These books just keeps getting better!!! It's definitely one of my favorite YA fantasy series at this point. You know those books that you get so intoThese books just keeps getting better!!! It's definitely one of my favorite YA fantasy series at this point. You know those books that you get so into that you actually start shaking the book in frustration or laughing out loud? This is one of them :)
I love all of the characters so much that I was disappointed this book didn't really show more. So many scenes were summarized in a passive tone that made it hard to connect with the events. I still don't have a very strong sense of Micah... and Amon was less visible than most secondary characters. So I really didn't care as much about a lot of scenes with them as I wanted to. (This bit about Amon is a spoiler for The Kiss of Deception: (view spoiler)[Amon basically gets treated like Kaden did in that final book and IT MAKES ME SO SAD. Like the shell of his character just gets swept under the rug and ignored when the romance is dropped (hide spoiler)]). I honestly would read 200 more pages if it meant I could see some more dialogue and/or reactions.
There really is no way to recap all of the amazing adventures and twists that happened in this story. And at this point I know my ship isn't going to sail... it's basically a ghost ship and I knowwww I need to focus on the rest of the story and give it up. This book really is about Raisa -- SHE BECOMES SO BADASS and I love everything. ...more
Ok wow. Yes. This series most definitely got SO much better here! I finished the first book yesterday and am already on the third one if that says anyOk wow. Yes. This series most definitely got SO much better here! I finished the first book yesterday and am already on the third one if that says anything.
The first book wasn't terribly gripping, but I gave it a hesitant 4.5 stars hoping that everything it built up to would deliver. And all of the time that it spent setting up the sequels was totally worth it! All of the characters' storylines converged in this book in the most brilliantly tangled way and I just LOVE EVERYONE SO MUCH. I ship everyone. Even the secondary characters are amazing!
The first 100+ pages of this book dragged a bit like the first book did (especially Han's POV), but then everyone wound up at this military academy/wizard school that's basically Hogwarts and everything got a million times better. There are a lot of tropes in here, they somehow ALL work and have an original aspect. Like there are multiple love interests for the female MC (who is seriously awesome btw), but the romance definitely isn't the main focus of the story.
I love all of the POVs now and care about every. single. character. Both Raisa and Han grew a ton in this story, but I kind of wanted to see more defining moments from Micah and Amon. I wish the book could be longer just to get a stronger sense of Oden's Ford, too. I'd be happy with a whole book about Raisa's daily life there, but I guess the plot had places to go. Everything is so twisty and tangled right now that I love it all. I love the clans, I love the strong female characters, I love all of the guys, I love the mess that everyone's walking right into. Yes yes yes.
The first book takes some time to get into -- I will grant you that. But please, please don't judge this series until like halfway through the second book because it gets SO MUCH BETTER. This will be you: ...more
This story was like nothing I've ever read... I'm seriously just shocked right now. Before I even say anything else: 5 STARS AND EVERYONE SHOULD READThis story was like nothing I've ever read... I'm seriously just shocked right now. Before I even say anything else: 5 STARS AND EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS. Yes.
I put this book aside last year when I was weirded out by the format, but the way it's told through various reports and instant messages actually turned out to be one of my favorite parts! I couldn't believe a collection of word graphics and documents could create such a strong world and pull me in so that I cared that much about the characters.
And oh my goodness... THE CHARACTERS. Ezra & Kady were both so incredibly vulnerable, witty, brave, and totally broke my heart. Ezra is straight up hilarious and one of the most lovable guys I've seen in SO long. I wasn't sold on Kady right away, but she was easily in my list of all-time favorite characters by the end with how freaking tough she is. Like picture a hacker version of Delilah Bard facing her death in space.
But honestly, my favorite character was AIDAN. I don't know if I'd call him a villain, but that crazy piece of artificial intelligence had me glued to the book. It was all just so incredibly well done aaahhhh. He was creepy and insane but in an almost sympathetic philosophical way where what he said made sense?!
The whole format is so clever because you have to actually LIVE the story with them. I loved the maps of each spaceship, the countdowns to how many of the people left alive on the ship have been infected with the disease, and how the fights in space were written in little swirly lines around the page so you have to tilt your book and get totally into everything. And for some reason seeing the pages of thousands of pictures of people made the mass casualties more meaningful. I know I'm so late to this party, but I still want to freak out over how creative so many parts of this story were!
I can't believe it took me this long to get to this book!! The middle did take me a bit to push through when I started to not care as much about who was on which ship, but the end was SO AMAZING. Plot twists like mad. Aaaghh I seriously regret not reading this sooner in order to get an ARC of Gemina because I am so excited now!...more
Part of my original review: I love every single character SO much and was paranoid about what 600+ pagesUpdated review before I read Empire of Storms!
Part of my original review: I love every single character SO much and was paranoid about what 600+ pages could possibly do to all of them. I've heard that I would either hate the direction the characters went in this book or love it, so let me say that I LOVE where this plot is heading.
New thoughts/random feels: Oh man, this book was long. I honestly had a hard time getting through it the third time. The first time I sped through in a panic that someone would die, but this time I was like nope I am not here to watch Nesryn or Chaol walk around a bunch of sewers.
But I absolutely adore Manon in this book! She is 100% my favorite character and all of her scenes were awesome. (Her fight with Aelin is epic). I could live with the witches all getting out of that Morath situation, though. I just NEED Manon to have more page time in EoS. And am I the only one who ships her with Elide??
