Book Review: The Gilded Ones

About the book

Title: The Gilded Ones
Series: Deathless #1
Author: Namina Forna
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Magic, PTSD, Feminism, High Fantasy
Publication: February 9th, 2021
Pages: 400
Read: April 2021

My Copy

Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd.
Edition: Paperback
Purchase Location: Book Depository

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in Otera, a deeply patriarchal ancient kingdom, where a woman's worth is tied to her purity, and she must bleed to prove it. But when Deka bleeds gold - the colour of impurity, of a demon - she faces a consequence worse than death. She is saved by a mysterious woman who tells Deka of her true nature: she is an Alaki, a near-immortal with exceptional gifts. The stranger offers her a choice: fight for the Emperor, with others just like her, or be destroyed...

My Spoiler Free Review

First of all, I don’t know how to describe all the feelings that I have for this book in this review! This book has now become my second favourite book of 2021 (Legendborn is still #1), and I can only hope that so many more people will read this book and give it the attention that it deserves! If you’re reading this review, I strongly recommend that you order your own copy of The Gilded Ones in case you don’t have it already!!

Once I started reading The Gilded Ones, I couldn’t put it down. I immediately got lost in the world of Deka and alaki and had serious troubles concentrating on school work (tbh, I totally ignored all university work until I finished this book, so I cannot recommend anyone starting this book when you’re in the middle of exams or a stressful phase where you need to concentrate on work). Be warned, this book will capture you from the very first page with its fast story pace and a fascinating new world filled with great characters.

A warning: this book talks about violence, PTSD, oppression, discrimination, abuse and bullying (mainly) towards women in detail.

We are introduced to a very patriarchal ancient kingdom, where women are oppressed and serve no other purpose in men’s eyes other than being useful to their families. Early on, we already get introduced to some very disturbing (in my opinion) passages from their “bible”:

And upon the fourth day, he created woman - a helpmeet to lift man to his sacred potential, his divine glory. Woman is the Infinite Father's greatest gift to mankind. Solace for his darkest hour.

It is shocking to see and read how all the girls and women in this book live by these believes and how little they think of their own worth because this is what they were taught to think since they were born. They to 100 per cent submit themselves to the Infinite Father. The scary part is to think how close to reality this can come. There are a lot of tribes or religions or cultures in the world, that still to this very day think this way and treat their women in this suppressing way. And of course, in our very "advanced" world there are still a lot of people (men) who think very little of women’s worth and capabilities and sadly we probably all encounter this from time to time, which just shouldn’t happen. As this is a topic very close to my heart and I hate seeing women / girls struggle in any way because of “men-who-deem-themselves-superior”, I sometimes had troubles processing what I was reading here. But I feel like this book shaped my worldview on this a bit more clearly and I feel so much richer for having read this. This is definitely a central theme in this book. We see this “ideology” reflected or appearing on every page.

If girls bleed gold (instead of red) blood, they are branded demons, and the priests take them away from their families and most often try to kill them immediately. So when nearly 16 year old Deka’s turn comes up for the ritual where they give the villages’ girls a small cut in order to find out if they’re “pure”, we know something is about to go down. But before it gets to that point, the village is under attack from the Deathshrieks, vicious creatures that attack village after village in the kingdom and kill the villagers. This is where Deka first finds out that she has powers, as she can command the Deathshrieks to go away from her village. But right after she saved the remaining villagers, they all turn on her and try to kill her.

Deka: From the beginning, I had a strong feeling that there was something special about Deka. She undergoes a massive character development, and I am so happy to see her at the end of the book as a strong young woman that can stand up for herself. She isn’t the mindless believer she was in the beginning anymore and she definitely has strong leadership skills. I am looking forward to her using more of her powers and finding out more of the truth of the kingdom’s history.

Deka’s friends Britta, Belcalis, Katya and the others are such an important feature in this book! I really loved how the focus in this book wasn't on a boy/man that Deka fell in love with, rather it was on her friends always helping her through everything and standing by her side. Friendship is probably one of the biggest topics in this book as well and it shines such a great light on this group of friends who help each other overcome their horrible past experiences. When somebody is near a panic attack or uncomfortable they're there for each other and try to help however they can. It's nice, for once, to see the girl friends help the protagonist save herself, instead of her love for a boy do that! Yes, love is nice and important, but it is not everything.

Keita: The romance in this book was just the perfect amount. It did NOT get in the way of the plot and Deka’s self-development and it also did not interrupt Deka’s focus on her friendship. It was just a nice add-on and a great way to see Deka heal with her trust issues towards men. All in all, I don’t think that Keita is a very special character, but I’m glad he appeared anyways.

