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

Fairyloot Unboxing: February

Sorry about this post being slightly later than usual but hey ho! I haven’t actually got a schedule for when I am posting so maybe I should sort that out. As you can probably tell today’s post is going to be an unboxing of the February Fairyloot box! This month’s theme is Beast & Beauty and I was super excited to receive this one! On the right is a picture of the box with just about everything in it. I had already looked at all the contents so this was me trying to neatly, I’m using that word in the loosest sense, put everything back inside.

So, first we have a very VERY large wall tapestry designed by Sweet Sequels. It features a dancing scene between Belle and the Beast, it is absolutely stunning! Considering I’m not ten foot tall (5’1 incase your wondering) I couldn’t get a picture of the whole thing but I got a little snap of the cute couple, the best part in my opinion.

Next, we are onto the enchanted rose inspired cup or “sparkly tumbler” as they so very fancily put it in the spoiler card. It has the enchanted rose on one side and then a quote from Beauty and the beast on the other. It was designed by Taratjah and KDP Letters. I love it, I’m a HUGE fan of the colour gold and anything that sparkles so I was very pleased to see this.

The third item is a Ceramic Trinket Dish, which they have never before included, for putting your little jewellery bits in. It is in fact on my bedside table with some of my jewellery bits in. The dish has a quote from Beauty and the Beast and was designed by Drop And Give Me Nerdy, it is SO cute.

We also have, well me not you, well maybe you, who knows, a Tea With Mrs. Potts Roll-On perfume (vegan), which is made/designed by Little Heart Gifts. The scent is sweet tea and vanilla and it has certainly grew on me. I usually wear quite floral perfume and this is very much vanilla, something that I would really like as a candle but it is still very nice all the same.

Next this box featured an Enchanted Rose Enamel Pin, designed by IceyDesigns. This is so cute and believe it or not by first ever bookish pin!

How gorgeous is this Belle art print though? Ahh sooo pretty! This was designed by @amaretta_ . Next to the print is what looks like a book mark featuring City of Brass on.

Fairyloot have been featuring collectable Tarot cards in their boxes in December, they are currently doing the A Court Of Thorns and Roses series, which I am very happy about. In this box Mor and Rhysand were featured, they are so pretty. All the artwork for these cards were done by Emily Haynes. I am very excited to receive more of these cards.

The book featured in this box this month is A Curse So Dark And Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer. I predicted this book and was so excited to get it and this cover is absolutely stunning! The spine of the book is holographic and oh my god I am obsessed. It may be one of my favourite covers ever. On the left of the book you can see February’s Fairyscoop and on the right we have a few things. How cute is the little signed bookplate? We also have a large bookmark (that is a bookmark right?) with the book cover on. The Fairyloot bookmark with the theme art on, I LOVE the theme art. Finally, an art print inspired by the book itself, designed by @kf1n3.

Overall, this box has been amazing, I am so excited to keep receiving Fairyloot. Definitely worth it!

Keep reading xoxo

Fairyloot Unboxing

Hey Hello Hi.

Today’s post as you can probably tell is going to be the January Fairyloot unboxing! Fairyloot is a subscription box for Young Adult fantasy lovers that features around 5-6 bookish items related to the theme and then of course the exclusive Fairyloot edition book.

This is actually only my second box from Fairyloot so I’m pretty much a new subscriber but I had been wanting to subscribe for a while previously. Honestly, this subscription just seemed right up my street so I am incredibly excited!

This months theme is *drumroll please* … Unbreakable Bonds!!

Let’s get straight into it then. So this is what the box looks like, the spoiler card has the theme art on (how gorgeous), which is done by Fairyloot’s official artist, @taratjah.

So, first we have this exclusive Dregs hair band, which is inspired by The Dregs in Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. It was designed by Fictiontea Designs. Ahh I haven’t read Six of Crows YET (I know shoot me). I do have the book though so its just getting around to it, I have the collectors edition and its sooooo stunning. I cant wait to get around to it (I want to read Shadow and Bone first though). This hair band is so cute and thank Jebus because I’ve been needing one so I’m super happy!

Next we have some Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate from The Tea Leaf Co, which is inspired by The Remnant Chronicles by Mary E. Pearson and the characters on the front are Lia and Pauline (if you didn’t notice). Now this is definitely an item I can get on board with! I have tried it and I can say it tastes bloody fantastic. Again I haven’t read The Remnant Chronicles but again it is on the long list of books I would like to pick up soon.

FAN GIRL MOMENT. Will and Jem candle? YES FOOKIN PLEASE. This is an exclusive Will and Jem candle by Geeky Clean, inspired by the Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare. The scents is tea and sage, I really like the smell, its quite strong and smells really fresh. I have read the first two books of the Infernal devices trilogy and after I finish City of Lost Souls the last book is the very next I am picking up. I. CAN’T. WAIT.

How cute is this? This is an exclusive Lip Balm by Book and Nook. It’s inspired by the friendship between Jules and Arsinoe in Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake. The lip Balm kind of smells like Palma Violets but when actually on the lips feels quite minty fresh so Idk what’s going on there. I have read the first two books in this trilogy and I do have the third it is just a matter of getting around to it. I love Arsinoe but to be honest I actually wasn’t the hugest fan of Jules. This Lip Balm is cute though.

Fairyloot are now including collectable tarot card theme trading cards in their boxes and the first set is inspired by A Court of Thorns and Roses! This month they have sent out Feyre and Azriel (at first I thought it was Ryhsand but the spoiler card rectified that and I am now aware that it’s my baby Azriel). I’ve read the series (obviously) I love the series (obviously) so I am very happy with the inclusion of these cards and what a good idea in general anyway?

On the left we have an exclusive Fellowship Friendship woodmark inspired by The Lord of the Rings by Ink and Wonder Designs. How pretty is this design please? I love love love it! The quote on it says “There is some good in this world and it’s worth fighting for”. On the right we have the Fairyloot bookmark, which is included in every months box, it has this months art theme on.

How gorgeous is this?! This is an exclusive Raven Crew cushion cover by Monolimeart and KDP Letters. It features the artwork and quote from The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. The size is 18″ x 18″. I haven’t read this series YET but I am familiar with it and it is on my list.

These two items were also included. They are a Once & Future Postcard and The Black Cats Postcard. I’m not really familiar with either.

And here it is! The main item. The book of the month is Circle of Shadows by Evelyn Skye. This edition is a Fairyloot exclusive, it has lavender sprayed edges and is actually signed by the author. The character art was designed by @sallteas and I’m loving it! I’m not familiar with the book or the author but it definitely looks like something I would go for so I’m excited to get around to it, whenever that will be.

Overall, I am beyond happy with this box, everything looks to be really good quality and I’m loving all the items. I’m sooo excited for next month! Would I recommend Fairyloot? Yes!

Keep reading xoxo