“All of the brilliant ideas in the world cannot save your kingdom if no one will listen to them.”
As much as I love this story, this world, all these unique concepts, I have to be true to myself about this book's rating. The start of this book was terribly boring. Like, so boring that I finished seven books while reading this one. Once you get through about twenty to twenty-five chapters the story finally does begin to pick up. And by pick up, I mean a crazy avalanche of twists and turns start to happen. I immediately got re-immersed into the Mistborn world from The Final Empire that I loved and gave five stars to. Unfortunately, the amazing-ness I remembered started too late for me to even consider giving this five stars (like everyone else I know that are reliable and I have the utmost respect for). So hopefully you guys don't want to kill me for giving this book a three star rating!
The Well of Ascension picks up two years after the fall of The Final Empire. A lot has changed since then. Elend is now king, even though the members on this council are having doubts about his leadership. There are not only one, but three armies that want to lay siege to Luthadel. Two are already at the gates of their city and ready to take it over, with one of those being Elend's tyrant of a father, Straff Ventur. Saze has stumbled upon some special text that has made the prophecy more important than ever before. The mists are not only occurring more frequently, but are also occurring earlier with a terror living inside. The original crew is still around, but one of them is in disguise helping Straff Venture's side. And Vin is constantly struggling with who she really is, while trying to be what everyone else needs her to be.
(Minor spoilers ahead! Please continue reading at your own risk!)
Vin. God, where do I even start with Vin? Vin is the character that every girl needs to read about. She is one of the most feminist friendly characters I've ever read about, while being in a world filled with strong male characters as well. Vin is a refreshing take on what a fantasy female lead can be! My heart broke for her at the end of this book, but I couldn't help but be in utter awe of her decision no matter how grim the outcome will be. I can only think of one other female lead, that I've read about recently, that picks the greater good over her "soulmate"; Meda in Crushed. This event alone could be the sole reason that I will read everything in the Cosmere universe. Vin is becoming my favorite protagonist of all time. Like, I want to be Vin when I grow up.
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The other character I really enjoyed in this story was OreSeur, and HOLY MOTHER OF TWISTS, I did not see that coming what so ever! It was so funny, because I even wrote in my notes "The relationship growth between Vin and OreSeur is, by far, my favorite part of this book". I'm not sure if the twist made me appreciate my sentence more or less. I think I'm going to go with more, because I won't forget that sucker punch for quite some time. I hope he not only comes back in The Hero of Ages, but plays an even bigger role in it.
Elend, just like the first half of this book, was boring to me. I'm sure his role in The Hero of Ages will be amazing, mostly because of what happens at the end of this book, but I also don't feel like he will play such a political role. He has proven himself time and time again, and I'm not sure there will be any really contestation for the throne. I was a little confused about Elend in the end of this book though (view spoiler)[Like, did we just discover how to make Mistborns? (hide spoiler)], because it happened a little fast for me to comprehend what and the hell I just read.
Zane, the new Mistborn we learn about in this world, was annoying most the time to me. I was with OreSeur and didn't like or trust him from the start (view spoiler)[Also, because of those Inquisitor spikes that were in his chest, I don't believe his ass is dead whatsoever! (hide spoiler)]. I kind of wonder if he was just created to make a little turmoil between Vin and Elend. Regardless, I wasn't a fan of him.
Watching Sazed lose his convictions gutted me. He was probably my second favorite character in The Final Empire, and my love for this Terrisman just grew in this installment. I was on the fence about Tindwyl through most the book, but Sazed's love for her made me develop pretty strong feelings for her towards the end. Also, I might be completely wrong here, but I sort of am tricking myself to think that Sazed will be the hero in the prophecy. I'm probably crazy, but I just can't un-see it at this point with my delusional fangirl eyes.
Breeze kind of blew me away this book. I couldn't believe he was a full-blooded noble! And he also proved me wrong with his choice of "girlfriend", because Allrianne also blew me away! She not only completely turned the tides of the end's events with her choice, she just proved to be a selfless and strong woman, just like Vin. I went into her character expecting nothing but "she's probably the Kandra" to being astonished by her actions over and over again. Breeze and Allrianne definitely found their way inside of my heart in this book. I'm also excited for more of Allrianne's father, Cett, in The Hero of Ages. Oh, and I can't be the only person who couldn't help but think of Chris Brown every time Allrianne called Breeze "Breezy", right?
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Obviously, the end of this book there was a huge surprise, to say the least. This twist just proves what an amazing story teller Brandon Sanderson truly is, because I'm not even sure how to feel about it. All I know is that I never saw what happened coming. I was at a loss for words. Superbly done.
The end of The Well of Ascension did make me very eager to jump into The Hero of Ages. I just pray that it doesn't have the slow start that this book did, because the slow pacing at the start of this book seriously made me consider DNF it. The last 25% of this book was, without a doubt, five star (if not higher) quality.
“...A man can only stumble for so long before he either falls or stands up straight.”
Heartless blew me away. If you've been following my reviews for a while, you will know that I wasn't the biggest fan of The Lunar Chronicles. Yes, I kHeartless blew me away. If you've been following my reviews for a while, you will know that I wasn't the biggest fan of The Lunar Chronicles. Yes, I know, I can barely believe it either. So, I went into this book not expecting much, and maybe that helped, because this book blew me away. It surpassed every expectation I set for a five star book, and it was nothing short of perfection.
Also, regarding The Lunar Chronicles, Fairest was my favorite installment in that series, and the book I gave the highest rating. So, maybe I just really enjoy "villain" retellings? I think both Fairest and Heartless just speak to my tragic love-story masochist heart or something along those lines.
“Two Rooks, a Pawn, and a Queen. That’s how the riddle begins, but howsoever shall it end?”
