book blogger – Page 199 – Amy Leigh Reads

House of Earth and Blood Review

April 13, 2020April 14, 2020by amyleighreads3 Comments

*SPOILERS BELOW*

44778083 This book killed me! Sarah J Maas really got me invested in Danika and the Pack of Devils right from the start and to then rip them away really hit me in the feels. Especially Connor, oh my poor heart!

Bryce is a half elf half human who works as an antiquity assistant to a sorceress by day and loves to party and with her friends at night, until one fateful night when everything changes and her life is never the same again.

I absolutely loved Bryce as our main protagonist. She has had to deal with so much over the course of the storyline and even though she keeps secrets from those around her she stayed true to herself. She doesn’t compromise and is unapologetically living her life regardless of what people think about her. The overall situation with Danika was heartbreaking and the fact that all the blame was placed on Bryce and we see how it has affected her was an emotional rollercoaster.

I think it was destined for me to love Hunt, a broody, sexy angel who is a slave to the Arch Angel Governor of the city after a failed rebellion (uh duh). I like that even though he is portrayed as an alphahole he still expresses his emotions to Bryce and communicates with her about how he is feeling, albeit a little harsh at times. Their romance was obvious right from the start but I liked that even though it was apparent they were attracted to each other they didn’t give in right away. Bryce had to accept what happened in the past and come to terms with the guilt she felt over Connor and Hunt needed to realize he is able to love someone else.

It was a little info dumpy at the start of the book, especially when the world is established. It just jumps straight into the political system of Lunathion and breaks down all the different houses and factions within the houses. It was a little hard to get settled into the story, but after the first 100 or pages I was very much invested!

All of the characters were distinct and diverse and all had a part to play in the overall plot. Fury I was a little unsure of after learning how she ghosted Bryce for the two years after the murder and I felt she never really apologized for it. I would love to get more perspectives from her in the future as she interests me!

From that first twist at the start I wasn’t able to predict anything that was going to happen next. The forced partnership between Bryce and Hunt, the investigation, the revelations, everything came together perfectly for me and even though it was over 800 pages I flew through this book!

⭐️5/5 Through love, all is possible.

Reviews

The Crown’s Fate Review

April 10, 2020April 9, 2020by amyleighreads1 Comment

27211901._SY475_ Vika is still coming to terms with her new position as the Imperial Enchanter and what that role now entails, Nikolai though he has escaped death is trapped in his dream world as a shadow and is trying to find a way back to reality and Pasha is struggling with the decisions he has made that has led them all to this moment.

Once again I found Pasha to be totally out of touch. He wallows in self pity after forcing the end of the game thus resulting in Nikolai’s death. He knew one of them wouldn’t survive and now he wants to mourn Nik but still try and pursue Vika after everything that happened. He repeatedly blows off all his responsibilities to go and get drunk and his sister has to step up and make all the decisions. I never really trusted Yuliana, for some reason I thought she would end up backstabbing Pasha and would try to take the crown for herself. I like that she proved me wrong and supported and maintained her loyalty to her brother.

Vika really showed her tenacity in this book with her refusal to fully comply with Pasha and Yuliana’s orders. The gold cuff that enforces her oath was a surprising obstacle that forced Vika to really think outside of the box to try and circumvent some of the more terrible orders Yuliana metes out. Though she always maintains her loyalty to the crown I appreciated how much she does to try and save Nikolai and doesn’t dismiss their history.

Nikolai’s character definitely experiences a monumental character shift. I was so glad that he didn’t die and I thought it was interesting how he became a shadow and the use of energy to bring him back to the world. I thought it was a nice tie back to his mother and the way she was able to escape death as well. I can’t say I enjoyed this new side of Nikolai after his is given his mother’s energy however; it was entertaining as it made him quite unpredictable.

The tone of the book was definitely a lot darker that the previous book which I appreciated. It showed a progression of the characters and added a layer of urgency to the plot. There is something about Russian settings and the atmosphere that just seem so magical and the traditional lore that makes an appearance raises the level of authenticity. The pacing increased progressively which kept me highly engaged throughout the course of the storyline and the ending even though it was a little anticlimactic gave me all the feels!

