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Reviews

Flamecaster Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on Flamecaster Review

Set in the world of the acclaimed Seven Realms series a generation later, this is a thrilling story of dark magic, chilling threats, and two unforgettable characters walking a knife-sharp line between life and death. 

It has been a while since I read the Seven Realms and it took me a minute to become settled in Cinda Williams Chima’s writing style but once I was I was thriving! She set up so many storylines and questions that I need answering so it seems like I’m going to be bingeing this series.

I really liked Ash. He wasn’t perfect by any means and was a tad stubborn and unwilling to listen to advice from anyone but he is still so endearing. Watching you father being killed right in front of you (which I was a bit salty about tbh) would of damaged any child and I think wanting to enact revenge is a perfectly plausible plan and I would of probably wanted to do the same had I been in his position.

Lila I was unsure about for the majority of her storyline before we found out who she actually is. I didn’t understand her motives and why she was so hellbent on helping Ash yet also seemingly supplying the Kind of Arden with supplies that could help him win the war. She was cloaked in mystery throughout the book and her closeness to Destin was also a factor that made me not trust her.

Jenna I am the most curious about out of all the characters. Not knowing who her parents are and having this Empress searching for her is all very compelling! Who is she really, what powers does she actually have and how can she talk to dragons? That element really shocked me as I didn’t know that dragons were a part of this world but it was definitely a welcome addition to the plot.

I have to say it did get a little slow paced and kind of stagnant in the middle section of the book where we follow Ash as he infiltrates the castle at Arden. But there was so many different strands and arcs going on that kept me turning the pages for sure! I am very much engaged and I think this was the perfect set up for the series.

⭐️4/5 stars I think I’m going to love this series!!!

Reviews

A Sky Beyond the Storm Review

by amyleighreads1 Comment on A Sky Beyond the Storm Review

This was perfection!

The long-imprisoned jinn are on the attack, wreaking bloody havoc in villages and cities alike. But for the Nightbringer, vengeance on his human foes is just the beginning.

Laia we can definitely see how far she has come in this final instalment to the series. She is resolute and unwavering in her purpose and has grown so much from the timid girl pretending to be a slave to the Commandant. She still makes some decisions that I find questionable but within her scope of reasoning so it didn’t annoy me as much as it would of otherwise. She has been through a lot and I am very satisfied with the way her character arc played out.

Elias has always been one of my favourite characters in this world. His broodiness, his want to rebel from his mother and not be a mindless mask forced to kill with no remorse. He has put me through the ringer throughout the course of this series and has frustrated me to no end, I still can’t help but love him. Seeing his journey to find his empathy and bring back his emotions to try and help end the war as the Soul Catcher was a struggle and I wanted to throttle him at times, but it made the pay off worth it so much more.

Helene was amazing in this book. Again super frustrating her not wanting to give in to her feelings for Harper and actually cultivate a relationship with him when everyone around them could see they were meant for each other. The build up of tension between them and the eventual pay off was well worth it though! Helene I have to say I wasn’t really all that interested in before this book but she really came to the forefront and shined. I was very much invested in her storyline and I was not disappointed!

There is so much going on in this book right from the start. It has been a few months since I reread the previous books in this series so there were a few characters that I didn’t recognise at first but as the story continued I was able to regain my bearings and enjoy all of the action. I liked the fact that everyone is separated for the majority of the book and eventually find their way back together just in time. It wasn’t the fairy tale ending I was expecting where everything just magically works out, we definitely loose a lot of characters I wasn’t expecting but we gained a few as well so I was left feeling very content!

⭐️5/5 All the feels!!

Reviews

Mexican Gothic Review

by amyleighreadsLeave a Comment on Mexican Gothic Review

This was definitely not was I was expecting.

After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find—her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.

This books takes place in the 50’s I believe and the societal expectations of the time really gets on my nerves. The fact that women aren’t allowed to really do anything for themselves, where it’s considered rude to interrupt when men are speaking and when the main protagonists doesn’t have any authority to do anything is so annoying. I think this was the most frustrating part of this book for me. Noemi not being able to visit her cousin even though she came all this way to see her having to abide to such stringent rules without any reasoning. I liked that she pressed against these rules and still did what she wanted but all of the restrictions bugged me.

I really liked Noemi. She doesn’t take no for an answer and seeks out proof rather than just accepting Virgil’s version of events. I think she was a little disrespectful at the start smoking in the house when it was requested that she didn’t but still had I been in that situation and was greeted the way she was I probably would of acted the same. She refuses to be intimidated by the Doyle’s and keeps asking questions and delving deeper into what is going on at High Place and what it has done to Catalina.

The pacing felt quite slow at times but I found I was so enthralled that I got through it quite quickly. There is definitely an atmospheric tone to the story which made it even more gripping. I have to admit having a unreliable main protagonist isn’t my favourite trope in terms of the hallucinations and trying to figure out whether or not she was dreaming. But I can appreciate how it added that layer of unpredictability to the storyline.

This was an intriguing, dark, weird and twisted tale that didn’t shy away from shocking the reader. I appreciate how far Silvia Moreno-Garcia was willing to push the plot and take it to a place that I wasn’t able to predict for sure. This was highly original and in the end quite thrilling and action packed.

⭐️3/5 stars haunting and creepy!

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!!!