Anyway, Heartless is a Alice in Wonderland retelling, that stars the Queen of Hearts before she was the Queen of Hearts. We have grown up reading about the evil queen and the evil things that she has done, but we never knew why she was the way she was. Well, bless Marissa Meyer for creating this heartfelt masterpiece, because she did just that.
The Queen of Hearts, known as Catherine in this story, was once not evil at all. In fact, she was quite the opposite and had dreams of opening up her own bakery, because she is the best baker in all of Hearts, and loves nothing more than to make people happy with her treats.
That is, until Catherine realizes that her parents expect her to marry the King of Hearts, and give up her dreams, that they deem unworthy, completely.
“If I am not to have happiness, let me at least have a purpose. Let me give you the heart of a queen.”
I believe this is the main moral of this story, and what made this story resonate so much inside of me: You shouldn't live your life for anyone's expectations of you. Not your family, not your partner, not your friends, no one but yourself. No matter if we are in Wonderland or in our world, we are only allotted a certain amount of time, so spend your time doing what you love and what your heart tells you to do. I know I sound preachy, and I know this seems like a basic concept, but this is something I've struggled with my whole life and I know there are others out there that do too.
“Sometimes your heart is the only thing worth listening to.”
The Queen of Hearts isn't the only origin story for this book; we also learn a great deal about the Mad Hatter, and what was the final straw to make him truly mad. This plot reveal/twist was probably my favorite thing of this entire book, and it, along with Catherine's madness, made so much sense to me. Hatta's confession rebroke my heart all over again, honestly.
I knew how this story would end, obviously, but that didn't prepare me for how obsessed I would become trying to learn how we'd get to that ending. I kept trying to figure it out, and even though I guessed "the who", I never guessed "the how". I'm a terrible sucker for prophecy stories, but even reading the prophecy itself didn't prepare me for what actually happened. I felt gutted, heartbroken, and was completely unprepared.
“It is a dangerous thing to unbelieve something only because it frightens you.”
When I was a young girl, I would spend countless hours on my Grandparent's property, in all their different gardens, playing Alice in Wonderland with my Grandma. Alice in Wonderland started my obsession with finding "magical doorways" and, to this day, I still love reading about them. I also feel like a major reason I enjoyed this book is because it made me feel a lot of nostalgia to the point that I actually want to reread and rewatch different Alice in Wonderland adaptations. I am so blessed and thankful for those memories with my Grandma, and all the feelings attached to those memories. Those feelings really made me enjoy the reading experience even more, even though I know it made me a little biased.
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This book was the perfect amount of magical, beautiful and heartbreaking. It is written so lyrically, I feel like I highlighted half of the book. I loved it, and I love that it surprised me by loving it. I also love that it is a standalone. This is such a fantastic read, and I really can't recommend it enough, especially if you are like me and didn't love The Lunar Chronicles.
“Off with his head.”
Also, now I'm just being overly emotional and tearing up, because I just noticed that the naked back cover has a joker hat. Before, I only noticed the front had the queen's crown. Please, my heart. This story will haunt me for some time, and I will never read Alice in Wonderland the same way.
I gave this anthology 3 stars overall, because out of a possible 105 stars (5 stars possible for each of the 21 stories) this anthology accumulated 56I gave this anthology 3 stars overall, because out of a possible 105 stars (5 stars possible for each of the 21 stories) this anthology accumulated 56 stars (53%).
Each story in this anthology has a little synopsis before the story actually starts. I really appreciated it, especially since a lot of readers have certain triggers, and it would be super helpful if you were planning on skipping some of these stories. The masochist in me made me finish all twenty one, including the ones I assumed would end up being one star reads.
My favorite story was It Takes Two by Nikki Sloane. It was exactly what I wanted from this anthology, and I wish more of the stories were like this, because it was pretty close to perfect for me. My least favorite, by far, was Trailer Park Eden by CJ Roberts. It was honestly the worst thing I've read since Her Master's Courtesan. Overall, I purchased this for only 99 cents, so I can't really complain that there were a few stories that didn't align with my likes. Plus, there were some real hidden gems in this collection, and I will for sure be reading more by these authors that I previously knew nothing about.
1.) Sole by Alessandra Torre: One Star ★ Well, sadly this first story didn't work for me. I love all of Alessandra's books except Hollywood Dirty, and this short story is a continuation of it. I don't like reading about southern belles, I'm not sure how a chicken going to the bathroom in the pool would ruin an entire swim party, and the sex was mediocre. If you're craving more Summer, Cole, and Cocky, you'll probably enjoy this novella, but it did not work for me at all, and made for a really sad start for this anthology.
2.) Begging for More by Kim Karr: Four Stars ★★★★ This story was much more like I was expecting with this anthology! This was a super sexy read! It reminded me a lot of In Flight (which I loved), but also Lick (which I didn't love), and somehow that combination really worked for me! This short story also showcases a good way to write instalove and have it be believable. I might even check out more of Kim Karr's books involving these characters, because I liked this glimpse into their world so much.
3.) Heartbreak by Skye Warren: One Star ★ I really enjoyed this story, until the end. Like, why would she even do that? She could have remained silent and had a much better outcome. Unnecessary angst will ruin a book for me. I guess the story accomplished its job in making the reader want to know what will happen next, but it was still a cheap way to do it. Plus, I don't think this story was a good fit for an anthology about "first time love".
4.) Naughty Wishes by Sarah Castille: One Star ★ This short was just full of cringe. From talking about her husband's skull pajama bottoms, to the main character being constantly coerced into a threesome with their dentist who, "likes her teeth". Seriously, this could have been the best sex written to date (it wasn't), and the plot would still ruin it. The husband was forceful and gross, and the star was lacking a backbone. They have a terrible marriage, and one night of being kinky isn't going to help them. This story is definitely written for older women who think they want to experience some Fifty Shades of Grey treatment.