This book felt more like a patchwork of fun scenes instead of a tighter plot arc like Crown of Midnight, but it still works. It's more like this bridge between Celaena's past and Aelin's present as both of her lives come together and she makes a new future. There are a lot of characters who all have different stories going at this point, too. And everything with Arobynn came to a perfect resolution!
One of my favorite parts is definitely (view spoiler)[Aedion's rescue (hide spoiler)]. It read like something out of the Black Swan ballet and was SO wonderfully vivid! I loved every scene with Aedion even though there weren't nearly enough. I really hope he survives EoS... and maybe meets Gavriel? (And I'm super intrigued by Galan. Bring that guy back).
I like Rowan as a character, but am not here for the ships. I'm here for the awesome world and Aelin's journey. And, yes, Aelin was a bit different in this book, but at least her mood swings and struggles are complex/realistic and she hasn't gone the direction of Mare in Glass Sword or shut down. And hooray for Lysandra + female friendships that past the Bechdel test.
And I know I say this in like every ToG rant but: someone give Dorian a hug. That poor guy is having a rough year...
Also, THE ACTION SCENES HERE ARE SO WELL DONE. I tend to skim action scenes in a lot of books, but these are really great. The whole last 15% was so intense! I love how these books don't end with total cliffhangers, either. Like they lead into awesome plots for the next book, but wrap everything up all nicely at the same time so you're not a complete mess. (Except I am right now... can you be in a reading slump out of excitement for a new release)?
PLEASE do not post Empire of Storms spoilers in the comments below. Play nice, kids....more
Fireheart – why do you cry? “Because I am lost,” she whispered onto the earth. “And I do not know the way.”
This seriously might be the most emotionalFireheart – why do you cry? “Because I am lost,” she whispered onto the earth. “And I do not know the way.”
This seriously might be the most emotional book I've ever read. I'm going through this series for the fourth time and need to rewrite this whole fangirling review in some attempt to explain how amazing Maas is…
(There might be a minor spoiler with how I refer to Celaena in the next sentence, buuuut I'm not sure how anyone's avoided that by this point). This is the book where it’s kind of confusing whether I should call her Celaena or Aelin because she’s both, yet neither...
The series has always been about Celaena’s journey for me, so this is definitely my favorite Throne of Glass book out of the first four! This is the point where she faces her past, tries to forgive herself, and finally accepts herself as Aelin. She completely breaks apart, finds herself at rock bottom, and rebuilds herself into a new person.
This is definitely my favorite book for Celaena/Aelin because her character growth is brutally raw and incredibly realistic. Like my personality is COMPLETELY different from hers, yet I have never connected with a character this much. You can actually feel her despair, isolation, grief, and survivor's guilt. The whole story is an emotional rollercoaster and is still one of the few books that can make me legitimately tear up (that whole "get up" scene towards the end... omg).
Celaena spends most of the book training with Rowan, who’s also trying to heal in his own way. (And the way that Feyre & Rhys helped each other recover from Under the Mountain really reminded me of Celaena & Rowan’s journey the first time I read ACOMAF). They're both broken but figure it out together:
”Someone who might – who did understand what it was like to be crippled at your very core, someone who was still climbing inch by inch out of that abyss. Perhaps they would never get out of it, perhaps they would never be whole again, but… “Together she said, and took his outstretched hand. And somewhere far and deep inside her, an ember began to glow.
All of her character growth in this book is beyond impressive and SO well executed. The last 20% of this book is intense, but the rest of it moves at a slightly slower pace (which still totally works). So the second and fourth books are a lot more action-packed, but I think this third book REALLY gives the series the character growth and substance it needs in order to be so powerful.
(I really do try to not turn every Maas review into a rant but then I hear from other people and get frustrated so here we go): people usually need to break and seriously remake themselves in order to be as strong as Aelin ends up being... otherwise it's just some hollow facade. (Like "badass assassin" is NOT Celaena's identity or personality. It's a persona she adopted in order to survive. She is more than that front... complex characters are ok and nobody is making you read this series if you hate it).
Everyone else’s storylines here really pale in contrast to Celaena/Aelin's, though. Like I seriously have the hardest time getting through the witch scenes in this book! I absolutely adore Manon in the following books, but really didn’t care about much except for her scenes with Abraxos. Her wyvern is basically Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon and they're just straight up adorable together.
And then the characters I initially thought I wanted to see more of, like Chaol and Dorian, weren’t terribly interesting in this book either. Dorian mostly tried to find ways to hide his magic and wound up in increasingly worse situations. Chaol sat in a lot of different chairs in different locations. Aedion walked a lot… they pondered stuff. Their stories were mostly a lot of preparing for the next book (but all totally necessary).
Things I want to see more of in Empire of Storms: - Luca randomly mentions that they “did have a female wander in with raw magic two years ago — she could do anything she wanted, summon any element, and she was here a week before Maeve called her to Doranelle and we never heard from her again.” TELL ME MORE. - Dorian's magic - Rowan’s cadre. - AEDION.
CAN I PLEASE GUSH ABOUT HOW MUCH I LOVE AEDION, THOUGH. I totally picture him as Thor and it’s pretty accurate… and he is the one death I could never handle.
And can someone please give Dorian a hug?!? That poor, lovable guy is so alone and ignored (even in Celaena’s flashbacks to when she met him as a kid). I adore his friendship with Celaena and how they can both see and accept each other as they are. And he knows Chaol loved a very narrow image of her:
”[Celaena] was not becoming anything different from what she always was and always had the capacity to be. You just finally saw everything. And once you saw that other part of her… you cannot pick and choose what parts of her to love.” “As for Celaena, you do not have the right to wish she were not what she is. The only thing you have a right to do is decide whether you are her enemy or her friend.”
