Tag: review

Reviews

Girls of Paper and Fire Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on Girls of Paper and Fire Review

34433755This was pretty great!

I went into this book with kind of low expectations because it was so hyped and well loved by everyone who read it and that kind of had me a little sceptical. But boy was I proved wrong this was absolutely fantastic.

Lei is a member of the Paper Caste, they are the most oppressed and lowest members of society in this world called Ikhara. She lives in a remote village with her father and the memory of her mother who ten years ago was snatched by palace guards to never be seen again. Now, the guards are back for Lei as the rumours about her beautiful golden eyes have reached the ears of the king. She is taken back to the castle and is now being trained as the 9th royal consort or Paper Girl to the king.

I really like Lei; she is just the right amount of innocent but not completely naïve. She understands what she needs to do and why, yet she still chooses to not cooperate fully. I liked the small acts of rebellion that she stages and then to see them progressively grow bolder until she is implicit in the grandest scheme of them all was thrilling. To see her grow increasingly stronger and braver even though she has to undergo so much pain was really empowering.

Wren I was a little on the fence with from the start. I think because she came across as a little unlikeable to me and a little snobbish I kind of wrote her off as an insignificant character, the same as the rest of the paper girls. I didn’t really find myself attached to any of them and I wasn’t invested in them. That was until we started delving deeper into their backstories and how they might not be that much different from Lei. Wren especially after hearing what happened to her in her childhood and when she started explaining to Lei all of her secrets I was fully on her side!

The romance I could definitely spot from a mile away. Though I did enjoy how it blossomed out of so much adversity. They really bonded over their shared experiences and what kind of started off as innocent and innocuous bloomed into a full on relationship. They were kind of all in a little too quickly for my tastes, but I definitely appreciated the representation.

The premise of the book is really unique and I like the eastern cultural influence that is written into the story. The different clans and the different castes really added a layer of complexity to the plot that I enjoyed immensely. I was very much engaged throughout the course of this book as the stakes were always extremely high. We are given ample evidence that if Lei is caught she will reap the consequences and could even lose her life so that really kept me on the edge of my seat during the read. The ending was explosive and there are still so many questions that I need answering so I will definitely be continuing on with the next book when it comes out later this year I believe.

 There is a lot of violence and sexual abuse in this book as well so please be aware of that before going into this.

⭐️4.5/5 Unique, engaging, bold!

Reviews

Windwitch Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Windwitch Review

windwitchI had to get straight back into this world after finishing Truthwitch in February and I wasn’t disappointed.

After an assassin blew up Prince Merik’s ship the world now believes him to be dead, yet somehow he survived but is now scarred and barely recognisable. The Bloodwitch is sent on a mission to find and capture Iseult, however she offers him a deal that he can’t seem to pass up. After their ship is attacked and shipwrecked Safi and the Empress find themselves alone in a land filled with pirates. They have to work together to keep hidden and try to stay alive.

I loved the multiple perspectives we get in this second book of the Witchlands series. It really helps to broaden the scope of the book and keeps me far more entertained. Also having all of these characters in different settings and circumstances add depth and complexity to the storyline. I was very much invested in all of the characters and they each play such a key role in the overall plot.
I loved that we get more of an insight to Vivia. We definitely only had a one-sided view of her from her brother’s perspective and I found myself intrigued by her. Merik paints her as quite an unlikeable person and to see the difference for ourselves was stark. She actually really does love her country and is passionate about feeding them, she just goes about it a different way than what her brother would like.

Merik’s arc was quite satisfying to read also. To see him hit rock bottom, having just lost his threadbrother and having his ship and crew blown apart and slowly picking himself back up and making a plan of action shows what an impressive character he is.

I’m still very much enjoying Iseult and Safi’s relationship, especially now that they are apart. I feel I can distinguish between them even more now and they are becoming more independent characters as opposed to being a pair all the time. I like seeing them function without the other which reaffirms how much they mean to each other.

The gradual additions of new characters into the storyline keeps the narrative new and fresh and has me engaged throughout. I am loving the Witchlands series so far, but I find I don’t love Windwitch as much as I loved Truthwitch but its still right up there and I’m hoping the next book in the series transcends them both!

⭐️4/5 stars Anticipation is building, I am invested!

Reviews

The Priory of the Orange Tree Review

by amyleighreads3 Comments on The Priory of the Orange Tree Review

91DIYtTpRnLThis was epic!!!

This is the first ever novel I read of Samantha Shannon and oh my goodness it was amazing. The world is wonderfully rich and developed, the magic system is complex and highly original and the plot was suspenseful and riveting!

We follow multiple perspectives throughout this book and at first that kind of had me a little confused. There is a lot of information given right from the start and like most epic novels it takes me a while to get situated into the story. But once I had a grasp of the characters and a general scope of the premise I was hooked!

This world was once ravaged and nearly decimated by a war that was lead by a fierce dragon called the nameless one. A thousand years ago he was defeated by a saint that the kingdom now revere and his direct descendant is Queen Sabran who is ruler over this land. Ead has been charged by the Priory of the Orange Tree a sacred sect of mages to guard Queen Sabran and keep her safe.