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5.) He First and Only by Alexa Riley: Four Stars ★★★★ Now this is the kind of story I was expecting from this short story collection! It's a little unrealistic, but completely embodies "first love" that is filled with really good sex. This story features two lost lovers who find each other after being separated for ten years. Once they conveniently find each other, nothing (and no article of clothing) will keep them apart. There is also a "breeding" theme in this, which seems rare in the erotica I end up reviewing.
6.) Decadent Knights by Julia Sykes: Three Stars ★★★ This story is centered around a girl healing from her abusive past and learning to feel safe in a Dom/sub relationship. Her "Master" is the one that saved her from her torment, so it's really easy for her to trust him. This short story is about a night of him showing her how desirable she really is, while in a BDSM club.
7.) A Lake George Christmas by Debra Presley: Two Stars ★★ This was corny and just full of fluff. I'm sure many people will read this story and really enjoy it, but it was just too over the top for me. I could tell from the first page what the "surprise" was (view spoiler)[He was going to propose (hide spoiler)]. This was the most innocent in this entire collection, but I guess I didn't go into this collection wanting innocent. This really just didn't work for me. Also, enough with the "super star musician" and her body guard, please.
8.) Advent by Nina Lane: Two Stars ★★ I almost feel like I need more back-story with this one. The main protagonist seemed to be struggling with what she wants in life. First, she acted like she tried to break up with her boyfriend, but by the end of the story she was planning a future with him. I don't know, it just seemed really back and forth to me. It wasn't a bad story; it just wasn't a good one either. Also, I feel bad for the coworkers that received her Christmas cookies.
9.) Looking for a Complication by Tamsen Parker: Two Stars ★★ On the first page of this story, the main character will proceed to tell you how she fears "dooring someone" more than becoming poor or being mugged. This is about the time I lost all hope for this story. The little tidbit/synopsis before reading the story was bad, but the "dooring someone" severity really is what pushed this story right into the trash can. Apparently, "dooring" is when you open your car door and hit someone on a bicycle. Is this real life? We never had terms like this growing up in Flint, or now in Las Vegas. Is this a thing? An actual concern that is more important than being mugged and going broke? This all made me extremely sad, because it was the only F/F story in this anthology, but the first few pages just really ruined the mood for me. I didn't hate this one, I just couldn't get into it after the beginning.
10.) Test Driving The Billionaire by Cynthia Sax: One Star ★ The male lead in this is named Drift. Drift's nickname for the female lead is Wrench. He also has a "Need For Speed" Tattoo. Please Lord, help me wake up from this nightmare. Drift is also Wrench's Cassandra's boss and this whole story is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Then, there were so many car/racing innuendoes that I think my eyes rolled out of my fucking head.
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11.) Delay of Game by Jen Frederick: Three Stars ★★★ I suppose I can see why this short story would be likeable; girl approaching thirty, tired of the same old days, so she decides she finally want more (husband, kids, the whole shebang). It happened a little fast for me, but I will take into account that this is a short story collection, so things kind of have to be fast. It was still a little unrealistic, and the sex wasn't great, but it made me feel warm inside, so three stars it is!
12.) Her First Choice by Lynda Chance: Five Stars ★★★★★ This was exactly what I was looking for in this collection. A fluffy story filled with good sex. It was simple, maybe a little farfetched, but amazing. This story is about a girl at a bar, who is looking for rebound sex. She sees a guy she remembers from her past, that she has lusted over for year. Obviously, the feeling is mutual for this guy, and then comes some yummy sex. It wasn't over complicated, and was really easy to enjoy. I wish all twenty-one stories were like this.
13.) Sympathy for the Devil by Cynthia Rayne: One Star ★ From the very start, I really hated the southern tone and dialect in this. Basically, this story is about a woman who fled with her son, after her mobster husband started to be abusive. His right hand man comes to find her after a turn of events. The sex was super short, like you could blink and miss it. Overall, it really gave me a prostitute vibe, and I didn't like any aspect of this novella.
14.) Trailer Park Eden by CJ Roberts: One Star ★ This was by far the worst story in this collection. This story actually made me want to stop reading this anthology all together. It was completely disgusting and terrible. This sorry excuse for a story is about a deaf brother and a blind sister who are both seventeen (twins) and incredibly poor. Oh, and they want to have sex with each other. Sadly, the young boy is too busy selling his body to old men in the trailer park for money. Seriously, this was terrible and I wouldn't recommend for anyone. I can't believe this is the same author that wrote Captive in the Dark.
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15.) It Takes Two by Nikki Sloane: Five Stars ★★★★★ This story accomplished what probably all this authors of this anthology set out to do; make the reader want to read the rest of your work. I fell so in love with these characters and this story! It was exactly what you'd expect from a collection like this, and it wasn't sugarcoated. This novella is about shooting a porn scene, but the characters develop more feelings than they were expecting. This was my favorite story in this anthology, and I can't wait to try out the rest of Nikki Sloane's Blindfold Club series.
16.) Heart of Eve by Pam Godwin: Four Stars ★★★★ I liked this one a lot just because it was so different and unique. The setting is post apocalyptic, where only men are left living, and our main character is a devoted priest who has been celibate his whole life. He's never had a problem keeping his promise of faith, until he stumbles upon the last female left on Earth, and his new devotion becomes to keep her safe. The sex scene was a little cheesy, but I just love how this author took a leap and wrote something different for this anthology. Also, some of the humans are now morphed into bug like monsters, and that was kind of a cool and unique twist, unlike the predictable zombies.