Sorry, back to a side rant: Chaol is at a very confused place by the end of this book — he can no longer stand by everything he swore to defend and his entire identity is in question. People grow and change with life’s events and Maas does an absolutely amazing job with her complex characters. So, no I don’t think anyone is out of character in this book or the next. Especially Aelin:
"She didn't know what she needed... If she felt like admitting it, she actually didn't have the faintest clue who the hell she was anymore. All she knew was that whatever and whoever climbed out of that abyss of despair and grief would not be the same person who had plummeted in. And maybe that was a good thing."
AND ughhh that last line was so emotional (especially after reading The Assassin’s Blade): ”She was Aelin Ashryver Galathynius – and she would not be afraid."...more
What an absolute little gem of a story... this was like the definition of heartwarming and hilarious! I don't read a lot of graphic novels (ok, like nWhat an absolute little gem of a story... this was like the definition of heartwarming and hilarious! I don't read a lot of graphic novels (ok, like none) but I absolutely LOVED this. I was grinning like an idiot the whole way through and could not put it down!!
It's this awesome mix of medieval + science/technology with magic, knights, dragons, and villains who... save the kingdom? The story was super fun, but THE CHARACTERS ARE SO WELL DONE TOO. I was not expecting to find a favorite ship in a graphic novel! Seriously check this out because it's straight up adorable.
5 STARS ALL THE STARS. Oh my goodness this absolutely just became one of my all-time favorite books!
Never have I ever been so wrong about a book (or s5 STARS ALL THE STARS. Oh my goodness this absolutely just became one of my all-time favorite books!
Never have I ever been so wrong about a book (or so thrilled to be wrong). I first reviewed this book on May 4... right after ACOMAF. I was obviously in a major book hangover and don't think I had a lot of patience for literally anything. I ended up calling this a DNF after a short time with the intent to come back to it later because the writing was so gorgeous and I KNEW I would normally love this. I'm so glad I waited until I could give this my full attention, but I'm also super sad I didn't read this sooner!!
First of all, Roshani Chokshi can seriously write. Every sentence was a straight up piece of art. I kept staring at the pages like TELL ME HOW TO WRITE LIKE THIS. I was completely entranced the whole way through and loved every single scene SO much... it just kept getting better and better. The entire story was beyond gorgeous and magical and just aaaaahh I am totally failing to put my love for this into words so here's a gif of me while reading this:
I'm not sure if it's meant to have hints of the original Beauty & the Beast and the Hades/Persephone myth, but it feels like that to me. I remember reading some description from the publisher that said it had hints of Greek and Indian mythology. So maybe check this out if you like those stories or Alice in Wonderland and The Wrath and the Dawn? But it's really something completely original on its own!!!
I feel like trying to explain the plot ruins the magic of how everything unfolds, so I'll just say that it's totally not instalove in the end. Nor is the romance the main focus. It's just a really sweet, powerful story and I thought Maya was one of the strongest MCs I've seen in a long time. And the demon horse Kamala was hilarious... I usually get annoyed by talking animals but pretty sure Kamala was my favorite character in the end.
I didn't realize that I've been sort of reading on autopilot lately, but this story is so gloriously imaginative that I got SO into it. I don't know if some of the scenes were supposed to be as deep as I made them by reading various world religions and myths into everything, but I had fun so whatever.
I'm really looking forward to the next book about Gauri now! And absolutely anything else Roshani Chokshi writes.
Ok I know this whole review has really said nothing specific about the book and I'm so sorry I can't stop gushing about my love for it enough to actually shut up and say something useful. Apparently when I really love books this much all I can do is post gifs, so:
Well that was the most heartbreakingly stressful book ever. I am SO glad I waited until the third book came out to read this!!! I would've been a totaWell that was the most heartbreakingly stressful book ever. I am SO glad I waited until the third book came out to read this!!! I would've been a total mess otherwise. With the first book I ended up skimming chapters out of boredom, but this book was on a whole other level. I was flying through pages out of anxiety for characters I suddenly loved.
guys I really don't have words for how much I love this series and how perfect every bit of this book is. I love EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER so stinking muguys I really don't have words for how much I love this series and how perfect every bit of this book is. I love EVERY SINGLE CHARACTER so stinking much aaaagh ...more
Never have I ever related more to a fictional character than Anne. This is just the most adorable, heartwarming book ever and I honestly don't think INever have I ever related more to a fictional character than Anne. This is just the most adorable, heartwarming book ever and I honestly don't think I ever read it before this week! I have the movies practically memorized and they follow the books perfectly, so there was nothing terribly new in this story. The only obvious difference was that Gilbert isn't in the book as much.
But seeing Anne ramble on and on for pages more than made up for that. I just have to stick some of my favorite quotes in here:
"When people mean to be good to you, you don't mind very much when they're not quite–always."
"One can't stay sad very long in such an interesting world, can one?"
"Isn't it a wonderful morning? The world looks like something God imagined for His own pleasure, doesn't it? ...I'm so glad I live in a world where there are white frosts, aren't you?"
"Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?"
"It's nicer to think dear, pretty thoughts and keep them in one's heart like treasures. I don't like to have them laughed at or wondered over."
"Oh, it's delightful to have ambitions. I'm so glad I have such a lot. And there never seems to be any end to them– that's the best of it. Just as soon as you attain to one ambition you see another one glittering higher up still. It does make life so interesting."
