Review: Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Title: Serpent & Dove

Author: Shelby Mahurin

Genre: YA/NA Fantasy

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication date: 3 September 2019

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis from Harper Collins Australia: 

Bound as one, to love, honor, or burn. Book one of a stunning fantasy duology, this tale of witchcraft and forbidden love is perfect for fans of Kendare Blake and Sara Holland.

Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.

As a huntsman of the Church, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. But when Lou pulls a wicked stunt, the two are forced into an impossible situation—marriage.

Lou, unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, must make a choice. And love makes fools of us all.

Set in a world of powerful women, dark magic, and off-the-charts romance, book one of this stunning fantasy duology will leave readers burning for more.

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*Thank you to Harper Collins Australia for sending me a finished copy of this book in exchange for my honest review*

I loved this book. I Loved This Book!

And again for the people in the back: I LOVED THIS BOOK!

That would be my very quick short review.

But you know me I love a ramble so lets get into why I loved this book. The first thing is the writing itself I mean what a debut! I was enthralled from page one, could not put it down! I was hooked even when the plot itself slowed down from time to time I still just wanted to know what would happen next and the feelings the writing invoked! I mean I laughed, I gasped, I cried this book and the writing really did make me feel it all.

Secondly I loved the bad ass women characters and the strong female friendship in this! I loved it! I love that we are getting more strong, brave, smart, talented, unconventional, out of the box from societies norms main female characters! and Lou and coco are just some of the best! No competition just support and raising each other up like the queens they are!

Also witches and the witchey vibes! My gosh, you all know that vampires will always hold my heart but witches are really giving them a run for their money this year and this book was no exception! Loved the dark undertones, the different types of witches and hearing about the law and how witches were treated in this time period. I loved that Lou’s magic always required an equal price and the patterns show up as gold threads.

Last but not least and actually my favourite thing about this book is the enemies to lovers romance trope, the forced marriage trope and the will they wont they slow burn that this was! It was so good the way Lou and Reid acted around each other and how this developed and changes over time with and without them realising.

Also Ansel is a precious bean and too good for this earth! The plot was great and had so many twists and turns that I did not see coming! I absolutely can not wait for book 2!

In conclusion, I actually loved this book and it has taken the spot for my favourite book of the year so far! There is not one thing I can think of right now that I personally didn’t like about this book. 100% do recommend if anything I have said above even slightly intrigues you. This book is hands down a 5 out of 5 stars from me.  

Have you read this one yet? What did you think? What are some of your favourite witchey reads? Let me know in the comments below! Until next time happy watching and reading! 

Review: The Dysasters By P. C. and Kristin Cast

Title: The Dysasters

Author: P. C. & Kirstin Cast

Genre: YA Fantasy

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 26 February 2019

Rating: DNF 1/5

Synopsis from Pan Macmillan Australia: 

P. C. and Kristin Cast, the #1 New York Times bestselling authors of the House of Night phenomenon, return to the scene with The Dysasters – the first action-packed novel in a new paranormal fantasy series.

Adoptive daughter of a gifted scientist, Foster Stewart doesn’t live a ‘normal’ life, (not that she’d want to). But controlling cloud formations and seeing airwaves aren’t things most eighteen-year-olds can do.

Small town star quarterback and quintessential dreamy boy next door, Tate “Nighthawk” Taylor has never thought about his “extra” abilities. Sure, his night vision comes in handy during games, but who wouldn’t want that extra edge?

From the moment Foster and Tate collide, their worlds spiral and a deadly tornado forces them to work together, fully awakening their not-so-natural ability – the power to control air.

As they each deal with the tragic loss of loved ones, they’re caught by another devastating discovery – they are the first in a group of teens genetically manipulated before birth to bond with the elements, and worse… they’re being hunted.

Now, Foster and Tate must fight to control their abilities as they learn of their past, how they came to be, who’s following them, and what tomorrow will bring…

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*Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review*

Ok this review is going to be a little saltier than my regular ones. I just don’t even really know where to start. This book put me in a reading slump almost every time I picked it up! Hence why this review is so late and why I am now so behind on my review books and haven’t read a page of anything in over 2 weeks! I am just so disappointed. I went into this expecting to really enjoy it as I am 1. a sucker for YA fantasy and 2. a huge sucker for elemental magic! This book sounded like such a cool concept and idea but unfortunately, in my opinion, it just did not deliver.

