Tag: fantasy

Reviews

Daughter of the Burning City Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Daughter of the Burning City Review

30237061This was a total spur of the moment pick up and I wasn’t disappointed!

This book follows the story of Sorrina who is an illusion caster in the travelling festival of Gomorrah. She is the daughter of the proprietor of the festival which kind of makes her a princess of Gomorrah. However, Sorrina was born without eyes and a lot of people view her as a freak. When someone starts to murder her illusions, Sorrina needs to figure out who, why and how!

I was really drawn into the story right from the beginning. It starts out pretty fast paced which I enjoy and all the information is provided quite organically in the course of the plot. I like that there are so many different, diverse characters scattered throughout the story line, it made it a lot easier to distinguish between everyone.

Sorrina I found to be a little naïve and a bit on the lower range of her age. I get that she is only 16 but I feel like she’s been quite sheltered her whole life and I thought she would know a lot more about Gomorrah than what she actually does. In terms of the whole plot I guess it makes sense that she doesn’t know a lot of people but that was one thing that stuck out to me. I love how committed she is to her little family and the depths of the grief and loss that she feels after each death. She is also quite honest and upfront about her emotions as well which I appreciated in her.

I thought the dynamic between Sorrina and her illusions was very intriguing and the way that she comes up with each one and almost unconsciously makes them freaks like her was a nice element to the story, it really enabled Sorrina to be able to relate to them all. It was interesting that even though she created them, they are all able to think for themselves, all she is really able to control is when they appear and disappear. I like that there are limitations to what she can do and it is made evident in the story.

I thought the world building in the book was fantastic; the whole situation between the Up Mountain and Down Mountain people and how they differentiate. I liked the religious aspect with the zealots and claiming all the illusionists to be devil workers. It added a layer of depth to the book and was a good foundation for the story to build upon. Especially when it came to all the Up Mountain political climate scheme that is uncovered.

There was a real sense of urgency and suspense woven throughout the story line which kept me highly engaged in the book. The stakes were always at an all-time high and trying to figure out who was behind everything was very entertaining!

⭐️4/5 stars dark and murderous and magical

Book Lists

5 Fav Books over 500 Pages

by amyleighreads6 Comments on 5 Fav Books over 500 Pages

As an avid fantasy reader most books/series are pretty long and I would say the majority are over 500 pages, so I figured why not go through my read list and pick out 5 books that I loved and would recommend that are all over 500 pages!

Red Sister by Mark Lawrence – 500 pages

The way that the story shifts and the revelations really start to come out was so well done, multiple layers of plot lines with different characters with different intentions. Convoluted fantasy books with a multitude of characters and magical elements are my favourite books of all time and this really blew me away!

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The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima – 506 pages

The pacing was very well done and the writing was very engaging. I found I couldn’t put the book down once I started! This really has everything that I love about fantasy, a unique premise, an intriguing plotline and dynamic characters.

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Dance of Thieves by Mary E Pearson – 508 pages

The actual story line was fantastic. All of the history of the town and the family and all of the secrets really kept me intrigued and eager to read on. I really made a connection with these characters and I was highly invested in their missions. I kind of didn’t want the book to end, I just wanted to keep reading and find out what’s going to happen next!

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The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss – 622 pages

 The world is huge and the magic system is unique and interesting. I fell headlong into this book when I read it last year and I still find myself thinking about it every now and then.

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The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson – 1007 pages

This book as a whole is really enrapturing and is not at all difficult to read despite its size. Sure sometimes the overwhelming number of characters can throw you at first, but its so intricately detailed and explained in a way that it all just fits together perfectly. You can really get swept up into the narrative that Brandon Sanderson has created 

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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

Reviews

Ace of Shades Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Ace of Shades Review

*A few Spoilers*

30238163Loved it!

Ace of Shades follows the story of Enne Salta who has made her way to the city of New Reynes nicknamed the City of Sin to find her mother. She has been missing for the last month and has left Enne a letter with the name of a man of might be able to help her, Levi Glaisyer.

I really enjoyed Enne’s character and the growth she shows over the course of the storyline. She starts off very naive and unsure of herself, very prim and proper and eventually becomes Séance, the badass gang lord who has defeated the Shadow Game. She’s very self-aware and almost unapologetic in terms of who she is and how she conducts herself. She isn’t the cliché damsel in distress in need of rescuing, she takes on the city head on and will do just about anything to find out where her mum is.

I loved Levi! He is one of my new favorite male protagonists. He is a very complex character and I loved seeing all of the different sides of him come out during the plot. He has the persona of the Iron Lord and has to be the strong, resolute and almost cruel at all times, yet he has so many doubts and guilt and he is being pulled in all these different directions.

The romance was a little bit of a slow burn, it was obvious right from the start that they would get feelings for each other because they were thrown together so quickly. I thought they complimented each other quite well and I loved the banter between them.

I thought the magic system was quite unique and very interesting. Having the different families with different abilities and having split abilities depending on your heritage I found very clever. I like that in this world you’re limited by who your family is; it makes it simple to understand and also adds an element of mystery if someone doesn’t know who their mother or father is.

I liked that the book spanned the 10 days that Levi’s debt was due. This format enabled the plot to really go in depth on what the characters were doing at every moment of the day; all the mundane actives that would otherwise be overlooked had the story been longer. This really helped me form a connection to the characters and made me a lot more invested in the story.

All in all I really loved this book! From all the characters, to the setting, the world building and the plot. It all really came together so well and had me intrigued and invested right from the start.

⭐️4.5/5 stars I could not put it down!

Reviews

Grey Sister Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Grey Sister Review

35530652AMAZING!

Grey Sister takes place about 4 years after everything happened in Red Sister and Nona is now around 15 years of age and has just entered Grey Class. The Church Inquisitor descends upon the Convent of Sweet Mercy with alliances being formed and friendships strained.

It’s like Mark Lawrence has just pushed everything through to another level. I like that we started on familiar grounds at the Convent with Nona attending classes with some of her friends but also some new faces that prove to be not quite fond of her. But then there is also a huge change with Nona being forced out of the Convent by the Inquisitors and having to make her way out in the Empire all alone.

Nona is such an enigmatic character. She is super interesting and very unpredictable, which makes her so entertaining. I am very much invested in her as a character and I have loved to see her grow up over the course of the series so far, but still have so much to learn. I thought the addition of Keot was a fascinating touch. I liked how he sort of made Nona think hard about what is right and wrong and how far she would go in regards to killing people. He contrasted very well with her character and I enjoyed the banter between them.

 I am intrigued by Zole still. She really played a minor role in this book but was still very much present throughout the course of the plot. She essentially lied for Nona during the trial with the Nuns about what happened with Joeli and she seemed to form a closer bond with Nona whilst still kind of maintaining her distance and neutrality. I immediately knew from those scenes that Zole would venture out after Nona when they forced her out.

The political machinations that are going on in the Empire, especially where Sherzal is concerned kind of bores me a little. I am not a huge fan of politically centered fantasy; though I appreciate how it furthers the plot I am much more interested in the magical, mysterious, adventurous side of the story. Though let me say Abbess Glass never fails to disappoint me in her political maneuverings!

The stakes were always very high, keeping me on the edge of my seat during my read. I loved every moment of this book and I am so ready to dive right into Holy Sister ASAP!

⭐️5/5 That cliffhanger OMG!!!