Book Lists

5 Quotes from Last 5 Books

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on 5 Quotes from Last 5 Books

These are five of my favourite quotes from the last five books that I have read!!

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

“Good people don’t bow their heads and bite their tongues while other good people suffer. Good people are not complicit.”

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A Vow So Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer

“I’m confident in my strengths, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think about my weaknesses.”

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The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence

“Sometimes all your words are the wrong shape and none of them will fit into the silence left when the conversation pauses.”

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These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

“I was raised in hatred, Roma. I could never be your lover, only your killer.”

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Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

“I don’t know. I’m scared that out there, someday I’ll look around and realize forty years have passed and no one can see me. That I’m gone.”

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Reviews

The Year of the Witching Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on The Year of the Witching Review

This was completely different to what I was expecting.

The daughter of a union with an outsider that cast her once-proud family into disgrace, Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol and lead a life of submission, devotion and absolute conformity, like all the women in the settlement. But a chance mishap lures her into the forbidden Darkwood that surrounds Bethel – a place where the first prophet once pursued and killed four powerful witches. Their spirits are still walking there, and they bestow a gift on Immanuelle: the diary of her dead mother, who Immanuelle is shocked to learn once sought sanctuary in the wood.

I really liked Immanuelle’s character right from the start. She was that little bit sarcastic and resistant to all the rules and regulations she has to live by. Even though she complies most of the time she still questions the decisions and isn’t afraid to break the rules and dig a little deeper into the history of Bethel. We see her evolve over the course of the storyline and come to terms with who she really is and how she can change the way things are run in this town.

I would of really been more invested if this story was a dual perspective and we got to see more from Ezra’s point of view. Having him deep within the institution as the Prophet’s son and seeing what he has had to endure over the course of the years to make him rebel would of given me a lot more context I think. I appreciated how committed he was too helping Immanuelle but I think their relationship could of been drawn out a little longer. I just wish they would of had a few more scenes together in more of a group setting where we could see the tension and attraction between them.

This was a lot more religious and pious than what I was expecting. It took me out of the story a little, granted this is my own fault for going in blind. I was expecting witchiness and spells and magic and this very different to that. I’ve seen this pitched as The Handmaid’s Tale for a new generation and I completely agree with that statement. It’s definitely thought provoking and starts a conversation but I was thinking it would be a more fantastical tale.

⭐️3/5 highly engaging and original, just not what I was expecting!

Reviews

A Vow So Bold and Deadly Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on A Vow So Bold and Deadly Review

*A few spoilery moments ahead*

Emberfall is crumbling fast, torn between those who believe Rhen is the rightful prince and those who are eager to begin a new era under Grey, the true heir. Grey has agreed to wait two months before attacking Emberfall, and in that time, Rhen has turned away from everyone—even Harper, as she desperately tries to help him find a path to peace.

Grey has evolved so much over the course of this series and I am really happy with his character arc and the way his story ends. I think he definitely got what he deserves and even though he has always been a main protagonist he was overlooked by everyone in power and came into his inheritance I feel the right way. I really enjoyed the fact that he didn’t immediately agree to Harper’s request straight away and put his burgeoning relationship with Lia Mara first.

Harper and Rhen both got on my nerves in this book. The majority of the conflict between them was miscommunication and that trope is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. If they would of just sat down and explained their feelings and their motivations for their actions a lot of their issues would have been resolved. I think it was a bit selfish of Harper to just expect Grey to drop everything to save Rhen after everything that has happened. I think if she would of had more humility when she showed up in Syhl Shallow I think everyone would of been more welcoming. She came across a little bratty and entitled to me.

Rhen I can understand and appreciate how much he has been through with Lilith and how terrified he becomes of magic, but I just can’t overcome what he did in the last book. He just keeps all these secrets and thinks he needs to be the one to handle everything all the time and not be honest with those closest to him. I thought he was petty and irrational at times and I’m kind of glad that he didn’t end up being king in the end.

The plot was stagnant at times and there were moments that I felt were given way to much attention and other I feel more significant moments were rushed along. I think when Grey and Harper finally make their way back to Emberfall to save Rhen from Lilith there should of been way more detail and the scenes should of been drawn out a lot longer. I would of liked to see them entering the castle from Grey’s perspective, seeing all the bodies and blood and then coming across Rhen and getting his initial reaction and thoughts. Rhen being woozy and out of it from his wounds made the whole reunion less impactful.

⭐️3/5 My least favourite of the books in this series, it felt a little anticlimactic and almost rushed in a way.