I need to talk about the epilogue of Empire by Sabaa Tahir because I have not been okay since.

Helene died. I was SURE she died. Quil sitting with her, pouring their whole life together into her mind so she wouldn't be afraid at the end - I'm still not over it. She saved cities and armies and a whole empire and in the end it was one child she stopped for. That's our girl 😭

Then hen the epilogue gives us this "Mistress" and... she sounds like Helene?? The voice, the steel, the way she carries herself. The cropped blonde hair, the two scars on her cheeks, where a Mask once would have been. I literally had to put the book down and leaf back a few chapters to where Helene died, had a state funeral, Laila personally retrieved her body, etc.

So I have questions:Is it actually her? This world has already shown us that death isn't always final. Ruh came back. Mauth can return people if it chooses. But if it is her, HOW?????? Or is Tahir just leaving the door cracked for a future book and letting us suffer?

Sabaa has said she believes in hopeful endings that aren't always happy ones, and honestly this epilogue feels exactly like that. I don't know if I want it to be Helene (because she deserves rest) or desperately want it to be Helene (because I'm not ready to let her go).

Tell me what you think. Is the Mistress Helene? Who else could she be? I need to know I'm not alone in this 😭

CanNOT have the mmc or fmc be head over heels for their love interest in the first hundred pages and or book…..also can’t be contemporary romance……or heavily “ dark fantasy romance “

haha does anyone have any recommendation?

this is a long list of requests lol. Basically main character has bad mental health and by finding a bf/gf their mental health gets better

i know im quite late to the tsitp hype but im finally getting into it lol🗿

I ADORED, the world building, the pace and the partial detectiveness of the books. and, of course, cried my heart out in the end.

now to my wishes

1. i wish the fmc was a little more confident/social.

2. i do like fmc having powers and would like to keep it like that.

3. the series must be finished.

if anyone has recommendations i will be so so grateful.

p.s as per recommendations i've also read winners curse and cruel prince, and i enjoyed both immensely.

Hello bookworms! This is Self-Promotion Sunday, a place where you can promote any of the following:

• A book you wrote
• Your blog
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• Your Discord channel
• a subreddit you created
• your Etsy shop

As a rule, individual self-promotion posts are not allowed on this subreddit, but a weekly post will now be scheduled so you can promote your projects to other bookworms.

It's spooky season. Have you read these YA retellings/Spin Offs? What did you think?

So, I just started reading. Done with chapter one. Now I have completely forgotten the writing of the original Divergent series and the exact wordings of the chapters so I don’t know if it’s a similar narration by Beatrice. I read the original back in 2013 I think.
Just curious to know the feedback of those of you who have already read it.
🙈🙈

This might be a long shot but maybe someone can help me out. My wife was trying to remember a set of books her mom bought for her from target years ago. It was a short story book series of 2 volumes which included A set of short ghost stories from around 08-10?? It was YA/TEEN possibly targeted towards young girls. It had a black cover or spine and one of the stories was about a green house. Another story was about a theater. It possibly contained more than one author as well.

I know it’s not much to go on but is there anyone out there who might be able to help me out?

I read this book a while ago and it was about a guy who got brain reconstruction? to make him forget that he was gay and his parents made him get it and the guy he liked before the surgery also had it I think and then he falls in love with the guy again. And then all the brain surgery stuff is revealed towards the end of the story. Im pretty sure it has a happy ending.

The last testimony cover reveal by Veronica Roth !

Veronica author of divergent just revealed the cover and special edition of the sixth faction vol 2 book that is going to be called the last testimony! The book has 512 pages and it going to be released on 2 february 2027! Also this the synopsis reveal too! And it the final volume ! The book is not a sequel, prequel of a spin off of divergent and it an alternate universe version of the original story! It exploring what would happen if Tris made a different choice at the choosing ceremony after a tragedy happens ! Also look how beautiful those sprayed edges are ! What do you guys think about it? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Hello, bookworms!

This is the weekly thread for discussion about what books you've recently read, books you're reading, and books you want to read. Tell us what you think about them! What did you like or dislike about them? Did you interpret any symbolism or themes you particularly liked? Would you recommend them? This discussion space is all yours!

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Have exceptional discussions!

I’m not a rereader, but this trilogy is the one major exception. I’ve reread it over 10 times, and whenever I do, I still go to bed excited to keep reading the next day. I read a lot, but no other books have consistently brought me this much joy.

I’m talking about the Darkest Powers trilogy by Kelley Armstrong.

It’s a great blend of horror, paranormal mystery, and light sci-fi, with an incredible slow-burn romance. It’s technically YA, but I’m now past the target age range and still love it just as much. I think YA and adult readers alike would enjoy it!

