Book Review: A Court of Mist and Fury

Book Review: A Court of Mist and Fury

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: May 3, 2016

Pages: 624

Grade: A

Wow!! I went and looked back at my review for A Court of Thorns and Roses, which I reviewed about a year ago, in order to compare the two reviews. Was it different! I realized I have come so far in my book reviews, in both layout, style and depth. They are so different that I can’t compare them.Here it is, if you want to see how far I’ve come and what I thought of it.

Synopsis

Feyre survived Amarantha’s clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can’t forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin’s people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas’s masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

Review

A lot of people mistook A Court of Thorns and Roses for a Young Adult book when it was meant to be a New Adult book, me included. Well there is no mistaking A Court of Mist and Fury for a YA book, it is an NA all the way through. The sex is more prevalent. The language is more grown up. The topics that the characters face and deal with are much more mature.

The fact that the concepts and ideas in the book grow with the maturity of the characters is so important. Feyre and Tamlin are dealing with facing the things they experienced under the mountain with Amarantha. They are so frustrating because they aren’t dealing with it and they eventually have to face the consequences of what happens when they don’t deal with it.

So much of the book focuses on how Feyre grows and what she kind of person, or faerie, she wants to be after what happened to her. She is trying to learn how to be in love and be her own person while being in a relationship, which I think is something a lot of us wrestle with when starting a relationship.

Sarah J. Maas weaves a beautiful story full of wonderfully developed characters and outstanding world building. And while I don’t think I’d want to live in Prythian at the particular moment in time that A Court of Mist and Fury takes place, I think I would definitely want to experience it at a time in which there was peace.

Characters

Feyre – She grows exponentially in this book because of what happened to her at the end of A Court of Thorns and Roses. Feyre is so broken and lost at the beginning that she doesn’t know what to do with herself, but she does find herself, and she is a strong, independent and capable woman who can stand on her own with a man by her side, but she does not need a man by her side. She grows not only in the physical aspects of her power and abilities, but also emotionally. Feyre is a BADASS in this book, and she is FIERCE. Do NOT mess with her.

Tamlin – Tamlin ends up being a rather minor character, but what we do see of him is not appealing at all. He changes drastically. His dependency, and need to protect Feyre so much so that he practically locks her away, is highly unattractive. I found myself swearing at him a lot while I was reading.

Rhysand –  Rhysand, oh Rhysand. When we left him at the end of A Court of Thorns and Roses, he was a villain that had cut a bargain with Feyre where she was required to stay with him one week a month. In ACOMAF, we learn so much about Rhysand’s backstory and what caused him to become the person that he’s become. It makes me love him so much more. I did swoon a little bit, ok, a lot, when he says things like, “I would have torn apart the world to get you back.” I can’t wait to see how he takes on the world in the next book.

Lucien, Mor, Amren, Cassian, Azriel – These are all the major secondary characters. Most of them are brand new to us in this book.  Lucien is the only returner, and we don’t spend much time with him because we don’t spend much time with Tamlin. Mor, Amren, Cassian, and Azriel are some of the most loyal and down-to-earth friends that Feyre could ever have. I was so pleasantly surprised at how well each of these characters was developed. They each have their own complex background story that I want to learn about.

Rating
A Court of Mist and Fury is a great sequel to A Court of Thorns and Roses! While it is a long book, I never felt like what I was reading didn’t to be there. Even looking back on it now, I can’t think of any one part that wasn’t necessary for the story. It moves quickly, it keeps the reader engaged, the characters are developed really well, and, as a reader, I fell in love with the new characters and fell in love with the old characters all over again.  A Court of Mist and Fury gets an “A” from me!!

Happy Reading!

Erin

Book Review: Earth’s End

Book Review: Earth’s End

Synopsis

Vhalla Yarl has made it to the warfront in the North. Forged by blood and fire, she has steeled her heart for the final battle of the Solaris Empire’s conquest. The choices before Vhalla are no longer servitude or freedom, they are servitude or death. The stakes have never been higher as the Emperor maintains his iron grip on her fate, holding everything Vhalla still has left to lose in the balance.

Review

So many feels with this one!!  Relief, elation, laugh out loud hilarity, love, rage, annoyance, and feeling super impressed with some Vhalla badassery.  So many feels!  Elise Kova impresses once again with her writing, character development, and story writing.  

