November 2015 – One Little Bookshelf

November Wrap Up

November 30, 2015Rachel1 Comment

As per usual, I am amazed by how fast this month is gone. I can’t believe it’s nearly Christmas! I hope everyone has had a good month as is settling into the holiday spirit 🙂 Anyway, onward to the wrap up!

What I read this month…

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy #6-10 by Cassandra Clare et al.

I really enjoyed these last few stories 🙂 I’ve read the 10 novellas over the last three months, so it’s nice to have finished them. You can find my review of each story here.

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

I really liked this book, and thought it was very unique and stood out in the busy YA Contemporary genre. If you haven’t already read this book, I would definitely recommend it! You can find my review here.

The Assassin’s Blade, Crown of Midnight, and Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

I have fallen head-over-heels in love with the Throne of Glass series. This is such an exciting world, with amazing characters and engaging plots. I’m currently reading Queen of Shadows and, let me tell you, it’s just incredible. I don’t think I can wait till next year for the fifth book! You can find my review of CoM here, and my HoF review here.

Link by Summer Weir

I got this book through NetGalley, and I was very pleasantly surprised. I think it’s still available for request on NetGalley if you want to check it out here. I posted my review earlier today, and you can find it here.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

I was pretty disappointed with this book. I had high-ish expectations because of all the hype. It was only really the second half of the book that I actually enjoyed. Anyway, you can hear more about that when I post a full review in a few days.

What I posted this month…

I got into a bit of a routine this month with what I was posting. I didn’t have as many other posts as I would like, but hopefully I will come up with some interesting stuff next month. I posted a total of 21 posts this month.

Weekly memes:
Top Ten Tuesday (this one is semi-weekly AKA I do it when I feel like it): Book to Movie Adaptations, Quotes I Loved
WWW Wednesday: #6, #7, #8, #9
Friday Finds: #8, #9, #10, #11

Reviews:
Paint My Body Red by Heidi R. Kling
The Light That Gets Lost by Natasha Carthew
The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden
More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
Boy 23 by Jim Carrington
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare (et al.)
Link by Summer Weir

Other:
Blogger Recognition Award
Dragon’s Loyalty Award

What happened with my blog this month…

I big thank you to everyone who has visited my blog, and liked or commented on any of my posts! I’d also like to thank every who has nominated me for awards this month 🙂

Visitors: 119

Likes: 227

Comments: 100

Follower Count: 86

What I did with my life this month

I finished all my uni assignments a couple of weeks ago, and I’ve had two exams so far (96% on one, 90% on the other), and I still have two more to go (one this Thursday, one next Thursday). So yeah, all that is wrapping up incredibly quickly and, before I know it, I’ll have graduated with a Diploma in Audio Engineering! Whooo!

I went and saw Mockingjay Part II with my sister the other week, and we loved it! If you haven’t seen it yet, you definitely should! If you have seen it, what did you think?
I saw it again today with my best friend and it was just as good, if not better, the second time around. Also, afterwards, we were hanging out at the library (as you do) (they have free wi-fi), and we decided to start writing a story. It was just gonna be a silly one, but we ended up planning a decent amount of a story. It’s a sci-fi/high fantasy kinda thing, and we waaaayyy time coming up with names for things. So yeah, my friend wanted to let me be the main writer, but we have a really good basis for a story, which is fun. Hopefully I actually finish it this time – I’m notorious for planning stories but never writing them >.<

Another big thank you to all my lovely followers! I’ve had another great month with the book blogging community, so thank you all so much. I hope everyone enjoys the silly season!

Review | Link by Summer Wier

November 30, 2015November 28, 2015Rachel2 Comments

Title: Link (The Shadow of Light #1)
Author: Summer Wier
Release Date: September 29th, 2015
Publisher: REUTS Publications
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi
Pages: 215 (Kindle)
Rating: 4/5

For seventeen-year-old Kira, there’s no better way to celebrate a birthday than being surrounded by friends and huddled beside a campfire deep in the woods. And with a birthday in the peak of summer, that includes late night swims under the stars.
Or at least, it used to.

Kira’s relaxing contemplation of the universe is interrupted when a piece of it falls, colliding with her and starting a chain of events that could unexpectedly lead to the one thing in her life that’s missing—her father.

Tossed into a pieced-together world of carnivals and gypsies, an old-fashioned farmhouse, and the alluring presence of a boy from another planet, Kira discovers she’s been transported to the center of a black hole, and there’s more to the story than science can explain. She’s now linked by starlight to the world inside the darkness. And her star is dying.