The message in this book is really strong! If you haven’t figured it out by now, then have you really read my review? The representation in this book is stronger! With Deka, we strongly focus on a main character from a far southern part of this fictious world, and there are many other characters like her with important roles. I mean have you looked at the cover? IT IS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS and I cannot stare at it enough! I liked the world building and that it was mainly divided into the four compass directions for regions (Western, Southern, Northern, Eastern). But there is also a biiig part on the map labelled with Unknown Lands. I hope that we will read more about this in the next book and see what kind of people live there and why they’re sealed off from this empire.

This series truly has so much potential and promise and I cannot wait for the sequel and hope that it will be just as great! There are still so many obstacles in Deka and her friends’ path in life and it’s going to be so interesting to see what Namina Forna comes up with next! I am truly inspired and hope this author will publish many many more books in the years to come!

The Part That Might Contain Spoilers

I have to admit, that early on I already didn’t believe the whole demon thing and suspected that the four Gilded Ones were actually Goddesses who were overthrown by men instead and then they changed the viewpoint on the Godesses, and I am so glad that I was right about this! I also made the embarrassing assumption when Deka met the Emperor for the first time, that he was actually her father. Which now, having read the last 50 pages of the book, I’m really glad I was wrong about!

I'd like to know

Have you read The Gilded Ones? Are you as excited as me for the rest of this series! I could talk about this book for many more hours, and I’d love to hear what you think about it! So please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

Book Review: Chain of Iron

About the book

Title: Chain of Iron
Series: The Last Hours #2
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Shadowhunters
Publication: March 2nd, 2021
Pages: 592
Read: March 2021

My Copy

Publisher: Walker Booksbr /> Edition: Hardback
Purchase Location: Illumicrate

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

Cordelia Carstairs seems to have everything she ever wanted. She’s engaged to marry James Herondale, the boy she has loved since childhood. She has a new life in London with her best friend Lucie Herondale and James’s charming companions, the Merry Thieves. She is about to be reunited with her beloved father. And she bears the sword Cortana, a legendary hero’s blade. But the truth is far grimmer. James and Cordelia’s marriage is a lie, arranged to save Cordelia’s reputation. James is in love with the mysterious Grace Blackthorn whose brother, Jesse, died years ago in a terrible accident. Cortana burns Cordelia’s hand when she touches it, while her father has grown bitter and angry. And a serial murderer is targeting the Shadowhunters of London, killing under cover of darkness, then vanishing without a trace. Together with the Merry Thieves, Cordelia, James, and Lucie must follow the trail of the knife-wielding killer through the city’s most dangerous streets. All the while, each is keeping a shocking secret: Lucie, that she plans to raise Jesse from the dead; Cordelia, that she has sworn a dangerous oath of loyalty to a mysterious power; and James, that he is being drawn further each night into the dark web of his grandfather, the arch-demon Belial. And that he himself may be the killer they seek.

My Review (which might contain spoilers for Chain of Gold and Chain of Iron, beware!)

Wow. Just wow! After having read Chain of Gold just at the beginning of this month, I am so happy that I got my copy of Chain of Iron so soon too! I had ordered the special edition from Illumicrate (a book box subscription service with lovely content) and because of the high shipping costs to Switzerland, I could send it to my boyfriend's parents in the UK instead, and they then decided to send it on to me right away, even though I hadn’t asked (they’re book lovers like me too, so they wanted to make it possible for me to read this asap, even knowing nothing about the book or that I just finished the prior book in the series). With the current situation, we sadly can't travel to the UK any time soon, so I wasn't expecting to see the book anytime soon at all so this was a really nice surprise!

My heart aches and I don’t know what will mend it. Surely, waiting on the next book in this series for an entire year will only piece it back together to let it then be broken all over again. Chain of Gold was great. Chain of Iron was greater! So much character development, unpredictable plot twists and love triangles around every corner! Cassandra Clare managed to write another addicting book that I just couldn’t put down for days. And now that I finished it, I don’t know what to do with myself.

Chain of Iron picks up a few months after Chain of Gold, right before James and Cordelia’s “fake” wedding. Thinking about this now, it feels like ages ago! In reality, it was “only” 600 pages ago and yet I have little memory of the beginning because so much has happened after that. We get to see Cordelia and James grow affectionate of each other’s company in their new house and I really enjoyed seeing them enjoy their “married-life”. But it seems to be over too soon. The story picks up fast, and Shadowhunters are getting murdered.

