Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Published: May 5th 2015
Source: ebook
Pages: 416
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #1

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

REVIEW

First off, I am super hard to please. I am very critical by nature so I usually tear things to shreds. BUT THIS BOOK!!! It blew me away! This is one of the most well-balanced book I have read in ages. Writing, characters, world building, plot, pacing, romance etc were all done so well. This is hands down going to be one of my top books this year.

I was seeing this everywhere on Twitter, Goodreads, BookTube & Blogs and I was doing rather well on my readathons so I decided to veer off my TBR to check this crazy hype out. I have to admit that I was prepared to hate this book and call out on the stupid hype so I read the negative reviews on Goodreads before starting the book (keeping my expectations low and all). AND I AM SO SORRY SARAH J. MAAS FOR I HAVE WRONGED YOU. How could I have doubted you. ACOTAR IS BOMB. Better than Throne of Glass (I have only read the first book in the series though.)! It reminded me of why I love fantasy and romance. Instead of taking the usual back seat, the romance in ACOTAR was the driving force of the plot, just like Beauty and the Beast. I am a huge fan of Beauty and the Beast and this book does it so much justice!

Some people are complaining that it is unlike Beauty and the Beast but I beg to differ. I recently watched the Broadway musical Beauty and the Beast and it was HILARIOUS! ACOTAR gave me all the same feels and Tamlin was that beast who struggled to befriend Feyre and eventually they fall in love. To me, that is the essence of Beauty and the Beast. The fact that the beast/Tamlin has to win her over even though she was held 'captive'. Even though Tamlin does not look that gross/hairy/ugly as the Beast but the fact is, he is a scary and hateful faerie! He is a creature that used to enslave humans, how could anyone love him? That is where the twist is. I think some people might have missed that. Its more than just the looks.

Speaking of twists, I loved Maas' take on the curse. It was genius! :) 

Also, the pacing was amazing! There was SO MUCH going on that I was never bored, not even for a second. This did not suffer from the usual first-book-is-a-set-up-book syndrome.

If you are expecting a high fantasy similar to Maas' other series: Throne of Glass, this is not it. Beauty and the Beast is a love story -> ACOTAR is mostly a love story. HOWEVER, even though they take a back seat, there is a lot of world building and politics going on in the book as well. Also, there are a lot of fantastical and scary creatures in this book. It adds such an interesting element! I am really excited to see how it all unfolds as the series progresses!

The only problem I had was that I didn't really feel for the two main characters. Tamlin fell quite flat for me and even though I loved the romance, I felt that the build up towards it was nearly non-existent. It felt a little sudden and I wished that there was a little more angst. (I never thought I would ever ask for more angst lol.) 

*SPOILER STARTS HERE*

I do think that the romance was done this way on purpose though. It seems to be hinting at something that might happen as the series progresses. Remember how the Shatter Me series unfolded? ;) My guess is that Feyre will eventually fall in love with Rhys! Since the current relationship seems a bit flimsy, we would all be okay when that ship sails and we welcome a new ship, right?  And needless to say, I am #TeamRhys. Tamlin just doesn't seem as exciting :P I can't wait for the monthly sleepovers with Rhys! <3

*SPOILER ENDS HERE*

VERDICT

Read this. I promise it would be worth your while! :D GO GO GO!

Side note: Feyre is 19 and there are some steamy scenes in this book. Why isn't it categorised as New Adult? This doesn't seem very appropriate for anyone under 16.

Recommended for anyone that loves romance, fairytale retellings and the Throne of Glass series!

Plot:4.5/5 

Pacing: 5/5

Originality: 4.5/5 

Writing style: 5/5

Characters: 4/5 

Feels: 5/5
Enjoyment: 5/5

Cover: 4.5/5

Overall rating: 

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Review: The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Title: The Queen of the Tearling
Author: Erika Johansen
Published: July 8th 2014
Source: Paperback
Pages: 630
Series: The Queen of the Tearling #1

On her nineteenth birthday, Princess Kelsea Raleigh Glynn, raised in exile, sets out on a perilous journey back to the castle of her birth to ascend her rightful throne.