I love that this book really centers around three totally different but complex and distinct female characters. Ead is wonderful. She is so stubborn yet staunch in her beliefs and I like that she will not cower from her duties. She will rebut and argue her point and she will always do what is necessary. Queen Sabran I didn’t really enjoy at the start of the book. I thought she was a little too pious and naïve but she really grew on me as the story progressed. I thought she handled the responsibility and obligation to her people very well. She had a lot of harsh blows dealt to her throughout the course of the book yet she remained firm and strong. I was curious about Tane and how she would fit in to the story as I continued to read. I couldn’t tell how she would connect back and make a mark on the plot but she definitely surprised me in the end. As one of the main perspectives in the book I knew she would have to make some form of impact but her storyline started out so small and kind of insignificant that I didn’t see anything coming! I love that we really see her hit rock bottom but continue to fight and strive to right her wrongs and gain some form of atonement for her actions.

Being over eight hundred pages there is a lot of action and twist that take place. The story wove together beautifully and I honestly could not predict what was going to happen next. This was a very plot heavy and character driven story that really excelled in capturing the harsh reality of the situation. The stakes were incredibly high and the anticipation kept building.

I really enjoyed this read, high/epic fantasy is without a doubt my favourite genre and this book ticked all the boxes for me!

⭐️4.5/5 Dragons, destinies and drama!!!

Reviews

The Vanishing Stair Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on The Vanishing Stair Review

y648This book was absolutely fantastic!

Truly Devious was a shining star last year for me, I really enjoyed the whole premise and plot of the story and The Vanishing Stair really lived up to the expectations that I had built up.

Stevie’s parents have pulled her out of Ellingham Academy after the tragic death of her classmate. She still longs to return and figure out the unsolved case of Truly Devious but her parents are resolute. That is until Edward King turns up at her house with a solution.

Every single line of this book was captivating to read. It was really fast paced and the stakes were incredibly high. The theme is very dark and mysterious and there are so many twists and turns that you can’t help but turn the pages.

Stevie was really relatable in this book. She is so driven and focused on her goal and she will really stop at nothing to find out the truth of what happened that night back in 1936 and also the present day conundrum of Ellie and Hayes. I like the fact that she didn’t immediately dismiss Ellie’s disappearance and looked further into it. It really showed how dedicated she is in becoming a detective. I also like that fact that she tried to include others into her discoveries. She asked for help when she thought she needed it and didn’t dismiss their input.

I’m not quite sure what to make of David yet. I kind of wrote him off as a typical rich kid character that is trying to get his absent fathers attention, but I can’t help feeling like there might be more to his story. I liked how we see him break down after they found Ellie, it was nice to see a teenage boy express his feelings and not be embarrassed by it. He acknowledged their friendship in his grief and I thought that showed how comfortable he is with Stevie.

Larry is another character that I kind of dismissed in the first book and didn’t think he would have a pivotal role in the storyline. I thought he was very honourable and decent and actually treated Stevie with respect and slight disgruntlement for being in the midst of all the scandals. Stevie kind of looked up to his as an authoritative figure that she could trust which is far and few between.

This book is so entertaining; it really has you on the edge of your seat as you read. I found myself really engrossed and engaged in the plot, as I didn’t want to miss anything. All the scenes in the book I thought were pivotal in the overall storyline and every single character that is introduced or carry on from the last book have a purpose. I love reading between the lines and figuring out all the clues and I can’t wait to get my hands on the final book and see once and for all what happened to Alice. I definitely have my theories and I’m excited to see if any are true!

⭐️5/5 I loved this! Mysterious, moody and manic, a wonderful read!

Reviews

The Retribution of Mara Dyer Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Retribution of Mara Dyer Review

81YstLg924LI didn’t absolutely love it and I didn’t hate it either.

It was just kind of ok…. We definitely delved a lot deeper into the story and the reasoning’s behind the study of the defect, but I wasn’t really left with any overwhelming feelings after the ending.

This book really starts with a lot of tense, highly emotional scenes that set up the tone of the book very well. The stakes were very high throughout the first 100 pages or so and it really had me on the edge of my seat and turning the pages. But with that being said the rest of the book was just kind of mediocre for me. I like that the flashbacks are more in depth and we are getting the answers to a lot of questions but the direction that the book went with wasn’t a favourite of mine.

I started to question Mara and her decisions a lot in this third instalment of the series. Yes I know she was tortured and has had a lot of emotional and physical trauma happen to her a short period of time, but I didn’t really like who she became after she escaped. Sure she did save Stella and Jamie but I don’t feel like that justifies some of her actions since. I was wholly on Stella’s side after the incident in the subway and I fully supported her decision to leave and go home… I feel like I would of done the same. I think it was the fact that Mara took on the role of judge and executioner and really would of followed through had it not been for Jamie and Stella’s presence. It didn’t sit well with me and I thought she was very detached.

Daniel really shone for me in this book, his staunch support of his sister and commitment to finding the truth and uncovering the secrets of the trial was wonderful. I love the bond that they share and I really enjoyed his character and how solid and stable he is.

Noah didn’t do a lot for me in this book either. I know there was the whole mystery surrounding his death but I had no doubt that he would be making a reappearance. It was a little obvious and when he did finally show up it wasn’t all that impressive or shocking. He just kind of strolled in and it wasn’t impactful at all for me.

It was a very fast paced book and I did read it really quickly but I wasn’t satisfied with the ending. Everything was exposed and it made sense but it didn’t really answer all of the questions that I wanted and it was a very open ended conclusion. I wasn’t left awestruck or dumbfounded I was just like ok.

⭐️3.5/5 A little anticlimactic…