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!

Wilder Girls Review

*Spoilers, Spoilers, Spoilers*

46129224._SY475_Eerie!

Wilder Girls follows the perspective of two girls Hetty and Byatt who are best friends attending a boarding school in the middle of Raxter Island off the coast of Maine where around 18 months ago the Tox took over the island and started to mutate everyone; their bodies becoming sick and foreign, with things bursting out of them, bits missing. When Byatt suddenly goes missing Hetty will stop at nothing to find her and as she digs she starts to uncover secrets and discover truths that were being kept hidden.

I didn’t really find any of these characters particularly likeable, but in this context I didn’t think any of them needed to be. Hetty had her moments but overall I didn’t really gel with her character. I thought she was a little contradictory at times. She wouldn’t give Reese a chance to grieve after seeing her father killed in front of her and then when she found Byatt and it seemed like she was dead she refused to leave her. I found her a little selfish and unfeeling but it really worked for the storyline if that makes sense. These girls are only 16 and are having to make decisions that are well above their level of maturity.

With Byatt I just didn’t really form enough of a connection with her character. I think because she was taken quite early in the plot and was out of it really for the most part of the rest of the storyline I wasn’t all that invested in her personally. I was intrigued to find where they had taken her and if she was able to figure out what the Tox is and if they could be cured and that was about it. 

I thought this concept was super original and highly engaging. I was definitely drawn into the storyline right from the start and was eager to read and see what would unfold. I was definitely more interested in the overall plot and trying to figure out who was behind Byatt’s disappearance and where they were taking her, whether or not the Tox could be cured and how they are going to make it out alive as opposed to the actual characters themselves. 

⭐️4/5 stars Super atmospheric, eerie and a little savage!

The Test Review

41940388I found this highly engaging!

The Test focuses on a British Citizenship Test taken in the not too distant future by a man names Idir from Iran. He wants his family to belong in Britain so he decides to sit the test when something unexpected occurs.

This was a very short book (under 150 pages) that packed a mighty punch! This was unlike anything I’ve read before. I really loved the format of the story and the fast paced, charged, psychological nature of the story. It really went in depth on the nature of humans and what choices we are statistically going to make in certain situations given a certain stimuli.

I honestly didn’t know what this book was really about when I picked it up other than the Citizenship Test and really that’s all you need to know going into it. It’s definitely better to not know what is about to happen and just ride the journey as Idir undertakes it.

The ending took a turn I didn’t anticipate and that made the read all the more thrilling for me. Thinking on all the possibilities that could occur and how realistic this situation could really be. I could go more in depth and break down every plot point but I think I would prefer to just say if you’re a fan of Black Mirror you would definitely enjoy this!

⭐️5/5 the stakes are super high!

Red, White & Royal Blue Review

41150487Alex is the son of the President of the United States and Henry is the Prince of England and they can’t stand each other. When an altercation occurs at a Royal Wedding between the two is leaked to the press, they have to do some series damage control and stage a fake friendship that blossoms into something more.

I like how diverse and unconventional a lot of the characters were, it wasn’t just your typical contemporary romance. I thought the representation was spot on and this book can and I think does appeal to a wide variety of readers.

Alex is a very unique character; I don’t think I’ve ever read a main protagonist like him before. He is very multi-faceted and flawed and isn’t afraid to follow his heart despite the consequences. He is a character who once he makes a decision sticks by it and won’t give up. Though, he can realize when he has made a mistake and despite his pretty inflated ego can accept responsibility.

I thought Henry was the perfect contrast to Alex. Stoic and traditional and slow paced, whereas Alex is flighty and emotional and outspoken. His situation is so similar to Alex, yet is vastly different. His family has been royals for centuries and he has the Queen of England dictating his life. There are years upon years of tradition that he needs to adhere to as well as continuing on the royal bloodline.

I loved the relationship between them though. Once again the hate to love trope is my favorite romance trope of all time and I loved the unique concept and twist added to this story. I like that there was a slow build to the relationship; they weren’t really all in from the start. I think the altercation and misunderstanding at the start was the perfect catalyst to force them both together. There were some highly intense, emotionally charged scenes throughout the book that definitely had me dabbing some tears of my own.

The whole political side of the story didn’t really do anything for me personally. Talking about all the campaigns and the different senators and all of the statistics and speeches really bored me. It totally adds a lot of depth and realness to the plot, but it didn’t really draw me into the storyline and made the pace at times a little stagnant for me. However, when a book is able to elicit a physical response from me, even though I wasn’t all that invested in the overall storyline, it is definitely a 4 star or higher.

⭐️4/5 the romance definitely saved the story!

Holy Sister Review

*SPOILERS*

38099642._SY475_The third and final instalment in the Book of Ancestor series by Mark Lawrence follows 3 years after the epic conclusion to Red Sister. Nona is on the cusp of becoming a fully-fledged Sister of the Convent and the Empire is on the cusp of war with the Scithrowl.

A lot happened in the interim between books two and three, but I appreciated that the flashbacks were put in so we can see how Nona and Zole got away and how they made it through the ice. I loved how in depth Mark Lawrence went with the descriptions and world building on the ice. It’s so different to their usual settings and helped to break up the story and keep me invested. I could almost feel how cold it was and it really added a layer of urgency to the storyline. I ultimately knew Nona was able to make it out but no mention was made of Zole in the present so I was very intrigued to figure out her story over the course of the plot.

I’ve always loved Nona’s character, so is just so unpredictable and entertaining. Her attitude and growth over the course of the series has been wonderful to read and she is exactly the kind of main female protagonist I love; capable, hardworking, willing to put herself on the line for others and still able to surprise me with her cunning. It’s really shown in Holy Sister how she contrasts from her former self as the little Nona Grey to the deadly Sister Cage she has now become!

The plot wasn’t my favourite in the series, simply because I am not the biggest fan of long drawn out war scenes. There was a lot going on all at once and I was having a little trouble keeping track of everyone. However, I loved how the plot unravels and all of Abbess Glass’s plans start to come to light. Her intellect and schemes have always had me on the edge of my seat and she has consistently surprised me throughout the books.

I absolutely loved this series, definitely amongst my top 5 favourite fantasy series that I’ve ever read! I will for sure have to look into Mark Lawrence’s other series he has out because I have just loved his writing style and the complex, diverse characters and the immense world’s he creates. Going into it not really expecting/knowing much about the series was a bonus because I captured by surprise and totally swept away into this world!

⭐️4.5/5 stars Everything that I love about fantasy!!!