My Favourite Reads of 2016

So 2016 is coming to its end so I decided it was time for another favourites post! Here's a list of the top 10 books I read in 2016. (Not all the books were released in 2016! And the books are in no particular order because I couldn't decide which I liked best!)

1.Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

2.Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

3.A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

4.The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

5.The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

6.The Book Thief

7.A Book of Spirits and Thieves (and book 2-The Darkest Magic) by Morgan Rhodes

8.Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

9.Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

10. The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan

If you want to read my thoughts on the above books I have reviews on my blog for the majority of them and reviews of the others are coming soon!

Melody's Key by Dallas Coryell

*I was sent an ecopy of Melody's Key by the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Publication:June 24th 2016

Goodreads Description:
“His eyes settled on her…piercing green embers of flame that revealed the ferocity of his pain and passion, yet still shrouded him under veils of ever deepening mystery that made every ounce of her ache to unravel him.” 

Tegan Lockwood’s dreams were dead, sacrificed on the noble altar of duty before they ever had a chance to live. Her entire existence was disappearing into the abyss of apathy as she labored her days away keeping her family’s struggling business alive. There would be no emotion, no color, no beauty in her life. That is, until a mysterious visitor begins to draw her out of the darkness of her past towards something that will challenge the boundaries of her world, and unlock the most deeply held secrets of her heart.

My thoughts:
Melody's Key is a fun, enjoyable, quick read. It is cliche (a lot of the time) but I didn't mind because that was just what I wanted at the time when I was reading. 

The main character Tegan is well developed over the course of the story and she is incredibly likebale from the fist page. I felt myself relating to her in multiple ways. She is very into music and art, and while I don't have a musical bone in my body, I really understood her thought process around creating music and art as I really like drawing. I think people who aren't into music or art can relate to her as well. I felt myself relating to her emotions and how she felt about certain things.

Family plays a big role in Melody's Key which I appreciated. Family is something I find is hardly present in the books I usually read. I really liked reading about Tegan's relationship with her younger sister, Ryleigh. As someone who has two sisters it was great to see a realistic sister relationship in the book.

The romance is the main focus in the story and I knew as soon as they met that Tegan and Mason's relationship was going to be full of cliches; and I was right there was cliches left right and centre! They were cute though and their interactions were funny. Both characters are very witty so it was fun reading any scenes they had together when the banter started to get going.

Other than the cliches everywhere the writing was really good. There are some long winded descriptions but they aren't so long that they take the reader out of the story.

The story is written in Tegan's point of view but there is also letters from the past that are scattered throughout the novel. I really enjoyed reading both I just wish there had been more about the letters.

There was some really good topics hit on in Melody's Key such as LGBT elements but I think the author missed an opportunity to explore them more. I felt like there was so much potential there but it was lost because Tegan and Mason's romance took over the story.

My only complaint is the ending; everything wraps up a little too conveniently (and unrealistic to be honest) for my taste. Some readers won't mind this but it was a bit too much for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed Melody's Key and would recommend it if your looking for something quick and fun to read.

My rating: 4 stars out of 5
Thanks for reading
A:)
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Also big thank you to the author, Dallas Coryell, who sent me an ecopy of the book!

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Publication:September 27th 2011 by Walker Books

Goodreads Description:
The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming…

This monster is something different, though. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

My thoughts:
Having read some of Patrick Ness's other books I can say that A Monster Calls is his best work. The story is such a beautiful and tragic one that although is only 200 pages long it leaves a big emotional impact.

I really liked Conor. He was difficult for me to connect with in the beginning because he was a very frustrating character but given the difficult situation he is in I could understand why he was acting the way he did. I really grew to like him and his interactions with the other characters. The other characters were not as fleshed out as I wanted them to be but I don't think that took away from the main storyline and given the lenght of the book it is understandable why the side character's backtories aren't explored.

A Monster Calls is classified as a Middle Grade novel but I 100% think that all ages should give it a read it. At times it felt more mature and I think Young Adult/ Adult readers should give it a go.

I loved how Patrick Ness dealt with the important topics that are at the heart of this story- grief, death and illness. He explored these themes in a realistic manner and never romantized them.

The illustrations are to die for. I think that they really add to the atmosphere f the story and would highly recommed you read the edition with the illustrations included as I think it makes the reading experience a bit different from conventional novels.

My only problem with A Monster Calls was that I wanted more at the end. The story ends in a way that leaves some things unresolved.

