Tag: fantasy

Monthly Wrap-Up: March 2019 + Mini Hiatus

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Hello everyone! I usually post my wrap-ups on the last day of the month, so I’m a bit late with this, but I figured better late than never. Again, I didn’t read that many due to school, but I’m really proud of the amount of reviews I wrote this month! I go through reading phases where it’s hard for me to put my thoughts into words, but this past month they just seemed to flow out of me!

The semester is wrapping up for me, with only two and a half more weeks to go, and I’m really feeling the strain of all the studying and exams I have coming up. I still plan to read a little but I will most likely be taking a mini hiatus for the new few weeks from blogging. I’m hoping to be a good little blogger and have some posts scheduled but in case you don’t hear back from me in weeks, it’s probably because I’ve got my nose stuck in a textbook. 

38496253HONOR BOUND: Honor Among Thieves was one of my favorite reads last year and I was really looking forward to this release. I’m so disappointed that I didn’t love it as much as I was anticipating. I was also under the impression that this was a duology so the plot was extremely slow and dragged in some places. Unfortunately, but the end I was just bored and it made me rethink about finishing the series.  ★★★

39863494ENCHANTÉE: I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did, especially since I had just finished An Affair of Poisons, and the two books have very similar settings. Luckily, this was a completely different story and full of magical elements and wonderful characters that I loved. This book totally charmed me and I’m so glad I gave it a chance!  [review]  ★★★★


36535913THE DEVOURING GRAY: This was totally atmospheric: the vivid descriptions really brought forth the creepy elements and made it easy to become immersed in the story. It really has the whole Riverdale meets Stranger Things vibe going and the author totally kills it. I wasn’t that invested in the characters to begin with, but I changed opinion by the end and came to really like them all. Usually if I don’t connect with the characters, I tend not to like the book, but the plot and writing were so good it was easy to overlook.  ARC received through #booksfortrade on Twitter.  [review]  ★★★★½

40510629THE QUEEN’S RESISTANCE:  Everything I loved about the first book was also present in this stunning sequel: the visual writing, the lovely characters, and the compelling storytelling create such a unique YA fantasy. I loved the inclusion of Cartier’s chapters. Not only was the addition of his POV expertly executed, but it really added to the narrative and helped move the plot along. This a seriously underrated series that I cannot recommend enough!  [review]  ★★★★

38376046THE HUNTRESS: It’s hard to explain just how ecstatic I was to learn that Kate Quinn wrote another WWII-inspired historical fiction. If you haven’t learned by now, she is the ultimate queen of historical fiction novels and I devour everything she writes. As always, Quinn did such a tremendous job weaving historical facts with fiction to create a totally unique and captivating story. Once the story really gets going, this is a hard book to put down. The theme of Nazi criminals and the aftermath of World War II and the Nuremberg Trials was absolutely fascinating to me. Another amazing story by one of favorite authors.  [review]  ★★★★

42201431THE UNHONEYMOONERS: As I’ve said in previous reviews, no one writes contemporary romances quite like the amazing duo of Christina Lauren. I read the synopsis once and immediately requested the book and I’m so extremely thankful I was approved. This was honestly like reading my own romantic fantasies come to life: hate-to-love romance, fake dating trope, and a dream vacation to Hawaii. My one and only complaint was there was not nearly enough angst for a book focuses on two characters who hate each other, pretending to be in love.  ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley.  [review]  ★★★★½

37545571 (1)KING OF FOOLS: It took me a bit longer than I had anticipated to get back into the world of this book, and to remember everything that had happened previously. But once I did, I I found myself once again really enjoying the characters and the story! Amanda Foody has repeatedly called this book her Girl Gang book and I can totally see why. I’m really looking forward to the conclusion of this series!  ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley.  ★★★★

39280480 (1)FAMOUS IN A SMALL TOWN: Okay, I’ll admit that I put off reading this book because I had misconceptions about what it was actually about. This was a totally different story than what I was under the impression of it being, and I’m thankful I took the time to reevaluate the synopsis because otherwise I would have never read it. As with all of her books, Emma Mills excels at writing contemporary books that are fun, light, and easy to pass the time with.  ★★★

40556417 (1)TO BEST THE BOYS: I’m extremely glad this was in the March FairyLoot box, otherwise I would have totally missed out on this! Once again, I had a different perception about what this story entailed. This book is an super fun, female-empowering story that reminded me of Stalking Jack the Ripper meets The Maze Runner. If you enjoy science-minded females kicking butt, I highly recommend this!  ★★★★

OTHER

Game of Thrones: Favorite Moments | Blog Tour: In Another Life | Game of Thrones: Favorite Characters | The ABC Book Challenge – E | #ARCstravaganza: Dark Shores | Blog Tour: Beware the Night | The ABC Book Challenge – D | Blog Tour: An Affair of Poisons

Game of Thrones: Favorite Characters

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As a huge fan of both George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and the HBO series Game of Thrones, I’m extremely ecstatic (and sad) about the upcoming final season. The books and show are one of my favorite things to talk to others about, and I decided in honor of the premiere coming soon, I will be posting a fun Game of Thrones inspired post every on various Sundays before the first episode airs and throughout the season. If you’re a fan of either of the show or books, please chat with me in the comments with your thoughts and opinions!

For my first post, I’m so excited to talk about all of my favorite characters! The great thing about Game of Thrones / ASOIAF is all the different characters present: good, bad, and every shade of gray in-between. There are many POVs in the books (and on the show) that I enjoy reading/watching, but don’t particular hope they succeed in their endeavors. And then there are other characters whose storylines I cannot get enough of and wish all the happiness in the world for (HA. We all know GRRM by now).

