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Mangoverse #1
The Second Mango
Queen Shulamit never expected to inherit the throne of the tropical land of Perach so young. At twenty, grief-stricken and fatherless, she's also coping with being the only lesbian she knows after her sweetheart ran off for an unknown reason. Not to mention, she's the victim of severe digestive problems that everybody thinks she's faking. When she meets Rivka, an athletic and assertive warrior from the north who wears a mask and pretends to be a man, she finds the source of strength she needs so desperately.
Unfortunately for her, Rivka is straight, but that's okay -- Shulamit needs a surrogate big sister just as much as she needs a girlfriend. Especially if the warrior's willing to take her around the kingdom on the back of her dragon in search of other women who might be open to same-sex romance. The real world outside the palace is full of adventure, however, and the search for a royal girlfriend quickly turns into a rescue mission when they discover a temple full of women turned to stone by an evil sorcerer.
Unfortunately for her, Rivka is straight, but that's okay -- Shulamit needs a surrogate big sister just as much as she needs a girlfriend. Especially if the warrior's willing to take her around the kingdom on the back of her dragon in search of other women who might be open to same-sex romance. The real world outside the palace is full of adventure, however, and the search for a royal girlfriend quickly turns into a rescue mission when they discover a temple full of women turned to stone by an evil sorcerer.
181 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 20, 2013
46 people are currently reading
3582 people want to read
About the author
Shira Glassman
20 books523 followersShira Glassman is a bisexual Jewish violinist passionately inspired by German and French opera and Agatha Christie novels.
She lives in north central Florida, where the alligators are mostly harmless because they're too lazy to be bothered.
A note on my reviewing style: I read lots of books, but writing reviews is work and I only really do them to endorse books that I enjoyed enough to signal boost. That's why my reviews are mostly positive. It's not that I like every book ever :P
She lives in north central Florida, where the alligators are mostly harmless because they're too lazy to be bothered.
A note on my reviewing style: I read lots of books, but writing reviews is work and I only really do them to endorse books that I enjoyed enough to signal boost. That's why my reviews are mostly positive. It's not that I like every book ever :P
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 189 reviews
April 13, 2016
2 1/2 Stars. I was really looking forward to this, a fantasy story in which one of the mains is a lesbian. Knights, Queens, dragons, and sorcerers... yes please! Instead, what I got felt like a jumbled mess, a "fractured fairy-tale" if you will. Half of the dialogue felt so fake, like characters where walking around with verbal diarrhea of the mouth, blurting out whatever suits them. The other half was dialogue that just didn't make sense to me. An example, I'm making up, to try and show you..."Her arms wrapped me up in a warm embrace" make sense to me, instead the author would write.." Her eyebrows wrapped me up in a warm embrace". Eyebrows, how can eyebrows embrace a person. Too many times this bizarre dialogue made me think WTH, I just don't understand. Maybe, this is one of these novels that pretends to be so simple its actually brilliant, and I'm just not smart enough to get it. Either way, I'm really disappointed! F/F fantasy is my favorite genre and I really wanted to love this.
February 7, 2016
I have been avoiding spoilers on this book for a year if not more. That's really, really hard considering Shira is one of my good friends and everyone I know has been reading this awesome series [with good reason!] I finally went out and got it along with the prequel of sorts off of Torquere's website. Once they were loaded on my Kindle, I basically ceased to exist for a few hours.
This was so worth the wait. I loved it. As someone that's not only queer, but is also gluten intolerant--I liked reading about how Aviva was helping Shula through all of that through cooking/treating her like she wasn't just being picky. I liked how realistic Shula was. I got the sense that she really grew though the story arc, rather than letting people decide her life for her--She started to act more like a Queen people could respect. I found her character arc and progression to be really natural. She and Aviva's relationship was adorable, as well. Very organic, not forced in the slightest. I thought their entire courtship was really cute.
Shira sent me a message basically asking if I knew "the thing" about Isaac already [I didn't!], and now that I do I'm just sitting here like *chinhands* because it makes me so happy. Amazing twist, one that I really enjoyed and didn't see coming until just beforehand.
Rivka. I can't say enough about how much I love her character. Seriously amazing. She reminds me of Tarma from OATHBREAKERS--except without the vow of chastity. I enjoyed seeing her learn sword work, and the explanations behind it. All too often, authors don't take the time to discuss what's happening during a swordfight. I've rarely seen descriptions of having to figure out *when* to guard and parry, as opposed to the character just doing it as though they already knew how. I thought this was a very realistic touch.
I am totally not religious at all, that being said--I found the touches of Jewish culture and religion amazing. I had to hit up google scholar a few times, but it wasn't like the culture/religious aspects were completely foreign, as it's pretty easy to understand festivals and holy days no matter what religion you practice. Shira never made the Jewish culture/religion unattainable/difficult for those not practicing of that faith in the book.
I know readers sometimes think that religion needs explanation by the author, but I feel readers have a certain responsibility to go to scholar.google.com if they don't know enough about a concept. It's not the author's job to educate people on the religion in the book, particularly if--like Shira--it's their own. I found myself wanting to learn more about it, so I could understand how important these things were to the characters in the Mangoverse, and it really helped. Took about 5 minutes.
While Shula and Riv originally set out to find Shula a girlfriend, they ended up getting a side-quest that got both of them more than they bargained for. The entire story arc was wonderfully handled, and did I mention funny? I laughed more than a few times at how Shira used humor in this story. Some authors just aren't funny. Shira, however, hits more than a few one-liners that are basically wonderful.
Adventure, humor, love, and fantasy all combine in this book to form a very, very enjoyable read. If you haven't already bought it--please do. It's worth every penny.
This was so worth the wait. I loved it. As someone that's not only queer, but is also gluten intolerant--I liked reading about how Aviva was helping Shula through all of that through cooking/treating her like she wasn't just being picky. I liked how realistic Shula was. I got the sense that she really grew though the story arc, rather than letting people decide her life for her--She started to act more like a Queen people could respect. I found her character arc and progression to be really natural. She and Aviva's relationship was adorable, as well. Very organic, not forced in the slightest. I thought their entire courtship was really cute.
Shira sent me a message basically asking if I knew "the thing" about Isaac already [I didn't!], and now that I do I'm just sitting here like *chinhands* because it makes me so happy. Amazing twist, one that I really enjoyed and didn't see coming until just beforehand.
Rivka. I can't say enough about how much I love her character. Seriously amazing. She reminds me of Tarma from OATHBREAKERS--except without the vow of chastity. I enjoyed seeing her learn sword work, and the explanations behind it. All too often, authors don't take the time to discuss what's happening during a swordfight. I've rarely seen descriptions of having to figure out *when* to guard and parry, as opposed to the character just doing it as though they already knew how. I thought this was a very realistic touch.
I am totally not religious at all, that being said--I found the touches of Jewish culture and religion amazing. I had to hit up google scholar a few times, but it wasn't like the culture/religious aspects were completely foreign, as it's pretty easy to understand festivals and holy days no matter what religion you practice. Shira never made the Jewish culture/religion unattainable/difficult for those not practicing of that faith in the book.
I know readers sometimes think that religion needs explanation by the author, but I feel readers have a certain responsibility to go to scholar.google.com if they don't know enough about a concept. It's not the author's job to educate people on the religion in the book, particularly if--like Shira--it's their own. I found myself wanting to learn more about it, so I could understand how important these things were to the characters in the Mangoverse, and it really helped. Took about 5 minutes.
