Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

When people say impossible, they usually mean improbable.

Synopsis:

Alina Starkov’s power has grown, but not without a price. She is the Sun Summoner – hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she’s taken. But she and best friend Mal can’t outrun her enemies for long.

The Darkling is determined to claim Alina’s magic and use it to take the Ravkan throne. With nowhere else to turn, Alina enlists the help of an infamous privateer and sets out to lead the Grisha army.

But as the truth of Alina’s destiny unfolds, she slips deeper into the Darkling’s deadly game of forbidden magic. To save her country, Alina will have to choose between her power and the man she loves. No victory can come without sacrifice – and only she can face the oncoming storm.

My thoughts…

The sequel to Shadow and Bone certainly did not disappoint. I was a big fan of the first book, I recognised why some people would not enjoy it but ultimately I had a fantastic time. So, I was beyond excited to pick up Siege and Storm and continue with this series.

We are introduced to Prince Nikolai aka Stormhund the privateer, who rapidly became one of my favourite characters (besides the Darkling of course). For m, I love having this kind of character in a series especially series where its a lot about fighting, love and magic. Characters that brighten the mood up drastically and add humour just adds something extra to the books Nikolai filled this role not only being a witty, sarcastic and charming but he was an actual good guy as well. Comic relief moments are just as important as tension building. I loved everything about him from first meeting Stormhund to the big reveal he was exciting and entertaining.

I’ll just give a quick mention for my number one guy: the Darkling!! This book just reinforced my love to be honest. Whenever he pops up I just swoon I can’t even lie. Not only is he just googly-eyes worthy I find his character to be probably the most interesting. Probably the only thing that could have made the book better would be more Darkling.

A huge part of this story was Alina’s and Mal’s back and forth relationship, will they won’t they, are they going to make it through all this? Who cares? No I’m joking except not really it just got slightly frustrating like JUST BANG. You know what I mean? I kind of felt sorry for Mal at points because Alina just needed to COMMUNICATE but then when he put the moves on Zoya I was screaming internally. I’m not super invested in their love story but that may be down to the fact that the Darkling is life.

This book was pretty predictable except for one moment, which I didn’t mind because it was so enjoyable and kept me entertained. Right, now for the moment that had me GOBSMACKED. My stomach fell out of my ass. Genya being all messed up. When your not thinking about a character and they suddenly pop up completely fucked it really gets to a girl. In that moment for a second the Darkling could go fook himself (just for a second though), it actually made me so sad but at the same time it was so juicy to read.

We were also introduced to Tolya and Tamar, who were also AMAZING characters and the little twist at the end of them believing Alina is a saint and them leading the charge was one of my favourite scenes to read.

This book ended with Alina and Mal entering the underground Cathedral with the apparat, who in all honesty just comes across as a complete creep. Everyone is healing from the fight, Alina is half dead and her power is gone. VAMOOOSH. Setting up for the final book nicely I am sad, excited and apprehensive all at once to read the concluding book.

My Rating…

I am so invested in this series, way more than I ever thought I would be to be honest. It has been my slight obsession. Usually I’m not a fan of predictability but I don’t know I just enjoyed this so much. It was fast paced and kept me entertained the whole way through. I know five stars is high but this series brought me back to the emotional attachment I felt with Throne of Glass, which I haven’t felt to the extent I did ever since. I am beyond excited to read the final book and ever so slightly depressed that I will have to say goodbye to NEARLY all of these characters.

Keep Reading xoxo

To Best The Boys by Mary Weber

“Because you are the wild sea and unkempt storms and constellations in a world where I am the anchor for everyone I know.”
“And you remind me that I can do impossible things.”

Synopsis:

Every year for the past fifty-four years, the residents of Pinsbury Port have received a mysterious letter inviting all eligible-aged boys to compete for an esteemed scholarship to the all-male Stemwick University. The poorer residents look to see if their names are om the list. The wealthier look to see how likely their sons are to survive. And Rhen Tellur opens it to see if she can derive which substances the ink ad parchment are created from, using her father’s microscope.

In the province of Caldon, where women train in wifely duties and men pursue collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur wants nothing more than to become a scientist. As the poor of her seaside town fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a cure. But when her mum succumbs to it as well? Rhen decides to take the future into her own hands – through the annual all-male scholarship competition.