My rating: 5 stars
Thanks for reading,
A :)

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A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

*Warning this blog post contains spoilers for the first book in the series, An Ember In The Ashes*

Series:An Ember In The Ashes, #2

Publication: August 30th 2016 by Razorbill

Goodreads Description:
Elias and Laia are running for their lives. After the events of the Fourth Trial, Martial soldiers hunt the two fugitives as they flee the city of Serra and undertake a perilous journey through the heart of the Empire.

Laia is determined to break into Kauf—the Empire’s most secure and dangerous prison—to save her brother, who is the key to the Scholars’ survival. And Elias is determined to help Laia succeed, even if it means giving up his last chance at freedom.

But dark forces, human and otherworldly, work against Laia and Elias. The pair must fight every step of the way to outsmart their enemies: the bloodthirsty Emperor Marcus, the merciless Commandant, the sadistic Warden of Kauf, and, most heartbreaking of all, Helene—Elias’s former friend and the Empire’s newest Blood Shrike.

Bound to Marcus’s will, Helene faces a torturous mission of her own—one that might destroy her: find the traitor Elias Veturius and the Scholar slave who helped him escape…and kill them both.

My thoughts:
I have to say I was a bit disappointed with A Torch Against The Night. Maybe the hype got to me and my expectations were too high but I just didn't enjoy it like I wanted to.

The plot was all over the place. At times it was fast and at others it was painfully slow. I found myself getting bored while reading the slower parts and really had to push myself to keep reading.  Edited weird~ end was very quick. 

There is a lot of steroetypical YA tropes in A Torch Against The Night. It made me cringe because I loved Ember so much because it was so unique. But there were so many tropes going on in book 2 it annoyed me.

Ember had two narrators but Helene was added into the mix in A Torch Against The Night and that is what really kept me reading. Firstly can I say, the POVs are not easily distinguished, none of the narrattors have distinct voices and I kept getting muddled while reading. That being said Helene was my favourite, her internal conflict and decisions she has to make make her narration the most engaging. Laia and Elias on the other hand bored me to be honest.

The world building is a lot better in A Torch Against The Night than in book 1. This one has a bigger fantasy element. The mythology that was brushed over in Ember is explore a lot more.

Overall, I think Ember is definitely the stronger book in the series so far. I haven't decided if I will continue with the series yet.

My rating: 3 stars
Thanks for reading,
A :)
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The Bronze Key by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

*Warning this post contains spoilers for the first two books in the Magisterium Series: The Iron Trial and The Copper Gauntlet*

Series: Magisterium, #3

Publication:August 30th 2016 by Scholastic

Goodreads Description:
Magic can save you.
Magic can kill you.

Students at the Magisterium are supposed to be safe. Under the watchful eyes of the mages, they are taught to use magic to bring order to a chaotic world.

But now the chaos is fighting back. Call, Tamara, and Aaron should be worrying about things like pop quizzes and magic contests. Instead, after the shocking death of one of their classmates, they must track down a sinister killer… and risk their own lives in the process.

As Call, Tamara, and Aaron discover, magic can only be as good as the person who wields it. In evil hands, it has the capacity to do immeasurable harm, unless it is stopped in time.

In this striking third book of Magisterium, bestselling authors Holly Black and Cassandra Clare present us with a school where anything, good or evil, can happen, and the only way to unlock the truth is to risk everything to find it.

My thoughts:
I liked The Bronze Key. It was a fun read. The Magisterium Series is meant for middle grade readers but as an adult I find myself still enjoying it. The Bronze Key was a short quick read.

If you can't remember anything The Copper Gauntlet don't worry I couldn't either. Black and Clare recap what happened in the second book in the first few chapters in The Bronze Key which was really helpful.

I had some problems with the pace of the story. I felt like there were lulls in the fast pace and I found my attention wandering at times. I wasn't as invested in the story as I was with the pervious books. I wasn't eager to find out what would happen next.

I also found The Bronze Key to be very predictable. Maybe because it is aimed at middle grade readers.

I thought the world could have been added onto. I felt like it was established well in the first two books so I was hoping to get more information on other parts of the world in regards to adult mages and the politics of the world and how it lives side by side with our world.

Like all of Clare's and Black's books The Bronze Key was funny. I especially liked how Jasper was the comedic relief a lto of the time. I found myslef laughing out loud at times it was so funny.

