book blogger – Page 159 – Amy Leigh Reads

Lightbringer Review

January 27, 2021January 26, 2021by amyleighreads1 Comment

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Queen Rielle, pushed away from everything she loves, turns to Corien and his promises of glory. Meanwhile, whispers from the empirium slowly drive her mad, urging her to open the Gate. In the future, Eliana arrives in the Empire’s capital as a broken shell of herself. Betrayed and abandoned, she fights to keep her power at bay—and away from Corien, who will stop at nothing to travel back in time to Rielle, even if that means destroying her daughter. But when the mysterious Prophet reveals themselves at last, everything changes, giving Rielle and Eliana a second chance for salvation—or the destruction their world has been dreading.

I am once again torn by Rielle’s character and her arc throughout the course of this series. I hated her in the last book and honestly didn’t think she deserved any kind of redemption but the way her storyline played out in this finale surprised me but also left me feeling satisfied. She made a decision at a crucial point in time and finally was able to free herself from Corien’s grasp and see clearly for the first time in a while. She definitely succumbed to the temptation of her powers and did evil things but looking back she definitely was coerced for the majority of the time and she paid the price for it eventually giving up a future with her daughter.

Eliana again I enjoyed her plotline so much more than her mothers. She is definitely put through the ringer in this book, having to endure that torture from Corien for months and months. She has so much put on her shoulders and in the end has to blindly follow the words from a mysterious prophet to stop herself from going mad. Her strength and stoicism is really displayed and her loyalty and trust wavered so much that I was just gripped.

Simon really put me through it. From his betrayal in the last book and then being witness to the brutality that is being given to Eliana day in and day out and not reaching out to help her whatsoever really killed me. For a good majority of the book I was doubting him heavily and really thought he was completely on Corien’s side. It was the introduction of the prophet that made me pause and think maybe… and thankfully I was right! His character and the way he had to fool everyone in order to eventually save Eliana was a stroke of mastery. I really didn’t want to hate him and I was glad he got to have a bit of happiness before sending Eliana back.

There were a few twists that I predicted and there were many that took me by surprise. This book really blew open all of the storylines and wove them all back together so wonderfully. We learnt so much more about the Empirium and how it affects Rielle and why she was such a loose cannon, how seductive and all encompassing it is. I loved how the two timelines merged in the end and we see how much effect Eliana had on her mother after their failed attempt earlier in the series. The ending was just so satisfying and not the fairy tale I was expecting which was pleasantly surprising!

⭐️5/5 This was just perfection!

Top Ten Tuesdays

New to Me Authors of 2020

January 26, 2021January 12, 2021by amyleighreads17 Comments

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is new to you authors. This list is 10 authors that I read from for the first time in 2020 and I loved them enough to want to continue to pick up either their back-list or any books they may publish in the future!

Pierce Brown

Talia Hibbert

Blake Crouch

Kerri Maniscalco

Brent Weeks

S.K. Ali

Emily Henry

Tricia Levenseller

K. Ancrum

Nnedi Okorafor

Book Lists

5 Diverse Books I want to read in 2021

January 25, 2021January 24, 2021by amyleighreads3 Comments

Just like last year I’m making more of an effort to read from a variety of authors from different cultures and backgrounds or books featuring a diverse main character. These 5 books have been on my radar for a while now and are ones I really want to prioritise in 2021!

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Vicious Spirits by Kat Cho

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Morena-Garcia

The Wicker King by K. Ancrum

Reviews

The Empire of Gold Review

January 22, 2021January 22, 2021by amyleighreads1 Comment

*Spoilers Below*

Daevabad has fallen. After a brutal conquest stripped the city of its magic, Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her resurrected commander, Dara, must try to repair their fraying alliance and stabilize a fractious, warring people. Having narrowly escaped their murderous families and Daevabad’s deadly politics, Nahri and Ali, now safe in Cairo, face difficult choices of their own.

Nahri’s character remained pretty consistent throughout the course of the series, this finale was just all about finding answers to her past and how she came to be in Cairo in the first place, her parentage and why her appearance was altered. I liked the fact that even though she wanted to fly back to Daevabad and kill Dara after poisoning her brother she chose to not go through with it and actually stay and work out a plan. I feel like it definitely showed growth in her character and we see just how far she has come from stealing on the streets.

Ali in this book wasn’t as impactful to me and his storyline with the Marid’s I wasn’t as invested in to be honest. Sure he goes on this journey of discovery into the ocean and discovering his lineage with Sobec and the Marid’s but the timing just seemed too convenient to me. I did however loved watching his budding romance with Nahri and seeing how they fumble over their obstacles and smother their feelings, trying to do what’s right for Daevabad.

Dara is a tricky one. On one hand I loved the person he was when he was with Nahri I don’t like who he became when he sided with Manizeh. He became the scourge all over again and started to actually believe it. He had so many moments of clarity when he knew Manizeh wasn’t doing the right thing and seen how she was changing and yet he still stayed somewhat loyal. I would of been more on his side had he done a little more to undermine Manizeh but given his circumstances I think he did the best he could. I appreciated how his relationship with Nahri came to a close and I think he made the best of his current situation in the end.

I liked the travelling elements, I think it expanded and already pretty large world and made this series as a whole feel a lot more epic. It was nice to have a new setting and revisiting where it all began back in Cairo and seeing what might of been had Nahri and Ali stayed. I have to say I am extremely satisfied with how this series ended. I wouldn’t say it’s my new favourite book I’ve ever read but I am just left feeling content with this series as a whole.

⭐️4/5 stars this series is a MUST read!!!