July 7, 2018
Demon’s Destiny by Sarah Bailey
Demon’s Destiny by Sarah Bailey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A well written paranormal romance between two passionate characters, Ella and Lukas.
This book surprised me from the very beginning with the author’s concise language and ability to tell a great, and original story. There were some fantasy and supernatural elements throughout which were entwined well. I was extremely happy because too many times have I read a romance and said, wow that’s cheesy, but with “Demon’s Destiny” I never caught myself saying that once. I was eager to continue reading after every chapter, right down to the last page. I highly recommend it to people who enjoy paranormal romances with well-written steamy scenes, a strong plot, and relatable characters. The author built us up enough to be excited for book 2 without leaving us with the dreaded cliffhanger at the end.
Loved it!
June 22, 2018
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love love love the cover. The artwork is beautiful. When I finally received this book in the mail, the first thing I did was admire the design. Flawless. Then I opened the book and I surprised that there was an excerpt from the NEXT book, so instead of reading the actual story, I skipped to the end, excited to see what Sarah J. Maas had in store for us because I’m greedy like that.
I’m not sure what direction the following books will take us in, I suspect there will be a war between the courts, and that the human queens are plotting against them as we speak. Part of me wonders, will Amarantha or the King of Hybern be resurrected? Is there a slight chance that a small piece of them was saved and that a ritual will be performed to bring them back as Jurian was? Also, I am still wondering, are Cassian and Nesta mates? What is going on here with all that tension?!
Back to the original story… I read all of the reviews before I bought this book – regardless of the reviews I wanted to buy it. I also researched all the potential spoilers just as I had for the previous books because I don’t like surprises and I wanted to know EXACTLY how we got to that point in the story… Based on the underwhelming reviews and lack of conflict, I went in knowing what to expect – and that wasn’t another epic adventure. I expected to find out how people were faring after the war, and how they were dealing with the trauma and their ghosts. I went in expecting this to be a bridge to the next stories, a stepping stone. Based on my expectations, I was not disappointed. If I had not researched this book and went in expecting another epic installment, then yes I would be.
I would still recommend this book to everyone who is a fan of Sarah J. Maas, especially those who are fans of ACOTAR series as I believe this is crucial to the character development in the books to come. And also, fans always appreciate new releases by their favorite author.
June 22, 2018
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The first portion of this book was a little slow for me but I did love every waking minute of it. I’m not sure if I am in love with the ToG series or ACOTAR series more… ToG is written in my favorite POV, so I am swayed more, yet ACOTAR is so unbelievably beautiful and magical…
Queen of Shadows, where do I begin? This entire book seemed carefully planned, even the actions of the characters were precise, all events leading up to the climax… I found myself wanting to read more about Manon and Abraxys, and less about the other characters. The connection I once felt towards Celaena/Aelin I now feel more towards other characters. It may be the shift that happened in Heir of Fire, but I have been finding myself less invested in Aelin’s fate. I have taken a fondness to Rowan and am deeply frustrated that we weren’t given that steamy scene between them that I was screaming for the entire book. The tension was ridiculous, I was cringing and giving myself wrinkles with all the faces I was making… Hopefully, when I open Empire of Storms, I will find myself satisfied in that aspect.
I really did love this book, I loved all the mini stories throughout, at times I felt like there were too many little stories, but I felt like they were executed well and there was a purpose behind all of them. Nothing is worse than having an author write in another character’s pov and it really has no point being there – story filler – … Sarah J. Maas doesn’t do that, thank god. I love reading her books.
Packed with several moments of holding your breath, gasps, and twists in the story as all of Sarah J. Maas’ books are, I sincerely enjoyed every moment of this book. It was easy to become lost between the pages. Looking forward to the next books, and all others.
I would recommend this to fans of the High Fantasy genre, strong female leads, little bursts of romance, plenty of ass kicking, and those who love epics that are heavy on the conflict. I would not recommend that you read this book if you haven’t read the previous books in the series as you will not understand the significance of the events at this point.
June 3, 2018
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I finished reading this a few hours ago, and it left me in a place in my mind that was so unsettling that I needed to go for a walk to clear my head. From the beginning to the very end, I was captivated. I loved so much about this book, even though we were in some form of battle the entire time. It’s hard to believe that between this book and A Court of Mist and Fury, a year had passed in the world of Prythian.
