Series Review: The Conqueror's Saga by Kiersten White

Series: The Conqueror's Saga

Book 1: And I Darken

Book 2: Now I Rise

Book 3: Bright We Burn

Goodreads Description of book 1, And I Darken:

No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.

Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.

But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point. 

My thoughts:

I am obsessed with this series. It is a new favourite for sure. If you are looking for a series with complex characters, political intrigue, war and a bit of romance this series of for you. This series is a slower read but definitely worth it. I marathoned the three books over 1 week and loved it to pieces. 

One of the big reasons I love this series is because it is full of complex characters.

Lada is so brutal and determined and I loved her. I love how she constantly goes against societal norms and challenges those around her. Her drive to go after what she wants and not letting anything stop her was my favourite part about her. She's also extremely badass and smart! Her character development over the course of the series is perfectly paced too. I love how the author included some more vulnerable moments here and there in Lada's story to make her feel more human.

Radu is the polar opposite of Lada. I loved his kind heartened soul and how he changed over the course of the series and is challenged by others and the situations he is put in. I loved how he was so conflicted on his feeling regarding his sister and her brutal actions and the consequences. He has a lovely character arc. 

I also loved the side character. Some could have been developed a bit more but I'm not comparing because Radu and Lada were so fleshed out. 

I absolutely adored the sibling relationship between Lada and Radu. They had such a complex relationship because of their distinct personalities and the situations they were in.

There is a tiny bit of romance in this series and I loved that it was very side lined because it meant we could spent more time developing the world and characters. 

I'm not a big historical fiction reqder but I loved the historical aspect of this trilogy. I knew nothing about the Ottoman Empire before reading- obviously this is fiction so take it with a grain of salt but it was so interesting to learn about the rise and fall of it from different perspectives.

The plot of the series is a bit slow but it is incredibly captivating because it's so interesting. There is more of a focus on characters than action but there is loads of politics and war and strategising and the likes.

Religion plays a big part in the story which was cool. We actually get to read about practicing muslim characters. I hardly ever come across religious characters in my reading so this was cool to get that representation!

There is also LGBT+ representation in the series which is another plus!

The Conquerors Saga is a phenomenal trilogy that is definitely recommend! It's a new favourite of mine!

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

*This post contains spoilers for the first two books in The Illuminae Files series, Illuminae and Gemina.*

Read my review of book 1, Illuminae, here!

Read my review of book 2, Gemina, here!

Series: The Illuminae Files, #3

Publications: March 13th 2018 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Description:

Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza—but who knows what they'll find seven months after the invasion? 

Meanwhile, Kady's cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza's ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys—an old flame from Asha's past—reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. 

With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heroes will fall, and hearts will be broken. 

My thoughts:

Obsidio absolutely blew my mind! It was an amazing concluding novel to this epic sci-fi series! It was such an exciting read! 

Liked Rhy- pretty interesting. But nothing compared to Ezra and Nik

Wasn't a fan of Asha- my least favourite of the girls. Wasn't as interesting. Felt very one dimensional. 

Despite not being massive fans of either of them I was still rooting for them and was invested in their part they had to play in the series!

I was here for the other characters though. Starting with our original duo: Kady and Ezra have the best banter in the chat rooms that had me laughing out loud. But they also had some very sweet emotional moments too that I loved reading. My favourite parts where any time they were on the page. 

Ella and Nik's interactions were such a highlight too!

An unexpected pair that stole the show for me was Nik and Ezra. The two are funny guys by themselves and together they are freaking hilarious! Their unexpected friendship in Obsidio was everything. I was here for it!

Obsidio started in the beginning but then I couldn't read fast enough. The second half of the book was mad. There was so much action it was as intense and crazy as the previous books. 

I loved the illustrations by Marie Lu from Hanna's journal- there was a mini comic strip in the story and I was dying reading it. Marie Lu captures Hanna's voice so well in her illustrations. Her personality comes across so well.

Obsidio was such a heart pounding read with lots of action and shocks and I throughly enjoyed every minute of it! It wrapped up the series very nicely and I can't wait to see what Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff do next! 

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:)

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 Midnight Star by Marie Lu

Short review today! I am super busy in college and don't have much time to write lengthy reviews for the next few weeks! 

*Warning this post contains spoilers for the first two books in the series; The Young Elites and The Rose Society!