With her cousin, Seleni, by her side, the girls don disguises and enter Mr. Holm’s Labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the scholarship prize. Except not everyone is ready for a girl who doesn’t know her place. And not everyone survives the deadly maze.

My thoughts…

Right, this book has conflicted me. I absolutely LOVED the idea of this book and aspects of it were really enjoyable but I did experience some issues which definitely limited my rating.

First of all, I usually have some kind of issue with most female protagonists but Rhen was one of the few who I loved throughout the whole of the story. She was strong-willed, spoke her mind, mostly independent, quite realistic and NOT FUCKING UNBELIEVABLY STUPID.

It would be pretty stupid to not mention the main theme, if you like, that ran through the whole of this book: Feminism. Was I fan? Yes, yes I was. I’m commending the way it was done, the fact the women were fighting for the choice to do what they want, not being pushed into breaking the mould just for the sake of it. Rhen actually wanting to be a scientist and pave the way for change and Seleni, who was completely happy with being a housewife. I feel it was a great reflection of both sides.

The whole concept of the maze was a good and interesting idea but the execution was where an issue crept in for me. I wanted more. I wanted it to be more complex and have me guessing along with the characters but this just didn’t happen. The maze is on the cover and the main idea for the book and it was lacking. Sad.

Since we are talking issues lets move onto the next. This being a STRONG feminist book and the synopsis showing NO signs of love I wasn’t expecting the love element to be SO strong. It took away from the whole empowerment to be honest. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the couple (I actually loved Lute) it was just Lute, the love interest, was with her from the beginning through the whole maze until the end. I would have preferred her to at least gone through the maze with just Seleni.

The final issue, which is not a huge at all and it quickly became interesting more than anything. The world. It was set in the past with incredibly sophisticated technology and then a magical element as well. It probably could have used a bit more expansion and world building , I wasn’t opposed to it I was just confused for a good few chapters.

I’ll end my thoughts on a positive note: Seleni and Beryll. They warmed my heart, they were so so cute. Highlight of the book.

My Rating:

I know my rating might seem harsh but let me explain. I had previously heard about this book and then reading the synopsis I was HYPED for it. My expectations were extremely high, which is dangerous to have for a book. And now I know why.

However, overall it was an enjoyable book. I would recommend it for a fun read. It’s not incredibly fast-paced but it’s by no means boring. My hugh expectations did probably affect my rating and I can understand and appreciate why someone would rate it higher.

In one sentence? The Hunger Games meets The Maze Runner meets Mulan (with some notable changes).

Keep Reading xoxo

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Too much of anything could destroy you, Simon thought. Too much darkness could kill, but too much light could blind.

Goodreads Summary:

What price is too high to pay, even for love? When Jace and Clary meet again, Clary is horrified to discover that the demon Lilith’s magic has bound her beloved Jace together with her evil brother Sebastian, and that Jace has become a servant of evil.

The clave is out to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. As Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle wheedle and bargain with Seelies, demons, and the merciless Iron Sisters to try and save Jace, Clary plays a dangerous game of her own.

The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost?

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

My thoughts…

So, picking up straight from where City of Fallen Angels ended, City of Lost Souls continues, the penultimate book in the series! Almost to the last one.

For me the first part of the book was slower than the second. It definitely picked up, thank God! I’m not going to lie I started to worry for the second having not enjoyed the first/second books as much as I hoped but as the book went on my fears were washed away.

Probably my favourite parts of this book were the chapters with Clary, Jace and Sebastian. All the travelling from different places I found interesting and enjoyable. Clary and Jace who wasn’t really Jace got a little steamier but Sebastian KNOWING and FEELING, I don’t think I’ve ever felt that uncomfortable. It was beyond satisfying when the-not-so-Jace become real-Jace.

Sebastian in general is a weird character for me. I started to fall for his whole “I’m a new person act” but I quickly reprimanded myself… HE’S THE BAD GUY.

I will forever be inlove with the links and references to the Infernal Devices, it makes me soooo happy. Brother Zachariah, in particular, I love him and ofcourse any reference to the Herondales.

Alec and Magnus BROKE my heart. Absolutely wrecked my feelings. I didn’t know what to do, they are-were-are my number one couple of the whole series. I may have shed one – a couple of tears. EMOTIONAL.

My Rating…

Not a full house but close. The reason why it wasn’t a five star read was probably the first chunk of the book being slow, at points I found that I was having to tell myself to keep going, it will get good. Yes, you can tell that I did think it got good but come on it’s the fifth book in the series, I should be invested not bored.