I have to admit: for a while I thought James was the murderer whilst under the control of his grandfather Belial. Alas, I was wrong about this, which I’m pretty happy about because this means the story wasn’t too predictable and there were enough plot twists that I couldn’t foresee. It is safe to say, the last 50 pages of Chain of Iron broke my heart. I am a sucker for the they-love-each- other-but-neither-admits-their-feelings-openly-so-that-they-can-have-a-happy-ending-immediately trope, but this is killing me! We are left wondering for the next year, where the third book in this trilogy will set off and how the story is going to end! And all the love triangles are shattered at the moment. Cassandra Clare did a great job at taking my heart in both of her hands and crushing it without hesitation.

Cordelia oh Cordelia. Why is it that James and her just cannot catch a break from all the (rude) interruptions and tell each other what they feel for another?? They were so close, SO MANY TIMES! It drove me nuts every single time. But Cordelia also went through a big development in this book. She has become more self-dependent, very sure of herself and what she wants and she accepts no defeats. She stands up for her friends at every opportunity and I just really like her. It is great to read about a heroine who truly just wants to be a heroine and doesn’t let anybody else tell her that she cannot be that. Seeing her struggle with believing in herself after realising she’s become a demon’s paladin just hurt me so much. But she will get through this, because she is such a strong and strong-headed character.

And then we have Lucie, who is slowly developing into a character I’m unsure will find herself on the right side at the end of this all. At the end of Chain of Gold, I already suspected that she and Jesse would fall in love. But now, this love is probably threatening her clear view on things and I fear that she is going to develop into an anti-hero. Surely, she must understand, that any kind of bringing people back from the dead comes from “evil/dark” magic, and that even her powers cannot stem from good. And yet she still tried everything to bring back Jesse and then finally did it herself, by commanding him back to life. But at what cost? It also annoys me that she’s working with Grace and just keeping all these secrets from everyone! How are she and Cordelia supposed to become parabatai if she doesn’t even tell her the smallest thing about this??

So far, I like Jesse and I honestly didn’t think that he would be brought back to life in this book, rather than at the end of the trilogy. This probably means that he will play a crucial part in the war between Belial/Tatianna and James in the next book. I hope he’s going to stay one of the good guys, which is how I’d describe him right now. I do not like that him and Lucie are currently somewhere with Malcom Fade! It’s been a long time since I’ve read the first two books in The Dark Artifices trilogy (and I still need to read the last instalment there), but I remember it being about Malcom and Annabel Blackthorn. That is why I believe Malcom will already start to change his nature in the next book of TLH and slowly become “evil”.

Matthew’s alcohol addiction needs to find an end. Immediately! Nobody wants to talk about it, but they have to. Matthew clearly needs help, and he’s not going to go looking for it himself because he thinks he’s undeserving, which is utter nonsense. Matthew needs to be protected at all costs!

Thomas is still my favourite character, and although we’ve read more from his pov in this book, it still wasn’t enough!!! Please, I need more of Thomas’ story!!! Him and Alastair have finally made such good progress in their relationship and I really hope that Charles isn’t going to come between this again and mess it up for them. I don’t know how Thomas would tell the other Merry Thieves about his love for Alastair, but I am pretty sure that all of them (even Matthew, maybe after throwing a short rant) would accept it without hesitation.

Anna didn’t really leave any kind of impression on me in this book. Previously, she was a major part of observing the other characters and had some secrecy to herself. But I feel like her character could have left out of COI and nobody would have noticed a difference, except for Ariadne’s character development which would have gone missing then. I like Ariadne and I think her decision towards of the end of the book was the right thing to do! You cannot pretend to accept that the person you love doesn’t want to give themselves to you entirely and that should not be enough for someone who clearly deserves love and attention.

And still, Grace is my least favourite character (and I think that will never change). I think she’s unnecessary, her power is annoying, and I hope to read less of her in the last book. I understand that we needed to hear her backstory and see who she truly is, but I could have lived without that. The only decent thing Grace did in this book, was trying to stand up to Tatiana and telling her that she wouldn't do her bidding anymore. I hope she sticks to that and doesn't let her mother control her anymore.

I actually already wrote down my thought on Chain of Thorns and some of my predicitons of what will happen in the last book of this trilogy.

I'd like to know

Did you read and enjoy the Last Hours series, as well? I’d love to hear what you think about it in the comments!

