Sunday 30 October 2016

Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas - MAJOR SPOILERS

Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas - MAJOR SPOILERS

Rating: 5 stars (although you probably already knew that)

Synopsis: Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien's only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan's Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King's Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan's biggest threat - and his own toughest enemy. While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?

Review: Do I even need to say how amazing this book was? Because, it was. Heir of Fire is the third book in the Throne of Glass series and, this series just keeps getting better and better. At the end of every book, I finish thinking that the next book can't possibly top this one and it does. If you have not read the previous two books in the Throne of Glass series and don't want to be spoiled for this book, then leave now; go and read this series, and then come back and discuss!


WARNING. THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD...

Okay, so Heir of Fire is split in to three narratives; Celaena, Chaol/Dorian and Manon. This worked so well, especially in this book where our core characters have been separated because it meant that we could see what was happening with each character, wherever they are. Switching POV can be tricky in books, because it can sometimes feel like we're talking to the same character. Each character needs to be distinctive and Sarah is a pro at this. Every character we see has a history and a story and, because of this, each character has a distinctive voice.

I'm going to start with Manon. I think Manon is my least favourite character in this book. It took me so long to come round to her because, to begin with, she wasn't likable at all. I mean, her very first scene is her butchering village men who were hunting her. I think the main reason she grew on me was Abraxos. To begin with, I thought Manon and Titus would be perfect together but I was so happy when she claimed the bait beast as her own instead. I think that was the turning point for Manon - picking the underdog to be her mount, rather than the 'fighter' of the pack. Abraxos made Manon more human. When he sheltered her from the wind so she could sleep was so cute and when he was eating the wild flowers? Abraxos made those Manon chapters for me and I became more and more invested in those chapters the more he was involved in them. I'm definitely interested to see what will happen when Manon and Celaena meet - I'm thinking fireworks.

Chaol infuriated me in this book. In Crown of Midnight and Throne of Glass, I did initially ship him and Celaena together, but I wasn't really invested in it. And now we're in book 3, I'm beginning to wonder how I even managed to half-heartedly ship them together! Every time he appeared I felt like screaming at him. He can't see that the woman he loved is still in there, or at least, she was. I could have kissed Dorian when he called him out on it - you can't pick which parts of her to love. Despite their fleeting romance in Throne of Glass, Dorian and Celaena are still friends and he accepts her for who she is which I love. Chaol can not let it go that she kept her identity a secret from him. He did stand up to the King at the end of the book but, even then, he ruins Aedion's plan of surrendering to keep Chaol safe. If he had done that earlier, so many things would have been resolved sooner. I hope he and Celaena make up when they meet again, but somehow, I doubt it.

Speaking of Aedion, I'm more than slightly obsessed with him. I think he's my favourite character in this series so far. From the moment we knew who he was, I knew he wasn't loyal to the King but I was worried about how he'd react to finding out his cousin survived all those years ago. I needn't have worried. He's spent the last ten years being so loyal to Celaena, going as far as winning back her father's sword from the King in her memory. The flashback scenes we got when they were children were so sweet. He was devoted to her even then and I need a reunion between Celaena and Aedion in the next book. Especially after he was willing to die without seeing his cousin again because he knows that Chaol and Celaena have a history together and she would be upset if he died. I love him, I love him, I love him.

I know Sorsha gets a lot of hate and she definitely wasn't my favourite character, but I did like her for her relationship with Dorian. She made him happy and, while I never really believed their relationship, I was pleased that Dorian had someone to confide in about his magic since Celaena's not there. I liked how accepting she was of his magic and how she tried to help him control his magic in a practical way, which no one else did. I'm not going to lie, I wasn't devastated when she died, but I did feel for Dorian in those moments because he did care for her.

I'm dreading seeing what happens to Dorian in the next book. Now that he's possessed by the Valg prince, I'm definitely nervous about what Celaena is going to do when she finds out. I think she'll try to save Dorian but, after what happened in Wendlyn, I think she understands that it's more of a mercy to kill him rather than spare him. I don't think it will get to that point, but Dorian will definitely be changed after all of this and I'm interested to see what happens next.

