Kingdom of Ash || A Book Review

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas || 5/5

Years in the making, Sarah J. Maas’s #1 New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series draws to an epic, unforgettable conclusion. Aelin Galathynius’s journey from slave to king’s assassin to the queen of a once-great kingdom reaches its heart-rending finale as war erupts across her world. . .

Aelin has risked everything to save her people―but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. Aware that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, though her resolve begins to unravel with each passing day…

With Aelin captured, Aedion and Lysandra remain the last line of defense to protect Terrasen from utter destruction. Yet they soon realize that the many allies they’ve gathered to battle Erawan’s hordes might not be enough to save them. Scattered across the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian are forced to forge their own paths to meet their fates. Hanging in the balance is any hope of salvation―and a better world.

And across the sea, his companions unwavering beside him, Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen―before she is lost to him forever.

As the threads of fate weave together at last, all must fight, if they are to have a chance at a future. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever in the explosive final chapter of the Throne of Glass series.

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• This book took me over a month to read. It was at no fault of the book, which I loved every moment of, but rather my life (aka homework). That’s a record for me. I think the length of time it took me to read the book distorted my perception of the pacing. I thought it dragged, but I have no idea if it actually did. That said, I don’t believe it did, because thinking back on the plot, there weren’t many moments where nothing was happening. It was an action-packed book. Which is to be expected as, you know, it’s a war.
• This book is a very hardcore fantasy. (I read a fluffy contemporary afterward and it was jarring.) Through the first third or so of the book, there are no lighthearted moments to lighten the mood, and even after that, fun moments were few and far between. Our characters suffer a great deal.
• I was planning to reread the series before I read Kingdom of Ash, but I didn’t get a chance (see note about homework). However, I unexpectedly didn’t have a problem with this. Yes, I remember very few details about the prior books in the series, but despite not having read the series for just over a year, I jumped right back into the story without missing a beat.
• I appreciate the lack of detailed sex scenes in this installment of the series.
• I love how conclusive the ending is. Kingdom of Ash is a worthy conclusion to this epic series.
• The character development is lovely. I love seeing how the characters grow and change due to their experiences.
• The writing style is, as always, gorgeous. It’s a work of art.
• A random note: I noticed that the characters’ knees buckle a lot in dramatic scenes. I’m wondering if this is a normal thing or are the characters’ knees weirdly weak?

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Extreme Spoiler Section. You have been warned.

Stop right there if you haven’t yet read the book. (In which case go read it now.) This is an EXTREME spoiler section. I will be discussing the ending. I hold no responsibility if your eyes betray you and read the following section without your permission. This is your final chance to turn back. You have been warned.

• I really like that before the ending, Aelin loses the majority of her power. I like that she becomes an average Fae, and she still manages to defeat her enemies. I like that she’s not overpowered magically, and she still remains so powerful.
• I like that she relies on her friends to defeat Maeve and Erawan instead of being the sole hero.
• I like that in the end, it is not Aelin who ends Maeve or Erawan, but her friends.

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy || A Book Review

The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee || 4/5

A year after an accidentally whirlwind grand tour with her brother Monty, Felicity Montague has returned to England with two goals in mind—avoid the marriage proposal of a lovestruck suitor from Edinburgh and enroll in medical school. However, her intellect and passion will never be enough in the eyes of the administrators, who see men as the sole guardians of science.

But then a window of opportunity opens—a doctor she idolizes is marrying an old friend of hers in Germany. Felicity believes if she could meet this man he could change her future, but she has no money of her own to make the trip. Luckily, a mysterious young woman is willing to pay Felicity’s way, so long as she’s allowed to travel with Felicity disguised as her maid.

In spite of her suspicions, Felicity agrees, but once the girl’s true motives are revealed, Felicity becomes part of a perilous quest that leads them from the German countryside to the promenades of Zurich to secrets lurking beneath the Atlantic.

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• Love the writing style and the humor
• However I enjoyed the first book in the series, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue, much more.
• It wasn’t quite as funny, but that’s because the main character is Felicity, not Monty
• I loved seeing what happened to Monty and Percy after the first book
• I love how Felicity stood up for herself and was so stubborn. I was rooting for her the entire time.
• However, while I liked the other two minor characters, Johanna and Sim, I wasn’t particularly attached to them.
• Overall, it’s a solid read, but I don’t see myself rereading it in the future.