Book Review: Chain of Gold

About the book

Title: Chain of Gold
Series: The Last Hours #1
Author: Cassandra Clare
Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Shadowhunters
Publication: March 3rd, 2020
Pages: 617
Read: March 2021

My Copy

Publisher: Walker Books
Edition: Hardback
Purchase Location: Book Depository

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

Welcome to Edwardian London, a time of electric lights and long shadows, the celebration of artistic beauty and the wild pursuit of pleasure, with demons waiting in the dark. For years there has been peace in the Shadowhunter world. James and Lucie Herondale, children of the famous Will and Tessa, have grown up in an idyll with their loving friends and family, listening to stories of good defeating evil and love conquering all. But everything changes when the Blackthorn and Carstairs families come to London…and so does a remorseless and inescapable plague. James Herondale longs for a great love, and thinks he has found it in the beautiful, mysterious Grace Blackthorn. Cordelia Carstairs is desperate to become a hero, save her family from ruin, and keep her secret love for James hidden. When disaster strikes the Shadowhunters, James, Cordelia and their friends are plunged into a wild adventure which will reveal dark and incredible powers, and the true cruel price of being a hero…and falling in love.

My Spoiler Free Review

How do I express my feelings for this book? I don’t know! But let me try! This feels like the uncountable-th book that I’ve read by Cassandra Clare, and honestly, I could read uncountable many more! I never get bored! I really like the Shadowhunters’ world and it has been a while since I’ve read a book in this setting. I still need to catch up on some stories, but after having started with the The Last Hours series now, I am fully invested again. So far, TID series was my absolute favourite, and that still hasn’t changed. But my emotions for the characters in this new(er) series are just as strong. And obviously, I am so happy to read about Will, Tessa and Jem again! It’s even more exciting to go on adventures with their kids now. And there are so so many of them! I had a really hard time following who was who, and who is related with whom and so on. At one point I just stopped trying to remember everything and saw thought of all of them as cousins.

In Chain of Gold we follow the story of Cordelia Carstairs and her soon-to-be-best-friends-group, as they try to fight against mysterious demon attacks in London. We get to closely know James and Lucie Herondale (Will and Tessa’s kids!!!) and read about the apparently first ever known demon-shadowhunter-pairing’s grandchildren. Without surprise, this means that they have inherited some powers from Tessa and their demon grandfather, whose identity James tries to figure out. I have come to love everyone in the group of the Merry Thieves as they call themselves. It is a Cassandra Clare story, so of course there is going to be a love triangle mixed into this story (or multiple, or love rectangles and worse) next to all the drama of the shadowhunter society and attacks against human- and shadowhunterkind. So, it is not surprising that there are hints of another big “Main Trio Love Triangle”, although at this point it is probably already a love quintuple? I am very intrigued and can’t wait to see what’s in store for the romantic part in the sequel!

Because I cannot fully describe my feelings for every single character in this book, I will have to suffice with some honorary mentions.

Matthew: Oh my god, my love for this character is indescribable! Why do I have such a weakness for such self-destructive characters, that seem to wish for no more than to burn down their own lives (as Magnus wisely described)? It has been pointed out to me that I need to read Ghosts of the Shadow Market to find out what makes Matthew look a bit too closely at the bottom of his flask that he always carries with him. But Matthew seriously has to be protected AT ALL COSTS! If anything bad happens to him in the rest of TLH, I will seriously throw the books out of a window!

James and Cordelia: At the very beginning I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about Cordelia, as she seemed a bit rather curt and not that interesting. She was too focused on her mission to rescue her father and saving the family's face and therefore finding a suitable husband. But with time, I warmed up to her and her strong character has really proven me wrong! James is the book boyfriend all of us have and want! Prove me wrong, if you don't agree! It is so painful to see this lovely character not being able to live his own truth as I'm sure that there are too many things meddling with his destined path!

Lucie: I believe (and hope) that there is more to her friendship with Jesse and that there will be some interesting developments there! I can’t wait to see her get a better understanding of her ghost-powers and I hope we’ll get to see more interactions between her and Cordelia. I don’t quite understand why they haven’t done the parabatai ceremony yet? But Lucie is truly precious and I love that she secretly ships Cordelia and James, too!

Anna: Yes, yes, yes! She is everything I ever needed in a historical setting like this and I really hope that we will get to read more about her in Chain of Iron!

Alastair: Honestly, I have high hopes for him and you probably all know who I ship him with so dearly! I really hope that their relationship will properly unfold in the next book and that Alastair can try and make things right! I do not like bullies, but I hope he finds a way to ask for forgiveness again and to get it.

Thomas: Please, Cassandra Clare, can I get more chapters about Thomas in the next book? Please please please!!!

