Review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

ISBN: 9781619630659
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Series: Throne of Glass #3
Released: September 2, 2014
Length: 565
Goodreads  |  B&N

     SUMMARY
Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?
     REVIEW

I went into this book definitely feeling afraid of what was to come. I loved Crown of Midnight so much. I knew I would love Heir of Fire too, because Sarah J. Maas is a genius and this series is a new favorite of mine, so that isn't why I was afraid. I'd seen a lot of posts about new characters, intense feels, being utterly ripped apart over and over again, etc. You can see why I had some reservations. Not to mention this is a beast of a book. I love myself a good long book but I always know it's going to take me a while to get into it, especially when it's something I'm really in to.

Heir of Fire definitely did take a day or two for me to get in to. It's a slower start. Celaena is unhappy. Actually, unhappy is the understatement of the century. Celaena is utterly broken, and though it takes quite a while, we journey with Celaena through every bit of her broken heart, soul and spirit. Sometimes slower paced books are not for me. I loved it in HoF, though. Every last word devoted to Celaena's pain, healing, gaining of power, etc., was worth it. It was necessary, even if it tore me apart while I was reading it. Maas writes pain like no other.

New characters: there are some. Are you surprised? This is one of the best epic fantasies I've ever gotten my hands on, incredibly in depth, so you can imagine how many characters we have to deal with here. There is Rowan, likely the most important of the new characters. You've probably heard/seen tons of people shipping Rowan/Celaena, and I know what you're thinking. You're probably thinking the same thing I was thinking when going into this. HELL NO, NO ROWAN NONSENSE CHAOLAENA FOR LIFE! I was adamantly against any other ships for Celaena. Don't worry, things don't go as you would expect in this area and it is perfect and wonderful, and for Chaol/Celaena shippers, you'll find yourself rooting for Rowan in a few different ways even if you think there is only room for Chaol in your heart. Trust me, I'm still team Chaol.... but I wouldn't be mad if something took a turn in a future book and it didn't go that way. As a matter of fact, I have some speculations. Not really educated guesses, just regular old guesses - things I suspect could happen... if you've read all of the books, send me a private message. We can discuss all of the horrible (and wonderful) things that could happen!

There was also Manon, a POV from a not so nice person - a witch. I won't go into much detail, but I will say this: Maas, you are a genius. How do you make me interested and even feel FEELS for evil people? HOW!? Some may have thought this POV was pointless, but I get the feeling it will be very important in the rest of the series. I have high hopes for this POV actually.

This world, this story, everything in it is so detailed, so many nuances and "storylines" to remember that all wrap into one amazing ball of brilliance. And Maas keeps adding more and I'm almost inclined to wonder how the hell this is all going to work out and tie together but the thing is is already does! Every aspect of every book matters. I remember when I read ToG, thinking that the whole magic aspect seemed out of place. I take nothing for granted in this series now. Nothing is out of place. Nothing.

HoF wrecked me, by the way. I cried like a baby for Celaena, for Dorian, for Chaol, for Rowan. But I also cheered for them, grinned like a fool, laughed like a loon. Maas knows how to write characters we will love (or hate, but in that she-writes-really-good-villians kind of way) so, so much, and I can't even fathom having to let one of them go, because we all know that there will be someone, if not multiple more someones, who don't make it out of this alive. Listen, I'm still mourning over Sam and he was only around for a few short stories.

I feel like it is impossible to not like this series. The only book I can see not liking is ToG, but if you trust me, if you trust the rest of the bookish world, CoM and HoF (oh and Assassin's Blade) will change that for you. It will change everything for you.


     THE BREAKDOWN

RATING: ★★★★1/2 - Really enjoyed it!

I loved Heir of Fire so much! It added so much to the world, a world that I didn't think could expand that much more, and I get the feeling Maas is going to give us even more come the next book somehow (which by the way we have to wait God knows how long for and it is killing me).

I know most of you loved this book. I've seen your reviews and status updates. I now this one killed you inside also. But I have so many thoughts on what could possibly be coming and I want to talk to someone about it without worrying about spoiling. I want to know what you thought, but I also want to know what you think is coming!

Also, can we talk about how excited I am for the other series Maas has coming out next year - A Court of Thorns and Roses?! A Beauty and the Beast retelling! God, I can't wait!!

So tell me your thoughts on all things Sarah J. Maas. Go!
A.

Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

ISBN: 9781619630628
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Series: Throne of Glass #2
Released: August, 2013
Length: 420 pp
Goodreads  |  B&N

     SUMMARY
From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie...and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.
     REVIEW

We all know that so far Throne of Glass is the least amazing of this amazing series. After reading ToG I went into Assassin's Blade which changed my entire view on ToG. Then along comes Crown of Midnight which Sarah J. Maas took upon herself to use to wreck her entire fanbase and rip our hearts out. And that's putting it nicely.

There were so many amazing things about CoM that I don't even know where to start. First of all, for those of you who haven't read Assassin's Blade but were disappointed with Celaena's lack of Assassin-y skills, she surely redeems herself in the best ways possible in CoM. I won't go into detail because it is actually a wonderful aspect of the storyline, but Celaena really is the best of the best.

The world building gets deeper here, too. We learn little tiny tidbits about Celaena's past, how Adarlan came to rule and other things important to the story. Maas builds an even richer, more detailed world than what she gave us in ToG and Assassin's Blade. It also really brings together several different aspects, such as the assassin thing, the magic thing (which felt so displaced to me in book one), some other barely mentioned aspects from book one that take on a huge and amazing role in book 2. I love that Maas brings it all together. It's not one storyline per book with small connecting things along the way. No, it all matters, it all interconnects, so make sure you're paying close attention!

Also, there is Chaol. In case anyone was wondering who I ship, it's Celaena/Chaol. Pretty sure I've made that abundantly clear in the past but just in case.. ya know.. it's Chaol. CHAOL CHAOL CHAOL. This book has all wonderful things Chaol. The great part is that Dorian isn't all of a sudden cut out and forgotten just because great Chaol-things happen. Actually, some really awesome, important Dorian things happen. I just happen to heavily ship Celaena/Chaol.

