February TBR Pile

My February TBR Pile

As usual, I am going to list a bunch of books that I plan on reading in this month, but in all reality, I may read a bunch of different books than those that are on this list.


1. The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee
2. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
3. City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
4. Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
5. Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken
6. King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard
7. Unforgiven by Lauren Kate
8. By Your Side by Kasie West

It's actually slightly embarrassing to look at this list because I had some of these book on my January TBR list.... maybe I will make sure to read these books this month. It also might be hard to get all 8 books in because there are only 28 days in February, but I'm still going to try to do it.

Thanks for reading! 

Shadowhunters 2x05

Shadowhunters 2x05

"Dust and Shadows"

Thoughts and Feels

I think that in general, this episode made the show look a lot more like a normal TV show, which was fantastic.

One of the things that I really loved in this episode were the scenes with Alec and Magnus. Their relationship took a step toward more toward what I get the feeling from in their relationship in the books. There were two really great moments in particular. The first is when Alec just shows up on Magnus's porch and is struggling with what he did to Jocelyn. Not only is this something that Alec does in the books- he goes to Magnus all the time- but it is also a very real portrayal of Alec's character, Magnus's character, and what their relationship is like. The other moment that I really liked was when Magnus talks to Alec about Camille and they have that conversation where Alec accepts that Magnus is immortal and has cared about other people in the past. For those of us who have read the books, we know that there may be more to the immortal thing/issue, but for now, all is well.


The strangest and absolutely most bizarre and non-book canon thing about this episode were the freaky witch demon babies. It's isn't the part where she is getting mortals to bear the children to make warlocks and witches- that makes sense cause that's how it happens. It's the part where she gives Clary an elixir in order to have a half-demon half-shadowhunter baby??? Errrmmmm.... this happens twice in shadowhunter history, and as far as I know, can only happen in these two ways. One, the shadowhunter can conceive a baby with a demon if they do not have any runes. Two, if the baby is given demon blood while in the womb. So this part of the episode really bothered me and I hope that if it continues there will be a reveal like, "Oh no! The elixir actually doesn't work!" Maybe that'll be how they introduce Sebastian?

THERE WAS YIN FEN!!!! I have a whole yin fen theory on another post, but long story short, I think Izzy is taking Jem's place in the TMI plot line.


I have to mention the funeral. I thought is was so well done and with the story line of this episode in particular, it was even more moving than it would have been if Clary had just accepted it. They did an incredible job of sticking to the shadowhunter traditions that we know of in the books. Everyone was wearing white, which is the mourning color for shadowhunters. They also said ave atque vale (that may be spelled wrong), which was so incredible to see them all chant it at the same time for Jocelyn. I also think that they did a really good job with Clary's and Jace's characters in this scene, because Jace is there for Clary in a very brotherly way. Clary's emotion was also spot on. I think the moment where I started crying was when she can't finish saying her mother's name and falls into Jace. It was such a serious moment for the show and they slowed it down, took their time, and really did it justice.

I am the kind of person that almost always will notice the music in the background of TV shows and movies. I don't know if this is connected to the change in show runners, but the music in this episode was phenomenal. It was so good that I started making a Spotify playlist for the songs on the show. They also didn't have any crazy techno songs while they were training. They had a Sklyar Grey song! Which I think is perfect because while it had a little bit of that beat or sound sort of techno, it wasn't, so it wasn't super distracting while I was watching the scene. The song that really killed me in this episode was the one that was playing at the end of the show, during Jocelyn's funeral. It was so perfect in tone, sound, and words for what was happening that it finished the scene. I was already a mess, but that song put me over the edge. It was beautiful and sorrowful and an excellent choice.


I would like to see them head in a direction toward Idris, but that's mostly because one of the best villains in YA literature is introduced in that city. And I can wait for this too; I'd rather them take their time to get to this point and have it done really well then rush ahead just to meet certain characters. With the way that the episodes are changing, I am really looking forward to next Monday and how they are going to take things. I also want to know if my yin fen theory is correct. :)

Thanks for reading!

