These are 5 books that span several different genres that I would really like to get to in 2019. I have heard enough about these books that I am intrigued and I think I will end up liking them, maybe even loving them who knows….
The Astonishing Colour of After by Emily X.R. Pan
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Circe by Madeline Miller
I was actually really surprised how much I enjoyed Nevermoor. I had a feeling going into it that it might be a bit too juvenile for my taste but that wasn’t the case at all! It reminded me kind of as a mix between Harry Potter and Percy Jackson but also it was very distinct and unique as well, especially since out main protagonist is a female. I really contemplated giving it a 5/5 but it just fell short of that for me, so I’m thinking Wundersmith might just do it! I believe we follow Morrigan as she enters school in this book and school settings are always one of my favourite story-lines to read from. I”m excited to get into Wundersmith and I hope it’s as good as what I think it will be. I’ve heard great things!
Happy Reading📚
This was fantastic!
We follow the story of 11-year-old Morrigan Crow who has known all of her life that she is cursed, anything bad that happens to anyone around her, she is immediately blamed. With this curse comes the knowledge that on the day of Eventide on her 12th birthday she will die. To her woe Eventide comes a full year early and as Morrigan tries to reconcile that she is to be killed a man shows up proclaiming to be her patron and saves her.
I loved everything about this book. I thought it was so cleverly written, the magic system is intriguing and interesting and the world is very whimsical. The whole premise of the story really enraptured me; I loved the whole process of the trials and the anticipation between each one.
Morrigan was wonderful. The fact that she has accepted that she is a cursed child and has that engrained so much in her mind that she believes that everything bad that’s happening is still her fault is so endearing to me. I like that she second guesses herself so much but when the time comes for her to prove herself she digs deep and trusts her gut.
Jupiter is so enigmatic. I found myself really wanted to discover more about him and his past and how he has come to own the Deucalion and become a member of the Wunder Society. All of his disappearances and adventures fascinated me and seeing how the rest of the society kind of has a respect for him really piqued my interest. I definitely want to know more about him and his knack.
Jack’s character I also quietly enjoyed. I like that he sort of clashed with Morrigan I thought it added some much-needed spark to the storyline. The banter and light competitiveness between them was entertaining. Again I want to learn more about him and what he gets up to at his school, what they learn and who his friends are.
I loved the diverse cast of characters that live at the hotel as well, especially Fen! I found her super relatable in a way and the fact that she’s a basically a giant talking cat is so much fun.
The plot was very fast paced and I was entertained from the first chapter to the last. The premise of the book is so unique and the execution was very well done! The twist at the end was everything that I needed it to be and it really set up the sequel quite nicely as I have an abundance of questions that need answering. I am for sure picking up Wundersmith and I am excited to continue on in this series!
⭐️4.5/5 This was wunderful 😉
This took me a bit longer to read!
The pacing in this third installment of the Stormlight Archives was a little bit slower I felt. We delved so much deeper into the lore and legends of the Heralds and the Radiants and I feel we are on the cusp of a lot more action and adventure, even though so much has happened already.
I like the internal struggle that Shallan had to deal with over the course of the storyline. Seeing how she has split herself into these different personalities whist shadow-weaving was interesting. I really enjoyed how we kind of see her break and then having to struggle to get a grasp of who she really is. I liked how it manifested physically in her sketches, occasionally only being able to draw crude, rudimentary sketches way below her skill level.
I also really loved Dalinar’s storyline and how it progressed in this book. To see him slowly get his memories back and we find out everything about Evi and what happened to her was very gratifying to read! She has been a mystery for the last two books and I was always intrigued by her and why Dalinar went to see the story-weaver. I loved having those flashbacks to a younger Dalinar and seeing how he differs from present day Dalinar, the comparisons were stark that’s for sure!
Kaladin was once again so entertaining to read. He really encompasses the role of the Radiant, being so honourable and just. Having him go behind the lines of the parshmen’s camp and travel with them and see that their cause is quite justified and going to back to Urithiru and having that same rhetoric of all parshmen are evil reinforced in his mind and then being confronted by both sides at the battle in Kholinar was a profound moment.
I feel in this book Brandon Sanderson has expanded this world so much more than the previous novels. Because of the oathgates we are able to get a glimpse at the different cities and civilisations across Roshar, seeing the differences in the kingdoms, be it their languages, clothing or fighting styles. Also the fact that we got to see a lot more of Shadesmar was very interesting. I loved seeing all the different kinds of spren and how they manifested in their world compared to the physical realm.
Having so many POVs can be a little disorientating, especially since it was a few months since I read Words of Radiance, it took me a minute to get back into the swing of things. But once I did, it was really easy to get lost into this world and see the storyline slowly unravel and reveal itself. I love that some of the minor characters still make a significant impact on the storyline, that really keeps me invested in the plot as I know whatever is happening now is definitely going to have a consequence later on in the series, so you really need to pay attention to every little detail.
There is sooooo much action, adventure, political manipulations and maneuverings, twists and turns. I would love nothing more than to break down every single plot point in this book but that wouldn’t be practical. I also don’t want to spoil anything so if you haven’t read the Stormlight Archives yet and you are a lover of epic fantasy I 100% recommend this series!
⭐️5/5 stars JUST READ IT!
I really loved this book!
Marika is on her way to the imperial city to meet with her betrothed. A marriage her father a prominent samurai arranged for her as she had known would happen her whole life. On the road her convoy is attacked by the Black Clan, a rogue group of bandits, who’ve been hired to kill Marika. As the lone survivor Marika makes the decision to take her life into her own hands, track down the Black Clan and find out who wants her dead.
I really enjoyed Marika’s character. She wasn’t naïve or overly innocent and immature which I kind of don’t like in female protagonists. I thought she was quite forthright and speculative and unwilling to bend. She asks questions, she wants to be informed, she doesn’t want to be in the dark or unaware and she pushes for information. Her growth over the course of the book was great to read. She has decided she doesn’t want any man to make decisions for her. She is in charge of her own destiny. I also really liked how self-aware she became towards the end of the story. She understood how much she overlooked as the daughter of a samurai and how skewed her perception of the world and those around her were.
At first I didn’t find any of the members of the black clan to be likeable. I didn’t really connect with any of them until around the half-way point of the book. When they decided to trust Marika and we got a few more details about who they are and what they are doing and that’s really when I started to be more invested.
I loved reading about the backstory of Ranmaru and Okami. Everything about their father’s and the emperor and how it wove together into the plotline was beautiful. I loved that their friendship was based on loyalty and honour. You could really get a feel for the lengths that they would go to protect each other and the rest of the Black Clan.
I love that this book is so unique and different culturally, learning about the samurai’s and the different clans in the empire. Seeing the political manipulations of the emperor and his son’s and how they interact with others around them. How the plot unfolded and the way the characters interacted kept me highly entertained. Though there were passages at the start where it got a little boring and I was skimming a few paragraphs but overall the actual story was fantastic!
⭐️4.5/5 Twists and turns, samurai’s and sword fights!
Amy Leigh Reads 