Let's dive right into this book. I just have to say, I was absolutely taken by Ronan in this book. We got to learn more about him and learn about his past and most importantly about his dream thieving! I have to admit that I liked Adam a lot less in this book mostly because of how brash he became and how he talked to Blue. But I really hope he can redeem himself!
I'm going to start my review by talking about Maura. I loved her. Everything about her was amazing. And every scene with her was fantastic. I especially love her with the Grey Man. One of my favorite things was their first meeting and how he arrived at 300 Fox Way. I loved his development in this book. He went from being a hit man to this wholesome person who is capable of love and a relationship, not only with Maura but also develops into a father figure for Blue. He comes into Henrietta to find the Greywaren for Green Mantel but when he realizes that the Greywaren is just a child he decides to do the right thing and protects Ronan. I was kind of scared about what would happen when his brother comes into the picture. I was scared of how it would effect not just the Grey Man, but also everyone else. I was so glad he died as soon as he came into the picture.
Now, Blue and Gansey. I spent the whole book wishing for more scenes with them. I wanted them to realize how they felt about each other and how perfect they were. And also, I really wanted them to throw caution to the wind and get together. I just loved the car scene with them and it was just beautiful.
Now, the dream thieves. There were two dream thieves, Ronan and Kavinsky. I was kind of hoping for Kavinsky's redemption since I kind of felt like he was misunderstood up until we finally reached the end and he kidnapped Matthew. I was so pissed at him for that. He took an innocent kid and put him in danger, put his life at risk. I was so scared about what would happen to him. I was so glad Ronan was able to save his little brother. I loved learning about the whole concept of dream. Talking about dreams, Aurora Lynch was amazing!!!
Moving on to the end, when Maura went missing, my heart literally stopped. I loved her and I was so scared about what would happen to her.
Anyways, for more of my thoughts, check out my booktube.
Reviews for rest of the series: The Raven Boys The Dream Thieves Blue Lily, Lily Blue (Coming Soon) The Raven King (Coming Soon)
Aah! I have been anticipating this book for over a year. This was everything I needed, and more and yet it left me wanting. I understand that there are mixed reviews for this book, but I thought it was phenomenal considering it isn't really the end. It's just a gateway to another series.
This book was a roller coaster when it came to messing with my feelings because one minute, I wanted to jump up and down in joy and the next, I wanted to tear my hair out. I loved that we met more people from across Prythian in this book. I enjoyed meeting the different High Lords and learning about them. Helion actually reminded me of Rhys when he joins the inner circle in their chambers in the Dawn Court. And I have a lot of hope in Kallias. I really really hope he takes a page out of Rhy's book and makes Viviane his High Lady. I really thought that most of the High Lords were great.
I'm a little confused about the mating thing because, in the last book, Rhys described the whole Frenzy thing was due to an inherent need that tbh, can't explain the fact that Thesan's mate was probably a guy, which doesn't explain the frenzy. I was kind of bothered by the whole thing in the last book, but I was so happy to have so much diversity in ships in this book. We had a High Lord who had a male lover, and I loved the fact that they are probably mates.
And then there is Mor, who is bisexual and even though it breaks my Moriel heart, I'm a supporter of Mor following her heart! I kind of feel sorry for Az, who will probably get heartbroken by this, even though he'll totally support her. Do you guys think that something is going on with Mor and Viviane's sister? That would be amazing. But Moriel!
The worst scene in this book was the death of Suriel! I was so excited to see a Feyriel reunion! I loved the Suriel from the very beginning. He is so... was so amazing. He always offered Feyre what she needed. He told her to stay with the High Lord... to stay with Rhys. He told her Rhys was her mate. He told her how to win the war. He told her to stay with the High Lord. It was his words that went through her mind as she clung on to the mating bond. He told her to make the world a better place. He was fantastic. He was probably my favorite character from ACOTAR, well except for the inner circle. RIP Suriel. You will be missed. And Ianthe deserved what she got!
It's like all the ancient creatures were amazing and oh so willing to help Feyre. The Suriel has always been her number one fan and has always been on her team. The Bone Carver embodied her future son. His deal with Feyre was completely in her favor. All he wanted in return for his help was to know if she was worth risking his life for and I have to say, that is a reasonable request. He offered her more information than he needed to in ACOMAF because he, like everyone else, saw how amazing she was. Then there was Bryaxis. In return for saving her life, all he asked for was someone to tell him of life. He didn't ask her to send tributes as sacrifices, he didn't ask for a prisoner, it felt like he just asked for a friend and I think even if he hadn't made the bargain, Feyre, with her human heart, would have been his friend. And the second deal, all he wanted in return for risking his life was a window!
On top of that, there was Amren. Sweet, vicious, Amren. She was Feyre's friend. She cared for Feyre and the rest of the night court. Amren was fantastic and finding out more about her was amazing. And her relationship with Varian, phenomenal. That is something I'm looking forward to in the next book.
When I started reading this book, I couldn't wait to see Cassian and Azriel again and seeing those two amazing Illiryan warriors again, healed and safe, was like a dream come true. Seeing Cas's wings literally gave my heart a kick start. I do wish we get more of Nessian in the spin-off because that was dragged on and not resolved at all. And then, it felt like Elain and Azriel could be something great but then Lucien exists! And since Mor is no longer a factor, I really thought that Elain and Az would be amazing. Az is like one of the only people that can get through to her. But, we know that mates are important, and I may be okay with Lucien and Elain, but if for some reason Az ends up with her, I'd be happy!
The absolute worst scene in the book was when Rhys dies in the end. It broke me. It made me cry for the first time. Up until now, I'd thought there was something wrong with me because I couldn't truly mourn the deaths of my beloved fictional characters, but I cried! And the scene where all the high lords give their magic to bring him back, sigh... I think solely because of that, Tamlin is now redeemable. Not redeemed, redeemable.
Anyways, I'm super excited about the future of this series because although the series was wrapped up like a perfect gift, there are a few frayed ribbons that will tie into the future of this series!