While Shula and Riv originally set out to find Shula a girlfriend, they ended up getting a side-quest that got both of them more than they bargained for. The entire story arc was wonderfully handled, and did I mention funny? I laughed more than a few times at how Shira used humor in this story. Some authors just aren't funny. Shira, however, hits more than a few one-liners that are basically wonderful.
Adventure, humor, love, and fantasy all combine in this book to form a very, very enjoyable read. If you haven't already bought it--please do. It's worth every penny.
dnf
August 3, 2019DNF @ 19%, no rating
This just wasn't for me. The premise was a little ridiculous and a few casual comments here and there left me feeling icky (equating body parts to being one particular gender, implying she wouldn't want to be raped by a man because she's a lesbian and not because, you know, rape is rape). Also at some point the MC is cleaning a petrified woman (a woman literally made a statue by a sorcerer) and she says she doesn't want to clean her breasts because she would enjoy it (???) and that would be wrong. Well no shit, but why was the comment about enjoying it even necessary?? It's just weirdly predatory and combined with how desperately she wants to find a woman it made it uncomfortable to read.
This just wasn't for me. The premise was a little ridiculous and a few casual comments here and there left me feeling icky (equating body parts to being one particular gender, implying she wouldn't want to be raped by a man because she's a lesbian and not because, you know, rape is rape). Also at some point the MC is cleaning a petrified woman (a woman literally made a statue by a sorcerer) and she says she doesn't want to clean her breasts because she would enjoy it (???) and that would be wrong. Well no shit, but why was the comment about enjoying it even necessary?? It's just weirdly predatory and combined with how desperately she wants to find a woman it made it uncomfortable to read.
June 25, 2019
3.5 stars.
Read for SBTB April - June 2019 Quarterly Challenge: An LGBT romance.
Read for SBTB April - June 2019 Quarterly Challenge: An LGBT romance.
November 30, 2013
I must be flaky. I started a couple of serious, classical fantasy books and couldn’t finish them. The writing in each one was superb, the themes deep, the characters developed, but I got bored. Then I started this little novel and was enchanted. It reads easily and fast, it’s charming and innocent. Despite its multiple writing flaws, I enjoyed it.
The story is supposedly YA, but I think it’s more suited for middle grade. The heroine, Queen Shulamit, is 20, according to the text, but she behaves very immature for that age, more like an innocent 14.
A kind and intelligent girl with lots of insecurities and food allergies, she is a lesbian and she is searching for someone to accept her as she is. She is paired with a female warrior Rivka, who is posing as a man. With Rivka as her bodyguard, Shulamit embarks on a journey to find a life partner – another lesbian girl who would love her.
A rather shallow goal for a fantasy quest, but the story leads these two unlikely partners on a different, tangential trip – to discover who they are.
The narration and the characters are simplistic, with no depth, reminiscent of a fairy tale, complete with a moral in the end. The world building is naïve and minimalist like a primitivism painting, but humor embroider every blatant statement, and the author’s tong-in-cheek approach to her characters and situations allows the reader to forget the imperfections of this book and concentrate on its attractive qualities.
One of those is its Jewish undertones – a rarity in the genre. The names, the cultural references, even certain words breathe Jewish, both Hebrew and Yiddish. As a Jewish writer myself, I find this refreshing and admirable.
Another asset of this book is its protagonists Shulamit and Rivka. A lesbian, idealistic girl and an older woman with a tragic past, street-smart and cynical, they make strange road companions, more sisters than anything else, as they support each other through their various adventures.
I also liked the author’s originality in both problems and solutions – nothing is as expected in this tale that surprisingly avoids most of the genre tropes.
The ending is a bit didactic and a bit smutty simultaneously. How did the author pull that off?
My one serious objection – the novel could benefit from better editing.
Overall – a cute and sweet story of women’s friendship. Recommended to fans of YA and MG fantasy. Lovers of serious epic fantasy – beware of shape-shifting dragons/horses/wizards!
The story is supposedly YA, but I think it’s more suited for middle grade. The heroine, Queen Shulamit, is 20, according to the text, but she behaves very immature for that age, more like an innocent 14.
A kind and intelligent girl with lots of insecurities and food allergies, she is a lesbian and she is searching for someone to accept her as she is. She is paired with a female warrior Rivka, who is posing as a man. With Rivka as her bodyguard, Shulamit embarks on a journey to find a life partner – another lesbian girl who would love her.
A rather shallow goal for a fantasy quest, but the story leads these two unlikely partners on a different, tangential trip – to discover who they are.
The narration and the characters are simplistic, with no depth, reminiscent of a fairy tale, complete with a moral in the end. The world building is naïve and minimalist like a primitivism painting, but humor embroider every blatant statement, and the author’s tong-in-cheek approach to her characters and situations allows the reader to forget the imperfections of this book and concentrate on its attractive qualities.
One of those is its Jewish undertones – a rarity in the genre. The names, the cultural references, even certain words breathe Jewish, both Hebrew and Yiddish. As a Jewish writer myself, I find this refreshing and admirable.
Another asset of this book is its protagonists Shulamit and Rivka. A lesbian, idealistic girl and an older woman with a tragic past, street-smart and cynical, they make strange road companions, more sisters than anything else, as they support each other through their various adventures.
I also liked the author’s originality in both problems and solutions – nothing is as expected in this tale that surprisingly avoids most of the genre tropes.
The ending is a bit didactic and a bit smutty simultaneously. How did the author pull that off?
My one serious objection – the novel could benefit from better editing.
Overall – a cute and sweet story of women’s friendship. Recommended to fans of YA and MG fantasy. Lovers of serious epic fantasy – beware of shape-shifting dragons/horses/wizards!
May 2, 2017
Wonderfully warm, sweet and inviting high fantasy with positive and affirming representation. The Second Mango is a fairy tale that tells the truth, based on women forming strong friendships and falling in love, rescuing each other and themselves, and saving the day. (Special note: seeing chronically ill characters being supported, believed, and loved will always be important. It shouldn't be as rare and refreshing as it is, but that doesn't change how good it is to see here.)
The characters in this book and its continuing series discover many different kinds of strength: to fight, to rule, to have faith in the most frightening of times, and faith in oneself. They remind us, and especially young, marginalized readers that we can do the same. It can even be fun! I've read several of this series - out of order, not a problem here - and they're all easy, enjoyable reads that leave you feeling reassured, refreshed, and brave.
We need books like this, especially now.
The characters in this book and its continuing series discover many different kinds of strength: to fight, to rule, to have faith in the most frightening of times, and faith in oneself. They remind us, and especially young, marginalized readers that we can do the same. It can even be fun! I've read several of this series - out of order, not a problem here - and they're all easy, enjoyable reads that leave you feeling reassured, refreshed, and brave.
We need books like this, especially now.
November 10, 2013
The Second Mango is sweet and quite silly. It doesn't take itself or its characters too seriously at all, and the story is sweeter for it -- the image of a wizard turning himself into a lizard to cling to his lady love's door and woo her at night where no one can see just tickles me, and because it's knowingly absurd, endears the story to me. I love that the possibly obvious plot does not happen: nobody switches sexuality by magic and the main characters don't have a big drama between them about it. It's a world where same-sex partnerships don't seem to be common, but for the most part it isn't a major drama either, which is quite refreshing.