SANSA STARK

My Queen in the North. All I want is for her to end up alive, happy, and surrounded by her loved ones in Winterfell. The amount of hate she gets is not only completely unwarranted and uncalled for, but extremely upsetting and frustrating. People are always so surprised when I tell them she’s my absolute favorite. Must of her hate stems from the fact that she’s a female character that is not oversexualized in the show but is also not a “fierce, warrior” type woman, and so they believe her to be useless – despite the fact that she is sharp, intelligent, kind, and arguably the character with the greatest character growth. People blame her for her idealistic, naive behaviors/thoughts she had when she was a CHILD and continue to hold it against her. The fact that is 2019 and there are still so many people who think she deserves all the abuse/rape/trauma that has happened to her is sickening and you can miss me with that bullshit. sansa

JON SNOW

Given my track record with favorite male characters, you may be surprise to learn that I didn’t like Jon Snow at first. It actually took me until season 4/5 until I really began to like his character. While reading the books, however, he was quickly one of my favorite POVs to read. BookJon and ShowJon have many similarities, but BookJon is a bit more harder and possesses a more questionable sense of honor than in the show – and I kind of dig it. His chapters also helped me appreciate his show character so much more, and it has made a tremendous difference. The last couple of seasons, besides Sansa he is the one character I treasure and hope all the best for.
jon

CERSEI LANNISTER

Let me preface this by saying I do not like Cersei Lannister, but she is a fantastic character – book and showise. In the show, Lena Headey does such a marvelous job with her character. While I never want her to succeed in her schemes, she is just so damn entertaining to watch. In the books, I still despise her as a person and pray for her demise, but I’d be lying if I said her chapters aren’t some of my absolute favorite to read. Cersei’s mind is so interesting to be inside of: she’s diabolical, manipulative, and vain. A Feast for Crow was the most boring book of the series for me, and one of the only redeeming qualities was all of the Cersei chapters.
cersei

ASHA / YARA GREYJOY

Asha – known as Yara in the show – is such a badass female character and I love following her! She’s an easy character to root for and I really want her to claim the Seachair in the Iron Islands. Throughout both the books and the show, she has proved herself to be a strong, intelligent, courageous woman. I’m still making my way through A Dance with Dragons, but I’m excited that there will finally be more chapters from her POV! asha

ARYA STARK

She’s about as opposite as you can get from her sister, but I really enjoy her character. Throughout the story, Arya has gone through some really tough shit. I’ve enjoyed watching her grow as a character immensely, and I absolutely love every time she gets revenge on someone. She was so close so many time to reuniting with different members of her family; it was both heartbreaking and extremely frustrating. I was ecstatic when she finally made her way home to Winterfell. 

arya

DAENERYS TARGARYEN

She is such a fascinating character, and I’ve really enjoyed reading and watching her transition into an anti-hero as the time has gone on. As with Cersei, I don’t necessarily like her as a person, but I love being in her mind. Even though there a lot of things she does that I don’t agree with and that make her a borderline villain, there are a few situations in which I rooted for her and applauded her success. There’s no denying the fact that Daenerys sets out to do good, and yet the way she gets things done is not always right or just. Do I want her to ultimately sit on the Iron Throne? Gods, no. Have I enjoyed watching her journey to the throne? Hell yes. daenerys

Thanks for reading! Do you watch or read Game of Thrones? Who are your favorite characters? If you enjoyed this post let me know below and be sure to look for my next Game of Thrones themed post next Sunday!

REVIEW: The Queen’s Resistance – Rebecca Ross

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40510629Title: The Queen’s Resistance (The Queen’s Rising #2)
Author: Rebecca Ross
Rating: ★★★★

The Queen’s Rising was such a quietly impressive debut last year and so this book was one of the sequels I was most anticipating. Everything I loved about the first book was also present in The Queen’s Resistance: the visual writing, the lovely characters, and the compelling storytelling create such a marvelous and unique YA fantasy!

The biggest difference between this book and the first is that Ross adds a second character point of view. The probably that typically occurs when a POV is added in the middle of the series is that it does nothing to the story. However, I loved the inclusion of Cartier’s chapters. Not only was the addition of his POV expertly executed, but it really added to the narrative and helped move the plot along. 

Speaking of plot, there is so much more going on in this book! The Queen’s Resistance was a lot faster paced and it was very easy to find myself lost amongst the pages. I really loved the continued worldbuilding (especially all the Irish elements!) and the large focus on found families. Brienna continues to have a small spot in my heart – not only because her name is the closest any MC has had to mine – but also because she’s a wonderful, smart heroine you can’t help but to root for. 

The Queen’s Rising is a seriously underrated series that I cannot recommend enough! Rebecca Ross has a special way with words and the beautiful story she has created deserves much more hype. 

#ARCstravaganza: Dark Shores – Danielle L. Jensen

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Happy Monday! #ARCstravaganza is a weekly meme now hosted by Flavia the Bibliophile where readers can show off their wonderful ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) and spread the word about upcoming releases. For more information about this meme and its origins check out this post. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

41438037Title: Dark Shores (Dark Shores #1)
Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Release Date: May 7, 2019

A PIRATE WITH A WILL OF IRON
Teriana is the second mate of the Quincense, a ship beholden to the Goddess of the Seas. Her people are born of the waves, and they alone know how to cross the impassable oceans between East and West. 

A SOLDIER WITH A SECRET
Marcus is the commander of the Thirty-Seventh, the notorious legion that has led the Celendor Empire to conquer the entire East. The legion is his only family, and even they don’t know the secret he’s been hiding since childhood.

A DANGEROUS QUEST
When a power-hungry ruler captures Teriana’s crew and threatens to reveal Marcus’s secret unless they help him conquer the unknown West, the two are forced into an unlikely–and unwilling– alliance. They unite for the sake of their families, but both must decide how far they are willing to go, and how much they are willing to sacrifice.