Shadowhunters Yin Fen Theory

The Yin Fen Theory

Tying Together Yin Fen in Shadowhunters with What We Know from TID and TMI

***Assume spoilers for Shadowhunters, The Infernal Devices, and The Mortal Instruments***

In this past Monday's episode of Shadowhunters, "Dust and Shadows", we see Izzy use yin fen, something that the fans of the books know to be a highly addictive and dangerous substance. My first major response was simply, why?!?!?!?! How could they do this to Izzy?!! Where did this come from?!?! Where is this going?!?! I have a theory:

Yin Fen in TID:

This is where yin fen is first introduced, where we all fall in love with Jem who by unfortunate necessity is addicted to this substance, yet it is keeping him alive. At the end of the infernal devices, Jem needs to turn into a Silent Brother in order to survive because it is the only way to "live" without needing to take yin fen or die from the withdrawal symptoms. This is very important not just to TID, but it also comes into play at the end of TMI.

Yin Fen in TMI:

It actually isn't really important in The Mortal Instruments. BUT, in City of Heavenly Fire we run into Jem again! In the last book of TMI, Jem gets the rest of the yin fen burned out of him with heavenly fire- a very key point of the plot because he was trying to heal Jace's stab wound when it happened. If another Silent Brother (or person in general) had tried to heal him, they might have died. Clary was only able to heal him with a special strong rune. 

Yin Fen in Shadowhunters:

With the new show runners, it seems like the show is trying to turn in a direction that is more like the plot of the books. Sadly, the TMI books overlap with the TID books, which have not been adapted to run with Shadowhunters the TV show. This means that our shadowhunters Tessa, Will, and Jem are not going to be known by the fans who only watch the show. I have a theory that the show is setting up for a long-haul plot line of heavenly fire being used to get the yin fen burned out of Izzy. I guess they could have they scene happen as it does in City of Heavenly Fire, but that would be totally random and unexplained by what has happened in the show. There also wouldn't be any real emotion behind it- it would be a random Silent Brother being cured, not our Jem. There would be no ethos. 

Having it affect Izzy though will make people care more. Yes Izzy is important to the arching plots of the TMI series, but she doesn't have as many major roles as the other characters do. Clary and Jace are the MAIN main characters, Alec has a huge development with Magnus, and Simon becomes the Daylighter. I think the show runners are getting ready for the heavenly fire that comes at the end of the series, and they are setting it up in a way that is similar to the books, but still unique to the show. This way it will flow nicely too, instead of being a last minute ad-on to the plot of the show for the sake of having it. 

Let me know what you think! I hope to have a review of the whole episode up sometime either tomorrow or the day after, but this was a truly great episode, and I really like what they've done so far. I hope they keep going in the direction that they are going and the show can do the books justice.

Thanks for reading!

January Wrap-Up

So I apologize for falling of the face of the virtual world for like a week..... I had a case of the flu/cold/mysterious winter illness. Without further ado:

My January Wrap-Up

Total Books Read: 13

I really exceeded my expectations for reading this month, which is good, because now I feel like blah and am not really reading right now, which is neither good nor fun. But I did get to read a lot of really good and interesting books while I was feeling good this month! If I have a review of the book, I will try something new and put a hyperlink on the word "review" for you to follow.

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare (Review)
City of Bones by ^^^
City of Ashes by ^^^
City of Glass by ^^^
City of Fallen Angels by ^^^
On the Freedom of a Christian by Martin Luther
Grounding of the Metaphysics of Morals by Immanuel Kant
Poison Princess by Kresley Cole (Review)
Endless Knight by ^^^ (Review)
Raven Song by IA Ashcroft (Review)
Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole (Review)
On Liberty by John Stewart Mill
Arcana Rising by Kresley Cole 


Off the top of my head, I know that I had Twilight on my post of books to read in January, along with many others that I just straight up did not read. (whelp--- oops.) This stuff happens though, you pick up a good book ***cough Poison Princess cough*** and then you can't help but binge read the entire series. I regret nothing. Also, if you have read The Mortal Instruments, you will notice that I am missing two books on this list; again, Poison Princess is responsible and again, I regret nothing.