I also really like the fact that one of the main characters has food intolerances. That's not a "disability" (for lack of a better term, meaning here that it's not magical in origin or anything, but a physical limitation) I've seen much in fiction, if at all. The mix of cultural backgrounds was interesting, too: it's not entirely clear where all of the religious background is drawn from, but the biggest influence is Judaism. Again, not something I see much!
It's not some epic deep novel, but it's light and fun, and it made me smile.
I also really like the fact that one of the main characters has food intolerances. That's not a "disability" (for lack of a better term, meaning here that it's not magical in origin or anything, but a physical limitation) I've seen much in fiction, if at all. The mix of cultural backgrounds was interesting, too: it's not entirely clear where all of the religious background is drawn from, but the biggest influence is Judaism. Again, not something I see much!
It's not some epic deep novel, but it's light and fun, and it made me smile.
December 20, 2017
SapphicAThon: Both WOC
I liked things about this and it was a lot of fun, but I'm finding the authors writing isn't for me which is unfortunate.
I liked things about this and it was a lot of fun, but I'm finding the authors writing isn't for me which is unfortunate.
April 14, 2018
Trigger warnings: Homophobia.
Rep: Lesbian MC, WOC, Own-voices Jewish Mc, f/f romance, MC with allergies, diverse m/f romance, Demisexual MC
Though I loved the characters, I felt this novel was too short. Everything happened so fast that it took me longer to process what exactly was going on. The writing fell short and the world building confused me. However this is the first novel in the series and I’m excited to continue on. I may not have loved all of this novel but I do want to see how the characters and story grow.
Overall, a very sweet fantasy that was super diverse but lacked in world building and length.
Rep: Lesbian MC, WOC, Own-voices Jewish Mc, f/f romance, MC with allergies, diverse m/f romance, Demisexual MC
Though I loved the characters, I felt this novel was too short. Everything happened so fast that it took me longer to process what exactly was going on. The writing fell short and the world building confused me. However this is the first novel in the series and I’m excited to continue on. I may not have loved all of this novel but I do want to see how the characters and story grow.
Overall, a very sweet fantasy that was super diverse but lacked in world building and length.
May 19, 2018
the absolute only problem i had with this is that it wasnt nearly long enough! 💕💕💕💕
July 11, 2016
Do I rate a book on my opinion of the story the author sought to tell or the one actually written? There are so many aspects of this that I appreciate. It's a story of genuine friendship between women, with no romantic underpinnings. Unusually, the world appears to be based on Judaism, instead of Christianity. There is a character with a significant dietary limitation. The main character is a queen, not a princess, therefore inhabiting a position of power and authority. There is diversity in both the gender and sexuality arenas. The women save the day. In fact, there are hardly any significant men in the book at all; all things you rarely find in fiction.
But, but, but...if not for the sex, I would call this Middle Grade Fiction. The writing is that simplistic and childish. The solutions are come to that simply. The happy endings (for everyone) come about that predictably and everyone talks and acts with that level of maturity and deep thinking. The book feels like it's written for and by a child, a child with a firm grasp of grammar granted, but a child all the same. And if I thought it really was Middle Grade Fiction I could hardly fault it for that. But I don't think it is, so in the end, I'm just left with a kiddie book for adults.
But, but, but...if not for the sex, I would call this Middle Grade Fiction. The writing is that simplistic and childish. The solutions are come to that simply. The happy endings (for everyone) come about that predictably and everyone talks and acts with that level of maturity and deep thinking. The book feels like it's written for and by a child, a child with a firm grasp of grammar granted, but a child all the same. And if I thought it really was Middle Grade Fiction I could hardly fault it for that. But I don't think it is, so in the end, I'm just left with a kiddie book for adults.
November 19, 2015
Read this review and more at my blog - J reads Ya!
Diversity Ratings: | POC Chars - All but 4 | Queer Chars - 2 |
The Second Mango is what a friend on Goodreads calls a “snack cake book.” It’s short and sweet, fun to read, but not very filling. Pure entertainment and escape. :)
While the overarching story is a sort of adventure quest, the bulk of the book deals with love stories - told in flashbacks, or in the story itself. I found Rivka’s (the straight girl’s) love story to be the most compelling, and her character was the most developed of the two. I really got into Rivka’s relationship, and liked her funny commentary on what was going on in the story. She was definitely the highlight of the book, in my opinion.
Shulamit’s participation in the plot required a LOT of suspension of disbelief on my part. Why would a young queen trying to establish herself as the ruler of a country up and leave everything in order to find a girlfriend? Why does she decide to go on a rescue mission when she has no fighting skills whatsoever and is likely to just get killed? It was also kind of silly how falls head-over-heels for every girl she sees. It made her love affair with her girlfriend feel kind of inauthentic, since she seemed happy enough with just any girl she happened to stumble across. Plus, we only got to see her love story in a handful of flashbacks (as opposed to Rivka’s - which we are told the entire story spanned across several chapters). I didn’t really ever get a sense of who Shulamit was, besides being young and having digestive issues and being gay. Her character didn’t fell well-developed, and her personality doesn’t really shine through.
I liked the multicultural elements, but felt a little lost on some of it. Since the author bases her cultures off of real cultures, she doesn’t spend a lot of time explaining it in-depth. I recognized Jewish elements to Rivka’s culture but didn’t understand any of them, since I don’t know much about the religion/culture, and wished there had been more explanation.
The hardest part of this book for me was the writing. At times it was overly grandiose and very aware that it was a fantasy novel (one of my pet peeves) and at others, it felt incredibly juvenile (for example, at one point, during battle, Shulamit shouts “you overgrown tin drinking vessel!”). Similarly, the author unflinchingly embraces her characters’ sexuality, but also goes out of her way to avoid saying that they have sex (example: at one point instead of saying “after they had sex,” she says “when the soft kittens were finished meowing”). It threw me off and made it difficult to get through at times.
Overall… this story doesn’t have great depths, nor is it a masterpiece of literature, but if you are looking for a short, sweet book to entertain you for an afternoon, consider checking out this book. :) Especially if you are looking for a book featuring queer ladies, POC, and set in a fantasy world NOT based on medieval Europe.
Diversity Ratings: | POC Chars - All but 4 | Queer Chars - 2 |
The Second Mango is what a friend on Goodreads calls a “snack cake book.” It’s short and sweet, fun to read, but not very filling. Pure entertainment and escape. :)
While the overarching story is a sort of adventure quest, the bulk of the book deals with love stories - told in flashbacks, or in the story itself. I found Rivka’s (the straight girl’s) love story to be the most compelling, and her character was the most developed of the two. I really got into Rivka’s relationship, and liked her funny commentary on what was going on in the story. She was definitely the highlight of the book, in my opinion.
"I know a couple of them think that if they could just find me a prince beautiful enough, I’d stop being so strange."
"Yes, a prince with breasts!"