And now lastly, let’s talk about the character that I really don’t like. Is there anybody who at this point has any positive feelings towards Grace? I have ZERO! I mean it is pretty clear that she LITERALLY has put some kind of spell on James and I cannot understand why not even Matthew, who has also fallen a victim to her magic or whatever that is that she can do, realised something is up! That bracelet is seriously messing with James “feelings/emotions” and whatnot and I just hate that he and Cordelia are not able to catch a break and talk about their true feelings towards one another! Ughhhh, honestly, I know Grace has been through a lot and lost a lot of people, but no! I just really don’t like her. And I really have a longing to re-read the Infernal Devices trilogy now!! But I don’t have the time for it and so many other new books still on my TBR! Ahh, the biggest sorrows of a book-nerd! :3

I'd like to know

I know there are a lot of people who do not like Cassandra Clare or her writing. Or even did like her books at some point but now cannot pick up another series of her set in the same shadowhunter world. How do you feel about this? Are you like me and can never get tired of this or are you of the opinion that she should just put down her pen and not write another shadowhunter related book/series? I’d love to hear what you think about it in the comments!

Book Review: Flame in the Mist

About the book

Title: Flame in the Mist
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Series: Flame in the Mist #1
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retellings
Publication: May 16th, 2017
Pages: 416
Read: August 2017

My Copy

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Edition: Ebook
Purchase Location: NetGalley
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

The daughter of a prominent samurai, Mariko has long known her place—she may be an accomplished alchemist, whose cunning rivals that of her brother Kenshin, but because she is not a boy, her future has always been out of her hands. At just seventeen years old, Mariko is promised to Minamoto Raiden, the son of the emperor's favorite consort—a political marriage that will elevate her family's standing. But en route to the imperial city of Inako, Mariko narrowly escapes a bloody ambush by a dangerous gang of bandits known as the Black Clan, who she learns has been hired to kill her before she reaches the palace. Dressed as a peasant boy, Mariko sets out to infiltrate the ranks of the Black Clan, determined to track down the person responsible for the target on her back. But she's quickly captured and taken to the Black Clan’s secret hideout, where she meets their leader, the rebel ronin Takeda Ranmaru, and his second-in-command, his best friend Okami. Still believing her to be a boy, Ranmaru and Okami eventually warm to Mariko, impressed by her intellect and ingenuity. As Mariko gets closer to the Black Clan, she uncovers a dark history of secrets, of betrayal and murder, which will force her to question everything she's ever known.

My Spoiler Free Review

When I tried to get a copy of this book everybody was talking about it. The cover looks absolutely stunning so my interest was caught right away. And the summary sounded pretty decent, too. I LOVE Mulan and it’s one of my favourite Disney stories so I had some expectations for this book to meet. It still took me a few weeks to finally start reading this after receiving a copy (due to the stressful time I had been going through with Uni and my results and stuff).

From the beginning on I was quite confused and had some difficulties remembering who was who and which characters were supposed to be the good guys / bad guys. I also didn’t really appreciate all the instant changes of point of views. I barely had enough time to register one character when we were already reading from somebody else’s view. Those povs were kind of tumbling in on themselves.

And the probably most important reason that made it so hard for me to enjoy reading Flame in the Mist: I do not like the protagonist. I find Mariko annoying and quite unreliable and she just simply did not make it easy for me to like her. (More about this in the spoilery part.)

I know that I’m one of the very few who did not really enjoy this book and I hope that all of you who still have it on their tbr will love it! It just didn’t have the wow-effect on me that I wish it had. Me not liking this book can definitely be blamed on the rough time I went through when I read it. I do plan on continuing with the series when the sequel gets out because I think it’s an interesting plot, it just didn’t fit me at the time and I hope I’ll enjoy it better if I re-read it one day.

My favourite quote from the book is very inspiring and I love it!

Okami: “I deny being a slave to any one thing. In any situation we can choose who we are and choose who we want to be.” - p.265

The Part That Might Contain Spoilers

Back to the part where I don’t like Mariko. I questioned every single decision she made starting with the very first (and probably most irrational) one; to follow the Black Clan although she thought of them as dangerous murderers. Let’s face it, if they were exactly how she imagined them, she wouldn’t have survived 5 minutes with them.

And I couldn’t take it seriously that NOBODY noticed she wasn’t a boy. If I remember correctly she should be around 17 years old and at that age you can see a woman’s feature very accentuated in a girl’s face , so why didn’t any of the guys look at her close enough? But I decided to let it be and find myself at peace with this because Mulan also managed to hide that (and it’s also kind of bothering me there so…).

Also I kind of feel like there were not enough character developments in the story..? Basically the only ones that really “changed” were Mariko, her brother and Okami. All the others just had hidden background stories that came to light to mark who they were, but they didn’t evolve throughout the pages...

In the sequel I would very much like to see more of the bromance between Takeda Ranmaru and Okami because that’s true friendship right there. And I want to know more about their history. Although this might seem like a very negative review (and I apologise if it really does come across like that), I hope to see the sequel perform better and that Ahdieh digs a little deeper into the characters’ feelings. This is my first time reading a book by her and I’m not sure how this makes me feel about The Wrath and the Dawn series that’s still on my tbr…

I'd like to know

Have you read Flame in the Mist? I’d love to hear what you think about the book! Or do you know any of Renee Ahdieh’s other works? This actually reminds me that I really need to rewatch Mulan again! Anybody with me?