Crown of Midnight basically builds you all the way freaking up, just to tear you the hell down. Like, rips your soul right out of your body. Yes, bad things happen. It's an epic fantasy series, so I know you weren't expecting things to be all hunky dory. But it is for a reason. A really, really important reason, and I forgive you Sarah J. Maas for ending me the way you did.


     THE BREAKDOWN

RATING: ★★★★★ - Absolutely loved it!

When I started Throne of Glass a few months ago, I didn't think I'd find my new favorite fantasy series. I didn't think I'd find another set of books that keep me on the edge of my seat the entire time I'm reading them, a ship that would make me f*cking cry when happy things are happening, characters that I become way too attached to, a main character I admire and identify with (I love that she's such a brat sometimes. Like me! Oh and she's a bit of a book worm), etc., etc.

Seriously, I hope this review finds its way into the hands of readers who are on the fence about Throne of Glass, people who kind of liked it but want to see what Celaena is capable of and see this series at its full potential. Well I'm telling you right now, everything you were hoping for in ToG takes off at such a high level in CoM that there is no way for you to be disappointed. I promise, you'll go from on the fence to absolutely in love right from the beginning of CoM.

I'm currently reading Heir of Fire and I can't to talk about it with those of you who have read or are reading as well. So If you haven't read CoM, get your ass up and read it, so you can move on to the epically epicness of HoF!

Have you read Crown of Midnight? I'd love to know what you thought of this one, especially in comparison to Throne of Glass and with/without having read The Assassin's Blade. As you can tell, I'm obsessed. I want to know what you thought!



Let's talk books!
A.

Review: The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

ISBN: 9781408852590
Format: Kindle eBook
Source: Purchased
Series: Throne of Glass #0.1 - #0.5
Released: March 4, 2014
Length: 448 pp
Goodreads  |  B&N

     SUMMARY

Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas - together in one edition for the first time - Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.

     REVIEW

This collection as a whole rivals literally every short story I've ever read. I tend to read the occasional short story to enjoy some more of the world and see some scenes I may have read about in passing. Most novellas/short sorties are nothing special - usually. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started the Assassin's Blade, but it was so much more than what I was expecting.

The first story was interesting enough - it was just about a covert mission of sorts that Celaena undertakes for Arobynn Hamel, her Master, I guess you would call him, with an associate of hers that Celaena really disliked: Sam (<3 <3 <3). I remember thinking that the story was what I'd expected - a story about "before", a fun little read that didn't add much to the story. Well, alone, it would have been exactly that. A nice insight into before but nothing life changing. That is, until I realized that the short stories in The Assassin's Blade read almost like one long book. Yes, that's what I said. The Assassin's Blade is like a very important, full-length prequel to Throne of Glass. The Assassin's Blade literally leads us right up to how Celaena came to Endovier, right before ToG starts, letting us see exactly what was Celaena's downfall.

And for those of you who have only read ToG, and were frustrated with Celaena's lack of apparent assassin-y skills, here is your fix. Not only will you get to see Celaena is action, which is amazing all on its own, but you will find out some of the reasons why Celaena is the way she is in ToG.

Basically, if you are having doubts about reading The Assassin's Blade after ToG, I implore you, pick it up - you won't regret it. I'm not a short story kind of person - nine times out of ten I don't even bother picking them up. But these are essential to the Throne of Glass series. YOU MUST READ THEM.

THE BREAKDOWN

RATING: ★★★★ 1/2 - Really Enjoyed it!

I loved The Assassin's Blade more than I've ever loved a collection of short stories before. It seems like every author is cashing in on the novella thing these days, but I didn't feel as if I was reading something written to make more money or to give the series a push. It was a prequel to ToG, plain and simple. Just go read it already so I can stop trying to convince you that it's necessary, that you won't regret it and that it makes ToG make so much more sense! Okay? Okay.

Have you read The Assassin's Blade? Did you read it before or after reading ToG and CoM? I read it in between the two, and while I wished I'd read it before ToG, I was fine with the feeling of having an epiphany once I realized what Celaena had been through and why she acted the way she did. Did you love tAB like I did? Or did you find it to be an unnecessary collection of stories? I'd love to know what you thought about The Assassin's Blade.

Let's talk books!
A.

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

ISBN: 9781619630345
Source: Gift
Format: Paperback
Series: Throne of Glass #1
Released: May, 2012
Goodreads  |  B&N

     SUMMARY

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

     REVIEW
It probably isn't very fair for me to review Throne of Glass at this point, having read the short stories and the second book in this series. I probably should've been smart enough to write my review right after I finished it. Because right now, I almost can't bring myself to say anything bad about ToG when I know that it I enjoyed it a lot but didn't love it.

However, after reading the other books/stories in the series that have been released thus far, my love for this series and this book are far beyond the four star rating ToG gets all on its own. Like I said - not fair, right?
Allow me to make an attempt at writing an unbiased review.

For starters, the main character, Celaena Sardothien, is touted as Adarlan's assassin, the greatest assassin for all intents and purposes. Dangerous, unbeatable, etc. Without factoring in what I know from the other books, I was a little disappointed that we barely saw any of Celaena's mythical skill. Don't get me wrong, I really liked Celaena. She is smart and witty and funny and a little bratty which I can definitely appreciate being a huge brat myself, but I wanted to see her being assassin-y and we actually don't see much of that.

Throne of Glass takes on a weird paranormal subplot that at first didn't seem to fit and didn't interest me. It was annoying, didn't make much sense and I wished at some points that it would just disappear. Needless to say it all comes together but it was just weird.