Although this read was a DNF for me I am giving it 1 star still instead of zero because it did have a handful of likeable qualities for me. Firstly as I have already said the idea/concept was a good one, just poorly executed. I also really enjoyed the illustrations throughout the book, every few pages had a comic style insert. Which I thought was a cool and unique idea. I also like that the first main character was tough and didn’t take crap from anyone. But that is where the positives ended for me.

The two main issues for me with this book were the pacing and the character choices/development. The best way I can describe the pacing of this book is like it was the reverse of normal storytelling pacing. Less than 50 pages in there is a big event that results in the destruction of nearly an entire town yet then for the next 200 odd pages nearly nothing happens it feels slow and boring and a little anticlimactic after the dramatic start.

The other issue I have is something I tend to feel about a lot of Cast’s books is that many of the characters feel forced and like the authours are trying to hard to be diverse and put every possible character type/personality etc into the story. Now do not come for me, I am a huge advocate for diverse books and love reads that people can find a little of themselves in and relate to. But when this is done well! When the characters feel like real people and their race, gender and or sexuality feels genuine and real. If that makes any sense. Basically, I don’t think you need to have every type of person represented in your book in order for it to be diverse and when you do try to put that much in, it can feel forced. Which concerns me in terms of how the representation feels to those the characters are meant to be representing.

In conclusion, this book is the first book I have DNF in a very long time. I tried so hard, pushed through for months until finally with only about 70 pages left I just couldn’t waste any more of my time and energy on it. A cool concept that was poorly executed and weirdly paced. This read just was not for me! 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? What element would you like to control if you could control one? Let me know in the comments below! Until next time happy watching and reading! 

 

 

Review: Enchantée by Gita Trelease

Title: Enchantée 

Author: Gita Trelease

Genre: YA Historical Fantasy

Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication date: 26 February 2019

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis from Pan Macmillan Australia:

Paris in 1789 is a labyrinth of twisted streets, filled with beggars, thieves, revolutionaries – and magicians . . .

When smallpox kills her parents, seventeen-year-old Camille is left to provide for her frail sister and her volatile brother. In desperation, she survives by using the petty magic she learnt from her mother. But when her brother disappears Camille decides to pursue a richer, more dangerous mark: the glittering court of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

Using dark magic Camille transforms herself into the ‘Baroness de la Fontaine‘ and presents herself at the court of Versaille, where she soon finds herself swept up in a dizzying life of riches, finery and suitors. But Camille’s resentment of the rich is at odds with the allure of their glamour and excess, and she soon discovers that she’s not the only one leading a double life . . .

Enchantée is a compelling historical fantasy and is Gita Trelease’s debut novel.

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*Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review*

I don’t tend to read or enjoy historical fiction very often. This is normally because I find the plots tend to be very slow and a bit of historical information overload. And I also find that authours tend to focus a lot on the positives of a time period while glossing over or not mentioning the negatives of that time. Having said this I believe Trelease has managed to write a story with Enchantée that runs into none of these problems. Overall I really enjoyed this read. 

For me, the fact that this story is an historical fantasy and not just a historical read, allowed for a more multifaceted and fast-paced plot. The magic system is more subtle than many found in the YA fantasy genre. However, it seems to fit so perfectly with the setting and time era. And the way Trelease describes the use and weaving of the magic is just superb. Essentially the magic system is just the magic of illusions, making one thing appear as another or in another way. However, the idea that one needs sorrow to make this magic work, I found unique and allowed the book to have a slightly darker tone. As we all know magic always comes with a price! 

I also think Trelease did a fantastic job of describing the state of Paris in 1789. The way she described and brought Versailles alive made me wish to travel to Paris right away. She managed to give the palace such a whimsical quality while still mentioning the filth and not so royal behaviours. Trelease also did not shy away from describing the darker, negative events and aspects of Paris at this time. The poverty, the civil unrest, the class issues and the beginnings of the revolution. These were all things that made the story seem more real despite being a work of fiction. 

The highlight of this book for me though was the characters. Trelease brought each different character to life so well that despite having issues remembering all the French names and noble titles I could easily distinguish between their personalities and traits. I also love the variety of characters from heroes to villains, nobles to the poor. This book has it all with a strong female heroine, a passionate romance without excessive physical contact, female friendships, scheming villains and monstrous human beings. 

