Month: September 2018

Reviews

Cinder Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on Cinder Review

*Non Spoiler Review*

Why didn’t I read this sooner?

36381037I loved it from start to finish. There was action, heartbreak, cringiness, and revelations. I honestly didn’t know what to expect and I am pleasantly surprised!

This book follows Cinder who is a cyborg and the best mechanic in all of New Beijing. She has built a reputation around her name so much so that Price Kai has shown up at her booth requiring her services to fix his broken android before the annual ball. She has all intention of fixing his android and returning it to him but all her plans are derailed as her younger sister is infected by the deadly plague that has been devastating Earth for the last decade.

Cinder is just wonderful. I like the fact that she was so real and you could sort of relate to her in a way, being different from the rest of her ‘family’ and seen as a freak and non-human and having to deal with that on a daily basis. I love how we watch her try to overcome her insecurities about being a cyborg and just being comfortable in her own skin. The gradual strength that Cinder emits over the course of the book was great to read. Kai was hopelessly oblivious to the fact that Cinder is a cyborg and I loved him for that. He didn’t see her as anything other than who she is and that really shone through in their burgeoning romance.

I just want to say that as soon as we kind of got into the sub-plot about Lunar and the royal family I started to get inclinations. Especially after Cinders trip to the royal laboratories. It really kept me on the edge of my seat and it was gratifying to have my theories proven right in the end (which usually never happens).

As this was a retelling of the classic Cinderella fairytale I enjoyed the comparisons in the two storylines, but I feel that Cinder really branched itself out enough where it can stand apart and was refreshing. The sci-fi elements really brought forth a different aspect to the book that I’m certainly not used to and it made it more interesting and kept me intrigued throughout the book.

The dialogue was easy to comprehend and quite witty but there was a lot of underlying and indirect action taking place along the way. The storyline was a little bit predictable but I will absolutely look past that as this book was just an engrossing, engaging read and I will be definitely picking up Scarlett in the very near future and continuing on in this series!

⭐️4/5 stars! Unexpected!

Reviews

Words of Radiance Review

by amyleighreads3 Comments on Words of Radiance Review

*A little spoilery*

Oh my goodness where to begin…

917AnD4pjfLThis was absolutely amazing. There are just no other words to describe this book in its entirety. The world building is so expansive, the characters are so well developed and the magic system is wonderfully explained and detailed.

I love how Brandon Sanderson has included so much of the lore and legends surrounding the Knights Radiant and the Almighty and how they weave their way into the story. It creates so much depth into the world and enhances the storyline.

Reading from Shallan’s point of view is such a joy. I love that we get to delve deeper into her backstory and see how far she has come from the young, naïve, broken girl who was sequestered in her father’s estate in Jah Keved to the strong, brave, intelligent woman at the Shattered Plains. Her journey was brutal, tortuous and heartbreaking and to see her overcome everything was beautiful. I also don’t want to be too spoilery but there were so many moments that Shallan had in this book that really took my breath away. She has grown so much from the first novel and that breakthrough scene at the end where she finally admits to what had happened with her mother so long ago had me shook!

What can I say about Kaladin? As one of our main male protagonists I just love him. I find his character to be so likeable. He is kind of like the male equivalent to Shallan and yet they are both so different. I love that we see him really struggle to overcome his inner emotions and turmoil in regards to Dalinar and Kholin and how his perception of them changes over time. I like the kind of mutual respect Kaladin and Kholin share after the duel and I kind of want them to become best friends. To see him mature and develop and have that reflected onto his bridge team really warmed my heart as well. I love his relationship with them and the light banter he maintains whilst still being their beloved and respected captain who saved their lives.

There are so many plot points that I want to mention and I have so many theories and thoughts that if I were to list them all I would have a 2-3 page essay that would surely bore you. So I just want to say that this book as a whole is really enrapturing and is not at all difficult to read. Sure sometimes the overwhelming number of characters can throw you at first, but its so intricately detailed and explained in a way that it all just fits together perfectly. You can really get swept up into the narrative that Brandon Sanderson has created and I honestly cannot wait to pick up Edgedancer and Oathbringer to see what else we have in store with this series.

⭐️5/5 stars cannot recommend enough! AMAZING!