17.) Steal My Breath by Nina Levine: Three Stars ★★★ First off, this author is not using the word "trolling" right, in my opinion. So that was a little awkward for me, and seemed like she was just trying to be hip or connect with a younger audience. Besides that I was really happy with this story. It was short, simple, and cute. Our main character is desperate for love, and to fix her dry spell, when she realizes maybe the man she is lusting over is more obtainable than she thought.
18.) Rapunzel's First Knight by Shoshanna Evers: Four Stars ★★★★ Oh my gosh, this was the biggest tease of this collection, but it was really good. It was a super cute retelling that definitely will leave the reader wanting more. It was kind of funny for me to read this erotic retelling of Rapunzel, because I just recently read Cress, so I kept giggling like I was twelve. I have to say I prefer this version much more!
19.) Swept Away by Anna Zaires: Four Stars ★★★★ I will say that the consent in this might be a little on the grey side, but I still really enjoyed this short story. It was very different than the rest, with a sci-fi theme. It is also set in Third Century Greece, where a poor girl, who is scavenging for food for her family, soon realizes there is more technology on other planets. She also finds out that she has more opportunities in life than just being married off to someone in her village.
20.) Unique by Avery Aster: One Star ★ I could barely finish this story. First, the author wrote a letter to the reader before the story even started, so it totally threw off the mood. None of the other authors did that, and it just seemed really tacky. Then, I'm all about book diversity, but the dialect in this is borderline offensive. The story itself is all over the place, hopping to different times, places, and between characters. This is supposed to be a short story; you can't throw a million different things at the reader and expect them to be able to easily follow. It's also hard to take a story seriously that is constantly talking about "balls" and using slang like "Nice 'n' Nasty". This completely didn't work for me.
21.) Owned by Jenika Snow: Four Stars ★★★★ This was a great finale to this anthology. The story might be a little unbelievable, but it had some of the best sex out of the twenty-one stories. This short story is about a girl who is in desperate need of money, so she decided to sell her virginity off at an auction. Her boss, who has always secretly liked and wanted her, has decided to buy her and give her a night she will never forget. Obviously, he wants more than one night, but the night we get read about is pretty sexy!
“Are you still waiting for me to fall in love with you?”
This was actually my favorite book in the Lunar Chronicles, thus far. I'd rather read about Levana than Cinder any day, and some of her confessions made my heart bleed for her. Seriously, this was such an empathy packed little book for me. Hell, I even shed a few tears when she revealed herself, really revealed herself, to Evret. This book surpassed all my expectations.
We also get to see some pretty heart-warming glimpses of Winter, Jacin, and even little Cinder. I actually have high hopes that Winter will be the best princess of them all. I think this Snow White retelling is the best twist of any of these renditions.
“She cried for the girl who had never belonged. A girl who tried so hard, harder than anyone else, and still never had anything to show for it.”
Sometimes, I think a big contributing factor to my liking the book is for me to be able to understand and rationalize the big bad villain. Well, Marissa Meyer accomplished that. Not only was I able to interpret why Levana is the way she is and why she wants to conquer Earth so badly, but I actually feel sorry for her and hope she finds redemption instead of death in Winter. I can't help but wonder how different Levana would be if someone, anyone, just showed her a little bit of love. Yes, her family was horrible, but would've she been different if she showed Evret the real her earlier and he was able to accept it and give her love in return?
I was dreading to start this book, because this world is just not hooking me the way it has for most of my friends, but when I hit the 80% mark and realized the last 20% was Winter's preview, I was legitimately sad.
The truth of this situation is that this series is not for me. I keep trying, over and over, and I just can't understand what the hype is about. The best thing I've read in this series is the eighteen pages of The Queen's Army. Everyone told me Cress was the high-point of this series, but I honestly preferred Scarlet.
i no longer want to interact with this review, so if you wanna read it... go to my blog. tl;dr - i hated this book and i thought it was offensive and i no longer want to interact with this review, so if you wanna read it... go to my blog. tl;dr - i hated this book and i thought it was offensive and hurtful in a lot of ways. ...more
This lower rating is completely my fault. I mean, I understand that every rating I choose to give is my fault, but I feel like if I would have went into this blind it would have gotten a higher rating. Instead, I hyped it up so much that I was waiting for the "perfect time" to start this book. Unfortunately, I don't think any time would have been the perfect time for me and this book.
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I still enjoyed it, because it was unique and beautifully written, but it wasn't the mind blowing masterpiece that I was expecting. It kept me entertained, and I enjoyed all the different fairy-tale elements that were incorporated within this story. I also read this relatively quickly; the 438 pages flew by.
I'm all about slow burn stories and romances. Hell, I have been obsessing over The Raven Cycle all month, and those books are filled with crack breadcrumb after crack breadcrumb. Yet, this story was some strange monster between fast paced and slow paced. The pacing is actually very reminiscent to Throne of Glass, except Uprooted isn't a bad story. A big action event would happen in this book and completely hook you, and then it would be page after page, chapter after chapter of dialogue. I had to go back and reread quite a few paragraphs, because I kept noticing myself skimming, and every reader knows that isn't the best sign.
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Another problem I think I had was that Kasia was, hands down, my favorite character even though she was just a side character. She was fearless, and changed her destiny. She did what was right, and showed her selflessness over and over.
Many of my friends have already stated in their reviews that Agnieszka suffered from special snowflake syndrome, but I had no idea how accurate they were. She'd know "the right" or "the wrong" book just upon looking at a bookcase. Words would just stand out and sound better to her. So she'd make up her own song using them and, by God, she is the best witch to have ever lived! Maybe it was just how the magic system in this has a lot of unanswered questions, or maybe because I read Mistborn this year and that has the best magic system I've ever read about, but Agnieszka and her magic were a little over the top and unbelievable for me.
