⭐️5 star predictions Update⭐️

Around this time last year I made a post about 10 books that I thought would be 5 stars so this is my update! I had high hopes last year when I made this list and unfortunately I haven’t had a chance to read them all.. I already only read 3 out of the 10 (yikes lol). I will very much be prioritising the other 7 books this year as I do think they will still be 5 stars!

Act your age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert – 5/5 stars LOVED IT

Witchshadow by Susan Dennard – 3/5 stars Disappointing!

The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence – 2/5 stars Underwhelming

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Book’s I’ve Read that I didn’t Review

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is books too good to review properly. Since I’ve started this blog I’ve got a habit now of reviewing all the books I read, however there are some circumstances where I just either don’t have enough to say about the book, I’ve already done heaps of reviews that month and didn’t feel a need to post another one or it was a smutty romance. So these are 10 books I have read since starting my blog 4 years ago that I didn’t post a review for!

Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski

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Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray & Barbed Wired and Cherry Blossoms by Anita Heiss

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Famine by Laura Thalassa

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Well Met by Jen DeLuca

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The Language of Thorns; Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo

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Burn by Patrick Ness

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Anna K: A Love Story by Jenny Lee

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Queen of the Conquered by Kacen Callender

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The Night Country by Melissa Albert

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Queen of Volts Review

*Series Finale Spoilers*

Return to the City of Sin, where the perilous final game is about to begin…The players? Twenty-two of the most powerful, most notorious people in New Reynes. With no choice but to play, Enne and Levi are desperate to forge new alliances and bargain for their safety. But any misstep could turn deadly when a far more dangerous opponent appears on the board — one plucked straight from the city’s most gruesome legends. While Levi hides behind a mask of false promises, Enne is finally forced out from behind hers and as the game takes its final, vicious turn, these two must decide once and for all whether to be partners or enemies.

Enne honestly didn’t really do anything that blew me away in this final instalment to the series. She definitely goes on a roller coaster ride of emotions and self discovery throughout the course of the plot but I can’t say she was my favourite of the characters. When she was at her worst and was about to shoot Justin really soured her for me, Lola was her first and best friend and she was really about to kill him in front of everyone because she wanted to rush out and be a hero. I can understand she was very much in danger of being lynched by the people for being the last Mizer but some of the actions she took to get what she wants rubbed me the wrong way. I wish she just would of been more honest with everyone (especially Levi).

Levi also felt a bit lost for me in this book, thinking back he didn’t really do anything that is jumping out at me. Sure he was preoccupied with dealing with his emotions about Jac and how that translates for his obvious love for Enne but in terms of the new shadow game he wasn’t really a major factor in figuring out how to beat Bryce. I appreciated how the story kind of came full circle and it had to be him and Enne in the end who had to kill the Bargainer and how he has had to re-evaluate everything now that he is stuck in New Reynes.

I feel like all of the side characters really stole the show in this book. Lola making a bargain and finding out the truth about Enne and her heritage was a great twist. I like the fact that we see Lola on the outs with Enne and form a connection with Arabella because of it and how that plays out. Sophia trying to gain back the knowledge of what her side magic and inadvertently making friends with Poppy and Delaney. I liked their dynamic and it was easy to differentiate between them. Narinder I totally forgot he even existed but I was glad that he was able to influence Harvey and get him out from Bryce’s spell.

To be completely honest I forgot who Bryce was so the fact that he was the architect behind everything in this whole series didn’t make an impact on me at all. He obviously didn’t make enough of an impression on me when I read the last two books that I must of thought he was insignificant which I don’t know if that was purposely done by Amanda Foody or it’s just been too long since I read the other books. I feel like because that connection with him wasn’t there I didn’t really feel like his reasonings behind everything was enough. I do like the way everything was explained though and I wasn’t left with any questions but in the end it just felt a pointless to me.

⭐️3/5 stars A little anticlimactic for me

5 Diverse Books I want to read in 2022

For the last couple of years I’ve been 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 2022!

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry

Vicious Spirits by Kat Cho

The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

The Wicker King by K. Ancrum