Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Book: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Read From: 14th March - 16th March 2022

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary (Throne of Glass): Celaena is a notorious assassin and has been locked away in prison for the last year. However, when she is approached by the Crown Prince with an offer to get her out of the prison to sponsor her in an upcoming competition, she is quick to accept. Celaena is then plunged into a competition against her competitors in the infamous Glass Castle, one which she must win in order for her freedom to be granted.

I think I actually preferred this one to Throne of Glass (even though I’ve given both books the same rating)! The plot felt a lot more fast paced with so many things going on, we got to see more of the characters we grew to love in the first book and also explored some more of the magic system within this world which was super interesting.

I actually love Chaol! I loved that the banter between him and Celaena that we saw in the first book continued into Crown of Midnight and there were a lot of moments between them that made me want to get out my annotating supplies and tab this book to death, even though I’m not much of an annotator at all. Much like the first book, there were some characters (both new and existing), that you never know if you can trust, and there will be some revelations and events that will leave you reeling. But that’s all I’m going to say on that... you’ll have to read the series to find out.

I can’t say a great deal more without spoiling anything, so I’ll be keeping my thoughts relatively brief as I work my way through this series so that my reviews can be as spoiler free as possible. The further I get into the 8 books, the less likely that may be, but I will always make it very visible at the beginning of the blog post if there are any potential spoilers within the review. 

Read my review for Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) here.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Book: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Read From: 12th March - 14th March 2022

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Celaena is a notorious assassin and has been locked away in prison for the last year. However, when she is approached by the Crown Prince with an offer to get her out of the prison to sponsor her in an upcoming competition, she is quick to accept. Celaena is then plunged into a competition against her competitors in the infamous Glass Castle, one which she must win in order for her freedom to be granted.

Maas never frickin misses. I am fully aware that I’m SO late to the hype with this series but I’m pleased to say that I’m finally on the bandwagon. She definitely knows how to write a book with an exciting plot and how to really bring her characters to life.

Talking of characters... whilst the plot was great in this book (I didn’t find myself getting bored once), the characters were what made it. I can’t say that I’m a massive fan of love triangles, I find that one love interest tends to be really likeable and the other is usually lacking, mainly because the author knows that the main character isn’t going to end up with them. But I actually really liked both of the love interests in this book! I thought they were interesting in their own way and it was nice to see how both of their trust with Celaena blossomed after knowing her for a while, despite her reputation. AND THEY READ😳😍 Have to admit though, I’m definitely Team Chaol, sorry Dorian I do love you but you’re a bit too much of a womaniser for me and Celaena’s banter with Chaol was just top notch, particularly as they began to become more comfortable around each other. I’m definitely intrigued to see who she ends up with. 

If I’m being incredibly nit-picky, I would have liked to see a bit more of the Tests that comprised the Champion’s Competition. I really enjoyed reading about the few Tests that were depicted on page and how they tested Celaena in different ways. I also didn’t feel entirely connected to her as a character, but this is to be expected considering it’s an 8 book series and I’ve heard that reading Assassin’s Blade fourth has the most emotional impact - so I’ll be getting her backstory soon enough (and I can’t wait)!

If you’re reading this, I’m sure you don’t need anyone else to recommend this to you. It’s probably been recommended a million times already. I wasn’t expecting this to be a 5 star read, despite the hype I’ve been told that it only gets better as the series goes on and I’m so excited! I just can’t get over the fact that Maas wrote this when she was 16 - context is definitely important because the writing isn’t mind-blowing, but for a debut novel at SIXTEEN intricate writing isn’t necessarily to be expected. I am not ashamed to say I bloody loved this and shall be moving onto Crown of Midnight immediately.

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

Book: The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

Read From: 9th March - 14th March 2022

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: In this fake-dating romance, Aaron volunteers to fly to Spain with Lina for her sister’s wedding after she tells everyone she is in a relationship and will be attending the wedding with her new boyfriend.

I think at over 450 pages, this is the longest romance book I’ve ever read. It’s had so much hype, and romance books don’t usually have a solid plot either so it’s safe to say that I was pretty apprehensive. I was worried I wouldn’t like the characters and that I’d easily become bored. Safe to say that neither of these things happened. I absolutely ate this book up. I loved it. 