Our main character are starting to grow up, they are fourteen years old in this book and I loved etting to see them going through regular teenage stuff like crushes. It was so interesting seeing them interacting because  Call thinks Tamara will always pick Aaron over him and it seems like Aaron cares for Call but that might just be beacuse he is so nice to everyone. And Celia is thrown into the mix and Jasper. It made a good dynamic.

The ending felt rushed. Everything happened in the last two chapters and I wanted more details. Also we end on a cliff hanger as usual.

I am really looking forward to picking up the next book and see how this new villian influences the story.

My rating: 3 stars

Thanks for reading,
A :)

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The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

*Warning this post contains spoilers for the first book in the series, The Name of The Wind*

Series: The Kingkiller Chronicle, #2

Publication: March 1st 2011 by DAW Books

Goodread Description:
“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”

My name is Kvothe.
I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trehon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.
You may have heard of me.

So begins the tale of a hero told from his own point of view — a story unequaled in fantasy literature. Now in The Wise Man's Fear, an escalating rivalry with a powerful member of the nobility forces Kvothe to leave the University and seek his fortune abroad. Adrift, penniless, and alone, he travels to Vintas, where he quickly becomes entangled in the politics of courtly society. While attempting to curry favor with a powerful noble, Kvothe uncovers an assassination attempt, comes into conflict with a rival arcanist, and leads a group of mercenaries into the wild, in an attempt to solve the mystery of who (or what) is waylaying travelers on the King's Road.

All the while, Kvothe searches for answers, attempting to uncover the truth about the mysterious Amyr, the Chandrian, and the death of his parents. Along the way, Kvothe is put on trial by the legendary Adem mercenaries, is forced to reclaim the honor of the Edema Ruh, and travels into the Fae realm. There he meets Felurian, the faerie woman no man can resist, and who no man has ever survived...until Kvothe.

In The Wise Man's Fear, Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time.

My thoughts:
I liked The Wise Man's Fear more than The Name of The Wind. This one was much more enjoyable to read.

The plot is a lot faster paced than The Name of The Wind. There was a lot more action in this one compared to in the first book when we were just watching Kvothe grow up. The action sequences were wele written and not too long that they dragged on and in the process lost my attention.

There was a lot of world building in The Wise Man's Fear that I wanted in the first book.There was a lot more adventuring to new places which made the story go by a lot quicker which I really liked. And we got to see a lot more of the different cultures in the world.

We alo get to meet new characters and see old ones too.

Kvothe's friendships with the other students are fleshed out more in The Wise Man's Fear. Particularly his friendships with Sim and Wil and Fela. We also get to see more of Devi which i really liked; she is one of my favourite characters and we get a lot more on her in this book. Their interactions are always fun to read.

My biggest problem with The Wise Man's Fear is that even after finishing the book I still have a lot of unanswered questions.

My rating: 3.5 stars
Thanks for reading,
A:)

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The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Series: The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1

Publication:March 27th 2007 by Penguin Group DAW Hardcover

Goodread description:
Told in Kvothe's own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen. 

The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature. 

A high-action story written with a poet's hand, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that will transport readers into the body and mind of a wizard.

My thoughts:
I liked The Name of the Wind but didn't love it like so many other people do. I think my expectations were too high. I went in expecting a certain type of story and that's not what I got. To be honest I don't read a lot of adult fantasy so it might be that I wasn't used to the length.

To me it felt like there was no arc; there was no distinct beginning, middle or end. The novel felt more like the introduction to the Kvothe's story. I understand that this is only the first book in the series but usually there is some kind of resolution at the end of all the books in series. The end of The Name of The Wind wasn't really an ending, it was more like the end to a part one of a story.

If you are looking for a fast paced action packed story The Name of The Wind is not for you. The plot is slow, the reader literally just follows Kvothe's life story from when he is a child to a teenager. The book was way too long for me. I think things could have been left out and had no effect on the story. The narrator often goes of on tangents for pages and pages about irrelevant stuff which annoyed me. I really liked some parts but I'd get bored when we stayed in one place too long.

The Name of The Wind is written in duel point of view which to be honest is what kept me reading at times. The present and past timelines running throughout the story made it more engaging. I wanted to know how the main character ended up where he was. I was intrigued and had enough questions to keep reading.