Despite enjoying almost everything about this book I did find the relationship between the main character and her sister to be underdeveloped and at times annoying. I also struggled with the bits of French included. There is a glossary in the back of the book. However, I did not realise this until I was about 3 quarters through. Meaning until then I had to guess at the meaning of what was being said in French. Therefore, I am giving this book a rating of 4 out of 5 stars and would recommend to any lover of YA, fantasy or historical fiction. Do you read a lot of historical fiction? What is your favourite time period to read about? Do you like reading about magic systems alongside true historical events? Let’s chat in the comments below! Until next time happy watching and reading! 

Blog Tour/ review: Wind Rider By P. C. Cast

Title: Wind Rider: Tales of a New World 3

Author: P. C. Cast

Genre: YA fantasy

Publisher: Pan Australia

Publication date: 30/10/18

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis from Pan Australia: 

The third novel in the compelling ‘Tales of a New World’ series by New York Times bestselling author P. C. Cast.

Mari, Nik, and their newly formed Pack are being hunted. Thaddeus and the God of Death will stop at nothing until they are obliterated from the earth. But Mari and Nik have one goal: to reach the plains of the Wind Riders in order to band together to stop Thaddeus from destroying all that Mari and Nik hold dear.

But will the mysterious Wind Riders accept the Pack, or will Mari and Nik and their people be rejected by the mighty Riders and be forced to flee for their lives? And what happens when a rogue Lead Stallion gets too close to the Pack, rejecting all Wind Riders and turning to a stranger for companionship instead?

‘While many fantasy series style themselves as epic, this one may actually be worthy of the description.’ School Library Journal

‘Cast … easily engages the readers and keeps them wanting more … a wild journey of power, unlikely relationships, betrayal and acceptance.’ Gold Coast BulletinThank you to Pan Australia in conjunction with Aus YA Bloggers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

Happy Australian release day to the third  instalment in the Tales of a New World series Wind Rider by P. C. Cast. And welcome to my blog tour stop for this exciting book. Be sure to check out the other blog stops by searching the tags #macmillanaus and #AusYABloggers. 

If you missed my reviews of the first two books in this unique series you can read them here: Moon Chosen and Sun Warrior.

Being the third book in the series this review will be spoiler free and possibly a little shorter than my normal ones as I do not want to ruin anything for anyone! Once again, I absolutely loved the cover of this book in fact I think they have gotten better as the series has gone on! I just love the colours in this third cover. I again really enjoyed the sketches at the start of each chapter and really do feel they help the story to come alive even more!

This series is one with a big cast of characters and many points of view. In this instalment that list grows even bigger and there are new POV’s introduced. This can be a little overwhelming at times remembering all the names and their role in the story. However, I also love so many of the characters and feel I get to know them so much better this way.

Much like the second book in the series I found this book much more fast paced and exciting than the first one. Given the hopeful yet ominous way the second book ended I had a feeling the characters were in for one giant adventure! And I felt while reading that this did not disappoint.

I enjoyed finally getting to know more about the Wind Riders after hearing of them vaguely in the previous two books. It was great to get to read about their way of life and powers etc in more detail! Every time a new type of animal companion or group of people in this series is introduced I think they are my new favourites (except for the Skin stealers that is!). I just think they are all so unique and interesting, and each bring something special to the story. It is hard to explain but if you read the series you would understand. I just don’t think it would be the same without the many different groups.

In conclusion, I rather enjoyed this read! It was more action packed then the first one with fewer slow “filler” parts. It is a very character driven book, but I found I enjoy this as I love many of the characters. I also still enjoyed reading about this world and magic system and thought this was a good continuation of this epic tale. Therefore, I am rating this story 4 out of 5 stars.

Wind Rider released today in Australia so make sure you go and get your copy to continue this magical series!

Have you read this series? Are you keen to discover what happens next in this tale? Who are your favourite characters? Come chat with me in the comments below! As always happy watching and reading! 

Review: Sun Warrior by P. C. Cast

Title: Sun Warrior: Tales of a New World 2

Author: P. C. Cast

Genre: YA fantasy

Publisher: Pan Australia

Publication date: 31/10/17

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis from Pan Australia: 

The second novel in the epic ‘Tales of a New World’ series by New York Times bestselling author P.C. Cast. 

The battle lines have been drawn.

Once from rival clans, Mari, an Earth Walker, and Nik, a Companion, now find themselves fighting to save each other and their people from destruction.