Then, Khanh got it absolutely right when she said that Dragon was literally Jericho-Fucking-Barrons from The Fever Series. I couldn't get over what a constant dick he was, and how uncooperative he was with giving any information to Agnieszka. Yet, I could never get over my dislike for him (or his stupid, inaccurate "magic" name), unlike Jericho Barrons. The Dragon just seemed like an underdeveloped moody broody hot guy trope. I'm not sure if there is a point in this story when the reader is supposed to switch and like the Dragon, but that point and feeling never came for me.
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I also feel like the synopsis for the book is really misleading. I thought we were going to have this evil anti-hero that steals away a brave young woman and locks her in his tower, and then we'd get to learn about the struggle of changing her evil captor, or the Stockholm syndrome of her falling in love with him. Maybe it will be about the magical journey of her training and becoming a powerful witch? I sure hope he doesn't sacrifice these girls to protect the villages from the Wood! The blurb has so much whimsical potential, and this book is nothing even close to anything I just wrote. It's barely even about the time spent in the tower.
My biggest problem with this book: Why couldn't the Dragon pick a guy? They only tell you a million times how he does not have sexual relations with the girls. The Dragon, and others in the story, proves there are male witches/wizards. So why must he only take a seventeen year old girl every ten years? My mind could just not stop thinking about this detail.
I also had a really big problem with Prince Merek's story line, especially when they go to his castle. It's like we were supposed to sympathize with his actions, because he's a mama's boy. Yet, all I kept thinking about is how I'm not going to sympathize with a rapist. I was really resentful of that story line, and it left a terrible taste in my mouth. On top of his disgusting values on the inequality of different human lives. One royal blood person does not equal 30 non-royal bloods, or 300, or 3,000.
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I will give Naomi Novik all the credit in the world for making a standalone fantasy novel. That is so rare; I'm actually hard-pressed to think of another one off the top of my head.
I will also give Naomi Novik all the praise my little black heart can offer for really centering this book on female friendships. From Kasia and Agnieszka's unwavering love and loyalty to one another throughout this whole book, then all the way to the heart of the omniscient Wood.
I just feel like I'm missing something that my friends didn't. Many people I actually trust with reviews, and with the books I buy, loved this to the extent of putting it on their favorites of all time lists! I'm like, did I get a bad copy? Is Ashton Kutcher going to jump out, and I'm going to have to punch him in the face?
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I guess that's the beautiful thing about books and reading; everyone can interpret everything differently and no book is perfect (except Harry Potter, let's be real).
If you want a book like this, but better in my opinion, you should check out The Darkest Part of the Forest by the amazing Holly Black. Very similar concepts, with more likable characters, lots of scary woods, and faeries!
“truth didn’t mean anything without someone to share it with; you could shout truth into the air forever, and spend your life doing it, if someone didn’t come and listen.”
“A love story is not the same as a romance novel. A romance novel is the story of two people falling in love against their will. This is a sto
“A love story is not the same as a romance novel. A romance novel is the story of two people falling in love against their will. This is a story of two people who leave each other against their will. It starts to end the minute they meet.”
This book couldn't be further from what I was expecting. Yet, I was more pleasantly surprised than I could have ever imagined. Also, growing up in a very Catholic home, I think that also made me appreciate this book more than the average reader. ...more
Out of all the feelings I expected to have while reading Crystal Storm I never thought disappointment would be one of them, or the most prominent. Crystal Storm was, hands down, no question, my most anticipated book of 2016. It was even on my rough draft list of "best books published in 2016" because I was so confident it would be perfection incarnate. Oh, how wrong I was.
Instead of perfection, we got plot holes, unnecessary angst between Cleo and Magnus, a cliffhanger ending that felt like Empire of Storms part two, and twists that I feel bad even calling twists because they came out of nowhere and were so unexpectedly bad. I'm so let down that I'm actually at a loss for words.
I offhandedly bought this series from Book Outlet one day and it's just been sitting on my shelves. I've felt sort of reading slumpy after A Court of I offhandedly bought this series from Book Outlet one day and it's just been sitting on my shelves. I've felt sort of reading slumpy after A Court of Mist and Fury, so I figured a new series would be just what I needed. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect the start of this series to blow me away like it did.
“It seemed to me it would be better to die standing up to a tyrant than to survive as a tool of his will.”
Shadowfell was everything I could ever want in fae story. It was so magical and whimsical, yet so full of adventure and mystery. Juliet Marillier's writing flows so eloquently that it was impossible not to become addicted to this world after chapter one.
In this world, some people are blessed with canny gifts. There is a vast array of canny gifts, from being able to see the future, to altering people's minds, to just heightened senses and skills. These are all outlawed and punishable by death, unless it would work in the favor of the king, Keldec. Not only is anything involving these gifts illegal, even talking to or housing fae (or people who have) is punishable by death.
Autumn is the time of the Cull, and is even more dangerous for wandering travelers. The king's enforcers will kill mercilessly, seeking out these individuals and their entire villages. They do not hesitate...they exhibit no restraint. They take and they take and... Oh my gosh, I am such Hamilton trash.
This book surrounds Nerya, who has a very special canny gift. Normally the fae(Good Folk/Little Ones) only can be seen or heard by humans if they wish to do so. Well, Nerya can see and hear them all the time. Obviously it's easy to see how useful that would be for the king, so she has been hunted, and on the run, for a very long time.
Nerya's life has had a lot of sadness in it, but in her childhood her grandmother taught her some things about the fae. How to offer them food, how iron hurts them and will keep them away, how some things are worth a sacrifice.