Clary still annoying but she has gradually became less irritating. I don’t think there will be a book where I will be able to say I enjoyed her throughout but unlike the first book she didn’t completely contribute to the four not five star rating in this one. All we have to find out now is how Clare is going to wrap up this series.

Keep reading xoxo

Fairyloot unboxing: April

Another weekend where time has really gotten away from me! It’s been a very busy couple of days for me, the most excited being I got to watch Endgame, it was absolutely unreal. Anyway, I’ve received my Fairyloot box and it was a gooden this month so here we go…

This months theme was dark magic and I am inlove with this spoiler card!

The first and probably my favourite item is the tote bag featuring art by @morgana0anagrom and lettering by @kdpletters, it is inspired by Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy. How amazing is this please? This is exactly how I pictured The Darkling and I’m just swooning. I received the box a couple of days after I finished The Shadow and Bone Trilogy so this was honestly just the best item to receive and got me so hyped.

Next up is this cute little tea strainer by Fairyloot! It is inspired by Mister Kindly, a shadow companion from Nevernight by Jay Kristoff. I’m afraid to tell you I haven’t read this series but I’m definitely familiar with the series and I will hopefully read it at some point in the future.

This item is so cool! Who doesn’t want a Philosopher’s Stone Soap? Well, probably a lot of people but that’s beside the point. It’s pretty obvious what series this is inspired by but if you have been hiding under a rock for the whole of your life then you should know this bad boy has been inspired by Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling.

I feel so behind having not read Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi but I’ve heard many good things about it so when I do get around my expectations will be high. Inspired by the book is this Notebook with designs by Stella Bookish Art. I would have appreciated it a little bigger because I don’t really use very small Notebooks but this is really pretty!

This came very close to being my favourite item! I LOVE the Trilogy A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab so when I saw this Book Sleeve I was over the fookin moon. I love it so much and it is really good quality, I am currently using it while I read Six of Crows! It was designed by @monolimeart.

Another box, another pin! This is an exclusive Emberfall Enamel Pin designed by Literary Emporium. It was inspired by Fairyloot’s February box, A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer. I loved that read and am so excited for the sequel, which I think is some point next year.

Ofcourse we have the next two Exclusive Collectable Tarot Cards, which are inspired by Leigh Bardugo’s duology. I am currently reading Six of Crows!! I am loving it so far and I’m enjoying finally being on the Grishaverse bandwagon. These two cards feature Nina and Matthias.

Finally, the featured book of the month is Nocturna by Maya Motayne, which is a Latinx fantasy novel. This edition has an exclusive cover, is signed by the author and has blue sprayed edges! The character art is by @niru.sky. I honestly want to read this just for the unreal cover, it’s so gorgeous! I’ve never previously heard anything but from the synopsis it sounds like an interesting and promising read.

Keep reading xoxo

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

“And there’s nothing wrong with being a lizard either. Unless you were born to be a hawk.”

As you may have noticed this post is later than usual. This is due to my very busy schedule because my life is beyond interesting. That last statement may not be strictly true but in all seriousness I actually was quite busy (for once). My time management skills are usually good so I’m slightly depressed they let me down. Anyway better late than never! I am going to attempt to get another post later this week, hopefully the April Fairyloot unboxing! Enjoy…

Synopsis:

These covers are sooo pretty. They definitely grew on me.

Soldier. Summoner. Saint.

Alina Starkov is a soldier. When her regiment is attacked whilst crossing the Shadow Fold – a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters – Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.

Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha – her country’s magical military elite – and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.

But as Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.

My thoughts…

I’m definitely late to the party with this series but I don’t care. This. Was. Amazing. Or at least a promising start. YA trash at it’s absolute finest and I was soaking it all in.

There is something or someone rather that is a big part of why I enjoyed this book so much: The Darkling. I don’t think I have ever loved a villain more but here we are. Probably a bad idea but I just can’t help myself. In my head he’s also slightly good, whether that is true or I’m spouting complete nonsense I do not mind. Let me have my fantasies.

As far as our main heroine, Alina, she is the usual plain Jane with some extraordinary gift that is meant to save the world, obviously. Pretty much to be expected really. Mal, for me, was a weird one. Like he’s cute and all but only really noticed Alina when she was taken away from him. Hmmm I guess I wasn’t here for that. A character I really enjoyed had to be Baghra. Who doesn’t love a cranky old woman who doesn’t give a single fuck? I found her a breath of fresh air, very refreshing.