If she doesn’t return home before the star’s light disappears and her link breaks, she’ll be trapped forever. But she’s not the only one ensnared, and with time running out, she’ll have to find a way to save a part of her past and a part of her future, or risk losing everything she loves.

I was pleasantly surprised by this by this book. It’s not that I thought I wouldn’t enjoy it, I just wasn’t too sure what to expect. It turned out to be a really entertaining and thought-provoking story with exciting worlds and people.

I loved the world that was created in this book – everything was so delightfully sci-fi, but still very human and relatable. I thought the existence of a world inside a black hole (AKA the shadow of light) was really unique, and all the sciencey talk about it was very convincing. I also liked the way the mirror worlds tied into this. I did think the ending was a little confusing – all the light/dark stuff was just kind of dumped on us at the end. However, it did fit into the story by having the information revealed there, so I shouldn’t complain too much. I just would have liked it to be a little more spread out so I had more time to get my head around all of it.

For the most part, all the characters were really good. While the supporting characters could have had a bit more depth, and Kira could have had a bit more development throughout the story, I thought all the characters fit into the story really well. The only character I didn’t like very much was Zane. I found him to be quite annoying – he was kinda possessive of Kira, and acted pretty entitled. Like, because of the fact that he had always been friends with Kira and had been there for her, he felt that he deserved to be her boyfriend. I think the problem I had with this was that it was clearly supposed to be romantic, but it just felt a little off to me. To be honest, Evan (a boy in the black hole world) was quite similar. He tried to emotionally manipulate Kira into staying with him, instead of going back to her own world. Thankfully, both of these guys had other redeeming traits/actions, so they weren’t all bad – they were actually fairly likeable in the end.

I found this to be a really refreshing and interesting book, and it is a very solid debut from Wier. I really look forward to reading the other two books in the trilogy!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Buy it on Amazon

Request it on NetGalley

The Dragon’s Loyalty Award

November 29, 2015November 24, 2015Rachel6 Comments

dragons-loyalty-award

A big thank you to T.K. Lawrence @ Read It or Not Reviews for nominating me for this award!

Rules

Display the award on your blog
Announce your win with a post and link the blogger who awarded you
Present 6 deserving bloggers with the award
Link your awardees in the post and let them know of their being awarded
Write seven interesting things about you.

Some things about me

The highest praise I can give a book is buying it – books are kinda expensive in NZ, so I can’t often afford to buy that many books. Therefore, I only buy my absolute favourites so I can read them again.
The only good thing about Auckland being a ‘super city’ is that we have access to every library in the city – all 55 of them!
I’m in the last couple of weeks of my diploma, and I’m pretty daunted by the prospect of finding a job in the audio/music industry next year.
When I was little, I used to think it was amazing that people actually lived in America, because, to me, that was the land of TV and movies.
Sometimes I wish I read more adult fiction, but then I remember that I love YA too much and screw what anyone else thinks.
I collect Marvel Pop! Vinyls.
When I find an album/song I like, I tend to play it on repeat for ages, then I barely listen to it at all after that.

Nominations

Friday Finds #11

November 27, 2015November 26, 2015Rachel5 Comments

Friday Finds is a weekly meme hosted by A Daily Rhythm and showcases the books you’ve found during the week and added to your TBR list.

The Sister Pact by Stacie Ramey

I found this book through Shelby @ Brunette With A Book’s blog tour post. It has quite an interesting premise, so hopefully I’ll enjoy it.

Blurb:
A suicide pact was supposed to keep them together, but a broken promise tore them apart

Allie is devastated when her older sister commits suicide – and not just because she misses her. Allie feels betrayed. The two made a pact that they’d always be together, in life, and in death, but Leah broke her promise and Allie needs to know why.

Her parents hover. Her friends try to support her. And Nick, sweet Nick, keeps calling and flirting. Their sympathy only intensifies her grief.

But the more she clings to Leah, the more secrets surface. Allie’s not sure which is more distressing: discovering the truth behind her sister’s death or facing her new reality without her.

Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

I’m not too sure how much I’ll like this book, as it sounds like it has quite a different vibe than most of the books I read. It sounds interesting enough that I’d like to read it anyway.