Anyways, to see the full extent of my feelings for this book and this series, check out my BookTube channel, WriterGAsh, and enjoy, #TwoWeeksOfACOTAR
I know the review is a bit late but I've been busy!
PS. This is an edited review and is far more detailed and completely spoiler-filled!
So, when I read this book last year, I have to admit I wanted more. Sarah J. Maas's writing is impeccable and she makes me fall in love and kills me at the same time. The progression of the novel was so gradual and realistic.
It made me love one character less, a character I loved once, Tamlin.
My initial thoughts about the book were clear:
I used to like Tamlin but now I can't even think of him without gagging. I believe women and men are equal and seeing how he treated Feyre pissed me off. And it made reading this book so hard. I was a little hesitant about Rhys. I mean in the last book he basically drugged her but now that I know the reason I'm totally over it. The ending, though. It ripped me apart but made me so excited about the next book! But a year? Really? I need it now. The Rhys and Feyre scenes, especially their banter and the scenes where they... Amazing.
Now, let's go into a spoiler filled discussion, I have to warn you, my memories are a little blurry but I'll try my best to recall my favorite scenes to the best of my ability.
Let's start with my building hate for Tamlin. From the beginning, I started to dislike him and with every scene, the dislike grew into full on hating. He treated Feyre like a trophy wife. She is no one's trophy. She is a kickass wonderful and strong and independent woman who demands respect. It hurt to see Tamlin turn into who he did, cause I liked him in book one. I didn't love him but there was hope. Now I want to gut him and feed him to the wolves. How could he just lie there as Feyre had nightmares? How could he claim he loved her and yet let her suffer. I misjudged him in the last book. I was horrified that I could even consider her with someone as despicable as Tamlin. When we read what happened under the mountain from Rhy's point of view, I was seething with hate for Tamlin. He just sat there! He just sat there as Feyre went through hell and back to save him! What good did it do for him to just sit on his ass? Rhys risked everything, his life, his court, even his mate, and Tamlin just waltz in and claimed her as if he owned her! The one chance he got to save her, he wasted because he was so damn selfish! In this book we get an insight into Rhysand, we see why did the things he did, we understand him from a different perspective and honestly, I hate myself for judging him in the last book. He is a sweetheart. The way he acts around his people is so different from the way Tamlin did. Lucian, Tamlin's best friend couldn't speak freely in front of him but you could totally see the way that Rhys interacted with others in his court made me think that he was an honorable person. He treated people like people, not property. When Rhysand showed up and took Feyre away, I was relieved. I was ecstatic. I think I have never been happier. Their story makes me so happy. You could clearly see how she wanted to fight the way she was feeling about him but you could also see how it was impossible to deny that they had the bond. Every scene between them was like magic and it was so powerfully written. Unlike Tamlin, Rhys made her stronger, supported her and most importantly, didn't belittle her. That was what I loved about him. There is this part in the story where Feyre says that she knew that Cassian and Azriel would pull her out of a situation if they say that she was withering away, unlike Lucian. Despite the fact that Cassian constantly pushed her limits, he would back off if Feyre said no. Something neither Lucian nor Tamlin does. And when she says Rhys would never not see what was happening to her, that he would never be that misguided and arrogant and self-absorbed. That was when I knew, absolutely knew that I could never forgive Tamlin. He let her wither away and couldn't look past his own needs to care about what the woman he loved was going through, what he was putting her through. The Starfall scene between Rhys and Feyre was beautiful. I loved that the splattered star spirit covered them both. It was such a playful and lighthearted scene and it literally gave me all the feels. Another one of my favorite thing about their relationship as the one thought in exchange for another. I loved that they felt comfortable enough to share their feelings with one another. My absolute favorite scene were the ones after they found out they were mated. The thing that made Rhysand a hero in my eyes was when Feyre says that she knew that one word from her would send him flying off into the crisp night. Despite the fact he had just flown so far to see her, despite the fact that she was his mate, he would respect her wishes and walk away. When they go to Hybern, Rhys clearly says that Feyre is her own person. She decides what she does and no one else. When he says "if you want to go, then you go, Feyre." you can see how much he respects her! Like she says, she hadn't realized how badly she had been treated before and how low her expectations had become. I love that Rhys made it clear that she is her own master. He said "You might be my mate, but you remain your own person. You decide your fate- your choices. Not me. You chose yesterday. You chose every day. Forever." That literally melted my heart. Can Rhys be any more perfect? Tamlin wasn't even her mate and he decided he was the one that should decide her fate! He went to the King of Hybern to get her back. He put the world at risk! Like Feyre said in the end "Love was a balm as much as it was a poison." I hope that Tamlin realizes what he's become. Learning about Rhys's childhood, about his mother made my heart go out to him. Every page I turned made me love him more. His strength, his humanity and importantly, his goodness makes me so happy. Getting to know Rhys's friends was wonderful as each of them had something remarkable that made the book remarkable. And the scene when they all go out makes them seem like normal friends. Ah, that brings me to another point, never once does Rhys make Feyre feel like a prisoner, unlike Tamlin. I love Cassian's playful nature, I love Azriel's reservedness, I love Mor's cheerfulness despite what she has endured and I love Amren's fierceness. I love the scene in the House of Wind where Mor, Azriel, Amren, and Cassian all bow to her and they all have this moment, a moment of friendship. I keep going back to how much I hate Tamlin! The scene where Lucian finds Feyre in the forest and tries to take her back against her will really piss me off. No. Means. No. NO in itself is a sentence. No world has more magnitude that NO. When a girl, or anyone, says NO, it means NO. It does not matter if you have their best interest in your heart. I actually like Lucian and I really hope he becomes his own person instead of Tamlin's puppet. He is a good person and I know he can come through for Feyre, for Elain. I wasn't really surprised when we found out that Elain is Lucian's mate, probably, I saw a way for him to get out of Tamlin's control. I saw a reason for him to fight, to help Feyre. Oh and Nesta, I love you. I love her fire, I