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 :)

If There's No Tomorrow by Jennifer L Armentrout

Publication: September 5th 2017 by Harlequin Teen

Goodreads Description:

A single choice can change everything.

Lena Wise is always looking forward to tomorrow, especially at the start of her senior year. She’s ready to pack in as much friend time as possible, to finish college applications, and to maybe let her childhood best friend Sebastian know how she really feels about him. For Lena, the upcoming year is going to be epic—one of opportunities and chances.

Until one choice, one moment, destroys everything.

Now Lena isn’t looking forward to tomorrow. Not when friend time may never be the same. Not when college applications feel all but impossible. Not when Sebastian might never forgive her for what happened.

For what she let happen.

With the guilt growing each day, Lena knows that her only hope is to move on. But how can she move on when she and her friends’ entire existences have been redefined? How can she move on when tomorrow isn’t even guaranteed? 

My thoughts:

If There's No Tomorrow was a fun super addict read but it was not my favourite Jennifer L Armentrout book by a long shot. I enjoyed my time reading it but it wasn't anything original and it didn't leave a last impression.

I liked the main character Lena. I liked how she like how she loved reading and we actually got to see her reading and prioritise her reading. It was also cool how she played volleyball. While I didn't agree with all her actions I did think they were believable and I think Jennifer L Armentrout did a good job portraying what a person would feel like after what happened in the book.

Like all of Jennifer L Armentrout's books, If There's No Tomorrow was so much fun. There were some great funny lines and there were a good few ACOTAR references that had me laughing. It's clear in this book that Jennifer L Armentrout is a fan of Sarah J Maas.

I loved how the tone of the book completely flipped from lighthearted to very serious after the "choice" that's talked about in the blurb. It was very well written, I felt the whole atmosphere change.

The choice that changed everything was not the most original idea but an important one to discuss. I did feel like it could have been executed better though. I felt like the author added nothing original to the idea. We've seen this story a thousand times and wanted something more from it.

Overall it was a fun quick read but not my favourite, I much prefer Jennifer L Armentrout's paranormal stuff.

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee

Publication: June 6th 2017 by Simon & Schuster

Goodreads Description:

After a shout-out from one of the Internet’s superstar vloggers, Natasha “Tash” Zelenka finds herself and her obscure, amateur web series, Unhappy Families, thrust into the limelight: She’s gone viral.

Her show is a modern adaptation of Anna Karenina—written by Tash’s literary love Count Lev Nikolayevich “Leo” Tolstoy. Tash is a fan of the forty thousand new subscribers, their gushing tweets, and flashy Tumblr GIFs. Not so much the pressure to deliver the best web series ever.

And when Unhappy Families is nominated for a Golden Tuba award, Tash’s cyber-flirtation with Thom Causer, a fellow award nominee, suddenly has the potential to become something IRL—if she can figure out how to tell said crush that she’s romantic asexual.

Tash wants to enjoy her newfound fame, but will she lose her friends in her rise to the top? What would Tolstoy do? 

My thoughts:

I had the best time read Tash Hearts Tolstoy! I absolute loved it. It was such a quick addictive fun read!

I loved Tash, she was so well developed and rounded not like other YA contemporary characters who are generic self insert type characters. On top of being obsessed with Tolstoy and making videos she's a vegetarian, Buddhist and identifies as asexual. I loved how there was so many aspects to her!

I also loved how big a role friendship had in this book. Tash's relationships with her best friend Jack and Jack's brother Paul where the 2 main ones. Jack and Tash's friendship was excellently crafted. Their personalities were so different from each other and it made their relationship so complex but it worked. I loved how they argued with each other but always came back together. I also loved Tash's friendship with Paul. He was such a sweet character and they had such a supportive friendship!

Tash being ace is not the main part of the story which I liked but does have a role. I thought it was done sensitively and in a way that educates readers who aren't familiar with the under represented sexuality. I can't speak on it's authenticity but I've heard/read ownvoices reviews from JennaClareK on YouTube on the asexuality rep and she thinks the author did a a great job on it.

