*A little spoilery*
Oh my goodness where to begin…
This was absolutely amazing. There are just no other words to describe this book in its entirety. The world building is so expansive, the characters are so well developed and the magic system is wonderfully explained and detailed.
I love how Brandon Sanderson has included so much of the lore and legends surrounding the Knights Radiant and the Almighty and how they weave their way into the story. It creates so much depth into the world and enhances the storyline.
Reading from Shallan’s point of view is such a joy. I love that we get to delve deeper into her backstory and see how far she has come from the young, naïve, broken girl who was sequestered in her father’s estate in Jah Keved to the strong, brave, intelligent woman at the Shattered Plains. Her journey was brutal, tortuous and heartbreaking and to see her overcome everything was beautiful. I also don’t want to be too spoilery but there were so many moments that Shallan had in this book that really took my breath away. She has grown so much from the first novel and that breakthrough scene at the end where she finally admits to what had happened with her mother so long ago had me shook!
What can I say about Kaladin? As one of our main male protagonists I just love him. I find his character to be so likeable. He is kind of like the male equivalent to Shallan and yet they are both so different. I love that we see him really struggle to overcome his inner emotions and turmoil in regards to Dalinar and Kholin and how his perception of them changes over time. I like the kind of mutual respect Kaladin and Kholin share after the duel and I kind of want them to become best friends. To see him mature and develop and have that reflected onto his bridge team really warmed my heart as well. I love his relationship with them and the light banter he maintains whilst still being their beloved and respected captain who saved their lives.
There are so many plot points that I want to mention and I have so many theories and thoughts that if I were to list them all I would have a 2-3 page essay that would surely bore you. So I just want to say that this book as a whole is really enrapturing and is not at all difficult to read. 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 and I honestly cannot wait to pick up Edgedancer and Oathbringer to see what else we have in store with this series.
⭐️5/5 stars cannot recommend enough! AMAZING!
Schwab. These books were amazing! Again I had been hearing about these books forever and I only got around to reading them in January and I loved them. The magic system was intricately detailed and the character arcs that occur throughout this trilogy are amazing. Kell is powerful yet still endearing and I love the relationship he shares with Rhys. Delilah really lightens up the mood in this series as well, quick witted, sharp and bright I love how she grows and develops throughout the three books! If you haven’t read this series I highly recommend that you do.
catch myself thinking about it every now and then. The Name of the Wind is another epic fantasy novel that really captures your imagination. The narrative is very intimate as we read as Kvothe grows and has to face a number of trials and tribulations in his young life and have that contradict to the man he is at present. This really has us guessing at every stage what will happen next to eventually lead up to the point that he’s retelling his story. The lore and fantasy elements woven into this world is expansive and really complements the plot beautifully!
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson. Truly Devious really captured my attention as soon as I read it. I love a good YA mystery thriller and this book really ticked all the boxes for me. The flashbacks to the time of the kidnapping as well as the present day crimes that are occurring really have you second guessing every character and their motives. Mysterious, dark and captivating this book entrances you from the start all the way through to the cliffhanging end!
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas. This book really took me by surprise. I don’t particularly like fantasy series that specifically revolve around fairies or the fey and I really had some misgiving about this series after I read A Court of Thorns and Roses and I just thought that it was kind of ok…. But then I read a Court of Mist and Fury and I was in love. The twists and turns and revelations that occur as well as the magical elements and surprises were everything that I love to read. By far my favourite book in the series!
Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia. It’s not often that I read contemporary books but I thought since I’ve heard about this book so much that I would bite the bullet and give it a go. This book was fantastic. Super relatable I think Eliza is every teenager going through high school at the moment having to deal with social media, and the scrutiny of her peers as well as thousands who have come to rely on her on a weekly basis for her posts. I thought it was very well written and showcased the struggle that everyday teenagers have to deal with in this cyber world!
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. I put off reading Strange the Dreamer for a while now as I wasn’t a fan of The Daughter of Smoke and Bone series that everyone seems to love. I even DNF’d Dreams of Gods and Monsters as I just couldn’t gel with the story. However, Strange the Dreamer really surprised me! I actually really enjoyed the narrative. It’s lyrical and beautifully descriptive and the actually story is full of twists and turns and it really keeps you entertained throughout. I’m definitely going to be picking up Muse of Nightmares when it comes out later this year.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This book was everything! Full of scandals and rumours, the winding path of Evelyn’s life is simply was amazing! The characters are flawed and sassy and entertaining and relatable and Evelyn’s story is super entertaining and tragically beautiful. I had high expectations for this book and Taylor Jenkins Reid really blew me out of the water with this tale.
want to get too in depth in the plot of this book as it is the third book in the Ember in the Ashes series. I thoroughly enjoyed the continuation of the story from the second book and I would highly recommend this series to anyone interested in YA Fantasy. Its very much based off of an ancient Roman inspired world and is very war driven, but the many twists and unpredictable turns that occur throughout this series really leaves you wanting to read more! ⭐️4/5 stars
and The Bitter Kingdom another very popular YA Fantasy series. I loved how a multitude of characters arced throughout the series as it was very character driven, however, the magic system really felt lacking to me and I personally prefer more of a fantastical/supernatural fantasy story as opposed to the more religious based one that this was. This series follows Elisa who is the ‘chosen one’ as she was born with a god stone imbedded inside her stomach, which makes her a religious symbol in her country. As she is also a princess and the second born daughter of the king she is very much ostracised and is married off to a neighbouring king in a political marriage and that is where her story really takes off. The Girl of Fire and Thorns ⭐️3/5, The Crown of Embers ⭐️3/5, The Bitter Kingdom ⭐️4/5
who has just found out that her best friend and two other girls from her school have died under suspicious circumstances. Mila refuses to believe that her friend had entered some form of suicide pact that all the adults are leading her to believe, so she takes matters into her own witchy hands and brings them back to life to find out who killed them and why. This story was very entertaining and fast paced and Mila’s commentary was very witty and funny and I really enjoyed her as a character. ⭐️4.5/5 stars
Amy Leigh Reads 