The Grisha in general excite me, I think their hierarchy and abilities are so intriguing and I’m highly anticipating how their powers will come to play in further books. The Grisha are soldiers of the second army and they call themselves masters of the small science. At the top of their little hierarchy is the Corporalki (the order of the living and the dead) and within this you have Heartrenders and Healers. Next, there is the Etherealki (the order of Summoners) which consist of Squallers (wind), Inferni (fire) and Tidemakers (water). Lastly, is the Materialki (the order of Fabrikators) which has the Durasts and the Alkemi. Basically, a lot of words that I don’t know how to say but still, very interesting.

I didn’t find this book to have a lot of twists and turns but to be fair I wasn’t expecting them due to it being the first book. The uncover of The Darkling being the bad guy was definitely predictable (the name kind of gives it away) but it still hurt my feelings.

The book was mainly about establishing the world, introducing the Grisha and getting stuck in to life at the palace. It is by no means a master piece but I found it a very enjoyable first book to an exciting trilogy.

My Rating…

My rating is pretty high because I just got sucked into this world from the very beginning! I’m loving it. I’ve heard mixed reviews, mainly that how Six of Crows is miles above this series so if I’m loving this hopefully I will be blown away by the duology. High hopes indeed! A promising start, it gives me the same feelings I got when I first picked up Throne of Glass. Nothing will ever top that series but it’s great having something new to obsess over.

Keep reading xoxo

Fairyloot Unboxing: March

Sorry for the late Fairyloot unboxing, uploading pictures was just being very awkward but better late than never. I was incredibly excited for this box! This months theme was: Favourites to celebrate the anniversary of Fairyloot. To the right you can see the box, which is purple (obviously makes the box 10x more exciting). Without further discussion let’s get into the actual box!

First, we have some bookish socks, inspired by Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. These were designed by the Fairyloot team. I have worn them and washed them so I can vouch that they are good quality. They are so adorable!

Next is this colourful scarf, which is a tribute to some of Fairyloot’s (and my own) favourite YA books. This was designed by Cara Kozik and is amazing. I’m proud to say I’ve read a lot of these and it’s soooo cute. My photography skills are not the best when it comes to this one but try to appreciate my effort. I also apologise for how long the picture is clearly I am experiencing some difficulties.

I felt too much joy seeing these page tabs, I am in constant need for more, excuse me while I go into nerd mode and get giddy about the colours and categories. These were also designed by Fairyloot. They seem to be designing a lot more of their items, which is exciting! Again this picture is looking slightly long but don’t kill a girl for trying.

I was so confused about this item at first, I had no clue what it was. I then found out that it was a metal bookmark inspired by Laini Taylor’s Strange the Dreamer. I haven’t read it yet. I know. Where have I been? God knows to be honest. Hopefully I will get around to it and love it along with everyone else. The bookmark is embossed with art from KDP letters and is so stunning!

The next item is the collectable Fairyloot Anniversary Enamel Pin. Pretty obvious who designed this.

I ALWAYS love the art prints that come in the Fairyloot boxes so I was beyond happy to get THREE stunning art prints this month. They were designed by @morgana0anagrom. The art is inspired by Warcross by Marie Lu, The Cruel Prince by Holly Black and An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir. The sad truth is I haven’t read any of these books but I am desperate to get my hands on the Cruel Prince in particular.

Also included was this little promotion item for a new book called Sherwood. Basically feminism meets Robin Hood, I am super excited for it! It includes the prologue and a mini poster.

The tarot cards have changed from ACOTAR to Six of Crows and the design is so pretty! Have I read Six of Crows? NOT YET. I am midway through Siege and Storm so I am well into the Grishaverse and very excited!

This box got even more exciting because it has not one but TWO books. Let’s not all lose our shit, here is the first. Viper by Hex Hogan is the first book in the Isles of Storm and Sorrow series and will not be available until 18th April, which is now not that long away! This is a new fantasy trilogy with a heroine and a fat dilemma all on the high seas. Sounds pretty great.