After reading The Love Hypothesis back in January, and now this, I’m beginning to understand why everyone loves the fake dating trope so much. It was done SO well in this book and you could tell that although everything was meant to be ‘fake’ Aaron was absolutely smitten with Lina and I couldn’t cope, it was the sweetest thing ever. If Armas released this exact same book from his POV I would be all over it. I need it! Aaron is the ‘man written by a woman’ blueprint, the world would be a better place if all men were a little more Aaron Blackford. I can definitely see why he is so many people’s book boyfriend. Lina was also an amazing character, she was so funny and her love for food was definitely something I resonated with😅

I loved the slow-burn and the smut was excellent. I mentioned in my review for The Love Hypothesis that I loved the discussions of consent in that book because it’s often something that’s overlooked or glossed over in romance books, and I’m so pleased that The Spanish Love Deception also approached this. It seems weird to praise something that is essentially the bare minimum but it’s just so refreshing to see in fiction when it’s not something you’ve really seen before. 

This is an obvious recommend for me especially if you’re a romance lover. Saying that though, I wouldn’t say I LOVE romance but I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I’m excited for Armas’ second book to come out later this year. I’ll definitely be getting my hands on a copy!

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

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Book: The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

Read From: 27th February - 12th March 2022

Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary: 6 intriguing yet dangerous magicians are invited to join the Alexandrian Society, which can give them a fountain of knowledge and incredible power. But only 5 of them can walk away.

Thank you so much to Tor / Black Crow PR for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for a review! 

I’m desperately trying not to let the ending of this book skew my rating because it completely boggled my mind, made me question so much about this book and the characters in it and made me extremely excited for the sequel. On that basis, I’m sticking with my guns and giving this a 3 star rating. The first 20% and last 20% was absolutely incredible and I couldn’t peel my eyes away however I definitely felt my attention wavering in the remaining 60% middle section of the book. 

I’m pretty sure I’ve seen the writing style likened to that in The Secret History in its fluffiness and of course the dark academia elements - I can’t say that’s a book I was ever particularly interested in reading because I normally don’t get on with fluffy writing. That was definitely the case in some parts of this book. I think the beginning, where all the characters were introduced was amazing but as this is heavily character focused it was easy to get lost in the words sometimes. I can see why people love it but I’m a simple creature who loves simple writing so that’s definitely on me.

I definitely loved some characters more than others, Libby and Nico were amazing and I was very intrigued by Parisa and Tristan. I would have liked to have seen a little more Reina though. Saying that, they were all fascinating in their own way. I particularly enjoyed the first few chapters where they were approached with Atlas’ offer and we were introduced to each one. The rivalry between Nico and Libby was entertaining and a bit too relatable to me as someone who is ridiculously competitive. 

Honestly, this isn’t one I would go out of my way to recommend but I also wouldn’t suggest avoiding it either. However, if you’re someone who absolutely doesn’t get along with books without a plot then I’d probably say to give this one a miss. There is a plot per se, but it’s definitely on the backburner for the most of the book in order to give these horny (lol), pretentious and intriguing characters the spotlight. On the other hand, if you absolutely love character-centred books with hints of magic then I think you would really like this one.

Crimson Reign by Amelie Wen Zhao

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Book: Crimson Reign by Amelie Wen Zhao

Read From: 3rd March - 8th March 2022

Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary (Blood Heir): Ana, the Crown Princess of Cyrilia, is one of the Affinites: people reviled for their magical gifts, which allow them to control the world around them. After her father’s brutal murder, all evidence points to Ana. If she’s to have any hope of clearing her name she’ll need help from the infamous Ramson Quicktongue. Known for his reputation as a cunning, smooth-talking crime lord, Ramson has his own sinister plans - though he might have met his match in Ana. Because in this story, the Princess may be the most dangerous player of them all.

I can’t believe this trilogy is over! I had such an amazing time with all three of these books, whilst the second book was undoubtedly my favourite of the 3, I still really enjoyed this conclusion and I was happy where everything left off. I didn’t have any unanswered questions, and didn’t come away thinking there should have been more development - everything was great.

I definitely think this book was the slowest of them all, which almost seems unfair to say because there was still a lot of action and things were happening, it just didn’t feel as fast paced as the first two books. This was in no way a bad thing though, over the course of the series I’ve definitely grown to love these characters (Lynn, Kais and Ramson in particular have my heart). I won’t say who the villain is because that would be a spoiler for the first book, but I wish we could have seen more of them in this book.