"I like people who make me love them. It saves me so much trouble in making myself love them."
"Ruby Gillis says when she grows up she's going to have ever so many beaus on the string and have them all crazy about her; but I think that would be too exciting. I'd rather just have one in his right mind."
"Dear old world... you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you."
So if you've seen the movies, you're not really missing any of the book. But this story will never get old and now it can go on my favorites list! Because I seriously am Anne:
Holy character development. Why does this series ever have to end? I would read an entire book about them watching a mint plant grow at this point. IHoly character development. Why does this series ever have to end? I would read an entire book about them watching a mint plant grow at this point. I know I've raved about Maggie Stiefvater's writing before, but it only got better here. Everything is perfect....more
Updated thoughts from my re-read before Empire of Storms are all below!
Original review: HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?!
You win. All of you. You were right.Updated thoughts from my re-read before Empire of Storms are all below!
Original review: HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?!
You win. All of you. You were right. This series is everything.
I read Throne of Glass last year and was pretty unimpressed. I shoved the series in a corner of my bookshelf and tried to ignore the massive hype around these books in the book community. I don't even know how I ended up giving this series another shot, but pretty sure I'm chalking that up to one of the best life choices I've ever made.
Let me just say -- I get the hype now. I think I just got a new favorite series/obsession. And everything that annoyed me in the first book is completely gone! Celaena or whatever I'm supposed to call her dropped the high school mean girl act and is legitimately badass now. This book was totally everything I wanted from Throne of Glass but didn't get. The writing is a million times better, the execution is amazing, EVERYTHING IS PERFECT. It took me forever to read because I kept staring at it in shock like how is every single page this good?!?! Whyyyy did it take me so long to read this?! I knew most of the plot points already because there is just no avoiding this fandom, but that actually didn't ruin anything.
This seriously might be one of my top 10 favorite books of all time. Absolutely every part of the plot was perfect. There is NOTHING that I didn't like about it... like I seriously have nothing bad to say. I want to pick up the next book, but will probably just sit here in stunned silence for a bit. ____________________________________
Updates: Seriously read The Assassin's Blade before this book! It is a million times more emotional after that and Celaena's reactions make WAY more sense. And totally broke my heart. But I'm still not even going to try to summarize the plot here because the way it all gets unveiled is perfect.
But seriously, HOW IS THIS BOOK SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE FIRST ONE?!! Oh my goodness. I was fangirling the whole way through because the character development in this is AMAZING. And the plot arc and pacing are incredible... everything comes together so well. It's like the perfect balance of romance, action, suspense, mystery, awesome fantasy stuff, and drama.
The part that totally sold me on this series was that scene under the (view spoiler)[library/clocktower (hide spoiler)] that ends with the line "There was a scrape of nail against stone, and then the sound of breathing. It was not her own."
I love that Celaena becomes so much stronger in this book, yet also feels like she's at a weaker/more vulnerable point because she's trying so hard to fight for a good future without acknowledging the inevitable path she'll have to take. I cannot stand her in the first book but love her SO much in the sequels. Maas just does such an amazing job of writing complex characters with traumatic pasts who are completely broken, yet who still force themselves to keep going.
Ughh so many feels. Dorian seriously is the most underrated character in this series. Someone give the guy a hug and a friend asap :(
AND CAN WE TALK ABOUT CHAOL FOR A MINTUE?! He is so wonderful in this book and I love him so much. But I think fans can acknowledge that this series is about Celaena's journey. It's not about her love interest. But let me just go on a tangent about Chaol so I never have to talk about this stuff again:
(view spoiler)[I wouldn't go for a love triangle or changing love interest that didn't feel 100% authentic... but this is so incredibly well done. The characters are all complex, flawed, multi-dimensional, and don't stay static. They change with life's events, which is probably going to mean that sometimes old relationships are no longer the best situation for them... it happens.
If you read it again after knowing who Aelin is, their relationship is still beyond adorable but has some serious long-term obstacles. Chaol loved the very narrow image of Celaena that he wanted to see. Even while he loved her, he still worried about what she would do and was never completely comfortable with the other sides of her. THIS IS NOT A BAD THING, nor does it make him a bad person. Like you do not need to demonize Chaol in order to support Rowan or whatever. Chaol was perfect for Celaena at this point in her life. It's impossible for them to go back to how they were before, but that doesn't mean what they had was bad (so stop trying to turn Chaol into a Tamlin). I think both of their reactions are completely believable, it's all handled perfectly, and it adds so much to both characters and the story. Aaaaand guess what... it's fictional.
So I completely disagree with any hate that Chaol or Celaena or Maas get after this book. That might be an unpopular opinion, but I get to type whatever I want here. AND I LOVE IT ALL. (hide spoiler)]...more
Ok so 4.5 stars? I was more into the first book's story, but loved all of the characters here SO MUCH. Oh my goodness Lila is so badass and seriouslyOk so 4.5 stars? I was more into the first book's story, but loved all of the characters here SO MUCH. Oh my goodness Lila is so badass and seriously one of my favorite characters ever. She’s a crossdressing pirate/thief who sings her own theme song and fights for the thrill of it. This book is totally worth reading just for the flawed, amazing characters alone. I don’t want to say too much because anything about this plot would kind of ruin the first book if people haven’t read that.