I wasn't a huge fan of Thom, I didn't buy into his and Tash's online flirting. I didn't see that much chemistry between them and I was very disappointed with Thom's character arc. Some of his actions later in the book felt very forced and out of character and he ended up feeling like a plot device in my opinion. I think what he did was definitely an important thing to have in the book but was executed badly.

This is a YA Contemporary so of course the plot was very predictable. Not really a critique but something to keep in mind. 

My only big issue with Tash Heart's Tolstoy was the side plots with Tash's family and Jack and Paul's family weren't developed enough to impact the story and could have been left out. They didn't add anything substantial to the story.

As someone who watches YouTube and web series it was so cool reading about someone behind the videos. All aspects of the process were mentioned such as scheduling, scripting, filming, editing and even the amount of time it takes to reply to emails and interact with fans on social media!

The ending was satisfying but I wouldn't say no to following these characters around more. I had a lot of fun reading about Tash and her friends and would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a quick read!

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 :)

What I Lost by Alexandra Ballard

*trigger warning for eating disorders on this book and blog post!*

Publication: June 6th 2017 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) 

Goodreads Description:

What sixteen-year-old Elizabeth has lost so far: forty pounds, four jean sizes, a boyfriend, and her peace of mind. As a result, she’s finally a size zero. She’s also the newest resident at Wallingfield, a treatment center for girls like her—girls with eating disorders. Elizabeth is determined to endure the program so she can go back home, where she plans to start restricting her food intake again. She’s pretty sure her mom, who has her own size 0 obsession, needs treatment as much as she does. Maybe even more. Then Elizabeth begins receiving mysterious packages. Are they from her ex-boyfriend, a secret admirer, or someone playing a cruel trick? 

My thoughts:

*I am placing a big trigger warning for eating disorders on this book! There is content in this book that could be trigger to some such as discussion of weight, size, calories, unhealthy eating behaviour and anxiety around eating.*

What I Lost is the eating disorder story I have been looking for. Ballard captures the raw intensity of what it's like to live with an ED and what it's like to be in recovery. While some parts were difficult to read I had an amazing time reading Elizabeth's story!

I loved how Alexandra Ballard discussed some of the more medical stuff associated with eating disorders that are usually not mentioned in the media. There is mentions of lanugo, Mitral Valve Prolapse (a heart condition), the girls get bone density tests and much more which was great to see represented. 

I really enjoyed reading Elizabeth's journey in recovery, I was cheering her on and loved reading the moments she had a breakthrough as well as feeling connected to her and her experience. I related to Elizabeth and the girls a good bit and while I was reading I felt like I really got to know Elizabeth and was rooting for her. The author captured living with and ED in an authentic manner and I found myself picking out little details here and there thinking 'Yes!!yes that's right! She gets it!' I also loved how Elizabeth goes through a bit of an identity crisis of who she was with/without her anorexia. I felt it was a realistic portrayal of someone with an ED.

While this book is really about Elizabeth's recovery, I did really enjoyed the mystery aspect of the plot of who was sending her the gifts. I was guessing the whole time and coming up with theories as I read which added a fun lighthearted side to a sometimes difficult read.

Elizabeth's friendships with the other girls was also a highlight. Their relationships were definitely complicated because of the situation they were in but they felt real and I liked that. They supported each other and wanted what was best for each other. Some is the side characters fell a bit flat but 2/3 where developed enough for me to care about them 

It was also super interesting having the parents as a big part of the story. The impact Elizabeth's parents had on her behaviours and her treatment had a bigger role than I expected. We even got to see how her treatment was effecting them. It is important in a story like this to include families because they are a big part of the recovery process. 

What I Lost is different than Paperweight and Wintergirls but a good different, a great different actually. This books are great but in a different way. What I Lost is a more of an uplifting read because this is a story about recovery.

I really enjoyed What I Lost and definitely recommend if you are looking for a book about eating disorders that doesn't shy away from the reality of living with one and has a strong focus on recovery. 

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Otherworld by Jason Segel and Kirstin Miller

Series: Otherworld, #1

Publication:  October 31st 2017 by Delacorte Press

Goodreads Description:

The company says Otherworld is amazing—like nothing you’ve ever seen before. They say it’s addictive—that you’ll want to stay forever. They promise Otherworld will make all your dreams come true.

