Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena

From the publisher:

Exploring identity, class struggles, and high-stakes romance, Tanaz Bhathena's Hunted by the Sky is a gripping adventure set in a world inspired by medieval India.
Gul has spent her life running. She has a star-shaped birthmark on her arm, and in the kingdom of Ambar, girls with such birthmarks have been disappearing for years. Gul’s mark is what caused her parents’ murder at the hand of King Lohar’s ruthless soldiers and forced her into hiding to protect her own life. So when a group of rebel women called the Sisters of the Golden Lotus rescue her, take her in, and train her in warrior magic, Gul wants only one thing: revenge.
Cavas lives in the tenements, and he’s just about ready to sign his life over to the king’s army. His father is terminally ill, and Cavas will do anything to save him. But sparks fly when he meets a mysterious girl—Gul—in the capital’s bazaar, and as the chemistry between them undeniably grows, he becomes entangled in a mission of vengeance—and discovers a magic he never expected to find.


Hunted by the Sky is Tanaz Bhathena's first foray into fantasy, and it is lush and beautiful. It's such a welcome change to see a fantasy novel set somewhere other than generic 'medieval Europe'. Tanaz draws inspiration from both Vedic India (1500-500 BCE) and the opulence of the medieval courts. Additional Persian mythology influences shape a unique world that provides a breath of jasmine-scented air in the field of YA fantasy. 

Twenty years ago, a prophecy foretold that King Lohar would be brought down by a star-marked girl. Gul is born with a star-shaped birthmark on her arm, and throughout her life her family moves constantly to avoid the King's soldiers. After witnessing her parents' murders, she is taken in by the Sisters of the Golden Lotus and begins her training in both magical and non-magical combat. While the Sisters believe she may be the Star Warrior of the prophecy, Gul's focus is strictly on avenging her parents' deaths.


Cavas lives in the tenements with the rest of the non-magus, and his father is dying. Willing to do anything to obtain his father's medicine and perhaps enough coin to move him out of the squalor, he provides information about the palace and its going ons to a mysterious ally. While seeking him out at the bazaar, Cavas saves Gul when she's accused of pick-pocketing. On the advice of his cryptic friend, he arranges to sneak Gul into the palace grounds.

I really enjoyed this book. In addition to providing a gorgeous and unique environment, the main characters are well fleshed out, and I was eager to see what happens next. There's a lot that happens in the last 70 pages and the pace felt a bit jarring compared to the rest of the book. It appears to be set up for a sequel or more, and I look forward to seeing more of Gul and Cavas.

I read an advance reader copy of Hunted by the Sky. It is scheduled to be published in June of 2020 and will be available at the Galesburg Public Library.

Bloodlust & Bonnets by Emily McGovern

From the creator of the hit webcomic My Life As a Background Slytherin comes a hilarious graphic novel pastiche of classic Romantic literature led by a trio of

queer misfits—and several angry vampires.
Set in early nineteenth-century Britain, Bloodlust & Bonnets follows Lucy, an unworldly debutante who desires a life of passion and intrigue—qualities which earn her the attention of Lady Violet Travesty, the leader of a local vampire cult.
 But before Lucy can embark on her new life of vampiric debauchery, she finds herself unexpectedly thrown together with the flamboyant poet Lord Byron (“from books!”) and a mysterious bounty-hunter named Sham. The unlikely trio lie, flirt, fight, and manipulate each other as they make their way across Britain, disrupting society balls, slaying vampires, and making every effort not to betray their feelings to each other as their personal and romantic lives become increasingly entangled.

I spied this graphic novel whilst walking through the library and was immediately drawn to it. In the initial flip-through, the third page opens with the heroine Lucy declaring to the group of men approaching her ‘Gentlemen, I do hope you like honey, for I have a bee in my bonnet’ while removing said chapeau and charging towards them with upraised sword.

I was hooked. 

The book follows Lucy’s battlefield meeting of Lord Byron, their journey to his magical castle (in Scotland), and encountering the bounty-hunter Sham (who perhaps has a secret agenda). The trio travels through woods, ballrooms, baths, Bath, wine cellars, and gentlemen’s clubs as they pursue the vampiric Lady Violet Travesty.

With a distinctive art style and biting (ha) wit, B&B is a both a love letter to and parody of the Romantic literature genre. I absolutely adored this book. At the moment I’m trying to minimize physical books coming into my possession, due to a lack of shelf space. Upon finishing it, I immediately put B&B on my wish list and strongly hinted to my husband that he should purchase it for my upcoming birthday. 

Also, in the course of researching this review, I discovered that the real Lord Byron really did use curling papers in his hair at night. 

You can find Bloodlust & Bonnets in the graphic novel section under the author's last name McGovern