I figured it was time for another WWW Wednesday update!!!
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Hearstopper Vol 1 by Alice Oseman
I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo
Books I Enjoyed but rarely talk about
This weeks Top Ten Tuesday prompt is the perfect opportunity to showcase 10 books I really loved but haven’t had a chance to talk about in a while. I find usually I will post a review for a book and then won’t really bring it back up again. I highly recommend all of these books and their series!
Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson
Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard
Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young
Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Dance of Thieves by Mary E Pearson
The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
House of Earth and Blood Review
*SPOILERS BELOW*
This book killed me! Sarah J Maas really got me invested in Danika and the Pack of Devils right from the start and to then rip them away really hit me in the feels. Especially Connor, oh my poor heart!
Bryce is a half elf half human who works as an antiquity assistant to a sorceress by day and loves to party and with her friends at night, until one fateful night when everything changes and her life is never the same again.
I absolutely loved Bryce as our main protagonist. She has had to deal with so much over the course of the storyline and even though she keeps secrets from those around her she stayed true to herself. She doesn’t compromise and is unapologetically living her life regardless of what people think about her. The overall situation with Danika was heartbreaking and the fact that all the blame was placed on Bryce and we see how it has affected her was an emotional rollercoaster.
I think it was destined for me to love Hunt, a broody, sexy angel who is a slave to the Arch Angel Governor of the city after a failed rebellion (uh duh). I like that even though he is portrayed as an alphahole he still expresses his emotions to Bryce and communicates with her about how he is feeling, albeit a little harsh at times. Their romance was obvious right from the start but I liked that even though it was apparent they were attracted to each other they didn’t give in right away. Bryce had to accept what happened in the past and come to terms with the guilt she felt over Connor and Hunt needed to realize he is able to love someone else.
It was a little info dumpy at the start of the book, especially when the world is established. It just jumps straight into the political system of Lunathion and breaks down all the different houses and factions within the houses. It was a little hard to get settled into the story, but after the first 100 or pages I was very much invested!
All of the characters were distinct and diverse and all had a part to play in the overall plot. Fury I was a little unsure of after learning how she ghosted Bryce for the two years after the murder and I felt she never really apologized for it. I would love to get more perspectives from her in the future as she interests me!
From that first twist at the start I wasn’t able to predict anything that was going to happen next. The forced partnership between Bryce and Hunt, the investigation, the revelations, everything came together perfectly for me and even though it was over 800 pages I flew through this book!
⭐️5/5 Through love, all is possible.
The Crown’s Fate Review
Vika is still coming to terms with her new position as the Imperial Enchanter and what that role now entails, Nikolai though he has escaped death is trapped in his dream world as a shadow and is trying to find a way back to reality and Pasha is struggling with the decisions he has made that has led them all to this moment.
Once again I found Pasha to be totally out of touch. He wallows in self pity after forcing the end of the game thus resulting in Nikolai’s death. He knew one of them wouldn’t survive and now he wants to mourn Nik but still try and pursue Vika after everything that happened. He repeatedly blows off all his responsibilities to go and get drunk and his sister has to step up and make all the decisions. I never really trusted Yuliana, for some reason I thought she would end up backstabbing Pasha and would try to take the crown for herself. I like that she proved me wrong and supported and maintained her loyalty to her brother.
Vika really showed her tenacity in this book with her refusal to fully comply with Pasha and Yuliana’s orders. The gold cuff that enforces her oath was a surprising obstacle that forced Vika to really think outside of the box to try and circumvent some of the more terrible orders Yuliana metes out. Though she always maintains her loyalty to the crown I appreciated how much she does to try and save Nikolai and doesn’t dismiss their history.
Nikolai’s character definitely experiences a monumental character shift. I was so glad that he didn’t die and I thought it was interesting how he became a shadow and the use of energy to bring him back to the world. I thought it was a nice tie back to his mother and the way she was able to escape death as well. I can’t say I enjoyed this new side of Nikolai after his is given his mother’s energy however; it was entertaining as it made him quite unpredictable.
The tone of the book was definitely a lot darker that the previous book which I appreciated. It showed a progression of the characters and added a layer of urgency to the plot. There is something about Russian settings and the atmosphere that just seem so magical and the traditional lore that makes an appearance raises the level of authenticity. The pacing increased progressively which kept me highly engaged throughout the course of the storyline and the ending even though it was a little anticlimactic gave me all the feels!
⭐️4/5 stars Magical, surprising & highly entertaining!
The Currently Reading Tag
I’ve seen this tag floating around a few blogs so I thought why not give it a go!
Only ever one, I have a hard time focusing if I’m in the middle of too many books.
Like I said I’m never in that position so it’s all good
Unless I misplace it when I take it out of the book I only ever use one
Usually on my bed or on my nightstand
Weekdays usually around 9pm – 10:30pm and on the weekends it’s usually around 1pm – 4pm
Depends on how I’m feeling about the book. On weeknights it’s usually only around an hour or so but on the weekends it could be anywhere from an hour to 6, I have been known to finish a book in one sitting.
Yes, I always end up damaging the dust jacket otherwise; I kind of throw my books around a lot
Laying down, either or my side on on my back!
No I will leave it in my room usually on my bed
This depends as well, usually after a sitting and I put the book down I will update my Goodreads but if I forget or am too tired to I will wait and just update when I finish the book!
Amy Leigh Reads 