Tag: book review

Reviews

The Bear and the Nightingale Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on The Bear and the Nightingale Review

9781101885956

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!

Reviews

With the Fire on High Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on With the Fire on High Review

*A COUPLE OF SPOILERS*

38739562I really enjoyed this book!

With the Fire on High follows the story of Emoni who absolutely loves to cook and ever since she got pregnant in freshman year it has become a way to escape the harsh realities of her life. Having to make so many tough decisions and being on the verge of so many changes has started to take a toll on her and she uses the kitchen to let all of that go.

I really loved Emoni’s character. She truly felt like a 17 year old who has had to grow up at such a young age but still hasn’t fully matured.  I thought her character was very realistic and the challenges and obstacles that she has to overcome throughout the book I thought was a great representation of what teen mothers have to endure in the real world. I could only imagine how tough that sort of situation would be and I really thought she handled it as best she could. I like that she made mistakes and spread herself too thin and wasn’t a perfect model character. She doubted herself constantly but overall it was the health and well-being of Emma that took precedent over everything.

I loved Abuela’s character as well. It was nice that Emoni touched on many times throughout the book how much she appreciated and loved her grandmother and the sacrifice she has had to make in order to raise Emoni and Emma. I liked that she took a stand and she gave herself that time at ‘the doctors’ to have to herself even though she had to deceive Emoni. And I appreciated that Emoni respected her enough to not dig into her grandmothers business and just accepted that she needed space from them.

Overall I thought this was a very well balanced book. There was definitely times when Emoni was at her absolute lowest point and then we see her at bounce back and make it to graduation and decide how she is going to live her life.  I thought the book was very diverse and had a variety of characters that were all very multicultural and multifaceted. The addition of the recipes I thought was a fantastic touch. It really showed how little Emoni actually stuck with a traditional recipe and just went with her gut.

This was a highly anticipated read for me and I didn’t look too much into it before I started reading and I was very surprised with the direction the book went with

⭐️4/5 stars fresh, fast paced, realistic and touching!

Reviews

The Flatshare Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Flatshare Review

41436031._SY475_Tiffany has just recently been dumped by her boyfriend and is in dire need for a place to stay. Funds are short and in a moment of desperation she decided to accept a flatshare with a man she has never met before. From the times of 9am – 6pm Leon has the flat and the rest of the time it’s all hers.

I thought this was such a unique concept! Sharing your life and bed with someone you have never met at different times of the day. I enjoyed all the rules that Tiffany had to comply with and the fact that Leon’s girlfriend was adamant that he was not to meet Tiffany. Gradually coexisting quite well together and getting to know each other through the notes was incredibly cute and highly engaging for me.

I originally thought it was going to this fluffy little contemporary romance that would be a nice palate cleanser for me but the book actually went in an explored some deeper tones that I was not expecting. Case in point was the whole evolution of Tiffy realizing that her ex-boyfriend wasn’t who she thought he was and the way he was manipulating and gas-lighting her throughout the course of their relationship. There was times when I would get so frustrated with how much she would be swayed by him but then just thinking of how for two years she has been second guessing herself and being manipulated by this sociopath who wants to own her basically. I thought she clawed her way out of his clutches so well and I was so glad that she decided to get help and figure out what was happening.

I like the way Leon’s perspective was formatted throughout the book. It really went a ways in demonstrating how little he actually talks and the weight of his thoughts and how he expressed himself. We really see him come out of his shell in the book and get a look into his mind and how he manages to process everything that is changing around him. Leaving his girlfriend after realizing he wasn’t in love with her and developing feelings for Tiffy before he even really met her and dealing with all of the drama with his brother and understanding how much it means to him that people think he’s innocent.

I love that Tiffy and Leon are such contrasting characters that somehow mesh so well together. It was a little insta-lovey I will admit but there was so much back and forth between them that it seemed inevitable really.

It was never easy for Tiffy and Leon at any stage of the book which made me appreciate the ending so much more. It did tie together a little conveniently but at that point I was beyond caring and just was so invested in these characters and the story that I loved every minute of it!

⭐️4.5/5 stars almost perfect!