Plain and serious, a girl who loves books and learning, Kelsea bears little resemblance to her mother, the vain and frivolous Queen Elyssa. But though she may be inexperienced and sheltered, Kelsea is not defenseless: Around her neck hangs the Tearling sapphire, a jewel of immense magical power; and accompanying her is the Queen’s Guard, a cadre of brave knights led by the enigmatic and dedicated Lazarus. Kelsea will need them all to survive a cabal of enemies who will use every weapon—from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic—to prevent her from wearing the crown.

Despite her royal blood, Kelsea feels like nothing so much as an insecure girl, a child called upon to lead a people and a kingdom about which she knows almost nothing. But what she discovers in the capital will change everything, confronting her with horrors she never imagined. An act of singular daring will throw Kelsea’s kingdom into tumult, unleashing the vengeance of the tyrannical ruler of neighboring Mortmesne: the Red Queen, a sorceress possessed of the darkest magic. Now Kelsea will begin to discover whom among the servants, aristocracy, and her own guard she can trust.

But the quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun—a wondrous journey of self-discovery and a trial by fire that will make her a legend…if she can survive.

REVIEW

I was so skeptical when I started reading this book because of all the mixed reviews but Emma Watson's approval of this book helped me push through. :P

The writing style is very simplistic and because of the large fonts that I was reading it in, sometimes it felt like I was reading a YA but a curse word or gross bloody description would jump out and I am reminded that it is an adult book again. I loved the writing style because it was so easy to digest and despite the length of the book, I did not find it draggy at all and this was all thanks to the great writing! And yes there is a decent amount of rape and slavery in The Queen of the Tearling but it is not a huge part of the book. Some people seem to have a huge problem with it so I thought I should mention it.

World building is seriously lacking in this one, especially in terms of the history of The Crossing. Only two countries crossed the sea? What happened to the rest? (p.s. there are more than two countries in the world.) Apparently there are only white and the occasional black people left. And the way white people looked at the rare black people in this book sounded like they were zoo animals. White supremacy anyone? What really helped me get through this huge problem with world building was telling myself that this is fantasy instead of dystopian. As a dystopian, this gets a big fat F.

I did not like Kelsea at all. Her attitude towards everything was honestly annoying. Her ego inflates like crazy as the book goes on. She was extremely judgemental and looked down on everyone; mocking their religion, decisions, looks etc. It is rather shocking and out of character imo. I am not sure if this was the intended characterisation but I highly doubt so. I think that readers are supposed to like her as she is the 'hero' that saves the kingdom. However,  I can't deny that she has an incredible character arc and you really see her grow in front of your eyes as the book progresses. Ironically, I still did not like her as she became a stronger female character. Her 'strength' was a little extreme. I get that she is supposed to be a strong female character and she is a queen so she has to be firm but it felt like she changed too much in her growth process and she seems more like an anti-hero now.

The other characters were amazing! I found myself wanting to know more about every single character, especially the Red Queen and Mace. If you are looking for a novel with great characters then you should check this out!

Also, there was no romance! Crushes? Yes, but no lurveee. Love the slow burn of the hinted romance.

The plot is not the most original and is actually reminiscent of the Falling Kingdoms series but it had sufficient twists and the pacing was on point! This book is very plot-driven and may not be everyone's cup of tea.

VERDICT

This book was a weird one for me. On one hand, I hated so many things about it but at the same time I liked so many things about it. The world building was just puzzling and I wished that more effort was put into it. I have the same issue with the magic system as well. I am curious to see how Kelsea continues to grow in the next book and I hope she stops saying idiotic things. The story and pacing is amazing and it really helped me to overlook all the other major problems of the book. The key to enjoying this is to honestly just let yourself get suck into the story and you will start to ignore the annoying bits about the book.

Also, I personally feel that this is the kind of book where you have to read at least 60% of it before you decide to DNF it. The story just gets so so so good!

Tips to enjoy this book:

1) Keep your expectations low. This is NOT GoT and this reads more like a YA than adult.

