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Book Lists

Author I’ve Read the Most of in 2018

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Author I’ve Read the Most of in 2018

So I was scrolling through my Goodreads and I realised that there is one author who without a doubt I have read the most of this year and that is Sarah J Maas. I only really discovered her books through Booktube as they are highly popular and people love to review her work. To be honest I felt a little bit out of the loop as so many people talk about her books and the characters and who they ship and I had no idea what anyone was talking about so I had to pick them up and see what the deal was. I’ve found that a lot of people either don’t enjoy a majority of her books/characters or they completely love them. I think I’m a part of the love them side as the average rating I’ve given for all her books is around 4/5 stars which is pretty high for one author! 

All of the Sarah J Maas books I’ve read this year includes:

The ACOTAR Series – A Court of Thorns and Roses ⭐️4/5 stars, A Court of Mist and Fury ⭐️5/5 stars, A Court of Wings and Ruin ⭐️4/5 stars and A Court of Frost and Starlight ⭐️3/5 stars

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The Throne of Glass Series – Throne of Glass ⭐️4/5 stars, Crown of Midnight ⭐️4/5 stars, Heir of Fire ⭐️4/5 stars, Queen of Shadows ⭐️4/5 stars, Empire of Storms ⭐️4/5 stars, The Assassins Blade ⭐️4/5 stars, Tower of Dawn ⭐️5/5 stars and Kingdom of Ash ⭐️5/5 stars

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 I don’t really go into books to analyse and critique every single detail or plot point. I want an interesting premise with a entertaining storyline and unique, diverse characters in a fantasy setting. Which is exactly what Sarah J Mass gave me every time and I really enjoyed my journey.

Happy Reading📚

Reviews

In the Afterlight Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on In the Afterlight Review

Book_3_CoverKind of just meh.

I’ve finally come to the conclusion of this series and I’m a little disappointed to be quite honest. I didn’t really enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

Ruby and the remaining few who survived the attack at Los Angeles travel north to the ranch to meet up with Cate and regroup. With Clancy in tow under Ruby’s control for now, she unites with Cole to somehow try to save all the kids that are still under lock and key in the camps.

I found Ruby to be very unlikeable in this last book. Every decision she made and every time she sided with Cole over Liam just grated my nerves. Every time Liam, Vida or Chubs would confront her about keeping secrets and making plans with Cole without their input she would always deflect and say they wouldn’t be able to understand. I get that her heart is in the right place and she does genuinely want to save the children but she just really rubbed me the wrong way throughout the course of the storyline.

I did like how we have the meeting between Vida and Zu and how Vida is jealous that Ruby has kind of forgotten about Jude. I did say in the last book that I thought Jude kind of felt like a replacement Zu to me. But I like that we gradually see them grow closer and how Vida helps Zu gain the confidence to speak again. That was a touching moment.

All of the maneuvering and scheming at the ranch was kind of slow paced to me. It wasn’t as engaging and exciting as I expected it to be. I wanted more action and adventure and a grand scheme that is slowly orchestrated with several layers and manipulations involved. It kind of just felt like they didn’t know what they were doing half the time and a lot kind of happened outside of the ranch that we don’t get to see. It’s a lot of reactions and emotional turmoil and it was a little boring.

I did like that the ending wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows that there is still progress to be made in the world but for now they were safe and together. I’m happy that Ruby gave Clancy the chance to live a normal life especially after everything that he’s been through.

⭐️3/5 a bit too slow paced and not enough flair, kind of average for me

Reviews

They Both Die at the End Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on They Both Die at the End Review

*Spoilers Obviously*

they both dieThis was so tragically beautiful, I definitely got emotional.

I really enjoyed this book. I was a little sceptical and hesitant going in because when a book is just super hyped for me I find myself not wanting to like it for some reason. But lo and behold I loved it! It was witty and effervescent and even though you have this event looming over their head it doesn’t become too dark and macabre.