Things that were awesome: - The detailed worldbuilding & solid writing - New characters like Alucard Emery! - The beginning and last 25% of the story - The Triwizard Tournament Essen Tasch - Delilah freaking Bard - AWESOME CLIFFHANGER ENDING (I like them if they're done well) - every single one of these precious characters...more
This book definitely took me some time to get into and I wasn't sure exactly what to make of it at first, but I ended up LOVING the characters so muchThis book definitely took me some time to get into and I wasn't sure exactly what to make of it at first, but I ended up LOVING the characters so much by the end!
I don't even know how to explain this story, but here are some basics: Blue lives with a family of psychic women in a cramped, eclectic house that's described super vividly. On St. Mark's Eve she sees the ghost or whatever of a boy named Gansey who's going to die within the coming year. She's told that she can see him because either he's her true love or she kills him. And she's always been told the first boy she kisses will die.
Blue then meets Gansey and a couple of his friends from his rich private school in real life and she gets pulled into their crazy world. Gansey is busy using his endless resources to hunt for the dead Welsh king Glendower who's supposedly buried on a nearby ley line aaaaand I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN THIS STORY but it just gets better and better (ok no, it peaks in the third book).
I guess you could say there's an element of magic to the story, but it never feels like outright magic? There are ley lines, energy readings, tarot cards and psychics, trees that speak Latin, and people who pull items from dreams, but it's all woven into a very realistic rural Virginia setting in a way that feels totally normal. So I think their world feels more like a WASP-ish occult Wonderland than "magic."
The amazing writing is what totally drew me in and made me fall in love with the characters! I loved the story and everything, but the elements that stuck out most to me were super random items or things that come to define the characters: Blue eats a lot of yogurt, Gansey chews mint leaves, Adam wears a coca cola t-shirt, Noah's all smudgy, and Ronan has his... charming personality. Ha. Ok no his raven too (in future books). Basically the writing is just so detailed that you get an incredibly clear portrait of each character.
And I LOVE THESE CHARACTERS SO MUCH. They really are some of my favorites. They're each so wonderfully flawed, brave, uncertain, and determined. Adam grew up in poverty in a trailer park with an abusive father, so he works several jobs to get a good education in order to get out of there. His story was probably my favorite because he feels like an outsider, yet he totally holds the group together. He grows SO much throughout the course of the series and totally broke my heart at times.
The whole plot about finding Glendower is really more of a fun background story... the main entertainment is watching these wonderful characters interact! I cannot gush about Maggie Stiefvater's writing enough and am so excited for the Ronan trilogy!!...more
I haven't written reviews for most of my favorite books because I just can't put into words how much I LOVE THEM. But it's been about a year since I lI haven't written reviews for most of my favorite books because I just can't put into words how much I LOVE THEM. But it's been about a year since I last read this, so I'll just go over the stuff that stuck with me...
I love retellings, but will admit that most of them are pretty weak. I'll still read them and like them all because they're retellings, but there are very few I actually love.
This book just blew past all retellings and most YA fantasy in general. I mean, I was decently into Cinder and Scarlet, but didn't really get the hype around this series until Cress. This book took the series to a COMPLETELY different level. The story has built up to something pretty complex by the third book, so I'm not going to try to explain/spoil the overall details. I'll just go into the characters:
Even though the book's called Cress, she's just one of several POVs because the Cinderella and Red Riding Hood characters from the previous books are still carrying the overall story too. Cress is the Rapunzel character who has been imprisoned in a satellite for years, so her hair is absolutely everywhere. She's a super awesome hacker who's been cloaking the Lunar ships, but also uses her computer skills to keep tabs on Thorne's illegal adventures (most of which we saw in the last book). Her celebrity crush on Thorne is probably the cutest thing ever when they end up in this desert adventure/test of survival together as all of the storylines cross.
THE CHARACTERS are so incredibly diverse and amazing and I just ahhhhh cannot explain how clever everything is. Thorne becomes a way stronger character in this book and is pretty much Nikolai Lantsov's twin. And Cress is straight up adorable and totally became one of my favorite characters of all time. She starts out as this damsel in distress but still gets stuff done despite being afraid, timid, or just uncertain what the world outside of her satellite is like.
And the friendships are seriously so wonderful! I feel like it's somewhat rare to see meaningful guy/guy friendships, strong guy/girl friendships that stay platonic, and healthy girl/girl friendships where they talk about something other than guys. I love every. single. character. And the whole story was even more creative and fun than the previous two!
The Lunar Chronicles really are one of the strongest YA series I've found since Harry Potter and I think all ages would love it. I made my elderly parents read it (I'm sure they'll love that I'm referring to them that way BUT they're 60+) and they really enjoyed this series too!...more
THIS BOOK IS AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE. Seriously, I've never been this ridiculously happy throughout an entire story.
**I had to add some updates to thTHIS BOOK IS AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE. Seriously, I've never been this ridiculously happy throughout an entire story.
**I had to add some updates to this business**
So full disclosure: I was 100% here for Rhysand and would have given this book 5 stars even if it was just his name scribbled in crayon for 600+ pages. You have been warned of my bias. (Also, I read this whole book on the day it was released, so I went into it without ANY hype. Going into it without any expectations helped a lot).
Anyways, Feyre's character growth is incredible and pretty much the central part of the story for me. I wasn't a huge fan of her in ACOTAR, but she reminds me of Aelin in Heir of Fire here with how she learns to respect herself, pieces herself back together, and starts to shape her own future. Feyre develops so much incredible self-awareness, honesty, and bravery (and Rhys supports her but she doesn't grow through him, which is so important). She becomes pretty badass by the end... and is now one of my favorite characters? Man, this book shocked the hell out of me so many times. Look at this character growth:
"I’m thinking that I was a lonely, hopeless person, and I might have fallen in love with the first thing that showed me a hint of kindness and safety. And I’m thinking maybe he knew that—maybe not actively, but maybe he wanted to be that person for someone. And maybe that worked for who I was before. Maybe it doesn’t work for who—what I am now."