⭐️4/5 stars Magical, surprising & highly entertaining!

The Currently Reading Tag

April 9, 2020April 7, 2020by amyleighreads4 Comments

I’ve seen this tag floating around a few blogs so I thought why not give it a go!

Only ever one, I have a hard time focusing if I’m in the middle of too many books.

Like I said I’m never in that position so it’s all good

Unless I misplace it when I take it out of the book I only ever use one

Usually on my bed or on my nightstand

Weekdays usually around 9pm – 10:30pm and on the weekends it’s usually around 1pm – 4pm

Depends on how I’m feeling about the book. On weeknights it’s usually only around an hour or so but on the weekends it could be anywhere from an hour to 6, I have been known to finish a book in one sitting.

Yes, I always end up damaging the dust jacket otherwise; I kind of throw my books around a lot

Laying down, either or my side on on my back!

No I will leave it in my room usually on my bed

This depends as well, usually after a sitting and I put the book down I will update my Goodreads but if I forget or am too tired to I will wait and just update when I finish the book!

happy-reading

Reviews

My Sister the Serial Killer Review

April 8, 2020April 8, 2020by amyleighreads5 Comments

38819868._SY475_ Interesting!

Basically just like the title this book is about two sisters, one who has killed her last three boyfriends and the other who helps her clean up the mess.

Korede though I can sympathise with her and the situation that she is constantly being put in by her sister, I can’t help but wish she would assert herself more in her personal life. When she is at work she has no problem issuing orders and being authoritative with the other nurse, leading to her promotion to head nurse of the hospital. But when she is at home she lets her sister and her mother walk all over her. I understand the cultural aspect where she is supposed to be her sister’s protector because she is older but Ayoola totally takes it way too far and Korede enables her to do so.

Ayoola is spoilt and selfish and very arrogant. Though she was an interesting character and I would have loved if this was a dual perspective novel to get more insight into the way she thinks. Why she decides to kill the men and when, is it just a crime of opportunity or does she plot their deaths? Though she is aware of her beauty and the effect it has on men I think she is quite cavalier with their feelings and isn’t considerate at all. Like I said she uses her influence over others to get whatever she wants despite the consequences. I think it just irked me that after everything that her sister has done for her she still goes after Tate even though she knows Korede has feelings for him.

The pacing was fast and consistent and I was highly entertained throughout the course of the storyline. This felt like a little slice of life story with an added twist of murder. The tone was quite dark and disturbing at times and then it will flip and be quite light and innocuous, which I feel ties quite relatively to Ayoola’s mood. There was a undercurrent of fear and a sense of urgency woven throughout the course of the plot that definitely kept me engaged and intrigued.

⭐️3/5 stars this was wild!

Top Ten Tuesdays

Books I Borrowed Because of the Hype

April 7, 2020July 11, 2020by amyleighreads10 Comments

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is books I bought/borrowed because of the hype. I thought this week I would showcase all of the library books I have borrowed over the last year because they are so hyped. I have definitely been making a conscious decision to try and borrow the books instead of purchasing them in case I don’t actually end up liking them and wasting my money.

So these are 10 books I have borrowed from my local library because of the hype:

Save the Date by Morgan Matson – this wasn’t exactly the book it was more so because of the author.

If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio – not as well known as some other books but enough for me to pick this up!

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid – the most hyped book of 2019

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan – After the movie came out it seemed like everyone read the books so of course I had to as well

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang – I seen a lot of people reading this book at one point so I had to borrow and read it as well.

Red Sister by Mark Lawrence – I needed a new fantasy series to get stuck into and this one was very hyped on book tube

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng – Another book that at one point it seemed like absolutely everyone read and loved

The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary – this book was promoted everywhere at one stage and I heard a few good reviews so I thought why not

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern – when she announced The Starless Sea everyone seemed to lose their minds, I knew this style wouldn’t gel with me but I succumbed and had to give it a read

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow – same as previously, portal fantasy isn’t really a sub-genre I enjoy but the hype got to me

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