Oh Celaena. Am I the only one who wanted to give her a hug? Seeing her struggle with her power and her own guilt and rage was heart-wrenching. Those early scenes with Rowan were horrible, because you knew why she didn't want to shift, why she was scared and you were left wanting to yell at Rowan to just leave her alone but, I did understand why he pushed her so hard. He knew she could do it, knew she would be powerful and ten times stronger if she embraced who she truly was. The way I think about it, he didn't owe Celaena anything. He was being forced into this as much as she was, but, I genuinely think that after a couple of sessions, he realised how strong she could be if she embraced herself and I think it peaked his curiosity.

The scene where she thought she'd burnt herself out is possibly my favourite scene in the whole book. It was such a huge turning point in Rowan and Celaena's relationship, and I enjoyed reading Rowan's POV where he realises how cruel he was to Celaena and why she reacted the way she did when he threatened to whip her. His fussing over her after that was so cute and I loved how close they grew after that.

Hearing what the King did to the slaves in Calaculla and Endovier was so horrible. Seeing Celaena break down because she knew her promise to Nehemia had been broken broke my heart. What I loved the most though, was that short scene in the theatre in Rifthold, where the orchestra played songs honouring each city and the slave camps, before walking off. I thought that was such a touching scene and showed that people in Rifthold are aware of the slave camps and the injustice of killing all those people. It added a human touch to a place that, up until now, just seemed filled with people who only cared about themselves.

Watching Celaena being drained by the Valg and being surrounded by her loved ones ties with my favourite scenes in this book. It was slightly Harry Potter-esque but I loved it. Having eight year old Aelin telling her to get up was such a beautiful moment. That was the moment Celaena truly embraced her past and who she had been running from for ten years. It was such a well written scene and getting to see those flashbacks to the night her parents were killed and seeing the sacrifice that Marion made for her and how the King manipulated her family into retreating after that dinner...it never felt like an info dump. It was so beautifully crafted and well placed in the plot and I was on the verge of tears reading about it.

I knew Rowan and Celaena were carranam from the moment it was mentioned. I loved that whole end scene in Doranelle where Celaena faced Maeve and broke Rowan's oath and set fire to the whole place. I think Maeve had underestimated her and that final showdown was a beautiful moment in Celaena's arc. At the beginning of the book, she wouldn't have dared to show even a flicker of that fire, and now, she's not afraid of it anymore. I loved that Rowan immediately bound himself to Celaena - again signifying the development of their relationship. The tattoo as well that Rowan did on Celaena's back - the story of her loved ones over the scars from Endovier. I loved that because it was like both halves of Celaena had come together.

I am so excited about Queen of Shadows. I can't wait to see what happens when Celaena gets back to Rifthold.

Tuesday 25 October 2016

How I Became A Reader

So I saw this video a few weeks ago on YouTube by booktuber polandbananasbooks and I thought it was such an interesting video that I decided to do my own version of it. Being a reader in society today can sometimes feel like a lost cause and I know I'm forever thankful to my family for raising me surrounded by stories. My family were definitely the ones who made me fall in love with reading and really encouraged me to read in a way that no one else really has.

My earliest memory is of my dad reading bedtime stories to me when I was little. I remember having a big hardback book of short stories that I adored and would make him read to me over and over every single night. When I was a little older, our collection of stories upgraded to a big book of Enid Blyton stories which I'm pretty sure I still have hidden somewhere actually. I think this is one of the first times I ever encountered the magic of stories and I looked forward to going to bed every single night just to hear my dad read to me.

My mom was a big reader as well. She was always reading and even now, if she has a spare minute, you're likely to find her with a book. She's a big fan of murder mysteries and crime novels, some of which I've inherited from her as I've got older and do enjoy. She was the person I read to when I was learning to read. She'd sit with me every night and listen as I sounded out words. So, in two different ways, my parents really instilled in me a deep love of reading and made it into an important skill that, in my opinion, is an ideology that we're starting to lose a little bit now. My mom was also the one who passed down her favourite stories that she's read as a child on to me. Again, I read a lot of Enid Blyton growing up - The Enchanted Wood was my absolute favourite. I remember being enthralled at the different lands the children would visit, but I also read The Famous Five, The St. Clare's series and the Five Find-Outers series (which, again, I think I've still got the box set of books)!