Book Review: ACOMAF

About the book

Title: A Court Of Mist And Fury
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court Of Thorns And Roses #2
Genres: High Fantasy, New Adult, Romance
Publication: May 3rd, 2016
Pages: 626
Read: August 2017

My Copy

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Edition: Paperback
Purchase Location: Book Depository

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people. Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

My Spoiler Free Review

It’s finally time to sit down and write this review. I think I can keep my emotions in check for a little while. Looking back at my review of A Court of Thorns And Roses I feel like it doesn’t deserve the four star rating I gave it. It should have maybe been a half star (if not an entire star) less. Alas, I can’t change that (and it wouldn’t be fair to do so). The rating I’d give the first book now has nothing to do with Sarah J Maas’ writing per se, honestly she’s am amazingly talented woman and her writing is wonderful. But I realised that I just didn’t enjoy the book enough for a 4-star rating and should have been honest with myself back then.

The sequel A Court of Mist and Fury however blew all the winds out of my whistle. Bare with me please ‘cause I’ve got a feeling this review is going to be rather of the very long sort which you won’t be used to by me.

Some of you might know that I had a rough time reading the first book in the series because I picked a wrong time to start reading it (and I like to moan about that, too). Therefore, I didn’t have all too high expectations for the second book, but so many people pushed me to read it that I finally caved in and ordered it online. Last month I found the perfect time to take this book on vacation with me and I could not stop reading!.

At the beginning I still clung on to the feelings I had for the first book, but then everything changed. When the first book felt a little slow paced, the second book in the ACOMAF series actually made me savour the tranquility of the plot. There were so many plot twists going on and the hundreds of pages and chapters were absolutely necessary to make the character development much more outstanding. You could literally feel them evolving and certain characters like Rhysand that I never thought I would like turned out to become one of my favourites.

The way that Sarah J Maas deals with posttraumatic stress disorder is truly amazing. It’s such an important part for the ending of ACOTAR and honestly I can’t remember another series where this was fully discussed in the way Maas does it here. It’s a very important part of the background and follows Feyre on every page, but it’s never called out word for word for what it is. And still, everybody knows what’s happening (and with everybody I mean us readers because clearly some characters didn’t acknowledge that, but my anger with those characters will be discussed in the spoilery part of the review).

With the new adventures in this book there come a lot of new characters, and I had a hard time at first keeping up with all of them. But they all grew into my heart and their part of the story felt so much more alive than the introduction of Tamlin or Lucien in the first book ever seemed like.

Feyre: “Can’t you ever just call someone by a given name?” - p. 208

So yeah, I feel like I need to stop with the spoiler free part of my review before I get too carried away. I still can’t believe that the series took such a turn for the positive. And I recommend everybody who disliked the ACOTAR should definitely give A Court of Mist and Fury another chance because that was the best decision I ever made book-wise.

The Part That Might Contain Spoilers

Okay first off: YOU CANNOT IMAGINE MY DISAPPOINTMENT IN TAMLIN. Sorry for yelling, but I had to get that out there. He was so sensitive and friendly and kind in the first book and truly made me like him over any other character. And then this happened. Of course he’s got his own problems and suffers as much as Feyre with PTSD, but still, to ignore her emotions like that and then LOCKING HER UP? Nopes, never going to forgive him. And especially not for siding with the King of Hypern. It’s his fault that my favourite ship was ripped apart and how could he ignore the fact that they were ACTUAL MATES. Something as precious as that should even have sunken into his head that Feyre just wasn’t ment for him.

Feyre: “I’m thinking that I was a lonely, hopeless person, and I might have fallen in love with the first thing that showed me a hint of kindness and safety. And I’m thinking maybe he knew that - maybe not actively, but maybe he wanted to be that person for someone. And maybe that worked for who I was before. Maybe it doesn’t work for who - what I am now." - p.156

Also I’m rather disappointed in Lucien, too. But I can’t wait how it will continue with him now that I know that he’s Elain’s mate. Very interesting plot twist (one of hundreds here). Oh and when we’re already on the subject, can we mention that I need Nesta to be Cassian’s mate? And then Azriel and Mor can end up happily ever after, too. (Do not dare pop my dream bubbles yet, please, I haven’t gotten to start reading A Court of Wings and Ruin yet and I’ve managed to stay unspoilered so far).