Simon thought Otherworld was a game. Turns out he knew nothing. Otherworld is the next phase of reality. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted.

And it’s about to change humanity forever.

Welcome to the Otherworld. No one could have seen it coming. 

My thoughts:

Short review today guys because I was not a fan of Otherworld. At all.

I hated the main character and that made it so difficult for me to enjoy reading the book. Simon is an idiot. He does and says things that are so wrong, hypocritical and sexist and on top of that he is a stalker and just an all round round bad guy.i hated him and not in the I-love-to-hate a character kind of way; he was just so unlikeable it really hindered my enjoyment of the story.

The actual writing was meh. There was way to many sentences stating with 'I'; I felt like I was in school reading the kids' new copies. The overuse of 'I' did dial down a bit about half way but not enough that it wasn't noticeable. There was also a few incorrect tenses used- enough that I noticed which was annoying.

On top of not liking Simon and finding the writing to be just ok I wasn't a huge fan of the plot. It was alright but nothing ground breaking. I skimmed a lot and felt like I'd read similar stuff before. 

The combination of hating the main character, the weak plot and meh writing made it hard to get through. I ended up skimming a lot. If you're looking for a virtual reality book I'd recommend avoiding Otherworld and picking up Warcross by Marie Lu (review to come) instead!

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Down Among the Sticks and Bones

Series: Wayward Children, #2

Publication: June 13th 2017 by Tor.com

Goodreads Description:

Twin sisters Jack and Jill were seventeen when they found their way home and were packed off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children.

This is the story of what happened first…

Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline.

Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you've got.

They were five when they learned that grown-ups can’t be trusted.

They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.

My thoughts:

Down Among Sticks and Bones is just as amazing as Every Heart A Doorway. It's a prequel to Every Heart A Doorway but can easily be read as a standalone. I had such an enjoyable time reading it!

I found it so easy to fall into. I was reading for what felt like 5 minutes and I was already 20% into the book! It was such a quick read I read it in one sitting in a few hours.

I really appreciated how Seanan McGuire explored gender stereotypes and how parents can influence a child's identities. The girls make themselves fit into the mould parents made for them as babies and over the course of the story they challenge this. I loved the message of how there is no one right way to be a girl 

The setting of Down Among the Sticks and Bones is very different to Every Heart A Doorway. The twin's door is very different to Nancy's- so the setting of this one is dark and has a more paranormal feel to it, with the eerie moors and vampires and the like. 

The plot was not as mysterious and dark as Every Heart as it is more focused on the girls forming their identities and the difference between them.

I think the story was a perfect length at just under 200 pages but I think any longer it would have dragged out.

Highly recommend if you are looking for a quick fantasy read!

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Hospital High by Mimi Thebo

Publication: September 29th 2017 by Lodestone Books

Goodreads Description:

My life had been saved...and boy, was I annoyed. Humour and attitude keep Coco going when things get grim. Her relationships with her mother, hospital staff and other injured teens sustain her when her school friendships fall apart. But although everyone's working to give Coco a normal life, Coco doesn't think 'normal' is enough... When she was fourteen, the author Mimi Thebo died in a car accident. Hospital High is a young adult novel based on the day she died and the subsequent three years spent recovering from the accident.

My thoughts:

I was pleasantly surprised with Hospital High. It is a book very different to what I usually read but decided to give it a go as I won a copy in a giveaway from Hanna Hodgeson (on YouTube). I actually ended up enjoying Hospital High for the most part.

It was definitely hard for me to get into it as there was lots of flashbacks in the beginning and I found myself getting antsy wanting to know more about Coco in the present. A lot of the flashbacks could have been edited down a bit more or put all together. I really stared getting invested at about half way through when new characters were introduced and Coco started making new friends, at that point I started looking forward to reading every night!

Coco, the main character, was not an easy person to get along with, and I found it hard to like her at times and she felt very rough around the edges. She has her struggles and I understand that but at times she really made life more difficult for herself than it needed to be especially in regards to her friendships/social circles.

There wasn't really a plot but I didn't mind, Hospital High is more of a life story since based on true events in the authors life. The story was nice and easy and calming to read and flowed nicely after all the flashbacks in the beginning. I also liked the side stoylines with the hospital staff and some of Coco's friends.

