Tag: Fantasy Series

Updates

✨Witchlands Series Reread✨

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on ✨Witchlands Series Reread✨

windwitch

Windwitch still maintains the very fast pace that Truthwitch set but it was just that little bit less exciting. The majority of the book is just Safi and Iseult moving further and further away from each other and though they are striving to reunite their circumstances just keep pushing them apart. There is also a good chunck of the book where they are both just travelling through areas, and though we get to see more of the world it’s not very interesting. I still don’t really trust Vaness and though Safi has decided to trust her I can’t help but think that she isn’t going to hold up her side of the bargain. The addition of Vivia’s perspective added another layer of depth to the storyline and was a way to almost challenge Merik’s very one sided view of his sister and what she is doing for their people. Aeduan is still my favourite of all of these characters and I really enjoyed how multifaceted he is. This book overall was entertaining and quick to read, I do feel like it isn’t as thrilling as the first book but it’s definitely building upon the foundation that was laid in Truthwitch and we are discovering so much more about this world and the magic.

Reviews

Deathcaster Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on Deathcaster Review

*Spoilers Below*

Warrior Alyssa ana’Raisa would do anything to protect her home, the Fells, and her legacy, the Gray Wolf line. But as a prisoner of Empress Celestine, Lyss is forced to turn her fearsome talents as an army commander against her beloved homeland. Refusal would swiftly lead to her death, and her death would end the Gray Wolf line. In Lyss’s absence, Fellsmarch Castle swarms with intrigue, deception, and a primordial threat. Destin Karn, a southern spymaster with a hidden agenda of his own, might be the queendom’s only hope of defeating the forces aligned against the Seven Realms . . . as well as the enemies within the castle.

I think the character I enjoyed the most in terms of their overall arc was definitely Destin Karn. He really shone for me in this last book. we get to see him be the callous assassin who will do anything to further his own agenda in court but this time his agenda aligns with the rest of the seven realms in a positive way. At the start of this series I think I thought his character wasn’t all that relevant, I don’t think I even mentioned him in my first review for Flamecaster. But to see his evolution from when he was a kid in Tarvos and then being the Assassin in Arden Court to eventually getting his happiness with Evan was wonderful to read.

Lyss and her evolution was less dramatic I find. She is pretty consistent for me throughout the series she just really comes to terms with being the new queen were as before she second guessing herself and comparing herself to Hanalea and even Juliann. Her storyline in this last book was kind of boring. We didn’t really get many chapters from her point of view and when we did it was when she was still being held captive by Celestine and not a lot was happening. I’m so glad that she was able to finally reunite with her brother, that was a great scene!

In the end Lila’s character is integral to the storyline but she didn’t have that great twist that I was waiting for. Seeing her on the council in Fellsmarch was gratifying but she didn’t really have that much of an impact that I was expecting. She works the whole conspiracy out quickly though and takes control and links with Destin again to defeat Jastin and I love the companionship between them!

In terms of the plot and the twists I have to say I was surprised by how everything played out with Celestine and the truth behind all of the parentage of all of the magemarked. I wish the eventual stand off between the Empress and her siblings was drawn out a little more and didn’t necessarily involve the dragons saving the day but again I was satisfied with how it played and I don’t really have any complaints. The big twist about who the spy was in the Fells definitely surprised me, I at no point in time thought it was going to be Mellony so that was entertaining.

Overall I’m very happy with how many point of views we get from each of the main characters. They are all so easy to differentiate and finally getting to see them all interact with each other was so satisfying and exciting. They’ve been circling for so long and scheming and to finally have everything come to a head and get answers was worth the journey for sure!

⭐️5/5 stars Highly recommend this series, if you haven’t yet read it!

Updates

✨Witchlands Series Reread✨

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on ✨Witchlands Series Reread✨

I am so very behind on my reread of this series but I have just completed the first book Truthwitch today which is actually the release day for Witchshadow coincidentally. I was supposed to have already finished and reread the series so I can pick up Witchshadow straight away but alas that did not occur. I did however, have such a fun time being back in this world and reunited with Iseult and Safi again. Similar to my first reading experience with this book it just jumps straight into the action and it takes me a little while to be accustomed to the writing style. I love the build up of the world and learning about the different realms and the truce. The differences between the different nations and how delicate the peace truce is and just how everyone is waiting for it to dissolve. There are a lot of characters and titles thrown at us as well which again took me a while to wrap my head around again as it’s been a while since I read this series. I highly enjoyed my reread though and I am definitely going to try and continue on with Windwitch as soon as possible!