2) Kelsea (the main character) says stupid things once in awhile, chalk it down to her immaturity. 

3) Do not read this as a dystopian, it is easier to suspend your beliefs if you read this as a fantasy.

The sequel: The Invasion of the Tearling is coming out next month so now would be a good time to check this book out! :)

Great book for fantasy lovers and anyone looking for a really strong female character. (I think this was why Emma Watson loved the book and agreed to be in the movie.) 

Plot: 4/5 

Pacing: 4/5

Originality: 3.5/5 

Writing style: 4/5

Characters: 3/5 

Feels: 4/5
Enjoyment: 4.5/5

Cover: 5/5

Overall rating: 

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Review: Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes

Title: Rebel Spring
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Published: December 3rd 2013
Source: Paperback
Pages: 416
Series: Falling Kingdoms #2

The sensational high fantasy series that is like Game of Thrones for teens

Auranos has been conquered and the three kingdoms—Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia—are now unwillingly united as one country called Mytica. But alluring, dangerous magic still beckons, and with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the world. . . .

CLEO is now a prisoner in her own palace, forced to be an ambassador for Mytica as the evil King Gaius lies to her people MAGNUS stands to eventually inherit the new kingdom but is still obsessed with his feelings for his adopted sister, Lucia LUCIA is haunted by the deadly outcome of her breathtaking display of magic that allowed her father to capture the kingdoms JONAS watches at the palace gates, a troop of rebels behind him, waiting for him to tell them how he plans to overtake King Gaius When Gaius announces that a road is to be built into the Forbidden Mountains, formally linking all of Mytica together, he sets off a chain of cataclysmic events that will forever change the face of this land.

REVIEW

I started this book off thinking that I would love it for sure and I was so excited to read it but sadly, this disappointed me :( If you read my book review of the first book: Falling Kingdoms, you would know that I absolutely loved the first book and I was so excited for the rest of the series. I was hoping that some of its world building issues would be addressed and I really liked that there was minimal romance in the first instalment.

Similar to the first book, we get the multiple POVs but the similarity seems to stop there.

20 pages into the book, there was the stinky smell of a love triangle and I became really weary. And lo and behold! There is a love chain and a love triangle in Rebel Spring. What is a love chain you might ask. A love chain is when A likes B but B likes C and C likes D etc. I swear that I am not exaggerating one bit. At least 5 characters were  involved in this chain and there was even a love triangle somewhere in there. The romance was very strange and distracting from the plot. Usually I am pretty okay with love triangles and I can tolerate them but a 5-6 people love chain!? Come on now. I was spending half of the time trying to figure out who is falling in love with who after meeting each other for the first time. (YES THERE IS INSTA LOVE TOO)

The pacing was bad in this one. Nothing actually happened and I had to force myself to finish the book after putting it down for one week. The pacing of this was very very slow compared to the first book and there were hardly any twists, unlike in the first book where there was a twist every few chapters. This was very disappointing. There was a lot of faffing around and back and forth about whether someone should do something or not when the answer is already so painfully obvious. This was very predictable and was just not as enjoyable as I was expecting it to be. There were some parts that I was not expecting but it was over so quickly that I forgot all about it in the next chapter. The pacing in this instalment was either too slow or too fast. There were too many fillers and the ending felt rushed.

I felt very distant from most of the 'good' characters, they were so flat! The only character POV I really enjoyed was Magnus and Lucia, as per the first book. I was just not interested in the other characters, especially Cleo. She was so boring and we were in her head most of the time, bleagh. I really enjoyed Lucia and Magnus, I am really interested in their character arcs! I might just read the next book for them. 

World building was alright, it did not really add much to what we already knew from the first book but it was sufficient.

VERDICT

If you cringe and die the moment you hear of a love triange and insta-love in your books then you'll want to steer clear of this. The romance was just so convoluted and unbelievable and it ruined the book for me since it bogged down the pacing as well.

I highly recommended the first book but now that I've read this second book I am not so sure about it anymore. I am still deciding if I should read the third book, I just can't even bear the thought of reading about the weird love chain. 