It was my grandma who started taking me to our local library. At the time, I thought it was magic. I could take eight books out at a time which was such an insane concept to me at the time. Insane but amazing. I think I was in there every other week and, nine times out of ten, I left with eight books. By the time I was ten, eleven years old, I think I'd read my way through most of the children's fiction at my local library. (It's not a huge library but they actually had quite a good selection). So, for a year I re-read my favourites and started my tentative foray into young adult fiction. And there I found my home. I'm pretty sure my grandma was amazed at how many books I'd actually read. She'd pick books out for me and my standard response would be 'I've read that'. In the end, she left me to it and went to get books for herself instead!

I don't remember teachers reading to me when I was little. The only teacher I remember reading to us was the last teacher I had in primary school. He was, and still is, my favourite teacher ever, and he had this book of short stories that were absolute nonsense, and absolutely hysterical. Everyone in that class looked forward to the rare days when he would break that book out and read to us. Once I left primary school, teachers no longer read to us, and when they did, they were reading from books everyone found dull. If it wasn't for that primary school teacher, I probably would have forgotten the magic that happens when you find an amazing storyteller.

Sunday 23 October 2016

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas - MAJOR SPOILERS

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas - MAJOR SPOILERS

Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis: Eighteen-year-old Celaena Sardothien is bold, daring and beautiful - the perfect seductress and the greatest assassin her world has ever known. But though she won the King's contest and became his champion, Celaena has been granted neither her liberty nor the freedom to follow her heart. The slavery of the suffocating salt mines of Endovier that scarred her past is nothing compared to a life bound to her darkest enemy, a king whose rule is so dark and evil it is near impossible to defy. Celaena faces a choice that is tearing her heart to pieces: kill in cold blood for a man she hates, or risk sentencing those she loves to death. Celaena must decide what she will fight for: survival, love or the future of a kingdom. Because an assassin cannot have it all . . . And trying to may just destroy her.

Review: So. I'm going to start off with the non-spoilery section and say this - this book was so good. Crown of Midnight is book two in the Throne of Glass series and, honestly, it was so good. I really enjoyed Throne of Glass but this book, was a thousand times better than it. The character development, the plot - it was all so much better in this book. Now, I know that right now this book is amazing but I also know Sarah J Maas and I know for sure that the next book Heir of Fire is probably going to top this one again but, for now, all you need to know is that this book was amazing and you should definitely go and read it! So, if you haven't read Crown of Midnight yet and don't want to be spoiled, you should go and read Crown of Midnight and then come back and discuss with us. Because there is so much to discuss in this book....

WARNING. THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD...

Okay so lets start with Celaena and her new role as the King's Champion. I knew right off the bat that she wasn't killing her targets. Sarah kind of lets us know this by stopping the opening chapter with her sword over the guy but even if you missed it from that, Celaena is pretty clear in Throne of Glass that the only reason she is taking part in this competition is because she wants to be free and working for the King for a few years is her only shot at that. Just because she won the competition, doesn't mean she's happy about it. I did admire her for going through with her promise though. I was a little worried at the end of Throne of Glass that maybe she wouldn't have the courage to not kill her targets because the King has threatened Chaol and Nehemia but, I shouldn't have worried about it. It takes guts to defy the King, and to have done it from the very beginning (in more ways than one) is actually quite amazing to see.

I also knew that Archer Finn was up to no good. I suspected that he was actually working with the rebel group but I didn't realise how much sway he held with them. Celaena really should have just killed him after he let her down the first time, rather than giving him a second chance, because he ended up being more trouble than he was worth. I did quite like the idea of Archer underestimating Celaeana though. He knew her when she was growing up in the Assassin's Keep and she had a crush on him and I think that, despite all the rumours and stories that floated around Rifthold about Celaena, he simply saw her as that child. Well, she soon proved him wrong. That scene in the sewer, was so well written. His mistake was telling her that she's a good person and you just knew, the moment he said that, that he wasn't going to make it. Her rebuttal that she's not a good person but Nehemia was - my heart. It broke all over again for her in that moment.