Series: The Young Elites, #3

Publication: October 11th 2016 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Description:
There was once a time when darkness shrouded the world, and the darkness had a queen.

Adelina Amouteru is done suffering. She’s turned her back on those who have betrayed her and achieved the ultimate revenge: victory. Her reign as the White Wolf has been a triumphant one, but with each conquest her cruelty only grows. The darkness within her has begun to spiral out of control, threatening to destroy all she’s gained.

When a new danger appears, Adelina’s forced to revisit old wounds, putting not only herself at risk, but every Elite. In order to preserve her empire, Adelina and her Roses must join the Daggers on a perilous quest—though this uneasy alliance may prove to be the real danger. 

My thoughts:

When I picked up The Midnight Star it had been nearly 2 years since I had read The Rose Society so I was a bit aprehensiive going in becuase I could hardly remember anything but it turned out not to be a problem. A few chapters in and everything came back to me and I was hooked. I had so  much fun reading this conclusion to the trilogy!

I had forgotten how dark Adelina was and when I was reminded I fell in love with her all over again. She's so different from other YA characters. Her growth over the course of the series is amazing and while she takes her cruelty to a new level in this final book I couldn't help but admire her confidence. While I love her wicked side I can't ignore her more vulnerable side that we do get to see in this final book. Adelina's relationship with Magiano really brings out the humanity in her from time to time and I really liked that!

There was a good bit of world building in The Midnight Star that I wasn't expecting since this was the last book in the series but I enjoyed exploring more aspects of the world. We get some answers about the Blood Fever and how it came it be and also get introduced to the idea of Immortals in the world and the mythology behind them which I found interesting.

I absolutely loved the ending. The series wraps up in such a nice way it was great. I particularly loved the last chapter/epilogue because it read like a fairytale/folk tale! The writing was just amazing. I loved how the series went in such a unique direction.

If I could only use one word to describe this series it would be 'different' and that's what makes it so fun to read! I loved how unique The Young Elites is from other YA trilogies out there. From the world to the characters it is just all so fresh and new! I had a lot of fun reading this series and regret not picking up this final book sooner.

Thanks for reading,
A :)

Series Review of Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Series: Burn for Burn

Book 1: Burn for Burn

Book 2: Fire with Fire

Book 3: Ashes to Ashes

Goodreads Description of book 1, Burn for Burn:

Postcard-perfect Jar Island is home to charming tourist shops, pristine beaches, amazing oceanfront homes—and three girls secretly plotting revenge.

KAT is sick and tired of being bullied by her former best friend.

LILLIA has always looked out for her little sister, so when she discovers that one of her guy friends has been secretly hooking up with her, she’s going to put a stop to it.

MARY is perpetually haunted by a traumatic event from years past, and the boy who’s responsible has yet to get what’s coming to him.

None of the girls can act on their revenge fantasies alone without being suspected. But together…anything is possible.

With an alliance in place, there will be no more “I wish I’d said…” or “If I could go back and do things differently...” These girls will show Jar Island that revenge is a dish best enjoyed together. 

My Thoughts:

Burn for burn trilogy is an addictive dramatic contemporary young adult trilogy which I highly recommend for those looking for something fun and quick to marathon. I had a lot of fun reading the series over the course of a few days and think it is best read that way. I have split this review into 3 sections, one for each book and have marked where there are spoilers!

Burn for Burn

Oh my god is this book dramatic. Burn for Burn is one of those books that you have to be in the mood for.  If I had read this at another time I know I wouldn't have been able to stand amount of drama and I would have thought it was ridiculous. But because I read it when I did I was so into it.

The writing is so simple and easy to follow that I flew through the book. The pacing and all the dramatic stuff going on had me completely enthralled that I couldn't stop reading. I ended up read in Burn for Burn in  just a few hours I was so addicted to it!

There are three main characters all of which are narrators. I liked how almost every chapter swaps POV because I wasn't a fan of one of the characters, Mary. I found her so boring in this book compared to the other girls but it was fine because I knew I would be swapping back to Kat and Lillia very soon.

I wasn't  a fan of Mary but I really liked Lillia and Kat. Kat was my favourite. I liked her straight of the bat. I loved how tough and bitchy she was. I liked Lillia too but for different reasons. She is just a generally good person. She tries to be a good student, a good sister etc. She really grew on me as the story went on.