Recommended for die-hard fans of Morgan Rhodes or the series (?)

Plot: 3/5 

Pacing: 2.5/5

Originality: 3.5/5 

Writing style: 4/5

Characters: 3/5 

Feels: 2/5
Enjoyment: 3/5

Cover: 4/5

Overall rating: 

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Review: Splintered by A.G. Howard

Title: Splintered
Author: A.G. Howard
Published: January 1st 2013
Source: Hardcover
Pages: 371
Series: Splintered #1

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence.

Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

REVIEW

This book started as a 4 star for me but it just spiralled down from there. Don't let my review put you off though, I can see why others have enjoyed this. This was a little too whimsical for me and there was more focus on that rather than the plot.

This was a good idea but the plot was very dragged out throughout the middle section of the book. Every tiny detail from the original Alice in Wonderland was addressed and 'debunked'. It was interesting to see the twists but it was overdone. To me, it felt very unnecessary seeing as how some of these events were pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Everything just seemed so overly convoluted just for that one outcome that Morpheus was aiming for the entire time. I am pretty sure he could have done it in a simpler way. (if you've read this I am sure you know what I am referring to)

Also, this was quite predictable for an adventure book. We know exactly what Alyssa has to do (down to the specific steps) and at first you might be worried that she'll fail but after the first 2-3 times where everything just happens to work in her favour, it gets really really really boring. You know that she is never going to fail and every 'obstacle' will be easily crossed.

This is also one of those rare times where I would've preferred this without the weird romance/love triangle. The guys just wanted to control her and I just didn't really like either of them so it wasn't very exciting for me. I tolerated it mostly and kind of just skimmed through the 'romance' parts. But honestly, Jeb just liked the idea of controlling Alyssa and Morpheus was just a crazy weirdo and I don't even know where his 'love' for Alyssa came from...This love triangle just happened. One moment Jeb is rejecting Alyssa while Morpheus is all over her and the next moment, the roles are reversed. Also, the entire time Alyssa just tells us how upset she is about it but she never actually does anything about it. I don't even???

However, as a character, I liked Morpheus. He did whatever the heck he wanted to and called out on Jeb's and Alyssa's bullshit. This book would have been so much better without Jeb. Alyssa is a totally different person when she was with Morpheus. The main reason why this got 3 stars was the draggy plot and the annoying Jeb. Even though I didn't like Alyssa, she wasn't an issue for me because I see her potential when she is with Morpheus. Jeb was just there to drag her down and carry her backpack for her...BUT Morpheus was constantly pointing out how shitty Jeb is so I guess I am supposed to hate Jeb? 

I loved how every detail was taken care of in this book. It is pretty uncommon in the books that I've read. She makes sure to mention that the backpack is dropped and that the characters have picked it up before they left the scene. While I really appreciated it in the beginning, it started to get seriously tedious as I went along. EVERYTHING had to be addressed and i found myself skimming through those parts. The writing style just seemed very contrived after awhile, it didn't flow very naturally.

I nearly DNF'd when I only had 50 pages left but instead I picked up and finished another book before I forced myself to finish up Splintered. I just lost interest in the story and even though the ending was good and kind of surprising, the only emotion I felt was relief. Yay after all that running around doing god-knows-what, the book has finally ended.

VERDICT

You need patience for this book. If you have seen a few of my reviews you will know how impatient I am when it comes to redundant plot points/info dumping. I don't mind a lengthy book with good writing but when the length of the book comes from redundant running-around-for-no-apparent-reason, I just don't enjoy the book as much as I probably should. Also, if you can't stand controlling boyfriends, RUN AS FAR AS YOU CAN from this book. You will set this book on fire. 

I may or may not continue on with this series. There are probably better series out there for me to read though. Let me know if you've read the rest of the series and if I should continue on

Recommended for Alice in Wonderland fans.

