December TBR

As I mentioned in my previous two posts, I’ve just come out of a reading slump. Now that I’m finally back into reading, I’ve given myself a pretty tall order for December. These are the five books currently on my December TBR.

While the Dark Remains by Joanna Ruth Meyer

This book came from Amazon First Reads, which gives Prime members one free Kindle book every month. I’ve been claiming those books faithfully—and then being absolutely terrible about reading them. This time, though, I actually started While the Dark Remains shortly after downloading it, and I’m really glad I did.

This is a fantasy novel centered around four factions of people who are all at odds with one another. First, there’s the Empire, which is threatening to invade Daeros because the king of Daeros—the second faction—is no longer providing what the Empire wants from their alliance. If the Empire takes Daeros, Skaanda would likely be next.

Skaanda is the third faction, a people who are rumored to be descended from the Iljaria, who possess magic. The Skaandans themselves don’t have magic, but the Iljaria—the fourth group—do. The Iljaria are pacifists who believe their magic gives them a responsibility to protect the world without violence. The Skaandans, on the other hand, are not pacifists and are also vying for the throne because of the resources they control.

That’s about as much as I can say without giving anything away. Overall, I’m really enjoying it. The writing is a little hit-or-miss for me, but I love the politics and the conflict. The story uses a dual timeline—ten years in the past and the present day—and I find myself much more interested in the past timeline. In the present timeline, it feels like the author is trying to force a romantic relationship, and I don’t quite buy the intense emotions between the characters since there wasn’t much buildup.

That said, I’m invested and plan to finish it soon.

Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter

This book has been on my radar for a while, especially because Haley Pham absolutely loves it and has said it was one of the books that got her into reading as an adult. I finally picked it up because my school is hosting a book club for teachers and students, and this is the first book we’re reading together.

So far, it’s good. I’m 26, so I’m definitely outside the core YA demographic—especially for stories set in high school—but it’s cute and nostalgic in its own way. It’s very much about the yearning of a teenage girl who wants her fairytale ending. I haven’t gotten very far yet, so I don’t have strong opinions, but so far, so good.

Iron Gold by Pierce Brown

Next up is Iron Gold, continuing the Red Rising series. I finished Morning Star last month, and this kicks off the second trilogy. From what I understand, Pierce Brown originally planned to end the story after the first three books—but the world clearly had more to say, and now we’re six books in with a seventh on the way.

The synopsis reads: They call him father, liberator, warlord, slave king, Reaper. But he feels a boy again as he falls toward the war-torn planet, his armor red, his army vast, his heart heavy. A decade ago, Darrow was the hero of a revolution he believed would break the chains of society. But instead of peace, the Rising has brought endless war. Now he must risk everything on one last desperate mission, while other destinies entwine with his. Darrow still believes he can save everyone—but can he save himself?

I’m excited and intimidated in equal measure.

Dark Age by Pierce Brown

Dark Age is the fifth book in the Red Rising series—and it is thick. Iron Gold already feels intimidating, but this one especially so, coming in at over 750 pages. I don’t know if I’ll actually finish it by the end of the year, but I’m going to try.

The synopsis reads: We turned on our greatest general, the sword who broke the chains of bondage, and demanded he accept a peace he knew to be a lie. When he did not, we cried: traitor! tyrant! warmonger! Once a savior, now an outlaw, Darrow wages a rogue war on Mercury, abandoned by the very Republic he founded. As the darkening shadow falls, a new hero arises. Lysander au Lune, heir to the old empire, has returned from exile to restore the Golds to power. There are still those—led by their embattled sovereign, Virginia au Augustus—who would keep the dream of liberty alive. But fear dims the hope of the Rising, and the world spins on and on toward a new Dark Age.

I may have spoiled a bit of the series for myself by reading the synopsis—but honestly, that’s fine. And I’m probably about to do it again.

Light Bringer by Pierce Brown

If you couldn’t tell, my goal is to finish the Red Rising series by the end of December. Light Bringer is the sixth—and currently final—book, although a seventh is supposed to be coming out sometime next year.

The synopsis reads: The Reaper is a legend, more myth than man: the savior of worlds, the leader of the Rising, the breaker of chains. But the Reaper is also Darrow, born of the red soil of Mars: a husband, a father, a friend. Marooned far from home after a devastating defeat on the battlefields of Mercury, Darrow longs to return to his wife and sovereign, Virginia, to defend Mars from its bloodthirsty would-be conqueror, Lysander. Lysander longs to destroy the Rising and restore the supremacy of Gold and will raise the worlds to realize his ambitions. The world once needed the Reaper—but now they need Darrow. And Darrow needs the people he loves—Virginia, Cassius, Sevro—in order to defend the Republic. So begins Darrow’s long voyage home, an interplanetary adventure where old friends reunite, new alliances are forged, and rivals clash on the battlefield. Because the dream is still alive, and after the Dark Age will come a new age: of light, of victory, of hope.

Yes, I definitely spoiled some things by reading this—but I’m choosing to be happy about knowing that a few characters I love are still alive… unless they die in this book.

If you’ve read any of these, let me know over on my Instagram—and also tell me if I’m absolutely insane for trying to get through all of these in one month.