Review: An Ember in the Ashes

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Review NO SPOILERS

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

THIS WAS SUCH A GOOD BOOK!!!!!!!!! AND THERE'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER ONE!!!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This book....... this book......phenomenal. It is bloody, and politically messy, and there's scheming and insurgence, and only a little bit of romance. I really appreciated that. The world is so wonderfully complex that if more romance had been added then it would have drawn away from the story line. It is a perfect balance. [
CHARACTERS:
Elias: I like this guy.... he's not your normal hero of the story and his character develops astronomically in these short 400 some pages. He cares and learns for himself what is good and bad. He is already like this in a way from the beginning, but he expands on this and hopefully will bring revolutionary ideals into the government in the next (and last) book.
Laia: This girl is strong. To have gone through what she went through and to then become an inside slave of the compound and give information to the rebellion- that takes guts.
WRITING:
Sabaa Tahir has an amazing skill with a pen. The world that she has created in this book and series is an astonishing combination of grit and corruption with hope for a new kind of future and political system. It can be brutal at times, but she weaves into the world and doesn't back down from what the world she created is like.
(hide spoiler)]

This book is one of the best that I have read so far this year and I am really REALLY looking forward to the sequel that comes out in about a month, A Torch Against the Night
Thanks for reading!

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Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas

I'm so excited for 

Empire of Storms!!

A few days ago, I posted a review of the series Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas, but I didn't add into that post my excitement for the next book in the series Empire of Storms. On September 6, Empire of Storms will be released and I may be charging the closest book store to get my hands on a copy. Actually, I'm going to make sure I'm going to the closest Target because they have a special edition of the book that I really want. This release is only 44 days away!!! I WANT IT NOW!!!! I may or may not have lose sleep over my excitement for this book, and according to Goodreads, it is going to be 704 pages long. YES!!!!!!! The more the better!!!!!

Really though, I have liked how the releases for the Throne of Glass books and the A Court of Thorns and Roses books (also by Sarah J Maas), are released in the autumn and spring, respectively. It gives me time to freak out and fangirl over one of the books, and then when I'm calm(ish) and have time and ability to think about other things, I start to miss the other series and begin to anticipate its release. A Court of Mist and Fury blew me away, but I miss the Terrasen court. I want to know what happens next. I want Rowan and Aelin to be together more so than they are now. >:) And also, I really just want another Sarah J Maas book. There are only a few writers were I will read their books simply for the fact that they are good at writing and I will enjoy that, even if I don't know what the plot is about. Sarah J Maas is one of these authors. AND THERE ARE ONLY 44 MORE DAYS TO WAIT!!!!!

I know people across the world are excited for this book to come out, so I biggest piece of advice for this is to read the Throne of Glass books. You will fall in love, get addicted to them, feel all the feels, and then nearly explode from anticipation for this book. It's the best thing ever.

Thanks for reading! 

The 100 by Kass Morgan Review WITH SPOILERS

The 100 by Kass Morgan Review

WITH SPOILERS3.5 stars out of 5

I am not a huge sci-fy person, so that may be part of the reason why this review is only 3.5 stars out of 5. It was really well written and the is the first sort of book that I have personally read were there are people sent onto an abandoned Earth to see if it is life-sustaining. So for me, this was a really cool and different plot set up. It was good and I enjoyed it a lot, but like I said, this genre is hard for me to get into. BUT, if this is your sort of genre, I would definitely recommend it and even if it isn't your genre, I would still read it. I did and I enjoyed it.

SPOILERS


CHARACTERS/SHIPS:
 I actually really liked how the characters interacted with each other and what their personalities were like.

Glass (and Luke): Glass's chapters were my favorites. They were the ones that I loved because she and Luke are absolutely adorable and their story together is heart-breaking. They are probably my favorite ship, but I think they're dead now... right? ***sad face***

Clarke: She seems like a pretty cool person. I think it's great how she had bad shit happen to her, but won't go right back to the guy who caused it. She sees how relationships can be toxic and is staying away. :)

Bellamy: He is definitely interesting and I love how protective he is with his sister. That is a show of good character and I hope that that protectiveness seeps into his relationship with Clarke. That being said....