Plot: 3/5 

Pacing: 2.5/5

Originality: 4/5 

Writing style: 3.5/5

Characters: 2.5/5 

Feels: 2/5
Enjoyment: 2.5/5

Cover: 4/5

Overall rating: 

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Review: A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Title: A Great and Terrible Beauty
Author: Libba Bray
Published: November 11th 2014
Source: Paperback
Pages: 282

A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy--jumble them all together and you have this complicated and unusual first novel.

Sixteen-year-old Gemma has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother's death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls' academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions "for a bit of fun" and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order. A Great and Terrible Beauty is an impressive first book in what should prove to be a fascinating trilogy.

REVIEW

This is a short-ish review because there is really nothing much to say about it...

Plot/pacing was very slow. It was a real drag and I think its predictability just made it worse :/ The climax was very anti-climatic and I just wanted so much more from this incredibly hyped series.

It was quite predictable and it really affected my reading experience. I knew what was coming and coupled with the extremely slow pace of the story, I started to lose interest. This is a really cheesy fantasy novel about magical powers and addresses the issue of using it for good or evil blablabla. This made the book feel more middle grade than young adult. Imagine a middle-grade book, with a very simple storyline and is 400 pages long. Just no.

I did not connect with any of the characters. Not only was I losing interest in the story, I just didn't care about what happened to the characters.

Also, Romance is listed as one of the sub-genres on Goodreads. WHERE IS THE ROMANCE!? Did I miss a huge chunk of the book? Or was the tension bit between Kartik and Gemma supposed to be romance lol. They probably spoke like 4 times in the entire book. If that was the 'romance' in the book, this is Insta-love on a whole new level.

Loved the magical world. World building was done really well and I especially loved the magical world that Bray created. It is every childhood dream to have a space where everything was possible!

Loved the writing, it was very descriptive and I could really imagine everything. I have very distinct 'looks' for the characters and the environment based on the writing and the writing really helped me to push on with the book.

I highly recommend the audiobook, each character had such a distinct voice and character it was very pleasant and I could keep up even when multi-tasking. If I lose track for a few seconds, I can easily get back in because the voices were so unique. 5 stars for the audiobook alone.

VERDICT

If it were not for the amazing audiobook, I would have probably taken a whole longer to finish the book or perhaps even DNF it. I will not be continuing with the series. The predictability, characters and slow pace of this book made for a really disappointing read. Thank goodness for the lovely writing and the world building, otherwise this would probably have been a 2 star read for me. Do let me know if you've read this and if you enjoyed it. :)

Recommended for anyone looking for good writing.

Plot: 2.5/5 

Pacing: 2.5/5

Originality: 3/5 

Writing style: 4/5

Characters: 2.5/5 

Feels: 2/5
Enjoyment: 2/5

Cover: 2.5/5

Overall rating: 

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Review: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Title: Falling Kingdoms
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Published: December 11th 2012
Source: Hardcover
Pages: 412

In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.

As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed... and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed? It's the eve of war.... Choose your side.

REVIEW

The prologue was amazing! The only other book that has really sucked me in right from the prologue is The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson. It was such a great peek into the world, writing style, plot and pace of the story. If you are hesitant about starting this book, read the prologue and if you enjoy it, you will most likely enjoy the rest of the book. :) I simply love it when I am hooked from page 1 of the book.

All the characters were so well-developed and everyone had their own arc! We follow 4 different characters' POV and it was amazing getting to look at the issues/drama from the different angles! You will find yourself rooting for every single one of them even though they have conflicting opinions. The writing was just that good! It is a very interesting and refreshing way to tell a story and I really appreciated it!

My favourite character is probably Magnus. He has so much inner conflict and I just find him so intriguing. His love interest situation kinda disturbed me but I am surprisingly open to how it plays out and I have faith that Rhodes is going to handle this really well. The way Magnus describes his love for her just makes me feel his pain and I'm willing to overlook to unconventional aspect of it.

Cleo has so much room for growth. We can see her slowly growing in this book and if she keeps continuing in this direction I think I am going to love her! I think that Cleo is supposed to be a strong female character by the end of the series so we are witnessing her progress towards that. I love how realistic the book was in portraying her, she was not perfect and could not just go around doing whatever she wanted to just cause she was the MC. She knew her limits and did not behave like the usual bratty YA female characters. I also really loved how the other characters belittled her because she was female and did not praise her for being rash or when she was making stupid decisions. THANK YOU FOR THE MANY DOSES OF LOGIC, RHODES.