I was surprised at the amount of substance this first book had, I was expecting a fun revenge story but the authors touched on some very important/heavy topics like drugs and bullying which I wasn't expecting. I will say though I was a bit disappointed when they had the opportunity to address consent and rape and didn't. There is a scene in the book I would have liked addressed, it was just brushed under the rug and not brought up which disappointed me.

The ending of Burn for Burn is absolutely crazy so I would recommend having the next book in the series, Fire with Fire, ready to go because you will want to continue with the series immediately!

Fire with Fire (vague spoilers for Burn for Burn)

Fire with Fire is just as good as Burn for Burn. It is a revenge story like book 1. This one is a bit darker than Burn for Burn. I had just as much fun with this one. I was addicted form page one, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I was pulled in and the story was all I could think about.

We get a good bit of character development for Alex which I loved. Alex is my favourite character after Kat so I loved how we got to know him better in this book; he's just such a nice guy.

I didn't care about Mary much like with book 1. There is some interesting things going on with Mary in this book which makes her a lot more interesting than she was in Bur for Burn. I think it's funny I didn't grow to like her/become interested in her story line considering what is going on with her. 

In Burn for Burn I felt like Lillia and Kat had equal page time but in Fire with Fire I feel like Lillia is the main character with Kat as the side kick. I love them both but I wanted more Kat.

I am so glad to say that the characters did address what happened with the guy and Lillia in book 1 at that party. I was glad it was addressed because it was one of the only critiques I had for book 1.

Just like Burn for Burn the ending of Fire with Fire is crazy. It left me with a lot of questions and I had to pick up the next book as soon as I finished it.

Ashes to Ashes (vague spoilers for Burn for Burn and Ashes to Ashes)

Ashes to Ashes is my least favourite book in the Burn for Burn series but that is not to say it still wasn't as much fun and addictive as the two previous books.

I think I wasn't as big a fan of this book because I was confused about Reeve. I had so many complex feeling about him- I wasn't sure if I should I like him or not because of his previous actions and I wasn't really behind his and Lillia's relationship which was a big part of the book.

I was also confused about some of the paranormal elements in this book. In Fire with Fire it is hinted at that there is some paranormal stuff going on with Mary and that is a big part of the story line in Ashes to Ashes. The paranormal aspects were very vague and explained very poorly. I wanted more explanations and a lot of my questions weren't answered. I will say that the paranormal stuff added a creepy atmosphere to the story though. This book felt  a lot darker than the previous two and there were definitely creepy scenes here and there.

In the first two books I didn't even notice the books were co-written; Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian did a good job blending their styles but in Ashes for Ashes I knew when I was reading something Jenny Han wrote. I would just read a line and know it was her because I am a huge fan of her books I know her style and it was really evident in a few scenes.

The ending was great; everything is wrapped up nicely but I wish the epilogue was fleshed out more. We are just told what happens everyone and I would have liked a scene or something instead to actually see how they were getting o.

Overall, I really enjoyed this series and had a lot of fun reading it.

My rating: 4 star series

Spoiler Free Review of Alienated Trilogy by Melissa Landers

Series: Alienated

Book 1: Alienated

Book 2: Invaded

Book 3:United

Goodreads Description:

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them. 

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class. 

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.

My thoughts:

I have divided my thoughts into three parts for the books. There are no spoilers for the book I am writing about under each heading(i.e. If you have only read book 1 you can read my review for book 1 and 2 without being spoiled)

Book 1: Alienated

I had fun reading Alienated but had a few problems with it.

I wasn't a big fan of the writing; it came across very babyish at times. I rolled my eyes reading so much times it was a bit ridiculous. There were some lines that felt like the author was trying too hard to sound like a teenager, for example 'full on banana sandwich' , like really? I felf like it was a very unrealistic way for teenagers to be talking.

A minor thing that annoyed me was the main characters name Cara, it's a lovely name but there it was pronounced wrong. They say it's the Irish word for friend which it is (I am irish and have studies the language my whole life) and Aelyx pronounces it 'cah-ra' which is right but there's a scene where they make fun of him and say it's pronounced 'Care-a' which is wrong.

I really liked Aelyx and he was definitely one of the reasons that I kept reading but Cara was so annoying and stupid and smart for a supposedly smart girl it annoyed me.

Alientated was a fun read but nothing ground breaking; I was expecting it to be like Jennifer L Armentrout's Lux series and be obsessed with it and find it so addictive but I didn't.

