Amy Leigh Reads

The Crimson Crown Review

May 27, 2019May 26, 2019by amyleighreads2 Comments

8069828 My new favourite fantasy series ever??

This was absolutely perfect in my opinion. Everything I love about fantasy all wound together to make this absolutely wonderful conclusion to a series that may have made its way to the top of my all time favourite list!

Raisa was everything that I needed her to be in this book. She followed her gut and her heart and never strayed from what she believed in until she thought all was lost and even then she still tried to figure out a way to prevent war in the Vale and save as many people as she could. She is more than willing to trade her life for the good of her people and she didn’t let me down in this book. I had a few misgivings about her throughout the series but she really took everything she has learnt and put it to play and ultimately went with her heart, which I absolutely loved!

What can I say about Han… ever since The Demon King he has steadfastly been my favourite character in this series and he has honestly gone above and beyond my expectations. He has proved time and time again that he will do anything for the people that he loves and is loyal to a fault. You never know what to expect from him and he is such an entertaining character. His arc over the course of the series as well was momentous; from a street lord at Ragmarket to the High Wizard of the Queen. I loved seeing him manipulate and also struggle in his attempt to overthrow the Bayers and how eventually his plan unfolded and came to fruition was everything that I hoped for. There was so many obstacles that Han and Raisa had to overcome and knowing that it didn’t come easy and without loss only made it more satisfying.

It delved so much deeper into the history of the Seven Realms and all my questions about what happened between Alger and Hannalea was unearthed and I was completely blindsided. I honestly didn’t predict anything that happened and I tried to go into to the book without thinking to much about what plot twists could happen next and I was rewarded with so many convoluted, intricate storylines that shocked and amazed me!

I truly loved this book and the Seven Realms series as a whole. Cinda Williams Chima is now one of my favourite fantasy authors and I will without a doubt be picking up the Stormcaster series as soon as I can get my hands on it!

⭐️5/5 stars Perfection!

Reviews

What If It’s Is Us Review

May 24, 2019May 23, 2019by amyleighreads1 Comment

36341204 This gave me Serendipity vibes!

This book follows the story of Arthur and Ben who ran into each other at the Post Office. Arthur is in New York for the summer and has an internship at his mother’s law office and Ben just broke up with his boyfriend and was trying to post a box with all of his ex’s things. They have a conversation and immediately feel a connection but loose each other in a crowd.

First of all this was hella cute! I was pretty much immediately enraptured by the storyline and was highly engaged throughout. I loved seeing them going about their lives after this pretty small interaction but unable to forget each other because of the connection that they felt for that brief period of time.

I found Arthur terribly endearing and adorable. He felt very genuine and real in his awkwardness. He hasn’t had a lot of experience with other boys and he has lived a very sheltered life in comparison to Ben. I like how honest Arthur is with everyone and isn’t afraid to share his feelings. I liked that he finally spoke up and shared his feelings with his friends and they eventually explained what was happening and why. Ben I liked but didn’t really love. He has his own insecurities and idiosyncrasies and also isn’t afraid to speak up for himself. I loved the relationship he shares with Dylan and how comfortable they are with each other.

I like that both characters are flawed and regularly make mistakes and say the wrong thing but the other will definitely call them out on it and they both grow together. Their whole relationship was quite charming and their dates were hilariously disastrous.

The premise as a whole I thought was interesting and had me intrigued. The overall plot was a little bit predictable though and the ending was a little underwhelming for me but it was also pretty realistic so I can’t really complain. Happy endings don’t always happen in real life and summer flings sometimes don’t last.

⭐️4/5 A super cute, diverse, contemporary summer romance!

Avengers Book Tag 🏷

May 23, 2019May 23, 2019by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment

I saw this tag over on both Sara the Bibliophagist and Kristin @ KristinKravesBooks blogs and since Endgame is all everyone has been talking about the last few month I figured I would give it a go as well.

*Fun Fact* I haven’t seen any of the Avenger movies… 🤷🏾‍♀️

IRON MAN: A BOOK THAT MADE YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD

Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry – Michael was actually super witty in this book and there were a few instances where I caught myself laughing at one of his jokes.

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CAPTAIN AMERICA: A BOOK THAT SENDS A POSITIVE MESSAGE

Simon vs. the Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli – The overall message about loving and accepting yourself for who you are really shone from this book!

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THOR: A BOOK WITH A CHARACTER’S STRENGTH YOU ADMIRE

Red Sister by Mark Lawrence – Nuna had to endure so much in her short life and it feels like she doesn’t get a reprieve at all throughout the course of the book.