I liked a lot of the side characters more than the main character; Kvothe. I just didn't connect with him very well, he wasn't easy to relate to and it annoyed be how when he was 15 he was acting a lot older than 15. While he was acting much older than his age, the other characters who were in the university with him who were supposedly adults were acting like teenagers at times. 

While I had problems with The Name of The Wind I am going to try the next book just because this series is so well loved by so many people and I have so many unanswered questions. 

My rating: 3 stars
Thanks for reading,
A :)

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Spolier Free Series Review of the Red Rising Trilogy by Pierce Brown

Series: Red Rising

Publication:January 28th 2014 by Del Rey (Random House)

Goodreads Description of book 1, Red Rising:"I live for the dream that my children will be born free," she says. "That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them."

"I live for you," I say sadly.

Eo kisses my cheek. "Then you must live for more."

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations.

Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow—and Reds like him—are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class.

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity's overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society's ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies... even if it means he has to become one of them to do so.

My thoughts:
There is a lot of hype surrounding this trilogy so I went in with very high expectations and I am pleased to say that I was not disappointed. I liked the first book and really liked the second book and loved the third. The Red Rising Trilogy is definitely one that gets better with every book!

Book 1, Red Rising felt similar to some other YA dystopian/fantasy books. I felt like I was rereading something I'd already read before which is not necessarily a bad thing but I was expecting something more unique.

It took me a while to get into. The plot was very slow to start but I pushed through and the second half was fantastic and as I said the series gets better with each book

I had a hard time understanding the world in the beginning. There is a lot of info dumps in the first book he first book and I kept getting lost in the explanations but I kept reading and somewhere during the second book it all kind of clicked in my head. Side note on the world building: there is a lot of unique vocabulary which was really confusing in the beginning. Not everything is explained so you just kind of have to go with it and eventually you get a better understanding.

There wasn't a lot of scifi stuff in the first book but the 2nd and 3rd are full of it. There is lots of spaceships and technology. There is so many epic Intergalacic battle scenes which blew me away.

Darrow wasn't anything special; to me he felt like a typical YA dystopian protagonist. I loved some of the other characters though; especially Mustang and Sevro who are introduced in the first book.

Friendship and loyalty are big parts of the series which I liked. There was lots of betrayals and there was definitely some characters that I wasn't sure if i should trust them or not. And there was some friendships that were developed at a lovely pace. 

All in all, I really enjoyed the Red Rising trilogy. I am glad I picked up the second book and continued with the trilogy. While red rising didn't live up to the hype for me Golden Son and Morning Star did! If you are into scifi you  should give the troligy a go. 

My ratings:
Red Rising: 3.5
Golden Son: 4
Morning Star: 4.5

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It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Publication:  August 2nd 2016 by Atria Books

Goodreads description:
Lily hasn't always had it easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She's come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up - she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily's life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, and maybe even a little arrogant. He's also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily, but Ryle's complete aversion to relationships is disturbing.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan - her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

This book contains graphic scenes and very sensitive subject matter.

My thoughts:
It Ends With Us is a very intense and emotional read. While I didn't love it as much as some of Hoovers other books I think this one is some of her best work. It was raw and really packed a punch.

It Ends With Us is such an important story; deals with some very important topics. I won't say what because it is much better to go in blind but I definitely think this is a book everyone should read.

If you are looking for a strong female character, It Ends With Us is where you will find one. The main character Lily is such a joy to read. She is so determined and brave. I loved how she was into flowers and tries her very best to go after her dreams. She is a true inspiration and I think many will be able to relate to her.

Friendship is something that I never really see explore in NA because the main focus is usually the romance, but It Ends With Us has a good bit of friendship. Alysa (one of Lily's employees) and Lily's friendship was one of my favourite aspects of the story.

The narration style of It Ends With Us is really interesting because it's duel POVs but both are Lily's perspectives. One is in present day and then we also follow Lily when she was 16 through diary entries- I really liked reading her diary at times they were so funny and I wish we had got more of them. 

My only problem was it was very instalovey for me but most of Colleen Hoovers books are; this one was just a bit over the top for me. And because I wasn't in love with the relationship the events that happen later in the book didn't effect me as much as if I had fallen in love with Ryle along with Lily.

Overall It Ends With Us is not my favourite Hoover book. It's a tearjerker for sure, i just didn't have as much fun reading it as I did with her other books.