I just have to come out and say that I really appreciated the lack of recapping and overview at the beginning of the novel.  When reading a series, I feel the reader doesn’t need to be reminded of what happened in the last book, especially since  the books are being released so close together and not a year or more apart.

Vhalla has some serious decisions to make during this novel.  More often than not, her decisions simply boil down to this:  she must decide between what is right and what is easy. In regards to the war in the North, does she choose what is right by saving the North? Or does she choose what is easy by killing all the Northern people, so they don’t suffer more at the hands of the South? This is where Vhalla collides with the emperor once she figures out what his plans are.

The emperor makes me so angry. I got so frustrated with him. He is a power hungry idiot, and thinks of noone but himself! We are finally seeing his true colors in this book. He is willing to tear down the ones around him.  We are seeing his corruption, his wrecklessness, and his carelessness for his sons, his people and his country. Uuuuggh!!

Now that I’m done complaining about the Emperor, can we just take a minute to appreciate the beauty of Elise Kova’s writing! Elise is able to bring her setting and characters to life as you’re reading, so that you feel as though you are there with them.  Here are a few of my favorite quotes!!

** “His voice was a silken spell that held her in perfect thrall.”

** “The Emperor’s voice slithered across the room, and all levity shriveled up and died,”

** “It was like trying to wash the blood off their hands with mud, no matter that they were filthy with the acts that they were performing.”

 

This is how I feel when I come across outstanding quotes in a novel!

 

From here, I  must give a warning. If you have not yet read Earth’s End, and do not want to find out what they fate of a particular character is from the end of Fire Falling, I must give you a spoiler warning because below I talk about the characters in Earth’s End, so, SPOILER WARNING!!!!

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*****

 

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***

 

**

 

*

 

Characters

Vhalla – At the beginning of Earth’s End, Vhalla seems so human.  She is unsure of herself and questioning who she is and what she is capable of doing, but, once again, she becomes a badass. Standing up to the men in her life that don’t believe in who she is and who she can be. She is a reminder to me that I can be both a strong and delicate person.  That I can be a leader and who I am, as a woman, in the same being, and be good at both of those things.

Aldrik – It is really interesting, and I don’t think I noticed it until writing this post, but Aldrik and Vhalla seem to have opposite character development in this book. Aldrik is strong and stands up to the emperor closer to the beginning of the book, and as the novel continues Aldrik seems to become weaker. While he is still there as Vhalla’s support, he does give in to his father in the end, and he does not seem to be an individual anymore.  He is “attached” to Vhalla, and as my sister over at Between Pages put it, he turns into a bit of a love sick puppy.

Baldair – I am finally able to start trusting Baldair in this book!! Yay! He has some great lines in the book, and I feel as though he really cares for Vhalla, and the relationship she has with his older brother, despite the tension that still exists in Baldair’s and Aldrik’s relationship. He has a great line where he reminds us of what it is to be human and and an adult, and I love it.  “We’re all trying to find our way, no one has it figured out any more than you do, you’re not that special, Miss Windwalker.”

Daniel – I feel both annoyed by and sympathy for Daniel in Earth’s End. Daniel is in an awkward spot, and I think Vhalla takes advantage of him.  It’s not fair for her to use him emotionally without setting boundaries.  

Elecia – I am loving Elecia more and more.  However, I found it a little odd that she was so willing to trust Vhalla all of a sudden at the beginning, but once I figured it out I started to love her.  She seems to be taking Larel place, and I’m ok with that.  Fritz needs someone by his side.

Jax – I absolutely love Jax!! He is sarcastic and sassy.  He sees things that other people don’t, and isn’t necessarily quiet about it. I am really hoping he sticks around for awhile because he is awesome!

Rating

As usual,  Elise Kova delivers a beautifully written story.  The characters are imperfect, as they should be. The plot is fast-paced, and continually moving for the most part, and the writing makes me feel as though I am right there in the camp training with the Tower Guard, or that I am sitting at the meeting table discussing war strategy with Vhalla, Aldrik, Baldair, the Emperor, and the Golden Guard. Due to all the things listed above, gives Earth’s End a A-. The only thing that brings it down to an A- are the pieces of plot that drag and feel repetitive with Vhalla and Aldrik’s love story.