love her fierceness to protect her sister. Yes, she could have been a better sister to Feyre but I couldn't hate her after this. I hope in the book we see more of her, I hope in the next book Lucian fights for Elain by dumping Tamlin. I hope Tamlin either does something phenomenal to redeem himself or dies. On to Nesta and Cassian. I just read the excerpt and reading about their little interaction and knowing how Cassian was affected by it gave me immense joy. I kept looking at signs of their mating bond. I love that Nesta unnerves a witty fast-talking Fae male like him. I love that he needed to compile a list of possible insults. I have really high hopes for them! I love their on-going banter and their thought processes are on the same plane. It's like they say, mates are equal in every aspect and Nesta is his equal. They are both fierce when it comes to protecting those they love and I'm hoping that this builds into something phenomenal soon. Even though Nesta barely knew Rhys, she could tell that he was in love with Feyre and Feyre wasn't far behind and I don't know why it thrilled me to know Cassian had that very same thought! It just made them even more perfect in my eyes. We all are aware how touchy Cassian is about his origin and hearing Nesta constantly bring it up wasn't pleasant and anyone else would have reacted quite differently and despite all this, he was protective of her. His reaction when he found out about Thomas. I want him to pummel him in the next book. I want a scene where their mating bond clicks and I want it from their point of view. I also wanted to know what the possibility of a mating bond between Azriel and Mor. They don't mention it throughout the book but we know that they like each other. Not being mates puts them at risk of finding their mates and hurting each other. I want that storyline to develop in the next book. In the very end when Feyre goes back to Tamlin in the spring court, I was devastated, until I realized that it was fake. When I found out she became the High Lady of the Night Court, my heart literally melted. In that world, for her to be Rhys's equal to that level means a lot. In their world, most mates to the High Lords are trophy wives. I love that he didn't expect her to bear him anything. He didn't want her to do anything out of obligation! This showed me that Rhys respected her. He saw her as an equal, not just a mate. And that is what I something that means a lot to me. What made me hate the King of Hybern the most wasn't the fact that he was a prick, it was because he called Tamlin Feyre's master. It pissed me off and made me want to rip him and those mortal queens to shreds.
I love that Sarah can get people to not only care about the lead characters but also the others. In both her series, I'm as invested in the leads as I am in the other characters. I'm dying to get my hand on the last book in this series.
Sarah J Maas, you are amazing, You make us love characters as intensely as you make us hate them. You make them real.
Once upon a time, when I had yet to read the wonderful A Court of Mist and Fury, I was naive enough to love a beast and discard the god. Yes, I was a Tamlin shipper and I am ashamed! So ashamed. But, in the faith of full disclosure, here is my initial review. And I will be interesting my current review and try being as impartial to Rhys as possible for sake of those of you that have yet to read book two.
Here goes nothing:
Amazing! I'm so confused about my ship. I'm leaning towards Tamiln. I'm kind of disgusted with Rhysand. In some ways I got why he did what he did, he did it in order to keep Amarantha off of his track. But I can't see any fault with Tamlin. This story was so intense and amazing, I can see a great story blooming from it. It's hard for me to get back into the love triangle mindset. I haven't read one of those in a while. And I honestly don't like it. It scares me. I'm afraid that I'll be invested in a ship and it would sink. But this story was beyond the ships. There was sacrifice, strength. We saw a human be stronger than Fae. Honestly, that inspires me, it makes me wish I was braver. Can't wait for book 2!
Now, here is my current opinion of my initial review:
1. Tamlin is awful.
2. Rhys is amazing.
3. There is no love triangle. There is only Feyrhys.
4. Tamlin is delusional.
5. Still a kickass book.
6. Still love Feyre.
7. Still inspiring.
8. Can't wait for book 3!
Now, beware of spoilers from here on out. I will try my best to stay clear of anything from book two and focus on book one. My absolute favorite thing about this book was Feyre's strength. She was such a strong character from the get go, we get to see that. We get to see her hunt, we get to see her as the independent huntress she is and I love that. Feyre's back story plays a huge role in life. We see that she, the youngest person in her family, had to take up the mantel of their provider. I was really pissed at her sisters and father because they just sat there and complained about how their lives were, about how they had to live in poverty, about their situation and did nothing. I hated that they complained even though Feyre risked her life on a daily basis to save her starving family. It was Nesta who pissed me off because Elaine was simply not capable providing for them but Nesta had the fire and did nothing to help her little sister. It also pissed me off that Nesta was partial to Elaine. Would it have hurt them too much to be in her corner? I know her reasons and I understand but those were my very first thoughts on Nesta and as the book went on, I liked her more, and in the second book, I even came to love her a little. When we first met Rhysand, I wasn't his biggest fan. And honestly, before I knew his true intentions I didn't think of him as a stand-up guy. At that moment, he seemed like a person that took advantage of Feyre when she was vulnerable. When he made that deal with, I was horrified. It didn't hit me that he was trying to save her from Amarantha's wrath. I keep going back to my previous views and hate myself for it. When I read this book after ACOMAF, I saw it in a different light. But in that moment, I couldn't see past the fact that he had just trapped her in a deal for eternity with no way out and she was now bound to spend one week every month him. You'll understand his motives in book two if you were as put off by him as I was. I have honestly never pulled a one-eighty with my ships like I did in this book. I honestly was a total Feylin shipper but now I am a Feyrhys girl all the way. I like Feyre's sense of honor, her fierce nature. I loved the way she resisted the Fae when she first got to Prythian. Many people would have succumbed to the lavish Fae life but that is exactly what I love about her. She doesn't let these immortal warriors intimidate her. And I understand Alis is supposed to be a character people like, and I know she was kind of a friend to Feyre, but I saw her as a person trying to take away Feyre's identity. I hated when people told her what to do. I love Feyre for who she is and I don't want her to change one bit. I love Lucian in this book. I love that he can be a friend to Feyre and despite the events of book two, I have hope for him. Finally, let's talk about the curse. About fifty years ago, Amarantha