Blurb:
Before the thorns taught me their sharp lessons and bled weakness from me I had but one brother, and I loved him well. But those days are gone and what is left of them lies in my mother’s tomb. Now I have many brothers, quick with knife and sword, and as evil as you please. We ride this broken empire and loot its corpse. They say these are violent times, the end of days when the dead roam and monsters haunt the night. All that’s true enough, but there’s something worse out there, in the dark. Much worse.

From being a privileged royal child, raised by a loving mother, Jorg Ancrath has become the Prince of Thorns, a charming, immoral boy leading a grim band of outlaws in a series of raids and atrocities. The world is in chaos: violence is rife, nightmares everywhere. Jorg has the ability to master the living and the dead, but there is still one thing that puts a chill in him. Returning to his father’s castle Jorg must confront horrors from his childhood and carve himself a future with all hands turned against him.

Mark Lawrence’s debut novel tells a tale of blood and treachery, magic and brotherhood and paints a compelling and brutal, and sometimes beautiful, picture of an exceptional boy on his journey toward manhood and the throne.

November 9 by Colleen Hoover

I’ve heard quite a bit about this book recently, but it was Dee @ The Bookish Khaleesi’s review that convinced me to add this to my TBR. I’m not normally a romance reader, but this sounds like such a beautiful book, that I’ll just have to read it!

Blurb:
Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.

The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski

This book has been floating around my Goodreads feed a lot lately, so I was eventually forced to actually see what it was about. It sounds pretty good, but I’ve been adding a lot of high fantasy books to my TBR recently, so I’ll have to break up when I read them.

Blurb:
Winning what you want may cost you everything you love…

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Asking For It by Louise O’Neill

I heard about this book through Chrissi Reads’ TTT. It kind of reminds me of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, which I had mixed feelings about.

Blurb:
It’s the beginning of the summer in a small town in Ireland. Emma O’Donovan is eighteen years old, beautiful, happy, confident. One night, there’s a party. Everyone is there. All eyes are on Emma.

The next morning, she wakes on the front porch of her house. She can’t remember what happened, she doesn’t know how she got there. She doesn’t know why she’s in pain. But everyone else does.

Photographs taken at the party show, in explicit detail, what happened to Emma that night. But sometimes people don’t want to believe what is right in front of them, especially when the truth concerns the town’s heroes…

I also added a bunch of books that I found while writing up next week’s TTT. I won’t include those because, not only are there quite a few, but you’ll see them in a few days 🙂

So those are my finds for the week – there were so many! Have you read any of these books? Are there any books you added to you TBR this week that you’re really excited to read?

Review | Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare (et al.)

November 26, 2015November 25, 2015Rachel6 Comments

Even though I think Cassandra Clare is milking this Shadowhunter universe for all she can (maybe more than she should?), I’m still a sucker for these stories (and I low-key hate that I still love this universe so much).

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy

Now that all 10 of the short stories that make up Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy have been released, I’m posting short reviews for each of them. I wrote these reviews after I read each story, and before I read the next one (generally).
I’ll try to keep spoilers for both TMI, TID and this series to a minimum.

#1 – Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy

Release Date: February 17th, 2015
Co-Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Read: September 12th – 13th
Rating: 4/5

After living as a Mundane and a Vampire, Simon never thought he would become a Shadowhunter, but today he begins his training at Shadowhunter Academy.

I like that we get to see things from Simon’s POV, especially after what happened to him at the end of City of Heavenly Fire. I thought there were a few things that showed a bit of lazy writing (why was George so afraid of the possum at the start to the point where he said that Simon was their only hope?), but I can mostly forgive this due to the short-story format. There was some nice character development from not only Simon, but a couple of the new characters as well. Overall, this sets up the series of novellas really well.

#2 – The Lost Herondale

Release Date: March 17th, 2015
Co-Author: Robin Wasserman
Read: September 13th – 15th
Rating: 4/5

Simon learns the worst crime a Shadowhunter can commit: desertion of their comrades. In the early nineteenth century, Tobias Herondale abandoned his fellow Shadowhunters in the heat of battle and left them to die. His life was forfeit, but Tobias never returned, and the Clave claimed his wife’s life in exchange for Tobias’s. Simon and his fellow students are shocked to learn of this brutality, especially when it is revealed the woman was pregnant. But what if the child survived… could there be a lost Herondale line out in the world today?

I loved the story about Tobias Herondale, and the idea that there may be another line of Herondales out there. It was also really nice to see some interaction between Simon and Catarina.
I found the scene with Simon and the vampire girl to be quite forced and awkward. The same goes for Isabelle’s cameo, too.
I’m getting kind of sick of Simon’s constant self-pity and him always saying he’s not the same Simon that everyone knew. Like, yes, we get it. You don’t remember all that stuff. Doesn’t mean you have to be a dick to all the people who know you.