Last but definitely not least is this months featured book of the month, which is To Best The Boys by Mary Weber. I’ve been seeing this book around a lot so I was so happy with this months pick! It has grey sprayed edges and is actually signed. It also came with art inspired by the book and the author letter. From a quick glance it looks like feminism meets the Maze Runner and I cannot wait to get around to it. The cover is really gorgeous aswell, which is always a bonus.

Keep reading xoxo

The Priory Of The Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

She was lost and found and wandering, all at once. At the cusp of dreaming, yet somehow never more awake.

Synopsis:

Published February 26th 2019 by Bloomsbury Publishing. Hardcover, 827 pages. I am obsessed with this cover.

The house of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction – but assassins are creeping closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has ridden to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parlay, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.

My thoughts…

Spoilers Ahead!

One word to describe this book: Overwhelming. It was so much to take in and get stuck into, in the best way possible. This book took me a while to finish (three weeks!!) but every time I picked it up I was instantly immersed in the world Shannon has created. Definitely took me a quick minute to get to grips with who everyone was and what roles they play but ultimately this stand alone fantasy was. Epic.

It took a chunk of the book to warm up to characters, probably because at times they felt really unrelatable (obviously dragon slaying mages and dragon riding fighters should be completely relatable), like Sabran was really cold at times and she just felt incredibly distant. However, fast forward a number of pages and I’m invested! My favourite characters were Tané, do I even need a reason for this pick? She was such a bad ass and evidently progressed as a better person by the end of the book. And Margaret. She wasn’t a main character but we do see a lot of her. She was lovely and kind but refused to be pushed around and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about her. A character that had me guessing all the way through was Niclays. I was unsure for a whie where his character was going to go whether he was going to stay miserable or actually do some good for himself and I have to say his arc brought a tear to my eye. When he found out about Truyde my heart may have cracked a little. I LOVED the relationship that Sabran and Ead developed. I didn’t see it coming but I was here for it. Steamy to say the least.

As far as plot-twists and OMG moments there wasn’t a great deal that had me really shocked. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing and doesn’t mean it wasn’t a page turner because it definitely was. The relationship had me shocked, Aubrecht’s death hit me and Tané having the fucking jewel sewn inside her threw me but other than that I caught on to what was happening and where it was all going. I enjoyed near enough every minute.

Emotional moment? Surprisingly yes. I wont say them all but the number one thing that I was actually devastated about was Lintley’s death. I had read over that a good few times before it actually sank in. I didn’t believe it, it annoyed me so much like why? So so so close, the big battle was over and your just going to go and kill him off? He was going to get married! One word: Fuck.

Quick mention for Tané and her relationship with her dragon, Nayimathun, they were just amazing! I loved their bond and they never gave up on each other, showing all you really need in life is a big friendly dragon. Not much at all.

The only really problem I actually, which to be fair is very minor was that we got to the big battle with The Nameless One and it all seemed well… short. I felt like the main characters got off very easily. I felt their should have been a death of one of the main characters. Weird thing to wish for but it’s much more realistic to me . I know it’s fantasy but still if this shit were to happen in no way shape or form we are making it out without the need of some body bags. Other than that it was a brilliant read.

My Rating…

I couldn’t not give this a five stars. It was an epic fantasy series that yes, you need to pay attention and take a lot in but is beyond worth it. Progressing through you get sucked in and are constantly wondering where the storylines of these characters are going to lead.

I have never read any of Shannon’s other books but after this colossal monster I think I may have to pick some up. Phenomenal. Laura Eve, author of The Graces called it a feminist successor to The Lord of the Rings and I couldn’t agree more.

Keep reading xoxo

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

This post was meant to be my Fairyloot March unboxing. As you can see it isn’t. I am more annoyed than you. When I was uploading the pictures it wasn’t allowing me to make them smaller for some reason. It usually gives me the % I want to make it smaller by and it just wasn’t having any of it so hopefully that will right itself and I will get that out as soon as possible but for now enjoy the Red Queen.

The truth is what I make it. I could set the world on fire and call it rain.

Synopsis:

This is a world divided by blood – Red or Silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to seventeen-year-old Mare, a Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilits, it seems like nothing will ever change.

But Mare possesses a deadly talent of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of her potential, the Silvers hide Mare in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess. Knowing that one false move will mean her death, Mare must use her new position to bring down the regime – from the inside.

Now Mare has entered a game of betrayal and lies.

