Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas

*Warning this post contains spoilers for all the previous book in the Throne of Glass series- including Tower of Dawn*

Series: Throne of Glass, #7

Publication: October 23rd 2018 by Bloomsbury YA

Goodreads Description:

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. 

My thoughts:

Wow what a finale! I finished KoA in awe of Sarah J Mass. I was apprehensive going in since ACOWAR wasn't my favourite but by god has Sarah learned how to write an ending. KoA is an absolutely breathtaking finale and was definitely worth the wait. I wasn't sure she could pull it off with the scope of this series being so grand but it was perfect. I couldn't have asked for a better way for one of my favourite series to end.

I was an emotional mess reading almost every other chapter and when I wasn't tearing up I was on the edge of me seat freaking out over all the intense battles and action sequences that Maas packed into this massive book. 

I love Aelin to pieces but following her in this book was extremely difficult for me. She goes through lots of ups and downs but mostly downs and I was so emotional reading all her chapters because I didn't want to say goodbye to this badass brave woman who I have looked up to for the past 5 years of my life.

Dorian got a lot of page time in KoA which I was so happy about. I feel like he has been a bit neglected in the past few books but Sarah gave him so much opportunities to shine in KoA. In this book he is struggling with his trauma and his humanity and he even explores new aspects of his magic. I missed my sassy charming prince from the early ToG days but I've also loved how layered and complex his character has become over the last few books.

Manon- her arc- in this book alone

I ended up caring about the cadre a lot more than I expected. I grew to love Fenrys in this book because he was with Aelin. I also really grew to like Gavriel, he's so different to the other males. I loved how kind and gentle he was with Elide on their search for Aelin.

There was a few new characters introduced- mostly witches, which was interesting but we don't get to know them that well which is understandable considering the size of the cast. 

It was so interesting how Sarah managed to weave all these storylines so that all these characters started converging. There was at least 10 points of view and I found myself invested in every single one of them. I was surprised that Sarah J Maas pulled off the multiple POVs. It could have been a lot but she managed to write them in a way that made sense for them to cross paths.

A number of things I predicted did happen but she did it in a way that surpassed my expectations. There was lots of twists and turns and I loved how she played with some tropes and turned them on their head.

A note on the romance. Everyone knows Sarah's latest books have been full of romance and steamy sex sex scenes and while some readers enjoy that it's not my cup of tea so I was over the moon excited to see that she toned it way down with the sex scenes in KoA and focused on the plot and other aspects of the characters relationships!

People are going to argue that the ending wasn't what they wanted but it was exactly what I wanted .

I have no words to describe what this series has meant to me over the years. It has been my rock in so many ways and I am very sad it's over but am glad with how it ended. I couldn't have asked for a more epic conclusion for this badass character I love with all my heart. I know this series has its problems but I will love it until the day I die. And I want to say thank you to Sarah for writing it.

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Stormcaster by Cinda Williams Chima

*This post contains spoilers for the first 2 books in the Shattered Realms series, Flamecaster and Shadowcaster*

Series: Shattered Realms, #3

Publication: April 3rd 2018 by HarperTeen

Goodreads Description:

The third book in the thrilling four-book Shattered Realms series from New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima

The empress in the east—the unspeakably cruel ruler whose power grew in Flamecaster and Shadowcaster—tightens her grip in this chilling third installment in the series.

Vagabond seafarer Evan Strangward can move the ocean and the wind, but his magical abilities seem paltry in comparison to Empress Celestine’s. As Celestine’s bloodsworn armies grow, Evan travels to the Fells to warn the queendom of her imminent invasion. If he can’t convince the Gray Wolf queen to take a stand, he knows that the Seven Realms will fall. Among the dead will be the one person Evan can’t stand to lose.

Meanwhile, the queen’s formidable daughter, Princess Alyssa ana’Raisa, is already a prisoner aboard the empress’s ship. Lyss may be the last remaining hope of bringing down the empress from within her own tightly controlled territory.

Multiple intricately interwoven storylines converge in this gripping novel about a brave, coordinated effort to undermine a horrific tyrant. 

My thoughts:

I had the best time reading Stormcaster! It was a phenomenal addition to the Shattered Realms series! I absolutely loved it and it is now tied for first place with shadowcaster as my favourite in the series. I loved it that much!