placed a curse on Tamlin's court that, frankly, superglued masks to their faces. All the high lords lost their magic and the trace of magic that was left wasn't enough to take her down. The only way to break the curse is for a mortal to fall in love with Tamlin and that was the whole reason for him demanding Feyre's move to Prythian for killing a member of his court. It was stupid of him to send her back three days before the deadline, even if it was to save herself but it did give Nesta a chance to redeem herself. We finally got to understand Nesta a little better. We got to see them as real people, we saw that Nesta went to rescue her and that gave me some closure on that front. I did like the Feyre Tamlin interactions in this book. He was kind of a gentleman, not at all beastly. He was always trying to respect her wishes and treat her right. I loved him. I truly did and even when we met Rhysand, I did not sway. I'm the kind of person that needs something severe to jump ships and Sarah J Maas can make anyone do that. It took me a chapter or two in book two before I jumped off the Feylin ship and swam to Feyrhys. The scenes under the mountain were a little dark. I love that they incorporated three tasks that Feyre had to complete and I love that Lucian risked his life for her. I love Rhys for everything he did and I am ashamed I didn't appreciate him back then. I think it was Tamlin's perfectness blinded me and I truly liked him initially but in retrospect, I wish I had seen Rhys for who he is. I love that when everyone thought she was going to fail, he was on her side. I knew when Rhys froze at the end, it was because the mating bond clicked and Feyre didn't know what it was because she was a human before and she has no idea what it is like. Now, the scene where Feyre became High Fae. I love that each High Lord gave a little of their magic to bring her back to life. I love the way that scene was written and I love that Amarantha died. I never want to see that witch again. Not after everything she did to my poor Illyrian baby... Finally, I want to discuss some absolutely useless thoughts passing through my brain. Does High Fae sound like hyphae, the filaments that make up the mycelium of fungi? And I kept wondering why there is no Dusk Court when there is a Dawn Court! I know useless. Anyways, what is better than a book that keeps you reeling a year after you read it? I mean this has to be one of the most phenomenal series I have read and I think there is only one thing that could make it better. A crossover. I mean, it's magic right? What if a Wyrd gate from the Throne of Glass world led here? Wouldn't that be amazing? All my favorite Faes in one book!!! If you haven't read this book, I suggest you pick it up. Sarah J Maas's words are like ice cream, you just never get enough. If I had to say I had an addiction, it would be the words of SJ Maas and Cassie Claire!
I know I'm really late with this review, but I wanted to finish the entire series before I got reviewed this book.
I will start by saying that the dynamic between the boys and Blue was fantastic. From the very first chapter, the book managed to captivate my interest. This book had many amazing things, but my absolute favorite was the characters! Throughout the series, the character development was flawless, and I think that each character was unique and flawed and perfect and real.
Now, I may go into some spoilers so beware!
From the very beginning, we knew that Blue Sargent's kiss would kill her true love and when I read about Gansey, I knew I would fall for him, and I fell hard. It was Gansey's confidence that made me like him as a character. In addition to having such a great personality, he has the biggest heart. Unlike most characters, Gansey in intrinsically trusting. He believes in the good in people, and that's something I relate too. I think the reason I loved Gansey so much was that I related to him and I've never related to a male character before. And I know that he is a little self-centered, but I could see past it for some reason, which I couldn't for Adam.
Now on to Blue Sargent. Blue was such a quirky young girl, and I loved reading about her relationship with her mother and the other women in 300 Fox Way. I just loved seeing a non-psychic like Blue in a house full of psychics. I loved that she never let anyone walk over her, as we know from her first interaction with Gansey. I think that it is crucial that a person knows how to stand up for themselves and Blue totally could. I love Blue's mother. I love that she respects her daughter enough to make her own decision and I just love the dynamic between the two of them.
Moving onto Adam. Initially, I did like him, but as the book went on, I was put off by his personalities, and when we found out about his family I wanted to overlook everything, but I couldn't excuse the way he acted. It really bothered me when he was selfish. I was mostly disappointed when he decided his own personal wish to gain social status was valid. I know he redeemed himself in the end but this kind of stuck with me. It wasn't until The Raven King that I was able to overcome this shortcoming. But I found him to be self-centered, too self-centered. I didn't really ship him with Blue because of all of this. But my biggest problem with him was the fact that he underestimated his own worth! To be honest, amongst all his friends, he was the only one that saw him as white trash. That bugged me a lot. I really did hope to like him in future books, and I did, I'm just not in love with him.
Noah, on the other hand, was someone I loved from the beginning and his relationship with Blue was fantastic. The way he cared about her, the way she cared about him, made my heart melt. I wasn't expecting him to be dead. I really didn't see that coming. I just thought he was a loner. And when we did discover he was dead, I thought, just for a second, that he could be Blue's father. I didn't realize that he had only been dead for seven years. I may have missed it, or forgotten, but I really thought that, thank god it wasn't true! The things that happened in the end with Noah actually broke my heart. When they found his body and when we figured out that the Professor's relation to him, it broke my heart. How can someone kill their friend? Favor or not, no one should kill a friend or anyone. I was so scared that by the end of the book we'd never see him again, but thankfully, I was wrong.
Finally, Ronan. Firstly, my head kept spell-checking it to Rowan, one of my favorite males of all time. I think there was a transference in my love for the character because of my love for Rowan. I know many people weren't really in love with him from book one, but I was. He was the typical bad boy that you can't help but love, and I just loved the way his character develops throughout the books. I was most excited about his relationship with Blue. I can really see them becoming good friends, I can see him becoming a brother figure to her. I can imagine him threatening his own best friend if he hurts her. I know that's far-fetched, but I just wanted that to happen. Also, I love how protective Ronan is of his friends. My favorite Rowan scene was when Ronan punches Adam's dad.
Anyways, I really did like this book, and I hope you give it a shot.