The romance - oh the romance. I hate love triangles. With that being said, while this has a very frustrating love triangle, I loved it. I truly found myself torn between the two men and that has never happened to me before. Usually in a love triangle, one guy is like awful and everyone knows it, and the other one is perfect for her and the only reasons the awful guy has fans is because he's a bad boy and "knows" the MC better than anyone else (cue eye roll - give me a break). However, that is not the case here. I obviously am Team Chaol For Life but I couldn't help but find reasons to love Dorian, too. They are both such great, lovable characters and I got a little mad when Dorian was making me love him too much!

All in all, the book comes together, weird paranormal subplot and all, enough that I wanted to read the next book. Like I said, since the time I read Throne of Glass, I've read Crown of Midnight, The Assassin's Blade (novellas) and am eagerly awaiting Heir of Fire, so right now none of those things matter because the rest of the series makes up for the good but not amazing first book. I almost don't remember a time when Celaena wasn't being a super assassin!

     THE BREAKDOWN

RATING: ★★★★ - Enjoyed it!

CoM notwithstanding, I really liked ToG. It has great characters that just unfortunately didn't reach their full potential in this book, such an interesting world with pretty good world-building (which just gets better), and a frustrating but amazing and perfect in every way love triangle. TEAMCHAOLFORLIFE.

Have you read Throne of Glass? What did you think? I hope you loved it and didn't let the lack of Celaena showing off her mad skills effect your opinion about the book like I almost did. If you didn't love it, can you tell me why? I'd love to hear what your thoughts are!

Also, Heir of Fire comes out in just a few days!!!! I'm so beyond freaking excited I can't even EVEN. That's right, that's what I said, you didn't read that wrong. I NEED THIS BOOK NOW! How excited are you (and simultaneously horrified at the thought of waiting another year for the next one aghhhh)?

Let's talk books!
A.

Review: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

ISBN: 9780374384685
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Series: The Winner's Trilogy #1
Released: March, 2014
Goodreads  |  Book Depository

     SUMMARY

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.
As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.
One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.
But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.
Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

     REVIEW

I am always a bit wary picking up a book by a new author I've never heard of, mainly one who has just published their first book and where there isn't much information from my list of trusted bloggers to go on. I know, I know, I'm one hell of a book snob, but I try my best not to be since I am also an aspiring author (oh, the irony, right?). Anyway, I finally ended up ordering this book once I started seeing some opinions and reviews (glowing ones) from people I knew and I had to see what it was all about. However, I didn't have high expectations going into it. I had no idea what I was getting into, really.

The Winner's Curse starts off rather slowly. Actually, the majority of the book happens at a nice leisurely pace. Some have thought it was too slow. I thought it was perfect. It was like a slow build to a wonderfully smart, incredibly satisfying climax. I remember realizing that The Winner's Curse had drawn me in right from page one and kept me hooked throughout, rather than it having to be something I had to get into. Rutkoski's writing is beautiful and she weaves a story about love, loyalty and morality (I love a book that makes you think past the romance) that I just didn't want to stop reading. The love story between Kestrel, the main character, and Arin, the slave, had me grinning like a fool, though, when things finally took off and I have no complaints as to how it all went down, slow or not.

I will say I was particularly pleased that while Rutkoski did leave us on a bit of a cliffhanger, she didn't end the book where I expected she would, where most books would have left off and left the rest for book two. The expected things happened then, much to my delight, Rutkoski had more to add to the story!

I especially loved when the power and the "upper hand" shifted between the characters. Once again Rutkoski went against what I assumed she was going to do with the story and I enjoyed that the love of the characters didn't just disappear (or pretend to disappear) when the circumstances changed. It wasn't an insta-love in the begining or an insta-un-love at the end and that made me really happy. I hope that made sense to someone other than me, but if it didn't, you'll understand at least that this book gave me major feels and this nonsensical review is what resulted.

I tend to like books that have a fast pace or pick up speed not far into the book but I found that the beautiful, lyrical quality of the writing and having my interest piqued by the characters and world-building right away made the pace not matter to me much at all. I found a taste for slow-building novels in The Winner's Curse thanks to the author. I can't wait to read the next in the series to learn more about Arin and Kestrel!

RATING: ★★★★ 1/2 - Loved it!

Overall, I really loved The Winner's Curse. It was slower than the typical YA novels I read but I also found it to be one of the smarter, better written, more thought-provoking YA novels I've read, too. Arin and Kestrel are a favorite romantic couple of mine and I can't wait to see where the next book in the series takes us! Have you read The Winner's Curse? What did you think?

Do you like books that have a "slow-build" quality to them or a faster-paced novel? I thought I once only like fast-paced novels but The Winner's Curse seems to have changed my mind about that a bit - or at least proven me wrong. I'd love to know what you prefer.

Let's talk books!

A.

Review: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

ISBN: 9780345539786
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
Series: Red Rising #1
Release date: January 28, 2014
Goodreads  |  Amazon

     SYNOPSIS:

The war begins...
Darrow is a Helldiver, one of a thousand men and women who live in the vast caves beneath the surface of Mars. Generations of Helldivers have spent their lives toiling to mine the precious elements that will allow the planet to be terraformed. Just knowing that one day people will be able to walk the surface of the planet is enough to justify their sacrifice. The Earth is dying, and Darrow and his people are the only hope humanity has left.
Until the day Darrow learns that it is all a lie. Mars is habitable - and indeed has been inhabited for generations by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. The Golds regard Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought.
With the help of a mysterious group of rebels, Darrow disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside.
But the command school is a battlefield. And Darrow isn't the only student with an agenda...

     REVIEW:

I read Red Rising back in.. geez, back in March. Here we are in June and I've yet to post a review. Yes, I have been in a bit of a slump. Yes I was on something along the lines of a hiatus. Yes, I am still recovering from said slump in an attempt to get back into my normal groove. But I also took this long because this was the next review I had to write and there are just no words for it.

Usually, I take notes while reading, or post incessantly to Goodreads if I need my screams to be heard, and use said notes and screams to help formulate my reviews.

Yeah, basically my Goodreads went something like this: "I have never read a book like this one. I can't.. I can't.." and that's about all the help I gave myself. Probably because I couldn't, and still can't form words in regards to this book.

