Tag: YA Fantasy

Reviews

Lightbringer Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Lightbringer Review

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

Queen Rielle, pushed away from everything she loves, turns to Corien and his promises of glory. Meanwhile, whispers from the empirium slowly drive her mad, urging her to open the Gate. In the future, Eliana arrives in the Empire’s capital as a broken shell of herself. Betrayed and abandoned, she fights to keep her power at bay—and away from Corien, who will stop at nothing to travel back in time to Rielle, even if that means destroying her daughter. But when the mysterious Prophet reveals themselves at last, everything changes, giving Rielle and Eliana a second chance for salvation—or the destruction their world has been dreading.

I am once again torn by Rielle’s character and her arc throughout the course of this series. I hated her in the last book and honestly didn’t think she deserved any kind of redemption but the way her storyline played out in this finale surprised me but also left me feeling satisfied. She made a decision at a crucial point in time and finally was able to free herself from Corien’s grasp and see clearly for the first time in a while. She definitely succumbed to the temptation of her powers and did evil things but looking back she definitely was coerced for the majority of the time and she paid the price for it eventually giving up a future with her daughter.

Eliana again I enjoyed her plotline so much more than her mothers. She is definitely put through the ringer in this book, having to endure that torture from Corien for months and months. She has so much put on her shoulders and in the end has to blindly follow the words from a mysterious prophet to stop herself from going mad. Her strength and stoicism is really displayed and her loyalty and trust wavered so much that I was just gripped.

Simon really put me through it. From his betrayal in the last book and then being witness to the brutality that is being given to Eliana day in and day out and not reaching out to help her whatsoever really killed me. For a good majority of the book I was doubting him heavily and really thought he was completely on Corien’s side. It was the introduction of the prophet that made me pause and think maybe… and thankfully I was right! His character and the way he had to fool everyone in order to eventually save Eliana was a stroke of mastery. I really didn’t want to hate him and I was glad he got to have a bit of happiness before sending Eliana back.

There were a few twists that I predicted and there were many that took me by surprise. This book really blew open all of the storylines and wove them all back together so wonderfully. We learnt so much more about the Empirium and how it affects Rielle and why she was such a loose cannon, how seductive and all encompassing it is. I loved how the two timelines merged in the end and we see how much effect Eliana had on her mother after their failed attempt earlier in the series. The ending was just so satisfying and not the fairy tale I was expecting which was pleasantly surprising!

⭐️5/5 This was just perfection!

Reviews

The Empire of Gold Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on The Empire of Gold Review

*Spoilers Below*

Daevabad has fallen. After a brutal conquest stripped the city of its magic, Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her resurrected commander, Dara, must try to repair their fraying alliance and stabilize a fractious, warring people. Having narrowly escaped their murderous families and Daevabad’s deadly politics, Nahri and Ali, now safe in Cairo, face difficult choices of their own. 

Nahri’s character remained pretty consistent throughout the course of the series, this finale was just all about finding answers to her past and how she came to be in Cairo in the first place, her parentage and why her appearance was altered. I liked the fact that even though she wanted to fly back to Daevabad and kill Dara after poisoning her brother she chose to not go through with it and actually stay and work out a plan. I feel like it definitely showed growth in her character and we see just how far she has come from stealing on the streets.

Ali in this book wasn’t as impactful to me and his storyline with the Marid’s I wasn’t as invested in to be honest. Sure he goes on this journey of discovery into the ocean and discovering his lineage with Sobec and the Marid’s but the timing just seemed too convenient to me. I did however loved watching his budding romance with Nahri and seeing how they fumble over their obstacles and smother their feelings, trying to do what’s right for Daevabad.

Dara is a tricky one. On one hand I loved the person he was when he was with Nahri I don’t like who he became when he sided with Manizeh. He became the scourge all over again and started to actually believe it. He had so many moments of clarity when he knew Manizeh wasn’t doing the right thing and seen how she was changing and yet he still stayed somewhat loyal. I would of been more on his side had he done a little more to undermine Manizeh but given his circumstances I think he did the best he could. I appreciated how his relationship with Nahri came to a close and I think he made the best of his current situation in the end.

I liked the travelling elements, I think it expanded and already pretty large world and made this series as a whole feel a lot more epic. It was nice to have a new setting and revisiting where it all began back in Cairo and seeing what might of been had Nahri and Ali stayed. I have to say I am extremely satisfied with how this series ended. I wouldn’t say it’s my new favourite book I’ve ever read but I am just left feeling content with this series as a whole.

⭐️4/5 stars this series is a MUST read!!!

Reviews

Down Among the Sticks and Bones Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on Down Among the Sticks and Bones Review

There is something about Seanan McGuire’s writing that is both whimsical and compelling. I found myself lost in the story and enraptured by the world of the moors.