In Stormcaster all the storylines are weaving together into this bigger plot with higher stakes and I loved it. All our characters are working towards the same plotline by the end of the book. 

There are so many characters to keep track of now and I love every single one of them! There are a good few POVs so don't be worrying if you are 300 pages in and still haven't heard from some characters I promise they do get page time! The bad thing about all the POVs is that while I loved all the storylines i hated how I had to wait like 50-100 pages before going back to the ones I was obsessed with. I loved them all but was itching to get back to Ash and Evan in particular.

We were introduced to Evan in Flamecaster but weren't given much information about him until Stormcaster. In this one we get Evan's whole backstory about his childhood and how he met Destin. He quickly became one of my favourite characters. 

There are some great pay offs in this book we've been waiting for since book 1 which I loved and even more to come in the next book!

Raisa got a good bit of page time which I wasn't expecting but appreciated because who doesn't love that woman?

Storylines not crossing is something I get frustrated about, I am just such an impatient reader and want the characters to cross paths and interact with each other. But I know all the waiting will pay on when I read the final book! The ending of this one set the next one is very interestingly so I am very excited to see where it goes. I have lots of theories and questions so I am eagerly anticipating Deathcaster!

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Immortal Reign by Morgan Rhodes

*This post contains spoilers for the first 5 books in the Falling Kingdom series by Morgan Rhodes.*

Series: Falling Kingdoms, #6

Publication: February 6th 2018 by Razorbill

Goodreads Description:

As two lethal elemental gods set out to destroy Mytica, sworn enemies must become allies in the final fight to save the kingdoms.

Jonas continues to willfully defy his destiny, but the consequences of plotting his own course are drastic. As the fight for Mytica rages on, he must decide just how much more he's willing to sacrifice.

Lucia knows there's something special about her daughter and she'll do anything to protect her, even if that means facing Kyan alone.

Amara is called back home to Kraeshia. Grandma Cortas has her own plans for Mytica's future. She promises Amara power, revenge, and dominance if she agrees to be part of her scheme.

Magnus and Cleo's love will be put to the ultimate test. Dark magic is causing widespread destruction throughout the kingdom. Enemies across the sea are advancing. And unrest is stirring throughout the land. Is their love strong enough to withstand the outside forces tearing them apart? 

My thoughts: 

I cannot believe I have been reading this series for 4 years. This final novel was everything I wanted it to be. I have had such a fun time following Cleo and Magnus and Jonas and everyone else's stories!

Immortal Reign had so many oh-my-god moments. I saw a few twists coming but somehow Morgan Rhodes still managed to surprise me even after reading 5 other books from her.

The plot was fast paced like the pervious books. And the multiple POVs had me flicking the pages nonstop. There are some great action scenes along with some sweet character moments and I loved every minute of it!

I just have to say that Magnus and Cleo are life. Their interactions in Immortal Reign were definitely a highlight for me. I loved seeing how their relationship had changed over the course of the last few books.

Amara is a character that surprised me. I was captivated by her chapters. Her character development was well paced and written in a way that had me empathising and sympathising with her. I was surprised how much I enjoyed her POV.

Lucia's character development is astounding when you look back and thing about what she was like in book 1 compared to book 6. I've really enjoyed reading her character arc.

The ending was very satisfying. The series ends with some questions unanswered but most things are tied up. There could be more but I doubt Morgan Rhodes will write more since she already has the Spirit and Thieves series in the works.

I have had such a good time reading this series and highly recommend it to people looking for a long YA fantasy series to get into!

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Beneath The Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire

*Warning this post contains spoilers for first book in the series, Every Heart A Doorway*

Series: Wayward Children, #3

Publication: January 9th 2018 by tor.com

Goodreads Description:

Beneath the Sugar Sky returns to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children. At this magical boarding school, children who have experienced fantasy adventures are reintroduced to the "real" world. 

Sumi died years before her prophesied daughter Rini could be born. Rini was born anyway, and now she’s trying to bring her mother back from a world without magic. 

My thoughts:

Loved it! This one was published as the third book but it's more of a second book because it actually takes place soon after the events of Every Heart A Doorway. 