I feel like it's something you all need to experience for yourselves. I will say, I don't think this is for everyone. It was reminiscent of... The Hunger Games, A Song of Ice and Fire and Ender's Game. Actually, I'm pretty sure the dust jacket of this book quotes those three books exactly. But it's so true and if you aren't a fan to some degree of these three books, I honestly don't think you will like Red Rising. It has the heart and soul of THG, the intensity and violence of ASoIF, and the intelligence and "out of this world" feeling of Ender's Game.

The world building is brilliant, explaining so much but still leaving so much to be discovered. The characters - God, I loved (and hated) so many of them! What was fantastic was how profound some of the messages in this book were without being over the top. I am in desperate need of the next book, Golden Son, immediately.

For lack of a better explanation on why this was one of the best books I've read so far this year, I shall instead implore you to go read it. That is, if you think you can handle it.

RATING: Loved it! ★★★★ 1/2

Have you read Red Rising yet? If you have, please help me better explain this amazing novel. What was it that you loved (or hated) about the book? If you haven't read it, do you think you will? Does it being described as a mix between THG, ASoIF and Ender's Game make you want to read it, or does that totally turn you off? Let's talk books!

Happy reading :)

A.

Review: Miss Mabel's School for Girls by Katie Cross and Giveaway!

ISBN: 9780991531905
Source: eARC/Author
Format: e-book
Series: The Network Series #1
Release Date: March 27, 2014
Goodreads  |  Amazon

     SUMMARY:

Never underestimate the power of a determined witch.
Letum Wood is a forest of fog and deadfall, home to the quietly famous Miss Mabel’s School for Girls, a place where young witches learn the art of magic.
Sixteen-year-old Bianca Monroe has inherited a deadly curse. Determined to break free before it kills her, she enrolls in the respected school to confront the cunning witch who cast the curse: Miss Mabel.
Bianca finds herself faced with dark magic she didn’t expect, with lessons more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. Will Bianca have the courage to save herself from the curse, or will Miss Mabel’s sinister plan be too powerful?
Miss Mabel’s School for Girls is the first novel in The Network Series, an exciting new fantasy collection. A gripping tale about the struggle to survive, it will take you to a new place and time, one you’ll never want to leave.

     REVIEW:

It feels like I have been waiting centuries for Katie Cross to publish her book. It hasn't been nearly that long obviously, but that is about how badly I wanted to read MMSFG. I was one of the lucky ones who was able to read it before its release date (today!) and got to participate in the launch day madness (which includes some awesome giveaways thanks to the author so don't forget to check those out before you go!)

Let me start by saying that my favorite part about the entire book was the main character, Bianca. It's not often that you find a strong, confident female character in a YA novel. Let's be totally honest here - on a good day, a YA herione starts out as a sniveling, simpering pain in the ass and eventually develops into the kind of strong character that Cross gives us right from the beginning. Bianca is driven by many things: fear, love, determination. But those things make her who she is and I just loved watching her grow and fight toward her goal so fiercely throughout this book.

I enjoyed the supporting characters too, and Leda was of course my favorite. I was incredibly intrigued by her "gift", but more than that, she cracked me the hell up. At first I didn't know if I'd like her much or not cause she seemed to be snotty, but those straight-faced one-liners did me in every time.

I was so intrigued by the concept of different Networks (kind of like.... districts, I guess) and how they were connected (or weren't) and am dying to find out more about them. As for the story itself, I actually found it to be a bit darker than I was expecting. If you've ever met Katie Cross (which I haven't, but I've talked to her via the world wide web, so I'm imagining here), you would know she is hysterically funny, sweet, all smiles (and by smiles, I mean internet smiles) - in other words, I didn't find her to be a "dark" person. So it was a little surprise, but quite a good one. I don't think this story would have worked if not for the dark and sinister undertones that it had. So really, it worked, and I'm not going to lie, Bianca was brave as hell cause I would not be tromping around Letum Wood like that if I were her!

RATING: ★★★★

Overall, I enjoyed Katie Cross's first novel, Miss Mabel's School for Girls so, so much! her writing is fantastic to top off all of the other reasons that this book is amazing. With a strong main character like Bianca Monroe, I feel like we can't go wrong here. Loved it and cannot wait until Katie finishes and publishes the next book in the Network Series!

Have you gotten to read this one? If not, make sure you are clicking on that Amazon link above and buying it NOW! It's only $2.99 for Kindle right now. So basically, how can you say no?

Don't forget to pay Katie a visit at one of the links below to check out her awesomeness and to enter in the excellent giveaway she's got going on! The giveaway runs from March 27-30th. You can enter by clicking the link below for the Miss Mabel's Website! Being given away are a potions chest, a grimoire, potion bottles, bags of apothecary herbs and spices, and amazon gift cards. Enter now!

Miss Mabel's Website  |  Facebook  |  Pinterest  |  KCross Writing

A.

Review: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

ISBN: 9781423101505
Source: Purchased (re-read)
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5
Release Date: May 5, 2009
Goodreads  |  Amazon
See my reviews for previous books in this series

     SYNOPSIS

All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds are against them. Kronos is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, his power only grows.

     REVIEW

The Last Olympian is my favorite book of this entire series. That may not be surprising to you because usually the last books are always the most epic. TLO was definitely epic. But I liked it the most because this is the only book out of all 5 that kicks right off with the action and maintains that throughout the entire book. Even with this being the second time I've read the book, it had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. In the other books in the series (save for the first one cause that obviously had a lot of setting up and introducing to do), I always felt like the book would start of with some action - something happening to Percy or Percy on some minor mission, then it would taper off to spending half the book at the Camp not doing much of anything until things picked up again. Thankfully, book 5 did not follow that mold.

