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