This is Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart…

My thoughts…

YA trash at it’s finest and not going to lie I was completely here for it. There was huge hype surrounding this book, mainly because the covers were gorgeous but then the bad reviews came creeping. This book definitely has some love but I have seen a whole lot of hate and while I can completely understand it I have to say, I really fuckin enjoyed it.

Before you rip me to shreds this book was mostly enjoyable because I was in the mood for it like I so wanted some crappy YA fantasy with love and drama and all that business. And I got it with Red Queen. Mare as a character was a bit bland like she is the same lead female character we see everywhere but I knew this when getting into the book because this was what I needed at the time. Don’t. Judge. Me.

You know what did piss me off though that I have to get out: the writing. I didn’t like it. I found there was unnecessary comments or declaratives that did not need to be there. It made me laugh but at the same time shut up. Mare shut up. JUST SHUT UP.

Everything was predictable. I’m not exaggerating. It was funny because I knew what I was getting myself into and while I got myself invested, I knew exactly what was going to come next. From the marriage to the betrayal to the “dead” brother not actually being dead. I knew it. All while I knew it, I was lapping this shit up. I don’t know what was wrong with me, looking back now I can see the issues, trust me I can, I get these bad reviews but at the time? Nope. Didn’t care. I was gulping down Mare, Cal and Maven like they were vodka shots and I was a raging alcoholic.

Cal. He is the only thing that I’m still gulping down and I’m not even sorry. I know what your thinking. Slut. And I don’t even care. He was like a cheap version of Dorian from Throne of Glass and I LOVE ME SOME DORIAN.

I’m not really going to delve into the plot too much because it is pretty much like every other story. Saddens me to say but there is a clear lack of originality. To be honest I feel bad because the whole reason I picked it up because I was in the mood for a shitty YA with characters that I knew were going to be copies of other characters and a storyline that wouldn’t take time getting to grips with. If this is a reason someone picks up your book. Yikes.

Does it make things better that despite all the crap I really enjoyed it AT THE TIME? Or maybe it’s the fact that it included ALL the crappy stuff that I did enjoy it. Either way I suppose not something someone usually wants to hear about their book. Oh well.

My Rating…

AGAIN. GIVE ME A CHANCE TO EXPLAIN. In reality this book is more like a two stars. Trust me I know. However, at the time I was like FUCK YES. Red Queen is what I wanted and while I recognise the bad I also appreciate that the bad is what I wanted. Like drugs. There we have it Red Queen is like heroin. Let a girl live. This book is very much like a watered down hunger games, a cheap divergent and a crappy EVERY OTHER YA book. Will I be continuing this series? Honestly, I don’t know. If I’m in the mood for heroin I guess this is a safer option. Seriously though I probably will revisit the series, I do love a shitty YA book and I know this won’t disappoint.

Keep reading xoxo

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare

“I feel myself diminished, parts of me spiralling away into the darkness, that which is good and honest and true-If you hold it away from yourself long enough, do you lose it entirely? If no one cares for you at all, do you even really exist?”

Synopsis:

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, but her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

My Thoughts…

Spoilers Ahead!

The first book in this series really took me on a whirlwind and the sequel was no different. It was full of emotional moments, oh my god moments, lovey-dovey moments and some chuckle-worthy moments for good measure. After the first book ended the way it did (my heart in bits) I knew that this one was going to take no prisoners and I was absolutely right, it grabbed me by the lady balls and swung me about until I had nothing left.

The love triangle is definitely in full-swing, we see Tessa and Jem getting closer and despite Will being a complete ass at the end of the first book, doesn’t deny the fact that he is head over heels for her. Love triangles are a difficult one for me. I don’t hate them by any means but they are a frustrating trope. I find it exciting that you don’t know who they will end up with but sometimes it can be quite uncomfortable to read especially when the two boys in question are BEST FRIENDS! Like can you imagine that in the real world? Excuse all the magic and demons and whatnot imagine THAT situation. No. Thanks.

The characters are a huge part of what I love about these books. The friendship between Will and Jem deserve a book of their own and Tessa is such a refreshing change from Clary (the mortal instruments). I also loved the more secondary characters, Charlotte and Henry being the most likeable people ever. Jessamine was a weird one, half the time I’m looking at the page when she makes a decision like is she for real? She was a character I so wanted to like but she didn’t half make it hard for me. We are also introduced to new characters, which I was not opposed to. Oh and can we all just take a minute for Sophie, she is amazing!