Shulamit’s participation in the plot required a LOT of suspension of disbelief on my part. Why would a young queen trying to establish herself as the ruler of a country up and leave everything in order to find a girlfriend? Why does she decide to go on a rescue mission when she has no fighting skills whatsoever and is likely to just get killed? It was also kind of silly how falls head-over-heels for every girl she sees. It made her love affair with her girlfriend feel kind of inauthentic, since she seemed happy enough with just any girl she happened to stumble across. Plus, we only got to see her love story in a handful of flashbacks (as opposed to Rivka’s - which we are told the entire story spanned across several chapters). I didn’t really ever get a sense of who Shulamit was, besides being young and having digestive issues and being gay. Her character didn’t fell well-developed, and her personality doesn’t really shine through.
"You have to believe in your own authority if you want anyone else to."
I liked the multicultural elements, but felt a little lost on some of it. Since the author bases her cultures off of real cultures, she doesn’t spend a lot of time explaining it in-depth. I recognized Jewish elements to Rivka’s culture but didn’t understand any of them, since I don’t know much about the religion/culture, and wished there had been more explanation.
The hardest part of this book for me was the writing. At times it was overly grandiose and very aware that it was a fantasy novel (one of my pet peeves) and at others, it felt incredibly juvenile (for example, at one point, during battle, Shulamit shouts “you overgrown tin drinking vessel!”). Similarly, the author unflinchingly embraces her characters’ sexuality, but also goes out of her way to avoid saying that they have sex (example: at one point instead of saying “after they had sex,” she says “when the soft kittens were finished meowing”). It threw me off and made it difficult to get through at times.
Overall… this story doesn’t have great depths, nor is it a masterpiece of literature, but if you are looking for a short, sweet book to entertain you for an afternoon, consider checking out this book. :) Especially if you are looking for a book featuring queer ladies, POC, and set in a fantasy world NOT based on medieval Europe.
August 25, 2013
This young adult folk-like tale was super charming and incredibly engaging. I just fell in love with all the key characters and also hated the baddies a bunch. The balance was perfect. I especially liked how I was taken back through the second key character’s history after she had signed on to find, save, and then protect her ‘queenling’. Wonderful.
Shulamit has been Queen of Perach at the still relatively tender age of twenty for all of two months. She has a lot to learn. She also now has more battles on her platter along with her ruling duties. With her razor sharp wit, feisty personality, and very delicate stomach, not to mention her strong affection for a woman as her mate, she has her work cut out for her.
Riv, mercenary and bounty hunter, is a person of strength, knowledge, and extraordinary combat skills. She is actually called Rivka, but is masquerading as a man so she get continue to be hired for her mercenary skills. After Riv finds, saves, and returns the queen, she accepts a most unusual challenge from her ‘queenling’. Riv is not looking for a woman as her mate, since she is still grieving for her lost wizard.
Magic, battles galore, and slimy shifty no-goodniks along with two missing lovers certainly set a marvelous foundation for Queen Shulamit and Riv’s quest. Along with beautifully interwoven flashbacks, this story hits the right note again and again. I feel this is a wonderful tale for all ages and anyone who is young at heart!
NOTE: This book was provided by Priam Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Shulamit has been Queen of Perach at the still relatively tender age of twenty for all of two months. She has a lot to learn. She also now has more battles on her platter along with her ruling duties. With her razor sharp wit, feisty personality, and very delicate stomach, not to mention her strong affection for a woman as her mate, she has her work cut out for her.
Riv, mercenary and bounty hunter, is a person of strength, knowledge, and extraordinary combat skills. She is actually called Rivka, but is masquerading as a man so she get continue to be hired for her mercenary skills. After Riv finds, saves, and returns the queen, she accepts a most unusual challenge from her ‘queenling’. Riv is not looking for a woman as her mate, since she is still grieving for her lost wizard.
Magic, battles galore, and slimy shifty no-goodniks along with two missing lovers certainly set a marvelous foundation for Queen Shulamit and Riv’s quest. Along with beautifully interwoven flashbacks, this story hits the right note again and again. I feel this is a wonderful tale for all ages and anyone who is young at heart!
NOTE: This book was provided by Priam Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
December 28, 2017
This was not completely my cup of tea, but I loved reading about Jewish characters, and this was the first time ever I read about someone chronically ill struggling with people believing her. It was probably the first time I read about someone chronically ill in general. It shouldn't have taken so long and it shouldn't be this rare, and I'm grateful I got to experience it here. Extremely refreshing.
I'm grateful for these books being a safe and warm space for many, and grateful I could see an extra part of myself, however small or by association.
The writing in the book felt easy, maybe even childish to me, or more like a middle grade book. However, it should be noted that it includes sex scenes and thus wouldn't necessarily be suited for middle grade ages.
I had some conflicted feelings about this book that I didn't seem to be able to put into words, so I highly encourage you to read Ann Elise's review too.
I'm grateful for these books being a safe and warm space for many, and grateful I could see an extra part of myself, however small or by association.
The writing in the book felt easy, maybe even childish to me, or more like a middle grade book. However, it should be noted that it includes sex scenes and thus wouldn't necessarily be suited for middle grade ages.
I had some conflicted feelings about this book that I didn't seem to be able to put into words, so I highly encourage you to read Ann Elise's review too.
July 6, 2017
The writing really was the downfall for this book; it seems set for a younger audience despite the protagonist's age due to how simple the writing was. I just wanted more from it.
September 14, 2017
I liked that this book had a kick-ass heroine "Rivika" who in the opening chapter saves the princess who rules the country. The princess "Shulamit" is forced to abandon her guards to find a lesbian lover due to their intolerance. This is the first Hebrew based fantasy I'd ever read, so that was interesting. The book is really short less then 50,000 words, so it was hard to fill in the back story to the two main characters and have a complicated plot going at the same time.
April 22, 2017
This was really sweet high fantasy. Highly recommend it! Full review to come!
May 19, 2024
This was an okay airplane read, but the ending/plot twist(s) (??) were just kind of absurd; that mixed with the amateurish writing brought this down from three stars to two.
August 30, 2017
I'm not exactly sure how many stars to give this book. Four seems a little too high, but it deserves much better than a three, so I'll go with that. I enjoyed this book and thought it was a fun read. (I love fantasy books that are fun! So often they're depressing and dark and bleh- this was so wonderfully fun and positive!) I enjoyed the fact that the main character was lgbt+ and had food allergies- you never see food allergies in books! I had never read a fantasy book that used Judaism as the religion for the world and thought that was a nice, refreshing change.
But I can't help wishing that there was more to the story. More depth to the characters, more depth to the storyline. I wish there had been more depth to the main character, too. Her sex drive overshadowed anything else about her personality and made her less rounded and developed than the secondary main character. (I found Rivka a lot more interesting than Shulamit.) A sex drive is fine, but when it's brought up continuously, I can't help wishing that Shulamit's other traits were made more important. They're there, like her intelligence and love of learning, but those things seemed almost like secondary traits. I guess what I'm saying is that there was so much potential here but I don't think the book quite hit it.
I think what originally turned me off when I first started reading the book is that it's written in the style of Middle Grade, but the main character was obsessed with sex. This was disconcerting, especially at first- the style didn't quite match the content. (The book's not really explicit, thankfully, because that would have really strange alongside the fun, young-ish writing style.) I'm glad I stuck with the book, though, because the main character does grow and begin solving problems rather than just fretting over finding a woman. (Character growth! Yay! I always love some character development!) It was strange that she was a queen and did very little queening and didn't seem to take the role particularly seriously, but it is a fun read so that was something I could let slide even when it wasn't particularly believable.