Beneath the Sugar Sky has a much more whimsical tone compared to the other two book which have a darker more eerie feeling to them and that made this one my least favourite of the trilogy.

While I liked Rini I found myself distances from her. I didn't relate or connect to her much. I liked how determined she was though to do what she wanted. Rini is fat and while I can't speak on the fat representation I've read ownvoices reviews and most say it was dealt with in a sensitive manner and isn't anything harmful or malicious but was a bit heavy handed as most of Rimi's page time is spent remind readers she is fat and that's all there really was to her character. I agree with this, I felt like her weight was brought up way more than necessary. 

There was some great cameos of characters from Every Heart A Doorway which I loved. It was so much fun getting to hang with some old favourites.

This book has a very quest like plot compared to the previous books which I loved! The characters were travelling between worlds and it was so much fun exploring the all the different places! We got to go to lots of new places and places we have heard of in previous books!

I loved all the new world building this book brought to the series. It was so interesting learning how the different magic systems work and how all the worlds connect together and such.

I say it every time I read a Seanan McGuire book but the writing is just so pretty! 

I had a lot of fun reading Beneath the Sugar Sky, not my favourite in the series but a wonderful instalment nonetheless! 

Thanks for reading,

A :)

The Silver Mask by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

Short review today guys!

*Warning this post contains spoilers for the first 3 books in the Magisterium series.*
Read my review of book 2, The Copper Gauntlet here!
Read my review of book 3, The Bronze Key here!

Series: Magisterium, #4

Publication:October 10th 2017 by Scholastic Press 

Goodreads Description:
A generation ago, Constantine Madden came close to achieving what no magician had ever achieved: the ability to bring back the dead. He didn't succeed . . . but he did find a way to keep himself alive, inside a young child named Callum Hunt. Now Call is one of the most feared and reviled students in the history of the Magisterium, thought to be responsible for a devastating death and an ever-present threat of war. As a result, Call has been imprisoned and interrogated. Everyone wants to know what Constantine was up to-and how he lives on. But Call has no idea. It is only when he's broken out of prison that the full potential of Constantine's plan is suddenly in his hands . . . and he must decide what to do with his power. In this spellbinding fourth book of Magisterium, bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare take us beyond the realm of the living and into the dangers of the dead.

My Thoughts:

The Silver Mask is my favourite book in the Magisterium series; I absolutely loved it. I had so much fun reading this one. I wasn't a huge fan of the Bronze Key so I was hesitant going it and I was blown away by how much I enjoyed The Silver Mask. I think the characters being 15 in this one made it a lot easier for me to read.

I love how the characters are getting older! It was very amusing seeing them dealing with growing up and dealing with relationships and whatnot.

Call is so funny, I loved how blunt and honest he is in this book; he says exactly what he's thinking and it is hilarious at times. I loved it.

The plot was pretty predictable but it's middle grade so that is to be expected but what I wasn't expecting was how dark it would get. There was also some great action scenes at the end which I loved.

Jasper had a good amount of page time in this book which I liked, he brings a comedic element to the story and I liked how he is slowly becoming friends with the others.

The Silver Mask is by far my favourite book in the series and I can't wait for the next one! My only complaint was it was too short, why are middle grade books always so short?! I wanted more, I cannot believe we have to wait months for the next one.

Thanks for reading,
A :)

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken

Series: The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding, #1

Publication:

Goodreads Description:

"I would say it's a pleasure to meet thee, Prosperity Oceanus Redding, but truly, I only anticipate the delights of destroying thy happiness."

Prosper is the only unexceptional Redding in his old and storied family history — that is, until he discovers the demon living inside him. Turns out Prosper's great-great-great-great-great-something grandfather made — and then broke — a contract with a malefactor, a demon who exchanges fortune for eternal servitude. And, weirdly enough, four-thousand-year-old Alastor isn't exactly the forgiving type.

The fiend has reawakened with one purpose — to destroy the family whose success he ensured and who then betrayed him. With only days to break the curse and banish Alastor back to the demon realm, Prosper is playing unwilling host to the fiend, who delights in tormenting him with nasty insults and constant attempts trick him into a contract. Yeah, Prosper will take his future without a side of eternal servitude, thanks.