I can't really summarize all these feels right now, so here's a list of the awesome: - The Court of Dreams/Rhysand's family - every single detail of the Night Court -- I need fan art asap - answers & the insight into all of Rysand's previous actions - how much Rhys supports and respects Feyre as an equal - actual healthy relationships with communication (friendships too) - the fact that this was never a love triangle - Rhys & Feyre form a solid friendship first (and she helps him tons) - Feyre leaves a toxic relationship for herself instead of another guy - I HAVE SO MUCH LOVE FOR HADES/PERSEPHONE RETELLINGS - awesome action scenes and pacing that never got slow - not seeing Tamlin's name on the page for long periods of time - how Nesta & Elain worked into the plot - awesome action scenes and pacing that never got slow - THAT ENDING. Painful but set up the sequel perfectly
I've seen some concerns that this book might be too steamy for teens, but I really don't think it's a bad thing for teens to read about consent in an empowering relationship for a change. I have seen SO many unhealthy relationships in YA books that romanticize abusive & controlling guys who are attractive because they're threatening (??). Rhys turns out to be the complete opposite of that here (and even if he does become too perfect, at least those positive traits are what's being romanticized). It was definitely more explicit than I thought was necessary, but I also think adults who shield teens from sex scenes have either forgotten what being a teen is like or truly don’t grasp the materials that teens see/read/live. Society has enough stuff that shames teen girls, so maybe ease up on this story about a strong female character going after the life & relationship that's healthiest for her.
Anyways, it's funny to look back at my review of ACOTAR last year where I said I'd be a way bigger fan of this series if the books dropped Tamlin and went to the Night Court. Hallelujah. I wasn't particularly huge on ACOTAR, but this just became one of my favorite books.
"Feyre is whoever she chooses to be." - YOU KNOW WHO.
_______________________________
My thoughts based on comments from others: - "Being in character" does not mean that you stay the exact same person forever and that life's events can't change you - Tamlin is still the same controlling character he was in ACOTAR. His behavior just stopped being romanticized by Feyre's POV. - I'm not sure if people who see Feyre as weak or got bored with her vomiting & fear at the start of this book really understand what it's like to be truly broken... - There seriously is no love triangle here at all. - Did everyone marry their first love or how/why is anyone upset when young characters change & grow and find someone new who fits the next stage of their life better?? - Maas is not condoning abusive relationships or Rhysand's previous behavior in any way, and Feyre doesn't fall in love with him while he's still like that thinking she can "change" him, etc. - I totally respect everyone who wasn't a fan of this book. The awesome part of book reviews is we can all have our own opinions (so basically everyone chill with messaging me on why this book sucked).
Random side rant #500 (I swear I'll be done with updates soon): Maas doesn't get nearly enough credit for how clever she is with weaving different myths together! This book isn't as obvious as the Tam Lin retelling in ACOTAR, but The Court of Dreams still blends figures from so many different cultures.... like how Azriel (the Jewish & Muslim angel of death) is into The Morrigan (partially like a powerful Irish goddess of battle/death), who is “distantly related” to Rhysand (the Hades figure in this Persephone retelling), which is all hilariously perfect.
MY FINAL RANT: If you're not thrilled that SJM is writing more companion books to this series, then... don't read them?! Just let the fans be excited without attacking them or the author.
It's been half a year now and I still can't find the words to review this masterpiece of a trilogy. The worldbuilding was so much fun. The charactersIt's been half a year now and I still can't find the words to review this masterpiece of a trilogy. The worldbuilding was so much fun. The characters were hilarious & real. The plot twists were incredible.
I loved every single thing about it... SO I now present to you the feels broken down in annoying gifs:
How I feel about Nikolai:
How I feel about The Darkling:
How I feel about Mal:
The beginning of this book in the caves:
The third amplifier twist:
THAT ENDING:
I'm fine with the end. Alina could've wound up with any guy (or alone) and I would've gone with it. I just WANTED TO SEE (view spoiler)[NIKOLAI ALIVE & HAPPY (hide spoiler)] so at least that worked out. But I'm still not over a certain character's death... (view spoiler)[the Darkling is hands-down the greatest villain character I've seen in a long time and his story in "The Demon in the Wood" just makes everything even more sad. (hide spoiler)]
There you go. Pretty sure that's the most gifs I've ever used in my life. Sorry for the hour that probably took to load...
Ok no this is not my attempt to write a review (because, let's face it, I'll never be able to put my love for this series into words). I just have oneOk no this is not my attempt to write a review (because, let's face it, I'll never be able to put my love for this series into words). I just have one very important observation...
If you're a fan of Once Upon A Time, don't tell me that Emma & Hook aren't totally an older version of Alina & the Darkling with her white hair and his guyliner:
Ok, I’m going to finally try to explain my UNDYING LOVE FOR THIS AMAZING WORLD… calmly. Yes.
So basically, this is the book that got me into book bloggOk, I’m going to finally try to explain my UNDYING LOVE FOR THIS AMAZING WORLD… calmly. Yes.
So basically, this is the book that got me into book blogging. This time last year I read a couple YA books each month, but didn’t really connect with anything. Then I picked this book up and… was done with the entire trilogy in 2 days. I went into it knowing absolutely nothing, so maybe just ignore the hype and have fun. (I’m not going to summarize the plot here, though, because that would take forever AND the book description below is accurate).