Where to even begin with this review? My mind is still blown, I am still flabbergasted. Before reading this book, I read several of the reviews on Goodreads and the main complaint from readers was the overuse of the word Mate, some of the descriptions being too overwhelming, and some of the reviews even went as far as to claim the book required another round of editing. So I went in knowing what the claimed weaknesses were, and to be honest, the overuse of the word Mate did not bother me. The overpowering descriptions were to my liking, and though I found myself on occasion re-reading a paragraph because it reading slightly awkward at times, I do not believe that warranted the “additional round of editing”.
I think – I loved everything about this book besides the fact that I cried so many times that I made myself sick, especially near its end. The battle scenes were epic and well described. At times I had to stop reading and go back because it was getting so intense and fast-paced that my eyes were starting to skip words with all the excitement.
I appreciate how Sarah J. Maas used each and every character she ever created and brought them to this finale. I loved how emotional and powerful each scene became, how realistic and how unsettling each moment was. I was cringing as I clung to this damn book. Unable to put it down, yet, not wanting to finish it because I didn’t want it to be over. Though, I wasn’t satisfied with the ending. It felt too much like an ‘All’s well that ends well’ moment. And I’m not saying that I don’t like a happy ending, but I felt like too much was unresolved, and there wasn’t enough closure. I’m not sure what A Court of Frost and Starlight is about as I haven’t yet read the reviews, but I wish that I knew more about Tamlin’s fate, Lucien and Elain, and whether or not Cassian and Nesta’s mating bond snaps into place. I almost feel like the ending was a little rushed and we were trying to close it down as neatly and simply as possible…
That being said, I may add to this review later, but for now… I need to reflect on what I’ve read. This book was and is an emotional rollercoaster that I am still recovering from. Great read though.
I would recommend this book to fans of the high fantasy genre, strong female leads, action-packed scenes, battles, magic, heavy emotion… I didn’t find the romance to be too heavy in this book as it was in the last 2… I would not recommend that you read this book if you haven’t yet read A Court of Thorns and Roses (1) and A Court of Mist and Fury (2).
May 31, 2018
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Heir of Fire is divided into two parts, heir of ash being part one and heir of fire being part two.
In all honesty, it took me a while to become accustomed to the constant switching of pov between the characters. Once I did, I found myself most drawn to the story of Manon and Abraxos, and less interested in other characters such a Chaol, Aedion, Dorian, and at times, Celaena’s story (Aelin).
Part One, Heir of Ash is why I rated the book a 4/5. I wasn’t drawn into the story quickly as I had been with Throne of Glass, and Crown of Midnight. It wasn’t until I finished part 1 and moved on to Part 2 Heir of Fire that I couldn’t put down the book. So I started and finished Part 2 today and am now halfway through a Court of Wings and Ruin as well…
Because I’ve already read the ACOTAR series, there are several references in Heir of Fire that led me to believe that there is some kind of bond between Rowan and Aelin. Perhaps not the mating bond because Rowan’s mate was killed centuries before, but is it impossible to have a second mate in this instance? I mean, they are already Carranam, and Rowan is bound to her by blood-oath by the end of the story, yet Sarah J. Maas writes of a connection, of a thread, some kind of pull between them that reaches deeper than the oath and their ability to share power.
I really enjoyed the story, the world building is always fantastic, the characters are always strong, but I feel like… The characters started making some unusual choices near the end of the book. As if they were becoming stupid and careless… Not particularly ecstatic about how everything fell apart in the end, but it’s setting us up for a great sequel, which is sitting on my shelf waiting to be read, Queen of Shadows… What else can I say? I love Sarah J. Maas’s books.
I wish there was a bit more romance in this book, or some kind of action… The story between Dorian and Sorchya didn’t really win me or sway me at all, and as we all know… It kind of ended. Ended for sure. As I always am after reading her books, eager to read the next and see what kind of adventure she has in store for me.
I would recommend this book to all high fantasy fans, young adult fiction fans, those who love strong female leads, action, adventure, and powerful descriptions. I would not recommend this book if you haven’t read the first two in the series. Make sure you’ve read Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight before you pick this book up!
Thoroughly enjoyed it.
May 21, 2018
The Flower of Vedeno by Richard Ryker
The Flower of Vedeno: A Short Story by Richard Ryker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Great short story!
Wow! This was very gripping… I could see this being expanded into a full novel. The descriptions and clarity of each scene pulled me in from beginning to end.