My rating; 4.5 stars

Thanks for reading,
A :)
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Spoiler Free Series Review of The Lumatere Chronicle by Melina Marchetta

Series includes:
Book 1; Finnikin of the Rock
Book 2: Froi of the Exiles
Book 3: Quintana of Charyn

Goodreads Description of book 1, Finnikin of the Rock:

Finnikin of the Rock and his guardian, Sir Topher, have not been home to their beloved Lumatere for ten years. Not since the dark days when the royal family was murdered and the kingdom put under a terrible curse. But then Finnikin is summoned to meet Evanjalin, a young woman with an incredible claim: the heir to the throne of Lumatere, Prince Balthazar, is alive.

Evanjalin is determined to return home and she is the only one who can lead them to the heir. As they journey together, Finnikin is affected by her arrogance . . . and her hope. He begins to believe he will see his childhood friend, Prince Balthazar, again. And that their cursed people will be able to enter Lumatere and be reunited with those trapped inside. He even believes he will find his imprisoned father.

But Evanjalin is not what she seems. And the truth will test not only Finnikin's faith in her . . . but in himself.

My Thoughts:
The Lumatere Chronicles is a new all time favourite high fantasy trilogy of mine. It is a fantastic series. I enjoyed every minute of it. 

Something to know before picking up one of the books- This is not a companion series; I've heard people say each book focuses on a different character which is true but the story line from book one continues on on the second and third book.

The Lumatere Chronicles has a huge cast of characters. In the beginning it gets confusing but you gradually get to know them all and grow to love them so much. The side characters are fleshed out just as much as the main cast which I really appreciated.


What's great about having such a big cast of characters is that all their seperate stories cross paths. Marchetta expertly weaves all the storylines so that everything connects really nicely. It is so cool seeing the different plots come together.

The plot (of all three books) is so well paced. There is lots of adventure with twists and turns everywhere. A lot of the story focuses on journeys through the different lands which means there is lots of world building. We get to go to lots of different places and learn about their cultures and politics.

The first book does have a satisfying ending so you can stop reading after that one unless you want to know more about the side characters. The last book in the trilogy has a really great ending too. Everything is wrapped up really nicely.

I highly recommend The Lumatere Chronicles. It's classed as YA but it does have some adult content/themes. If you are only getting into YA high fantasy I don't think this series is for you. It's not heavy on the magic but is hard to get into if you're not used to reading HF with big worlds and huge casts of characters.

My ratings: I gave all three books 4.5 out of 5 stars

Thanks for reading,
A :)
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This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

Series: Monsters of Verity, #1

Publication:July 5th 2016 by Greenwillow Books 

Goodreads Description:
There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives. 

My Thoughts:
This Savage Song is a truly unique story that captivated me from the very first page. It is unlike anything story I have ever read before and I enjoyed reading it because it was so fresh and new.

Kate is a very intense character. She is hard to like because she so cut-throat and edgy. The only problem I had with her was she is a rebellious bitch who rebels for the attention in the beginning of the story. I did really grow to like her though. It was slow going but by the end of the novel I did like her.

August on the other hand, I loved straight away. He is the sweetest monster. I loved reading about how he just wants to be human. It was also cool reading his POV becuse he is really into music; so the way he describes things was so interesting.

Kate and August end up in an unlikely friendship and it doesn't hint have any hints of  romance which is so refreshing to read a YA like that. Usually the romance in YA can take away from other aspects of the story like plot but because there is no romance in This Savage Song this isn't a problem!

The world building is done really well. The story is set in a very dull war torn city with humans and monsters trying to live alongside each other. The different types of monsters is explained really well. I found the concept of monsters being the results of different negetive actions so interesting and fascinating.The Malchai are formed from murders, the Corsai are formed from violent act and the Sunai are formed when there is a major catastrophe such as bombs. 

The plot is a bit slow in the beginning but I didn't mind because I was so interested in learning about the world and characters. The plot really picks up when Kate and August meet. And the story gets really fast paced towards the end of the story.

The writing is amazing,as expected since it's Victoria Schwab! The duel points of view are easy to distinguish because Augusts' uses sound and music to describe a lot of things whereas Kate doesn't.

Overall This Savage Song is not my favourite Schwab book, but I still really enjoyed it. 