I really like light fantasy books with creative worlds, magic, fast-moving stories I can get invested in, characters I can connect with, and fun plot twists. This book has everything. And I know people complain about the whole “chosen one” girl with super special powers narrative here, BUT this series takes YA tropes and actually uses them well instead of throwing them in as some kind of checklist. Everything worked!
There are very minor spoilers starting now…
I absolutely adore the characters in later books (NIKOLAI IS EVERYTHING) but the best parts of this first book are the worldbuilding and The Darkling. Somehow this series made me sympathize with a mass murderer and actually want him to succeed? I’m usually not someone who blindly supports the villain, either (and I am super reluctant to call him a villain). I was reading this at a time when I was getting pretty tired of overly simplified “dark” characters, so I really appreciated how complex and REAL he ended up being. And for everyone who says this romance happened quickly… pretty sure he’s meant to be a whole lot more than a love interest? And, no, it’s not a healthy relationship; it’s messy, raw, manipulative, and brilliantly done.
I just love how complicated everything gets and how nobody is purely good or evil. No matter how creative fictional worlds get, I still want some basic realistic elements in the relationships. Even the most evil people truly believe they’re doing something positive/helpful, so it was nice to see such vivid characters.
So anyways… back to the rest of the story. There are other wonderful characters besides The Darkling! I really like how the main character has a strong backstory and flaws. Like she doesn’t have the best attitude and makes some poor decisions, but it’s part of what made her relatable. (And these attributes had believable cause, rather than the her just being generally cranky like many other “tough” MCs in books I’ve read lately).
Mal was actually a totally lovable character, too! He was just in the unfortunate position of being contrasted with two extremely charismatic characters, so I cared about him the least. There’s also an awesome cast of fun secondary characters and I just loved everyone!
But can we just talk about what an amazing writer Leigh Bardugo is?! The authenticity of her word is what really pulled me in. I LOVE medieval fantasy worlds and will never tire of them, but they are all sort of the same. The Grishaverse is seriously unlike anything I’ve ever found and I just love it SO MUCH. It’s this fantasy Russia-type world that feels like it’s been there forever… and will totally continue doing its thing long after the book ends.
The story quickly established a strong sense of history, a class system, and culture, but I think the way the magic works is what really made the world real for me. Like there are clearly defined rules and limits and I really appreciated that! I get really hesitant when a new magic system is introduced in most stories because it usually creates a ton of plot holes or else is just some vague concept that jumps in whenever the story needs a quick save. The magic in this series is really well done… like there are clearly defined limits to what magic can and cannot do. And all of this is established without an infodump as the story progresses. Hallelujah.
Basically, this whole world is amazing. The characters are wonderful. The story is an emotional adventure full of plot twists and drama.
The series got even better as it progressed, so if you weren’t completley into the first book maybe hang in there? And if you read Six of Crows first don’t look for an identical story here — they’re very different but both really fun!!...more
Ok let me try to actually talk about something besides Magnus. First(view spoiler)[MAGNUS LOVES CLEO MAGNUS LOVES CLEO MAGNUS LOVES CLEO(hide spoiler)]
Ok let me try to actually talk about something besides Magnus. First things first, though -- HOW IS JONAS STILL ALIVE FOR THIS BOOK?! Five minutes into it he comes up with the brilliant disguise of a haircut and an eyepatch. Seriously? He's like the freaking Clark Kent of disguises over there. And I love how he's always so shocked when people see right through his schemes. I love the kid, but I can't believe he's only died once.
Anyways, Cleo's character development is amazing and she's quickly becoming my favorite. She went from being incredibly naive and annoying in the first book to a pretty badass YA heroine at this point. Towards the end of this book she's just done waiting around for anyone to rescue her and it is absolutely amazing.
But also... MAGNUS IS EVERYTHING. That is all. ...more
Ok, first -- can we just talk about how Jonas is the most useless rebel to ever rebel? The poor guy has done so much over the course of 3 books, and yOk, first -- can we just talk about how Jonas is the most useless rebel to ever rebel? The poor guy has done so much over the course of 3 books, and yet... absolutely nothing. He's like that kid in class who the teacher thinks is a genius but really just scrapes by on luck, chance, and other people’s work. At this rate he's probably going to stumble onto the throne accidentally and wind up ruling. And I love it all.
Anyways, yeah, there are a lot of Game of Thrones comparisons that could be made. There are the semi-incestuous siblings whose dad is the cruelest king ever. There’s a Watcher boy who travels in the body of a hawk. There’s a Sansa figure (Cleo) whose entire family was killed, her kingdom overthrown, and she has to marry the new prince and stay alive in the enemy's castle. There’s this power-hungry douchey kid with a sadistic streak who kills people for fun. There’s this random gay royal guy from another land who has a brief shining plotline and then gets murdered. Oh, and there’s the whole medieval land with a ton of interwoven characters who are all killing each other right and left and NOBODY IS SAFE.
But I honestly like this series more than Game of Thrones. It might not be as complex, but it also doesn’t have 50,000 characters I have to keep straight, rambling prose, and graphic sex (which some people do love, but it’s not my cup of tea). I’m still hoping Cleo gets some dragons to take back her family’s throne, though…
SO MUCH LOVE FOR THIS BOOK. I thought it was going to be a YA science fiction story in futuristic London, but then it turned into some Russian historiSO MUCH LOVE FOR THIS BOOK. I thought it was going to be a YA science fiction story in futuristic London, but then it turned into some Russian historical romance that morphed into some post-apocolyptic revenge story on an oceanic research station? I don't even know how to explain it, but I loved it and need to go shove it at everyone I see.