#3 – The Whitechapel Fiend

Release Date: April 21st, 2015
Co-Author: Maureen Johnson
Read: September 27th – October 1st
Rating: 4/5

Simon learns the truth behind the Jack the Ripper murders—“Jack” was stopped by Will Herondale, his former parabatai, and his institute of Victorian Shadowhunters.

I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as the previous two. I liked that we got to see what Tessa and Will and gang were up to, but I though the whole “Jack the Ripper was actually a demon” thing was a little strange. Most of what I enjoyed about this story was the stuff that was happening at the Academy. I really loved it when Jace showed up, and seeing his and Simon’s relationship develop was cool. I thought ending where Simon wrote the letter to Isabelle was also really sweet.

#4 – Nothing But Shadows

Release Date: May 19th, 2015
Co-Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Read: October 2nd – 4th
Rating: 5/5

Simon challenges the setup of the Shadowhunter Academy and in doing so learns the story of James Herondale and Matthew Fairchild and the unusual way that they became friends and parabatai.

I loved this one! It followed James Herondale (Will and Tessa’s son), through his first year at the Shadowhunter Academy. I thought James was a really great character, and I loved seeing how he dealt with his father’s popularity. I also really enjoyed reading about a lot of the other students that were there. Most of all, I loved seeing how James met his parabatai, and how their relationship grew. This one is definitely my favourite so far.

#5 – The Evil We Love

Release Date: June 16th, 2015
Co-Author: Robin Wasserman
Read: October 18th
Rating: 3.5/5

All evil starts somewhere, and Simon Lewis learns how The Circle—led by Valentine Morgenstern—began.
The Shadowhunter Academy has only just reopened following the disastrous rise of the Circle. Now the faculty can finally admit to what happened when Valentine was a student.

This was my least favourite so far. It was set at the end of Simon’s first year at the Academy, after all normal classes had finished. Enter Stephen Lightwood as a guest lecturer, with his trusty sidekick, Isabelle. Stephen told the students his story of the early times of the Circle. To be honest, it didn’t really excite me. Stephen was a rather annoying character, and I just didn’t really enjoy those parts of the story. I did like the parts that followed Simon, as he tried to deal with his idiot classmates. I also loved the small progress that was made between him and Isabelle.

#6 – Pale Kings and Princes

Release Date: July 21st, 2015
Co-Author: Robin Wasserman
Read: November 5th – 8th
Rating: 5/5

Simon has an encounter with Downworlders and is reprimanded for not following the rules for Academy students interacting with Downworlders. A story within a story: Andrew Blackthorn, while a student at the Academy, becomes enthralled by a faerie and has two children with her: Mark and Helen.

I loved this one! It’s the shortest of the stories so far, but I really enjoyed it. I really like Helen as a character, so it was great to see her pop up. Also, there was a breakthrough with Simon and Isabelle’s relationship, so that was also really great. I loved reading about the Blackthorn brothers, and about Mark and Helen’s mother, and how all that came about.

#7 – Bitter of Tongue

Release Date: August 18th, 2015
Co-Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Read: November 18th
Rating: 3.5/5

After Simon is kidnapped by faeries (why is he always kidnapped?), he uncovers rumors of a secret weapon Sebastian left behind for the faerie queen. He must escape the Fey, relying on his only ally, former Shadowhunter and Dark Artifices character Mark Blackthorn.

It was really nice seeing what happened to Mark after the last story featured Helen. I’m not a big fan of the faeries, so I didn’t enjoy this one as much as some of the other stories. I like that we’re seeing how Simon is growing as a warrior, considering he’s been at the Academy for over a year at this point. I really liked the ending of this one – it was very sweet.

#8 – The Fiery Trial

Release Date: September 22nd, 2015
Co-Author: Maureen Johnson
Read: November 18th
Rating: 5/5

Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn become parabatai. Simon and Clary both act as their witnesses, so they can see what a parabatai bond forming looks like as they want to become parabatai as soon as Simon graduates.

This one was great! It was so nice seeing Simon and Clary together -I love seeing how their relationship has become strong again. I really liked that we saw Catarina with Magnus and Jem. Also, the mention of Will was absolutely adorable. I loved seeing Julian and Emma become parabatai. I’m actually looking forward to reading more about them in The Dark Artifices.