Little does Prosper know, the malefactor's control over his body grows stronger with each passing night, and there's a lot Alastor isn't telling his dim-witted (but admittedly strong-willed) human host.

From #1 New York Times best-selling author Alexandra Bracken comes a tale of betrayal and revenge, of old hurts passed down from generation to generation. Can you ever fully right a wrong, ever truly escape your history? Or will Prosper and Alastor be doomed to repeat it? 

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed reading The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding. It is such a fun quick story that is light-hearted with a hint of creepy. It is the perfect read for autumn/Halloween for all ages. I went in with high expectations because I love Alexandra Bracken's YA books and I was not disappointed with Prosper.

The main character Prosper was very likeable. He was developed enough that he didn't feel like every other MG 12 year old boy. He has his flaws for sure but he was fun to read about and I loved how he liked art. It was actually the antagonist that stole the show for me though. I loved any time Alastor had page time. His inner monologue with Prosper was hilarious and I found myself flicking the pages looking out for his name/dialogue.

The narration of the story was very interesting; it is told in dual POV but Prosper tells the story in first person whereas we hear from Alastor in the third person. I definitely preferred Alator's narration; he was very funny and I could see why younger readers would be laughing out loud at some of the antics he gets up to.

The plot was probably the weakest aspect of the story but I still really enjoyed it. The plot is not action packed like Bracken's other work; in the story we mostly just follow Prosper around as he adjusts to life with a demon inside him; it was still very enjoyable though. Some aspects were very predicable which is to be expected when the intended audience is 12 year olds and I am almost 21. The ending was amazing and intense and I am so excited to see where this story goes in book 2!  

Another aspect I want to note that i liked was that there is an LGBT+ family in the story and it is completely normalised which was great to see in a MG book!

I had so much fun reading The Dreadful Tale of Proper Redding; it was so easy and fun to read, it was nice to have a break from the YA angst and drama I usually read.I am definitely going to pick up the next book when it's out later this year!

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan

*This post contains spoilers for the first two books in the series: The Sword of Summer and The Hammer of Thor! You can read my review of book 1 here and book 2 here!

Series: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, #3

Publication:October 3rd 2017 by Disney-Hyperion

Goodreads Description:

Magnus Chase, a once-homeless teen, is a resident of the Hotel Valhalla and one of Odin's chosen warriors. As the son of Frey, the god of summer, fertility, and health, Magnus isn't naturally inclined to fighting. But he has strong and steadfast friends, including Hearthstone the elf, Blitzen the dwarf, and Samirah the Valkyrie, and together they have achieved brave deeds, such as defeating Fenris Wolf and battling giants for Thor's hammer, Mjolnir. Now Magnus and his crew must sail to the farthest borders of Jotunheim and Niflheim in pursuit of Asgard's greatest threat. Will they succeed in their perilous journey, or is Ragnarok lurking on the horizon?

My thoughts:

I had a lot of fun reading Ship of the Dead and was sad to come to the end of one of my favourite series. I think Ship of the Dead was my least favourite in the series but it was still great!

In Ship of the Dead Magnus is so different from the kid we meet in book 1; he has definitely grown up over the course of the trilogy. His narration was just as funny as the previous two books and had me laughing out loud. I loved how loyal he was to his friends and how kindhearted he is; he is such a Hufflepuff!

Of course I loved reading about Sam; she is one of my favourite Riordan characters. I really admire her determination and strength. I also loved how much her faith is discussed and how Ramadan was mentioned and how Sam was in the middle of it during the novel. I have never come across that kind of representation before and it's so important; especially in a series that has a younger fan base.

We get to spend a good chunk of time with Magnus' hall mates in Ship of the Dead so we get to know them better which was fun! I liked T.J. but had a few problems with Mallory; most readers won't pick up on the things that annoyed me as they are all to do with being Irish. In the beginning she is a very stereotypical Irish girl with red hair and temper. She also says Gaelic not Irish when talking about the language we speak- this is a common error most authors make who are not Irish and it annoys me so much; we speak Irish and it is sometimes called Gaeilge NOT gaelic! I did grow to tolerate her by the end because she does do some great things. 