But the story... oh my goodness. It's one of the most creative concepts I've read in a long time! Marguerite goes jumping through multiple universes to chase the guy she thinks killed her father. A whole lot of stuff happens and she falls in love with her alternate self's bodyguard version of that guy (this makes way more sense than how I'm explaining it, I promise). I really have no idea how to explain the plot, but it's so much fun.
Anyways, the sequel is awesome as well and everything just keeps getting more and more imaginative and plot-twisty. The biggest selling point for me was probably fantasy Russia, but there's kind of something for everyone in here.
OH MY GOODNESS I WAS NOT EXPECTING TO LOVE THIS SO MUCH. I don't know how to function until the next book. I was expecting to kind of like it, but I jOH MY GOODNESS I WAS NOT EXPECTING TO LOVE THIS SO MUCH. I don't know how to function until the next book. I was expecting to kind of like it, but I just couldn't put it down. The setting, diverse characters, and twist on an old story were so unique. The writing was actually really good and I'm reserving all judgement on what felt like some weak plotlines with the magic stuff because it seems like the next book will get into it more. Plus, Shahrzad is such an intelligent, capable, strong female character that this book would get 5 stars even if it had no plot.
How have I not written anything for this yet?! This is still one of my favorite YA books! 4.5 stars overall.
I was lucky enough to go into this book wiHow have I not written anything for this yet?! This is still one of my favorite YA books! 4.5 stars overall.
I was lucky enough to go into this book without hearing ANY hype or having any expectations, so I was instantly pulled in and thought it was so much fun. I know people say that a lot of the elements in Red Queen have been done before (like the girl from a poor background who finds out she has super special snowflake powers). So yes, I'll admit this is true. The story itself really is like a blend of a bunch of other YA books... BUT it's a blend of all of the best parts of the other stories! That's what made this book work so well for me: it was exactly what I wanted to read. Like some perfect little recipe without any excess filler. There were castles, princes, politics & plots, special powers that are kind of like magic, an original world, etc.
I think Victoria Aveyard's writing style was what really stood out here -- this whole book reads like a screenplay. You can totally see the whole movie unfolding! The pacing was totally perfect and everything flowed really smoothly. The whole story just seemed really polished and I never once got bored.
Mare is an awesome main character -- believable, strong, compassionate. She's motivated out of love for her family and friends and is realistically flawed. And I totally loved Cal & Maven, but Kilorn was a total Mal (from the Grisha trilogy). He's nice but he's just never going to be the center of attention.
I was a little hesitant about what seemed like a love triangle or square or whatever but OH MY GOODNESS THAT PLOT TWIST. BEST THING EVER. (view spoiler)[And the part where she chose herself over any guy pretty much solidified this rating (hide spoiler)].
So the story isn't super original or complex, but it's just plain fun and entertaining!!...more
This is my third time reading Kiss of Deception and I'm still having an identity crisis. Like which one is he, who do I actually like, WHO AM I EVEN.This is my third time reading Kiss of Deception and I'm still having an identity crisis. Like which one is he, who do I actually like, WHO AM I EVEN. I love this series so much.
I'm so excited for the final book that I'm reading all of these again to get ready. And this perfect little book is still everything YA fantasy should be. Like the pacing started to kind of drag a little in the last bit but I didn't even care because I loved the world and characters so much.
The basic plot: Lia doesn't want to marry this prince she's never met, so she flees her kingdom with her best friend and ends up in the world's cutest little fishing village where they work as tavern maids. The story is told through the alternating POVs of Lia, the snubbed prince who is tracking her, and an assassin paid to kill her. The story's execution is easily the best part, so I don't want to spoil anything else.
Things that worked perfectly: - the worldbuilding is gorgeous and SO detailed - strong female friendships that pass the Bechdel test - MAGIC AND PRINCES AND POLITICS AND CASTLES YES - that freaking plot twist. - the fishing village is one of my favorite book settings ever - so many wonderful, strong characters - I need more main characters like Lia. She's capable, determined, and resourceful, yet caring. She gets stuff done without being rude about it.
So the first time I read this I thought that Kaden was Rafe, and then when I realized I was wrong I stayed loyal to the role/name and just jumped characters? Idk this book messes with my head so much. This time I just plowed through the whole thing like "#TeamKaden don't make me second guess this." And we're good.
This is actually the first time I've read this book the whole way through! I had this movie memorized by the time I was 7, so I've always set the bookThis is actually the first time I've read this book the whole way through! I had this movie memorized by the time I was 7, so I've always set the book aside when the beginning chapters weren't done in as much detail.
And yes, a lot of detailed movie scenes are summarized in a few sentences in the book, BUT I finally admitted that the book expands in so many other areas! I loved seeing more into Elinor's mind and got a way stronger understanding of Marianne's character. They're still two of my absolute favorite Austen heroines. I love how whole story is just so wonderfully complex and still completely relatable today. And in the end I actually felt like I got a way richer story out of the book despite characters like Mrs. Jennings not having quite as much dialogue (I just adore her in the movie).
Jane Austen really is on an entirely different level as an author, though. She's so incredibly insightful, witty, and just saw the world in such a clear way. I think Persuasion is still my favorite Austen novel, but this is still one of my favorite books!...more
Cait • A Page with a View
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