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Reviews

The Demon King Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on The Demon King Review

51pw2+dye+l__sx331_bo1,204,203,200_This was fantastic!

We follow multiple perspectives in this series. Han is a reformed thief and is struggling to put food on the table for his mother and younger sister. Raisa is princess heir to the throne, who has just returned to court after 3 years being fostered in the mountain clans.

I loved these characters!!! They are all so different and distinctive and multifaceted. Han in particular I really enjoyed. You can really see his commitment to his sister through every action that he takes. He has given up being the street lord of the Raffers and is trying his hardest to stay out of the streets and their grudges. I found him to be quite a refreshing male protagonist. He is very sure of himself when he is navigating the streets and when he has to get out of a fight, but when it comes to choosing what he wants to do in the future, he is coming up short. Everyone else seems to be on the right path but what is his path?

I appreciated Raisa’s character but she still kind of got on my nerves a little in this book, very naïve and a little manipulative to be honest. She was always saying that she wants to be informed with what’s going on in the kingdom and doesn’t want to be a glittering ornament in a cage, but when she knew something was happening or something wasn’t right she never acted on it. Right at the start when they nearly got caught in the fire the wolves appeared to warn her and she had a feeling something bad was going to happen but she never said anything. Then right at the end when he mother summoned her she knew something bad was going to happen but just walked right into it. That really frustrated me, but I still understand that it helped to drive the plot forward I only hope she evolves in the coming books.

I love the fact that every single character has a purpose in the book, and they all have a particular story or plotline that keeps them relevant. Also the different settings in the book kept me interested in the plot. I love the Clan and their way of life, I found myself really intrigued by their magical abilities and their status within the kingdom.

The pacing was very well done and the writing was very engaging. I found I couldn’t put the book down once I started! This really has everything that I love about fantasy, a unique premise, an intriguing plotline and dynamic characters. I have a good feeling about this series and I really hope the next books live up to my expectations!!

⭐️5/5 LOVED IT!

Reviews

The Handmaid’s Tale Review

by amyleighreads3 Comments on The Handmaid’s Tale Review

9781784708238I’m having mixed emotions…

We follow the story of a woman named Offred. She is a Handmaid in the newly established Republic of Gilead. It’s set in I would say the not too distant future, where a declining birth rate has forced a coup of the American government and Gilead was formed. Handmaids are assigned to a Commander and their sole purpose is to once a month have a special ‘ceremony’ with the commander and his wife and have their baby for them.

If I had not seen TV show first I think I would have been very confused by this book. There isn’t quite a set structure to it. We read solely from Offred’s point of view however, it jumps quite a lot from past to present and their isn’t a whole lot of information given about what is happening.

I love Offred’s commentary though. I found her to be very antagonistic without trying to be if that makes sense. She does her due diligence and she doesn’t complain outright to anyone but from her tone and the way she expresses herself you can tell that she yearns for her old life.

I was left feeling quite unfulfilled with this book. The ending was quite abrupt and didn’t really wrap anything up or answered any questions. In a way I guess it maintains the narrative that in this world you don’t get any answers and you just have to kind of accept that this is how life is now.

I think what I didn’t really enjoy about the book was that everything happened too quickly. They moved from scene to scene and didn’t really delve too deep into the world. Had the book had maybe another 100 pages or so I think I may have been able to form more of a connection to the characters and been more settled in the plot.

The foundations are there but I feel like so much more could have been done with this premise. It was a little too bleak for me personally and there wasn’t enough action or intrigue to keep me invested enough.

⭐️3/5 Premise was interesting and unique, the book wasn’t.

Reviews

Legendary Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Legendary Review

81unYzab9VLI am pleasantly surprised.

In this sequel we actually follow the perspective of Donatella. Caraval has just ended and Scarlett is still figuring out everything she thought she knew was a lie. Tella has to worry about trying to keep her sister from finding out the real truth why they are at Caraval. An unknown ‘friend’ she has been corresponding with actually set up the whole thing and now wants payment for her actions. Legend has announced a new Caraval mere days after the last in honour of the Empress’s birthday and Tella has to win it in order to get what she needs.