I really enjoyed seeing Chaol and Celaena grow closer together. I thought their relationship was quite sweet and the birthday dinner that Celaena organised in the apothecary roof garden was beautiful. I did laugh when she decided that was the moment to tell Chaol all about how she wasn't really killing the King's enemies. Of all the times to tell the person you like, you choose now when you're about to kiss? I really liked that Chaol chose Celaena in that moment. He told her that he would go with her when she's finally freed from the King. It's the first time since Sam that someone has chosen her or is able to choose her anyway and I think it meant a lot to Celaena that he would do that for her. I also thought it was hilarious when Celaena came and interrupted a meeting with the guards and ended up pulling him into a closet. It was just nice to see a different side to Chaol for a little while; someone who isn't as uptight and stoic as he was made out to be in Throne of Glass. Someone who is totally up for sneaking around behind the King's back and all his guards. It was nice to see Chaol loosening up a bit. At least, for the short time we had them together. Oh, and we finally got a dance between them. When she left her post during the ball and Chaol went to find her and they ended up dancing together in the gardens! I was so happy when I read that scene because Dorian got his dance with Celaena in the last book and I was so happy that Chaol got a turn as well.

So, those were the highs of their relationship. Now for the low. The scene where Chaol was kidnapped was a heart in my throat kind of moment because I wasn't convinced that Chaol was going to make it out of there alive. And at that point, I wasn't sure Celaena would cope with losing anyone else (little did I know...) but he DID make it out alive because Celaena was a complete bad ass. That whole scene where she came in and just destroyed those rebels was so awesome. Actually, every scene where Celaena 'lost herself' was really awesome to read. The moment when Archer came through the door and explained why they had kidnapped Chaol was just....ugh! We all knew that nothing good was going to come from Chaol keeping the threat on Nehemia's life a secret from both the girls but - wow. I didn't expect it to backfire in such a gruesome way. My heart broke when I read about what had happened to Nehemia, and the fact that she knew what was coming was just so horrifying. And then Celaena full on attacked Chaol and she almost killed him. I guess I was right when I said earlier that she wouldn't survive losing someone else. The fact that Dorian risked himself and exposed his magic to stop her from killing Chaol just made me love him even more and showed that he still loved her, despite everything he said.

Throwing Celaena in the dungeons. I do understand why he did it - she was obviously dangerous but, I mean, he just left her there and let them drug her. This obviously was never going to help her in the long run and the fact that she was so eager to take the drugs and to not see anyone was so sad. Even when she was let out, she didn't leave her room. She didn't see anyone, didn't talk to anyone and the idea of her being completely alone now was so strong in these scenes. Chaol, Dorian and Nehemia were her only friends in the castle, and, in her mind, she'd lost them all. While we're on the subject though, I really loved that Dorian was there for her. When she went to his room for dinner and he asked her why she'd come and she said "because I have nowhere else to go" all the feels came out to play. I like that he didn't pressure her. He still loves her, yes, still has a grudge against Chaol for having her when he couldn't but, he is still her friend and he's there for her, despite everything that's happened between them. Equally, she didn't judge him for having magic. They both accept each other and move on. Though, Dorian having magic is scarily awesome and I'm betting it won't be long before his father finds out about it.

Killing Grave - oh my goodness. First off, I'm so glad that she finally found a use for that passage in the sewers. Second, we got to see Celaena's really dark side, the side that she's never really let out until now. Grave deserved the death he got, but I think I knew that the name he gave Celaena wasn't the right one. When she interrupted the King's meeting and dumped Grave's head on the table was such a macabre and gruesome moment and I kind of loved it. Of course, the King enjoyed the show, and it was interesting to see Celaena being honest with the King for the first time. The smile she gave him was just so perfect. It was the first time that she didn't feel guilty for murdering someone.

Baba Yellowlegs. She was so terrifying. Also, why did Celaena think that going into the caravan was a good idea? You never go into the creepy caravan, especially when you know that the woman you're following is a evil witch! Who eats children. Why? Why would you do that? She was so creepy! All I could think was that no one knows where you are, so when she turns on you, you're completely on your own. Which, I knew with anyone else Celaena could handle no problem. But she's a witch who eats people. It's not exactly your normal run-of-the-mill evil person. To be fair, Yellowlegs did underestimate Celaena but she was cutting it pretty close when she killed her. I have a feeling that killing Yellowlegs is going to come back and bite her later on, even if she did deserve it.

Can I also just mention how much I love Mort? The sassy, sarcastic door knob on the door to Elena's tomb. I loved him. He's your typical irritating magical entity that will never give you a straight answer, but I really loved him and I want to see more of him.

That secret passage beneath the library that was actually a prison was so creepy. I was fully expecting Celaena to attack Dorian because he was sneaking down there as well but that...thing. I don't even know what it is but it sounds horrible and creepy and just...no. Just no. We didn't really need any conformation that the King was sick but, if we did, I guess this would be some good evidence to use. It was like the caravan all over again. You knew nothing good was going to come from it, yet we went down there anyway and, guess what? Nothing good came from it.