Happy Reading!
Erin

Book Review: The Firebird Series #1 and #2

Book Review: A Thousand Pieces of You & Ten Thousand Skies Above You

So I decided to combine these two books because I slacked off and didn’t read A Thousand Pieces of You a year ago, when I should have.

Synopsis

A Thousand Pieces of You

Cloud Atlas meets Orphan Black in this epic dimension-bending trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray about a girl who must chase her father’s killer through multiple dimensions.

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their groundbreaking achievements. Their most astonishing invention, called the Firebird, allows users to jump into multiple universes—and promises to revolutionize science forever. But then Marguerite’s father is murdered, and the killer—her parent’s handsome, enigmatic assistant Paul— escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite refuses to let the man who destroyed her family go free. So she races after Paul through different universes, always leaping into another version of herself. But she also meets alternate versions of the people she knows—including Paul, whose life entangles with hers in increasingly familiar ways. Before long she begins to question Paul’s guilt—as well as her own heart. And soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is far more sinister than she expected.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores an amazingly intricate multi-universe where fate is unavoidable, the truth elusive, and love the greatest mystery of all.

Ten Thousand Skies Above You

Ever since she used the Firebird, her parents’ invention, to cross into alternate dimensions, Marguerite has caught the attention of enemies who will do anything to force her into helping them dominate the multiverse—even hurting the people she loves. She resists until her boyfriend, Paul, is attacked and his consciousness scattered across multiple dimensions.

Marguerite has no choice but to search for each splinter of Paul’s soul. The hunt sends her racing through a war-torn San Francisco, the criminal underworld of New York City, and a glittering Paris where another Marguerite hides a shocking secret. Each world brings Marguerite one step closer to rescuing Paul. But with each trial she faces, she begins to question the destiny she thought they shared.

The second book in the Firebird trilogy, Ten Thousand Skies Above You features Claudia Gray’s lush, romantic language and smart, exciting action, and will have readers clamoring for the next book.

Review

A Thousand Pieces of You was beautiful. I have to say, it was the cover that pulled me in, the sci-fi piece of the story that started me reading, but it was the love story that kept me reading. Claudia Gray weaves together a love story that spans dimensions, and makes you question whether the concept of fate is actually true. But, a fair warning, if you are expecting this to be a sci-fi book first and foremost, be prepared to be disappointed because this beautifully written book is first and foremost a love story. There is a bit of a love triangle, so be ready for that as well, but it is small, and pushed aside relatively quickly. If you appreciate an epic love story, you will love Claudia Gray’s A Thousand Pieces of You.

Ten Thousand Skies Above You continues the well-written beauty that was A Thousand Pieces of You.  This book pulls you deeper into Marguerite’s world, and the complications that come with it.  We get to visit five more dimensions, and return to one that was introduced to us in the first book.  It is in Ten Thousand Skies Above You that we see just how deep Marguerite’s and Paul’s love goes. Assuming alternate dimensions are real, it examines the ethics of interdimensional travel.  Is one version of a person more important than another? The existence of destiny and fate. Are we only one soul that is the same across all universes? Should one soul be held responsible for the thoughts and actions of another? The ethics of destroying other universes…Is it ok to destroy them if they don’t know they aren’t the only ones that exist?  

Unfortunately, the characters don’t seem to grow much and stay rather one-dimensional (no pun intended), but it is really the themes of the books that drive the plot forward and cause you to think, that makes the book a great story.

Characters

Marguerite – Marguerite is so unsure of herself, and she stays this way for the vast majority of both books with very little growth. Although, she does seem to gain some strength and independence toward the end of the second book. As I write this I am realizing that it can be hard to see a character arc because there are multiple versions of the same character due to the multiple dimensions.  Each version can be very similar and/or very different from the original.

Paul – Paul never really changes. He is delightfully awkward and anti-social because of the scientist that he is until Marguerite starts to bring him out of his shell.  After Paul starts to become more social, he is one of the sweetest and adorable male characters I have ever read. He cares so much for Marguerite, and I am so interested to see what happens with his character in the next book.

Theo – Theo is a bit of a bad boy in the beginning. There is a tiny love triangle in A Thousand Pieces of You between him, Marguerite, and Paul, but don’t worry, it is quickly swept to the side.  Theo is often kept on the outside of Paul and Marguerite’s relationship for a variety of reasons despite the fact they are all friends.  It almost gets to the point where you start to feel sorry for him.