This sounds like a negative review, but I promise I did like the book and I'd recommend it to anyone who's looking for fun, lgbt+ fantasy. I have a feeling that as the series progresses the writing is going to keep improving, so the potential I'd hoped to see here will be met there. The fact that this was such a fun read overpowers anything negative about the book, so I'm going to give the rest of the series a try. :)
But I can't help wishing that there was more to the story. More depth to the characters, more depth to the storyline. I wish there had been more depth to the main character, too. Her sex drive overshadowed anything else about her personality and made her less rounded and developed than the secondary main character. (I found Rivka a lot more interesting than Shulamit.) A sex drive is fine, but when it's brought up continuously, I can't help wishing that Shulamit's other traits were made more important. They're there, like her intelligence and love of learning, but those things seemed almost like secondary traits. I guess what I'm saying is that there was so much potential here but I don't think the book quite hit it.
I think what originally turned me off when I first started reading the book is that it's written in the style of Middle Grade, but the main character was obsessed with sex. This was disconcerting, especially at first- the style didn't quite match the content. (The book's not really explicit, thankfully, because that would have really strange alongside the fun, young-ish writing style.) I'm glad I stuck with the book, though, because the main character does grow and begin solving problems rather than just fretting over finding a woman. (Character growth! Yay! I always love some character development!) It was strange that she was a queen and did very little queening and didn't seem to take the role particularly seriously, but it is a fun read so that was something I could let slide even when it wasn't particularly believable.
This sounds like a negative review, but I promise I did like the book and I'd recommend it to anyone who's looking for fun, lgbt+ fantasy. I have a feeling that as the series progresses the writing is going to keep improving, so the potential I'd hoped to see here will be met there. The fact that this was such a fun read overpowers anything negative about the book, so I'm going to give the rest of the series a try. :)
October 6, 2017
Shira Glassman writes self-described "fluffy queer Jewish princess fantasies" (ok, I may have reworded slightly but I think I've kept the essence of it). The Second Mango introduces the reader to Perach, a secondary-world fantasy realm where everyone just happens to be Jewish. I mean that in the most positive possible way -- when creating a fantasy setting completely separate from real-world history, why not set it up exactly as you choose? It's subversive in its own way, because every time I was tempted to trip over the concept, I thought about all the similar fantasy settings that never get questioned or challenged when they silently echo dominant real-world cultures without presenting any logical basis for why they should. But perhaps I digress too much into literary theory.
The Second Mango is a fairly straightforward quest adventure, where a young, newly-installed queen goes off on a quest to find a girlfriend. There is just enough heteronormativity in the setting that her quest leaves her advisors and courtiers baffled and confused, but not so much that everyone won't cheerfully accept the outcome when she succeeds. The quest is aided by a masked gender-bending swordswoman and her shapeshifting horse-dragon, with barriers and challenges being offered variously by scheming innkeepers and misogynistic sorcerers.
The book is very young adult in feel, not so much for the age of the protagonist, but for the relative straightforwardness of the plot. Characters are pretty much who they present themselves as, challenges are relatively straightforward and solvable, and the plot twists are foreshadowed well enough for a pleasant reading experience without being obvious enough to spoil it. The prose is on the explanatory side more than the immersive side, and various aspects of character identity (such as food sensitivities) are solidly rooted in contemporary discourse rather than being given a more oblique in-world presentation. For the target readership of this series, I assume this is a solid feature, not a flaw. If the phrase "fluffy lesbian Jewish queen with food sensitivities finds true love" makes your heart go pitter-pat, then you are solidly in the target demographic for The Second Mango and I strongly recommend it to you.
The Second Mango is a fairly straightforward quest adventure, where a young, newly-installed queen goes off on a quest to find a girlfriend. There is just enough heteronormativity in the setting that her quest leaves her advisors and courtiers baffled and confused, but not so much that everyone won't cheerfully accept the outcome when she succeeds. The quest is aided by a masked gender-bending swordswoman and her shapeshifting horse-dragon, with barriers and challenges being offered variously by scheming innkeepers and misogynistic sorcerers.
The book is very young adult in feel, not so much for the age of the protagonist, but for the relative straightforwardness of the plot. Characters are pretty much who they present themselves as, challenges are relatively straightforward and solvable, and the plot twists are foreshadowed well enough for a pleasant reading experience without being obvious enough to spoil it. The prose is on the explanatory side more than the immersive side, and various aspects of character identity (such as food sensitivities) are solidly rooted in contemporary discourse rather than being given a more oblique in-world presentation. For the target readership of this series, I assume this is a solid feature, not a flaw. If the phrase "fluffy lesbian Jewish queen with food sensitivities finds true love" makes your heart go pitter-pat, then you are solidly in the target demographic for The Second Mango and I strongly recommend it to you.
August 10, 2016
Man, my last two books have been *weird.*
So, first of all, the diversity in this book is fantastic. Your first lead is an unconflicted lesbian with unambiguously brown skin and food intolerance issues, your second is a cross-dressing demisexual. Oh, and everyone's Jewish. That diversity was a large part of what drew me to the book.
But the execution is super weird. I'm fairly sure it's not supposed to be a middle grades book. There are several fairly explicit sex scenes and the opening scene is set in a "bawdy house," and I'm not sure middle grade readers would know what that is. But the book is written very simply, and sometimes there are passages that seem to be your moral lesson of the day. For instance, this is a direct quote from near the end of the book: "See what good comes of helping people?" I...yes? There's also a section where a magical spell was defeated due entirely to good self-esteem. Unambiguously.
Oh, and there's a part where a wizard booby-traps his tower with a rock that spits first honey, then birdseed at trespassers so birds will come down and peck intruders to death, I guess. Because that's logical. Oh, and there are poisoned boobs. Not even joking. There's also a twist that's telegraphed a mile and a half away.
But it was a very different book from your standard Western fantasy, which I appreciated. And I thought the backstory on Rivka was fantastic. But overall, really freaking weird book.
So, first of all, the diversity in this book is fantastic. Your first lead is an unconflicted lesbian with unambiguously brown skin and food intolerance issues, your second is a cross-dressing demisexual. Oh, and everyone's Jewish. That diversity was a large part of what drew me to the book.
But the execution is super weird. I'm fairly sure it's not supposed to be a middle grades book. There are several fairly explicit sex scenes and the opening scene is set in a "bawdy house," and I'm not sure middle grade readers would know what that is. But the book is written very simply, and sometimes there are passages that seem to be your moral lesson of the day. For instance, this is a direct quote from near the end of the book: "See what good comes of helping people?" I...yes? There's also a section where a magical spell was defeated due entirely to good self-esteem. Unambiguously.
Oh, and there's a part where a wizard booby-traps his tower with a rock that spits first honey, then birdseed at trespassers so birds will come down and peck intruders to death, I guess. Because that's logical. Oh, and there are poisoned boobs. Not even joking. There's also a twist that's telegraphed a mile and a half away.
But it was a very different book from your standard Western fantasy, which I appreciated. And I thought the backstory on Rivka was fantastic. But overall, really freaking weird book.
August 17, 2015
Mixed straight and queer romance, just fyi. UGH SO GOOD. It was sweet and wonderful and friendship and magic and love and great use of words and YES. Recommend.