I realise though I have one slight problem with the trilogy, it is only minor for me and so didn’t hinder my rating but I find it slightly annoying that we have Tessa being all so new to the world and Will, the good looking, confident boy with all the secrets mirrors Clary and Jace for TMI and I’m not all that into it. I didn’t mention it in Clockwork Angel’s review, mainly because I forgot but I’m mentioning it now. At least I like these characters a lot more, that definitely redeems it but I guess you can’t get much more irritating than Clary.

Plot-wise I was pretty engaged and interested in what was going on but its the sub-plots that had my attention.

Something that I have to talk about is we now have a MARRIAGE on our hands. I love Will. Like I really love Will so when Tessa got engaged to Jem I was very conflicted. Don’t get me wrong Jem is absolutely precious so I wasn’t against the whole thing but my POOR POOR WILL. My emotions were all over the place, I didn’t know what to feel. And then to make my heart break even more when Tessa and will were arguing and he was proclaiming his love for her I DIED. DeHd. BuRiEd.

There was moments that literally made my heart swell aswell as shatter some of my favourites being Charlotte’s pregnancy (I love love love) and the romance between Gideon and Sophie, I am so here for it!!

Overall, this book had me up, down and all around, emotional turmoil does not even begin to describe what I was feeling. Was I excited to read on? Understatement.

My Rating…

I had to. I loved it. For me this tops The Mortal Instruments by a mile. Cassandra Clare completely got my heart with this trilogy and hit me right in the feels. I was beyond excited to reach the conclusion of the final book and find out what the fook was going to happen. So far I would definitely recommend this series.

City of Fallen Angels By Cassandra Clare

“There might not be so much of a difference between the side of Light and the side of Dark as you suppose. After all, without the Dark, there is nothing for the Light to burn away.”

Synopsis:

The Mortal War is over, and Clary Fray is home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She’s training to become a Shadowhunter and – most importantly of all – she can finally call Jace her boyfriend. But her happiness has come at a price…

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering Shadowhunters, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her – his mother just found out that he’s a vampire, and now he’s homeless. When Jace begins to pull away from her without explaining why, Clary is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: she herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.

My Thoughts…

Spoilers Ahead!

So, this is the fourth instalment of the mortal instruments and I have to say: it was amazing. I felt much more immersed in the plotline than the previous three books, I was slightly unprepared for the whirlwind this book took me on but I was completely thrilled by it.

Something that was very prominent for me that I would like to point outfirst is the love plots to this book. There was definitely development for quite a few relationships. Obviously, we see a lot of Clary and Jace and I’m here for their relationship but my focus was not really on them. SIMON SIMON SIMON. It was so funny and so infuriating reading his scenes with Isabelle AND Maia but when it all came out it was so so so good. I’ve always been a Simon and Isabelle shipper so going into the next books I was incredibly excited to see their progression. And you can’t mention love with the mortal instruments without everyone’s treasures: Alec and Magnus. I love everything about them. I’m a big fan of young adult fantasies with a strong love element and this couple don’t disappoint. I was routing for them till the very end! One of my highlights of the book was:

“You could give me the past,” he said a little sadly. “But Alec is my future.”

This book lacked any teary eyed moments. There was no scenes that destroyed me emotionally , which I wasn’t too fussed about because to be honest I wasn’t expecting any necessarily but definitely in the next books I was hoping for something that would just break my heart. Is that weird? Tell me you get this? Like, you know it’s a great series when it shatters your soul.

What this book didn’t lack however was some nail-biting, piss-myself out of shock and excitement moments. It was filled with scenes that had me anticipating the next books and what would be the consequences of all these actions. From the whole Simon gobbling Maureen to the revelation of Kyle being Jordan it was soooo gripping! I can’t mention pissing myself without mentioning that last scene. We all knew Sebastian was going to turn up again but to end like that? SHOOK.

I wasn’t a fan of the addition of Lilith. Idk I just didn’t like her as a villain maybe we don’t see enough of her but she just wasn’t interesting to me and considering she’s all evil and might she was put down considerably easier than expected.

Overall, this book definitely had me excited to read on with this series. In my opinion Cassandra Clare definitely raised the bar with this one!

My Rating…

I think this book is my favourite one so far! This series is trash for teenagers, it has all the elements that we crave and I’m lapping all this good shit up to be honest. This one definitely raised my expectations for the next books!

Keep reading xoxo