While I don't have much else to say about this book or the series as a whole, I must say that I am so, so glad that there is a spin off series (which I've obviously read already) because the ending of TLO does not provide enough closure for me. I was a mess with some of the things that happened and a few of the very unexpected deaths that occurred, and was pleased overall with the way things turned out, but Riordan must've had the spinoff, Heroes of Olympus, planned already because again, not nearly enough closure. I can't end a series like that on a "and they had a good day." I need a happily EVER AFTER!

But HoO gives that a chance (thank goodness) so I can forgive Riordan for the ending of TLO, though it was still pretty awesome and had me all teary eyed and what not even if it didn't quite give the closure I was looking for.

RATING: ★★★★ 1/2

Overall, The Last Olympian was my favorite of this series because of the non-stop action and plot twists coming out of nowhere! It probably also helped that Percy was a bit older and it's easier for me to relate to YA that to MG. I've already started the spin off series, Heroes of Olympus (I'm on book 2 now!) and am so glad I get to continue being a part of this world and reliving the fun I had when I read them a while ago.

Have any of you completed the Percy Jackson series? Which of the books was your favorite? Did you enjoy them as much as I did? Let's talk books!

A.

Review: A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin

ISBN: 9780553579901
Source: Purchased (e-book)
Series: A Song of Ice and Fire #2
Release Date: November 16, 1998
Goodreads  |  Amazon
See other posts for this series
*This review may contain spoilers for the first book in the series*

     SYNOPSIS:

A comet the colour of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk at night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.

     REVIEW:

To refresh my memory of A Game of Thrones, I re-read my review of that book and ended up kind of laughing at myself over it. In one of my closing paragraphs I said, "So if the next book is slow to some, it probably wont be to me...". Seriously, I said that. Apparently I underestimated Martin's ability to dig DEEP into this world. So, for the record: this book seemed slow to some. It was also slow for me.

That's not to say I didn't like or enjoy this book, because I did. There were some parts that I didn't enjoy reading, mainly because they were long and incredibly tedious, and to be completely honest, impossible for me to understand. For example, there is one entire chapter that is supposed to be describing a particular battle, but it is told from the point of view of someone on a ship. So this person goes on to talk about many, many ships, by name, and in the jargon of someone familiar with ships altogether. I, however, am not familiar with ships at all. So, while I read it and just barely managed to understand what was happening (for the most part), I was incredibly bored by the "ship-talk" because it went on foreverrrr.

I thought that because I didn't remember some of the minute details from season two of the show, it would be especially cool to read the book (such as it was with book one-season one) and have it answer some of the questions about things I couldn't quite grasp, e.g. Bran's little excursions into the brain of his wolf and who the hell Meera and Jojen were! While it did answer many, many questions that I had, I still had a hard time getting through this one. In fact, it took me an entire six months to finish reading this book. It was especially hard because by the second book, we have so many story lines going that by the time you get back around to reading a story line that began seven chapters ago, you've kind of forgotten what even happened before, especially if you had a hard time getting into that story line to begin with. Make sense?

I was told by many that this book was going to be one of the hardest and that it really served to connect books one and three. While I haven't read book three yet, based on what I saw of season three, I believe those statements wholeheartedly. I believe I am going to enjoy A Storm of Swords a lot more than I did A Clash of Kings.

The A Clash of Kings started to get more interesting around the 80% mark (I read these on my iPad because they are so long, and a book that big just won't fit in my purse with all the others), and I was able to sail right through the end while finally rekindling my eagerness to read this series. What I love most about this series - aside from the fact that I have never read a series as in-depth, fleshed out, well written, amazing, and GAHHHH - is that I find myself loving characters I know I should hate, or being annoyed at characters I know I should like. There is never a clear cut definition of "good and bad" in this series. A Song of Ice and Fire is one big gray area and honestly, I don't even know who to "root" for or if I can root for anyone. I'm basically content to sit back and watch it all unfold and though I know some of it will kill me (I speak from experience of watching the last few episodes of season three), I am ready because I know Martin won't steer us wrong... I hope. He should just keep writing until he runs out of material for this world. I say this because I have deemed it impossible to run out of anything for this world and that means he will have to write forever.

     RATING: ★★★ 1/2

All in all, I did find this book to be a lot slower and much harder to get through than the first book. It was long and tedious, but the world-building and development of this saga was wild. It's hard not to be in awe of it all and even if I didn't love this one, I am so looking forward to reading book three, A Storm of Swords, and genuinely hoping it doesn't take me six months to read that one.

Have you read A Clash of Kings? What did you think of it? Did you think it was long and tedious or did you enjoy every bit of the world building and development packed into that 700+ page book? Let's talk books!

A.

Review: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

ISBN: 9780786838653
Source: Purchased
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1
Release Date: March 21, 2006
Goodreads  |  Amazon

     SYNOPSIS:

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.
Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

     REVIEW:

I've realized, after re-reading and reviewing the Harry Potter series over the last few months, that it's hard to review books that you've already come to love despite their faults, etc. Percy Jackson is one of those series for me. After re-reading it, I did realize that some of the action scenes lacked a little bit for me and that yes, these books, at their core, are middle grade fiction. They are fun and silly, but for children nonetheless, so just a bit simple at times, too.

The world building is awesome and not only to we get a mythology lesson, we learn about Percy's new world, his new life at Camp Half-Blood. Though simple, the writing is great and easy to understand and fly through. The characters are hysterical, and I love Annabeth and Percy's dynamic and how they help each other grow, as regular kids and as demigods. Its hard not to love a series you can just get lost in... not to mention the fact that I have an unhealthy obsession with Greek Mythology, so that also bumps the entire series up a whole lot (as if it needed a bump).

     RATING: ★★★ 1/2

A fun, clever start to an awesome series! The rating is relative and the book gets a 3.5-4 from me mostly because I know how much better the books get and they are a little a lot juvenile at first. Not to mention it being 5 years since the first time I read them. It doesn't make much sense to say that the later books are better, but rate them all with a 5, right? I especially enjoy the books when Percy and friends mature a bit, so though this is a great start to one of my favorite series, it's definitely not my favorite in the series.