Jones was kind of annoying and idiotic, he was the only one that I didn't really get but thank god he had very small parts in this book so I could easily overlook him. Maybe he'll play a bigger role in the future? For now he seems to only be there to drive the plot along.

This is high fantasy done right. Rhodes was smart to only have 3 kingdoms in her world and I think that was a good move. The number of characters and kingdoms were kept to a decent number so that things didn't get overly convoluted *ahem*Snow Like Ashes*ahem*. This is YA and with the comparatively shorter length, unlike adult fantasy, there just isn't even enough time to really flesh out an eight kingdom world. Keeping it simple is key, quality > quantity. Final Kingdoms was very well-paced, it wasn't bogged down with unnecessary info-dumping and the injection of world building was spaced out very well. HOWEVER, I had issues with the lack of depth in world building. I wanted to know more about the day-to-day life of the commoners outside of the palace so that I could really imagine the world. We also never really got to witness all that talk about the citizens being overly religious and whatnot in the kingdoms. I felt a little disconnected to the world, there was a lot of telling and very little showing when it came to world building. I am really hoping that this will change as the series progresses!

The number of plot twists really kept me on my toes! Shocking things happened throughout the book (like GoT) and I can see why this is compared to Game of thrones but tbh they should not have marketed it as such. Many people went into this expecting the depth that GoT has and were obviously disappointed. The plot started off a little shaky but it got better as the story progressed.

VERDICT

Falling Kingdoms is definitely a great start to an amazing series with a decent cast of characters, great pacing and amazing storytelling. World building is a little lacking, it is not lacking per say but it would've been nice if there was more depth to it. The writing was a little dry at times but the plot really made up for it. I already have the next 2 books checked out from the library and I can't wait to continue on with this! I would recommend this to anyone who appreciates a well-paced high fantasy and is looking for a very exciting read!

Plot: 4/5 

Pacing: 4.5/5

Originality: 4/5 

Writing style: 3.5/5

Characters: 4/5 

Feels: 4/5

Cover: 4/5

Overall rating: 

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Review: Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

Title: Mistborn: The Final Empire
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Published: October 1st 2011
Source: Paperback
Pages: 647

In a world where ash falls from the sky, and mist dominates the night, an evil cloaks the land and stifles all life.

The future of the empire rests on the shoulders of a troublemaker and his young apprentice. Together, can they fill the world with colour once more? In Brandon Sanderson's intriguing tale of love, loss, despair and hope, a new kind of magic enters the stage - Allomancy, a magic of the metals.

REVIEW

When I first heard about how metals were consumed for magic in this world, I imagined that they were bitting off from long poles of metal lol :P Imagine my surprise when I realised that they were only consuming small flakes of metals. Despite all the hype surrounding this book, I went in with pretty low expectations and I was pleasantly surprised!

One problem I had with the book was the pacing. There was a lot of repetition of various information (eg. the magic system) throughout the book and it really bogged down the book. I usually read at a pace of 100 pages/hour but this book was very dense and I averaged only about 60 pages/hour. I really enjoyed the first and last 1/3 of the book. The middle portions felt a little redundant and did not really add much to the whole plot. It was frustrating whenever Vin spends a ton of time discovering something new but it often turns out that the rest knew about it all along but just never told her. WHAT. We could have shaved off at least 50 pages. I get that this is the first book in a high fantasy trilogy so I am not being too fussy about it.

The monologues felt overdone and it was obviously done for the benefit of the readers, it does not truly reflect the thoughts of the characters. It felt jarring and I do prefer books where I am allowed to have some space for my own imagination rather than the characters telling me EXACTLY how I should be feeling at that point in time.

World building was very amazing and I was hooked from the get go. Even though we were basically thrown into the world, it was very easy to grasp. It really proves that no info-dumping is necessary to build a world.