Thaddeus has betrayed his own people, killing Nik’s father and destroying their entire clan. But he wants more. He wants the power he believes Mari has stolen from him and his people, and he will do anything to get it back, even if it means destroying everything in his path. There is only one way to stop Thaddeus, and it means a harrowing journey for Mari and Nik into the heart of darkness.

“P.C. Cast builds an engaging world and cleverly smudges the line between fantasy and speculative fiction . . . the world and the slowly rising tension of the story are spooky, compelling and fun.” Good Reading

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Thank you to Pan Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

If you missed my review of the first book in this series Moon Chosen you can find it here. During my read of this second book, I had some similar thoughts to the first book. I again think the cover and the sketches at the start of each chapter are absolutely stunning and give a little something extra to the reading experience. I also still believe that the story should be aimed towards an older audience at least new adults and not the YA audience. This is because there are many themes such as rape, murder, violence and racism that may not be processed or interpreted in an ok manner by people of a younger mindset.

Having said that I do believe that some of the messages that P. C. Cast appears to be trying to get across in this story are good for people of any age. Including that women are strong and capable and great leaders just like men. And more importantly that no matter someone’s culture, upbringing and skin colour we are all human beings capable of great things.

I found this second instalment more enjoyable than the first. Because we know about the world and magik systems there was less to learn. But still enough to learn to keep things interesting.  Also without spoiling anything, this book is much more fast-paced than the first, given where the first book ended and the plotlines that ending opened up. I also really enjoyed getting to know some of the lesser known characters in this book! Danita, as well as the Lynx Bast and her companion, were some of my favourites! I also loved the action-packed ending of this book and am excited to see which direction the story will go in the final instalment of this series.

The only thing that I really didn’t like when reading this was that the magic system in regards to the animal companions seemed to drastically change in this book and although it made sense sometimes other times it didn’t. However, this didn’t drastically affect my reading experience and certain things may make more sense in the next book. At least I hope they do!

In conclusion, I again loved the set up of the book and the fast-paced but still character driven nature of the story. I thought some of the themes were a little mature but overall love what P. C. Cast is trying to express. Therefore, I am rating this book 4 out of five stars! Would you rather be magically linked with a dog, lynx or horse? Have you read this series what did you think? Let’s chat below! Happy watching and reading! 

Review: Moon Chosen by P. C. Cast

Title: Moon Chosen: Tales of a New World 1

Author: P. C. Cast

Genre: YA fantasy

Publisher: Pan Australia

Publication date: 25/10/16

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis from Pan Australia: 

New York Times bestselling author P.C. Cast brings us a new epic fantasy set in a world where humans, their animal allies, and the earth itself has been drastically changed. A world filled with beauty and danger and cruelty…

Mari is an Earth Walker, heir to the unique healing powers of her Clan; but she has cast her duties aside, until she is chosen by a special animal ally, altering her destiny forever. When a deadly attack tears her world apart, Mari reveals the strength of her powers and the forbidden secret of her dual nature as she embarks on a mission to save her people. It is not until Nik, the son of the leader from a rival clan, strays across her path, that Mari experiences something she has never felt before.

Now, darkness is coming, and with it, a force, more terrible and destructive than the world has ever seen, leaving Mari to cast the shadows from the earth. By forming a tumultuous alliance with Nik, she must make herself ready. Ready to save her people. Ready to save herself and Nik.

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Thank you to Pan Australia for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 

I think for this review I will start with the things I loved and then move onto the things that were OK or that I am not so sure about.

I absolutely love this cover! It gives such a magical/ mystical vibe and uses all of my favourite cool tone colours! However, you would be forgiven for thinking this book had anything to do with werewolf’s! This is what I expected going in and it was not the case! That is in fact a German Shepard on the cover, not a wolf. Similarly, to do with the composition of the book, I loved the full-page sketches at the start of each chapter. These gave a little something extra to the story and linked in with the main character being an artist/ having a love for drawing.

I really love the concept of this world and the “magic” system and just the overall idea. It is very unique, and I haven’t personally read anything similar. The story is set in the future many years after a apocalyptic event. From what I can work out, the earth was scorched because humans were too interested in technology and stopped caring for and paying attention to the earth and nature. After these events those who survived went different ways and eventually turned into the groups we read about in the story.

The main groups the story revolves around are the Earth walkers who rely on the moon for healing and other magical gifts. The Tree tribe or Companions which have the power of the sun, and this is where the Shepard’s come in as this tribe has magical links with dogs. And lastly the Skin Stealers, those who stayed in the city after the destruction of earth and suffer from a pretty bad skin condition haha. We also hear mention of cat people and wind riders/ horse people which I believe we will hear more about in books two and three.