Reviews

The Poet X Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Poet X Review

y648This was wonderful!

The Poet X follows the story of Xiomara (X) who has had her guard up her entire life. Ever since she developed curves living in her Harlem neighborhood she has had to literally use her fists and fight for her right to be heard.

I loved the concept of this book and the way it was formatted. I think this was the first time that I read a book that was written entirely in verse and even though there wasn’t as many words on the page I feel that I got more of a grasp of the story and X’s feelings through the way she expressed herself in her poems. It really painted a picture in my mind of what X had to deal with on a daily basis and how through her passion for writing and poems she was finally able to find her voice.

X is such a relatable character. I can see so many young girls picking this book up and seeing themselves reflected in the words being written. There is a real feeling of isolation for many young girls out there that X evoked so well throughout the course of the book. It honestly brought me back to my own teenage years and had me reflecting on how I felt at that time of my life.

Even though it was a relatively short book there was a lot of growth shown in all of the characters. At the start X seems really angry with the world and almost resents being a girl and is jealous of her brother even though she is the strong one who always fights for him. She subtly softens throughout the course of the plot line and even though she has to endure so much through her mother and her religious beliefs she really comes out of the other side stronger and more at peace with herself.

It was really fascinating to see the way that something as innocent as writing down your innermost feelings in poems and kissing a boy on the subway could be construed as such a shameful act that literally brought Xiomara’s whole world down around her. I would have liked to see her brother stand up for her a little more seeing as how she was his protector for so many years, especially since her mother loves him so much. But I can understand why, he also had this whole other life that he was trying to protect for himself and he didn’t want to have that exposed like how X’s was. I just felt like she took most of the brunt of her mother’s wrath and he could of lessened it a lot more had he said something.

I adored this book, I loved the diversity of the characters, the setting, the concept, it all really come together beautifully into what I think is a compulsory read for everyone!

⭐️5/5 A MUST Read!!!

Reviews

Vow of Thieves Review

by amyleighreads3 Comments on Vow of Thieves Review

*THERE ARE A FEW SPOILERS*

34196663Absolutely loved this!

Vow of Thieves continues on about a month after the ending of Dance of Thieves. Kazi and Jase are on their way back to Tor’s Watch to let everyone know that the Ballenger’s will no longer be outlaws, they will be recognized as the First Kingdom in the Empire. However, a warning they receive on the journey forces them to rush back and they are ambushed on the road before they enter town.

I really love the direction the plot went. I assumed all of the conflict in the book was going to be between Kazi and the family trying to rebuild the trust that was broken at the end of Dance of Thieves, but I enjoyed this storyline so much more! Straight off the bat Jase and Kazi are thrust apart after being together constantly and are fighting tirelessly to be reunited all while trying to topple the King and reassert their power over Tor’s Watch.

All of the torture and imprisonment that Kazi had to deal with over the course of the book and still not break and relent was an amazing feat. She really proved how committed and in love she is with Jase after she assumed he was dead and to still stuck around and complied with the Kings’ demands in order to save the kids. She endured so much and come out of it still swinging which I love about her!

Jase also really proved his commitment to Kazi above all else. I really thought for a minute that he would focus on overthrowing the King and assuming his Patrei role but he was insistent upon getting better in order to go and find Kazi. The level of dedication he has for her over his family as the Patrei and the wrath he shows when he finds out they handed her over to the King was wonderful to read. You can really see the depth of his love for her and just the way that he expresses that to his family in his rage really encompasses everything that they’ve dealt with thus far. That was a really pivotal moment in the book for me, and the remorsefulness and guilt that they show after the fact proves to me that they are a real family and would do anything for their own.

This book was really a roller coaster from start to finish. Usually with political fantasy I get bored easily and loose interest but the amount of action and intrigue packed into this storyline really grabbed my attention and was highly engaging throughout the course of the book. There was some really touching and emotional moments spattered throughout the plot as well that tugged at my heartstrings and even brought a tear to my eye. I absolutely loved this book and this duology in my opinion really built on the foundation that the Remnant Chronicles forged and just surpassed it!

⭐️5/5 stars AMAZING 100% RECOMMEND