Tag: Fantasy Series

Reviews

The City of Brass Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on The City of Brass Review

36215220._SY475_For some reason I didn’t think I was going to like this book, I’ve been putting it off for months and months now and I was pleasantly surprised how much I loved this book!

It follows Nahri a young woman in 18th century Cairo, who masquerades as a healer for the wealthy  but ends up stealing from them to make ends meet. During one of her ceremonies Nahri ends up inadvertently summoning a djinn, thrusting her into a magical world she didn’t believe existed.

I really liked Nahri’s character and her development over the course of the story. It was a subtle shift but we really see her become a lot more open and honest both with Dara and herself. She was a little frustrating at times, especially when she refused to see the patients and didn’t even try to listen to Nisreen about the Daeva clan and what was happening to them out in the city. I’m glad Nisreen gave it to her straight and tried to make her accountable for her actions.

I’m not a fan of how Dara kept so many secrets from Nahri and just expected her to follow him with no explanation on his part. He did become a little too possessive over her in the end there and that did grate my nerves a little. He still intrigues me a lot and I am so very much invested in his storyline, what really happened all those years ago, who freed him from his slavery and what other secrets he is hiding.

Ali’s plotIine I wasn’t as invested in as the others, I guess I am a bit more biased towards the Daeva clan than I am with his family. I appreciated that he is trying to go against his father and help the Shafit plight in the city but he gives up to easily in my opinion, and I thought he deserved the punishment he got in the end. He was completely outclassed by his father and the Sheik’s death was pretty much in vain at this point. I guess I just expected more from his character, especially since he is built up to be this feared warrior.

I loved the overall concept and the premise of the story. The world building was wonderful and highly atmospheric. I could do with a little more information about the magic system and the extent of the powers of the different clans. I can’t wait to find out this world and how each of the characters develops as the story continues!

⭐️4/5 stars I need to continue ASAP!

Reviews

Storm Front Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Storm Front Review

47212._SY475_Really enjoyed this!!!

This book is the first of a series called the Dresdan Files that has 15 books in total with another 2 being released in the near future! It revolves around a wizarding detective called Harry Dresdan in modern day Chicago and the antics he gets up to helping the police with any supernatural crimes.

This is really a cult classic that I had actually never heard of until quite recently. I’ve been trying to delve a little deeper into the fantasy genre and get around to reading some of these series that have been out and beloved by the masses. So I went into this book with my expectations quite high, and was pleasantly surprised.

Harry is one the most likeable characters ever! There is something about that him that immediately endeared him to me and I was very much attached to him right from the start. He has that leap without looking mentality which I really enjoy in our main protagonists; it makes them more spontaneous and natural in a way, more realistic. I can’t wait to find out more about his background and his education with his previous master and how that deteriorated in the books to come.

The way his two seemingly unrelated cases were entangled together and the way he uncovered the truth through his reasoning’s was highly entertaining. I had no idea what direction that plot was going to go in next and given his unpredictability I was enthralled right from the start. They way that information regarding magic and their rules and regulations was presented made sense and wasn’t overwhelming in any way.

It wasn’t the most sophisticated fantasy novel that I have ever read but it didn’t have to be. It was pure adrenaline, fast paced action with a couple of cool fighting scenes. I’ve heard Harry Dresdan is quite the gunslinger in the series and that wasn’t really highlighted at all in this book so again I’m just excited to find about more about his character and what he will get up to in the series to come!

⭐️4/5 stars it felt like an episode of Law and Order with a fantastical twist!

Top Ten Tuesdays

Reasons why I Love Fantasy Series

by amyleighreads19 Comments on Reasons why I Love Fantasy Series

This weeks Top 10 Tuesday is reason’s you love…. and today I decided to list the reasons I love fantasy series with a couple of examples!

Here are 9 reasons why I love Fantasy Series:

Picture1I loving deep diving into a new world with every fantasy novel I pick up, learning all about it and how it differs from reality.

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Picture2Magic is usually at the core of each fantasy novel/series and learning about all of the intricacies, rules and restrictions is one my favourite things about the genre!

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Picture3The characters are such a highlight in fantasy. Sometimes they are quite similar to regular human in a completely fantastical setting, other times they are a completely foreign species that we need to learn about!