#9 – Born to Endless Night

Release Date: October 20th, 2015
Co-Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Read: November 24th
Rating: 5/5

Simon, like the rest of the Academy, is stunned when a navy-skinned warlock baby is found on the Academy steps. They hand the child over to guest lecturer Magnus Bane, who has to bring a child home… temporarily, of course… to his man!

AHHHH! This one was so adorable – definitely one of my favourites! There was so much beautiful fluff, and everything was perfect. I was really glad that Alec and Simon talked to each other about what happened before Simon lost his memories. Most of all, though, I loved Magnus and Alec and how they make such a perfect family. Oh, also, I loved that Robert and Maryse stopped being so uptight, and were actually being nice people.

#10 – Angels Twice Descending

Release Date: November 17th, 2015
Co-Author: Robin Wasserman
Read: November 24th
Rating: 5/5

Simon’s journey to become a Shadowhunter nears its end as his Ascension ceremony draws closer.

OH GOD. WHY YOU GOTTA BE LIKE THAT?

UGGHHH that was such a beautiful ending! Though brief, I absolutely adored this final story. While there was something that happened that I really wish didn’t, I had kind of expected it (though I’d hoped I was wrong). It is painfully typical of Cassie Clare to have something turn horrible when it could have been so perfect!

I loved seeing the depths of the friendships that Simon had formed while at the Academy – I do hope some of these characters (Marisol and Jon!) make a cameo in some of the future novels.

So there ya have it, that’s what I thought of each story that makes up the Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy series. Overall, I really enjoyed this series. If you’ve read The Mortal Instruments, I would definitely recommend you check out this series. I imagine that, like The Bane Chronicles, these stories will be published as a single book shortly.

I’ll finish this post with what a think is a nice quote from the final story:

“The point wasn’t that you tried to live forever; the point was that you lived, and did everything you could to live well. The point was the choices you made and the people you loved.”

WWW Wednesday #9

November 25, 2015November 25, 2015Rachel7 Comments

WWW Wednesday is a weekly book meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

WWW Wednesday

To join in, just answer the following three questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading…

Link by Summer Wier

I got this book from NetGalley a few weeks ago. I’m around the 2/3rd mark and I’m really enjoying it. There are a few things I’m not a huge fan of, such as one of the main characters who is kind of a douchebag, but for the most part, it’s a great book.

Blurb:
For seventeen-year-old Kira, there’s no better way to celebrate a birthday than being surrounded by friends and huddled beside a campfire deep in the woods. And with a birthday in the peak of summer, that includes late night swims under the stars. Or at least, it used to.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

I am super disappointed with this book, to be honest. Based on all the hype and praise surrounding this book, I expected to really enjoy it. At best, I would say it’s decent. I don’t really like the main character, Simon Snow, or his best friend Penelope. The only major character I like is Baz. So yeah, I’m kind of struggling through this book right now – I do want to finish it, though.

Blurb:
Simon Snow is the worst chosen one who’s ever been chosen.
That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here—it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

Recently Finished…

The Fiery Trial, Born To Endless Night and Angels Twice Descending by Cassandra Clare (with Maureen Johnson, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Robin Wasserman respectively)

I’ve really enjoyed the last three installments in the Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy series. I’ll be posting a review of this series tomorrow, so watch out for that!

Blurbs:
Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn become parabatai. Simon and Clary both act as their witnesses, so they can see what a parabatai bond forming looks like as they want to become parabatai as soon as Simon graduates.

and

Simon’s journey to become a Shadowhunter nears its end as his Ascension ceremony draws closer.

Reading Next…

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

I’m so excited to read this!! I’m picking it up from the library tomorrow, and I’m gonna have to exercise some self-restraint so I don’t start reading it before I’ve finished the other books I’m reading.

(The blurb below has spoilers for the first three Throne of Glass books, so it you haven’t read them, but you want to, I would avoid reading it!)

Blurb:
The queen has returned.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…

She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.

Have you read any of these books, and what have you been reading? Let me know in the comments!

Review | Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

November 23, 2015November 23, 2015Rachel12 Comments

Title: Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Release Date: September 2nd, 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: YA, High Fantasy
Pages: 562
Rating: 5/5

This review contains minor spoilers for the first two books in the Throne of Glass series.

She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.

Celaena Sardothien has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak—but at an unspeakable cost. Now she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth…a truth about her heritage that could change her life—and her future—forever.

Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. To defeat them, Celaena must find the strength to not only fight her inner demons but to battle the evil that is about to be unleashed.

The king’s assassin takes on an even greater destiny and burns brighter than ever before.

I am so in love with this series! I don’t even know how to express how good these books are. I love the characters and the setting and the magic and the plot and just everything UGHHHHH.

I think my favourite part of this book was Rowan. I just have so much love for him, and I really really hope he’s in Queen of Shadows a lot. I loved seeing his and Celaena’s relationship develop throughout the course of the book. I thought the progression of their friendship was very natural, and I love that they’ve both found someone they can really talk to and trust.

The only complaint I have about this book is that the start was a little slow. It was only around the 1/3rd mark that I felt that things were ramping up. Still, everything that happened in the first part of the book was important to the rest of story, so it’s definitely not all bad.

I loved all the development in this story; not just characters, but the whole plot. The way Dorian and Chaol evolved throughout this book with Celaena gone was really interesting – not just as individuals, but their relationship. It was hard to see how Celaena had come between them, and since she was gone, they struggled to relate to each other anymore.

I initially didn’t like the parts of the story that focused on the witches, but by the end, I really started to like reading about Manon and Abraxos. I loved seeing how Manon changed her way of thinking toward the end of the book; I really look forward to reading about her in future books.

It’s really interesting learning more about what is going on with magic, and what the king did to make it disappear. I loved seeing what happened in Terrasen the night Celaena’s parents were killed, and the king’s role in all of it.

Overall, I really like how this series is developing. I think the pacing of this book, and the series as a whole, is great. These books are at the top of my to-buy list, which is a big complement because I’m a poor student and don’t have the money to buy books very often. I’ve heard great things about Queen of Shadows, so I’m really really looking forward to reading it!

Blogger Recognition Award!

November 21, 2015November 20, 2015Rachel11 Comments

Thanks to Emily @ The Little Book Affair for nominating me! This is the first blog award I’ve been nominated for, so that’s fun. Anyway, let’s get on with it!

blogger-recognition-award

Rules:

Select 15 other blogs you want to give the award to. Do some digging if you must! Find those blogs. You cannot nominate yourself or the person who has nominated you.
Write a post to show off your award! Give a brief story of how your blog got started, and give a piece or two of advice to new bloggers. Thank whoever nominated you, and provide a link to their blog. List who you’ve nominated in the post.
Make sure to also attach the award itself! (You can do this by right-clicking, saving, and uploading the image above).
Comment on each blog and let them know you’ve nominated them. Provide a link to the award post you created.
Provide a link to the original post on Edge of Night. That way, anyone can find the original guidelines and post if needed, and we can keep it from mutating and becoming confusing!

The story of my blog…

I’ve always been a big reader, but it was only earlier this year that I started to get involved in the book-loving community. I joined Goodreads and started to find out about all these really popular books that I had never heard of. I started my blog in September, and I’m so glad I did! I’m not really sure what exactly made me want to start a blog – I guess it just seemed like a great way to express my love for books and get in touch with other like-minded people (and more book recs, too, of course!) By having this blog, and having a platform other than Goodreads to post reviews and discuss books, I feel a lot more aware of why I like or dislike the books I read. So yeah, that why I started this blog 🙂

My advice for new bloggers…

Well, I’m definitely not the most qualified person to be giving out advice, considering I’m still a pretty new blogger myself, but I’ll give it a shot!

Interact with your fellow bloggers! The book blogging community is amazing, and it’s such great fun discussing books with people that are obsessed as you are! Anyway, I’m sure you didn’t create a blog just to shout into the void 🙂
Don’t feel pressured to post all the time. Blogging is supposed to be a fun experience – something you do because you genuinely want to! If you aren’t really in the mood to write a full review for that book you just read, you don’t have to. If you don’t want to sit down for half an hour and write a big post about the state of today’s modern publishing industry, you don’t have to. You can post what you want, when you want. Enjoy your blog, and make it into whatever you want it to be!

Nominations…

Okay, I’m gonna be a spoil sport and not tag the full 15 people – I have a few more blog awards to do, and I don’t wanna be annoying and tag people too many times 😛 If anyone that I tag has already done the award, feel free to ignore 🙂

Friday Finds #10

November 20, 2015November 20, 2015Rachel3 Comments

Friday Finds is a weekly meme hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm and showcases the books you’ve found during the week and added to your TBR list.

