Tag: YA Fantasy

Book Lists

Booktube made me read it….

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Booktube made me read it….

*A little spoilery*

Today I thought I’d do a fun little post about 5 books that I read this year because of booktube. These books I had either seen a bunch of people do reviews on, or everyone put them in their TBR’s the same month, or they would be in everyone’s top favourite books of all time or something along those lines and I was curious enough to pick them up and give them a read.

The 1st book I read because of booktube is The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. I didn’t hate 26032825this book, but I also didn’t love it. Jude just wasn’t a favourite character of mine; I didn’t find her to be likeable throughout the novel. Some of her choices she made just didn’t sit well with me and the relationships she formed Locke and Cardan just seemed a bit odd and cringey, especially after they made her life hell for so long. I much preferred her older sister Vivi, I loved that she rebelled from her father Madoc and how she tried to pry her younger sisters out of the world of Faerie and give them a normal life back in the mortal world. I did enjoy the ending however and I am curious as to how the series will be continued so I will be reading on. ⭐️3/5 stars

The 2nd book I read was Turtles All the Way Down by John Green. When this book first 220px-John_Green_Turtles_All_The_Way_Down_Book_Covercame out I seen it everywhere and everyone was raving about how good it was. I don’t read a lot of contemporary books but I was strolling through a bookstore one day and the title jumped out at me and so I immediately picked it up and proceeded to read it. I thought the plot was actually very captivating and original, I thought it was fast paced and entertaining. Aza as a character was very relatable and real, it was as if I could feel what she was going through and her anguish and pain was bleeding through the pages. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book and I am glad that I bought into the hype and read it. ⭐️4/5 stars

The 3rd book I read because of booktube was Graceling by Kristin Cashore. As fantasy 51vE64szi-L._SX332_BO1,204,203,200_is one of my all time favourite genres I regularly peruse YouTube for lists of fantasy favourites and Graceling would always make an appearance in those lists. I picked it up with not really any expectations, I just wanted to get into a good fantasy book as I was craving one at the time and I absolutely loved it. I thought the premise was amazing, people being gifted with different graces I just thought that was really creative and it was very engaging throughout the plot. Katsa, as a female protagonist was deadly, powerful yet still very feminine and graceful (lol) she was a joy to read and this book really caught me by surprise. ⭐️4/5 stars

The 4th book that booktube made me read was The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton. 23197837Another book that I didn’t love but I also didn’t hate. Again it was just because I couldn’t quite gel with Camellia. I thought she was terribly naïve throughout the first half of the storyline and kind of put me off her as character. I did think she progressed throughout the story line and started to read between the lines of what was going on at the palace. I thought the premise of the book was interesting and original, how everyone is born grey and the Belles are the beautiful colourful young girls who have the ability to transform other’s appearances to follow beauty standards and trends. ⭐️3/5 stars

The 5th book I read because of booktube was Scythe by Neal Shusterman. Again at one 28954189stage in the booktube community it seemed like everyone was reading Scythe at the same time and raving about how good it was. I gave in and read it and of course I loved it like everyone else! I just thought it was so clever and refreshing. The premise of this book is just so thought provoking and it’s structured so well that I honestly didn’t know what was going to happen next. There are so many twists and turns and political machinations in the Scythedom and I highly enjoyed my time reading this book! ⭐️4/5 stars

Reviews

Tower of Dawn Review

by amyleighreads2 Comments on Tower of Dawn Review

*Spoilers Ahead*

Oh my goodness, I am blown away. The intricacies in the storylines and how they have been woven together throughout the whole Throne of Glass series is simply masterful. I don’t know why I hesitated so long before picking up Tower of Dawn as it is simply 9781408887974amazing.

Tower of Dawn follows the story of Chaol and Nesryn as they arrive in Antica to forge an alliance with the Khagan the most powerful ruler in the Southern Continent and to visit the legendary Torre Cosme to heal Chaol from the wounds he received in Rifthold.

The complexity of this book really surprised me. I didn’t realize all that was be gained by Chaol and Nesryn whilst in Antica. I honestly thought it would just be more focused on the political intrigue that the Khagan and his children brought forth as the main plot point of the story. Sure it delved a little deeper into the dynamics of this incredibly powerful family and we learnt a lot more about them but the main focus was really the character growth that we witness throughout the course of the book, in particular Chaol, Yrene and Nesryn.

Chaol is wounded, he’s grief stricken, and guilt ridden and strong beyond measure, watching his character grow throughout the course of this book was spectacular. His narrative is so intimate as we watch him overcome his personal demons as he fights off the demons that have latched on inside of him in his wound. The transition from the man he is when he is wheeled off that boat by Nesryn to the man who walked aboard the vessel to sail back to Erilea with Yrene by his side was so well thought out, genuine and heartfelt. I loved him as a character and I have definitely been swayed, as he wasn’t really a favourite of mine in the rest of the series.

