping points for the readers. I definitely notice when the writing style can affect the tone of a piece (and tone is so important in thrillers!), so I do my best to replicate the kind of tone I want in my writing.

One of the major reasons I like reading is because it allows me to see directly into the characters’ inner thoughts, and that is one of the main highlights for why a book is often better than a movie for me personally. Blogging is also essentially writing for others to see directly into your thoughts. In that way, I think the way I read, wanting to know a character’s thoughts, is the same way I like to read other blogs and see their thoughts. I also want to do the same and convey my thoughts here at DTRH in order to share in and be a part of the community.

What do you all think about your favourite kinds of writing and your reading habits? Do you notice any connection between the two? Let me know in the comments below!

5 star, YA

Review: The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman

Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Magic, a prized resource, is the only thing between peace and war. When magic runs out, four estranged royal siblings must find a new source before their country is swallowed by invading forces. The first in an Indian-inspired duology.

Vira is desperate to get out of her mother’s shadow and establish her legacy as a revered queen of Ashoka. But with the country’s only quarry running out of magic–a precious resource that has kept Ashoka safe from conflict–she can barely protect her citizens from the looming threat of war. And if her enemies discover this, they’ll stop at nothing to seize the last of the magic.

Vira’s only hope is to find a mysterious object of legend: the Ivory Key, rumored to unlock a new source of magic. But in order to infiltrate enemy territory and retrieve it, she must reunite with her siblings, torn apart by the different paths their lives have taken. Each of them has something to gain from finding the Ivory Key–and even more to lose if they fail. Ronak plans to sell it to the highest bidder in exchange for escape from his impending political marriage. Kaleb, falsely accused of assassinating the former maharani needs it to clear his name. And Riya, a runaway who cut all family ties, wants the Key to prove her loyalty to the rebels who want to strip the nobility of its power.

They must work together to survive the treacherous journey. But with each sibling harboring secrets and their own agendas, the very thing that brought them together could tear apart their family–and their world–for good.

This is book one of a duology, and the newest book, The Crimson Fortress, drops tomorrow, November 14! I saw this book, skimmed the synopsis, and I knew I had to get my hands on book one. Luckily, it was available in the library so I completely devoured it in one day. And wow was I impressed. The depth of characters, the thrilling journey, the heist! This book really had everything. I cannot wait for book two to drop tomorrow (I already have it on hold!).

The Ivory Key is a story that takes place in an India-inspired fantasy world, except that it has something called magic that can be mined and forged into objects. However, after her mother’s tragic death, Vira is thrust into her position of maharani (queen) of the land. The country’s biggest secret? Their quarry is almost out of magic. And without this magic, the land’s economy grows poor, people grow desperate, and the borders of their land grow week. Vira, just barely 18 years old, must navigate her new position and save her land. But that’s not all, the story also takes place through the POV of her siblings, who each have their own battles to face, very different from Vira.

The characters were truly so amazing in this book. Considering how many siblings there were, each one really felt unique and had their own struggles to triumph over. It really had that YA coming-of-age feel that really drove the story forward. While yes they had immature and petty moments as any young adult would, it felt very real, and the weight of each character’s burdens of being in their positions was really well executed, and I think it really brought me into the story. I was so invested in each character, and their development arc, which is a sign of great writing. For me, Vira’s position was especially enthralling, being thrust so young into a position of power where there is no way to please everyone, yet there is only so much you can do.

The plot was also marvelous. The multiple POVs were very well-coordinated, and the tying of the plotlines back together was absolutely excellent. Even though it had me looking this way and that way, I found it really easy to follow, and I was truly invested in all the different stories, which is not something I can usually say for this kind of book. The final heist that takes place is also extremely exciting and fast-paced, I simply couldn’t put it down like some sort of thriller. It had that Indiana Jones sort of feel and I was truly living for it. I can’t say enough good things about this exciting plot.