ETA: Almost forgot! Okay for Aayesha (if she's okay with the queer bits)
ETA: Almost forgot! Okay for Aayesha (if she's okay with the queer bits)
March 11, 2016
The romance was cute but I thought the writing style left something to be desired.
May 13, 2017
"I've always admired that about you - that you want to know everything about your kingdom, even the rocks, and plants."
I clearly have a new favorite. Shira is just so good at making you love her characters, but Queen Shulamit is definitely on my top favorite female characters of all time. She's my kind of heroine, smart, dorky, adorable into girls, and extremely passionate about taking care of others.
The Second Mango is a light and engaging Jewish inspired fantasy world with a Queen that loves women, a warrior that has a dragon companion, and their adventures on finding love back into their lives. Just what I love to read. There's enough fluff that the small amount of angst brings the right balance to the story. I recommend this one for people who like character driven stories or that just love to see cute Queens in search of lady love.
I clearly have a new favorite. Shira is just so good at making you love her characters, but Queen Shulamit is definitely on my top favorite female characters of all time. She's my kind of heroine, smart, dorky, adorable into girls, and extremely passionate about taking care of others.
The Second Mango is a light and engaging Jewish inspired fantasy world with a Queen that loves women, a warrior that has a dragon companion, and their adventures on finding love back into their lives. Just what I love to read. There's enough fluff that the small amount of angst brings the right balance to the story. I recommend this one for people who like character driven stories or that just love to see cute Queens in search of lady love.
April 18, 2017
This was so cute and lovely and I adored Shulamit and Rivka. It reads a lot like a Tamora Pierce Alanna book, which is obviously amazing because favorite. Shula does read pretty young and it was a little cringy how she kept hitting on Rivka at first, but she grows over the journey and ends up as a very strong, kind queen.
My only real complaint, the prose of the sex scenes is a little odd. "Your face smells of flowers" as as euphemism for vaginal secretions, eh, not my thing. Otherwise, this is a fantastic feminist fairy tale set in a vibrant Jewish world that I highly recommend.
My only real complaint, the prose of the sex scenes is a little odd. "Your face smells of flowers" as as euphemism for vaginal secretions, eh, not my thing. Otherwise, this is a fantastic feminist fairy tale set in a vibrant Jewish world that I highly recommend.
June 11, 2016
The Second Mango (Mangoverse #1) by Shira Glassman is a delightful lesbian young adult fantasy with a charming sense of adventure. 4.5/5 stars!
Shulamit is the young queen of Perach, and is not exactly happy with her situation. She likes ladies and can't digest wheat or fowl, both things the servants around her can't or won't accept as something normal to work around (taking them instead as signs that she's desperate for attention). After her lover runs away with no explanation and her loving father has tragically died, she's left frustrated—in multiple senses of the word. Which results in her sneaking out to a bawdy house, which results in her getting kidnapped, which results in her getting rescued by the travelling mercenary Riv—secretly Rivka, a woman hiding her identity to avoid prejudices against women as warriors. Impulsively, Shulamit hires Rivka to be her bodyguard on a quest to go find another woman-loving-woman in return for being offered position as guard captain, so they're off on an adventure that will bring them face-to-face with thieves, evil wizards, and surprises from both their pasts.
Shulamit is one of my favorite types of characters—High Int, Low Wis, which is to say, perfectly smart but with the common sense of a spoon. She attaches to people quickly, and when she opens her mouth, words fall out. I find her a very charming example of this type, quirky and energetic but not stupid in the slightest. Her companion, Rivka, is slightly older and calmer by nature. She talks less, acts more, though we get to see she was quite a bit reckless when she was younger as well. They balance each other well, and I was willing to buy that the opportunity to settle down in a job that'd still let her see lots of action while guarding someone important would be a compelling argument to go along with Shulamit's poorly-thought-through plans.
I agree with some of the other reviewers that this reads toward the younger end of the YA scale. I think probably I'd recommend this most for the 12-16 age range, young teen girls looking for heroes like themselves in fiction and wanting to read a cute fluffy adventure at the same time. That was definitely the age that I started reading adult novels to try to find queer characters, while also juggling fluffier younger reads! This would be a perfect antidote to those things I didn't have when I was young, and I'm excited to think that it exists now.
And there's a lot to like in this book for adults too, and a lot to recommend. Not only is it a Jewish fantasy world (as opposed to the copious number of Christian-centric fantasy worlds), and has a main character who's a queen rather than a princess, it also introduces a hero with food sensitivities which, as someone with them myself, I realize I have literally never read. Maybe I'd have a lot less trouble in restaurants if people grew up reading it as a standard! And then on top of that, the adventure is fun and the het pairing is also cute and something I could root for. And there are dragons!
The only thing I looked for and didn't find in it was a sense of tension; problems were usually solved with the first solution the characters came up with, and there was never any guilt or resentment (justified or not) to deal with when people made mistakes. There are scenes we see the characters' insecurities, but they aren't really talked out with the others involved. That said, as much as I would have liked more of a sense of risk, it didn't bother me; I was in it for a fun read and that's what I got.
I'm very much looking forward to reading the rest of the Mangoverse. More to the point, I'm glad this book exists and I hope teens out there, particularly, snatch it up. Read it like I couldn't, back then!
Shulamit is the young queen of Perach, and is not exactly happy with her situation. She likes ladies and can't digest wheat or fowl, both things the servants around her can't or won't accept as something normal to work around (taking them instead as signs that she's desperate for attention). After her lover runs away with no explanation and her loving father has tragically died, she's left frustrated—in multiple senses of the word. Which results in her sneaking out to a bawdy house, which results in her getting kidnapped, which results in her getting rescued by the travelling mercenary Riv—secretly Rivka, a woman hiding her identity to avoid prejudices against women as warriors. Impulsively, Shulamit hires Rivka to be her bodyguard on a quest to go find another woman-loving-woman in return for being offered position as guard captain, so they're off on an adventure that will bring them face-to-face with thieves, evil wizards, and surprises from both their pasts.
Shulamit is one of my favorite types of characters—High Int, Low Wis, which is to say, perfectly smart but with the common sense of a spoon. She attaches to people quickly, and when she opens her mouth, words fall out. I find her a very charming example of this type, quirky and energetic but not stupid in the slightest. Her companion, Rivka, is slightly older and calmer by nature. She talks less, acts more, though we get to see she was quite a bit reckless when she was younger as well. They balance each other well, and I was willing to buy that the opportunity to settle down in a job that'd still let her see lots of action while guarding someone important would be a compelling argument to go along with Shulamit's poorly-thought-through plans.
I agree with some of the other reviewers that this reads toward the younger end of the YA scale. I think probably I'd recommend this most for the 12-16 age range, young teen girls looking for heroes like themselves in fiction and wanting to read a cute fluffy adventure at the same time. That was definitely the age that I started reading adult novels to try to find queer characters, while also juggling fluffier younger reads! This would be a perfect antidote to those things I didn't have when I was young, and I'm excited to think that it exists now.
And there's a lot to like in this book for adults too, and a lot to recommend. Not only is it a Jewish fantasy world (as opposed to the copious number of Christian-centric fantasy worlds), and has a main character who's a queen rather than a princess, it also introduces a hero with food sensitivities which, as someone with them myself, I realize I have literally never read. Maybe I'd have a lot less trouble in restaurants if people grew up reading it as a standard! And then on top of that, the adventure is fun and the het pairing is also cute and something I could root for. And there are dragons!