My rating: 3.5 stars

Book 2: Invaded

In my opinion Invaded was not as much fun as Alienated. Aelyx and Cara separated so their is hardly any interactions between the two which is what made book 1 so enjoyable.

The writing is still annoying in Invaded but not as much as it was in Alienated. There isn't as much dialogue that had me rolling my eyes and as much unrealistic stuff.

The plot was so predictable in this one, I predicted how it would end so early on that it made the 'twists'/'reveals' very underwhelming.

I really liked on aspect of this book in particular though; there was a big focus on Cara and her big brothers relationship which I loved reading about. I felt like they were written as a very realistic sibling relationship.

My rating: 3 stars

Book 3: United

I found United to be a lot better than Invaded. I was a bit hesitant to pick up this final book because I wasn't the biggest fan of the second book but United was actually quite good. I had fun reading it but I'm not sure if I liked it as much as Alienated.

While I had fun reading it I do think everything wrapped up super quickly and conveniently and it was all very predictable but I didn't mind it too much because it was fun having Aleyx and Cara together.

I had fun with the series but not as much as I'd hoped. I was expecting to be obsessed with it like JLAs Lux series but wasn't. 

My rating: 3.5 stars

Thanks for reading,
A :)

Spoiler free series review of Blood for Blood by Catherine Doyle

Series: Blood for Blood

Book 1: Vendetta

Book 2: Inferno

Book 3: Mafioso

Goodreads Description of book 1; Vendetta:

When it comes to revenge, love is a dangerous complication.With a fierce rivalry raging between two warring families, falling in love is the deadliest thing Sophie could do. An epic debut set outside modern-day Chicago.

When five brothers move into the abandoned mansion in her neighbourhood, Sophie Gracewell's life changes forever. Irresistibly drawn to bad boy Nicoli, Sophie finds herself falling into a criminal underworld governed by powerful families. As the boys' dark secrets begin to come to light, Sophie is confronted with stinging truths about her own family, too. She must choose between two warring dynasties - the one she was born into, and the one she is falling in love with. When she does, blood will spill and hearts will break.

My thoughts:

I have divided my thoughts into three parts for the books. There are no spoilers for the book I am writing about under each headin(i.e. If you have only read book 1 you can read my review for book 1 and 2 without being spoiled)

Book 1: Vendetta 

I went into Vendetta with low expectations, I wanted to a new adult romance with no plot or anything of substance and that's not what I got! I was so misled by the blurb and cover! Vendetta is actually YA and while it does have a romance it's not the main focus. I can 100% say I was pleasantly surprised with it! It was angsty, addictive and a super quick read. I was reading for what felt like an hour and I was already half way. I was sucked in from the first page and couldn't stop reading.

I was surprised at how quickly I grew to care about the characters. I was scared for them I was happy for them! And even scared of them at times. I liked how the characters actions really made me think- like I was hesitant to like some of them because their actions weren't always what I consider to be morally right.

I liked the main character Sophie but didn't love her. She is smart but does some stupid stuff now and then but she's also snarky which I liked. She comes across as a very real teenage girl which helped me relate to her.

One of the main things I loved in Vendetta was Sophie's relationship with her best friend Millie. It is so fun seeing girls be friends with girls. Millie is everything to Sophie and I loved how it never turned bitchy between the two.

I will say that the storyline got very dark very quickly. It really got dark and gritty which I wasn't expecting. I was actually a bit shocked at times because while it's fiction the Mafia is something that happens in reality. Organised crime circles and whatnot and something I knew nothing about so Vendetta was actually pretty educational to me. I knew the word and that it had negative connotations but never knew what it really meant. It was interesting but also scary learning about the culture. This is the first time I've ever read anything about the Mafia and I was fascinated.

The writing is noting spectacular; it's very simple and easy to read which isn't necessarily a bad thing, I just think it pulled the book down a bit.  

The plot was kind of predictable but I still had a lot of fun reading it! There is definitely twists and turns some readers won't pick up on so they will enjoy it even more, but for me I saw some stuff coming.

My rating for Vendetta: 4 stars

Book 2: Inferno 

I enjoyed Vendetta so I had high expectations going into Inferno and I was no disappointed; I enjoyed Inferno even more than Vendetta. I had just as much, if not more, fun reading book 2 in the trilogy!