Those final chapters where we were in the tomb and she opened the portal. First off, I love that Gavin came and warned Dorian that Celaena was about to do something stupid, just like Elena came to Celaena before. I liked that he was worthy of that. Secondly - you never try and contact the dead! Ever. Everyone knows this! I'm starting to see a pattern here - when Celaena is this far gone, she does a lot of stupid things that she really should know better than to do. When Nehemia comes through and tells her to shut the portal was so bittersweet because I really wanted them to reconcile and for Celaena to be able to say everything she wanted to but, on the other hand, I wanted her to close the fricking portal! But, of course, she doesn't, and Fleetfoot ends up in the portal. Chaol kind of redeemed himself in this moment because he went after Fleetfoot. You never hurt the dog. Ever. So, he got some points for going after Fleetfoot. When Celaena came through after them and shifted. Oh. My. Goodness. She's badass as a mortal, as a Fae she is terrifyingly amazing. And I can definitely see why she didn't say anything to anyone.

Sending Celaena off to Wendlyn. Okay, I get why Chaol did it. In his own way, he was trying to protect both Celaena and Dorian but, it kind of backfired on him in the most epic way. The scene where she tells Dorian that she'll come back for him was so sweet. I don't think they're ever going to be together romantically, but they're definitely friends and I liked that she didn't just leave without talking to him and making sure they were okay after everything that had happened. When she told Chaol about herself on the dock and left him with the date of her parents death, I was a little confused, until Chaol figured it out and then it all made sense. I already knew that Celaena is actually Aelin but I actually really liked how she told Chaol. This is a secret that she's kept for ten years - she's not going to openly tell him. Even in the moments before she told him the date, she told him that she didn't trust him, but she must have trusted him a little bit, to tell him this information. She trusted him not to tell the King. To keep her secret and I really admired her for doing that. Though I am curious as to why she seems to have no interest in her title. Beyond the obvious fact that her parents were murdered. What did annoy me, was Chaol's reaction to the news. He knew she was Fae - that's why he had her sent away - but discovering that she was more than that, that she's the lost princess is so much worse to him. Yes, I understand his loyalty to the King, but that same loyalty lost him the girl he loves so, you'd have thought he'd be a little more receptive to the idea.

So, that's all I wanted to talk about for this discussion. I loved this book and I am so excited to read Heir of Fire and see what happens next. If you've stuck around to the end of this review, congratulations! What's your favourite part of Crown of Midnight?

Monday 17 October 2016

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas - MAJOR SPOILERS

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas - MAJOR SPOILERS

Rating: 5 stars

Synopsis: In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen year old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake. She got caught. Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament - fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin's heart be melted?

Review: Oh. My. Gosh you guys - this book was so good! After reading 'The Assassin's Blade' I wasn't too sure if ToG was going to live up to my expectations but it did. It really, really, really did. If you haven't read The Assassin's Blade, or Throne of Glass, we follow eighteen year old Celaena Sardothien, the most infamous assassin of all time. Or at least, she was, until a job went wrong and she was sent to live out the rest of her life in a slave camp. After a year in the salt mines, she's offered the deal of a lifetime - represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament and become the King's Champion. It's a deal Celaena can't refuse - a chance to fight for her freedom. But, there are dark things occurring in the castle, and Celaena will need to keep her wits about her if she's to survive this test. If you have not read this book yet I would seriously recommend you checking it out - it's fast paced, action filled and I sped through it.

If you don't want to be spoiled for this book, then leave now, read Throne of Glass and then come back and discuss with us!

WARNING. THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD...

Okay. So, lets start with Celaena. In my review of The Assassin's Blade, I said that one of the reasons I didn't really like those novellas was because of Celaena. She was very spoilt and very arrogant and I just could not warm to her. I'm pleased to say that, after this book, I have now warmed to Celaena, and actually really like her as a character. Her year in Endovier has removed the spoilt personality that I really disliked in the novella's. Now, she's a strong, determined girl, who will do anything to win her freedom. She's still a little arrogant, but actually, in this book, it almost lightens the tone. She's told not to draw attention to herself, to stay in the middle of everyone else. Which doesn't exactly go down well with Celaena. It was so funny to see the arguments between her and Chaol about keeping her identity a secret. Celaena has become a 'real' person to me after this book and I'm so happy that it happened.

