Tag: book blog

Book Lists

5 Fav Books over 500 Pages

by amyleighreads6 Comments on 5 Fav Books over 500 Pages

As an avid fantasy reader most books/series are pretty long and I would say the majority are over 500 pages, so I figured why not go through my read list and pick out 5 books that I loved and would recommend that are all over 500 pages!

Red Sister by Mark Lawrence – 500 pages

The way that the story shifts and the revelations really start to come out was so well done, multiple layers of plot lines with different characters with different intentions. Convoluted fantasy books with a multitude of characters and magical elements are my favourite books of all time and this really blew me away!

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The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima – 506 pages

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.

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Dance of Thieves by Mary E Pearson – 508 pages

The actual story line was fantastic. All of the history of the town and the family and all of the secrets really kept me intrigued and eager to read on. I really made a connection with these characters and I was highly invested in their missions. I kind of didn’t want the book to end, I just wanted to keep reading and find out what’s going to happen next!

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The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss – 622 pages

 The world is huge and the magic system is unique and interesting. I fell headlong into this book when I read it last year and I still find myself thinking about it every now and then.

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The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson – 1007 pages

This book as a whole is really enrapturing and is not at all difficult to read despite its size. Sure sometimes the overwhelming number of characters can throw you at first, but its so intricately detailed and explained in a way that it all just fits together perfectly. You can really get swept up into the narrative that Brandon Sanderson has created 

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Reviews

The Girl in the Tower Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Girl in the Tower Review

51u35TlTZbL__SX327_BO1,204,203,200_The Girl in the Tower continues pretty much straight after The Bear and the Nightingale concluded. In this sequel we follow some different perspectives, Sasha and Olga who are both currently living in Moscow and we continue on with Vasya’s journey after she fled home on Solovey’s back.

I like that we get more insight into the court at Moscow and the power struggles that The Grand Prince has to deal with however, for me I am not the biggest fan of political fantasies so that element of the story kind of dragged for me.

The pace of the story started off really fast, which I enjoyed, it really sucked me right into the book. The whole mystery behind the bandits and who was behind the fires and the missing girls was intriguing and held me attention. I like that we followed Sasha’s perspective and followed his journey in finding the bandits and then when we finally got to Vasya’s perspective we had some context.

Sasha was a little up and down for me. I didn’t quite know what to feel about him. I thought he was integral to the story line but he didn’t really do anything remarkable that cemented his status for me. Sure he was a good strategist and the Grand Prince really held him in high regard but I didn’t like how he doubted Vasya at every turn. I thought since he was the closest to her at the start of the series and being a priest he would be a little less judgmental.

Olga I didn’t quite warm to in this book either. I thought she was really narrow-minded when it came to her sister and she was quite combative with her at the start. I don’t understand how she can’t just accept who Vasya is as a person, I realize she probably thought that her sister had grown out of her wild ways but upon realizing that she hasn’t I don’t get why she wouldn’t embrace her. I feel she has been molded into that one sided perspective of how a woman should behave hidden away in her tower. She is ultimately trying to protect her family but she could of used a little empathy for her younger sister.

The magical side of the story though is what really prevailed for me. We got a little further into the mystery of Vasya’s grandmother which I LOVED! That was one of my hopes that the books would delve more deeper into who Tamara is and what drove her to Moscow all those years ago. The twist with Kasyan completely blindsided me. I had a feeling he wasn’t who he made himself out to be, especially with the timing of meeting Vasya and then her being driven out of the town by bandits trying to capture her. I didn’t anticipate how much of an impact he was going to make and it was highly entertaining.

The budding romance with Vasya I didn’t like at first, however it is growing on me. I have a feeling the next book will the focus of that given the title and I’m hoping I’m not left feeling disappointed. I already have a few predictions in mind and it will be fascinating to see whether or not I’m right!

⭐️4/5 The magical/fantastical elements really saved the book for me!

TBR, Top Ten Tuesdays

🌼Spring TBR🌼

by amyleighreads11 Comments on 🌼Spring TBR🌼

This week’s Top 10 Tuesday is books on my Spring TBR. There are quite a few new releases I’m hoping to get to this spring, as well as finishing off a couple series I have started!

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo – probably my most highly anticipated new release for the second half of the year I am super excited to get stuck in!

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Supernova by Marissa Meyer – I really enjoyed Renegades & Archenemies and I am hoping Supernova is the explosive ending this series deserves!

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Girls of Storm and Shadows by Natasha Ngan – I loved Girls of Paper and Fire when I read it earlier this year so I am really eager to get stuck back into this world and see what will happen next!

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The Shattered Realms Series by Cinda Williams Chima – I absolutely LOVED the Seven Realms Series when I read it earlier in the year and I can’t wait to see whether or not my love for Cinda Williams Chima’s writing will continue on with her latest series.