I expected more character development considering the length of this book, hopefully we will get to see this in the rest of the series! Vin was a very nosy character that I personally could not stand, she reminded me of one of those insecure friends that had to know everyone's secrets. Anyhow, her character arc was pretty good as we see her mature as the book goes on. I did not really like the romance, Vin was out of character (overly eager and trusting). I mean I get the attraction but I feel like it was mostly her throwing herself at him and even resorting to revealing too much just to get into his good books. Kelsier's character development was extremely well done. His character arc was probably the best: he changed from a reckless and cocky guy to one that was more responsible for his decisions and actions.

The plot was very intriguing and I loved the tidbits we get from the lord ruler at the start of every chapter. I loved reading from his POV and learning more about the world as the story goes on. It was a very intelligent way to build such a complex world.

VERDICT

This plot uses the same formula as Harry Potter so I get where the comparisons come from but a lot more gets done in one book compared to Harry Potter which is probably where the adult aspect comes in? This book was more plot driven than anything else and I would love to have had more character development but perhaps this would come in the subsequent books. I love the magic system but it does require some memory work if you don't wanna constantly refer to the list provided in the book. There is lots of politicking, scheming and action, I highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys a book with a good does of those elements!

Plot: 4/5 

Pacing: 3.5/5

Originality: 4.5/5 

Writing style: 3.5/5

Characters: 4/5 

Feels: 4/5

Cover: 5/5

Overall rating: 

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Review: Snow like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Title: Snow like Ashes
Author: Sara Raasch
Published: October 14th 2014
Source: Hardcover
Pages: 416

Goodreads | Amazon

A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making. Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

REVIEW

The info dumping was insane, if i wanted to read that many facts in one page, I would read my assigned readings for classes. It was so stressful and unnecessary, I had to commit so many things to memory but it turns out that Raasch does not even bring up a lot of the stuff she mentioned in this first book. So what was the rush? Even if it were essential information, it could have been spaced out throughout the book. I did not need to know about all the minute details of the other kingdoms that were basically uninvolved in this entire book. This really bogged the pacing down.

And to make matters worse, the info dumping wasn't even done in a clear and organised fashion. Okay so the Season kingdoms only experiences one season each, what about the Rhythm kingdoms?! What does rhythm even mean? Do they march around the kingdom to different rhythms? lols. 

Reference to people and places are confusing as heck. Sometimes they refer to the kingdom by the name of the Kingdom but sometimes they refer to a kingdom by its king or its city. And no they do not put 'King' in front or even mention which Kingdom he is actually a king of. I was pretty much lost for a good 1/3 of the book whenever names were being thrown around. Eg. Paisley, Angra, Raina, Cordell, can you tell which are places and which are actual people? Also, all these information were not actually of any use, at least for book 1. It was just so unnecessary and frustrating.

EVERY SINGLE TIME Mather touches or even looks at Meira she has the exact same thoughts (just slightly paraphrased) and this can happen within 2 pages of each touch/eye contact so I was CONSTANTLY reading about how they are forbidden lovers, how depressed she is about it and how she will never be good enough etc. OMG GIVE ME A BREAK. The angst was terrible in this one. Why does your life revolve around a guy and you being upset about not being good enough???

This repetition thing also happens whenever Mather thinks about how he can never use the female-blooded magic. He gets depressed and moody, wallows in self-pity every time he THINKS about the goddamn conduit. I think I got it the first 10 times this was brought up, also I think I know the difference between male and female. I don't need a constant reminder.

Needless to say, I did not connect with any of the characters.

Things really improve around the halfway mark and I finally stopped falling asleep while reading this. The pacing was a lot better now that we got that whole info dumping situation out of the way. However, the writing was just too dry for my tastes and I had to really push myself to continue reading.

*SPOILERS STARTS HERE*

I didn't get the part about giving Mather away to Angra to pacify him?!?! It was so unconvincing. They themselves mentioned that Angra would not stop until he got EVERYONE. So why would he be satisfied with a useless 'king' that could not even use his kingdom's magic?? Idk man there were one too many plot holes in this one, this is just one example.

