I can’t help it, y’all: I love doing these end-of-year lists and chatting about what I read and reading about what others read too. It’s such fun for me, which is why the book nerd in me is always excited around the end of December and beginning of January.
I already chatted about my favorites of last year, so now I’ll chat about books that didn’t make that list but that I can’t shake from my mind either. These are the books that stuck with me throughout the year, popping up from my memory in the oddest moments to remind me of a bit of the story or of a character or of a piece of exceptional writing or how much I admired an illustration. These are the most memorable books I read in 2022.
The Shadow Saint by Gareth Hanrahan (Black Iron Legacy, book 2) ★★★☆☆
I was so ambivalent about this series after completing the first book that I’m surprised it has made this list. This is all thanks to Aquavenatus, who convinced me to continue with the series. The Shadow Saint is the second novel in the Black Iron Legacy fantasy trilogy (which might become a longer series), which began with The Gutter Prayer. The first book focuses on a city called Guerdon where a girl is oddly connected to the city’s bells and has visions whenever they ring. In this fantasy world, the gods are said to be mad and are at war. All other countries are caught up in the war, except Guerdon, which is trying to stay out but profit by selling weapons. But in The Shadow Saint, which picks up some time after the first book, the godswar seems to be heading to Guerdon. We learn more about the gods in this and about other countries, which I was glad for. As with the first book, since reading Shadow Saint, I’ll randomly reflect on the story, remembering how much fun I had reading and how fascinated I was by the mad gods and wondering what caused the madness. I look forward to reading the third book in 2023.
Zezee with Books 