Read 10-18-2018 to 10-21-2018

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Vengeful || A Book Review

Vengeful by V.E. Schwab || 5/5

Sydney once had Serena—beloved sister, betrayed enemy, powerful ally. But now she is alone, except for her thrice-dead dog, Dol, and then there’s Victor, who thinks Sydney doesn’t know about his most recent act of vengeance.

Victor himself is under the radar these days—being buried and re-animated can strike concern even if one has superhuman powers. But despite his own worries, his anger remains. And Eli Ever still has yet to pay for the evil he has done.

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• The writing style is lovely, as always.
• The characters are amazing. I love them so much, especially Victor, and I just want to lock them away in a safe house and keep anything bad from happening to them.
• But, I liked Vicious, the first book in the series, a tiny bit better.
• The events were difficult to keep track of chronologically. In Vicious, there were only two main time periods, so it was easy enough to keep everything straight. However, in Vengeful, there are so many different times and places and characters, so it was hard to piece together what was happening.
• I love the characters that were established in the first book, and I loved finding out what happened to them next. And I admired the new characters in this book, but I didn’t get quite as attached to them.
• I didn’t understand June’s motives toward Sydney, but June was a really mysterious character. We know almost nothing about her. Which is interesting and all, but it made me confused as to June’s purpose.
• After finishing the book, I still had questions. So hopefully there will be another book in the series.

Read 10-7-2018 to 10-12-2018

Vicious by V.E. Schwab || A Book Review

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab || A Book Review

Bridge of Clay || A Book Review

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak || 3.5/5

The breathtaking story of five brothers who bring each other up in a world run by their own rules. As the Dunbar boys love and fight and learn to reckon with the adult world, they discover the moving secret behind their father’s disappearance. 

At the center of the Dunbar family is Clay, a boy who will build a bridge—for his family, for his past, for greatness, for his sins, for a miracle. 

The question is, how far is Clay willing to go? And how much can he overcome?

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• It’s beautifully written.
• The characters are developed and complex.
• I love the story.
• But it’s very slow. It drags and meanders quite a bit.
• I spent the majority of the book very confused.
• I finished, and I was still confused.
• And it didn’t make me feel anything.
• The shocking moments weren’t very shocking. I kept thinking, That’s it?
• I love how conclusive the ending is.
• While the writing is very beautiful, I had to read almost two hundred pages before I got used to it. During those two hundred pages, I kept having to reread portions to understand what was happening.
• A lot of seemingly unimportant details turned out to be important much later. Because I’d initially thought they were unimportant, I struggled to remember them later, which added to the confusion.
• The book struggled to hold my attention. It wasn’t captivating.

Read 10-24-2018 to 11-3-2018

Book Review of I Am The Messenger

Vicious || Book Review

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

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Vicious by V.E. Schwab || 5/5

• It was a page-turner. I couldn’t stop reading, and my homework definitely suffered.
• It wasn’t in chronological order, but it wasn’t hard to keep track of what was going on.
• I fell in love with the characters.
  • It was interesting to read a story where everyone is morally gray. There’s no clear hero, and there’s no clear villain.
  • So who should you root for?
  • What if someone’s doing the right thing for the wrong reasons? Or the wrong thing for the right reasons?
  • I loved getting into the heads of the villains. And finding them relatable. Usually, you’re supposed to despise the villain. You’re supposed to gasp and go “How could they do something so atrocious?” But what if you know how and why? Do things change?
• The writing style is beautiful, the characters are believable.
• I was constantly asking questions and I was fully sucked into the world of Vicious.
• Overall, I HIGHLY recommend this book. Go read it. Right now. You’ll thank me later.

Read 9/23/2018 to 9/26/2018

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Read More: Review of This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

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Also, I think this song pairs nicely with Vicious.

Batman: Nightwalker || Book Review

Heyo, peoples of the universe!

How is your Monday? I don’t know how my Monday is going since it’s currently Sunday night and I’m not a psychic or anything. Although that would be very cool. Imagine knowing your test grade before you take the test so then you don’t freak out over it. Getting sidetracked here, but what superpower would you like? I always thought that I’d like invisibility or teleportation (because I hate traveling, but I like going places. But doesn’t everyone. Twelve-hour plane rides suck universally.)

So, I’ve just finished writing a twenty-one page, handwritten report for Chemistry. It was… not fun. More like a mad dash of insanity that murdered my fingers.