Reviews for rest of the series: The Raven Boys The Dream Thieves Blue Lily, Lily Blue (Coming Soon) The Raven King (Coming Soon)
I was given the arc of this book in return for an honest review, and I can honestly say, I was blown away. When I first started reading this book, I was reminded of Divergent. I loved Divergent, so I immediately knew I would like this book as well. The world Kayla built was fascinating, and the characters were so unique. When I reached the end of the book, I felt separation anxiety!
We get the chance to see what the Land of Five was going through from each perspective and we got to see the struggle of each coven. It did take me a while to remember the complexity of the world and understand the Council and all the characters, but every second I spent reading this book was enjoyed. Lilith's strength despite her handicap was inspirational, and so was her growth as a person and as an equipped.
I was taken aback by the world that was created and the world that sucked me in immediately. I am dying to get my hands on the second book of the series, and I am sure that it would not disappoint. Kayla Krantz did a phenomenal job of creating a world this hypnotizing and the way she strung together this story was beyond my expectations.
There is so much going on, and my mind is plagued with the complexity of this world. I loved learning about the five covens and the working of the council. The characters developed unexpectedly, and the story went in directions I never could have fathomed. I would love to see how these characters pave their way through the rest of the story. When I first read about The Sage, I immediately jumped to conclusions about her. It was like just when you think you know a character, they make a total 180. I loved it. Talking about ships now, I like Clio, but I see a potential with Crowe. It's just that I think they'd be great together, although I totally love the idea of her and Clio. I am excited to see how each of their stories unfold and how they come together. Even though the book doesn't hint on a Crowe and Li ship, I think of it as a possibility but I know I'd be happy with the outcome either way. Coming back to the story, Lilith's angst was just so high and her determination even stronger that I was moved by her. She happens to be one of the strongest characters I have read about. It was her loyalty to her friends that made me love her, and it was her tenacity that I identified most with. My favorite scene in the book was the travel through the five covens. It gave me a chance to understand each of them and to actually comprehend the scope of the world. Mentis was a wet desert while Ignis was a dry desert. You could imagine being in those places as you read the story because of the excellent narration. The best part was experiencing it through their journey and getting to know both Li and Crowe. I loved the time we spent in Aquais, and I loved Crowe's brother. He was charming and was fun to read about, but the best trip was when we met Quinn. I see him becoming a bigger part of the book. I see his potential, and I hope he can be a friend to Lilith in the midst of everything she is going through. I would love to see how Kayla approaches the merging of the five covens and I want to see the dynamic of the Elementals from the inside, which I assume we will, based on the end of this book! I am a little confused as to what will happen with Ambrossi. There is definitely something up with him. How could he not tell that Lilith did not mutilate her own leg? I mean the other healer knew within minutes of meeting and Ambrossi didn't in all these years? That makes me believe he could be an Elemental, that he tried to protect Li, to keep her origin hidden. I kind of expected the thing that happened with Lilith's origin. I assumed that she hailed from Elemental parents, and Regina and Howard adopted her, but despite this, I did not see the fact that Howard was an Equipped coming. I did not expect him to be the one that hurt Lilith. That was definitely a shock. Despite everything the two of them put Li through, it was sad seeing them die but nothing compared to Li losing Helena. I couldn't believe my own eyes as I read those words, it tore apart me to see Lilith suffer and then before I knew it, the curveball of an ending dawned upon me with Li in the Elemental's clutches. It just left me hanging, and I can't wait to get my hands on book two. For those of you who would like a guide for the five covens and their council representatives, check out this list. 1. Ignis (Fire): Lilith-Current; Tarj-Dismissed 2. Aens (Air): Hyacinth 3. Aquais (Water): Crowe/Alexander 4. Alchemy (Healers): Lynx 5. Mentis (Mind): Rayna Get the book now on amazon by clicking on The Council by Kayla Krantz
Wow! I have no words for how amazing this book was. This book was torture! The good kind of torture but torture none the less. It made me feel so many things, it excited me, thrilled me, pulled me in, gave me hope, crushed it and still made me fall in love. In my eyes, a book that can make you feel such intensity is no doubt amazing. I absolutely fell in love with Julian and Scarlet. There were times I was absolutely frustrated with Tella but at the very end, I finally found myself resonating with her. Every time you think you've got it figured out, you get the shock of your life. It was basically a middle man between a circus and a carnival, both of which I love and the elements of magic just made it absolutely perfect! I have only been to the circus once, that I recall, and I remember enjoying every second of it and I would love to experience it again but this time I'd like some magic! I love that the book started and ended with letters. We start this journey with Scarlet's letters to the Legend Master and we end it with letters between Tella and Legend Master. We see Scarlet transform from this scared girl who tries to find an escape from her ruthless father to someone who can stand up to her greatest nightmare. I think that my favorite thing about this book was the fact that it kept my heart racing with every page. Things never seemed boring. Each character, no matter how small a role they played, had so many layers to them. Julian was my absolute favorite throughout the book and every time it seemed like he was the bad guy it broke my heart. From the moment he waited for Scarlet at the gate, I knew he wasn't bad and every time he did something nice, I started rooting for him. And when he got in a scuffle to get Scarlet's earrings back, I fell in love. My absolute favorite thing about Julian was the fact he called Scarlet Crimson. I love it when characters call each other cute names like that, especially when they are unconventional and start as a way to tease the other character! In the end, when he calls her Scarlet, my heart almost broke, well until he made his feelings clear that is. I thought that maybe he might not love her until he basically tells her that he does. I love a good scavenger hunt and reading it brought up so many desires. I would love to experience the magic of the Caraval and even though I don't want to be in Scarlet's position and go through that kind of mental stress, I wouldn't mind a week of harmless thrill! From the very moment Scarlet received the letters, the magic of the Caraval was evident and with each passing scene, I was sucked in further. The writing was so immaculate that I could actually imagine the situation. Stephanie Garber painted such a vivid and magical image that I didn't want the book to end. After suffering from a few days of post reading depression, I am finally capable of forming a coherent review! The scene where Scarlet crosses the bridge to find the little boy was one of my favorites and the scenes that followed it were even better. I would really like to experience the whole thing with Iko and the carousel of roses. I keep thinking how wonderful it would be to see the carousel and to experience the magic of those roses, to see the wicked in the beauty and feel the thrill of it first hand. I absolutely loved the scene where Julian gave away a day of his life for Scarlet because to me, that was proof that he loved her, well until the end where everything went down and secrets came out. In the next book, I would like to find out more about what happened to Scar and Tella's mother and the deal Tella made and with whom to find out so much about the Legend Master, I would love to see the Legend himself and see him redeem himself and continue down the path he began when he saved Tella and Scar. And most importantly, I'm interested in seeing Julian and Scarlet together and find out their fate beyond that moment. All in all, it was such an amazing read and I can't wait for book two.