I really like how each group and magical aspect was introduced. There was a lot of information and although it felt a little overwhelming at times it didn’t feel info dumpy. everything was very descriptive, and I could easily picture what was going on in my head. P C Cast also seemed to try to address/ include some pretty serious issues and themes. Which I personally thought gave the story more meaning.

Now this book is advertised and a YA series however I think that it is more of an NA series. As most of the main characters are 18 years of age or older with only a few younger side characters. This along with the themes that include: depression, suicide, rape, racism and violence. Make for a more mature story in my opinion. If any of these topics are triggers for you I would suggest thinking carefully before picking this book up as some of them are very prevalent throughout the whole story.

Although I loved the uniqueness of this story and it wasn’t info dumpy, it was fairly slow or a slow burn/build. This story likely could have been 50 to 100 pages shorter. For the first 350 pages or so nothing really action packed occurs. There are some little incidences where things occur, and you think it might ramp up but then the story moves along again. This story is very character driven. This didn’t bother me too much as it felt like I was still learning and uncovering interesting things about the world. But it is different to what I am used to and was a struggle at times. Don’t worry though the last part of the book really amps up and builds to some interesting plot twists/ occurrences which I think will take the next book in a more fast paced direction.

The only other thing I was unsure about is the way Cast tackles the idea of racism in this book. Personally, I think she was trying to represent how people are not born racist they are raised and taught those ways by others. And how it is important not to judge people by the colour of their skin/ culture especially when you do not have the whole story. However, I can see that some things such as the MC darkening her skin with clay to fit in could been taken in a bad way.

In conclusion, I found this world and concept for the story very interesting and unique. I loved learning about the different groups of people and the “magic’ system. And despite this book not being very action packed and pretty slow for the most part. I did enjoy it and am excited to see where in goes next! Which is why I rated this story a solid 3 stars! 

Have you read this book or series? Did you enjoy it or not? Have you read anything else by P C Cast and did you enjoy her writing? As always happy watching and reading! 

Review: The Crowns of Croswald by D. E. Night

Title: Crowns of Croswald

Author: D. E. Night

Genre: MG/YA fantasy

Publisher: Stories Untold

Publication date: July 2017

Rating: 3.5/5

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

For sixteen years Ivy Lovely has been hidden behind an enchanted boundary that separates the mundane from the magical. When Ivy crosses the border, her powers awaken. Curiosity leads her crashing through a series of adventures at the Halls of Ivy, a school where students learn to master their magical blood and the power of Croswald’s mysterious gems. When Ivy’s magic—and her life—is threatened by the Dark Queen, she scrambles to unearth her history and save Croswald before the truth is swept away forever.

I was provided with a copy of The Crowns of Croswald from the publisher (Stories Untold) and authour D. E. Night in exchange for my honest review.

This book comes across as middle grade to very early YA literature. I do not normally delve into middle-grade books and I think this sometimes made it harder for me to read/ get into especially to start with. However, the premises of this story and the very Harry Potter-ish vibes that I got from the get go was enough to intrigue me.

First off, I want to take a moment to talk about this book visually. I am in love with the cover of this book. Now as some as you regular lovelies may know I have an obsession with the Fae and fairy’s, so I could be biased! But just look at it, so cute and pretty and magical! The inside of the book also has cute chapter header art that looks like little hand sketch drawings. The book also included some mix media presentation in the form of some letters etc. I think all of this really makes the reading process just a little more special and interesting.

The story has a very magical feel from the get go with a whole new world and magic system being presented. With this comes many new names of places and objects and many definitions of these things. As well as many things being given similar names. At the start of the book as in the first five or so chapters this feels kind of like a big info dump and it at times was quite confusing even to me an adult trying to read this middle grade book. However, I think the author may have been aware of this issue as even the MC comments on the overwhelming nature of all she (and in turn the reader) is learning.

“You all really should start coming up with new names for things”, She told the Selector. “It’s all very confusing.” 

Having said this though once I did start to remember the names and meanings of certain new magical things I was able to get into the story a little better and even fell in love with some of the things D E Night has invented. My favourite would have to be the Hairies, tiny little fairies with glowing hair that they use as lights! How cute and magical is that! I want one!! In green and silver please!