Speaking of Chaol and Dorian - how does Sarah J Maas keep coming up with all of these amazing guys? Seriously. I don't know if anyone can match Rhys but...I'm not complaining. I thought the friendship between Dorian, Chaol and Celeana and the romance between the three of them as well. I really admired Celeana for telling Dorian that being together wasn't going to work between them. I was fully expecting them to continue seeing each other behind everyone else's backs but, she was right. He's the crown prince - it wouldn't be good for him to be seen 'dating' her. Don't get me wrong, I like Dorian but I from the first moment I saw him as more of a friend to Celeana rather than a boyfriend. Of the two of them right now, I'm leaning more towards Chaol but I do know that Rowan comes into the picture in Heir of Fire (though I don't know anything more than that) so I'll have to wait and see if that changes my ship. I learnt my lesson from A Court of Thorns and Roses - do not pick a ship early on! It's highly likely to change!

The little details we found out about Celeana's upbringing with Arobynn were horrific. She wasn't as good at sword fighting with her left hand so, Arobynn gave her a choice: either she broke her right hand herself, or he'd do it for her. So, she slammed her bedroom door on her hand meaning she could only fight with her left hand for months. What? This is just such a cruel thing to do to anybody, but to do it to a child? Okay, great, now she's awesome fighting with both hands but reading that scene just made me feel so sorry for Celeana. Even having read The Assassin's Blade and seeing what Arobynn did to her after the events in the first novella, it still shocked me when I was reading this.

The tests were quite interesting. The whole premise of the contest reminded me of the Hunger Games, so I was expecting the tests to be along the same lines. I was pleasantly surprised actually. I thought the poison test was really interesting because I would be completely useless at it! Scaling the tower as well was such a good chapter to see Celeana's character develop. She could have won that challenge but, instead, she went back to help a friend. I also liked that she picked a less obvious 'tool' to use to help her. Everyone else picked rope or something else quite obvious, whereas Celeana picked tar to help give her grip on the walls but wouldn't weigh her down on the climb. She also took a less obvious path up the side of the tower, staying out of the scuffles that led to people falling off. It's these little details that remind us that Celeana is the best assassin for a reason - these skills aren't something she's forgotten in her year in Endovier.

The final duel was really good if not a little confusing at times. I felt like everything kind of happened at once, with all the demons surrounding Celeana but, it was incredibly cool none the less. I really like how she took down her first opponent in a matter of minutes - faster than Cain did. It was so easy for her to do and it made the effects of the drugs so much more dramatic. I really liked the fact that Queen Elena came to help Celeana, even if she was insanely cryptic about everything. I liked that we had her there - it can sometimes feel a bit random in books. Here's the Queen to help you, she knows everything but won't tell you anything. But it really worked in this book for me. We needed Elena to help Celeana because she did know what was going on. Celeana needed someone who knew what was going on in the castle to help her because she was guarded.
  I also love that Elena was also a warrior. It gave her and Celeana a common entity between them, something the Caeleana could relate to. I thought this was an interesting twist on the concept of a fairy tale. The Queen or princess is seen as a damsel in distress, and this was how history remembers Elena when, actually, she was as much of a warrior as Gavin. It's a subtle twist that's so well woven in to the story that if you're not paying attention you could miss.

I'm really interested to see what's going to happen to Kaltain. I get the feeling those headaches aren't going to go away anytime soon and they're not down to opium use. I wonder why she was chosen. Was it just because she was trying to use the Duke or is there another reason? I definitely don't think this is the last we'll see of Kaltain. We have some unfinished business with her.

Sarah J Maas is very good at taking a fairy tale and leaving only a few subtle clues as to the origin behind. Throne of Glass is a retelling of Cinderella and the biggest clue to this is obviously the masquerade ball. I loved this scene. I especially love that the mask she wore did nothing to hide her identity. They all knew who she was. I love how Chaol was just so done with Celeana in this moment - he knew he wouldn't be able to get her to leave but he definitely wasn't happy she was there. He was even less happy when she danced with Dorian. This conflict is obviously missing in the original fairy tale, but makes this book so compelling to read. The fact both Chaol and Dorian want to be with Celeana, but only Dorian takes the chance is huge for both of the guys relationships with Celeana. It also added some humour, with Chaol just standing next to Celeana, putting everyone off coming near her.