If you liked Six of Crows or Shadow and Bone then I think you’d really like this trilogy, the magic systems are quite similar with people having power over specific things and it’s not unnecessarily complex - it’s simple and effective. And of course there are some ‘normal’ characters too that don’t have magic. I don’t have much else to say about this series that I haven’t said already, particularly because I don’t want to go into specifics about Crimson Reign which would spoil book 1 and 2. Just know that I highly recommend these books and are perfect for anyone wanting a fast-paced fantasy series to sink your teeth into.

If you want to read my reviews for the rest of the series:

Read my review for Blood Heir (Blood Heir #1) here

Read my review for Red Tigress (Blood Heir #2) here

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

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Book: The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

Read From: 25th February - 28th February 2022

Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary: Jake Livingston is one of the only Black kids at St. Clair Prep, one of the others being his infinitely more popular older brother. It’s hard enough fitting in but to make matters worse and definitely more complicated, Jake can see the dead. Most are harmless and don’t interact with people. But then Jake meets Sawyer. A troubled teen who shot and killed six kids at a local high school last year before taking his own life. Now a powerful, vengeful ghost, he has plans for his afterlife–plans that include Jake. Suddenly, everything Jake knows about ghosts and the rules to life itself go out the window as Sawyer begins haunting him and bodies turn up in his neighbourhood. High school soon becomes a survival game–one Jake is not sure he’s going to win.

This is exactly how horror books should be done! Marketed as ‘not for younger readers’, this is a YA novel that dives deeper and darker than any I’ve read before, covering some very heavy themes such as gun violence, racism, mental health, suicide and homophobia. The paranormal element was done extremely well and elevated the story a lot, creating an intriguing mystery that you couldn’t peel your eyes away from. 

I absolutely adore books with multiple perspectives and being in both Jake and Sawyers heads made for such an interesting reading experience. They’re both on COMPLETELY different, even conflicting, paths and the tension just kept coming in anticipation of when their paths would eventually converge. There were just so many things about this book that made you want to keep reading - this would be the perfect book to read around the Halloween period. 

Coming in at under 250 pages this is a short little book but it tackles so much and is very fast paced. Whilst this does feature a very cute romance, if you are expecting a queer love story I would definitely say that it takes a back-seat in favour of the complex topics that this book deals with. I think this worked very well and think I preferred that the focus was on these areas rather than the romantic sub-plot but I do think it’s important to dispel any potential misconceptions before going into this! I would definitely recommend - particularly for spooky season! 

Thank you so much to Pride Book Tours for sending me a copy of this book and for my spot on the book tour!

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

Book: A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir

Read From: 13th February - 27th February 2022

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Summary (An Ember in the Ashes): Laia is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason and her family slain, Laia must go undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from those who claim they can free her brother. The academy’s finest soldier Elias is secretly its most unwilling. But before he can act on the desertion he plans, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Emperor. When Laia and Elias’s paths collide, they find that their destinies are inescapably intertwined...

I’m so sad I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first two books in the series. I think my enjoyment is definitely reflected in how long it took me to read this, in comparison to books 1 and 2 which took me only 3 days each. You know the multiple POV books where one of the perspectives is far more interesting than the others? I definitely felt that way about this one - I found myself really looking forward to Helene’s POV and I didn’t really care about Elias and Laia.

With Elias in particular, it felt as though nothing really happened during his chapters and without saying too much as to spoil previous books, the back and forth nature of going to and from the Waiting Place began to get a little bit repetitive. Whilst Laia and Helene’s POV’s started to pick up towards the end of the book, I felt like the majority of it was slowly building up tension for the explosive ending. I did really enjoy being back with these characters but I think my enjoyment could have been tainted by the absolutely outstanding book I was reading alongside this (House of Sky and Breath), which is definitely no one’s fault but my own.

I finished the second book with high hopes for further exploration into the magic system in this book but at the moment it seems to be focusing mainly on the existence of mythical and fantastical beings rather than what they can do and their abilities. Whilst I do think the focus will be shifted in the final book, I can’t say I’m in any rush to pick it up and continue my binge-read. This book definitely left me with a lot more questions than answers and for a third book in the series I would have expected at least SOME things to have been explained by this point. 

