Over the course of the last few months I haven’t been giving myself a strict TBR and just picking out the books that I feel like reading at the time. Mood reading has been great because I feel like I’m not forcing myself to read books that I am not really feeling at the moment or reading just for the sake of finishing my TBR for the month. I didn’t like what I was feeling if I didn’t end up reading all the books I set for myself and it wasn’t an enjoyable experience for me. I started to feel disappointed in myself for not reading the books I was supposed to even though I wasn’t in the mood for them and it just really soured certain books for me because of that. So when I made the decision to just mood read and try not to be as strict on myself I actually flourished. I think it was the second or third month after that I completed 18 books (which is a personal best for me). I realised how much better this system was for me and when the quantity of books just kept getting high and higher it started to be all about the numbers. Once again if I don’t finish 14-18 books in a month, all of those feelings started creeping back in. It’s gotten to the point now where I don’t feel like reading anything and this month was probably the least amount of books I’ve read in a very long time. I’ve started to become more aware of what I am doing to myself and I have decided to give myself a pass for December. If I only read one book or if I read another 18, if I read a ton of new releases I’ve been putting off or if I reread multiple books from my collection, its no big deal. Reading is something I do because I love it and I think I just need to take a step back and remember that!
Five Dark Fates Review
After the battle with Katharine the rebellion has fled back to Sunspool to recoup. Jules’s legion curse has been unbound after her mother’s death, leaving her out of her mind. Arsinoe has been keeping her quiet using her poisoner and low magic skills. Mirabella has disappeared and Katharine’s reign over Fennbirn still remains intact but it’s tenuous at best.
I thought all of the character development that occurred throughout the series really shone in this book. Just seeing how different the triplets are from one another yet still there is that undercurrent feeling of love and hope between them. I think that is what Mira is banking on when she ends up abandoning the rebellion and trusting Katharine not to kill her, also why Arsinoe doesn’t want to believe that Mira defected. They say time and time again that it would be easy to kill each other yet when it comes down to that moment they always pause and hesitate. The dead queens are really the ones who do all of the killing, Katharine is merely the vessel that they have been using to further along their plot to take over Fennbirn.
The previous books did such a good job establishing the world and the overall tone of the series that this book just launched straight back into the plot. Even though it has been over a year since I read the last book it was very easy to fall back into this world. The characters are all so distinct and varied and the plot was defined and easy to follow along with. The fantastical elements were incorporated quite organically into the story line and it was very engaging.
I thought the ending was very fitting for the series. I wasn’t able to predict anything that was going to happen and I was left feeling very fulfilled. It definitely didn’t blow me away by any means but I highly enjoyed my experience reading it!
⭐️4/5 stars action packed, fast paced, fitting ending to this series!
Buzzwordathon Wrap Up
Yesterday was the last day of the Buzzword Readathon hosted by BooksandLala on Youtube and I honestly did better than what I anticipated. I ended up completing two books last week that fit the prompt for this round. I finished Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte & Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake. Both were books I have been highly anticipating so I am happy that I got to them but I was also a little disappointed I didn’t end up reading any other books in the week. I will definitely be participating in future rounds of the Buzzwordathon, it was a very chill readathon with not a whole lot of rules, just try and best stick with the prompt and do your best!
Four Dead Queens Review
Four Dead Queens follows a few perspectives, we have the four queens who preside over different quadrants in the nation. Each quadrant has different rules and regulations and is strictly separated from each other. Keralie is a thief who steals a valuable item off a messenger to sell in her quadrant’s black market and is swept into a conspiracy to kill the four queens.
Keralie’s character was a little stale. I found she isn’t the most likeable of characters out there. She has many flaws and doesn’t really learn from her mistakes a whole lot. I just wasn’t that big a fan of hers I guess. Varin I did really enjoy. I like that we are given a lot more background and context about his quadrant and the way they live. I thought it was really interested how he contrasts with Keralie. She is very outspoken, tenacious and a little impulsive, whereas he is quite focused and quiet and rigid. I like that we see him thaw out and become a little more conformative over the course of the plot line and I found him a lot more interesting than Keralie.
I thought the Queens were all very distinctive and diverse. I wish we got a little more time to get to know them individually before they died. In the short amount of time we are given we do learn a lot about each of them and how they are all kind of leading their own lives despite how controlled they are by the laws.
The way the book was structured was quite unique. The dual timelines and the flashbacks were all very engaging. I was very much invested in the plot and I had multiple predictions in my mind about who the assassin was. When the identity of the killer came out I was definitely a little confused. Like I said I had my theories and she was one of them but I didn’t know how it would be possible. The way it was explained I guess made sense but I thought it was a little too predictable. There were some good twists thrown in and in the end I was satisfied.
I liked the world, I could of used a little more context and explanations regarding the history. Overall I was thoroughly entertained, the pacing was quite fast, I haven’t read anything like this before, I just kind of wish this was a duology and was spread out a bit more and went a little more in depth.
⭐️3.5/5 A pretty decent YA fantasy
🔱Percy Jackson Series Reread🔱
I have finally completed the series!! I finished Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian last week and I really loved it! It does get a little bit chaotic and confusing during some of the fighting scenes, trying to visualize where everyone is in New York since I have never been there before. But other than that I really adored this book, all of the action and the pacing was spot on! I loved that we finally get some answers to all the questions that have been floating around since the beginning of the series and we finally hear the full prophecy. It was so gratifying to finally see Percy and Annabeth get together and how cutely he asked her out. It definitely wasn’t an easy victory and we see Percy really struggle and get to his lowest point before eventually succeeding.
I absolutely loved this series and the way that Rick Riordan set up the next series was fantastic. My reread brought out all nostalgic feelings that I have been looking for lately and I was really looking forward to getting stuck in to them every month. I’m not sure whether or not I will start with The Heroes of Olympus series quite yet but I think in 2020 I will have to give them a go!
Amy Leigh Reads 