I really like Mor and she’s an amazing character and I wish to read more about her in the next book. Also I feel like we didn’t get enough information about Azriel yet. We only know little about his path and I need some further explanation on why he hasn’t told Mor about his feelings in the past 500 YEARS!

I hope that we will get to hear more about Tarquin as the series goes on because he’s such a lovely character (from as much as I’ve read about him so far) and I feel like his court could also make for some very interesting stories. Somehow I feel like he could have been a very good match for Feyre, but seeing as that would interfere with my OTP I have to put those thoughts aside.

And now let’s finally get into it. The OTP of the series. The OTP that outshines the OTP we all couldn’t get over in the first book. Rhysand + Feyre. Do you know how I struggled through all those painful moments where they almost got together, but pulled back right before anything could happen? The build up of their relationship was phenomenal! Kudos to Sarah J Maas! And I knew that something bad would happen when they got together with about 100 pages still to come. The ending had me all torn up and my anger about Tamlin just came all back.

But back to the incredible power couple: When Rhysand explained his entire past to Feyre I think a part of me broke inside. It all made so perfect sense and lets so many moments from ACOTAR come back to life in a whole new light. All his doings had a reason and to realise that he knew for so long that she was his mate and not tell anybody anything makes me so emotional about it. These two NEED a happy ending and I’ll be damned if they don’t get it!

Feyre: “I wonder if some part of me knew what was waiting for me. That I would never be a gentle grower of things, or someone who burned like fire - but that I would be quiet and enduring and as faceted as the night. That I would have beauty, for those who knew where to look, and if people didn’t bother to look, but to only fear it … Then I didn’t particularly care for them, anyway. I wonder if, even in my despair and hopelessness, I was never truly alone. I wonder if I was looking for this place - looking for you all.” - p. 488

Check Out My Previous Reviews

#1 A Court Of Thorns And Roses (My Review)

So as you can see I have a LOT of feelings about this book and it’s definitely one of my favourite reads this year. I’m not sure if there will come many books that can top this one, but I hope the series does continue on this great path. Sarah J. Maas has just become a new favourite author of mine as I’m also reading the Throne of Glass series and loving it. What are your thoughts on ACOMAF? Is there anything I didn’t mention in my review that we want to discuss further? I’m open to as many impressions and thoughts of yours and even hour long discussions if you’d like because I still can’t stop thinking about this book. Let me know what you thought in the comments!

Mini Book Reviews: ACOTAR & Carry On

Once upon a time it was December in 2016. I finished two books and didn't even manage to review them. So I decided to share those reviews with you today, here and now. These are a little shorter versions of my usual reviews and don't go into the story too deep because I don't have all too much time right now, but I'd love to talk about these books anyways because they're AWESOME! :)

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About the book

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #1
Genres: New Adult, Fantasy, Romance, High Fantasy

Published: May 5th, 2015

Read: December 2016

My Copy

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Cover: Paperback

Purchase Location: Kinokuniya Singapore

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

Feyre is a huntress. She thinks nothing of slaughtering a wolf to capture its prey. But, like all mortals, she fears what lingers mercilessly beyond the forest. And she will learn that taking the life of a magical creature comes at a high price... Imprisoned in an enchanted court in her enemy's kingdom, Feyre is free to roam but forbidden to escape. Her captor's body bears the scars of fighting, and his face is always masked - but his piercing stare draws her ever closer. As Feyre's feeling for Tamlin begin to burn through every warning she's been told about his kind, an ancient, wicked shadow grows. Feyre must find a way to break a spell, or lose her heart forever.

My Review

I felt kind of forced to read this book because EVERYBODY was talking about it. Well, I don’t mind really, reading books that are hyped about, because I usually love them (yeah, I know, I’m too mainstream. I usually like every single book I pick up, but seriously, I wouldn’t pick up a book if I didn’t think I’d like it so that solves that kind of problem, right?). However, I didn’t feel as flabbergasted or senselessly in love with the story as everybody else seemed to be...

Don’t get me wrong! I enjoyed reading the book and I think it makes for a good story. I think the main reason I didn’t like this book all too much is my own fault. It took me two and a half months to finish it and that just took a lot of patience out of me. I guess I shouldn’t have started it at the beginning of my first semester at Uni. I still felt this book deserved a four star rating from me, though.

The story was actually pretty interesting (it’s been a long time since I’ve read a fantasy book which such an imaginative world, and I really want to read these kind of fantasy books more often) and there were a lot plot twists and turns. I really liked the characters and feel like Sarah J. Maas did a really great job in creating this new fantasy-place.

Maybe the story felt a little too slow-paced for me, and there are definitely chapters that could have been shortened a lot in my opinion, but I liked Sarah’s writing style a lot! This is my first book of hers and I’m definitely going to continue the series and even start the Throne of Glass series sometime.