I also found that the time flow of the story felt very jumpy at times and some of the interactions between characters did not always seem natural. However, this was minor and did not stop me from enjoying the magical journey as despite my little issues that aspect was still strongly there. This book was a mysterious, magical, fast paced adventure. And those feelings and that Harry Potter like nostalgia had me wanting to go along this journey with Ivy and find out what happens despite any issues I may have had. The ending was also very dramatic and enlightening but left many leading plot lines. Which leave me intrigued to know what happens next!

In conclusion, as I do not read middle grade often I do not have much to compare to what they are like. And I did have a few issues with the writing such as info dumping and character interactions. However, this may be a common occurrence in MG books, I am not sure. So, for me personally, these issues were a little off putting from the story. However, I overall enjoyed the book and the magical adventure vibes. I loved learning about the magic system and creatures and would continue on with the series when future books are released. Therefore, this book was a 3.5 star read for me!   Have you read this book? If so what did you think? Do you read much middle grade or early young adult fiction? As always happy watching and reading! 

Review: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas

Title: Queen of Shadows

Author: Sarah J Maas

Genre: YA fantasy

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication date: September 2015

Rating: 5/5

Warning the synopsis contains mild spoilers if you have not read the previous books in this series! Read at your own risk! 

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

Just a warning in advance that this review is very fangirling I couldn’t control it, I just had to spew my feelings all over the place haha!!

So this is My 5th review for my reread of this series in preparation for the final instalment: Kingdom of Ash. If you missed my previous reviews I also reviewed Assassins Blade, Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight and Heir of Fire.

I absolutely love this book. Every time I read it I enjoy it. If Heir of Fire was the book of character development then this book is where that development continues, but also so many more plans, consequences and actions arise from the development that has occurred.

I feel the action and scheming really ramps up in the series in this book and I am LIVING for it! Practically right from the get go every character has their own agendas and plans, and it leaves the reader enthralled. Wondering who may come out on top the “evil” character or the “good” ones. Not only that but where are these morally grey characters going to fall? What roll will they play? Who’s side are they on? There are so many twists, turns and unexpected moments in this book and even though I expect them and know they are coming now, they still leave me with so much adrenaline and emotions!

Although I hate that a certain Fae prince is absent in the first part of this book and I feel that emptiness as much as a certain Queen. I love that our MC has some time to Scheme on her own and show her strengths as a solo person. I love reading about the first mission occurring and everything our MC manages to do! The reunion between the two cousins is everything! I mean how cute, how much love amazing!

But speaking of reunions, the one between said Fae prince and Queen is absolutely everything! EVERYTHING I TELL YOU!!! If that scene doesn’t give you all the feels, what are you some stone heart monster? But seriously tears in my eyes so good! I love watching this particular relationship develop even more and the effect it has on their individual character growth.

And how could I talk about this book without mentioning my main girl the amazing Manon Blackbeak!!! I love how much more page time her and her 13 have in this book. I love her character development it makes me love her even more! And we find out so much more about her past and other members of the coven’s pasts! I also enjoy that her chapters give us a look into the workings of the “enemy”. This woman and the 13 deserve their own spin off series they are that bad ass and entertaining!

The ending of this book is so dramatic and so emotional even though our emotions have already been dragged through so much throughout the entirety of the book. I mean now that I have read Assassins Blade all of those Sam scenes hit my straight to the heart and opened up wounds that have not yet healed!  I really do think this book has one of the best endings of the series! Almost as good as the Crown of Midnight ending! And I live for the emotions and DRAMA!!

In conclusion this book really amps up the action for the books to come. The characters growth and development is fantastic and really pushes the story forward. I really did not feel like there were any boring parts in this story and so many things happen and change that it really sets up some nice new trajectory for the rest of the series. Therefore, this book was another 5/5 read for me!

Have you read this book? Are you rereading any of the books before the release of koA? Would you choose to be fae, witch, magic user or human? As always happy watching and reading! 

Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas

Title: Crown of Midnight

Author: Sarah J Maas

Genre: YA fantasy

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication date: August 2013

Rating: 3.5/5

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

Celaena Sardothien, royal assassin, is the King of Adarlan’s deadliest weapon. She must win her freedom through his enemies’ blood – but she cannot bear to kill for the crown. And every death Celaena fakes, every lie she tells, put those she loves at risk.