May 20, 2018
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It took me 2.5 days to motor through this beast… From beginning to the end, I was captivated. I wrote a previous review on A Court of Thorns and Roses regarding the future relationship of Rhysand and Feyre because I couldn’t understand after reading book one, how it would progress to that point, (I knew this in advance thanks to ALL THE SPOILERS ON THE DAMN INTERNET). So, thanks to the people that constantly posted everything all over the internet, the book wasn’t much of a surprise. Thanks… Sarcasm. Thanks for ruining the book for me.
I loved this book. Every waking minute of it. I haven’t loved a book series so fiercely since I was 13 years old and the world of Harry Potter was coming to life around me. I am not comparing this series to that series, just saying my passion for a series hasn’t ignited like this, since then.
Where to begin? There was a lot of well-written story in this book. A lot of depth. A lot of pain. Passion. The story was the continuation after A Court of Thorns and Roses (book 1), but it shifted focus from Tamlin and Feyre to Rhysand and Feyre. I do not believe that the story was about their mating bond, though it was hinted and mentioned heavily throughout, we discovered this near the end (but were suspecting it around midpoint). I don’t believe it was a love story of how Feyre fell for the High Lord of the Night Court. I believe this story was how Feyre and Rhysand came to heal, after being so bitterly broken under the mountain. Finding strength and comfort within each other, allowing them to get past their demons which Amarantha instilled in them, and giving them the courage to continue, and now face the King of Hybern.
Damn Sarah J. Maas for creating so much sexual tension for three-quarters of the book. By the time they actually gave into each other, I was so spent of this built up tension. I couldn’t take it anymore. It was becoming a tease, and in turn, frustrating. I read a lot of complaints from other people saying that the sex scenes were too explicit but really they weren’t. It wasn’t like reading a passage from an erotica novel by any means. It was just barely enough after all the teasing she did with us between the Feyre and Rhysand.
So, after reading this book, I agree with some of the other reviewers who said the leap from how Tamlin was in the first book to his personality in the second, plus the twist at the end, was a little too much for me. I understand that he’s probably suffering from PTSD or maybe he’s just super jealous, obsessive, etc. But there was no indication of that in the first novel. If there had been some kind of glimpse of this, I would’ve believed it a bit more, but this kind of threw me for a loop. Or maybe it already planted the idea in my head because of those damned spoilers again.
World building, staggering as always. Character development, fantastic. The plot, lots of twists and turns that kept you wondering. A few cliches throughout, but none that harm the story.
I would recommend this book to people that enjoy High Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Romance, Adventure, Actions, Suspense, and Female Leads.
Happy that I read this book, and I’ve already purchased the next on Amazon. Also heading over to Indigo/Chapters to buy Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass Series).
May 17, 2018
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was patiently waiting for this book to be shipped to me… I pretty much finished it in one day. Love the world that Sarah J. Maas has created, and the depth behind the story is staggering. I am very excited about this series, it’s an easy read. The words flow perfectly across the page. I felt like the beginning and end were written very well. Not too much was said; not rushed. Enough was said that I am satisfied; no cliffhanger. I am ordering the next book from amazon as we speak. Sarah J. Maas is fast-tracking to be my new favorite author. I resonate and can relate to every sentence written.
So, for people who haven’t read the Throne of Glass Series. It’s written in 3rd person which personally is my favorite pov. High Fantasy, Romance, Action, Suspense… Quite a bit of Mystery as well… Strong female lead, lots of bad-assery, but also a warning… Murder, Slaughtering, butchering, and death. Not overly graphic but it’s there. I give 5 stars and highly recommend. Be prepared to read it in 1 sitting.
May 12, 2018
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Where to begin? I found out about this book on Instagram and a fellow reader recommended it, but not because it was amazing. They recommended it because they didn’t enjoy it and they couldn’t understand all the hype which surrounded it. So I bought the book and decided I would take a look.
First, a lot of effort and time went into this book. That much is clear, it’s almost 500 pages. I can respect the amount of time, blood, sweat and tears it took to create this. Unfortunately, this is not the book for me. It took me 180 pages to finally start enjoying the story (I never quit a book, I will force myself to finish it because sometimes it becomes better near the end), I enjoyed it for approximately 200 pages in the middle, and then I skimmed through the end. I was thoroughly disappointed in the ending. It seemed rushed, and unbelievable.