After her father parts with her over three silver, this book becomes an adventure story of Nerya trying to get to Shadowfell. Along the way, the adventure becomes full of quests, questions on who Nerya can trust and, most importantly, survival.
There is also a little romance, but my bleeding heart wished there was much more. Flint is a double agent in this medieval world, who is also harboring his own secrets. Honestly, I fell in love with him from the start. Juliet Marillier lets the reader know from start to finish that Flint is not the drop dead gorgeous male protagonist we are used to the heroine swooning over, and honestly that made me love him even more.
“Be safe, my heart”
Also, I know I said above that the fae in this book are called Good Folk and Little Ones, but they aren't magical humans with pointed ears. No, no, they are little creatures that come in all shapes and sizes. Some even are much more on the animal side when it comes to their looks. I completely loved this version of fae and, like I said before, I easily became addicted to these characters and this world.
(view spoiler)[Also, where can I sign up to get cuddled by 20 wolf puppies? Because I need that in my life immediately. (hide spoiler)]
This book was as amazing journey, and I felt so blessed to be able to come along for the ride. The world building is captivating, the prose is beyond gorgeous, and the characters evoked much emotion from me. This was my first Juliet Marillier book, but it will not be my last.
Well, for starters, this was the best prologue of any book I've ever read.
This story has two very predominate social classes in this book; The nobiliWell, for starters, this was the best prologue of any book I've ever read.
This story has two very predominate social classes in this book; The nobility and the slaves. The Lord Ruler is the "God" of this world, and his corrupt government is The Final Empire. The Final Empire is filled with "Inquisitors" which are men selected by The Lord Ruler and then remade into things that are more powerful and stronger than any normal man or woman. Plus, they have really creepy spikes going through their head, chest, and back. The Lord Ruler rents Skaa citizens out as slaves to the wealthy nobles, while the other prisoners are forced to work and die in his mines. The Lord Ruler is also very strict with the sexual reproduction of mixed classes/breeds, so most nobles will kill the Skaa women they've been intimate with shortly after. They are obviously being mistreated, and you soon find out that many are behind a rebellion that might actually stand a chance at doing something about this world's oppression.
Oh, and the world is constantly raining ash (and mist at night), causing the world to be dark and rather lifeless. There is a frequent conversation about how the old world, before the Lord Ruler's rule, had actual flowers growing from upon the ground and on the fruits. The characters are in awe and disbelief over this. Nothing is green, everything is just grey.
Brandon Sanderson's writing is simple and easy to understand, but you are thrown into a world with a very unique premise. I think he really paves his own path for fantasy, and stays away from regular fantasy tropes. I was a little overwhelmed by the allomantic skills until I was able to write most of them in my notes. What a unique concept though! Burning different elemental metals for different powers was so different, and I loved it. After you finished this book (I have the three ebook bind-up) they give you a neat little chart of the eight basic alloys and a little index of all the jobs. I was so sad I didn't know about this, or that it wasn't at the beginning!
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Each chapter begins with a paragraph that feels very significant, but a little out of place. I was so sure it was the main character's journal or diary at first, then I started thinking it was the Lord Ruler. It was such a wonderful little mystery! I can't applaud Brandon Sanderson enough. This minor detail was enough for me to not only want to continue on with this series, but to also branch out to some of his other works.
This book is mostly centered on two nonconventional heroes; the first being Kelsier, who is the hero every world needs. He's selfless and always believes in doing the right thing. And not in the fake, over the top, eye-rolling way, but in an actual "he's a good person" way. He's a skaa, who is in charge of a thieving crew, but this heist (to overthrow the Lord Ruler) might be bigger than anyone expected. He is also famous in this world, for being the only person that has escaped the Lord Ruler's mines, the Pits of Hathsin. Kelsier might get a little discouraged throughout the book, but he never gives up. He shows what ultimate sacrifice truly is. He also proves to Vin that she won't always be abandoned. (view spoiler)[I was so fucking invested in Kelsier, his death completely broke me and my little black heart. Then the letter he left for Vin, “Farewell. I'll tell Mare about you. She always wanted a daughter." Please, stop cutting onions, whoever you are. (hide spoiler)]
The next star of this book is Vin, who is one of the strongest female leads I've read about to date. She starts out as an abandoned little girl form that streets that somehow managed to survive, and then she meets Kelsier. Her growth was absolutely beautiful, and she eventually masters the "I'm a badass who also likes to dress up" role that Celaena in Throne of Glass fails so very hard at. There isn't much romance in this book, but I absolutely devoured the ball/party scenes with Vin and Eldon. I loved watching Vin develop from this scared and hurt child who just sat on the sidelines, into this brave and selfless girl who is becoming a strong woman.
I liked and connected with Vin the entire book, but that very last line - it got to me. I started shedding all these tears, before I even realized how it made me feel. That one simple sentence was just so perfectly placed, and ended up being so powerful.
“And realized that was all she had ever really wanted.”
Vin and Kelsier are both mistborns that use all of the metals in the allomantic chart above. If you can only control one of the basic elements you are just a misting. Both are rare, but mistborns are incredibly rare, and both mostly come from high noble houses. These skills come in very handy in starting a rebellion, and we find out that some mistborns are more powerful than others from their bloodline. We also have mistwraiths, which end up playing a very substantial role among the rest.
Besides Vin, my favorite character was Sazed. Sazed is sort of Vin's steward in this book. He helps get her ready for high society life, while teaching her proper etiquette. He is a Terrisman , who studies and memorizes religions from before the Lord Ruler, so he can one day teach the world all these awesome forgotten religions. Sazed also teaches us about a second magic system, Feruchemy. He was such a compelling character, who won me over so quickly! I feel like his character not only brought together all the puzzle pieces we were missing, but some of his lines like me in awe as well.