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BLACK WIDOW: A BOOK WITH A KICK-ASS FEMALE PROTAGONIST

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson – I loved Spensa’s character in this book! She refuses to give up on her dreams even though she is shunned by literally everyone!

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HULK: A BOOK THAT MADE YOU INCREDIBLY ANGRY

Circe by Madeline Miller – Not really angry more so disappointed. This book was so incredibly hyped and acclaimed but I was just bored by this book!

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HAWKEYE: AN UNDERRATED BOOK YOU THINK MORE PEOPLE SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young – I just read this book recently and absolutely loved it! It did come out last year and I may have missed the memo but I haven’t heard a lot of people talk about it.

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*BONUS* LOKI: A BOOK WITH A TWIST OR SURPRISE THAT TRICKED YOU

The Death of Mrs Westaway by Ruth Ware – I definitely had my predictions as I progressed throughout the book but lo and behold I was completely wrong!

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Reviews

The Poppy War Review

May 22, 2019May 24, 2019by amyleighreads1 Comment

*SPOILERS, SPOILERS*

y648 Very immersive!

The Poppy War follows the story of a young girl Rin, who is a war orphan. She grew up with a very abusive foster family who used her for free labour in their shop and also as a drug mule. Wanting to be free from that life Rin decides to study for the Keju an Empire wide test that if she passes could see her out of her home town and off to the capital to the revered Sinegard the most elite military academy in Rikan.

The world is super expansive and well developed and is one of the things I loved about this book the most. You are really able to get lost in this world and delve into the histories surrounding the Empire and how it came to be. I think R.F. Kuang really took her time developing the back story and the origin of Rikan and that is something I always appreciate from an author.

Rin is basically the reason I didn’t give this book 5 stars. I love me a strong female protagonists and seeing her arc over the course of the storyline was definitely inspiring, but some of the decisions she made kind of grated me. She was definitely right when she said that the Gods have no sway over her, she made all of the decisions that led her to that ultimate conclusion and most of those decisions didn’t sit well with me. When she chose to side with Altan over Master Jiang that’s really when I knew I wasn’t feeling her anymore. She wouldn’t heed the advice of those who have had years and even decades more experience than her. Even though she only found out she was a Speer a few months ago she already knew everything and could handle the Phoenix god just because she’s Rin. That arrogance and overconfidence was a bit of an overkill for me.

The first half of the book when Rin was in Sinegard I absolutely loved! Magical/military style school settings I just love to read and this was no different. Seeing Rin struggle to fit in, being at the bottom of her class and then clawing her way to the top was wonderful to read. All of the characters were distinct and interesting and the feud with Nezha was so entertaining! The second half however, kind of dragged a little. The siege was just a little boring for me personally; it was just a lot of Altan locked away in his office and Rin wandering around or on guard duty. I like a lot of action and intrigue and this was just waiting around for the action to happen.

The overall premise I found highly original and engaging and the magic system was unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Definitely enjoyed the majority of my reading experience however, I’m a little bummed I wasn’t as in love with the story as much everyone else seems to be.

⭐️3/5 stars Really enjoyed, didn’t love!

Book Lists

5 Books I Would Never Unhaul

May 21, 2019May 20, 2019by amyleighreads2 Comments

So the Top 10 Tuesday prompt for this week is Books I Refuse to Let Anyone Touch. I thought about it for a while and I realized I just wouldn’t say no to someone who asked to borrow a book of mine. Just because I love to promote reading and encourage my family/friends to read more, however there are quite a few books on my shelves that I know I would never get rid of, so I figured I would list my top 5 books I would never unhaul and why!

The Princess Diaries Mia Goes Fourth by Meg Cabot – I was super obsessed with this series when I was about 10/11 and I remember I owned every single one of the books in this series but over the years they’ve somehow dwindled to this remaining one.

Harry Potter Paperback series by J.K. Rowling – I have read and reread this series since they were released and these paperback editions are so small and easy to handle that I know I will keep them until they fall apart!

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer – I will admit I was absolute trash for the Twilight series! I remember I read the series before all of the hype with the movies and Breaking Dawn was my favourite of all the books so I just read and reread this one book so many times. I have had every opportunity to replace this edition and get a new one but I could never go through with it!

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis – I’ve owned this bind up of all the books from the Chronicles of Narnia for maybe 10-15 years now! When I was younger whenever I got a new book then I would just read it constantly; I can’t tell you how many times I have read this cover to cover. This just has so much nostalgia attached that I know I could never part with it.

Rowan of Rin the Journey by Emily Rodda – Another bind up of a series from my childhood that I will never get rid of! I remember my sister had to read this book for school when she was in year 4 or 5 and I stole it and read it instead. I loved the adventurous nature of the books and the coming of age arc that Rowan undertakes!