So. Getting to the point now.

But before we get to the point, what are you going to be for Halloween? It’s coming up and I have no idea. I was supposed to go shopping today, but because of said Chemistry report, I didn’t have time. But really, (and I don’t mean to be evil) what’s the point of dressing up when you wear a coat and nobody can see your costume anyway? But it seems like a betrayal to not wear a costume on Halloween.

Okay. Now. To the point.

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Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu || 3.5/5

Before he was Batman, he was Bruce Wayne. A reckless boy willing to break the rules for a girl who may be his worst enemy.

The Nightwalkers are terrorizing Gotham City, and Bruce Wayne is next on their list.

One by one, the city’s elites are being executed as their mansions’ security systems turn against them, trapping them like prey. Meanwhile, Bruce is turning eighteen and about to inherit his family’s fortune, not to mention the keys to Wayne Enterprises and all the tech gadgetry his heart could ever desire. But after a run-in with the police, he’s forced to do community service at Arkham Asylum, the infamous prison that holds the city’s most brutal criminals.

Madeleine Wallace is a brilliant killer . . . and Bruce’s only hope.

In Arkham, Bruce meets Madeleine, a brilliant girl with ties to the Nightwalkers. What is she hiding? And why will she speak only to Bruce? Madeleine is the mystery Bruce must unravel. But is he getting her to divulge her secrets, or is he feeding her the information she needs to bring Gotham City to its knees? Bruce will walk the dark line between trust and betrayal as the Nightwalkers circle closer. 

• So I have no comments on how the book is compared to existing Batman lore because I only know basic Batman. And much of that knowledge comes from the Lego Batman movie. Honestly, getting into superheroes seems likes a daunting task since there’s SO MUCH out there. So many movies and comics and superheroes.
• The whole premise is kind of ludicrous. Why would they give Bruce, an eighteen-year-old, community service at an asylum/prison? Especially when his crime was interfering with the police. The events that occurred seemed inevitable. I also can’t get over community service at an asylum/prison. Couldn’t he have picked up trash at the park or something?
• The main character is well-developed, but the minor ones could use some work. Madeline is intriguing, though.
• The writing is fine, though not remarkable.
• The pacing is somewhat slow, but there is good suspense and I was never bored.
• Overall, the book was entertaining, but not remarkable.

Read 8/23/2018 to 8/26/2018

Read More: Review of Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo

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I’m so behind on book reviews! I’m reading much faster than I’m reviewing. So, in order to catch up, I’ve decided to not review every book that I read. Sometimes I just don’t have much to say. The books I’ve skipped are Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger (5/5) and When Did You See Her Last? by Lemony Snicket (4.5/5).

I’m also going to try to get in the habit of reviewing books as soon as I’ve finished. I suspect I will fail because time. But I will give a valiant effort.

Currently Reading: What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

This is my first ever signed copy of a book! It’s also so adorable. And addictive. I feel like my homework is going to suffer in the near future.

The Traitor’s Game || Book Review

The Traitor’s Game by Jennifer A. Nielsen || 3/5

Nothing is as it seems in the kingdom of Antora. Kestra Dallisor has spent three years in exile in the Lava Fields, but that won’t stop her from being drawn back into her father’s palace politics. He’s the right hand man of the cruel king, Lord Endrick, which makes Kestra a valuable bargaining chip. A group of rebels knows this all too well – and they snatch Kestra from her carriage as she reluctantly travels home.The kidnappers want her to retrieve the lost Olden Blade, the only object that can destroy the immortal king, but Kestra is not the obedient captive they expected. Simon, one of her kidnappers, will have his hands full as Kestra tries to foil their plot, by force, cunning, or any means necessary. As motives shift and secrets emerge, both will have to decide what – and who – it is they’re fighting for.