My rating: 4 stars

Thanks for reading,
A :)

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Initiate by Laura L. Fox

*I received an eARC of Initiate by Laura L. Fox from the publisher, OfTomes Publishing, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Publication:November 15th 2016 by OfTomes Publishing

Goodreads description:
The only home Riga Garrison has ever known is the Tunnel, a subterranean research facility buried deep beneath Antarctica’s ice and snow. 

Yet, while a safe haven for the last outpost of humanity governed by the Initiate, it is also home to a secret so dark that they will risk anything to protect it.

Surrounded by deceit and faced with exile to a frozen wasteland, Riga must defy not only the Initiate's top biologists and loyalists but also her own mother, in an attempt to unearth the truth.

My thoughts:
I liked Initiate but didn't love it. I think my expectations were too high as I was expecting to be blown away with it but I wasn't. It was an enjoyable read for the most part but I had a lot of problems with it.

Firstly, the writing. The writing style was not for me. I felt like it was very inconsistent; especially at the start. Sometimes it felt very formal and at other times it felt like it was trying to hard to sound like a teenager. There were parts though that Riga's narration did feel natural it just took a while to get right. I also noticed there was a lot of long paragraphs; some were almost a full page long. Personally long paragraphs are hard for me to read as I get lost reading them.

The main character Riga annoyed me so much. All her problems were problems because she made them problems. There was easy solutions too most but she made stupid decisions and complicated her situation by making rash decisions. 

Riga's friendship with her best friend was probably the best part of the story. It was nice to see two girls being there for each other as opposed to being against each other. I wish we had gotten a bit more time exploring their relationship.

I was not a fan of the romance- if there was any? Riga does start a relationship- i guess that what you would call it...later in the book but I didn't feel any romantic chemistry between the two characters. To me they felt more like friends so it was weird when they turned their relationship into a romantic one.

The plot takes a while to get rolling and it is pretty predictable for the most part. But there was some mystery and a few action scenes that were enjoyable.

The setting was super interesting- there's lots of explanation which is good but I felt like it could have been executed better; as I mentioned earlier there was a lot of long paragraphs and a lot of them were explanation about the world.

The ending wasn't really an ending- it felt more like the start of a story. As if what I had just read was only half the book. I assume this means there will be more books to make it a series. I'm not sure if I will pick up the next book.

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Thanks for reading,

A :)

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Spoiler Free Review of The Dark Elements Trilogy by Jennifer L. Armentrout

 

Book 1: White Hot Kiss
Book 2: Stone Cold Touch
Book 3: Every Last Breath

Goodread Description of book 1, White Hot Kiss:
One kiss could be the last. 

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. 

Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. 

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. 

But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne… it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

My thoughts:
The Dark Elements Trilogy is such a fantastic fun fast read. Don't let the titles or covers of these books turn you away. I'm telling you now you do not want to miss reading this trilogy. I had so much fun reading it! It is such a good read to get out of a reading slump- I'd recommend marathoning the series. I read them back to back in a few days.

This series is about gargoyles! How cool is that? I'd never read anything like it before. I loved learning about the wardens and demons. It's explored a lot more in the last book compared to book 1. It was so interesting learning the mythology behind the two races.

The plot is pretty predictable, but there are a few surprises which keep the reader on their toes.

Layla is such a fun character. Her character arc in the series is well written. In the first book she acts pretty childish at times and is annoying but she gradually grows into a more likeable character over the course of the books.  She struggles a lot with her identity because she is half warden half demon so she feels like she can't really be one or the other. Her dealing with that, especially her demon side and soul addiction, is super interesting to read about. 

Of course it's not a Jennifer L. Armentrout book without a good romance, and The Dark Elements has a pretty interesting love triangle. Firstly there is Roth, who has that typical bad boy misunderstood feeling. He is so snarky and sassy. His banter with Layla was hilarious. He reminded me of Daemon Black from The Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I was team Roth from book 1! On the other side of the triangle is Zayne- I liked him but didn't ship it. He felt to big brotherly for me to really get behind any romantic relationship between him and Layla.

The side characters are all so much fun. Layla's best friends Stacy and Sam were a bigpart of the story which I liked because usually mortal friends in these kinds of books are abandoned pretty early on. Another side character that I love is Bambi- I really liked her in the first book but grew to love her so much over the course of the series.

Overall, The Dark Elements Trilogy is such a fun fast paced read and I'd highly recommend it!

My Ratings: 
White Hot Kiss: 4
Stone Cold Touch: 4
Every Last Breath: 4

Thanks for reading,
A:)


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