We follow the perspectives of Mateo and Rufus and they live in a near futuristic world where they are able to pinpoint the day that someone is going to die. Mateo and Rufus have both just received their calls that they are going to die sometime within the next 24 hours and we join them as they make their way through their final day.

Mateo and Rufus as the two main protagonists in the book were wonderful. I like how they complement each other and grow this bond over the course of the day and finally bloom into this relationship they both needed. I like that we are given a backstory for each of them and we see how they eventually make contact through the app, I thought it was very up to date and connected to the present.

I also enjoyed that we get a multitude of small different perspectives from people throughout the book and we see little by little how they all link back to Mateo and Rufus. I thought it was very well done and it really helped to expand the world outside of the two boys and how everything seemed destined to happen the way it did.

The concept of the book is so unique and interesting; it did have me invested from the start. It was also a very fast paced book that I found quite easy to read. Knowing what was going to eventually happen really kept the stakes high and kept me turning the pages. I found myself towards the end trying to predict how they were going to die. The foreshadowing was definitely there but it was subtle enough that you didn’t notice until the very end and then everything comes flooding back to you. It was not pandering in any way and kept true to the concept. I thought for a second one of them might get miraculously saved and I’m happy that wasn’t the case.

⭐️4.5/5 stars I loved it, it was different, it was unique and the fact that we are not given a happy ending really topped it off for me.

Updates

Two Dark Reigns

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Two Dark Reigns

IMG_2066I am soooo glad I finally have my hands on this book! Ever since I read One Dark Throne and Three Dark Crowns earlier this year I have been highly anticipating this read! There were so many unanswered questions at the end of the last book and I honestly cannot wait to get stuck right in and see what will happen next. This series is super atmospherical and is quite dark. I think Arsinoe is definitely my favourite of the sisters, I just found her to be the most relatable of the three. I am very much invested in the characters and the premise of the series as a whole is creative and captivating. I am very excited to get stuck in to Two Dark Reigns and see what Kendare Blake has in store for us next!

Happy Reading📚

Reviews

Never Fade Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on Never Fade Review

*Not really any spoilers*

Book_2_CoverIt was just kind of ok.

Never Fade starts about 6 months after The Darkest Minds ends. Ruby has now been trained by the Children’s League and is used regularly by them to extract/torture information out of their enemies they capture.

We are given a lot of information about the league and how they operate pretty much straight out of the gate and I found myself kind of struggling to remain interested. The first half of the book was kind of boring for me and I really had to kind of force myself to keep reading, hoping that things were going to pick up.

We are introduced to some new and I think pretty integral characters to the series, mostly children who have either escaped from the camps or avoided detection and was found by the league. Vida I liked, I thought she was a good contrast to Ruby as she is so blunt and kind of overly aggressive and direct. Jude was just kind of like another Zu. He is younger than Ruby and she kind of takes him under her wing and dotes on him as she did Zu. Again, I liked these characters but I didn’t really spend enough time with them to form a bond or really care about them.

I think I just went into this book a little bit biased, as I didn’t quite like the choices Ruby made at the end of The Darkest Minds and how she has come to be in this situation now. I didn’t like that she ended up at the Children’s League and how she manipulated Liam and kind of just abandoned Chubs. We literally don’t hear about him for the first half of the book and when he finally reappears its then explained how she checked what happened after the hospital. I didn’t really feel any kind of progression from Ruby as a character for most of this book. I thought she still seemed very naïve and passive and made a lot of choices that just kind of bugged me. She second-guesses herself constantly and I just want her to assert herself and be the strong, powerful, confident character I know she can be. I see the potential there but its just lacking a bit for me at the moment.

I will still be continuing on the series as I am curious as to how it ends and I want to see some form of conclusion for Ruby, Liam and Chubs. I want to know where Alexander Bracken will take the plot from here and I still have hope that In the Afterlight will be the stand out novel of the series for me.

⭐️3/5 stars not great, not terrible just ok