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• Lots of exposition dumping at the beginning that distracts from the story.
• The romance is VERY forced.
• It says that Kestra has been training, is violent, and dangerous, but she never really does anything to prove these claims.
• A Super Random Observation: There’s a character named Basil. In The False Prince, there’s a character named Sage. Is there a character named Sage. Is there a herb theme going on here?
• The fight scenes aren’t done well. To support Kestra’s supposed combative prowess, it seems as though all her opponents are unskilled, despite being trained and experienced soldiers.
• Kestra’s says that she cares a great deal about her servants, but there are almost no interactions between them. Their relationship isn’t fleshed out and Kestra’s situation, therefore, doesn’t seem as dire as it supposedly is.
• Kestra and Simon’s relationship is forced and unrealistic. Despite thinking about each other all the time and being attracted to each other, they constantly fight when they’re together. They are risking far too much for each other than is practical or advisable. They are planning a hypothetical future for themselves (if only their love wasn’t forbidden. *Dramatic sigh*) after only having been reunited for three days. It’s honestly kind of ludicrous that they’d “fall in love” after days. Especially since they originally hated each other.
• Overdramatic and not suspenseful.
• I enjoyed the ending, though the twists were not particularly surprising.
• The antagonist was undeveloped and we only saw them once. The antagonist was portrayed more as a looming evil force.

This book was rather disappointing, especially considering how much I adored The False Prince. I most likely will not read the sequel to this book, but I will try other books by Nielsen. Overall, this book was rather forgettable. Nothing stuck out. The worst part was the romance. I don’t mind a well-done romance that is integral to the plot, but this one didn’t add anything to the story and was highly impractical. And I know love is supposedly not about practicality but *shudders* feelings. But this was such a non-romance that I was gagging at not rooting for that the impracticality took the spotlight.

Read 8/15/2018 – 8/21/2018

Currently Reading Vengeful by V.E. Schwab.

My Most Anticipated Releases of October

I’ve seen this post floating around the blogosphere and I decided to jump on the bandwagon (am I using that expression correctly?) because I’m so excited for these books to come out and what am I to do but share my excitement with you?

So, with no further ado, I present to you (rhymes) a list of books that I need right now, but alas aren’t available right now *sobbing* in the order of which they will be released to us common folk.

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The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzi Lee

The first book is amazing and hilarious and one of my favorites. And now there’s a book about my favorite character?! Catch me when I explode.

There’s also a short story if you preorder, but alas, I cannot, as I am short of book funds. I mean, I guess this information isn’t useful to you guys though, since it’s already out and you can’t preorder anymore.

Also, I love the cover.

Release: October 2, 2018

Click here to read my review of The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

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Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak

I currently have no idea what this book is about (but don’t worry, I’ll look it up as soon as I’m done writing this post), but I know I’ll love it because Markus Zusak is a master writer.

Release: October 9, 2018

Click here to read my review of I Am The Messenger

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What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

I’M SO EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK. I read the preview in the back of some other book and I MUST KNOW WHAT HAPPENS. I preordered a signed copy of this book, which is exciting because it’ll be my first signed book.

I also LOVE Albertalli and Silvera, and now they’re doing a book together.

Release: October 9, 2018

Click here to read my review of Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

Click here to read my review of Leah on the Offbeat

Click here to read my review of They Both Die at the End

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Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas

Dude. Just. The cliffhanger!

I need this book.

I was planning to reread the series before this came out (because I can’t remember any of the details), but alas, I don’t have time. (I feel like I’m using ‘alas’ a lot. It’s just that type of day.)

I LOVE the cover.

You know, I picked up Throne of Glass because I was tired of reading unfinished series and having to wait for the new ones, so I vowed to read older series. So when I was reading Empire of Storms, I thought it was the last book. BUT IT WASN’T. AND THERE WAS A CLIFFHANGER. AND I HAD TO WAIT.

Release: October 23, 2018

Click here to read my review of Tower of Dawn

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So many books this month!!

The Nightingale || Book Review

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah || 5/5

In love we find out who we want to be. In war we find out who we are.

FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France…but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When France is overrun, Vianne is forced to take an enemy into her house, and suddenly her every move is watched; her life and her child’s life is at constant risk. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates around her, she must make one terrible choice after another.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets the compelling and mysterious Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can…completely. When he betrays her, Isabelle races headlong into danger and joins the Resistance, never looking back or giving a thought to the real–and deadly–consequences.

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• The writing is beautiful.
• The descriptions are lovely and it makes it easy to paint a picture of the setting in your mind.
• The characters are amazing. They are strong people that I am attached to and you can’t help but root for them.
• The book made me feel emotions!
• The best part about this book is the characters. They’re well-developed and they have good character arcs.
• The plot is strong.
• It was slow at times.

Ahhh! That review was so short. There isn’t much to say, despite the book being so long. However, I must say that this book is AMAZING. It’s my favorite historical fiction and you won’t regret picking it up.