I didn’t like Tella in the last book. I think because I didn’t have enough time to form a bond with her. We really only have a few scenes with her at the start and then at the end and I thought she was a bit spoilt and arrogant. However, in this instalment everything is explained and I finally think I understand her. Love for her family is what really propels her forward, that and I think a little bit of the second child syndrome where you want to prove everyone wrong. She is very single-minded and won’t stop until she achieves what she needs to.

I love that we get more of a backstory not only to Scarlett and Donatella’s lives but also Caraval and the Fates. I thought that was an interesting element and the way that it ties to all of them kept me intrigued throughout the book. There is definite growth in terms of the magical element and why Legend is so powerful and what kind of magic he has, which I appreciated! I thought they kind of skated over that part in the last book and I found it quite lacking.

I thought the setting was very whimsical. The castle really brought about a kind of fairy-tale vibe but was also quite ominous at the same time. I get the same dark and mysterious tones in this book and there was a sense of urgency weaved throughout the plotline as the book progressed! It was very fast paced which I enjoy. The countdown of the days and Tella’s heart really kept me invested in the book and required me to continue to read.

The mystery aspect around Legend and who he could possibly be was also a plot point I really enjoyed. Even from the first book I like how they kept his identity a secret and absolutely no one would give a straight answer as to who he was. We definitely get more about him in this book and are able to really pin point a few characters that he could be. I had a feeling about who he might be but alas I was incorrect. I did like the fact that he is finally unmasked and we know for sure who he is, but also is it for real or is it just another act?

⭐️4.5/5 Finally a sequel I enjoyed more than the first book, hasn’t happened in a while!

Book Lists

5 Fantasy Stand Alones

by amyleighreads3 Comments on 5 Fantasy Stand Alones

These are a few of my favourite fantasy stand alones! I think most of these are great if you aren’t an avid fantasy reader, to get you started and to dip your toes into the genre. Fantasy is my absolute favourite and I don’t get around to reading a lot of stand-alones in the genre but what I have read I have loved!

Graceling by Kristin Cashore – I get that there are two more books in this world but I believe they are just companion novels, so I am counting this as a stand-alone. I loved this book. The premise alone I found to be very interesting and I loved how it was executed! Katsa is one of my favourite female protagonists and I loved her arc throughout this story.

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To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo – This book surprised me a little bit! I picked it up on a whim and thought it was going to be a little dry (lol) but I actually really enjoyed the storyline. The pace was very well done, I thought the premise was unique and the kind of hate to love romance trope is one of my favourites so I really liked this!

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Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson – I was highly entertained throughout the course of this book! I loved Mila and her commentary in this book was very witty and kind of snarky which I like in a female protagonists. Overall I think it was her desire to find out the truth and her stop at nothing nature that really captured my attention and ensnared me!

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The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw – Dark and atmospheric, I really enjoyed this book as well. The premise I found to be very unique and the twist at the end did really surprise me! I didn’t see it coming and I felt like the execution was very well done.

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The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon – Even though this is a fairly new read I had to put it on the list! An epic fantasy book of over 1000 pages I’m sure it is intimidating to the average person. However, I found it to be an incredibly fast engaging read. The world is vast, the characters are diverse and the magic system is unique. Everything I love about fantasy this book really captured!

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Updates

The Seven Realms Series

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Seven Realms Series

IMG_3250I am beyond excited that I am finally getting around to reading this series!!! When I got back into reading about 4 or 5 years ago now I did a lot of research on fantasy series and what was highly rated and The Seven Realms series popped up on a lot of lists of people’s all time favourite fantasy series! They are all pretty lengthy books and I am so ready to dive into a new world full of hopefully diverse characters and a unique magic system with a lot of action and adventure thrown in the mix. I’ve heard nothing but great things about Cinda Williams Chima and her writing so I am already fully invested in these books!

Happy Reading📚