Spectra was an excellent read that kept me up all night. I couldn't put this book down, and I felt as if the story progression was immaculate. From the very beginning, I disliked Alexander, and I felt as if he was the worst choice for her, and as the story progressed, that feeling solidified. You don't treat the person you love as secondary. And we do see both Mercury and Bay truly do love her. The whole polygamy thing was a little out of my comfort zone as I am a firm believer in one true ship and as much as I love Merc, I ship Bay. The ending made left me wanting so much more. As a fantasy reader, I loved discovering this new world and the magnificent species in it. I love Spectra as a character, despite everything, despite all her losses, the manipulation, she has managed to remain her own person, and that is impressive. I respect characters that can hold their own and Spectra totally makes that list. I'm excited to see what happens next, especially since the ending left me high and dry. It is definitely something I would recommend to others. Oh and PS. I was given the arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and I'm so thankful to Inkitt for introducing me to this world and its excellent characters. Now, I will discuss things in full spoilery fashion so beware! First, let's start with the fact it was not how I expected it to be. I was absolutely drawn in from the get-go, and as I read the first chapter, I found myself sucked into this world. There were so many fantastic characters and so many unique creatures. I was curious about what Spectra was from the very beginning, and the story unfolded the facts slowly and turned into something fantastic, though I'm still confused as to what she is, she is definitely an Angelis but is she also a ghost? If so, how is she still alive and corporal? I want more clarification as to how she became incorporeal and corporeal at the same time. We met this amazing character, Bay, and got to see the world from his eyes, got to see the predators and the other species. In the entire book, there was just one character I disliked, Alexander. It wasn't that he was basically pushing Spec aside so he could play the field, even she was in multiple relationships, which surprisingly didn't bother me. It bugged me that he gave her false hope, that he made her believe things he did not mean. It bugged me that he expected her to be loyal to him and only him when he was, in mild words, socializing with half the city! When Bay said "He pushed you away to keep you safe. He broke your heart to live a playboy's life." I couldn't agree more! I absolutely adored Merc, and I really want him to be happy, but I don't want him to be with Spec. I don't believe in polygamy, but I know that if that happens in this book, I'd be okay with it, I'd adjust because the writing was just that good! I would love to see Spectra just be with Bay, and I want Merc to be happy with someone else. But, alas, that doesn't seem too likely considering that at the end of the book, Merc and Spec were to be married and that is after Spec and Bay had been married, sort of married. Speaking of polygamy, I am kind of confused with the whole situation with the Lions and Calin. I like Calin, but it pissed me off that he had the right to be angry about his wife, Selena, taking another lover, Luke, when he had multiple wives. I've never understood why people think it's okay to hold women to a different standard than men. If he can be in multiple relationships, then so can she!
There was one thing that I really need to know is who was that female predator looked over Spec. I don't know why I feel as if it's her sister but I kind of hope so. Also, who was looking after her, who sent Miranda Jackson? I kind of hope it's either her sister or her father secretly looking after her.
All in all, this was such a great read, and it left me wanting more, craving more!
I was given the arc copy of this fantastic book and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it.
This is my honest review of the book and I'm genuinely excited about the next installment. The concept was thrilling and unique. It seemed to fuse two of my favorite YA genres, Dystopian and Fantasy. The world Beata created was so intriguing and exciting and I honestly found myself emersed in the book. I read the whole book in one sitting. It's currently four thirty in the morning and I just finished it. I cannot wait to see what the first book is like. This was just the prequel and it was amazing and my expectations for book 1 is quite high. I want to learn more about this world and understand the control the Cloud Lords have on humans, I want to understand these creatures and their working. From the very first chapter, I could see the potential of this book. We started off in this world where a lot of things were forbidden and many basic rights were stripped away. Finding a character who not only has the guts to be different but also challenge the norms is what makes a book amazing. The book was packed with fantasy but also spoke to the typical teenage aspect of life. In many fantasy books, they make the characters mature and above normal teenage drama but Chloe did feel what most teenagers do. That made it more impactful. As a reader, I found it hard to not love a character as compassionate as Chloe. She saves the life of the dog that was hunting her. She saves the life of the Vampirii who could possibly kill her. I do think that her relationship with Wayne is a little toxic but that makes for a great story. I'm not the biggest fan of Wayne. I get where he's coming from but he couldn't be that blind. He has to know how Chloe feels about him and yet he is so careless with her heart. Then there was the scene where we first see Aethan and then those Drakonin Dragon Shifters arrived. I loved the way Chloe faced the situation, she did not cower in front of her gods. It was courageous of her to protect Aethan even though he himself was a Could Lord, who could possibly kill her. I did love Morgriss though, I think if we see him again, he'd make the story interesting. He seems to be a human lover, so maybe, Chloe, Aethan, and Morgriss can unite their worlds. Now, moving on to the connection. Is there a chance that the connection is a mating bond, you know like most vampires have. I'm interested in finding out more about it. And I'm super excited to see their relationship flourish when he's awake, oh and I would love to see her move on from Wayne. I would love to see all of them evolve in the next book, especially Chloe considering she finally gets to live in a world where she won't have to conform to such strict norms. I'm excited to see how Beata builds this world and I'm most excited about meeting Aethan. Please check out the book on amazon by clicking on The Fallen Vampire by Beata Blitz
Let's start with the fact, I took notes. There were so many things I loved about this book and it kept me on my toes every second of the journey.