***Spoiler Alert***
All of the sudden, King Leck was dead. I thought the manner of which he died was cool, his spell was momentarily broken only by the truths he told as opposed to the lies which clouded peoples judgment. It seemed rushed though. Then, they rush all the way back to the mountains where Po is miraculously alive but blind? What bothered me is that Katsa traveled halfway across the world and back, getting mauled, attacked, and killing others to protect Bitterblue for Po, and when she finally reunites with Po, there’s no spark? It says they grew close again, but I have a hard time believing that if you didn’t love someone, you wouldn’t endure what she endured for him. The ending made me pitch the book from my bed. I get it, Katsa doesn’t want to marry. Cool. Got that in the first couple of chapters. It really bothered me that she was ok with separating from him AGAIN at the end of the book. All this talk about, oh his ring means this, his ring means that, I love you, I’m giving my entire inheritance to you in case I die because you deserve a better life, and then at the very end, the emotion between them seems awkward, forced, and then they part ways again anyways. When this confusing, hot and cold, mixed signals thing between the author and the characters and myself began to happen, I skimmed through the rest of the book.
***End of Spoilers***
That being said, a lot of work went into the book, it was written thoughtfully, precisely, there was a lot of depth to the story, and the world the author built was no less than impressive. But as I mentioned, it is not for me.
I would recommend this book to people who like a strong female lead as opposed to the typical damsel in distress, fans of the high fantasy genre, and action and adventure packed books.
April 30, 2018
Avengers: Infinity War Movie Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo.
Iron Man, Thor, the Hulk and the rest of the Avengers unite to battle their most powerful enemy yet — the evil Thanos. On a mission to collect all six Infinity Stones, Thanos plans to use the artifacts to inflict his twisted will on reality. The fate of the planet and existence itself has never been more uncertain as everything the Avengers have fought for has led up to this moment.
COMING SOON – THERE WILL BE SPOILERS
I will give a little more time before I post this review. I don’t want to ruin it for the people who didn’t rush to the theatre.
April 27, 2018 – A Court of Thorns and Roses – Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although it did take me a few chapters to “get into” the story unlike Throne of Glass which captivated me from the first page. I could see myself rereading this over and over again, it was an easy read for me. Flawless. A lot of time and effort went into creating this world.
This book is a masterpiece. Every sentence is better than the last. At times I was reminded of the creation of Narnia with the description of the singing and colors emerging, and at times I was reminded of the Hobbit from the small unlikely hero to the court Under the Mountain.
I also enjoyed the building romance between Tamlin and Feyre. I’m disappointed that people keep talking about a romance between Rhys and Feyre in the later books, hopefully, that’s not the case because I really don’t like Rhysland’s character and I don’t see how they’re compatible in any sense. *Insert Super Angry Face Here*
I would recommend this book to fans of Throne of Glass, there were similar elements near the end of the books that reminded me of the tests/trials that took place. Fans of Hunger Games, obviously. This felt like an adult version remake of Beauty and the Beast which was also cool. If you like plot-driven fantasy with strong female leads, this is a great book for you to indulge in. Not too many twists, but the story was solid and the world-building was fantastic. Be prepared to read this in one sitting.
April 25, 2018 – Thoughtful – S. C. Stephens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’ve read this book at least five times, and every time I read it again I am completely sucked into the world of Kellen Kyle. I am captivated by how fiery and so passionate his character is. I never realized how long this book was as I previously read it on my e-reader, yet at the end of the book, I was disappointed because it was over, already. The scenes written are believable, relatable, and make your heart hurt in all the right places for the pain Kellan experiences throughout the story. The resolve at the end is sweet; one of the things I like about S. C. Stephens stories are the “happy endings” where all the characters and their lives fall into place. All is how it should be.
I loved this series in its entirety, but after reading Thoughtful, I really hope that S. C. Stephens writes Effortless and Reckless in Kellen’s point of view as well.
I would recommend this book to people who like a book being packed with romance, drama, and seat-gripping scenarios.
April 23, 2018 – Throne of Glass – Sarah J. Maas
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was interesting… Within a few sentences, I was hooked. I love the 3rd person pov, all my favorite stories were written in it.
I started this yesterday, and I stayed up until 5 am reading it until I finished the entire thing. I couldn’t put it down, no. I didn’t want to put it down. I haven’t been so consumed by a book since I was fourteen and the Harry Potter Series was still releasing books.