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Middlegame by Seanan McGuire – I haven’t read any Seanan McGuire before and I kind of want my first book to be her latest. The plot really intrigued me and this cover is stunning so I really want to read this!

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The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware – My first and only Ruth Ware has been The Death of Mrs Westaway which was AMAZING! So I want to give her latest book a read before I dive into any of her backlist titles.

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Sadie by Courtney Summers – this book has gotten rave reviews in the last couple of years and I want to give it a read to see if the hype is justified or not!

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Reviews

Sorcery of Thorns Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Sorcery of Thorns Review

43358884._SY475_I have seen this book everywhere since it came out this year and there has been a lot of hype surrounding it so I thought why not give it a try. For some reason I had a feeling that I wasn’t going to like it and I was a little hesitant going into it. I think I’m like that with all super hyped books but once I actually started reading I was pleasantly surprised!

Elisabeth was orphaned and has grown up in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries. Her dream is become a warden of the library who protects the magical grimoires that are housed there and stops them from transforming into grotesque monsters of ink and leather.

I loved Elisabeth’s character. I thought she was very driven, inquisitive and unable to accept the narrative she has been given after the incident that drove her out of the library. She is absolutely loyal to the libraries and her relationship she has with the books was really respectful and loving. She is a true daughter of the library and I like that ultimately that relationship was a integral in saving the day.

Nathaniel I wasn’t sure about at the start. I didn’t know where his loyalties lie and sometime the things he said were a little cringey to be honest. But he really grew on me over the course of the story. Once we really got into his family history and the relationship between him and Silas and how they are connected was really unique and interesting and I started to develop a connection to him.

I actually think I liked Silas the most of all the characters. He has always reinforced the fact that he isn’t a good person and if he was released he won’t help/save them and the only reason he sacrificed himself was to negotiate a better contract. The fact that he remained constant throughout the story and exhibited moments of good even though me maintains he’s not was intriguing to me. I knew based on how much we learn about him and his connection to the Thorn family that he would play an integral role in the plot and I was correct.

The whole premise and concept of the book was really refreshing and original to me. I liked the build up of mystery and the many twists and turns the plot goes through. I world was rich with culture and I just loved that it’s based around these great libraries. The magical element I thought was nicely defined and there were limitations to what certain families were capable of because of the demons that they were tied to.

All in all I thought this was a solid, interesting, fantastical tale based around magical books and sorcery. The pacing was pretty good, there a section in the middle that I found a little slow and then I felt the last 100 or so pages were a little rushed but overall I highly enjoyed my read.

⭐️4/5 stars fantastical, adventurous, demonic!

Reviews

The Bear and the Nightingale Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on The Bear and the Nightingale Review

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I’ve done it! I’ve been picking up and putting down this book for over half a year now and I have finally completed it!

The Bear and the Nightingale follows the tale of a girl called Vasilisa who lives in the Russian wilderness. She was a peculiar girl who was wild and untamed and liked to while away her hours in the forest talking to sprites and horses. Her family doesn’t understand her and the village folk whispered that she was a witch.

I actually ended up really enjoying the read. I didn’t quite know what I was getting into when I picked it up but I knew there were great reviews for it and I was intrigued. It really reminded me of the old Hans Christening Anderson fairy tales and it almost felt nostalgic in a way, like I’ve heard the story before but had forgotten it.

I absolutely loved Vasilisa’s character. I loved how stubborn and set she is in her ways, and how she rejects the traditional path of being a woman. She doesn’t want to be some man’s mare and get ridden out to pasture in some great house bequeathing children. She is wild and free and loved her family dearly. She will stop at absolutely nothing to ensure that they will survive the winter!

I thought the pacing was a little too slow for my personal tastes. The start especially when Pyotr goes to Russia I felt wasn’t really necessary for me to know. I was more interested in learning more about the Morovoi and what kind of magic Vasilisa inherited from her grandmother. I suppose there was a lot of context learnt that would probably spring up in the next two book but it kind of bored me a little to be honest.

I kind of liked how macabre it was. Katherine Arden didn’t shy away from actually killing people off and showing the consequences of a harsh winter/dry summer. There was a lot of death in this book and it made the stakes a lot higher knowing that there was the possibility that these characters would be susceptible to dying.

I just have so many questions coming away after finishing this book. Who was Vasilisa’s grandmother before she came to Russia?  Why does the Winter King help Vasilisa? What will happen to Father Konstantin, will he be held accountable? I’m sure all of my questions will hopefully be answered in the rest of the series and I am excited to continue on and see where the books will go next!

⭐️4/5 stars Whimsical, compelling and frosty!