I didn’t massively dislike this book but it’s definitely not my favourite in the series and I think it’s only solidified the fact that I can’t see myself rereading this series. I’m not 100% convinced I will read the final book, I feel as though I should just for the sake of completion, but it didn’t come in the paperback box set so that’s definitely impacted my motivation to pick it up. If I did have it, I would have read it but I suppose time will tell as to whether I get around to buying it. Saying that though, I would definitely recommend this series. Whilst this third book wasn’t necessarily for me, I had such an amazing reading experience with the first two books and I can fully appreciate why this is a popular series!

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Book: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh (reread)

Read From: 14th February - 23rd February 2022

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Khalid, the 18 year old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new wife, only to have her killed by sunrise. Shahrzad is the first volunteer to become Khalid’s bride. She vows to stop is reign of terror - for the friend she lost and all those who perished before her. Incredibly, Shahrzad manages to survive her first morning, and then the next. Night after night, she mesmerises the Caliph with her storytelling - at once buying time and digging deeper into the elusive boy-king’s past.

This was a reread for me! Whilst I rated it 5 stars the first time around, I didn’t quite get the five star feels on a second reading so I changed my rating to 4 stars but this was still an incredible book and I would highly recommend. I definitely need to get to the sequel at some point and rereading this for book club gave me the perfect excuse to come back to this world, I’m not going to leave it another year before I finally get to The Rose and the Dagger. 

Renee Ahdieh’s writing is absolutely BEAUTIFUL and Shahrzad and Khalid’s story is told in a way that’s impossible for you not to get sucked in by the atmosphere and gorgeous writing. My favourite part of this book (on both reads) was definitely Shazi’s storytelling - not only are you transported to Khorasan through Ahdieh’s words, you’re also transported to wherever Shazi is taking you too and that’s such a magical feeling, perfect for a brilliant fantasy book. 

The plot is definitely on the slower side in this one but it honestly doesn’t feel that way. I’m always coming back to the writing style but honestly it really elevated the experience. The characters were developed so well, I loved seeing all of them interact (particularly Despina and Shazi)! The sub-plot (if you can call it that) with Tariq was also really interesting to see develop and I think it has paved the way for an explosive sequel - particularly with the way The Wrath and the Dawn ended. In our book club discussion, the chat was definitely divided between those who liked Tariq and those who didn’t... despite being team Khalid all the way I am excited to see how things transpire in The Rose and the Dagger. 

It goes without saying that I would definitely recommend this book to all fantasy lovers, unfortunately I’m unfamiliar with the original 1001 Nights tale so can’t comment on how The Wrath and the Dawn holds up as a retelling. If you like intricate storytelling, atmospheric writing and loveable characters then definitely give this one a go.

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

Book: House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

Read From: 15th February - 19th February 2022

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary (House of Earth and Blood): When a demon murders Bryce Quinlan’s closest friends, she is left bereft, wounded and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation alongside Hunt Athalar, enslaved Fallen angel, where she is determined to avenge their deaths. As Bryce and Hunt dig deeper into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear.

Ahhhh this book was absolutely amazing and I don’t know how I’m going to wait a year or two for the third one in the series to be released! If this review sounds vague in any way, then that’s deliberate. So many people have been anticipating reading this, or are in the middle of reading it and taking it slow, and I am not about to be the person who spoils it for them. Because trust me this is a book you’re not going to want spoiled in any way. I’m not going to give specifics about anything so please be assured that this is a safe space even if you haven’t read it yet. 

I think this one was definitely a lot more character focused than the first book but in no way was this a bad thing. The plot was definitely there, but ultimately what kept me turning the pages was these amazing characters. I don’t understand how so many people on Bookstagram/BookTook aren’t completely smitten with Hunt, I think he is an amazing love interest and an even more amazing character. Same with Bryce - I think she is absolutely brilliant and I know a lot of people have an issue with her recklessness, but I really enjoy it. It’s nice to see a not-so-perfect heroine who makes mistakes. Yes it enhances the plot by increasing the tension, but it also makes her so much more relatable and I really enjoy reading about her character. We also get much more depth to the side characters from the first book, particularly Tharion, Ithan and Ruhn (I LOVE LOVE LOVE RUHN). There were also some new characters introduced too, who were... interesting to say the least. You never quite know who to trust. 

A lot of people have said they prefer House of Sky and Breath to book 1. Whilst both books were undoubtedly 5 stars for me I think that if I had to compare the two I definitely preferred book 1. Without saying too much, the ending to House of Sky and Breath was absolutely incredible and I don’t know how I’m going to manage waiting for Crescent City 3 to be released!