Have any of you read this book (or the whole series) yet? If so, what did you think!? If not.... well, what are you waiting for!? Can't wait to hear from you all!

A.

Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer

ISBN: 9780312642976
Source: Purchased
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #3
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Goodreads  |  Amazon
See my reviews for previous books in this series
*Please note that this review may contain spoilers for the first two books in the series, Cinder and Cress*

     SYNOPSIS:

Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

      REVIEW:

It has been a long, long time since I've been as excited for a book as I was for Cress. I spent days texting, tweeting and posting about the countdown to #SaveCRESS and it was so much fun! Thankfully the book lived up to the hype, too!

I have so many thoughts about this book that I can't seem to form coherent ones. First of all, it was amazing. I LOVED Cress and at first I didn't think I'd love her but she was smart and innocent and sweet and ADORABLE. I did think, however, that with so many POVs that are now in play, Cress didn't really get her due. She still has so much development potential as well as some with Thorne and I was kind of hoping for something a little more solid on that front, but hey, ya can't win em all.

I went through so many emotions while reading Cress, but mostly I was angry, scared and weepy! The characters did not have an easy go of it this time around. I spent most of the book with my mouth gaping open hoping and praying that Meyer was not going to let things end up badly. For the most part, it ended up alright but I'm still a little heartbroken over a few things. :(

We met a few more extremely important characters in this book, like Winter and Jacin Clay. And um, the jury is still out on them. I have to be honest, I was not loving Jacin. He was a little bit of a tool, and I felt pretty bad about that considering I know he'll have a pretty big role in Winter. And Winter... I am so, so interested in her character but she is so far from what I was expecting that it makes me kind of nervous.

I sort of forgot how much I liked Meyer's writing in that it's still a bit juvenile considering the age group that is really becoming the fandom for this series. I like the innocence that is still part of the story, especially in a genre that is flooded with smutty adult fiction disguised as YA because the hero/heroine is 17 or 18. However, sometimes it was a little slow because she took her time with every little detail but I loved it and I love that every thing that happens at this point adds a new puzzle piece to the story as a whole.

I really, really loved Cress and I'm looking forward to re-reading the series again before Winter comes out because um, I CANNOT WAIT ONE ENTIRE YEAR FOR WINTER. GIVE. ME. NOWWW.

RATING: ★★★★ 1/2

Cress was my most anticipated book for 2014 and it did not disappoint. I love every character even more than I already did and I'm really intrigued to see how this is all going to work out with Winter and Jacin, and how things will resolve for the characters that we already know and love.

Did you get to read Cress already? What did you think!? I absolutely loved it and I hope you did too! Tell me what you thought!

A.

Review: Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee

ISBN: 9780385753548
Source: Netgalley
Format: E-Book
Series: No, Stand-Alone
Release Date: January 28, 2014
Find it on Goodreads
*Disclaimer* I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

     GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

A luminous retelling of the Snow Queen, this is the story of unlikely heroine Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard who doesn't believe in anything that can't be proven by science. She and her sister Alice are still grieving for their dead mother when their father takes a job in a strange museum in a city where it always snows. On her very first day in the museum Ophelia discovers a boy locked away in a long forgotten room. He is a prisoner of Her Majesty the Snow Queen. And he has been waiting for Ophelia's help.
As Ophelia embarks on an incredible journey to rescue the boy everything that she believes will be tested. Along the way she learns more and more about the boy's own remarkable journey to reach her and save the world.

     REVIEW:

Well... let me tell you a little something about Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard: she's a bit of a nerd. She's that smart girl in your class that gets made fun of and picked last for sports, but knows everything there is to know about everything. She's not the kind of girl that you'd think could save the world... but the Marvelous Boy seems to think she is. And I just loved her! She was adorable, a little nerdy, but brave and very smart. What a great main character for this book!

Have you all read The Chronicles of Narnia (now I haven't read the entire series but if you haven't at least read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, get off your butt right now and go do it)? This story reminded me very much of Narnia. There weren't too many actual similarities (other than the antagonist, the Snow Queen) but the fairytale quality of the storytelling was very reminiscent of Narnia. What exactly does that mean, you ask? It means I loved it!

Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy was so enchanting, so fun and so inspiring. I found myself smiling and laughing at Ophelia's stream of consciousness as well as in tears over her trials and tribulations. Ophelia teaches many lessons, among them being to never, ever give up, and even as an adult I found myself learning from Ophelia and all of the lessons she learned on her adventure.

It's hard to think of this book as middle grade because of how simple and juvenile the storytelling was. I sometimes had a hard time keeping myself interested because it was a little young for my tastes, but that didn't take very much away from the story as a whole. I still found myself rooting for Ophelia's victory and for the demise of the Snow Queen! The Snow Queen - can we just say creepy? Foxlee did a great job in creating a creepy antagonist without overdoing it or making her obviously evil. We see a lot about the Snow Queen through Ophelia, and lets just say Ophelia's brain is nothing if not thorough.

I loved Ophelia's straightforward, no nonsense way of thinking and the way she slowly opened herself up to the world of... other... She was a lot like an adult in the sense of not believing and it showed that sometimes there is more to life than tangible facts. Sometimes you have to believe in things you can't prove to make a difference.

At times I did find myself dragging through it a little, especially during the Marvelous Boy's little stories and explanations, but overall Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy is a spectacular story about healing, love and friendship, and most importantly, never, ever giving up.

     RATING: ★★★★

I enjoyed Ophelia so much and I actually look forward to keeping it in my repertoire to share with my future children (and other children in my life) one day. It may have been a little too young for me but the fun, action-packed story kept me waiting to see if Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy would destroy the evil Snow Queen and rooting for them every step of the way.

Have any of you read this yet before it's release tomorrow in stores? Its a great children's read and I can't wait to hear what you all think of it!

Get a second opinion

Reet Champion [3 of 5 stars]

Tome Tender [4.5 of 5 stars]

A.

Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

ISBN: 9780545139700
Source: Purchased
Series: Harry Potter #7
Release Date: August 1, 2007
Goodreads  |  Amazon

See my past reviews in this series

     SYNOPSIS:

In this seventh and final book, Harry discovers what fate truly has in store for him as he inexorably makes his way to that final meeting with Voldemort. In this thrilling climax to the phenomenally bestselling series, J.K. Rowling will reveal all to her eagerly waiting readers.

     REVIEW:

Oh... how to talk about this book in coherent sentences? Where do I begin? With this final book we see the end of all innocence in the series - the end of all of the lighthearted moments that made the rest of the series so fun to read. Not that this book wasn't fun to read. It was just... different. The Deathly Hallows brings us more adventure, more mystery, and ultimately all of the answers we've been waiting for in the last six books. And Rowling does not disappoint. We've got action, romance, betrayal, everything you could ask for in a series-ender like this one. And despite the fact that this is one of my favorites in the series for those reasons, its still a bit of a sore spot that the majority of this book took place outside of Hogwarts.It literally changes the dynamic of the books that we've been so used to... it was hard to accept that it was really then end.

The first time I read this book a few years ago, I remember finding the camp scenes in the middle of the book pointless, slow, and sometimes annoying. This time around I didn't feel that way - probably because I knew what was coming - and it set up perfectly for everything that was to come later in the book. In that same regard, though I wasn't bored by it, I think we can all agree that after the Gringotts scene around the halfway mark, things really take off and its hard to put the book down at all. It probably helped that this was only my second time reading the books, too, so there were still a lot of smaller details that I didn't remember from before.

I had such a "hangover" after I finished reading The Deathly Hallows. Actually, I was kind of surprised by the way I felt afterward. I was definitely pretty weepy during those last few chapters, but I continued to be pretty weepy afterward and just felt sad overall. Even a little mad, and I'm still not quite sure why. Probably because I now know at this late stage that the series is really and truly over. I imagine this was how many people felt back when the book first came out, and its a testament to Rowling's writing that it can still make people feel that way. I also realized, shockingly (or maybe not-so-shockingly) that I'm going to have to do this again. As in, re-read them again. I mean, I always figured I'd keep coming back for pleasure, but there is still so much more to be discovered, especially in the latter half of the series, so I'm planning on diving back in again soon, some time this year.

Well, after spending a day or two wanting to curl up in my bed and sleep off the rather depressing book-hangover I developed from it, I spent some time thinking about the book and the series in general. I don't think it was my favorite in the series overall, but it is definitely toward the top of the list. I just can't get past the fact that even at the beginning of this book, it was really over. There was no more school for them, no more lighthearted fun. It took a little bit out of me, I can't lie. It might not be fair to the book but that definitely took away from it for me just a tiny bit.

Either way, I loved it, of course, and it ended in a way that did the series justice, wouldn't you say?

     RATING: ★★★★★

For those of you who are curious, after weeks of careful deliberation, I've finally decided the order of my favorites in this series:

(from favorite to least favorite)
The Goblet of Fire
The Prisoner of Azkaban
The Deathly Hallows
The Half-Blood Prince
The Order of the Phoenix
The Sorcerer's Stone
The Chamber of Secrets

It was hard to do, and even looking at it now, I could probably rearrange one or two of them, but that could go on forever and I'd never come up with a concrete list. Best to leave it as it is. Which ones are your favorites? How did you feel about The Deathly Hallows overall as an ending for this amazing series. I love talking HP, so lets hear it!

A.

Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

ISBN: 9780545582995
Source: Purchased
Series: Harry Potter #6
Release Date: July 16, 2005
Find it on Goodreads
See my reviews of other books in this series

     GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

The war against Voldemort is not going well; even the Muggle governments are noticing. Ron scans the obituary pages of the Daily Prophet, looking for familiar names. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses.

And yet, as with all wars, life goes on. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate—and lose a few eyebrows in the process. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Classes are never straightforward, though Harry receives some extraordinary help from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince.

So it's the home front that takes center stage in the multilayered sixth installment of the story of Harry Potter. Here at Hogwarts, Harry will search for the full and complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort—and thereby find what may be his only vulnerability.

     REVIEW:

*(If you have not read the previous books, please be advised that there may be spoilers for all previous books in this series)*

I think we can all agree that the basics are all the same in this series. You can't arrive at your review of the sixth book and pretend that you'll be saying anything new about the writing, world building, characters and development, plot progression and execution, etc. As always, all of these elements are impeccable in this sixth and second-to-last installment.

I enjoyed it a bit more than the last one because our teenagers are feeling a little less angsty and are just about on the brink of adulthood. Well, Hermione and Ron, by wizarding standards, have or will have come of age during or shortly after this book, having turned 17. Harry will follow, of course, in July of the seventh book, which is usually where our books pick up. We have some added romance by way of Ron and Lavender... uh.. and Hermione, and Harry and Ginny. I don't particularly think romance is a strong suit for Rowling - she really is a genius by way of mystery and fantasy, but I didn't completely buy the Harry-Ginny thing. I've always felt a bit like that and I really made an effort to connect with them a bit more this time to see if I was maybe missing something, but I feel like I only made a small bit of progress. I like the idea of it, of favorite characters in a favorite series being together. I just didn't like the execution and didn't really feel much of the chemistry with them.

I've never really felt that way about Hermione and Ron because their feelings for eachother are hinted at earlier on in the series and its easy to accept what you've been hoping for all that time. However, I did realize that I didn't feel much in the way of chemistry on that front either, but like I said, it just is... meant to be... so it didn't really bug me.

The ending of this book still shocks me to the core no matter how many times I've read it or watched it play out on the big screen. I just hate it, though I know it serves a much bigger purpose. I tried hard to study Snape and his actions and dialogue, because really, we all know what happens, but I'd just like to understand it better. Something I've never understood, even from book one, was Snape's rage and hatred toward Harry... or well, anyone who isn't like Snape himself, I guess. I get the whole thing with his dad and the friends, but come on. Aren't we all grown ups here? Well, again, I know it all serves a higher purpose, but its something I could never quite come to terms with. I can understand being cold and detached, but there were times throughout the series that Snape was downright cruel and even in this book, knowing what we know about book 7... I guess I won't go getting all spoilery for the random person living under a rock who hasn't read the book.