Torn between her two protectors – a captain and a prince – and battling a dark force far greater than the king, Celaena must decide what she will fight for: her liberty, her heart or the fate of a kingdom.

So as you may know by now I am rereading the Throne of glass series in preparation for Kingdom of Ash. You can see my review for Assassins Blade here and Throne of glass here. I think Crown of Midnight is my current least favourite in the series. If I was to write an extremely short review it would go something like this:

Part 1: NOTHING!!

Part 2: EVERYTHING!!

Special mention: Chaol is the worst. What a toss pot!

However, I endeavour to always be honest with my reviews and explain my feelings so here is a little more in depth look at my thoughts on this book. The book itself is divided up into two parts. So I think that would be the best way to divide up my thoughts as I have very different opinions on both parts.

Part 1: I described this part as nothing above because I feel that is literally what happens here. For almost the entire first half of the book nearly nothing exciting happens! Is there some important information brought up for the series to continue? Yes. Do certain relationships change and develop? Yes. But other than knowing Celaena is playing a dangerous game, I think the adventurous, mysterious side to this story is kind of non-existent to me in this part of the book. I also think that we barely get to see any of the bad-ass skills Celaena developed and used in the previous two books. But more listen to her remind us that she does have these skills and in fact is the best. Although I mostly do still like Celaena in the first half of this book I like her a whole lot more in the second half. Dorian is by far my favourite in the first half of this book and watching him deal with his struggles is one of the redeeming qualities of this first half.

Part 2: Boy oh boy do things get waaaayyyy more interesting in the second half of this book! If the whole book was like the second half this would be a five star read for me! So much happens!! So many emotions from soul crushing sadness to adventure to mystery to shocking revelations this part has it all. Relationships are changed yet again. We finally see some more of Celaena’s skills and I think the plot really develops here. I also love every interaction between Celaena and Dorian and seeing new dynamics develop between them. Also, the ending to this book was still great and impactful even reading it for the second time!

In conclusion, I absolutely love the second half of this book. However, I find the first half of this book pretty lack lustre with only a few interesting or redeeming aspects. Side note, I have always found Chaol to be meh but this book just confirmed for me that he is a tosser. Hence, although the second half of the book is probably worth 5 stars I can only rate this book 3.5/5.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Are you doing a re-read for KoA? Is Chaol an absolute tosser? Until next time, happy watching and reading! 

  

 

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

Title: Throne of Glass

Author: Sarah J Maas

Genre: YA fantasy

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication date: August 2012

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly.
Destined for greatness.

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake. She got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted? 

This read was a reread in preparation for the upcoming release of Kingdom of Ash. This was the first time I have reread this book although I have reread later books in the series multiple times. The first time I read this book I had not read The Assassins Blade yet. However as you will know if you have seen my review. This time around I have the background knowledge that those novellas provide. And let me tell you it is a whole different experience with that knowledge.

I was able to understand subtleties in the plot a lot better and certain references and or wording hit me right in the feels! I was able to understand Celaena’s thoughts, actions and emotions a lot better now knowing her background. It made it a lot easier for me to feel all of her ups and downs along with her. All of which made the overall reading experience that much better.

Just like the first time around I think the concept of this book and the plot line is great and one big adventure. Although I much prefer the action scenes, the contest, and fighting etc. I think showing Celaena developing friendships and enjoying clothes, and sweets and gifts make her a more in depth believable character. I also am a sucker for romance as I have said many a time before. So that part of the plot for me just added to the story.

Celaena, Nox and Dorian are my favourite characters in this first novel. And any interaction between these characters were some of my favourite to read about. I think the world building of this story is done quite well. It doesn’t feel like a complete info dump, but more like you are finding things out with celaena and as you need to.  Having said this though there are many characters in this book and many names and I still sometimes need to stop and think a bit harder about who’s related to who and what their role in the story is etc. Given that I generally read for escape and fun this is slightly annoying but not enough so to put me off the story.

Overall, I rather enjoyed this reread. This is one of my favourite series and I really enjoy the world and the story. Some of the characters I absolutely adore, and it just has me wanting to rush into rereading the next books to spend more time with them. The only reason that this is not a 5 star read for me is because I know it is not my favourite of the series as well as the whole many names issue. Therefor a solid 4/5 and would recommend if you have not given this series a go yet. 

Have you read this series yet? Who are your favourite characters in the first book? Did you read this one before or after Assassins blade? Let me know in the comments below! As always happy watching and reading!