Starting the new year with a perfect book. Last year, Passenger made my reading year and this was an amazing continuation. It took me a while to ride the time traveler train again but as soon as I remembered all the characters, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved how she ended the book. It literally was the best thing ever. HEA with a little bit extra!
I was kind of confused when I started reading the book since it's been so long since I read Passenger. I kind of forgot who Alice was, yeah, I'm ashamed.
When Nick was trying to find Etta, it kind of felt like they were going in circles. I kept screaming at one of them to stay put but the whole thing did pan out well. Since they were apart, we got to see so much more of the timeline. We got to experience so much and honestly, it made the book epic. But despite this, every time they almost run into each other and were still so far apart, it broke my heart. The earring thing was so satisfying. Even though they were so far apart, they were connected by earrings.
I loved Sophia in this book. She was such a great character. You could see her strength and yet see how vulnerable she was. I love the friendship she developed with Nick.
Now, getting to Henry, he was amazing. I was so happy that Etta finally had a parent who loved her. At the end of the book, we do find out Rose was only doing what she had to so, I don't blame her. But seeing Etta with Henry was satisfying. Reading about her inner dilemma regarding Henry was heartbreaking. And seeing how Henry reacted every time she pulled away from him was hurtful. I was a little hesitant about him at first though. The timing was too perfect. He showed up right when she was all alone and he was the leader of the Thornes. In addition, we didn't really read anything nice about him in the first book. But every time my mind told me to be cautious, my heart said, trust him. I loved the scene where she plays the violin again, he was such a typical proud dad that it brought tears to my eyes.
I was so glad when Julian came into the picture. I wanted Nick to be absolved of all the guilt he carried. And loved the scene when Etta went all Hulk on him. He was such a prissy idiot at first. What kind of an idiot makes a person with a hurt shoulder row a boat? But he was a great companion. He had the same effect on me as Sophia. I loved his character development though. After losing his grandmother, he becomes such a great dependable guy. That's why I love this book, it manages to redeem characters, Rose, Sophia, Julian, hell even Nick after the deal he made in the last book.
Now, I have to say, I'm pissed at Li Min for lying to Nick about Etta. That caused so much heartbreak on Nick's half. It pissed me off how she could do that after forming a friendship with them. She was such a great character but I was still pissed.
I feel bad for Nick and Sophia. They kept getting tricked and trapped. Their adventure was amazing but they also kept getting in trouble. Li Min, the old man, and most importantly, Belladonna. Their journey was interesting and exciting but despite that, it hurt to see them go through so much.
Now, Belladonna. I killed me when Nick made the deal with her 'cause I knew he'd regret it sooner or later but the way it turned out, I have to say my mind was blown. I cannot believe how amazing it was. The last battle was perfect. When we heard the myth about the original traveler, I knew she was the lost sister and I expected a showdown between her and the shadow but I never expected her to plan on doing what she did.
How does the timeline go on when the travelers are not part of their original timeline?
In the end, the scene with the ancient one was so intense. I nearly jumped with joy when the Grandfather died but when Rose was hurt, my heart broke for Etta and Henry. They finally had her back, finally understood her and then lost her. On top of that, Nick destroyed the Astrolabe and that pissed me off. What if something happened to Rose? I mean thank god all that happened was her losing her voice. But seeing Etta all alone was awful. It pissed me off that Nick could do that to her, I knew why he had to do it but it still hurt, And when we found out it was Belladonna's plan all along to turn Nick into the Astrolabe, I was befuddled. That left me with an important question. Is Nick immortal? What would happen when he died?
Now, jumping to the future, I have to say it was a perfect scene. I loved that as she played, she caught sight of her parents, of Henry, at the edge of his seat, of Rose, proud of her. And I loved when she caught sight of Nicholas, such a perfect end.
I love that she went to see her mother in the past. I think that must have paid a monumental part in keeping Rose sane throughout everything she went through even though no one believed her. I have to say, Wayfarer was a perfect book to start the new year with.
So, Windwitch, a book I'd been dying to read all year finally came out and I have to say, I loved it. Last year I picked up Truthwitch right when it came out and with every page that I read, I loved it even more. And even though I picked it up right after I finished Wayfarer, another great book, I found myself sucked into it. I was so excited to read Merik's And even though this book skipped on most of my favorite things from the last book, I still loved it. I am going to warn you that from here on, there will be spoilers. "Fool brother Filip led blind brother Daret deep into the black cave. He knew that inside it, the Queen Crab resided but that didn’t scare him away.
Said blind brother Daret to fool brother Filip, does Queen Crab no longer reign? I have heard she is vicious, and likes to eat fishes. It’s best we avoid her domain.