Bellamy x Clarke: This is the other ship that I support in this book/series. I think they are good for each other and will help each other develop and adapt to how they need to be now that they are on Earth. Do they have a ship name? Clellamy? Belarke? ???

Wells: I don't really like him. I understand that he is doing what he things is best for Clarke, but that kind of obsession can turn bad really quickly and can be even worse for the people surrounding them. Example: Talia.

WRITING:
I actually listened to this as an audio book, but I really think it was smart that it was broken up into four points of view, specifically those our points of view. This way, you get views from three different people on Earth with all that is going on, and a POV from space and all that is going on there.



I hope you guys will like this book!! I did and I will be reading the next one at some point. :) I think I may watch the TV show from the CW too....

Thanks for reading!

Review: The 100 b Kass Morgan NO SPOILERS

The 100 by Kass Morgan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars 

SPOILER FREE 

I am not a huge sci-fy person, so that may be part of the reason why this review is only 3.5 stars out of 5. It was really well written and the is the first sort of book that I have personally read were there are people sent onto an abandoned Earth to see if it is life-sustaining. So for me, this was a really cool and different plot set up. It was good and I enjoyed it a lot, but like I said, this genre is hard for me to get into. BUT, if this is your sort of genre, I would definitely recommend it and even if it isn't your genre, I would still read it. I did and I enjoyed it.

CHARACTERS/SHIPS: I actually really liked how the characters interacted with each other and what their personalities were like.
Glass (and Luke): Glass's chapters were my favorites. They were the ones that I loved because she and Luke are absolutely adorable and their story together is heart-breaking. They are probably my favorite ship, but I think they're dead now... right? ***sad face***
Clarke: She seems like a pretty cool person. I think it's great how she had bad shit happen to her, but won't go right back to the guy who caused it. She sees how relationships can be toxic and is staying away. :)
Bellamy: He is definitely interesting and I love how protective he is with his sister. That is a show of good character and I hope that that protectiveness seeps into his relationship with Clarke. That being said....
Bellamy x Clarke: This is the other ship that I support in this book/series. I think they are good for each other and will help each other develop and adapt to how they need to be now that they are on Earth. Do they have a ship name? Clellamy? Belarke? ???
Wells: I don't really like him. I understand that he is doing what he things is best for Clarke, but that kind of obsession can turn bad really quickly and can be even worse for the people surrounding them. Example: Talia.
WRITING:
I actually listened to this as an audio book, but I really think it was smart that it was broken up into four points of view, specifically those our points of view. This way, you get views from three different people on Earth with all that is going on, and a POV from space and all that is going on there.
(hide spoiler)]
I hope you guys will like this book!! I did and I will be reading the next one at some point. :) I think I may watch the TV show from the CW too....

Thanks for reading!


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Throne of Glass Series (So Far) Review

Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J Maas

Review (Books 0-4) WITH SPOILERS

5 out of 5 Stars

ALL OF SARAH J MAAS'S BOOKS ARE AMAZING AND I RECOMMEND THEM TO EVERYBODY!!!! I'm not sure if there are really spoilery moments in this post, so let's assume there are spoilers everywhere so that you don't read this if you haven't read the books yet.

SPOILERS

Throne of Glass
Throne of Glass is the first book in this series and is enough on its own to get you addicted to all of the characters and the plot line and holy chocolate all of the magic and fighting! I'm not even entirely sure what I can compare this book to... maybe a cross of the Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins) and Graceling (Kristin Cashore)? This is a poor explanation. The thing is, while Throne of Glass is great and captivating, the series doesn't die with book 1; it adapts and develops into this whirlwind that all ties back to some of the details presented in this book.