I really enjoyed the world building in this book too. While it wasn’t crazy amounts of world building and expansion, it felt like it had just enough to keep the mechanics and story clear, while providing a lot of mysterious just-beyond-your-reach aspects that keep things intriguing. The history that was built into the world too was also very thought out, and I thought there weren’t too many loopholes, and the way the country came to the point that we find the story was plausible, and I really felt for the rulers who had to make all the tough choices to get to the situation they found themselves in.

This book had a surprising amount of twists, turns, and reveals, it was actually very much written like a thriller, except that it was more of a fantasy/adventure type of story. It was a really interesting balance and it made for a (rare) quickly absorbable fantasy that I couldn’t help getting invested in. A search for a magical object for the future of the land, and siblings each with their own hidden agendas. How will they work together? Who will be the one to double-cross? Or triple-cross? One simply cannot know.

The ending was also incredibly exciting, and the epilogue was one of those rare ones where I found it really added a lot to the story, so that’s a nice bonus at the end of a book. I seriously can’t wait for the book to come out tomorrow and I really hope that I’ll be able to get my hands on it soon. I can’t recommend this one enough!

Overall Recommendations

The Ivory Key is an India-inspired fantasy in which magic is a fast-depleting resource. The new young ruler, Vira, must find a legendary ivory key in order to save her land. She forms an unlikely team with her siblings, who all have their own agendas, and each looking to prove and achieve something. This is an exciting fantasy adventure, with plenty of thrills, intrigue, and twists and turns to boot. This is one I definitely recommend!

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Let’s Talk Bookish – Book Titles

Fives @ Down The Rabbit Hole

Aria @ Book Nook Bits is the new host for Let’s Talk Bookish! If you aren’t following her yet, good check out her blog and give her a follow!

November 10: Book Titles (Davida Chazan @ The Chocolate Lady’s Book Review Blog)

Prompts: Do you ever get a book with a title that sounds great but the book isn’t? Maybe you’ve read a book that was great, but the title didn’t really fit the book. Sometimes US and UK titles are different – does that bother you? Which ones do you mostly prefer?

Welcome to another week of LTB here at DTRH, everyone! Today’s topic is about book titles, and I think it’s an underrated topic of discussion, so I’m excited that it’s here for us to discuss. I’m sure everyone has experience with mismatched titles, or good titles, though not that many people seem to talk about it. Cover art tends to get the limelight more often. Let’s bring it back to titles for one day, shall we?

I think there are plenty of books with titles that sound great but the book isn’t. Speaking frankly, I do tend to gravitate towards books with good titles and/or good cover art—judging by its cover, yes. Although it has to be coupled with an interesting synopsis, of course, before I actually pick it up if it’s a random book. There aren’t too many terrible titles, but I have definitely been burned by some good titles. But I’ve also found some great books by their great titles! So it’s really quite the toss up.

On the other hand, if the synopsis is great, I don’t really care about what the title is. After all it’s just (maybe) one word out of the whole book. I think a great title can really add a lot to a book, and I always admire a well-chosen title. However, I don’t think it’s a dealbreaker at all, if the story is good, it’s good no matter what the title is. A good title is just the cherry on top. It does help to have a catchy title when it’s time to recall what the excellent book was called though!

I don’t know that many differing titles between the US and UK. I believe the first Harry Potter book is the only one I know? That one does bother me slightly, and I definitely prefer the US title. However, that might be because I saw the US one first and that’s forming my opinion. I don’t notice a difference between the titles too often though, so it doesn’t bother me all too much.

I really love a well-titled book, and I think a descriptive title is really the bare minimum. Titles can give a real sense of the book, and you can usually tell its genre just by the way the title is written. And beyond that, I think it can also really set the tone and give an extra sense of meaning when the title fits perfectly with the book.

What do you all think about titles? Any good ones recently that you’ve seen? Or what are your favourite titles like? Let me know in the comments below!