Jacqueline was her mother’s perfect daughter—polite and quiet, always dressed as a princess. If her mother was sometimes a little strict, it’s because crafting the perfect daughter takes discipline. Jillian was her father’s perfect daughter—adventurous, thrill-seeking, and a bit of a tom-boy. He really would have preferred a son, but you work with what you’ve got. They were twelve when they walked down the impossible staircase and discovered that the pretense of love can never be enough to prepare you a life filled with magic in a land filled with mad scientists and death and choices.

Jack and Jill just aren’t my favourite protagonists. They just grated my nerves which makes me unable to connect with them. I mean they were only 12 when they stumbled into the moors and they had to adapt to survive but I just found them both to be unlikeable. It was interesting to see their choices about who they wanted to stay with and how they reacted to each other’s choice and the subsequent way their lives devolved.

There is a discussion to be had about their parents and the dismal childhood they had to endure, being regimented into the roles they deemed where appropriate and being unable to grow, change or evolve out of those roles. They cared more about how they were perceived by their peers rather than catering to their children’s needs first and that really made me dislike them.

These novellas I don’t think are going to gel with me as a reader simply because I need more substance. I want to learn all about the world and find out what actual creatures and monsters inhabit the moors. I want to know how everyone came to be here and the way the Vampires took over. Is there a magic system and how does it work, what is the history? Whereas I think these books are just supposed to touch on the individual characters experiences in their worlds and how it changes them before coming back to the real world where they are supposed to readjust.

Overall it was an interesting reading experience.

⭐️3/5 stars I just want to know more!!

Reviews

The Deck of Omens Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on The Deck of Omens Review

*Beware Spoilers Below*

The Deck of Omens continues pretty much straight off where The Devouring Gray ends. Though the Beast is seemingly subdued for now, a new threat looms in Four Paths: a corruption seeping from the Gray into the forest. And with the other Founders preoccupied by their tangled alliances and fraying relationships, only May Hawthorne seems to realize the danger. But saving the town she loves means seeking aid from the person her family despises most–her and Justin’s father.

I really liked that we got more perspectives from May and we learnt a lot more about the Hawthorne families dynamics and how she fits in. Her relationship with her mother is pretty toxic and I found in this book that I really can’t stand Augusta. She doesn’t really have any redeeming qualities and doesn’t do a good job explaining any of the reasons why she has run the town the way she has. May definitely had the towns’ best interests at heart but she kind of went about things in a way that wasn’t ideal. Secretly inviting her father back and welcoming him with open arms and exposing him to everything without any thought as to why he chose to stay away for so long. I just had a feeling about him and the amount of information May was sharing with him and how invested he was in this town even though he married into it. Which I guess was validated in the end.

Once again I loved the friendships between all of the characters and how much they have grown over the past couple of months, Harper and Violet especially. We see their bonds really strengthen as they try to figure out how to overcome the corruption and save Four Paths. The romances I felt weren’t really necessary per se. I feel like YA books especially like to pair up all of their main protagonists, though I appreciated that they weren’t all fairy tale endings.

There were times when they were just going back and forth throughout the novel and doing all of their investigations about what the corruption is and their theories regarding their ancestors that got a little tedious and boring. Though they made several plans and attempts to kill the beast and fix the corruption I wasn’t as invested in this story as the previous book. There weren’t as many twists action wise that kept me entertained it was more so about the past and coming to realisations about their powers and how the founders came to be. Which was interesting but again wasn’t as captivating.

I thought it was a solid duology, other than predicting who was behind it in the end every other plot point was a surprise. This was definitely original and unlike anything I have read before which was refreshing. We see growth from most of the characters and I was invested in most of their arcs, some more than others for sure.

⭐️3/5 stars A good continuation and conclusion of everything set up in the first book.

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⚔️An Ember in the Ashes Series Reread⚔️

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on ⚔️An Ember in the Ashes Series Reread⚔️

It’s not long now until A Sky Beyond the Storm is released and I ended up completing A Reaper at the Gates just in the nick of time for it! This book really breaks away from the original premise and expands so much more upon the storyline. We really see each of the main characters have to undergo a myriad of challenges and obstacles they need to overcome in order to defeat the Commandant and the Nightbringer. They all go through so much turmoil and strife and yet it’s still not enough. I liked the fact that in these books they don’t end up saving the day and miraculously figure out a way to fix all the problems in the Empire. New problems are presented and unforeseen circumstances pop up all the time which is a realistic way to portray the story and keep me entertained. This book and the series as a whole so far just keeps me right at the edge of my seat, anticipating every move and plot twist. It is highly entertaining and thrilling and I am soooooo excited to recieve my copy of A Sky Beyond the Storm and see how this series will wrap up!