The writing is very simple and easy to follow but sometimes I'd stop and reread parts because the author captured a really complex feeling or idea so perfectly.

You could class Hospital High as kind of historical fiction in a way as it is set in the 70s. We get to see what it's like being a teenager in the 70s which was interesting. That's not something I've ever read before. Most of the historical fiction I read is late 1800s/early 1900s.

The story is mostly set in a hospital and this made it hard for me to connect with the story as luckily I have never had to spent time in a hospital and have never been seriously ill. It was eye opening reading about some of Coco's experiences there with surgeons and staff.

I obviously can't speak for the chronic illness rep in this book but I can only assume it was actuate and sensitively done as the story is based on true life and written as a sort of memoir.

I was surprised that it wasn't really a sad book like I was expecting. There were a few moments here and there but overall there was a more of a sense of calmness than extreme emotion.

Overall I enjoyed Hospital High more than I thought I would it is very different to my usual reads but had a good time reading.

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Catching Stars by Cayla Keenan

Publication: May 8th 2018 by Oftomes Publishing

Goodreads Description:
Witch. Betrayal. Hunted.

Jayin Ijaad is in hiding. A witch with powerful abilities, she carves out a life for herself in the slums of Pavaal, a city rotting from the inside out. When an old acquaintance tracks her down, Jayin is dragged back into a world she tried to escape -- and is determined to escape again.

Maddix Kell is on the run. After two years in prison for crimes he did not commit, Maddix escapes and seeks out a legendary order of witchhunters who are his only chance to find justice.

But all is not as it seems and Maddix soon finds himself on the run from the people he sought as allies. When their paths collide, Jayin and Maddix must put aside their prejudices and forge an uneasy alliance that could crumble at any moment. But if they want to survive in Aestos -- a brutal kingdom where magic and corruption lie hand in hand and enemies lurk around every corner -- they must first survive each other. 

My thoughts:
While I enjoyed parts of Catching Stars for the most part I just thought it was okay. It has been a few weeks since I read the book and I can hardly remember anything about it; it just didn't leave a lasting impression on me at all. All I have to go off for this review is notes I took while I was reading it.

I found Catching Stars very hard to get into, I often felt my mind wandering because of the very slow start. I will say the plot did pick up a bit later in the book but I really struggled through the first few chapters.

I also wasn't a fan of Jayin and Maddix individually. They both felt very meh to me. I did like them together though- they had an interesting dynamic that kept me engaged for the most part. I liked how they had prejudices about each other that were being challenged throughout their relationship.

At times the writing was great, it was flowery but not too flowery but then at other times, particularly action scenes I found it hard to comprehend what was happening. 

There's not much else I can say. My reading experience was a bit of a weird one too because I was reading the book in few pages chunks over 2 weeks whereas I usually read a book in a few days so that might have affected my enjoyment. 

Thanks for reading,
A :)

A Poison Dark and Drowning by Jessica Cluess

*Warning this post contains spoilers for the first book in the series, A Shadow Bright and Burning*
Series: Kingdom on Fire, #2

Publication:September 19th 2017 by Random House Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Description:
The magicians want her to lead. The sorcerers want her to lie. The demons want her blood. Henrietta wants to save the one she loves. But will his dark magic be her undoing?

Henrietta doesn’t need a prophecy to know that she’s in danger. She came to London to be named the chosen one, the first female sorcerer in centuries, the one who would defeat the bloodthirsty Ancients. Instead, she discovered a city ruled by secrets. And the biggest secret of all: Henrietta is not the chosen one.

Still, she must play the role in order to keep herself and Rook, her best friend and childhood love, safe. But can she truly save him? The poison in Rook’s system is transforming him into something monstrous as he begins to master dark powers of his own.

So when Henrietta finds a clue to the Ancients’ past that could turn the tide of the war, she persuades Blackwood, the mysterious Earl of Sorrow-Fell, to travel up the coast to seek out strange new weapons. And Magnus, the brave, reckless flirt who wants to win back her favour, is assigned to their mission. Together, they will face monsters, meet powerful new allies, and uncover the most devastating weapon of all: the truth.