Spoiler-free premise:

The Summoning begins with a teenage girl who suddenly starts seeing ghosts. She’s sent to a group home for troubled teens and given a mental health diagnosis that seems to explain away what she’s experiencing. But as she gets to know the other residents, she realizes their diagnoses might not tell the whole story, either. It turns into a supernatural thriller with an interesting cast who develop a found-family dynamic.

Then there’s the romance subplot. Two characters go from being wary of each other to building a friendship and eventually something deeper as they go through difficult experiences together. It’s genuinely my favorite romantic relationship in any book. I love how naturally it develops through trust and getting to know each other, with no obvious early hints that romance is even on the table. (I hate when books do that!)

I’m so excited that the trilogy was recently reprinted with new covers and sprayed edges, and I hope the new editions help it find a whole new audience.

If you enjoy stories about the paranormal, found family, and a really good slow-burn or hate-to-love romance, please give these books a chance! They’ve been special to me for over 15 years, and I’d love for someone else to discover a new favorite through this post.

Arguably one of the best subgenres to ever exist. YA dystopia brought us Hunger Games, Divergent, The Mismatched series, The Selection, Shatter Me... the list goes on and on. But does the distance of time, in relation to these books, what makes them so desirable nowadays?

Now, if you also indulged in this subgenre, you may be wondering... um, OP... Hunger Games and the Shatter Me series are technically getting more books? And to that I say yes, they are, but the nostalgia factor plays a huge role in the success of the newer books.

In modern-day, we literally live in a dystopia. Every day there's some insane circumstance that is occurring in the news, and reading it may make one feel even less powerful than they were before. Escapism does not exist anymore in this subgenre.

I was very (pleasantly) surprised to see Daggermouth gain the attraction that it did, but it falls into the dystopian genre. Perhaps readers enjoyed it for other reasons, but what do you think?

Do you think dystopian books can still draw as big a fanbase in modern-day?

Note: If you are writing a dystopian book, please do not let this discourage you. I want this subgenre to still be successful. I am just opening the discussion up to see what everyone thinks. Keep writing! The world needs your stories!

There are so many moments where, if one of the characters had a weapon, things would play out completely differently. The characters always carry swords or daggers and cast spells that can be dodged, yet in most cases, a single gunshot could take them down.

The 5th Wave series, The Rule Of Three triology, The Atlantis Gene trilogy, Rot & Ruin series, Pandemic & Genome, The Quarantine Series - Lex Thomas, Unwind; Unwhole; Unsold; Undivided; - Neil Shusterman, Divergent; Insurgent; Allegiant; Four - Veronica Roth, The Lost Colony; The Solar War; Winter World - A.G. Riddle, Ashfall; Ashen Winter; Sunrise - Mike Mullen, Unplugged; The Body Market; The Mind Virus - Donna Freitas.

I'm having trouble finding mor of what i like, which is the FMC and MMC working together to solve/survive a more fast paced plot Halloween ish or horror movie plot - spooky, scary, anxious, but does have a romance HEA, even if its less conventional.

Books I've already read that fit -

House Saphir

Together We Rot

House of Hearts

Girls Who Burn

The Worst is Yet to Come

A Darker Act

Ideally stand alone/finished duology. One thats on my radar is Our Wicked Gifts but its the first of a duology

Adult book recs are fine too, I just dont want dark romance.

am i the only one loving it??? like i love damion but not as much as wes, charlie or alec tho but still its a really good ya romance and im loving it.. i saw some hate for it over the gram but i dont understand why though? is it just me liking it or is someone with me?? also you can expect only so much from a ya romcom and i thought it contained all elements

I am stuck I recently finished the truly devious series and the fixer. I am craving more books that feel similar but when I look up recommendations I’ve already read them all. I really liked the inheritance games, little white lies, deadly little scandals, the reappearance of rachel price, the naturals, none shall sleep, embassy row series, the conspiracy of us but I when I read the description for new books I just don’t feel a spark. I’m in a slump and would love recommendations!

i read it few years ago, and my friend is finally reading it and i missed the book and the vibes it gave me and it lead me to loving holly jackson's books i feel like it will be hard to find another great book serie to read and a fandom to engage with 😭

hey guys! im looking for some YA (like 14+ or 13+) book recs of a sapphic/MM romance, preferably Fantasy or Romantasy, but tell me in other genres too if it’s really good.

thanks!

Hi, im looking for some Y/A or N/A fantasy series that have the quest/journey trope in it. I really miss some of the older tropes that you see in fantasy such as this one. I always liked the idea of a ragtag group having to travel great distances and face various obstacles, learning to trust and support each other.

I will note that while I enjoy romance in my books, I don't like it being the main focus, and I only really like slow burns. When I say slow burns, I don't mean the characters like each other right off the bat but don't get together for 3+ books. I like it where the first book has little to no romance and it slowly builds over the span of 3+ books.