The only thing I looked for and didn't find in it was a sense of tension; problems were usually solved with the first solution the characters came up with, and there was never any guilt or resentment (justified or not) to deal with when people made mistakes. There are scenes we see the characters' insecurities, but they aren't really talked out with the others involved. That said, as much as I would have liked more of a sense of risk, it didn't bother me; I was in it for a fun read and that's what I got.
I'm very much looking forward to reading the rest of the Mangoverse. More to the point, I'm glad this book exists and I hope teens out there, particularly, snatch it up. Read it like I couldn't, back then!
February 1, 2017
This is a beautiful fairy tale about a young, lesbian queen on a quest for love. She is heart-broken about losing her beloved father and not yet ready to take over for him as queen.
People seem to adore her, but don’t really respect her. They think her love for women is weird and just a phase and believe she is lying about her digestive problems to get attention. Queen Shulamit is a smart woman, but has been so sheltered all her life that she is missing the common sense of real-life experience and is still a bit immature.
When she visits a brothel to quench her desire of being with a woman again, after her girlfriend just left her without a satisfying explanation, she is kidnapped. It doesn’t take long for the warrior Riv to rescue her. The two form a connection of sorts and Shulumit finds out her rescuer is a woman disguised as man. While Rivka is straight and no potential love interest for the queen, she agrees to accompany queen Sulamit on an adventure to find her a woman to love and cherish.
It was very interesting for me that Jewish religion was woven into the fabric of this tale, without seeming preachy. The story allows for readers to have their own perspective, without telling them what’s right and celebrates diversity and open-mindedness.
The adventures of queen Shulamit are fun and I loved finding out more about her and Rivka’s past. At times, what they experienced seems dark, but they always retain a hopeful outlook on life that was inspiring to me. They form a beautiful friendship as they ride on the back of a stallion that can turn into a dragon and fly them into the next adventure.
Rivka was a wonderful character as well. She is experienced, strong and brave and acts fast and with decisiveness. However, she is wearing a mask to be seen as a male warrior. All her skills and accomplishments wouldn’t be seen as worthy of the same respect if people knew she was a woman. There is a lot of discrimination and certain gender expectations she does not want to follow. I found her to be an interesting character with a difficult past and just the loyal friend queen Shulamit needed.
This story is a fairy tale with all the usual aspects like a queen, a warrior, a horse, thieves, a wizard and a quest, but it breaks convention by making the queen attracted to the same-sex and suffering from digestive problems, making the warrior a woman pretending to be a man to avoid gender discrimination, the horse a part-time dragon and celebrating differences.
This story wants to give readers valuable lessons about love, friendship, equality and other important issues and at times it seemed to be a bit corny to me, but there are also a lot of charming and sentimental moments. I loved the scene the title refers to in which the friendship between Shulamit and Rivka is decided by an act of kindness. The story made me smile and was a wonderful comfort read.
I can recommend this story and enjoyed the sequel (Climbing the Date Palm; review coming soon) even more (with a more mature queen Shulamit and a prince and his lover in need of her help), so I hope some of you will give it a try and enjoy it!
Rating: 7.5/10 Pots of Gold (75% Recommended) – Compares to 3.75/5 Stars
Find this and other reviews on Rainbow Gold Reviews
http://www.rainbowgoldreviews.wordpre...
People seem to adore her, but don’t really respect her. They think her love for women is weird and just a phase and believe she is lying about her digestive problems to get attention. Queen Shulamit is a smart woman, but has been so sheltered all her life that she is missing the common sense of real-life experience and is still a bit immature.
When she visits a brothel to quench her desire of being with a woman again, after her girlfriend just left her without a satisfying explanation, she is kidnapped. It doesn’t take long for the warrior Riv to rescue her. The two form a connection of sorts and Shulumit finds out her rescuer is a woman disguised as man. While Rivka is straight and no potential love interest for the queen, she agrees to accompany queen Sulamit on an adventure to find her a woman to love and cherish.
It was very interesting for me that Jewish religion was woven into the fabric of this tale, without seeming preachy. The story allows for readers to have their own perspective, without telling them what’s right and celebrates diversity and open-mindedness.
The adventures of queen Shulamit are fun and I loved finding out more about her and Rivka’s past. At times, what they experienced seems dark, but they always retain a hopeful outlook on life that was inspiring to me. They form a beautiful friendship as they ride on the back of a stallion that can turn into a dragon and fly them into the next adventure.
Rivka was a wonderful character as well. She is experienced, strong and brave and acts fast and with decisiveness. However, she is wearing a mask to be seen as a male warrior. All her skills and accomplishments wouldn’t be seen as worthy of the same respect if people knew she was a woman. There is a lot of discrimination and certain gender expectations she does not want to follow. I found her to be an interesting character with a difficult past and just the loyal friend queen Shulamit needed.
This story is a fairy tale with all the usual aspects like a queen, a warrior, a horse, thieves, a wizard and a quest, but it breaks convention by making the queen attracted to the same-sex and suffering from digestive problems, making the warrior a woman pretending to be a man to avoid gender discrimination, the horse a part-time dragon and celebrating differences.
This story wants to give readers valuable lessons about love, friendship, equality and other important issues and at times it seemed to be a bit corny to me, but there are also a lot of charming and sentimental moments. I loved the scene the title refers to in which the friendship between Shulamit and Rivka is decided by an act of kindness. The story made me smile and was a wonderful comfort read.
I can recommend this story and enjoyed the sequel (Climbing the Date Palm; review coming soon) even more (with a more mature queen Shulamit and a prince and his lover in need of her help), so I hope some of you will give it a try and enjoy it!
Rating: 7.5/10 Pots of Gold (75% Recommended) – Compares to 3.75/5 Stars
Find this and other reviews on Rainbow Gold Reviews
http://www.rainbowgoldreviews.wordpre...
May 19, 2015
What a happy little book! Though I enjoyed it now, I really, really wish it was around when I was thirteen or fourteen years old--Shulamit would've been my biggest hero and crush! This is one if the nicest, happiest short fantasy novels I've read in a long time, especially after being saturated with mega-dark stories like Game of Thrones. I first heard about this book on Tumblr when it came up on a femslash blog I help run. Someone drew some fan art for the characters--the young, naive, gluten-intolerant lesbian queen Shulamit, her dry-witted bisexual chef and love Aviva, and her best friend and guard Rivka--and it was so cute that I knew I had to buy the book for my Kindle.
The story itself rushes a bit (if I wasn't at school I would've finished this one in a day or so), but there's ample time for us to get to know Shulamit quite intimately. She's the kind of character I'm instantly drawn to--clever, kind, and spirited, but also naive, spoiled, and frightened of what the future holds for her. She's also super horny, which I find hilarious and so fitting for her--she's a young lesbian looking for her true love, of course she's horny! Who wouldn't be? She's also battling grief after the death of her beloved father, forcing her to take the throne much earlier than she ever expected. Aviva is a wonderful match for her in so many ways--she's a bit more mature, a little more jaded (but no less wonderful), and unlike anyone else, she believes and empathizes with Shulamit when she can't eat certain foods, using her skills as a chef to make her tasty gluten-free meals. There's also plenty of awesome female friendship between Shulamit and Rivka, a heartbroken mercenary who travels and works as a man so she won't be treated differently. Their friendship could be played out as such a stereotype, with Rivka being irritated with feminine little Shulamit and Shulamit cowering behind her guard, but there's none of that present. They love, trust, and believe each other, and their travels only draw them closer.