My Thoughts:

Loved this one, if you read A Shadow Bright and Burning and just thought it was okay give A Poison Dark and Drowning a go it is so much better! I loved book 2 so much, I had such an enjoyable time reading it!

Found it so much easier to fall into than book 1-Plot is so much stronger than book 1, it was addicting and interesting and I wanted to find out what was going to happen and was constantly theorising as I was reading. There was some great twists and action which I loved!

There was a good bit more added to the world but the world building was not as heavy as book 1, I really liked how some of my questions were answered and the descriptions of the monsters were great.

Henrietta was a bit annoying, I was fed up with her because she was lying- a lot. And I still didn't get why she loved Rook- he is so unappealing (the good thing was he didn't have much page time thank god). I was more excited about other characters such as Magnus and Blackwood who got some lovely character development over the course of the book.

There was also a new character introduced, Maria. I love Maria she is so badass and her and Henrietta's friendship was one of my favourite parts of the story. It was developed very slowly but I liked that and am excited to see where it goes in the next book.

The romance plot is such a mess in this book. Henrietta makes it so much more complicated than it needs to be and I was frustrated at her. I did love the friendship she forms with one of the boys though.

I had a lot of fun reading despite being annoyed at Henrietta and I need the next book! I am definitely going to read it around release I am so excited to see where this series goes in the final book!

Thanks for reading,
A:)

A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess

Series: Kingdom on Fire, #1

Publication:September 20th 2016 by Random House BFYR

Goodreads Description:
I am Henrietta Howel. The first female sorcerer. The prophesied one. Or am I?

Henrietta Howel can burst into flames. When she is brought to London to train with Her Majesty's sorcerers, she meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, young men eager to test her powers and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her. As Henrietta discovers the secrets hiding behind the glamour of sorcerer life, she begins to doubt that she's the true prophesied one. With battle looming, how much will she risk to save the city--and the one she loves?

My thoughts:

I enjoyed A Shadow Bright and Burning a fair bit, it was a slower read but definitely an engaging one. The Victorian London setting gave off The Infernal Devices vibes so I was hooked pretty early on but what really got me was the world building and big cast of characters. 

The plot is pretty slow for the most part so it did take me a long time to read and it didn't help that I was finding it hard to concentrate because at the time when I read this I hadn't been able to read for long periods of time in weeks. The slow plot does pick up towards the end but for most of the book it just plods along at a decent pace.

The slow plot was partly because of all the world building going on. There was lots of foundations set up in this first book which makes me think book 2's plot will be less bogged down with information. I really enjoyed learning about the world though; there was some very interesting magic- there were sorcerers, magicians and witches with a very interesting hierarchy between the three. It was also really cool how the magic works-the sorcerers use a stave and then magicians have items. It was very different and I liked that. There was also a lot of mythology background given about these demons that are called Ancients who are wreaking havoc on the world which reminded me of some other series.

The main character Henrietta was fun to read about even if I didn't agree with a lot of what she was doing. I really enjoyed the take on the chosen one trope and how she was constantly doubting herself.

There was such a big cast of characters which was great. There is so much possibilities for love interests it's so interesting. It can go in so many directions which is different to most YA books where you can obviously pick out who the author intends the main character to end up with. There are the boys who take her in (one is such a fun character, he is a YA stereotype with sarcastic witty comments and all arrogance but I loved it! And then there is one who she hates at the starts and grudgingly starts to like him like the reader. And then there is another potential male lead but I hated him- I could not understand why Henrietta liked him.)

One of the things I have to complain about was the lack of female characters. There was only Henrietta, Lilly her maid, one of the boys sisters (who we only interact with for 2 pages) and then the queen (who we also only see for a few pages). I would have liked to see more girls.

The setting of Victorian London (if you are looking for something similar to TID give A Shadow Bright and Burning a go) was good but I felt like parts weren't very historically accurate. Henrietta's behaviour was very modern, I get that she was written in 2016 but I had expected the other characters to pull her up on her behaviours but it was never mentioned.

Overall I had fun learning about this new world and can see lots of potential for future books so I will definitely be picking up book 2!

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 :)