Answered fool Filip to his brother small, have I not always kept you safe? I know what I’m doing, for I’m older than you, and I’ll never lead you astray.” That song was such an integral part of Merik's part of the story. I liked the scenes but they were really dark and intense, we got to see a different side of him, a bitter side. But that allowed him to develop in an unexpected way. And the best part was having Vivia's point of view. From the very first scene we got from her, I knew that she didn't have him attacked. I could totally understand her perspective and it enraged me how someone could do that. She was more capable than Merik and more qualified and yet they completely disregarded her when they gave Merik the Admiral's title. Again, I love Merik and I know it wasn't his fault but it made me angry that he couldn't see that. She honestly was a better candidate than him and the moment he realized that, I jumped with joy. We could finally have them on the same page, on the same side. When he realizes that Vivia was never his attacker and that she was just trying to protect their kingdom made me love him again. “Why do you hold a razor in one hand? So men remember that I am sharp as any edge. And why do you hold broken glass in the other? So men remember that I am always watching.” Moving on the the Fury thing, it broke my heart a little every time someone looked at him and didn't recognize him, so, when Vivia knew at first glance who he was, I was so happy. In the end, we got to see them develop and form a sort of relationship they should've had before. And, also, Merik was such a jerk in this book. I get that he went through so much. Lost his thread brother (you know what I mean) and Safi (he thought she was dead) and then had someone kill him! Despite all this, I wish he was better towards Cam. She was such a great person regardless of her part in the attack on the Jana, which she was unaware about, she was always there for Merik. Now, Safi. She was my favorite character in the last book and although I still admire her and love reading about her, I kind of wish we got to see more of her and Iseult. Their friendship makes this story way better and I'm glad we got that one little scene in the end. I'll get to Iseult later, I'd like to discuss Safi's escapades first. “I told you, Hell-Bard. Everyone lies. It's in the way we banter with our friends. It's in the mundane greetings we give passersby. It's in the most meaningless things we do every single moment of every single day. Hundreds upon thousands of tiny, inconsequential lies.” I loved some of her scenes with the Hell-Bards but my favorites were her scenes with Vaness. Now that was some good girl power. I love that in the end, she gave Safi a choice and although I'm scared that she'll end up going to Cartorra and have to face the Emperor. If she does, I'm interested in seeing how she kicks his ass! Can I be honest, I'm scared something will happen between her and Caden. I have come to like Caden but I love her and Merik. I don't want them to split, even though they both think the other is dead. I'm a little unclear about if Merik thinks Safi is dead but Safi thinks Merik is dead. And I don't want something to happen with her and Caden. I want Safi and Merik to find each other and I want Caden to be free of the Emperor and be his own person, not someone else's person. Finally coming to my favorite characters in this book, Aeduan and Iseult! Every scene they had together was amazing, their adventure together was amazing. I love that Aeduan starts to care about Owl. That was amazing. It brought out a side of Aeduan I did not expect and then what Iseult did was amazing. I know it was horrible when she cleaved that man but it was epic. “Run, my child, run.” I loved getting to know Aeduan. We learned a little about his childhood with the constant flashback to that event from his childhood and we got to know him. This finally allowed us to understand him and love him. In the dream sequence with Esme, my mind was filled with ideas, especially when Aeduan said that one of them is the Cahr Awen. I knew it was definitely Iseult. Maybe Esme is the other one considering how similar their powers are and how she can dream walk into Iseults sleep. I made a note while reading of my assumptions at the point where Esme shows Iseult how to cleave. I thought that either she or Esme would bring Kullen back, which did happen! Esme brought Kullen back and is working for Ragnor and he is trying capture Marstok and Nubrevna. Esme is probably controlling Kullen and since she can uncleave so can Iseult. I'm assuming that Merik and Iseult run into each other and she tells him about Safi being alive (if he doesn't know about it yet) and of course she tells Safi too. But I know that's too easy. I also think that after dropping Owl off at the monastery, she and Aeduan are going to make their way toward Safi and run into Merik. I also think that because of her and Esme's bond, she may be able to help uncleave Merik. I also expect that because of their bond, she might be able to get Esme to flips sides. I can't stop my mind from wandering all over theorizing what could happen and it kills me that I have to wait an entire year but at least I get some amazing books this year to clench my thirst. Both of Sarah J. Maas's series are ending and Lord of Shadows is coming out this year and I cannot wait, neither can I wait for Bloodwitch!
So, I read it last year right when it came out and although it took me a while to get into it, once I was in, there was no coming out. I loved the way each character developed and how you could understand Nicholas and sympathize with him even in the midst of his motives. The most interesting part was the time travel across. This was different from the only other time travel book I have read, Ruby Red. The way the passages worked was interesting and seeing how Etta, someone who grew up without the knowledge of this world, dealt with it gave us a way to understand it, 'cause we were as new to that world as her. She is so sophisticated and it didn't feel like I was reading from the perspective of an eighteen-year-old. The book took us through so many time periods and it was quite interesting reading about how they interacted with people from the past and how everything played out. Oh and the whole musical aspect of it, fantastic. The differences in this from the regular time travel were astounding. You couldn't choose when and where you wanted to go, each passage was a gateway of sorts to another time and another place. On top of that, you couldn't jump to another date either. For example, you could go from present day, suppose 16 January in Japan to Italy on 16th January 1920. If you wanted to go to suppose 8 December 1920, you'd have to wait for the time to come naturally. PS. That was not an example from the book itself. Etta's scenes with Alice in the past was heart warming. It's hard to loose someone you love and to have the opportunity to see them again is something you can only dream about. But it's not always a good thing because you will eventually return to a time where they don't exist and there is nothing you can do to change that. I keep wondering how hard it must've been for them to not change the past.
Now, moving on to Nicholas. His childhood really upset me. The way his family, if could call them that, treated him was awful. I hated seeing people get discriminated for their skin color and to experience the story from a standpoint where that is norm was horrifying. I loved Etta for telling him about a world where men and women of all colors are equal, our world.
As the story went on, I started developing a hatred towards Rose for putting in that situation. For making her feel so helpless and for putting her through what I would describe as hell. Now that I have read the second book, my opinions are a little different but for the entirety of the first book kind of hated her.
The search for the astrolabe was so much fun to witness. The places we saw, the people we met, it was all fantastic. I can say this with certainty that I will never like Grandfather. He is an egotistical, sexist, racist, and supremacist idiot. There is nothing I hate more than a person he decides they can run someone else's life. We are all people and we have the right to choose and I want to punch Grandfather in the face for everything he's done. Jumping to the end, I would like to say that watching Etta disappear almost brought me to tears. I couldn't describe how I felt in that moment but I remember being distraught. It took me a few days to come out of the slump because I was dying to flip through the second book. And the second book did not disappoint. Reviews for rest of the series: Passenger Wayfarer