I thought Yrene was also a delight to read. Her strength and resilience in the face of danger is really something to be commended. We see her grow from being timid, yet quietly assertive to being the commanding, powerful tenacious woman that she is meant to be. Seeing the slow build up of their romance through the course of the book was also great. It wasn’t rushed at all and we could really feel the genuineness of the relationship spilling out through the pages.

Nesryn was kind of in the background for the first half of the story for me. I had inklings about her and Sartaq from the first night he followed her to the Torres Tower and I thought he was a good match for her. She is so used to being disciplined and in control and he really counteracted all of that as the carefree, cocky prince. I enjoyed seeing their relationship build and seeing Sartaq’s backstory unfold at Altun and their adventures and discoveries they found during their time there and how it drew them together was worth the read.

This story was full of adventure, heartaches, plotting and revelations and it had my heart pounding the whole time. It was thrilling to read, and seeing the plot points all align together from the last six books in this series was expert. I applaud Sarah J Maas and I am eagerly anticipating the next book in the series later this year!

⭐️5/5 stars nothing more to say!

Reviews

To Kill a Kingdom Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on To Kill a Kingdom Review

*Spoiler Free*

“A princess must have her prince.”

th61RJURL9I loved it! This book was amazing. I loved the dual perspective of Lira and Elian. I thought they complemented each other perfectly, both ruthless and cunning yet still so endearing and likeable. To Kill a Kingdom was dark and atmospheric and really had me guessing at every stage.

To Kill a Kingdom follows Lira a siren that is the heir to the throne of the Sea Queen who rules over all of the sea and the creatures that live there. Lira disobeys her mother and is transformed into a human and banished to the surface with a mission to seize the heart of the infamous siren killer Elian and bring it back to her mother as an offering. Elian is a reluctant royal heir to the throne of Midas the most powerful of all the 100 kingdoms. He has charged himself with the quest to rid the earth of all the sirens and has set his sights on one siren in particular and he will stop at nothing to find her and kill her.

The premise of this book really called to me (lol) and the plot as a whole really captivated me and catapulted me into the world that Alexandra Christo created. I thought the establishment of the 100 kingdoms and the different lore and legends that each of the royal families have really expanded the world and enriched the storyline. I also loved the duality shown in both Lira and Elian and I thought that the way they both grew and progressed was well executed and refreshing. Elian’s relationship with the crew of the Saad was another element that I enjoyed. The banter and respect that was shown between the crew and their captain really brought out a softer side to Elian and revealed him as more trusting and warm. Lira and Miriam’s storyline was another feature in the novel that I enjoyed. Especially when we were exposed the backstory of how they became so close and how willing they were to sacrifice themselves in order to save each other after everything they have both been through was a compelling plot point.

There was intrigue, drama, secrets and surprises woven very intricately throughout the novel and it kept my curiosity piqued enough that I couldn’t put it down.

⭐️4/5 stars highly recommend it was great!

Reviews

Ever the Brave Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Ever the Brave Review

33413892Ever the Brave is the sequel to Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill. If you haven’t read Ever the Hunted I would suggest you go read that first before reading this review as you may be a little spoiled.

Ever the Brave continues straight on in the narrative after Britta has saved King Aodren with her new found channelling powers. Britta’s content to just live a peaceful life in her father’s cottage that was gifted to her by the king, but unfortunately the link that she now shares with the king after saving him has pulled her into the political machinations of the kingdom and he’s now insisting she becomes a noble lady no matter how much she resists. Along with somehow learning how to control her powers, and resist those who are looking to use them for evil without Cohen’s help as he is off in Norta trying to hunt down the rogue channeller who has possessed the king.

I enjoyed the pace of this novel. It picked up straight after Ever the Hunted left off and continued running. I didn’t particularly like the love triangle that was going on throughout most of the book. I think it just came across a little to forced for me…although it was played off nicely and I enjoyed how it came around in the end. Britta was really a force to be reckoned with in this book. From who she was in the first novel to the strong, independent, powerful young lady she ends up being is very empowering and I thought that was a good representation of a proper character arc for her.

All in all I thought it was solid ending, though it wasn’t my absolute favourite fantasy series out there but I really enjoyed the plot, the characters were very varied and entertaining and the magic system was interesting and different to anything I’ve read recently.

⭐️4/5 stars would recommend for all those fantasy YA lovers out there!

Updates

The Thief

by amyleighreads2 Comments on The Thief

IMG_2203My first ever blog post….😱

Sufficed to say I am very excited to start blogging all of my reading updates and thoughts and reviews on the various books I read. As well as throwing in any other events or situations I seem to find myself in that may prove amusing to share!

I just got a new book delivered in the mail yesterday… The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. I have heard many great things about this series and I am very excited to dive right in and give my honest thoughts and opinions when I come out on the other side!

Happy Reading!! 📚