Another Irish thing I want to note since I am talking about Mallory; I was surprised Rick Riordan knew about/ mentioned the Vikings in Dublin. I was so glad he did because that's a big part of our history curriculum in primary school! I was also very surprised there was talk about Bloody Friday (1972) and the Troubles because of how taboo it is to talk about it in Ireland. I've never really come across Irish history in my reading before so that was cool.

The plot was pretty standard Rick Riordan; people say his books are very formulaic with the prophecies and quests and they are but I always have fun reading the formula he uses for his plots so I didn't have a problem with it. I still say The Last Olympian is his perfect concluding novel, Ship of the Dead was good but not Oh My God Good.The ending was a bit anticlimactic but you kind of know it is going to be while you are reading, I was hoping it was going to take a twist and get action packed but nope; it was good but nothing amazing which was a bit disappointing.

I felt like Alex, who is my favourite character in the series, didn't have as much page time and s/he did in book 2 and I was a bit sad about that. Alex brings so much fun to the story and whenever we weren't with him/her I was flicking ahead to see when his/her name would pop up.

Note for Percy fans, as we know at the end of Hammer of Thor Annabeth says it is time for Magnus to meet Percy and straight off the bat we have Percy helping Magnus out in Ship of the Dead. There was some Percabeth that had me freaking out because they are adorable. Warning to fans that are expecting loads of Percy; don't expect that. Percy and Annabeth are only present for the first few chapters and while I wished they could have stayed longer it is important to note that this is Magnus' story not theirs.

I definitely think there are going to be more books; there was a tiny hint for a storyline that could be continued in the future. I am going to miss reading about Magnus and his friends, this series is definitely in one of my favourite Rick Riordan's work only after Percy Jackson.

Thanks for reading,

A :)

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue

Series: Guide, #1

Publication: June 27th 2017 by Katherine Tegen Books

Goodreads Description:
Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

But as Monty embarks on his Grand Tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

My Thoughts:

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue is such a lighthearted historical fiction that I think anyone looking for something different but easy and fun to get through will really enjoy.

Monty was such a drama queen and it was annoying in the beginning how self absorbed he was but then it got endearing and hilarious.his narration, while a bit dramatic and takes a bit to get used to, is so much fun and hooked me; he is such a witty character. Loads of character development such a character journey type of story. 

This book is full of diverse represenation; there is a bisexual main character, a character suffering from trauma of child abuse, the issue of racism and even disability rep which I was not expecting. there was so much depth to the story which surprised me.

I loved how Monty's sister was part of the tour; their sibling interaction was one of my favourite parts of the story! There was some lovely heart warming moments between Monty and Felicity and I can't wait for the spin off with her; she was definitely my favourite character in this book so I am beyond excited for a whole book about her!

The romance storyline between Monty and Percy was cute but I wasn't obsessed with them; like they were not OTP material for me. 

The plot was a bit unrealistic in places but if you suspend your disbelief and just go with it it is so much fun. There was so much adventure it was great.

I really liked how the author included information about the historical aspects of the novel in the author notes such as information on the grand tour, race in the 18th century, politics, epilepsy etc. It really showed how much research went into the novel.

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue was such a fun read. While reading it felt like I was watching a movie is was so quick and easy to get through. It is a little adventure with hints of silliness and heart warming moments and I thoroughly enjoyed it so I will be picking up Mackenzie Lee's other books when I want something light and easy to read.

My rating: 4.5 stars

Thanks for reading,
A :)

A Conjuring of Light by VE Schwab

Short review today guys! I'm on placement and am super busy!

*warning this review contains spoilers for the first two books in the Shades of Magic series, A Darker Shade of Magic and A Gathering of Shadows.

Series: Shades of Magic, #3

Publication: February 21st 2017 by Tor Books

Goodreads Description:

Witness the fate of beloved heroes - and enemies.

THE BALANCE OF POWER HAS FINALLY TIPPED...

The precarious equilibrium among four Londons has reached its breaking point. Once brimming with the red vivacity of magic, darkness casts a shadow over the Maresh Empire, leaving a space for another London to rise.

WHO WILL CRUMBLE?

Kell - once assumed to be the last surviving Antari - begins to waver under the pressure of competing loyalties. And in the wake of tragedy, can Arnes survive?