I love that Dorian gave Celeana Fleetfoot. I'm a dog lover and Fleetfoot just seems like the perfect companion for Celeana - someone to dull out her rough edges and give her someone she can love unconditionally without really worrying about losing them, in the same way that she's worried about losing her human friends.

I think that's everything I wanted to talk about for this book. I think I'm going to do a review for each book of the series because if this series is anything like ACOTAR (and it's shaping up to be!) there's going to be a lot I want to discuss in each book! What do you think about Throne of Glass? Love it? Hate it? Let me know.

Tuesday 11 October 2016

What I Read in Summer 2016

So, Autumn is finally here. Which is insane to me because I swear Summer only started five seconds ago. I've been lucky enough to have had an incredibly long summer this year, which means I've had plenty of time to read lots of incredible books! Now, there are reviews for almost all of the books I've read, and I've linked them all so if you've missed one, go and check them out.

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas has been a book that I fell in love with when I first read it and have reread it pretty much every week since that first read. I'm pretty sure this is going to be my favourite book of the year. My spoilery discussion is here if you haven't read it yet.

Untold and Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan are the second and third books in the Lynburn Legacy trilogy and I loved them. This whole series was absolutely brilliant. My review for book 1, Unspoken is here.

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan and Maureen Johnson is a collection of short stories about the life of our favourite High Warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus Bane. I think my favourite of the whole collection is probably the Midnight Heir. My review of this book is here.

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater was probably my most anticipated book release of this year. The Raven Cycle is a spectacular series and this conclusion was no exception. My spoilery discussion of this book is here.

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare is the first book of the Dark Artifices series and I loved it. Cassandra Clare has done it again and created a whole new cast of characters that I have fallen in love with. My spoiler filled review of this book is here.

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken is the first book in a duology which has had so many people raving about it in the YA community. It took me a little while to get into this book, but I ended up really enjoying it. My review of this book is here.

The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen is the second book in the Queen of the Tearling series. I loved the first book and this second book did not disappoint. We got so much development of not only Kelsea and her powers and the Red Queen (and who she actually is) but of the time before the Crossing. Though this switch between times was a little jarring at times, it expanded on the history of this world and I enjoyed reading about Lily Mayhew just as much as I enjoyed reading about Kelsea. I can't wait for the next book to come out in December. You can read my review of the first book, The Queen of the Tearling here.

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J Maas is a bind up of all the Throne of Glass prequel novellas. My review for this book is here.

So those are all the books I read this summer. All of these were good, if not fantastic books, so it was definitely a productive summer of reading for me! Lets hope the end of the year follows suit!

Sunday 9 October 2016

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J Maas

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J Maas

Rating: 3.5 stars

Synopsis: Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas, Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.

Review: Yes, you've read the title right. I've finally started reading the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas! I wasn't originally going to read this bind up, but, a lot of people said that they wished they'd read them before starting the series so, I decided to pick it up. Now, if you've seen my review of A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas, you will know that I absolutely adore that book, and is probably going to be my favourite book release of 2016. So, I have high hopes for the Throne of Glass series. Based on this bind up, I'm slightly disappointed. But, it seems I'm the only one who feels that way.

Now, let me explain. I have (somehow) managed to come into this series with very few spoilers. I know a few minor things but, actually, I don't know much about what is to come. So, I'm judging this book as any new book that I read. As far as first impressions go, I was left slightly disappointed by these stories.

The five stories recount the events that lead up to Throne of Glass. They obviously give more details on the characters and the world which was really nice. Once again, Sarah has created an incredibly intricate world for these characters to live in and I'm excited to read more about it. My issue, I think, was actually Celaena. In these stories she is incredibly self-centred and spoilt, which means that I had a really hard time liking her as a character. Like I said, these are prequel stories to the main series, so she is bound to be different here than in those books, but these characteristics made it really difficult for me to finish the book; especially through the first four stories. I thought that the Assassin and the Desert would persuade me to like Celaena, but the next story kind of destroyed that for me. It wasn't until the final story where I finally saw Sarah's finesse and style really come out.