I'll be putting up my February TBR list sometime tomorrow!

Thanks for reading!!

Top 10 Books with Fae

Top 10 Fae Books

Or fey/faeries/fairies/any other way to spell this 

I personally love books that have very strong elements of fae. I really love all of the different ways that they get portrayed, because I feel like out of all the supernatural creatures, their descriptions are the most varying and changing from book to book. I'm currently looking for another really strong and fun book that has fae in it, and in case you are too, here are my top 10 favorite fae books.

1. Iron Fey by Julie Kagawa

2. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

3. A Wicked Saga by Jennifer L Armentrout

4. Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas 

5. The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

6. Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking

7. The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare

8. A Dark Faerie Tale by Alexia Purdy

9. Need by Carrie Jones

10. Tithe by Holly Black

I can't wait to find more books like these and I hope that I enjoy them just as much!

Thanks for reading!

MADNESS (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer): A Ship in My Fleet

A Ship in My Fleet

MADNESS (Mara Dyer and Noah Shaw) 

From: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

***Assume spoilers for the entire Mara Dyer series***

I think this may be the coolest ship name that I have ever shipped. Let me explain it to you: take the full initials of each of their names and put them in order and you get....
Mara
Amitra
Dyer
Noah
Eliot
Simon
Shaw
......MADNESS

When I Started Shipping:
Right away. I literally mean right away- I think Noah is like either the second or third main character that we meet in the book and it's fairly early in the book too. Within the first few chapters if I remember. What really sealed the deal on this ship was when Mara and Noah were bantering about the hierarchy of asses. It wasn't just a funny moment in the book, but you can see the easiness that they're bantering with and you can tell right at that moment that they are going to be good together.

Favorite Canon Moment:
Hmmmm.... it's hard for me to say because I have one in mind that's a funny moment, and then another one that's heart wrenching and gives you all the feels. I don't know how to choose between the two of them so I think I'll just share both.

My favortite funny moment between them is when, I believe in the first book, they are in Noah's bedroom and Mara is testing Noah of his knowledge of his own bookshelf. She's just reading off titles without really looking ahead to see what they say, and one of the books puts her in a pretty awkward situation. I love how Noah handles it too. The heart breaking moment that I'm thinking of is right at the end of the series after Mara, Noah, and company are relatively safe in the house. There's just relief and they get to be together and they have each other after everything that they've gone through and have lost.


Mara:
This girl's crazy. I think one of the hardest things about her character is that she has to deal with so much crap, both inside and outside her life. Yes, she is slightly psycho, but there's also legitimate dangers around her, and there is some supernatural, life/death balance stuff. She has to deal with all of this, and try to act normal in her everyday life. She fails at that of course, but she tried for a good long time. She's incredibly determined and resilient in this, and it extend to her relationship in a way that makes her fiercely loyal to Noah.

Noah:
First, I have to let the completely shallow side come through and say that Noah may be one of the best YA guys that I have ever read. He's like Will Herondale, but with more innuendoes. Thinking about it, those two would probably be the best of friends. His sass is one of my favorite things about him, plus he has an accent, which just makes it ten times better. Actually looking at who his character is as a person though is just as great. Noah, while snarky and tending to be apparently less serious, is really devoted to helping other people and putting others before himself.

MADNESS:
These two are the definition of perfect balance. Life and death, crazy and popular, serious and aloof,  I could keep going. Another reason why Mara and Noah are so great for each other is that they are both willing so much to make it work and to pull through together. Mara helps Noah come to terms with his issues and Noah helps Mara come miles along in accepting herself and helping her understand what is happening. That may be the biggest thing about this ship- they both believe each other and support each other through the seemingly impossible.


As much as I hate to say it, I think the ship is about to be rocked! Excitingly, there is going to be another book. But, of course, there is a price. Apparently there may be trouble between the two and my heart may break in the process of reading these books. Here is an article from Entertainment Weekly that announces the next book which is set to come out this summer!