There isn't much else to say about this book other than how much I loved it and truly enjoyed it deep down in my bones. I've only read the last two books once before so I loved going through it all again, being able to study the parts that once confused me and really see deeper into the books. Though it was heartwrenching, it was enchanting and wonderfully done and I think it did the series justice.

     RATING: ★★★★★

Its still going to take some time for me to figure out how I feel about it in reference to the other books. Definitely more toward the top of the list and there are only 7, so its not like they can all be my favorite.

Silly question, but have you read book 6 in the Harry Potter series yet? If so, have you read it recently? Do you agree or disagree with the points I've made about the story? Did you love it just as much as I did a? Love talking HP, so lets hear it!

A.

Review: Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb

ISBN: 9780373210978

Source: NetGalley

Format: E-Book

Series: Tudor Witch Trilogy #1

Release Date: July 5, 2012

Find it on Goodreads

*Disclaimer* I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

     GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

Meg Lytton has always known she is different—that she bears a dark and powerful gift. But in 1554 England, in service at Woodstock Palace to the banished Tudor princess Elizabeth, it has never been more dangerous to practise witchcraft. Meg knows she must guard her secret carefully from the many suspicious eyes watching over the princess and her companions. One wrong move could mean her life, and the life of Elizabeth, rightful heir to the English throne.
With witchfinder Marcus Dent determined to have Meg's hand in marriage, and Meg's own family conspiring against the English queen, there isn't a single person Meg can trust. Certainly not the enigmatic young Spanish priest Alejandro de Castillo, despite her undeniable feelings. But when all the world turns against her, Meg must open her heart to a dangerous choice.

     REVIEW:

When I started this book, I thought it was pretty good. The writing wasn't bad, the story seemed interesting enough - overall, it seemed promising. Right off the bat I liked the fact that the story was slightly darker and "older YA" than I expected which was a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, I regretfully report that there weren't too many more pleasant surprises in this one.

There was some insta-love.. okay, maybe insta-like, and sometimes that can work for a book, but it didn't work for this one. I felt no chemistry between the main characters, which made it even harder to believe.

There wasn't much plot movement right in the beginning, which I was okay with because I expected a historical fantasy novel to need some set up. Then there came a point where there still wasn't any plot movement and I couldn't figure out why. The plot, when it did move, was all over the place. It felt like a bunch of random plot points thrown together with no real segue and it was choppy and poorly executed. Some of the events that took place earlier in the book almost seemed to be forgotten after they happened and never really developed later on in the book.

Around the 80% mark, there was a plot resolution and I though to myself, 'okay, it wasn't great, but it was resolved in a way I can say was satisfying, and maybe I'll even read the next one.' Then I realized I still had 20% to go, and there was that much more plot (non)movement to trudge through. Frankly, the book should have ended with the denouement and Lamb should not have tried to add any more to the book, in my opinion. Actually, the last 20% of the book would have been an okay start to the next book. Wait.. strike that. This actually would've been a somewhat better book if it had been a stand-alone. Don't get me wrong, I'm a serial series-ist, but not everything has to be a series people! 

I didn't like the characters except for Alejandro who.. again.. the whole insta-like/love thing, so I just couldn't love him. Basically no character development, basically no world building in the sense of getting a feel for the magical world within the "real" one. The plot holes in this regard were just too much to bypass. Maybe these would be things I could easily overlook if I wasn't so bored with the story before the halfway mark.

What I'm getting at, I guess, is that this was not the book for me.

     RATING: ★★ 1/2

I am a big fan of historical fiction and obviously a huge fan a fantasy and I had hoped for something a little more intriguing and put together with some world building, too. I didn't get those things. The writing was pretty good and the basic premise was interesting, I just wish it had been executed better. When I finished the book, I was debating on whether I'd finish the series or not, but as I write this review I realize that it really is just not for me  and I won't be picking up the next one (even if the UK covers are gorgeous!).

Have any of you read this one yet? What did you think? Agree or disagree? Let me know!

A.

Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

ISBN: 9780439358071
Source: Purchased
Series: Harry Potter #5
Release Date: June 21, 2003
Find it on Goodreads
See my reviews of other books in this series

     GOODREADS SYNOPSIS:

Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His best friends Ron and Hermione have been very secretive all summer and he is desperate to get back to school and find out what has been going on. However, what Harry discovers is far more devastating than he could ever have expected...

Suspense, secrets and thrilling action from the pen of J.K. Rowling ensure an electrifying adventure that is impossible to put down.

     REVIEW:

I either say this or think this every time I review one of the books in this series - how can it even be reviewed? I'll keep it short and sweet I suppose, since really... they can't. Instead, I'll tell you about how the first time I read this book, I could barely get through it. This time, I couldn't put it down. Yes, it is long. Yes, Umbridge is the evilest of evil and insanely frustrating. Yes, Harry is a whiny 15-year-old boy all the time, and Ron and Hermione won't stop bickering. But... well you know all the reasons it is amazing, don't you?

Being the longest book in the series, it is so amazingly in depth and even if the characters can be annoying at times, it reveals so much about them, about the world, about the entire series plot as a whole. Its only the second time I've actually read this particular one (last re-read I stopped in the middle of 4), and I definitely discovered new things that hint at what is to come in books 6 and 7. Its fun to relive it all and it is absolutely enchanting... even if you do want to kick Umbridge in the face a few hundred times.

     RATING: ★★★★ 1/2

I always, always recommend this series to my friends and strangers alike. Once upon a time I'd scrunch my nose at the mention of book 5 and say... 'well... its not my favorite one..." but I definitely think it is one of my favorites in the series. I hope you all have read this one and if you haven't... what are you waiting for!?

A.