The last 10% was pretty good but it was really unnecessary to constantly remind us/hint that Angra is not dead. I think we got it when you mentioned mid-book about the dark powers and then again before he was killed. There's no need to repeat it another 2 times after he dies.

*SPOILERS END HERE*

VERDICT

You will probably enjoy this if you have not read many high fantasy. Snow like Ashes did not really stand out amongst all the fantasy that I've read and the world building was just so poorly done with all that info dumping. That really killed the book for me. Also, I really hate it when books keep repeating something over and over again or try to place very unsubtle hints along the way. Why?? In case you were not imaginative enough or had a 30 second memory? I may have a poor memory but I think I can remember what you just told me 1 chapter ago. This book could have benefited with better editing perhaps? I would say that a good 50-100 pages were redundant. The plot twist was very unimpressive because I saw it coming within the first few chapters thanks to the 1001 hints dropped along the way.

I just did not enjoy the storytelling and writing style of this book. This is what made the entire book so predictable and it seems like this is going to go on for the rest of the series. This was frustrating in the first half, got slightly better in the second so in conclusion, this was a meh read.

I am not going to be continuing with this series.

Plot: 2/5 

Pacing: 2.5/5

Originality: 2.5/5 

Writing style: 2.5/5

Characters: 2.5/5 

Feels: 2.5/5

Cover: 3/5

Overall rating: 

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Review: Explorer: The Mystery Boxes by Kazu Kibuishi

Title: Explorer: The Mystery Boxes
Author: Kazu Kibuishi
Published: March 1st 2012
Series: Explorer #1
Source: Paperback
Pages: 128

Goodreads | Amazon

Seven clever stories answer one simple question: what’s in the box?

Funny, fantastic, spooky, and suspenseful, each of these unique and beautifully illustrated short graphic works revolves around a central theme: a mysterious box and the marvels—or mayhem—inside. Artists include middle school favorites Kazu Kibuishi, Raina Telgemeier (Smile), and Dave Roman (Astronaut Academy), as well as Jason Caffoe, Stuart Livingston, Johane Matte, Rad Sechrist (all contributors to the groundbreaking comics anthology series Flight), and upcoming artist Emily Carroll.

I don't usually like short stories but I was drawn by the different art styles so I decided to give it a go! The stories were really good even though they were only a few pages long. All in all, there were very powerful drawings. I envy all the creative that went into this! I have pictures of the title pages for each short story to give you a sneak peek at the different art styles. :)

I will talk about each short story briefly without spoiling anything:

Under the floorboards by Emily Carroll

Dark, creepy and suspenseful
Story was amazingly executed

A solid 5 stars

Spring Cleaning by Dave Roman and Raina Telgemeier

Fun and quick read but it did not have a conclusive ending.

3.5 stars

The Keeper's Treasure by Jason Caffoe

Loved the humour and the message of the story, I did not see the ending coming at all! Amazing stuff!

5 stars

The Butter Thief by Rad Sechrist

I did not really like the art style for this story but oh boy, the story was AWESOME! It transitioned between the real world and the spirit world so seamlessly and it reminded me of the Miyazaki films.

5 sparkly stars

The Soldier's Daughter by Stuart Livingston

This was a morality tale that had so much potential and sadly it was just not well executed as a short story. There was a sever lack of world building and character building. TBH, I can't remember the story and I am writing this based on the notes I took while reading it. This short story sounded like a great intro to a full length comic series.

2.5 stars

Whatzit by Johane Matte

This was very quirkly, adorable and entertaining!
I can imagine totally imagine this as a cartoon series :)

4 stars

 The Escape Option by Kazu Kibuishi

Great great ending to the entire collection! Loved the art style and the message of this story. This one was deep and made me think, it exceeded my expectations of short stories. This was my favourite out of the entire collection!

5 stars for sure

VERDICT:

Great great great short stories, executions were spot on and these stories are surprisingly memorable. I would really recommend that everyone check this out! It is also a great introduction to these comic book authors and I will definitely be checking out the works of most of them!

My rating: 

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