Inferno starts with Sophie in a dark place dealing with ptsd due to the events of Vendetta and it goes from there. I loved how her character arc was done in Inferno. She slowly starts to work through what happened to her and start to live again.

There is a big focus on Sophie and Luca's relationship in Inferno which I loved. Their relationship was developed at such a lovely pace. I loved their banter with each other and was excited anytime I saw their names on the page together.

Millie and Sophie's friendship is still goals in this book! We explore their relationship even more than we did in Vendetta and get to see them grow as their relationship is challenged by the events going ok in Sophie's life now that she is tangled up with the Falcones.

The love triangle that was hinted at the end of book 1 does happen in book 2. I was firmly on one side the whole time. It caused a lot of drama which kept me reading. It was very interesting seeing Nic and Luca's brotherly relationship changed because their relationships with Sophie. I've read countless love triangles but never come across one between brothers so it was interesting to read.

My rating for Inferno: 4.5

Book 3: Mafioso 

I loved Inferno but I think I loved Mafioso even more; this might be my favourite book in the series! It had the perfect balance of drama and action with slower more character driven moments and I loved it!

Sophie and Luca's relationship really takes off in this book and they had some really cute moments that had me fangirling.

The plot was predictable like the previous two books but I still really enjoyed myself while reading. I was living for all the drama, I couldn't stop reading!

Mafioso ends the trilogy in a good place with some things left hanging so there is potential for another book but while also wrapping up enough for readers to be satisfied.

My rating for Mafioso: 4.5

Overall I really enjoyed the series. It surprised me and I had so much fun marathoning it! I can't wait to pick up more by Catherine Doyle!

Thanks for reading,

A :)

Always and Forever Lara Jean by Jenny Han

Series: To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #3

Publication:May 2nd 2017 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Goodreads Description:
Lara Jean’s letter-writing days aren’t over in this surprise follow-up to the New York Times bestselling To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You.

Lara Jean is having the best senior year a girl could ever hope for. She is head over heels in love with her boyfriend, Peter; her dad’s finally getting remarried to their next door neighbor, Ms. Rothschild; and Margot’s coming home for the summer just in time for the wedding.

But change is looming on the horizon. And while Lara Jean is having fun and keeping busy helping plan her father’s wedding, she can’t ignore the big life decisions she has to make. Most pressingly, where she wants to go to college and what that means for her relationship with Peter. She watched her sister Margot go through these growing pains. Now Lara Jean’s the one who’ll be graduating high school and leaving for college and leaving her family—and possibly the boy she loves—behind.

When your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?

My Thoughts:

Always and Forever Lara Jean is Jenny Han's best work. I absolutely loved it to pieces. I was such a giddy mess from page one. These books make me so happy it's a bit ridiculous! I was smiling so much while reading Always and Forever my mouth hurt!  I had so much fun reading the last instalment of what is one of my all time favourite series. 

Lara Jean goes on such a journey over the course of the series and in this book alone she does some tremendous growing up. A big part of the book focuses on college and Lara Jean making big decisions about where she wants to go. I loved the college aspect of the book because we don't have the same system here in Ireland so it was interesting reading about how in America they do applications and find out where they are going to college before they even graduate high school. What Lara Jean is going through in this book is very relatable and anyone who is in their final years of school would definitely see themselves in Lara Jean. I am already in college and could still relate to her though. There is even more baking in Always and Forever which I loved! I love reading about characters who have hobbies and actually get to see them doing it; same goes for her scrapbooking!

Lara Jean and Peter K are everything. I have been a hardcore Peter K supporter since book 1 and I don't want to spoil it for people (I know a lot of people love John) but there is so much Peter K in this book I loved it. Lara Jean and Peter are just so freaking adorable I can't. I love rounded Peter is; his character has been fleshed out so well over the course of the three books and I loved getting to know him. 

While this series is known for having a cute romance it is also known for it's strong emphasis on family and that is no different in Always and Forever. In this book we have all three Song sisters together since Margot is home, and I loved seeing how they all interacted with each other and how her being home changed the  dynamics we are sued to between Kiity and Lara Jean. I also liked how we got to see how Margot was dealing with her dad and Ms Rothschild getting married and how that effected the rest of the family.

I am so sad this series is over; these books are so special to me and I don't want to say goodbye; I want to read about Lara Jean and Peter forever. Jenny Han wrapped everything up nicely but I wouldn't say no to more! 

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