Read my review for House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) here.

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

Book: A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

Read From: 10th February - 13th February 2022

Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary (An Ember in the Ashes): Laia is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason and her family slain, Laia must go undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from those who claim they can free her brother. The academy’s finest soldier Elias is secretly its most unwilling. But before he can act on the desertion he plans, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Emperor. When Laia and Elias’s paths collide, they find that their destinies are inescapably intertwined...

I’m having a lot of fun with binge-reading this series, both books so far have been relatively easy to get through whilst being filled with enough tension to be stupidly addictive at the same time. Even though it’s not the most memorable fantasy series I’ve ever read, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed making my way through these books and I’m excited to see what the third brings for these characters on their journeys. 

In the interests of not spoiling the first book, all I’ll say is that A Torch Against the Night begins right where An Ember in the Ashes ends. Literally immediately after. So you’re thrown straight back into the plot and this world which I think would have been a little disorienting had I not read the books back to back. Usually, I leave it a couple of months between books in a series so if that’s something you do too then I think this is definitely something to bear in mind.

I liked that Helene’s POV was introduced, she was a very intriguing character in the first book so it’s not only great to see more of her but be inside of her head too. If I had to pick a favourite character, I think it would definitely be her. More of the magic system was also revealed/hinted at in this second book, proving itself to be very interesting and I’m definitely excited to see where it goes in book 3 (where I have very strong reasons to believe we will be finding out a LOT more about it). 

Overall, just like the first book in the series, this one was a lot of fun. It’s definitely not going to end up being my favourite fantasy series of all time and I doubt that these are books I’ll ever revisit, but I’m having a great time nonetheless and I’m excited for the third book.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Book: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Read From: 8th February - 10th February 2022

Rating: 3/5 stars

Summary: Laia is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason and her family slain, Laia must go undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from those who claim they can free her brother. The academy’s finest soldier Elias is secretly its most unwilling. But before he can act on the desertion he plans, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Emperor. When Laia and Elias’s paths collide, they find that their destinies are inescapably intertwined...

Whilst this book is in no way a literary masterpiece, it immediately sucks you in, keeps you on your toes, and is overall just plain fun to read. And what more could you want from a book? This is exactly the kind of fantasy I would recommend to someone wanting to get out of a reading slump, the worldbuilding is incredibly vivid and immersive yet it’s not over the top or complex (which in my opinion is always a good thing - when you’re plunked into a new world the last thing you want to do is have to remember every little detail). 

I don’t think these characters are my favourite of all time, but I definitely really enjoyed reading about them and being in their head - I can’t wait to see how they develop over the course of the quartet. Tahir has done such an incredible job of creating their personalities to make you feel close to them and really root for them. Although I have to admit that Elias has my heart just that little bit more! I LOVED his character. What I didn’t love however, was the several(!) love triangles/love square? I’m not the biggest fan of a love triangle in the first place, so to have two of them thrown in the mix wasn’t ideal but hopefully they will fizzle out over the coming books.

There are aspects of this book that are extremely gritty (for a YA) and can be hard to read but it only heightens the reading experience - you will feel all the emotions (mainly anger and fear). It has a fast-moving plot that will keep you turning the pages and an intriguing magic system that will hopefully become more developed as the books go on. If you haven’t yet read this book, I will warn you that there is a cliff-hanger ending so if you find yourself enjoying it then you might want to get the second book ready for when you finish! Whilst I’ve read more memorable YA fantasy books, I’ve definitely got off to a good start with this series and I hope it carries on being this action packed and exciting!

Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown

Book: Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown

Read From: 3rd February - 7th February 2022

Rating: No Rating

Summary: Echo Brown is a wizard from the East Side, where apartments are small and parents suffer addictions to the white rocks. Yet there is magic everywhere. New portals begin to open when Echo transfers to the rich school on the West Side, and an insightful teacher becomes a pivotal mentor. Each day, Echo travels between two worlds, leaving her brothers, her friends, and a piece of herself behind on the East Side. There are dangers to leaving behind the place that made you. Echo soon realizes there is pain flowing through everyone around her, and a black veil of depression threatens to undo everything she’s worked for.

