Tag: a reaper at the gates

I thought since it was still early in the month I would wrap up all the books I read in July and give my thoughts and opinions as well as how I rated them. I completed 8 books in July, it was definitely my best reading month this year!

The first book in completed in July was A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir. I don’t want to get too in depth in the plot of this book as it is the third book in the Ember in the Ashes series. I thoroughly enjoyed the continuation of the story from the second book and I would highly recommend this series to anyone interested in YA Fantasy. Its very much based off of an ancient Roman inspired world and is very war driven, but the many twists and unpredictable turns that occur throughout this series really leaves you wanting to read more! ⭐️4/5 stars

The second, third and fourth books I completed was the Fire and Thorns series by Rae Carson. Those being The Girl of Fire and Thorns, The Crown of Embers and The Bitter Kingdom another very popular YA Fantasy series. I loved how a multitude of characters arced throughout the series as it was very character driven, however, the magic system really felt lacking to me and I personally prefer more of a fantastical/supernatural fantasy story as opposed to the more religious based one that this was. This series follows Elisa who is the ‘chosen one’ as she was born with a god stone imbedded inside her stomach, which makes her a religious symbol in her country. As she is also a princess and the second born daughter of the king she is very much ostracised and is married off to a neighbouring king in a political marriage and that is where her story really takes off.  The Girl of Fire and Thorns ⭐️3/5, The Crown of Embers ⭐️3/5, The Bitter Kingdom ⭐️4/5

The fifth book I read in July was The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This story really took me by surprise. I had heard quite a lot of people talking about this book and I really went into it with quite high expectations and it completely surpassed them. I thought this book was fantastic! This story follows Evelyn Hugo a famous old Hollywood actress who is finally telling her life story to an unknown magazine reporter Monique. This book is very engaging and really keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the story. Evelyn as a character is deeply flawed in all the right ways, she is ruthless, cunning, sweet, strong willed, compassionate and completely unforgettable. I highly, highly recommend this book and I think it will definitely blow you away. ⭐️4/5 stars

The sixth book I completed was The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. This book is epic fantasy at its best! Completely convoluted and complex with an abundance of characters that help you delve into this immense fantasy world that Sanderson has created. The novel as a whole has really beautifully set up the world and established the whole magic system and the core set of characters but I still feel like we’ve only really scratched the surface and there is soooo much more that this series has to offer. Being the first book in a ten(?) book series it is a complete success and I absolutely cannot wait to continue on in this epic plot and see what will happen next! ⭐️5/5 stars

The seventh book I read was Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson. This book is so much fun I finished it in I think one sitting. This story follows Mila Flores an amateur witch who has just found out that her best friend and two other girls from her school have died under suspicious circumstances. Mila refuses to believe that her friend had entered some form of suicide pact that all the adults are leading her to believe, so she takes matters into her own witchy hands and brings them back to life to find out who killed them and why. This story was very entertaining and fast paced and Mila’s commentary was very witty and funny and I really enjoyed her as a character. ⭐️4.5/5 stars

The eighth and final book I read in July was Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill. The
story follows Britta the daughter of the bounty hunter for the king who was just recently murdered. In order to save herself from starving she is forced to poach in the Ever Woods near her cottage and is caught by the royal guard and taken to prison. She is offered her freedom in exchange for hunting down her father’s alleged murderer who turns out to be his apprentice and her long time crush Cohen. I thought Ever the Hunted was very fast paced and action packed. I loved Britta as the main female protagonist, I just felt she was very strong and capable and being the best hunter in the kingdom now after her father’s passing really cemented a drive and fire in her to find Cohen and bring about some form of vengeance. ⭐️4/5 stars