blog – Page 173 – Amy Leigh Reads

My Favourite Tropes

August 20, 2019July 11, 2020by amyleighreads4 Comments

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is my top ten favourite tropes.

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Obviously I’ve spoken about this trope many times in my blog but there is nothing I love more than a hate to love trope in a romance setting. Even a hate to love friendship I absolutely love. Examples include: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

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Some outside force (cultural, familial, social, etc.) is determined to keep our lovers apart but they’re willing to fight for the relationship they desire. Examples include: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

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Ever since reading Harry Potter I’ve just really loved this trope as well. Knowing that our protagonist is destined to save the world and follow their prospective journey to that moment is one of my favourites! Examples include: Harry Potter series by J.k. Rowling

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When the hero and usually a handful of secondary characters sets out on a quest with a specific goal. Examples include: Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan

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When a character is perhaps an orphan or has been separated from their family or has been disowned by their parents that have found friendships that have turned into familial bonds and they become a ragtag group of characters who have formed a family. Examples include: Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo

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When the guy doesn’t get the girl or maybe the main character’s dreams doesn’t get fulfilled. When a book ends in way that is completely unexpected and you don’t really know how to feel. Examples include: What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

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The nice, sweet, endearing, charismatic character that you initially root for until something happens to make them change their whole demeanour and suddenly they are the bad guy! Example include: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

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When two character find themselves in a situation where they pretend to date. I love it when these characters go into a relationship with no intent to actually gain any feelings when inevitably you know they are going to end up together. Examples include: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

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The one bad boy who is secretly misunderstood or once he actually opens up is loving and sweet despite his appearance or reputation. Examples include: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

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When seemingly out of no where the friend stabs the main character in the back. I especially love it when it comes out of no where and really shocks me! Examples include: Red Sister by Mark Lawrence

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Reviews

Ace of Shades Review

August 19, 2019August 21, 2019by amyleighreads1 Comment

*A few Spoilers*

30238163 Loved it!

Ace of Shades follows the story of Enne Salta who has made her way to the city of New Reynes nicknamed the City of Sin to find her mother. She has been missing for the last month and has left Enne a letter with the name of a man of might be able to help her, Levi Glaisyer.

I really enjoyed Enne’s character and the growth she shows over the course of the storyline. She starts off very naive and unsure of herself, very prim and proper and eventually becomes Séance, the badass gang lord who has defeated the Shadow Game. She’s very self-aware and almost unapologetic in terms of who she is and how she conducts herself. She isn’t the cliché damsel in distress in need of rescuing, she takes on the city head on and will do just about anything to find out where her mum is.

I loved Levi! He is one of my new favorite male protagonists. He is a very complex character and I loved seeing all of the different sides of him come out during the plot. He has the persona of the Iron Lord and has to be the strong, resolute and almost cruel at all times, yet he has so many doubts and guilt and he is being pulled in all these different directions.

The romance was a little bit of a slow burn, it was obvious right from the start that they would get feelings for each other because they were thrown together so quickly. I thought they complimented each other quite well and I loved the banter between them.

I thought the magic system was quite unique and very interesting. Having the different families with different abilities and having split abilities depending on your heritage I found very clever. I like that in this world you’re limited by who your family is; it makes it simple to understand and also adds an element of mystery if someone doesn’t know who their mother or father is.

I liked that the book spanned the 10 days that Levi’s debt was due. This format enabled the plot to really go in depth on what the characters were doing at every moment of the day; all the mundane actives that would otherwise be overlooked had the story been longer. This really helped me form a connection to the characters and made me a lot more invested in the story.

All in all I really loved this book! From all the characters, to the setting, the world building and the plot. It all really came together so well and had me intrigued and invested right from the start.

⭐️4.5/5 stars I could not put it down!

Reviews

Wilder Girls Review

August 16, 2019August 16, 2019by amyleighreads1 Comment

*Spoilers, Spoilers, Spoilers*

46129224._SY475_ Eerie!

Wilder Girls follows the perspective of two girls Hetty and Byatt who are best friends attending a boarding school in the middle of Raxter Island off the coast of Maine where around 18 months ago the Tox took over the island and started to mutate everyone; their bodies becoming sick and foreign, with things bursting out of them, bits missing. When Byatt suddenly goes missing Hetty will stop at nothing to find her and as she digs she starts to uncover secrets and discover truths that were being kept hidden.

I didn’t really find any of these characters particularly likeable, but in this context I didn’t think any of them needed to be. Hetty had her moments but overall I didn’t really gel with her character. I thought she was a little contradictory at times. She wouldn’t give Reese a chance to grieve after seeing her father killed in front of her and then when she found Byatt and it seemed like she was dead she refused to leave her. I found her a little selfish and unfeeling but it really worked for the storyline if that makes sense. These girls are only 16 and are having to make decisions that are well above their level of maturity.

With Byatt I just didn’t really form enough of a connection with her character. I think because she was taken quite early in the plot and was out of it really for the most part of the rest of the storyline I wasn’t all that invested in her personally. I was intrigued to find where they had taken her and if she was able to figure out what the Tox is and if they could be cured and that was about it.

I thought this concept was super original and highly engaging. I was definitely drawn into the storyline right from the start and was eager to read and see what would unfold. I was definitely more interested in the overall plot and trying to figure out who was behind Byatt’s disappearance and where they were taking her, whether or not the Tox could be cured and how they are going to make it out alive as opposed to the actual characters themselves.

⭐️4/5 stars Super atmospheric, eerie and a little savage!

Book Lists

5 Quotes from the last 5 books I’ve Read

August 15, 2019August 15, 2019by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment

These are five quotes that stuck with me from the last 5 books that I’ve read!

The Test by Sylvain Neuvel

“When faced with a choice, humans almost invariably seek a no-action, no-change option, even when one of the presented alternatives is quantifiably and logically more advantageous.”

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A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

“When you spend so long trapped in darkness, Lucien, you find that the darkness begins to stare back.”

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Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence

“There might not be a meaning to the world, or in it, but that does not mean that what we do has no meaning.”

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

“You are”, he says, “the absolute worst idea I’ve ever had.”

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker

“…you mess with them, you mess with us.”

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Updates

WWW Wednesday

August 14, 2019August 15, 2019by amyleighreads3 Comments

I thought I would do something different today and try the WWW Wednesday post, originally hosted by Taking in a World of Words. All you need to do is answer the three W questions below.

The three W’s are:

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Right now I am just about half way through Wilder Girls by Rory Power. I have seen this book EVERYWHERE and I just had a need to read it so I picked it up and I am definitely intrigued and curious about what is about to happen in the second half of this book! Stay tuned for a review soon!

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I just recently finished Ruckus by L.J. Shen which is the second book in the Sinners of Saint series. I’ve just been in a bit of a smutty reading mood of late and I had seen this series come up a lot on my recommended so I figured why not give them a try! I have been really enjoying the series so far, I gave the first two book 4/5 stars and I am definitely excited to continue on!

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So I am currently participating in the NEWTS Readathon and I have been a little slacking in picking up the books from my TBR, so I was thinking for my next read going with Finale by Stephanie Garber which will get me my Acceptable for Defense Against the Dark Arts. I have been highly anticipating this read for a while now and I have just been putting it off, for no particular reason. I think I am finally ready to pick this book up and finish the series and see what Stephanie Garber has in store for me!

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