Crown of Midnight
Just as amazing, this book will have you flipping pages non-stop until you reach the end. At that point, you will just go mad with wanting the next book. Of all of the books in the series so far though, I would have to say that Crown of Midnight is my least favorite of them all. It is still one of my favorite books that I have read in general, but compared to the rest of the series, it isn't up as high. So many new details and sassy moments are revealed to the reader in this second book of the series, and by the end of it, you're just left waiting for this giant bomb to fall in the plot line and you know that no matter how much you prepare for it, it will knock you on your butt when it comes.

Heir of Fire
ROWAN!!!!! ROWAN IS THE BEST! I loved him from the moment that he found Celaena and they almost killed each other..... ah.... true love. But seriously, this book is the setup for one of my favorite ships of all time and I am rooting for them to be endgame. Now, about the book. Besides introducing a bunch of new badass characters, Heir of Fire had a lot of s*** go down in it. We have witches, we have Wyrdkeys, we have collars and rings, and we have SUCH IMMENSE character development. Aelin is different, so much more different than she was in Throne of Glass. For as strong and as badass as she was in the other two books, she becomes even stronger and more badass in this book because she accpets a part of herself that she has always been afraid of, so in a way, she now truly accepts who she is and what she is.  An amazing book.

Queen of Shadows
 I died. In the best way possible of course. But Queen of Shadows took my heart and soul and hid them somewhere in the midst of its spine and pages and I have yet to claw myself way from the book because IT WAS SO GOOD. SO. MUCH. HAPPENED in this book that my head was spinning. There were moments when I was crying, rolling on the floor with laughter, hated some characters with a burning passion, and was proud of others and wanted to give them awards. At one point, I even threw the book because Arobyn is a little punk and pain. Of all of the books in the series so far, I love this one the most. I know its bad to pick favorites, but we all know that it happens. I'm just not denying it. Queen of Shadows is my favorite..... for now....
 
Assassin's Blade
This books is from before Throne of Glass. We get to see Celaena in all of her assassin ways with the Guild, working with Sam (I really hope he's not dead, but I think he is), and being sassy as hell getting in trouble. My favorite part of this book was The Assassin and the Desert.  I loved the relationship that she formed with Ilias and I really hope he gets tied into either Empire of Storms or book 6. This book was like a throwback to Throne of Glass. I read it after QoS, but I think you can read it at any time in the series.

SHIPS!!!
Like I previously said, I'm pretty sure Rowaelin is endgame, but I'm going to explain why:
Dorian loves Aelin as Lilian
Chaol loves Aelin as Celaena
Rowan loves Aelin as AELIN
ALL OTHER SHIPS ARE DEAD!!!
There are other ships in the series too...
Aedion and Lysandra
Manon and Dorian (I actually really support this one)
Chaol and Nesryn

I think I'm going to make a follow-up post to me just spazing and hypothesizing about Empire of Storms, the fifth book in the series that comes out September 6, this year.

Thanks for reading!!

Glass Sword Review WITH SPOILERS

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard Review

WITH SPOILERS
5 out of 5 Stars

Sequels can be scary.... not as good as the first one, no real action in the plot, seems like a giant filler book..... NOT THIS ONE. Glass Sword was phenomenal. Definitely one of the best sequels -actually one of the best books- that I have read so far this year. This may sound extreme, because it is, but towards the end of the book my reactions were so strong that I sobbed for about thirty minutes and shortly afterwords something else happened and I threw up. Like I said, very dramatic, very emotional, VERY extreme. Which is odd, because I normally don't have very strong reactions. Victoria Aveyard's writing was that good, and that compelling.