“Belief isn’t simply a thing for fair times and bright days, I think. What is belief—what is faith—if you don’t continue in it after failure?”
Since this is my first Brandon Sanderson book, I have no idea who Hoid is or his importance, but I'm guessing he's like a hidden Easter Egg. After I finished this book, I went to YouTube to listen to a couple discussion groups, and they were all freaking out about Chapter 19 and Hoid's appearance. In this chapter, Hoid gives some information to Kelsier that would be rather impressive for a common beggar to know. What I can piece together is that he is a world traveler that is from other Brandon Sanderson books, which doesn't really affect my reading experience, but I figured I'd add it to my review in case it has relevance for one of my followers. Plus, I love Easter Eggs in my books, video-games and movies, so kudos for Brandon Sanderson!
The ending was so, so, so good. Everyone told me going into this series that they only get better, so I cannot wait to start the next, because this one surpassed all of my expectations (view spoiler)[I bet the deepness, that I think the Lord Ruler was keeping at bay with atium, and is now going to make a very deadly appearance (hide spoiler)]. I can honestly say I'm fiending for The Well of Ascension. Look at that, full circle, boom!
Also, my friend Markus brought up, in his review, how Allomancy is like the Force powers of the Jedi and he completely blew my mind. I haven't seen any of my other friends make this parallel, so I just had to link his review and gush over how freakin' perfect of an assessment that is.
“Love doesn’t keep us from freezing to death, Kell,” she continued, “or starving, or being knifed for the coins in our pocket. Love doesn’t buy us anything, so be glad for what you have and who you have because you may want for things but you need for nothing.”
This book had such a promising start, but I ended up feeling very underwhelmed. I think some of V.E. Schwab's ideas are so brilliant and could be phenomenally developed upon. I was so in love with this world, and I couldn't stop gushing over the unique idea of four different Londons, but the plot just got less and less climactic and I got more and more bored.
Like I said, I loved the four different Londons:
Grey London (smells like smoke) is like our real world's London, with no magic. We get to meet our main protagonist's love interest, Lila Bard, in this city.
Red London (smells like flowers) is the home of the main protagonist, Kell, where he and his royal family rule. There is an abundance of magic in this London, most coming from a red river that lights up the whole city.
White London (smells like blood) is a city in war with itself. It is ruled by evil twins, but everyone is fighting for magic and power within this corrupt city.
Black London (we don't know what it smells like) we learn basically nothing about. It has been a lost city ever since regular people cannot travel between worlds.
Only Antaris, like Kell, can travel between the Londons with a token from that world and their blood to make a doorway. We only learn about one other Antaris, and he is from White London. After a crazy turn of events Kell accidently smuggles something very powerful out of Black London, and the last half of this book is him and Lila's adventures dealing with the smuggled item.
In summary, the best parts of this book were the four alternate Londons, Kell, and Kell's magical coat. Once I was able to get past those neat aspects I became very bored and it felt like a chore to finish this book. I couldn't connect with the rest of the characters, not even the strong female lead, and I really couldn't even muster any empathy towards their quest.
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I did develop an incredible amount of empathy for Beloc. Unfortunately, that didn't really matter. Hopefully he somehow is in A Gathering of Shadows, because it would be an absolute shame for that build up to be for absolutely nothing. Especially if Holland is able to make a new appearance!
I'm being very generous with a three star rating, just because I liked the unique premise so much. I can't really put my finger on why the latter half of this book didn't work for me, but it just felt like it was missing something. I was so surprised because of how much I loved the first half, but the rest just didn't work for me. I feel like maybe I would enjoy Vicious more.
One last note, in case I do continue with the second installment of this series: (view spoiler)[I feel like it was really obvious that Lila is/going to be a Antaris as well. One, the missing eye. Next, she is told that she has great magic inside her that is just going to grow. Lastly, she was able to travel back to Red London with Kell (and without the stone) at the end. (hide spoiler)]
I've never read a book like this before; therefore I think I might be a little biased with the rating, just because of the shock value. You is told inI've never read a book like this before; therefore I think I might be a little biased with the rating, just because of the shock value. You is told in second person, where the main protagonist is stalking you. It's really eerie, and just utterly creepy! It's so well written, and so many lines gave me instant goose-bumps.
This story is so unique, I can't help but recommend this to all my friends. I can see some of you not liking it, because it's a little on the dark side, but it's such a different reading experience that I feel was really rewarding.
If you sign up for Marissa Meyer's newsletter you will receive this short story for free. You can also just wait for Stars Above to be released, which will contain this story, three other free stories, and one brand new story.
This story follows a young Thorne, and his life growing up to become the Captain we know and love. We mostly get to see the story about Kate Fallow that Cress first mentioned, and how it really occurred. Overall, it was a cute little story, but it was nothing special what-so-ever. It didn't affect the Lunar Chronicle world at all, and it really didn't add anything. My opinion of Throne didn't change, or make me like him more, because I saw a perspective of him at thirteen.
I guess reading this is worth it if you love this world, but overall I'd suggest you pass.
I know I'm terribly late to this party, but with all the hype surrounding Winter I thought I would give this series a try.
“I have a glitch, too. Sometimes I forget that I’m not human. I don’t think that happens to most androids.”
I'm not sure if you guys play video games, but holy moly I couldn't stop thinking of Soma while reading this. The whole concept of being a human trapped in a robot's body, or even thinking you're human when you are actually just a robot/trapped in a robots body. Yeah, lots of parallels.
This short just seemed so sad. Hopefully the full books will touch more on this story or at least Miko, but as a stand-alone novella it was just a little too depressing for me. Definitely the saddest The Little Mermaid retelling I've ever read. Very, very heartbreaking.