Danny the Last Earth Man by Angry Zodd

I found this book through a Goodreads Giveaway, and it seems quite entertaining. Realistically, I have no idea if I’ll ever get around to reading it, but it’s on the list, anyway.

Blurb:
Meet Danny, the last surviving Earth man. Enclosed are his logs about being a space prisoner and his eventual turn of luck as a space fugitive, but that’s entering spoiler territory. Some log topics included are: ‘Why you shouldn’t do space drugs,’ ‘What makes me so special?’ and ‘I really wish I never met the Ramanon species.’ It’s Hitchhiker’s Guide meets Ender’s Game—in space! Oh wait.

The Color of Fear by Billy Phillips and Jenny Nissenson

This was another Goodreads Giveaway find. It’s an Alice in Wonderland retelling (with zombies), and it sound quite good. It also has good ratings on Goodreads, so hopefully I’ll enjoy it if I ever get around to it!

Blurb:
Unexplainablenews.com is reporting strange phenomena in cemeteries in Scotland, Germany, Italy, and America. Only one individual knows what’s happening – and why! This person also knows the one girl who can prevent an unspeakable and imminent catastrophe from taking place. But will she? When Caitlin Fletcher’s mom disappeared (or left?) four years ago, Caitlin began suffering from breathless bouts of anxiety. Her new move to London, with her Dad and her brainiac sister, threatens to lead to more situations that will trigger panic. Now, she’s having anxiety over the possibility of having anxiety! Caitlin’s life takes a turn for the bizarre when she’s tricked into climbing down a “rabbit hole”, landing in a wondrous fairy tale universe – except it’s crawling with savage, starving blood-eyed zombies. But what’s scarier – a blood thirsty zombie, a panic attack….or the painful truth?!

False Friends and Other Cognates by Mia Franco

Yet another giveaway! This sounds like quite an interesting (though maybe a little cheesy) contemporary YA book.

Blurb:
California (Ali) Perkins, a seventeen-year-old virgin-lips club member, spends the summer after her senior year in high school working as a nanny in Belgium even though she doesn’t speak French, doesn’t like kids, and has never traveled outside her home state of Texas. After recovering from culture shock, Ali makes friends with an international band of nannies, falls in love with the produce boy at the grocery store, and travels to France on a dream vacation turned nightmare, where she cheats on the only boyfriend she’s ever had with a rich college boy from England. In order to impress her rich college boy, Ali steals from her employers, lies to her friends, and gets caught breaking and entering while wearing a $7000 dress, only to discover that it was all for naught. Disillusioned and distraught, Ali must redeem herself before her summer in Belgium is over.

Don’t Turn Around by Caroline Mitchell

I’ve been finding quite a few Crime/Mystery/Thriller books that I want to read, and this is another one that sounds really interesting. Lord knows I watch enough crime TV shows, so hopefully once I start reading these books, I’ll enjoy them just as much 🙂

Blurb:
As D.C. Jennifer Knight investigates a routine stabbing in the quiet town of Haven, she is shocked at what seems like a personal message from beyond the grave.
When more bodies are found, Jennifer is convinced the killings are somehow linked. What she discovers is more chilling than she could possibly imagine. The murders mirror those of the notorious Grim Reaper – from over twenty years ago. A killer her mother helped convict.

Jennifer can no longer ignore the personal connection. Is there a copycat killer at work? Was the wrong man convicted? Or is there something more sinister at play …

With her mother’s terrifying legacy spiralling out of control, Jennifer must look into her own dark past in a fight not only to stop a killer – but to save herself and those she loves.

Dark Confessions of an Extraordinary, Ordinary Woman by Jenn Sadai

This was recommended to me by a Goodreads friend. I’ve heard of it previously, and a lot of people seem to think it’s a really good book. I’m not a big memoir reader, but I would like to read this one at some point.

Blurb:
Dark Confessions of an Extraordinary, Ordinary Woman follows the author on her journey from a drug-addicted thief who felt
trapped in an abusive relationship to a confident and capable marathon-runner. It is filled with intense drama, troubled romance, and all sorts of dirty little secrets.

The Rules by Stacey Kade

This book is a sci-fi/dystopia story, and it kinda reminds me of the Maximum Ride series, what with the whole ‘escaping from a lab filled with crazy genetic scientists’ thing. Hopefully it’s as good!

Blurb:
1. Never trust anyone.
2. Remember they are always searching.
3. Don’t get involved.
4. Keep your head down.
5. Don’t fall in love.