I was less enamored with the romance plot between Isaac and Rivka--not because there was anything wrong with it, but because I felt that it took up a too-large percentage of the storytelling time that I would've liked to focus more on Shulamit and Aviva. I did enjoy their ending, though, and I'd like to see where the next books take them. I'm excited for the next books in general!
The story itself rushes a bit (if I wasn't at school I would've finished this one in a day or so), but there's ample time for us to get to know Shulamit quite intimately. She's the kind of character I'm instantly drawn to--clever, kind, and spirited, but also naive, spoiled, and frightened of what the future holds for her. She's also super horny, which I find hilarious and so fitting for her--she's a young lesbian looking for her true love, of course she's horny! Who wouldn't be? She's also battling grief after the death of her beloved father, forcing her to take the throne much earlier than she ever expected. Aviva is a wonderful match for her in so many ways--she's a bit more mature, a little more jaded (but no less wonderful), and unlike anyone else, she believes and empathizes with Shulamit when she can't eat certain foods, using her skills as a chef to make her tasty gluten-free meals. There's also plenty of awesome female friendship between Shulamit and Rivka, a heartbroken mercenary who travels and works as a man so she won't be treated differently. Their friendship could be played out as such a stereotype, with Rivka being irritated with feminine little Shulamit and Shulamit cowering behind her guard, but there's none of that present. They love, trust, and believe each other, and their travels only draw them closer.
I was less enamored with the romance plot between Isaac and Rivka--not because there was anything wrong with it, but because I felt that it took up a too-large percentage of the storytelling time that I would've liked to focus more on Shulamit and Aviva. I did enjoy their ending, though, and I'd like to see where the next books take them. I'm excited for the next books in general!
October 27, 2015
Title: The Second Mango
Author: Shira Glassman
Series: Mangoverse #1
Genre: YA fantasy
Setting: The tropical land of Perach, in a time of queens and wizards.
Reason for Reading: I saw this title recently and went "Oh, yeah, I meant to read that!" so I got it via ILL.
Finished In: About a day and a half once I got started.
Pages: 176
Copyright Date: 2013
Cover: Two mangoes, and one has a dragon on the side. This does not mean, as I first suspected, that a dragon hatches out of a mango. I know you're disappointed too, but it's still a good book!
First lines: "Once upon a time, in a lush tropical land of agricultural riches and shining white buildings, there was a young queen who spent the night tied up in a tent, panicking. Apparently, a visit to a bawdy house got you kidnapped."
Favorite quote: "Oh, if we are not married soon I will gnaw off my own head!" - p 151
Themes and Triggers: Judaism, gluten intolerance, LGBT, dragons, swordswomen in disguise, queens in disguise, curses, etc.
Best part: I enjoyed the lighthearted tone of this book. It managed to incorporate a surprising number of issues while still staying playful.
Worst part: The ending was just a little bit too easy for my tastes.
Imaginary Theme Song: One of Us by Heather Dale
Grade: B+. I've read so many great books this year my standards have gone up!
Recommended for: Fans of YA GLBT.
Related Reads: Ash by Malinda Lo. Hunting Monsters by SL Huang. Queen's Squadron by RM Meluch. Please note - these are all more serious books! Un Lun Dun also comes to mind and is a little more playful though does not contain LGBT elements.
Author: Shira Glassman
Series: Mangoverse #1
Genre: YA fantasy
Setting: The tropical land of Perach, in a time of queens and wizards.
Reason for Reading: I saw this title recently and went "Oh, yeah, I meant to read that!" so I got it via ILL.
Finished In: About a day and a half once I got started.
Pages: 176
Copyright Date: 2013
Cover: Two mangoes, and one has a dragon on the side. This does not mean, as I first suspected, that a dragon hatches out of a mango. I know you're disappointed too, but it's still a good book!
First lines: "Once upon a time, in a lush tropical land of agricultural riches and shining white buildings, there was a young queen who spent the night tied up in a tent, panicking. Apparently, a visit to a bawdy house got you kidnapped."
Favorite quote: "Oh, if we are not married soon I will gnaw off my own head!" - p 151
Themes and Triggers: Judaism, gluten intolerance, LGBT, dragons, swordswomen in disguise, queens in disguise, curses, etc.
Best part: I enjoyed the lighthearted tone of this book. It managed to incorporate a surprising number of issues while still staying playful.
Worst part: The ending was just a little bit too easy for my tastes.
Imaginary Theme Song: One of Us by Heather Dale
Grade: B+. I've read so many great books this year my standards have gone up!
Recommended for: Fans of YA GLBT.
Related Reads: Ash by Malinda Lo. Hunting Monsters by SL Huang. Queen's Squadron by RM Meluch. Please note - these are all more serious books! Un Lun Dun also comes to mind and is a little more playful though does not contain LGBT elements.
August 19, 2017
Simple, sweet story starring an all-Jewish cast of a lesbian queen, her muscly body guard/best friend, a shapeshifting dragon, bisexual love interest, and a mystery to be solved! For a book whose premise is "the main character goes on a quest to find a girlfriend" the story is much more friendship heavy than you'd think, which I am not against at all. Honestly, everyone needs a questing buddy!
The plot is straightforward, the writing is simple, and the book is short. Problems don't take too long to solve. This can make it feel like a younger book, and I do wish it had been a little more detailed, maybe a little less simple.
But there's something to be said just for the book's premise. You've got a lot of diversity in one place, and since I picked up this book mostly on the premise of "everyone is Jewish", I was happy with it. Seriously. So happy. Not since Jewish picture books I read as a kid have I gotten to read a book where you can assume everyone is Jewish unless stated otherwise, and the difference between this book and mainstream YA is amazing. Characters take a break from questing to have shabbat, they discuss holiday traditions and speak like they're Jewish. I was practically glowing with all the casual Jewishness! (Don't judge. Everyone likes (and deserves!) to see themselves in books.)
In conclusion: this book isn't exactly impressive. But the characters are likable, the premise is unique, the plot twists and backstories are in order, and it gives us what traditionally published books (at least the ones I've come across) don't: the diverse Jewish friends and heroes we deserve!
The plot is straightforward, the writing is simple, and the book is short. Problems don't take too long to solve. This can make it feel like a younger book, and I do wish it had been a little more detailed, maybe a little less simple.
But there's something to be said just for the book's premise. You've got a lot of diversity in one place, and since I picked up this book mostly on the premise of "everyone is Jewish", I was happy with it. Seriously. So happy. Not since Jewish picture books I read as a kid have I gotten to read a book where you can assume everyone is Jewish unless stated otherwise, and the difference between this book and mainstream YA is amazing. Characters take a break from questing to have shabbat, they discuss holiday traditions and speak like they're Jewish. I was practically glowing with all the casual Jewishness! (Don't judge. Everyone likes (and deserves!) to see themselves in books.)
In conclusion: this book isn't exactly impressive. But the characters are likable, the premise is unique, the plot twists and backstories are in order, and it gives us what traditionally published books (at least the ones I've come across) don't: the diverse Jewish friends and heroes we deserve!
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