Welcome back to Goodreads Monday! It’s been a very hot minute since I did one but I figured I might as well get back into it! This weekly meme was started by @Lauren’s Page Turners and it invites you to pick a book from your TBR and explain why you want to read it. Easy enough, right? Feel free to join in if you want to! I’ll be using a random number generator to pick my books from my insanely long GR Want-to-read list.*
*Sorry if a book has been featured twice! I need to make better note of which ones I’ve done already!
This week’s featured book is Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody. This is a YA fantasy and mystery that was published in 2017 and has a 3.71 rating on Goodreads with almost 1.5k reviews.
Sixteen-year-old Sorina has spent most of her life within the smoldering borders of the Gomorrah Festival. Yet even among the many unusual members of the traveling circus-city, Sorina stands apart as the only illusion-worker born in hundreds of years. This rare talent allows her to create illusions that others can see, feel and touch, with personalities all their own. Her creations are her family, and together they make up the cast of the Festival’s Freak Show.
But no matter how lifelike they may seem, her illusions are still just that—illusions, and not truly real. Or so she always believed…until one of them is murdered.
Desperate to protect her family, Sorina must track down the culprit and determine how they killed a person who doesn’t actually exist. Her search for answers leads her to the self-proclaimed gossip-worker Luca, and their investigation sends them through a haze of political turmoil and forbidden romance, and into the most sinister corners of the Festival. But as the killer continues murdering Sorina’s illusions one by one, she must unravel the horrifying truth before all of her loved ones disappear.
Why do I want to read it?
I 100% forgot that this was even on my TBR but I absolutely love this cover and reading this synopsis now has piqued my interest once more! I’ve only read a few books in carnival-esque settings but it’s always a magical time although there are also always some sinister undertones! I’ve only read one of Foody’s books and I still plan to finish the rest of that series, but I remember really enjoying it so I’m looking forward to exploring more of this author’s work and giving this book a try!
Have you read Daughter of the Burning City or is it on your TBR?

This one is on my TBR too! I think I actually started it but was only a couple pages in when I stopped. Not for any reason, as far as I can recall. The writing was really intriguing right away, but maybe another book fell across my radar and my fickle self went chasing after than instead. Who knows? lol. I look forward to hearing your thoughts when you do get to read it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
As a mood reader, I totally get that! LOL I always have to be in the right mood or mindset for a book otherwise I’m more likely than not to lose interest really quickly! I hope you do enjoy it if you pick it up again though 😉
LikeLike
I remember thinking Foody’s books sound interesting, but then I thought I saw a bunch of negative reviews for one and decided against reading it. I might have to reconsider in the future though!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve heard some mixed reviews about her Shadow Game series coz people have compared it to Six of Crows, but I quite enjoyed it when I read it (although it’s been a while and I can’t remember it clearly now lol). Keen to give this a try anyway 🙂
LikeLike
[…] Top 5 Saturday: Water on the CoverJingle Bell Book TagFirst Lines Friday: 11 DecemberARC Review: Love Thy Neighbor (Roommate Romps #2) by Teagan HunterBlog Tour Review: Steel & Stone by Kate Haley#WWWWednesday: 09 December#TopTenTuesday: Christmas Romances for the Holidays!#5OnMyTBR: Small TownsGoodreads Monday: Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody […]
LikeLike