SPOILERS

CHARACTERS:
Shade: I fell in love with Shade Barrow in this book. I had read the novella book Cruel Crown before this, and I liked Shade in that book. He was interesting, funny, clever, and I knew him from the end of Red Queen. But in Glass Sword his character is brought out more and developed so much further. We got to see him protective, as an older brother, and as a boyfriend. And then he died.... and I was sobbing... and my brother thought I was crazy. :)

Farley: Without a doubt, Farley is one of the strongest female characters that I had ever read. Most of the girls in this book are. I loved FarleyxShade, and I am actually pretty sure that Farley is pregnant. And that kills me because they won't have a father growing up.

Cal: Cal confuses me... he was not my ship in Red Queen (for the most part), and he was slightly annoying at times in this book. I do like how he stepped up at times though to take care of Mare and assume an active role in the rebellion and Scarlet Guard.

Maven: He is the reason I threw up. His words and actions were just so revolting and perfectly evil that I couldn't help myself. To be more specific, I threw up when he put a F***ING COLLAR ON HER. Maven! What the hell?! I had hope that you were being brainwashed my your mom! But this, along with the fact the he was keeping his mom practically prisoner, makes me reluctantly believe that it was all Maven, and I still really really don't want him to be evil.

Mare: Holy complicated, realistic, and complex character. Because of the realistic development of Mare's character, she is one of my favorites. I know some people were annoyed by her actions and responses in the book, but let's be practical. She just came from a high-stress hellish experience. PTSD is to be expected and Mare was supremely strong in her position. I applaud Victoria for writing Mare as she did. The only other concern that I have for this character is that she is going to go dark.... because for as much as Mare has been fighting for the Scarlet Guard, I could also see her teaming up with Maven to fight the Lakelanders and the other ones(idk their name?).

WORLD:
Just like her characters, Victoria Aveyard has created an intensely complex world that is a very nice blend of magical elements, political scheming, and potential outside forces coming in. The biggest thought I have about it right now is about the visitors that Mare had towards the end of the book from the other country. It's killing me that I can't remember their name right now, but with that visit, Mare brings up that there is a very fine edge to walk on when fixing the corrupt so that you don't become the next corrupt along the way. This, tied into what happens at the end... I have a very strange theory about how this story is going to play out.

For the entire book, we have no clue what Maven is really up to. We don't know about his POV, his thoughts, what he knows, nothing. What if he knows about the other external threats? Is trying to take care of it himself? What if he is putting up a front to maintain a level of surprise? I may be grasping for straws here because I still don't want Maven to be bad, but he id definitely smart enough to put on a show like this. Capturing Mare? Part inner psycho, part strategy to make sure that he has someone with New Red blood and a sharp mind to confide in reliably. An inner eye and ear to speak of about Scarlet Guard. And Mare ultimately wants what is best for the land, which is equality. So if she believes that Maven is the most level-headed unbiased choice out of all of them, she may begin to help him to prevent a power reversal of red and silver blood and instead implant a new political system of equality. This is very confusing, but I hope that it also makes sense once you think about it some more.

WRITING:
Amazing. Simply amazing.

I have big hopes for this series, so I would HIGHLY recommend picking them up now and starting them while they're still (somewhat) unknown. I use that term very loosely, because they are bestselling novels and almost everybody in the book world has heard of them. The first book is Red Queen and just like this book, it is amazing and beautifully written.

Thanks for reading!

Glass Sword Review NO SPOILERS

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OH MY GOD WHAT THE HECK VICTORIA AVEYARD WHAT THE ACTUAL HECK!!! HOW COULD THAT.... WHAAAA??????? THIS BOOK IS TOO GOOD AND EVIL TO BE READ WITH A SHRED OF SANITY!!!!!!!!!

Sequels are like the dead zone of a series, but this one isn't. If anything, it felt as though it was the beginning of another and that there is another plot line now. But there's not. Victoria did such an amazing job adding in new elements and tying things together and setting up for what I think is going to be an unbelievable series overall. There were a few parts where I either couldn't follow it right away, or it just seemed to drag a bit, but the rest of it totally made up for those few parts. It is original, and stunning, and beautiful.

Thanks for Reading!

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