I had the same problem with this book as I did when I read 'Dorothy Must Die' by Danielle Paige. While I was reading it, I was intrigued and invested but, I could put it down and step away for days at a time and not be bothered by it. This happened up until the last story and that had me hooked from the first page and, again, I think it's because I finally saw Sarah J Maas in the writing. Which, doesn't make much sense but, her writing style generally is just so effortless and, usually means I fly through her books.

If you haven't read the Throne of Glass series yet (I feel like I'm talking to the minority here!) then I would recommend picking up at least the last novella 'The Assassin and the Empire.' This was my favourite of all five and sets everything up for Throne of Glass and gives you some context to the events leading up to that book. This story actually really excited me and made me look forward to reading Throne of Glass (which I'm currently reading right now!) so I would definitely recommend this one. The other four obviously give some more context to the final story but you don't need to have read them to understand the Assassin and the Empire.

Overall this collection was okay but, without that last story, I wouldn't have been nearly as excited to pick up Throne of Glass as I was. I'm hoping that the further in to the series I get will change my opinion on the other four stories, but, I guess we'll see.

Sunday 2 October 2016

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Rating: 4 stars

Synopsis:               New York City, Present day.
In one night, Etta Spencer is wrenched from everything she knows and loves. Thrown into an unfamiliar world, she can be certain of only one thing: she has travelled not just miles, but years from home.
                                     The Atlantic, 1776
Captain Nicholas Carter is tasked with delivering Etta to the dangerous Ironwood family. They are searching for something - a stolen object they believe only she can reclaim. But Nicholas is drawn to his mysterious passenger, and the closer he gets to her, the further he is from freedom.
                               The Edges of the World.
Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left by a desperate thief. But as Etta plays deeper into the Ironwood's game, treacherous forces threaten to separate her not only from Nicholas, but from her path home - forever. 

Review: I'm the first one to admit, time travel in books is not something that usually appeals to me. It's why I put off reading this book for so long, despite all the hype it's received. I find it usually isn't very well thought out and is done for the sake of being done, it doesn't really play a part in the plot other than to cause problems for the characters. However, in Passenger, which is the first book in a duology, this isn't the case. In fact, the time travel in this book is probably one of the best examples I've seen in YA. The world and the process was so well thought out. The idea that you can travel through time but not day was really interesting and made a lot of sense. This worked really well within the plot because it meant that, as a reader, you weren't left reeling as Sunday became Wednesday and Wednesday then went back to Saturday for example. It was linear and therefore helped to keep you in the story.

I loved that music played a part within the story. A lot of stories give the protagonist an interest in something like music but the plot then doesn't lend itself to them using that hobby to help them. Alexandra kept Etta's knowledge of music useful throughout the book by incorporating music into finding the portals themselves, which I thought was a really unusual twist. Again, making the time travel a little more 'real' by having to find the portals and not having them lying around for anyone to find.

One of the biggest issues I have with time travel is the ability to go back to a time you've already lived through. Lets be honest, we've all wished we could go back and retake a test or live through a conversation again now we've had time to come up with some decent ideas. But, everyone also knows that going back in time and changing something, even something as small as a having a conversation with someone, causes major problems. What I loved about Passenger was that this issue was resolved, again lending itself to the time and effort that Alexandra put in when creating this world. I can handle characters doing stupid things most of the time, but with something like this where everyone knows the problems of changing the past (have these characters never watched Back to the Future??), characters trying to do this is one of my biggest peeves and I was so happy that Alexandra set a rule up to prevent this from happening.

The history in this book was really good. Not just the physical history of the time periods we visited, but also, the history of the family feuds. Having specific families who can time travel added a whole new layer to this plot because the fights have quite literally lasted centuries!

I thought Etta was a really strong protagonist. I wasn't sure she was going to be at the start but, once we got going she really came in to her own and stood up for herself, especially with Sophia. I think some of my favourite scenes were the early ones on the ship, where she starts to learn for herself what to do. I also liked that Nicholas and Etta were honest with each other. And any secrets they did keep from each other, didn't tear them apart when they came out. Most YA books do have that scene where a secret is revealed and it pushes the romantic relationship apart and it was really refreshing to have two characters do the opposite of that.

In all, I did really enjoy this book. It took me a while to get in to the story but once I did I really enjoyed it. I am glad it's only going to be a duology - I think the second book is going to be really exciting but I don't think it would work as well if it was a trilogy. Either way, a decent and well developed start to a duology series that is worth the hype it received.

Image from Amazon.co.uk - no Copyright Intended