Conley – Oh, Conley. In many ways you are the perfect villain: cold, heartless, always justifying your actions and insisting you are helping the world by doing the terrible things that you do.  And you are like this in every version of yourself. Conley is probably the most one dimensional character out of all of them.

Rating

I feel the need to rate these two books as a whole because they should really be read together considering the cliffhanger at the end.  Really, I should have waited until the series was done before reading them because Claudia Gray is outstanding at cliffhangers.  The love story is beautiful and fulfills my YA indulgence of a good love story with a minimal love triangle.  Overall, these to books get a B+ rating due to the one-dimensionality of the characters, but they get boosted due to the amazing thematic questions that I am forced to ask myself while reading them, even if inter-dimensional travel isn’t currently possible.

Happy Reading!

Erin

 

Girl of Myth and Legend

Girl of Myth and Legend

I got an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you to WWS Publishing Ltd.

Synopsis

A girl with a past she tries to forget, and a future she can’t even imagine.

Leonie Woodville wants to live an unremarkable life. She wants routine, she wants repetition, she wants predictability. So when she explodes in a blaze of light one morning on the way to her college, it’s enough to put a real crimp in her day.

And things only get weirder…

Leonie learns from her father that she is last of the Pulsar, a phenomenally powerful member of a magical species called the Chosen. It will be her sole duty to protect the Imperium, a governing hierarchy, from all enemies, and to exceed the reputation of the Pulsar before her. So – no pressure there, then.

Leonie is swept away from her rigorous normality and taken to a world of magic. There, she is forced into a ceremony to join her soul to a guardian, Korren, who is both incredibly handsome and intensely troubled, a relationship for which ‘it’s complicated’ just really doesn’t cut it.

But Leonie is soon to learn that this ancient world is no paradise. With violent dissidents intent to overthrow the Imperium, and dark entities with their own agenda, she and Korren find themselves caught in a war where they will have to overcome their differences if they are to survive.

Dare to dream. Dare to hope. Dare to be a legend.

Book One in The Chosen Saga.

Review

Let me preface this by saying that I really hate giving books poor reviews. I want people to go out and read books despite what I say, but I also want to be an honest person.  So, sticking with the idea of honesty, I did not like this book.  It started off strong, the cover is beautiful, and the characters are enjoyable which I’ll get to that in more detail soon, but I had a hard time with this one the closer and closer I got to the end of the book.

The concept of the book is great. It is a magical fantasy world. The beginning of the feelings between Leonie and Korren is one of the things I really like because there is no instalove.  There are suggestions of feelings when they are “bonded,” but there is tension and occasional malice between the two of them, so you’re never really sure if it is going to turn into something.

I think a lot of the problems that I encountered in Girl of Myth and Legend may have to do with the fact that this is Giselle Simlett’s first novel. The dialogue is a little cliche and somewhat unoriginal. There is a random character that shows up near the end of the book that magically saves Leonie and Korren, and I just didn’t get it. I understand that this is going to be a series of books and there are things that are not explained for a reason, but it was still difficult to get through.  Toward the end of the book, I got irritated with it’s predictable and some of the contradictions that were present in the writing, and had a bit of a hard time finishing the last 10-15% of the novel.   

Characters

Leonie – Leonie is your typical, sarcastic teenager.  She has some really likable traits, especially if you are reading as a teenager or as someone who works with and loves teenagers.  She is strong and wants to be able to take care of herself even though Korren is supposed to be there to take care of her. She has a fire within her that Korren can’t stand, however, she is not without her weaknesses.  There are times that Simlett reminds us that she is just a teenager thrown into a very chaotic world.

Korren – Korren has a fire within him as well, but it is very different from that of Leonie’s fire. He has a vendetta that he wants to settle. He is frustrated with Leonie and frustrating as a character, but I found this about him extremely likeable. Korren is a tortured character; not knowing what to stay true to, his vendetta or his keeper, which makes him complex, and I’m interested to see how he grows as a character.

Rating

As I got more and more frustrated with this book, I was tempted to give it a D. Which is super rare.  Actually, I’ve never done it before.  I reminded myself to take a step back and look at the book as a whole piece of work, and once I did that I was able to evaluate it a little more objectively.  In the end, I have chosen to give it a C. I would like to read the next book in the series in the hopes that it is better than this one.  That some of the contradictions disappear, the plot holes are filled in, and the dialogue is fleshed out a bit more.