Five simple rules. Ariane Tucker has followed them since the night she escaped from the genetics lab where she was created, the result of combining human and extraterrestrial DNA. Ariane’s survival-and that of her adoptive father-depends on her ability to blend in among the full-blooded humans, to hide in plain sight from those who seek to recover their lost (and expensive) “project.”

But when a cruel prank at school goes awry, it puts Adriane in the path of Zane Bradshaw, the police chief’s son and someone who sees too much. Someone who really sees her. After years of trying to be invisible, Ariane finds the attention frightening-and utterly intoxicating. Suddenly, nothing is simple anymore, especially not the rules.

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Since I’ve been reading the Throne of Glass series, why not add another high fantasy to my TBR? This one pretty interesting, but I’ll probably give it a bit of time before I read it, so I don’t compare it to ToG too much.

Blurb:
In the three kingdoms of Mytica, magic has long been forgotten. And while hard-won peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest now simmers below the surface.

As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed… and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

The only outcome that’s certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?
It’s the eve of war…. Choose your side.

Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.
Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people’s revolution centuries in the making.
Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.
Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realise that the heart can be more lethal than the sword…

Follow Me by Angela Clarke

I found this book through Hayley @ Rather Too Fond of Books’s WWW Wednesday post. Like I mentioned earlier in this post, I’ve been finding quite a few good mystery/thriller books. This one actually looks really good, what with the social media element. I’ll definitely have to check it out when it’s published.

Blurb:
LIKE. SHARE. FOLLOW . . . DIE

The ‘Hashtag Murderer’ posts chilling cryptic clues online, pointing to their next target. Taunting the police. Enthralling the press. Capturing the public’s imagination.

But this is no virtual threat.
As the number of his followers rises, so does the body count.

Eight years ago two young girls did something unforgivable. Now ambitious police officer Nasreen and investigative journalist Freddie are thrown together again in a desperate struggle to catch this cunning, fame-crazed killer. But can they stay one step ahead of him? And can they escape their own past?

Time’s running out. Everyone is following the #Murderer. But what if he is following you?

ONLINE, NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM …

So those are my finds for the week – there were so many! Have you read any of these books? Are there any books you added to you TBR this week that you’re really excited to read?

(Side note: I’m going to see Mockingjay Part II in a few hours! :D)

Review | Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

November 19, 2015November 18, 2015Rachel7 Comments

Title: Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Release Date: August 15th, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: YA, High Fantasy
Pages: 418
Rating: 5/5

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena’s world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie… and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

This book was such a wild ride. I absolutely loved every second of it, though. I thought it was a incredible follow-up to the stunning Throne of Glass, and now I am well and truly hooked on the series. You guys weren’t kidding when you said the series got better after the first book!

Throughout this whole book, I was completely enthralled with the story. I loved learning more about the Wyrdmarks and all the other things that Celaena discovered. I’m glad we’re starting to get a lot more information about this ancient magic, and I love finding out all the little intricacies as they come to light. There were so many twists and turns, and the detail and thought that Maas has put into this world is incredible.

The character development in this book was really interesting to read; there was a lot going on for all the main characters. I noted in my review of Throne of Glass that I thought Celaena didn’t seem as tough as she ought to be, considering she’s this notorious assassin. In this book, we certainly saw just how lethal she can be, and the many scenes that showcased this were written beautifully. I loved seeing this darker side to Celaena, and it made her feel a lot more real. Now, don’t even get me started on my darling Dorian and his surprising/amazing/perfect character arc.

I absolutely loved seeing Celaena and Chaol’s relationship blossom, though some of the earlier parts of it seemed a little sudden. But I guess it does make sense because this book starts two months (I think…) after the end of Throne of Glass. Though I believe Celaena had been away for quite a bit of that… Anyway, it just seemed like, in the first book, there wasn’t a huuuge amount of whatever going on with them, so I guess it felt a little hurried. Regardless, I thought it was adorable.

I thought the twists in the story were great, though I did predict the last one. The other big one was a total surprise, though. I can’t wait to see how it all begins to unfold in Heir of Fire! Overall, this was a great sequel to Throne of Glass. I’m annoyed that it’s taken so long for me to read this series. In my defence, though, I only heard about it around 6-7 months ago when I started getting into Goodreads. I’m really glad I read The Assassin’s Blade before reading CoM because there were quite a few mentions of things that happened in those novellas in this book. So yeah, if you haven’t yet read the ToG series, I very strongly recommend you do!

Buy it on Book Depository