Reviews

Shadowcaster Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Shadowcaster Review

Alyssa ana’Raisa is the reluctant princess heir to the Gray Wolf throne of Fells, a queendom embroiled in a seemingly endless war. Hardened by too many losses, Lyss is more comfortable striking with a sword than maneuvering at court. After a brush with death, she goes on the offensive, meaning to end the war that has raged her whole life. If her gamble doesn’t pay off, she could lose her queendom before she even ascends to the throne.

One thing I love about Cinda Williams Chima’s books is that there isn’t one main focus or character. We are introduced to a plethora of new characters in this instalment of the series and we get to see what is happening in the Fells while Adrian is worming his way into the Arden court. I love that we see repercussions of what’s happening in Arden in real time and how Lyss is dealing with everything.

I can sympathise with Lyss and the position she finds herself in having to step up and be the reluctant heir to the Gray Wolf Throne. Even though she is secure and confident on the battlefield and giving orders she is still insecure about the role of being a princess and dealing with the political side. We see her go through a lot of emotional turmoil throughout the course of the plot and we really get a good sense of what kind of character she is. I am highly engaged and invested with her, almost more so than Ash and I am excited to see where how everything is going to come together.

Hal I could tell straight away when he is introduced that he is going to fall for Lyss, especially after she saves him from the mages. I can see how he is useful to the plot and his connection to the King through his father, but I can’t help but think he is only in the story as a love interest. He doesn’t really add anything else in particular to the storyline. I am hoping that we more of a sense of who he is in the coming books and he makes more of an impact, because right now he isn’t really doing anything for me.

I am loving this side plot with the Empress and the mage marks. The introduction of Breon and his Shadowcasting abilities was very intriguing and I was also very much invested in his character as well. Who is he really, what does his mage mark mean and what is the connection back to the Empress? Why is she chasing them and how is she able to locate them so quickly. I am left wanting to know more and this makes me want to pick up the next book in the series immediately!

⭐️ 4/5 star The plot is expanding and I have so many questions that need answering!!

Reviews

The Girl and the Stars Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on The Girl and the Stars Review

On Abeth the vastness of the ice holds no room for individuals. Survival together is barely possible. No one survives alone. To resist the cold, to endure the months of night when even the air itself begins to freeze, requires a special breed. Variation is dangerous, difference is fatal. And Yaz is not the same. Yaz is torn from the only life she’s ever known, away from her family, from the boy she thought she would spend her days with, and has to carve out a new path for herself in a world whose existence she never suspected. A world full of difference and mystery and danger.

This was a little unexpected. I didn’t read the blurb and didn’t know anything about the plot going into this story simply because I wanted to be surprised and Mark Lawrence hasn’t done me wrong yet. However, this fell a little flat for me. I was immediately enraptured by the Book of the Ancester’s series and how raw and merciless it was. This was like a watered down version of that in a way. It still had all the elements there and could of been great for me but it just was lacking the oomph!

Yaz’s character definitely goes on a journey throughout the course of this book. She stars off quite young and naïve and then her eyes are opened to the harshness of life below the ice and becomes a lot more hardened and willing to make more difficult choices. I think her decision to find Zeen blinded her from realising how much she was willing to sacrifice and the guilt that she would inevitably feel having put people in danger.

I just don’t feel like the whole love rectangle was really necessary. Sure she is coming into adulthood and the relationship with Quell was already established, but gaining those feelings for Thurin and Erris so quckly kind of pulled me out of the story. In terms of the plot I didn’t think it added anything to the storyline except for confusion.

The concept of the stars and how Yas somehow has power over them and the path was interesting and was a nice nod to the previous series. There was just a lot of info bombing happening and it was a difficult to keep track of everything, especially when Yas fell in the city. The way it was told it was difficult for me to picture everything and see how it was all unfolding. I am still somewhat invested though and definitely want to find out what is going to happen next so I am excited for the next book in the series to be released!

⭐️ 2/5 stars Underwhelming unfortunately…