I would encourage those of you who think this book sounds interesting based on the synopsis to go out and read it.  I would love to hear what you think of it. Do you agree, do you disagree with me? Let me know in the comments. I always love book discussion.  

Happy Reading!
Erin

ARC Review: Crystallum

ARC Review: Crystallum by Laney McMann

I received Crystallum as an ARC on Netgalley in return for an honest review.  Crystallum is the first book in the Primordial Principles series. Here’s an overview of the book.

Synopsis

Kadence Sparrow wasn’t born a devil’s child—she was turned into one. Now, she’s hiding from the truth, and running for her life.

For years, Kade’s true nature has lurked behind an illusion, so when her dad gets another job transfer, she knows the drill: no close friends, no boyfriends, and most importantly: don’t expose what she is. Ever. Keeping secrets is easy. Lies are second nature. So is the loneliness—and the fear, but when the Shadows attack, and Kade meets Cole Spires, she could expose everything she’s trying to hide.

As one of the Celestial Children, Cole lives by an oath: defend the Ward, protect the Primordial race, guard the gateways, and stick to his own. Everything else is a distraction, and besides, he’s lost enough. Cole’s job is clear, and no one his age does it better. So, when he meets Kade in a club downtown, he assumes she just wants his attention. Most girls do, but Cole soon realizes … Kade isn’t like most girls.

The children of heaven and hell are living among us, fighting an age-old war. And falling for someone from the opposition is not an option. But a chance encounter between Kade and Cole will blur the rules, as Kade’s journey to keep her truth hidden catapults them together and into a web of lies, forcing her to not only face the demon inside her, but to answer the hardest question of all.

Which is thicker—blood or water?

Review

I had fun reading Crystallum.  It was definitely enjoyable.  The characters were fun to read.  At first it reminded me quite a bit of The Mortal Instruments series with the Celestial Children being children of the gods and talk of demons.  Unfortunately it wasn’t nearly as good as The Mortal Instruments.  The relationship between Cole and Kade was fun to read.  There were definitely some steamy scenes. I think they were my favorite part of the book.  Their relationship, while there is definitely an insta-love connection, their relationship is strained and not perfect, making it a bit more realistic.  

I finally figured out why I was disappointed with the book.  While the book is exciting after I finally got into it, it did take a bit to get into it and then there was about 100 pages that were really exciting and couldn’t get through fast enough, then the end seemed rather anticlimactic.  McCann tried to surprise you with a twist unfortunately I found it rather predictable.  I wish I could give this book a better review because it was a fun read, but I just can’t.  Luckily, the characters were fun to read.   

Characters

Cole – Cole is fantastic. He is sarcastic and charmingly arrogant.  He is in charge and knows what he’s doing, and he definitely comes off that way.  This makes him a strong enough character to balance out Kade, a strong character in her own right.

 

Kade – Kade is awesome.  She reminds me a little bit of myself. She’s crazy sarcastic. She’s not afraid to stand up for herself, sometimes causing her to get into fights with people who are significantly bigger than her. She doubts herself which makes really relatable. I love her.

Giselle – Giselle is the perfect best friend for Kade.  She cuts right through Kade’s sarcasm with her own sassiness.  She has a tendency to get annoying at times the way good best friends do, with telling Kade what to do and fishing for information all the time.

 

Danny – Danny is the best friend and second-in-command that balances Cole out.  He plays the role of Cole’s conscience and keep Cole grounded. Danny gets annoying too as good friends should because he is constantly trying to keep Cole on the right path, but it’s so good because it creates such a good balance.

 

 

Rating

Overall, like I’ve said several times already, I enjoyed reading this book.  However, I don’t think it would have been nearly as enjoyable if the characters hadn’t been so relationally relatable and realistic.  They are what made it.  The plot just didn’t do it for me.  I have been trying to decide if I’m going to continue reading the series. I think I’ll try the second book, Daemoneum, when it comes out in 2016, and see what happens.  Due to the plot issues, I can only give Crystallum by Laney McMann a C+.  It gets the plus due to the awesomeness of the characters.

Happy Reading!

Erin