I really enjoyed the story here, it is very similar to Hunger Games at times, but it also reminded me of The Chamber of Secrets because of the beast that was summoned by Cain which he traveled under the castle through secret tunnels/the sewer to kill off the other champions (students in hp). I was even thinking hey, this reminds me of Red Queen, but Throne of Glass was written first so now I know where certain elements of Red Queen came from.
I really enjoyed the characters, I enjoyed the built of tension and kindling romances here, I enjoyed the twists throughout, I think I truly loved everything about this book. I seen a lot of mixed reviews saying this wasn’t her greatest book… If that’s the case, I can’t wait to read the rest.
Amazing!
April 18, 2018 – The Dark Tower and Other Stories – C. S. LEWIS
The Dark Tower and Other Stories by C.S. Lewis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Something about C. S. Lewis that captivates me… Although large pieces of the manuscript are missing from The Dark Tower, the story itself is fascinating and refreshing. I read the entire story in one sitting, which makes me very happy since I’ve been having bad luck with books lately and was praying that I wasn’t losing my passion for reading. Interesting, and intriguing. Happy I discovered this!
April 16, 2018 – Ready Player One – Ernest Cline
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I bought this book under the assumption that it would be like the movie. The first 5 chapters were difficult to get into but seeing all the hype that surrounded this book and movie I forced myself to keep reading. Making myself believe that the reason I wasn’t enjoying the book because it was Sci-Fi and I really don’t like Sci-Fi, I continued to read with hopes that it would become easier and that at some point I would enjoy it.
That being said, I never got lost in the book itself like I do with other books. I had to set multiple time blocks of 1 hour to read through pages of it. They were the longest one-hour segments of my life. I feel there was a lot of over-explaining going on to the point that the read became tedious. The 80’s references were too frequent, and I really can’t believe that the character had time to watch a single movie over 4 dozens times plus whatever else they were doing.
The movie adaptation is much better. They really cleaned up the characters and the story. They simplified it in a way that made it enjoyable. If I could recommend advice to people who haven’t read it but are curious; just watch the movie. Read some of the reviews.
I found the book strenuous, and long.
That’s not to say there wasn’t anything good about this book because that would be a lie. Creativity was great, world-building was great, the outline of the story and plot were great, but coming down to the fine details I feel like too much was said.
I skimmed through the last 150 pages because I want to move onto more exciting books, preferably high fantasy, but this is just my opinion. The book is a global bestseller for a reason.
April 11, 2018 – Ready Player One – Directed by Steven Spielberg
“From filmmaker Steven Spielberg comes the science fiction action adventure “Ready Player One,” based on Ernest Cline’s bestseller of the same name, which has become a worldwide phenomenon. The film is set in 2045, with the world on the brink of chaos and collapse. But the people have found salvation in the OASIS, an expansive virtual reality universe created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance). When Halliday dies, he leaves his immense fortune to the first person to find a digital Easter egg he has hidden somewhere in the OASIS, sparking a contest that grips the entire world. When an unlikely young hero named Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) decides to join the contest, he is hurled into a breakneck, reality-bending treasure hunt through a fantastical universe of mystery, discovery, and danger. Spielberg directed the film from a screenplay by Zak Penn and Ernest Cline. The film was produced by Donald De Line, Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger and Dan Farah; with Adam Somner, Daniel Lupi, Chris DeFaria and Bruce Berman serving as executive producers.”
My Review: 5/5 Stars
BEWARE OF SPOILERS.
I had the opportunity to see this movie in a 3D Imax theatre, and it was amazing. Steven Spielberg pulled out all the stops for this movie with a ton of heavy references to his past creations. The creativity around this movie was insane, the graphics and special effects were intense, and the soundtrack was incredible. They didn’t miss a beat with this movie.
My only complaint was that most of the movie was filmed inside the virtual reality world (the Oasis). Therefore, I felt like I was watching Avatar or watching a video game for almost 2 hours which was cool at times, but I wasn’t sure how much was actually based on the storyline of the book itself. As a result of this curiosity and confusion, I’ve purchased the paperback version of Ready Player One which I will be reading to clarify this. At times I also wasn’t sure if the references to Spielberg’s other movies was an actual part of the book such as Wade’s avatar looking like McFly and him driving the Delorian, or if Ernest Cline actually described Wade’s character like this. (If so, that would be pretty cool).
I would recommend this movie to people who love Sci-Fi with plenty of great action sequences. Great graphics, special effects, I especially loved the reference to The Shining; that was my favorite part!
S. L. Wyllie 