WHO WILL RISE?

Lila Bard, once a commonplace - but never common - thief, has survived and flourished through a series of magical trials. But now she must learn to control the magic, before it bleeds her dry. Meanwhile, the disgraced Captain Alucard Emery of the Night Spire collects his crew, attempting a race against time to acquire the impossible.

WHO WILL TAKE CONTROL?

And an ancient enemy returns to claim a crown while a fallen hero tries to save a world in decay. 

My thoughts:

A Conjuring of Light is the brilliant conclusion to a fanatic trilogy I was hoping for! This series has made it onto my favourite series shelf and will stay there for a long time! I had so much fun with this series especially this final book!

My favourite character is of course Lila but I love Alucard too but also Kell and Rhy. So basically everyone. Lila is her usual bad ass self; so witty and hilarious; I love her and Kell's relationship but really liked her and Alucard's friendship in this one! I loved how sassy Rhy was and how he had such a nice arc in this final book, he really steps up and becomes as selfless as his brother. 

There was lots of Holland in A Conjuring of Light and he even had a POV where we are given lots of his backstory which I wasn't a fan of. I just didn't care about him to be honest. He had a nice arc but I dreaded his chapters. I found them so boring; they were important to understanding him and his character growth but I just wanted to stay with Lila and the others. I found Holland's chapters to be so slow and they definitely affected my reading experience.

The plot was up and down and all over the place and I loved it! There was super intense crazy parts and then slower calmer more character driven parts and I loved it. A jean really got the balance just right. 

The writing was of course as elegant and beautiful as it always is with VE Schawb! It's so simple but so not at the same time. She's one of my favourite authors for sure.

A conjuring of Light was a lovely end to the trilogy, everything wrapped up nicely but there were a few tiny loose threads but it didn't bother me as it was nothing major. I really wish we could spend more time with these characters and see what adventures they go on next.

ACoL might be my favourite in the series, i haven't decided yet though because I loved book 1 so much! 

My rating: 4.5 stars

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Shadowcaster by Cinda Williams Chima

Series: Shattered Realms, #2

Publication: April 4th 2017 by HarperTeen

Goodreads Description:

A lifelong war.

Alyssa ana’Raisa is the reluctant princess heir to the Gray Wolf throne of Fells, a queendom embroiled in a seemingly endless war. Hardened by too many losses, Lyss is more comfortable striking with a sword than maneuvering at court. After a brush with death, she goes on the offensive, meaning to end the war that has raged her whole life. If her gamble doesn’t pay off, she could lose her queendom before she even ascends to the throne.

A life in peril.

Across enemy lines in Arden, young rising star Captain Halston Matelon has been fighting for his king since he was a lýtling. Lately, though, he finds himself sent on ever more dangerous assignments. Between the terrifying rumors of witches and wolfish warriors to the north and his cruel king at home, Hal is caught in an impossible game of life and death.

The shadow of defeat. 

My thoughts:

Shadowcaster is fantastic but unfortunately I didn't love it as much as book one, Flamecaster. I was a little bit disappointed because I had so much theories and hopes and expectations going in and the book went in a different direction because it focused on new characters instead of those in the first book. That being said I still really enjoyed it- it's Cinda Williams Chima so that's no surprise.

I loved how the whole time I was reading I was constantly coming up with theories. These books are known for how all the different narratives are woven together so well so I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how certain characters were going to bump into each other. It was a lot of fun, even if I was wrong a lot of the time!

I personally felt like Shadowcaster was a filler book. Big things did happen but it felt like everything was being set up for the next instalment.

Shadowcaster focuses on new characters that are just mentioned in book 1 but were not fleshed out. Alyssa is one of these characters. She is one of the main characters in Shadowcaster and I loved every second she had some page time. She is so different from a lot of other YA protagonists. She's a badass princess who is general in an army! I wasn't the biggest fan of the male protagonist, Han. He was okay but not as much fun to read about. The chemistry between the two was off the charts though and I had fun reading their interactions. Their relationship was developed at a lovely pace and really fleshed out.

I was a bit disappointed that there was no POV from one of my favourite characters in the first book, I was just waiting and waiting for it and it never happened.