Read 8/9/2018 – 8/14/2018

Furyborn || Book Review

Furyborn by Claire Legrand || 3.5/5

Follows two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world…or doom it.

When assassins ambush her best friend, the crown prince, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing her ability to perform all seven kinds of elemental magic. The only people who should possess this extraordinary power are a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light and salvation and a queen of blood and destruction. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven trials to test her magic. If she fails, she will be executed…unless the trials kill her first.

A thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a mere fairy tale to bounty hunter Eliana Ferracora. When the Undying Empire conquered her kingdom, she embraced violence to keep her family alive. Now, she believes herself untouchable–until her mother vanishes without a trace, along with countless other women in their city. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain on a dangerous mission and discovers that the evil at the heart of the empire is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world–and of each other.

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• Overall, this was a moderately entertaining book. However, I was bored.
• The completely different storylines were interesting, almost like two books in one, but the alternating chapters made it choppy.
• I was also far more interested in Eliana’s story, and I found myself slogging through Rielle’s chapters to get to them.
• It’s curious trying to figure out who the Sun Queen and Blood Queen are. It’s interesting figuring out which characters are good people and who to root for.
• The characters aren’t developed. I didn’t really care about them.
• I feel like this book is really similar to Children of Blood and Bone by the overall feeling of the book and what I thought of it. Too much action and not enough development.
• The storyline is eerily similar to that of Throne of Glass.
• Confusing at times.
• Nice concept, poor execution.

Read 8/2/2018 – 8/9/2018

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Currently Reading: Keeper of the Lost Cities: Everblaze by Shannon Messenger

Recently Finished: Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Children of Blood and Bone || Book Review

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi || 2/5

They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.

Now we rise.

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.

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Heyo, peeps.

So, everyone LOVES this book. I haven’t seen another poor review. But, I didn’t enjoy it. (Which is unfortunate because one of my closest friends loves it. But she didn’t like Six of Crows, so…)

I’m also trying out a new reviewing style: BULLET POINTS!!!! Come on, guys! Are you excited? I’m SO EXCITED ABOUT THESE BULLET POINTS.

Actually, I have no idea about how bullet points will turn out. But, I must be more efficient. School has started! And I am getting six hours of homework a night! I’M SO EXCITED (about bullet points, not school) AND SLEEP DEPRIVED. Ahh, AP Chemistry, my dear friend. (I hate your homework.) That’s right, six hours of homework a night from ONE class. (I really like chem. I hate homework.) That’s over a twelve-hour workday. In history, we’re learning about how peeps all reformed to eight-hour workdays. Mind you, these reforms were for adults. Children can keep the twelve-hour clock ticking. Bleh.

• A major issue I had with this book is that the pacing feels weird. It’s almost too fast and it felt like things weren’t fully fleshed out. The magic system or the world-building or the characters.
• A minor issue I had at the beginning was the overabundance of words unique to the book. I felt like they didn’t have enough context, and it made it hard to grasp what was going on at the beginning, but the problem did fix itself pretty soon. Both because they popped up less later in the books and that I finally figured out what they meant.
• The writing felt overdramatic to me and it didn’t actually make me feel anything (a difficult endeavor). I was never scared or worried for the characters, despite the book wanting me to feel that way. Is this making any sense? I don’t think I’m making sense. It’s a feeling.
• It’s a classic questing book. It’s not new or different. It’s been done a ton before. And I didn’t find a reason to read this book over the others available. Generic.
• I would’ve liked a bit more world-building.
• Over the course of reading this book, I had so many unanswered questions. It was frustrating.
• The book feels like it’d be a spectacular movie (that I’d totally watch), but it’s not that spectacular of a book.
• The writing style was repetitive.
• The ROMANCE! UGGGGGGHHHHH. There was no chemistry whatsoever, it is not logical, it’s INSTA-LOVE, and finally, it did nothing but create unnecessary drama.

Overall, I think my biggest issue with this book is that I wasn’t attached to the characters. I didn’t care about what happened to them, and so I wasn’t motivated to keep reading.

Read 7/21/2018 – 7/27/2018

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What did you guys think about the bullet points?

My hands are so cold.

Apologies for this rambly review. My brain is a mush from doing absolutely NOTHING but schoolwork for the past week. It’s the second week of school. I’m just putting that out there. As Imagine Dragons once put in Who We Are, “Don’t look clear, it’s all uphill from here.”