Thanks for reading!

Review: Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole

Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole

5 out of 5 Stars

I swear I am falling more and more in love with this series with every book that comes out. I don't really have anything that I would want to change about it. There were a few small details that irked me, but other than that, I was IN LOVE WITH THE BOOK. Note: if you don't like love triangles, you may be annoyed with this book. But I would still read it if I were you because there was still so much going on outside of the romantic interests that you'd probably enjoy the book. Personally, I love love triangles, so this was like the best kind of book I could have asked for.


SPOILERS AHEAD

Before I go into my usual areas of reviewing- the title confuses the hell out of me. Um, I think we had two snowflakes, with the promise of more in the future? The setting just didn't really seem winter-y to me, which makes me wonder why it's called "Dead of Winter". Death is in the story, but I'm pretty sure that is irrelevant to the title of the book. I was expecting like a freaking blizzard or something, and it only snows at the end of the book, so is the next one really in winter? Why is this the title? I am so confused...

CHARACTERS:
Evie:
Damn girl, finally taking action and managing her own sh** at the same time. Bravo. What I'm really interested in with her character is her powers, because Aric kept saying that she is so much more powerful than what she is using. And in this book, her powers extend even more, but he still says that they are only a fraction of what Evie can really do. The one thorn in my side (haha book humor) about her character is that she chose Jack?? Erm, excuse me, Miss Greene? That needs to change- pronto.

Jack:
Clear statement: I don't hate Jack, I just don't want him to be with Evie. Jack is an admirable character in this story, but I feel like there is still so much about him that we don't know yet. I would not be surprised in the slightest if he is the un-awakened Arcana. Even if he isn't Arcana, he is still quite a fore to be reckoned with. General of the army now, kills baggers like they're no problem, provides for and leads hundreds of people..... yeah he's kinda awesome. His biggest issues are his deceit and rashness (aka the main reasons he can never really be with Evie). Gotta love his accent though.

Aric:
I really love this character- he has some major issues in modernity and how to behave, but that's because he's centuries old and that's how he was raised and how he lived. BUT- he knows and acknowledges this AND he's willing to work on it. Scratch that, he is working on it. I love how fiercely loyal he is to Evie and how much he believes in her strength and capabilities, but still has her back if she needs it. His bluntness can be pretty funny at times too. It's going to be interesting to see what happens in this next book, because Evie technically chose Jack (**hisses**), but he's possibly dead? And Aric saved Evie. Plus he has her grandmother. I don't know, there are so many aspects that are set up for the next book that there are too many wild variables to predict anything.


PLOT:
I liked this book more than Endless Knight I think partially because there was a more defined plot line in this one. We had this whole ordeal in the beginning, trying to save Jack from the Lovers, and then Aric just rolls in and is like, "Lol, those were clones", and the journey continues. Another thing that was slightly introduced in this book was the presence/ lack of presence of the gods. Since my biggest question remains, how are they going to end the game, I think they might meet the gods? Face them head-on? Something- I think that the gods are going to be flushed out with a bit more detail and possible incorporated more corporeally into the story. I hope so at least- that'd be pretty cool.

WORLD:
I love how the team is like exploring and taking charge of this world After the Flash. They keep learning new things along with the reader and we all get to experience this strange variation or echo of what the old Earth was Before the Flash. Like I mentioned earlier, I would really like to see this world expand to include more information about the gods that created the game, if not actually include the gods themselves. I still have no idea how on earth the team's gonna end the game, because eventually only one Arcana will remain right? Even if the others die of old age, there will still be one that is the last to die, and then it begins again, no? So what's the loophole? Are they gonna kick the asses of the gods? Cause that'd be kinda awesome


I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW! I will probably jump straight into Arcana Rising after I finish writing this review. Or maybe Day Zero, I haven't decided yet. Either way, I'm really hoping that the books are all going to be amazing after this one, cause it would suck if they tapered off or devolved from here.

Thanks for reading!