I did love (grown up) Cinder's cameo. I also loved the new information that there is a cyborg draft going on that is skewed towards female cyborgs (like Cinder). I'm sure that will make for an interesting turn of events in Cinder, and was purposely placed in this novella to prepare the reader.
I loved this prequel to Scarlet, where I'm guessing Ze'ev will be The Big Bad Wolf. This novella was amazing! Seriously, I enjoyed these 20 pages more than the entirety of Cinder. This story breathed fresh air into this hyped series, and has given me the motivation to continue on with it!
We learn in Cinder that the Lunar Queen is building a very strong army to conquer Earth. This story shows you exactly what kind of army she is building; which is a pack of werewolves!
Ze'ev proves at the end that his pack is the strongest. It's impossible not to love him and develop empathy for him. He was taken from his family at a mere twelve-years-old, surgically "enhanced", to then having no friends or loved one for five whole years (view spoiler)[Until his brother is, too, taken into this military program; who then wants nothing to do with Ze'ev (hide spoiler)]. This novella was packed with action, and was my favorite thing in The Lunar Chronicles so far.
This story follows a young Thorne, and his life growing up to become the Captain we know and love. We mostly get to see the story about Kate Fallow that Cress first mentioned, and how it really occurred. Overall, it was a cute little story, but it was nothing special what-so-ever. It didn't affect the Lunar Chronicle world at all, and it really didn't add anything. My opinion of Throne didn't change, or make me like him more, because I saw a perspective of him at thirteen.
When I first started reading this, I started to believe in the Fever series I remembered and loved. This book had action, legit fight scenes, new twists from Mac's past/present, unseelie prince powers, a big emphasis on the Sinsar-Dubh, hot sex with Barrons! Basically, it had a lot to make me happy and reminiscent as to why I loved this series so much, and how my heart utterly broke while reading Burned. The start of this book gave me hope and that made the fall so much harder.
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This book will make you feel like you had too much to drink, called your ex, and you slept with him. Maybe the hook up won't feel bad while hooking up, but afterwards you'll feel dirty as fuck. I was blinded by the actual hooking up of this book, but then I woke up the next morning and realized how stupid I was.
For those of you who don't know, the last 11% of this book is an index for the reader to get caught up, or updated, on the events that took place in the previous seven books and the characters we've met along the way. Even though I knew this, the abrupt end of chapter thirty-six still felt like someone threw a bucket of ice water on me. I don't even want to call it a cliffhanger; it was just an abrupt and uncalled for ending.
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I read 436 pages just to be slapped in the face with the last chapter. All that fluff I was talking about at the beginning of this review, was only there to try to distract me of the fact that this book has no real plot. There are loose ends, waiting to be explored, but nothing actually happens until chapter thirty-six when we get blue-balled.
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This is Feverborn (spoilers ahead, so please don't continue if you haven't read):
Remember the cliff-hanger ending of Burned where we find out about black holes that are going to essentially suck up all of Dublin? Yeah, it's still a huge problem, but nothing happens. Not one fucking thing happens in this book to help or give the reader a better understanding on the black holes. They are just there, waiting to be dealt with in another book. They suspect that maybe the Sinsar-Dubh's Song of Making will help.
Dani/Jada lets Ryodan tattoo her, like Barrons tattooed Mac in previous books, because she is scared of being lost and wants power over him (what?). Ryodan tells her he loves her, which was really out of place and really fucking awkward. We learn nothing about the events that happened to Dani/Jada Silver-side. We get a confusing new character that Dani/Jada met in the Silvers, but he, too, won't be addressed until the next book.
No explanation on this new Alina twist. She's back, because apparently Mac's subconscious, and the Sinsar-Dubh living inside her, resurrected her. Mac is no longer invisible, and has really good sex with Barrons that "grounds" her and makes her able to think better. Oh, and when Barrons tells Mac that she's not his girlfriend, I wanted to fucking kill someone. Can we NOT do this rodeo again? Like, please.
Lor and Jo keep having sex, even though Jo doesn't want to, she just can't help herself. But it's cool, he's going to "teach her" how to use her mind, and she can pay him in sex. This is "okay", because she really wants it. What and the fuck am I reading?
Someone is writing The Dublin Daily, and making all our main character's lives much harder. I really like this mystery and was very sad that it wasn't addressed.
The Nine let Christian know that Dageus isn't dead. Christian is still a shining white light in this book for me. He's always helpful, and devoted to whatever he believes in. He helps Mac and the Abbey big time in this book. I still love him, and wish there was more of him in this book.
Cruce is working with the roach god to try to get free from the Abbey. The Abbey was under attack, but all is well and Cruce is supposedly safe underneath it still.
Dancer, from Iced, is back and introduces Dani/Jada to his smart friends who are trying to fix the black holes. I love Jane E's review, because of the theorycrafting on Dancer's parents!
Then the last 1% of this book, the Sweeper gets Mac and Dani/Jada so it can "fix" Dani's heart and Mac's brain. Mac finds the Sinsar-Dubh inside her and reads it, because she believes in good magic, and she and Dani really need to get the hell out of this situation. The Sinsar-Dubh starts taking over, and *curtains* the book ends. The last 1% of this book is amazing and worth reading, the rest is fluff and KMM trying to pull wool over your eyes.
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Can I please just have my Iced sequel? I never thought I'd say this, but I'm fucking sick of Mac and Barrons. Their series should have ended at Shadowfever, and I'm sick of reading this sorry excuse of Dani's/Jada's story.
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In addition to my favorite series being dead, with no signs of coming back, this article is pretty disgusting, too.
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