This world is already super developed because there is so many books already out but it looks like Chima is planning on expanding it even more with hints of new magic here and there throughout Shadowcaster and I am excited to see where it goes.

I found the ending to be a bit frustrating. I felt like all the storylines were finally coming together and then it cut off. It also ended on a cliff hanger so that's annoying too.

I am so excited for the next book because this one was kind of like a filler book were everything was set up for some major things to happen in the next one! It's one of my highly anticipated books for 2018!

My rating: 4

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Spoiler free series review of Starbound trilogy by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Series: Starbound Trilogy

Book 1: These Broken Stars

Book 2: This Shattered World

Book 3: Their Fractured Light 

Goodreads Description of book 1:

Luxury spaceliner Icarus suddenly plummets from hyperspace into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive – alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a cynical war hero. Both journey across the eerie deserted terrain for help. Everything changes when they uncover the truth. 

The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy. 

My thoughts: 

I've divided this review into 3 sections so you can avoid spoilers but regardless I will keep my thoughts as spoiler free as possible!

Book 1, These Broken Stars:

I enjoyed reading These Broken Stars but wasn't blown away by it. 

I couldn't stand the main character Lilac for the first half of the story. I found her so annoying. She couldn't do anything herself and had to rely on Tarver for everything. She did grow and develop but I felt like her helplessness was a bit over the top.  Like some things she couldnt/didn't do was common sense. I did grow to like her though when she stepped up to the plate. If you are frustrated with her like I was just push through- I promise she gets better 

It also took me a long time to really care about Tarver and Lilac's relationship. It's defining a slow burn relationships. They start out hating each other and slowly growing together.

I loved the survival aspect of the story and how big a part of the plot it was. I love reading about characters thrust into new environments fighting for their lives. There was defining some cliche scenes but I didn't mind them that much.

I was a bit confused at the end when everything started to get very scientific. This could have been because I was reading it in 10 page burst and probably didn't absorb all the explanations. I felt like the descriptions of what was happening was rushed and unclear. 

My rating: 3.5 stars; but it would have been a 4 if I had read it when I had time to read instead of in short bursts here and there.

Book 2, This Shattered World:

This Shattered World is an epic sequel, I enjoyed it so much more than These Broken Stars! If you weren't a huge fan of the first book I'd say give this one a go anyway. It's much better.

I had so much fun reading this book because I was not expecting to find Irish culture to be part of the world. It was great! I loved how they mentioned things like Molly Malone and Flynns group of rebels is called the Fianna and there was Irish scattered throughout it! And the grammar was right and it was called Irish not gaelic like it is in some books. The authors clearly did their research! I also loved how one of our famous Irish myths of Tir na nóg was included in passing but had a cool sci-fi twist! I hardly ever get to see my culture in the books I read so I was so excited that it was included.

I also had so much more fun reading this one because Jubilee is so much better to read than Lilac. Jubilee is a badass fighter who goes after what she wants. I loved reading her chapters. 

I also liked Flynn and Jubilee's relationship more than Lilac and Tarvers. I defining shooed the two and I loved how their story was kind of like a Romeo and Juliette type narrative. I liked how well their personalities complemented each other's.

While theses are companion novels I think that you do have to read These Broken Stars first, the characters from book 1 do pop up and play an important role towards the end of the novel. 

My Rating: 4 stars

Book 3, Their Fractured Light:

Their Fractured Light was probably my favourite book in the series. 

I loved how fast paced the story was. There was lots of action and tension spread out the whole novel with a nice mix of slower character driven moments.

I really liked Sofia. She's different from Lilac and Jubilee. She reminded me of a more confident version of Cress from Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles.

I loved reading about Sofia and Gideon's relationship. They both have a lot of trust issues so it was fun seeing their relationship develop. They weren't super cutesy but I loved them because I of how well they worked as a team. Their interactions were one of my favourite parts. 

The characters from the first two books join the story in the second half of Their Fractured Light so it is important to read the first two books. It was fun reading all their interactions because they are all such different personalities.

My Rating: 4 stars; I think it had the potential to be my favourite in the series and a 5 star read but wasn't because I was so busy while reading it that it took me ages.

Thanks for reading,

A :)