I’ve not given this book a rating because whilst it’s heavily infused with magical realism and classified on Goodreads as ‘fantasy’, it’s heavily autobiographical and details our main character/author’s early life, including many difficult topics (such as racism, poverty, gender, trauma and the intersectionality between them). It’s a short book coming in at just under 300 pages but it’s one of those books where you find yourself savouring every word.

This book has a dual timeline but not in the typical way, it was done so uniquely and you’ll have to read it for yourself to truly appreciate. If anyone has read The Beekeeper of Aleppo it was similar to that where a single sentence connected the two timelines.

The fantastical/magical element of wizardry only strengthened the book’s emotional impact. It revolved all around coping with trauma, the book was broken into several ‘wizard lessons’ that detailed how Echo had to stay uplifted in order to prevent the ‘black veil’ (darkness/trauma) from completely enveloping her. It was so incredibly raw and heart breaking and I can see why Black Girl Unlimited has left so many people in tears. 

Overall, this was such an impactful, meaningful and unique approach to a memoir - I don’t know exactly HOW much of our fictional Echo’s life is based on Echo Browns real experiences but given how incredible this book was either way, I think that’s pretty much a moot point. I would definitely recommend this but I do encourage you to check the trigger warnings before reading.

House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

Book: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas (reread)

Read From: 29th January - 5th February 2022

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary: When a demon murders Bryce Quinlan’s closest friends, she is left bereft, wounded and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation alongside Hunt Athalar, enslaved Fallen angel, where she is determined to avenge their deaths. As Bryce and Hunt dig deeper into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear.

I absolutely adored this book the first time around but I definitely loved and appreciated it a lot more on a reread. It made the heavy worldbuilding in the first 200 pages seem a lot less dense and there were so many little details I’d either overlooked during the first reading or had completely forgotten about that made this experience a lot greater. And then there were the last 150 pages... I knew what was coming and I prepared myself as much as I could but SOMEHOW despite that, I managed to sob even more than the first time I read it. 

This book is the fantasy lovers dream - there are so many different creatures and fantastical elements piled into this urban setting and instead of being overwhelming, it was incredibly interesting. There is everything ranging from Fae, vampires, werewolves, Mer, witches, angels, wraiths, sprites, demons, sorcerers... if you’ve seen anything in a fantasy book it will likely be in this book (or mentioned, at the very least).  

Within this assortment of magical beings is a huge cast of characters that ranges across the board - each and every one of them loveable in their own way. Of course it’s hard not to love Bryce and Hunt (especially as both of them begin to come out of their shell) but even the minor/side characters play a huge role and are incredibly well developed. Aside from the obvious (Danika and Ruhn), I’m genuinely struggling to pick a favourite because they all had so many amazing qualities.

The plot is relatively slow-moving but it definitely doesn’t seem that way because there is always something going on. Whilst it does explode in the last 150/200 pages (you will actually find yourself reading this in a single sitting), there was not one point I felt bored over the course of all 800 pages. The side-plots managed to link together extremely well and whilst I’m super excited for the sequel (I will be reading it as soon as it’s delivered on release day), I’m glad that pretty much everything was tied up and that there wasn’t a major cliff-hanger because that means the second book could go anywhere and I’m so ready.

I could not be more excited for the release of a sequel and I can already tell that this series is going to be incredible - especially if its future books are as good as House of Earth and Blood. Even if you’re not a huge fantasy reader, I would still recommend this all the same - just keep in mind that the initial 200 pages are the most intense part of the book (and all of that worldbuilding DOES pay off, I promise)! This is definitely a book I can see myself revisiting forever, both a blessing and a curse because I don’t think I’ll ever not be broken by it!

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Book: An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Read From: 27th January - 31st January 2022

Rating: 2/5 stars

Summary: Isobel creates stunning portraits for the dangerous fair folk, who crave human Craft and trade valuable enchantments for her work. But when she receives her first royal patron - Rook, the Autumn Prince - Isobel makes a deadly mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes, a weakness that could cost him his throne and life. Furious, Rook spirits Isobel away to his kingdom to stand trial for her crime. But something is amiss in his world and they are attacked from every side. Depending on each other for survival, their alliance blooms into trust, perhaps even love... a forbidden emotion that would violate the ruthless laws of the fair folk, rendering both their lives forfeit...

I really wanted to love this book but I just couldn’t get into the plot or characters no matter what! Saying that though, the writing style was absolutely gorgeous and I was definitely swept away into this magical and atmospheric world. Whilst the world-building for me was somewhat lacking, I don’t necessarily need a detailed world and magic system to get lost in the writing, and that’s definitely what happened here. Whilst I would have appreciated more context and explanation, it wasn’t really the be all and end all. 