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Picture5Quests are some of my favourite tropes in fiction and the fantasy genre has provided me with some of my favourites!

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Picture4Of course nothing quite beats an evil overlord of some kind that our underdog main protagonist needs to defeat. The dichotomy of good versus evil is very prevalent in fantasy and I feel it creates a bond between the reader and the characters.

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Picture6There are sooooo many different subgenres of fantasy that keep me engaged and consistently entertained! One I’ve recently been enjoying is sci-fi fantasy!

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Picture8A good romance mixed in between all of the magic and adventure is something that always keeps me coming back for more!

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Picture9There is something freeing about diving headfirst into a long, epic/high fantasy series that really helps you to escape the realities of life.

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Picture10This might seem a little trivial to some but there is something about maps in fantasy novels that I just love! It reinforces how different the world may be and definitely adds a layer of depth to the tale.

Reviews

Crystal Storm Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Crystal Storm Review

23367261Wild!

Once again we are continuing straight off where Frozen Tides concluded. Magnus and Cleo have decided to accompany King Gais to visit his mother who was thought to be dead. Jonas, Felix, Nic and Taran are sailing back to Paelsia along with Prince Ashur who was also thought to be dead.

So Lucia is warming up to me now. I like that we see her acknowledge all of her wrongdoings not only to Timotheus but to Jonas as well. Saying she deserves to die for all of the pain and devastation she has caused around Paelsia. I think her discovering she is pregnant really made her stop and think about what she was actually doing and why. I still think she is quite selfish and arrogant but that is really a cause of her upbringing, I just hope we see her mature and gain a little bit more humility in the upcoming conclusion.

Magnus and Cleo didn’t have enough moments together for me. We still see them continue to keep secrets from one another, which is causing issues in their relationship. I didn’t like the fact Cleo won’t open up to everyone and let them know she loves Magnus, I just think it shows she’s a little ashamed of her emotions and doesn’t want her friends to hate her. I think sure they might be a little disappointed, Nic in particular but if they really love her as much as they claim to, they would get over it. I enjoyed that we see Magnus be a little insecure and jealous of Cleo’s friendship with the other rebels, Jonas in particular. I just wish he would communicate his feelings to Cleo more openly instead of bottling them up.

I liked the inclusion of Selia into the plot. I thought she was intriguing and interesting characters. I loved her interactions with Cleo and I thought her devotion to her son was quite relatable, even though he’s this horrible person. When her real motives are finally revealed it was definitely a twist that I didn’t see coming!

This book was a little more stagnant compared to the previous books. The pacing is still quite fast and there are many twists and revelations that keep you invested and entertained. For a good chunk of the story all of the characters are in one place. I like that the story has kind of been centralised and all of the main players have come together and we see some of the schemes and plans come to fruition.

⭐️5/5 Ugh, they just keep getting better!

Book Lists

5 Fantasy Series I wanted to start Update

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on 5 Fantasy Series I wanted to start Update

Back in January I posted about 5 Fantasy Series that I wanted to start in 2019 and I did an updated post in May, so I decided to do one last update and see where I am at with these 5 series that I wanted start this year!

The Seven Realms Series by Cinda Williams Chima – I completed this series back in May and absolutely loved it, now one of my all-time favourite fantasy series and I am dying to start The Shattered Realms series!

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The Falling Kingdoms Series by Morgan Rhodes – I am now half way through this 6 books series. I am really, really enjoying the direction of the series so far, and it gives me serious Game of Throne vibes!

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The Witchlands Series by Susan Dennard – I have completed all four books that are currently out at the moment. This series took me by surprise; I didn’t think I was going to like it as much as I did!

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The Lightbringer Series by Brent Weeks – This series is really intimidating me for some reason. I have all four books that are out currently but I have been overlooking them for other books. I really need to priorities these books because I have heard such great things, I may actually try and start The Black Prism this month and see how I go!

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The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb – I have read The Assassin’s Apprentice only so far. It was during the Reading Rush and I found it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. It was lacking a little bit of action and adventure and kind of dragged a little for me, which in turn has put me off from continuing on with this series. I am still going to give Royal Assassin a try, but I have not plans to in the immediate future!

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