Book Lists

Top 5 Favourite YA Fantasy Series

by amyleighreads2 Comments on Top 5 Favourite YA Fantasy Series

These are just a few that springs to mind immediately when I think of my top favourites. Some of them are fairly new reads of mine and some I’ve been rereading for years and years but they’ve all managed to make their way to the top of my list.

The 1st of course has to be the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Classic, amazing, legendary and iconic, a staple at the top of my list and will forever remain there! This series consists of The Philosophers Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire, The Order of the Phoenix, The Half Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows.

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My 2nd series on this list is the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo. This duology consists of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom. These books are beautifully written, complex and intricate. The characters are diverse and plot is fast paced and action packed!

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The 3rd series on my list is Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. This series includes The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth and The Last Olympian. I read these books when they first came back in 2005 and I loved it. Percy’s narrative is so much fun, it’s very fast paced and there are so many plot twists, adventure and friendships it’s just a joy to read.

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The 4th series on my list is the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas. This series consists of Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storm, the novella The Assasin’s Blade and Tower of Dawn. I actually loved this series. I thought the characters were amazing, the storyline throughout the series is so convoluted and intricate and detailed, I’m dying to continue on in October with Kingdom of Ash.

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The last series on my list is The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. This series includes City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls and City of Heavenly Fire. This was the series that really brought me back into the reading world. This series is really character driven, with so many jaw dropping, action filled moments that are just so much fun to read! I’ve read and reread this series multiple times and I love it more and more every time.

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Reviews

Caraval Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on Caraval Review

*Kind of Spoilery*

27883214Ok…. I was highly entertained throughout the course of the storyline but the magic system really fell flat for me here. It was mentioned a lot in the context of the story however it wasn’t fully explained.

Caraval follows Scarlett and her sister Donatella who live under the rule of their terribly abusive and manipulative father. For years Scarlett has been writing to the leader of this magical travelling carnival called Legend, wanting him to travel to her island so she can attend with her sister to kind of escape reality for a while. For years and years she had no replies until suddenly 10 days before she is to be married to a count that her father arranged she received a reply and 3 tickets to attend. This is really where the story takes off.

I am kind of in two minds about Scarlett as the main character. She seemed a little too naïve to me and she had gotten so many reminders about Caraval and how she shouldn’t believe anything she sees or trust anyone while its taking place, and she continually disregards them and continues to make decision that I was kind of like ‘why?”. But I did think she redeems herself towards the end of the book, especially during the confrontation scene with her father and her fiancé. Her character arc over the 5 days she was in Caraval and her show of strength especially after she was at her lowest point was really commendable. I am also kind of in the same boat about Tella; I didn’t find her to be terribly likeable. She kind of seemed a little bit selfish and brash to me. But we really see a different side of her at the end of the novel especially after she explains herself to Scarlett and shows how much she loves, cares and trusts her.

That being said I still enjoyed the storyline, I really couldn’t anticipate or predict what was going to happen next. The atmosphere is really kind of dark and mysterious and the prose was actually nicely descriptive and sort of lyrical. I did like the gradual relationship Scarlett shared with Julian and the role that he played in the story really enraptured me and completely took me by surprise. I was intrigued enough by the premise of the book that I couldn’t put it down and finished it pretty quickly. I was disappointed that the magic system wasn’t expressed or shown more clearly in the book. It was mentioned various times and we see glimpses of magical elements but there is nothing really solid that was shown.

There were twists, revelations, romance, mystery, danger, bloodshed, a lot of aspects that come together to form this pretty good fantasy novel. I know that the sequel Legendary just came out recently and I definitely think I’m going to have to pick it up and see what else Stephanie Garber has in store.

⭐️3.5/5 stars it enjoyable and interesting but not one of my favourites.

Updates

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles)

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles)

img_1555A new purchase of mine! Cinder and the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer have been on my TBR for a looooooong time now and I’ve finally picked up the first book in the series to see how I like it! The Lunar Chronicles has been kind of a staple in the YA community and I’ve just never felt the urge to read them. As far as I am aware it’s a kind of sci-fi, fantasy retelling of classic fairy-tales… The premise sounds really interesting and I haven’t read anything like this is a while. I’m yearning for something new and different and I think a throwing that little bit of sci-fi in the mix will really help. I will definitely coming back to you with a review when I finish it!

Happy Reading 📚