What I do need to enjoy a reading experience though is loveable characters or, in the absence of that, a gripping plot. Sadly, An Enchantment of Ravens fell flat on both of these in my opinion. To me, it didn’t seem like there really was a plot - it was incredibly slow moving and mainly followed Isobel and Rook as they travelled around the magical (and dangerous) forest, meeting various kinds of enchanted beings along the way.

Because of this, it felt extremely character focused (which I don’t normally mind)! However, neither of the main characters in this book stuck out to me at all. Whilst I liked them, I have no doubt that in a couple of months I’ll likely forget about everything they did in this book. They weren’t bad protagonists, just unforgettable. Even if I had absolutely loved the characters, I think even then I would have found it hard to invest myself in the romance. I’ve absolutely loved the ‘forbidden love’ trope in previous books I’ve read but here I definitely felt a lack of angst and tension, which is what I love most about the trope.

I wouldn’t necessarily not recommend this - but it definitely wouldn’t cross my mind as a recommendation to others. I personally think there are other Fae books that are done better, with better world-building and that don’t leave you coming away from the book with any questions. I definitely preferred Rogerson’s second novel, A Sorcery of Thorns, and I’m still keen to get around to Vespertine (her most recent book) in future.

Take Me With You When You Go by David Levithan & Jennifer Niven

Book: Take Me With You When You Go by David Levithan and Jennifer Niven

Read From: 19th January - 28th January 2022

Rating: 2/5 stars

Summary: Ezra wakes up one day to find his older sister, Bea, gone. No note, no sign, nothing but an email address hidden somewhere only he would find it. Ezra never expected to be left behind with their abusive stepfather and their neglectful mother - how is he supposed to navigate life without Bea? Bea already knew she needed to get as far away from home as possible. But a message in her inbox changes everything, and she finds herself alone in a new city - without Ez, without a real plan - chasing someone who might not even want to be found. As things unravel at home for Ezra, Bea confronts secrets about their past that will forever change the way they think about their family. Together and apart, broken by abuse but connected by love, this brother and sister must learn to trust themselves before they can find a way back to each other.

This book was… fine? I’m very conflicted. Whilst I liked its attempt to tackle serious and hard hitting topics like child abuse (big TW for this if you’re planning on reading!), I think the YA target market and the email format caused it to feel rather surface-level (plot and characters included).

The email formatting was definitely my biggest issue with this book, I honestly think I’d have preferred it were it told through dual POV instead. For example, the character backstories that were woven into the emails read really strangely and definitely didn’t seem like something a teenager would write in an email to their sibling. If it was done well, I probably could have got behind it but sadly it fell a bit flat for me. 

As well as this, I felt like the characters were really undeveloped (also not helped by the formatting) and no mater what, I simply couldn’t find it in me to root for them and become invested. All of the character growth/development also felt really rushed into the ending too which definitely didn’t help. If this is how I felt about our main characters, you can only imagine how much I didn’t care about the side characters! There were also some really questionable relationships in this book, the only love interest I liked was Ezra’s boyfriend Terence but sadly he was one of these underdeveloped side characters.

Whilst I wouldn’t discourage anyone from trying this book, it’s not one that’s made a lasting impact on me in any way or one that I’ve thought about any more since finishing. I definitely think I’m starting to appreciate YA contemporaries less and less these days, so maybe that’s on me. This book was pretty unmemorable for me, but if it seems like you’d enjoy it I’d still suggest giving it a go.

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas

Book: A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas

Read From: 20th January - 26th January 2022

Rating: 5/5 stars

SPOILER WARNING FOR 'A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES', 'A COURT OF MIST AND FURY', 'A COURT OF WINGS AND RUIN' AND POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOR 'A COURT OF FROST AND STARLIGHT'.

Summary: Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she's struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can't seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it. The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta's orbit. But her temper isn't the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other. Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.

Sorry ACOWAR, but this is now my favourite book of the series (even though technically it’s a spin off from the original trilogy). Everything was just PERFECT. Nesta’s character development, her healing journey, the new characters and friendships that formed as a result, the romance, the spice, the plot... throughout the entire 750 pages there was not one thing I disliked about this book (except from the fact it ended).

Like many other people, before going into this book I was pretty impartial to Nesta. Of course she wasn’t my favourite in ACOTAR (she was horrible lol) but played a minor enough role for me to essentially just not care. I began to like her a bit more in ACOWAR, but the focus in that hefty book was still more on Feyre, and then her actions on Winter Solstice in ACOFAS left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth so was pretty apprehensive about going into this book. 750 pages of following a character I wasn’t sure I even liked? I was pretty scared.

I think actually being in Nesta’s head made all of the difference and I’m now an unapologetic Nesta lover. Seeing her grapple and come to terms with her trauma, as well as slowly learning how to channel her difficult emotions into something she loved, made such an impact on me. I think the mental health representation in this book was done incredibly well, it demonstrated how recovery and healing isn’t always linear as well as the importance of friendship. The bond between Nesta and our new characters Emerie and Gwyn was the most heart-warming part about this book and as their friendship continued to blossom I kept finding myself smiling like an idiot because it was just too cute!

I also really loved Cassian in this book, of course I loved him from the previous books anyway but having things told from his POV, seeing his feelings for Nesta develop... chefs kiss. This might be a controversial statement but I think I prefer him to Rhys🤭😳 don’t get me wrong, I still love Rhys though. And I believed it when everyone told me this book was spicy, but WOW I definitely wasn’t expecting that much steaminess. I loved it, but I also loved how the romance and the smut didn’t overshadow the main storyline (even if we all do read Sarah J Maas’ books for the characters and not the plot). There was always so much going on and that’s definitely why I was able to get through such a thick book so quickly. 

I could sit and rave about this book (and this series) for days. Obviously I can’t wait for the next in the series to come out but I’m also really excited for the day I get around to rereading these books because I think I’ll definitely prefer books 1 and 2 this time around now that I’m fully attached (I mean, I loved them in the first place but with my new levels of attachment and investment in these characters it will be a whole new experience).

You can read my reviews for the other books here:

A Court of Wings and Ruin

A Court of Frost and Starlight

Red Tigress by Amelie Wen Zhao

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Book: Red Tigress by Amelie Wen Zhao

Read From: 16th January - 20th January 2022

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary (Blood Heir): Ana, the Crown Princess of Cyrilia, is one of the Affinites: people reviled for their magical gifts, which allow them to control the world around them. After her father’s brutal murder, all evidence points to Ana. If she’s to have any hope of clearing her name she’ll need help from the infamous Ramson Quicktongue. Known for his reputation as a cunning, smooth-talking crime lord, Ramson has his own sinister plans - though he might have met his match in Ana. Because in this story, the Princess may be the most dangerous player of them all.

Second book syndrome WHO?! This book was great, and was actually one of the rare instances I preferred a middle book to the first book! (That’s not to say the first book wasn’t good - I really enjoyed it and you can read my review here). Because this is a sequel, my review is going to lack a lot of substance because I want to shout about how much I’m enjoying this series whilst not spoiling the first book for anyone. Be assured that this review is spoiler free (for both Red Tigress and Blood Heir) but in order to do that, I’m going to have to sacrifice specific examples/thoughts of what made this sequel so great. So please bear that in mind! 

Whilst I really enjoyed the characters from the get-go in Blood Heir, my pre-existing connection to them made Red Tigress even more enjoyable. It’s definitely not a spoiler to hint at the romance between our main characters, and I really enjoyed its slow-burn nature. This definitely made it seem like more of a sub-plot rather than overshadowing the actual plot (which I think a lot of fantasy falls into the trap of doing). We also get to see more of the side characters from the first book, Lynn and Kais in particular, which I also really enjoyed (for reasons I won’t reveal because spoilers... just read the book I promise it’s worth it)! 

As for the main plot itself - whilst I won’t go into specifics, it was INTENSE. I was on the edge of my seat a number of times as tensions were rising, betrayals were coming to head... and much like Blood Heir, this was all happening from the outset. It felt like there was always something happening (without it becoming overwhelming or needlessly dragged out). 

Even though this is only Zhao’s second novel, it’s extremely evident to me that her writing has only gone from great to even better. This makes me so excited to read the final instalment in this trilogy once it’s released (particularly with that ending!!!) and I believe she is also releasing a new series next year too which is now definitely on my radar. Thank you so much to Harper Voyager for sending me a copy of this sequel in exchange for an honest review!