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About the book Title: Carry On Author: Rainbow Rowell Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Lgbt, Magic Published: October 8th, 2015 Read: December 2016 My Copy Publisher: Macmillan Edition: Paperback Purchase Location: Waterstones London

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

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 Watford School of Magicks, and Simon's infuriating nemesis didn't even bother to show up. Carry On is a love letter to love stories and the power of words - to every 'chosen one' who ever had more on their mind than saving the world...

My Review

I can finally say it! I’ve nearly read every single book by Rainbow Rowell (there’s only My True Love Gave to Me left for me to read). I’ve loved most of them and this is definitely one of my favourites. I was skeptical at first because a lot of people disliked it because of its supposedly being a rip off of Harry Potter (and when it comes to HP I’m really overprotective). Honestly, I did not go far into that theory and didn’t research it either (so I have no clue what Rainbow’s reaction to this is). But I say: WHO CARES? Because Carry On is seriously such a cute story!

If it’s really fanfiction about Draco and Harry, then I must say: Well done. I really adored the story of the two nemesis, although we’re basically thrown into their “ending” part of the story. If you’ve read Fangirl like me, then you know that Carry On was the fan fiction Cath wrote about her favourite children books about Simon Snow. And now we got the actual story she wrote and it’s great!

There are similarities to Harry Potter, so I cannot deny that those allegations aren’t based on solid grounds, but I find it really well done. We all need some fan fiction now and then and turning it into such a great book needs a lot of talent. Carry On is definitely one of those books that I’m probably going to reread endless times, because it just makes you feel happy and be in a good mood and is a perfect read for a rainy day!

I'd like to know

Does anybody know if Rainbow is planning on bringing out a new book sometime soon? I need new reading material from her and I just want to cuddle up with a new fantastic story written by her. Also, let me know how YOU felt about these books! I'd love to talk more about them with you :)

Book Review: Miss Mayhem

About the book

Title: Miss Mayhem

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Series: Rebel Belle #2
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult

Expected Publication: April 7th, 2015

Read: January 2017

My Copy

Publisher: Speak

Edition: Paperback

Purchase Location: Rome

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

Life is almost back to normal for Harper Price. The Ephors have been silent after their deadly attack at Cotillion months ago, and her best friend, Bee, has returned after a mysterious disappearance. Now Harper can focus on the important things in life: school, canoodling with David (her nemesis-turned-ward-slash-boyfie), and even competing in the Miss Pine Grove pageant. Unfortunately, supernatural chores are never done. The Ephors have decided they’d rather train David than kill him. The catch: Harper has to come along for the ride, but she can’t stay David’s Paladin unless she undergoes an ancient trial that will either kill her . . . or make her more powerful than ever.

My Review

So … my first reading progress update on Goodreads says: "I'm not eyerolling as much as I did when reading the first book so I guess that's a good sign, right? :3". I think it’s safe to say that it was a good sign. I remember not enjoying the first book at all. I think the plot was just kind of weird to me, without any real subtext and I didn’t like the style too much. Which makes me even prouder to tell you that I picked up the second book anyways, and actually quite liked it.

This book was filled with a lot of suspense, turning events and a lot of tension. I’ve come to like (okay, maybe that’s a strong word, let’s go with appreciate) Harper’s character a little better. In Rebel Belle she annoyed me quite a bit which isn’t a good thing for a book, when you don’t like the protagonist. However, it seemed to me that she matured quite a bit and took things more serious. She feels like she has to have everything under control, although that’s clearly not possible and the plot put a lot of obstacles in her way.

I’ve seen a lot of reviews of my friends who feel like they’ve been disappointed, let down even. I’m happy to say that this book actually made the whole series more interesting and against my expectations actually surprised me in a good way. I’m definitely going to pick up the last book in the trilogy Lady Renegades, but I’ll have to wait until the paperback version from speak gets released.

Spoiler Alert! Proceed with caution.

I was so glad to see Bee return, however, I think Rachel Hawkins made it way too easy. I would have liked to see more about her background story. What happened to her exactly when she was away? How did she cope with things? How does she take in the world she’s come back to? I mean really, all the book told us was basically: Oh yeah Bee’s back. She didn’t like her Paladin training. But she’s stronger and better now than Harper. And she’s in love with Harper’s ex-boyfriend. But she doesn’t want to be a Paladin. I was a little disappointed with that turn of events. It was just a way too shallow description in my opinion.

The ending had me really upset. I need the next book to read on what happens. It didn’t make sense to me how David actually managed to leave, because it was clearly said that he couldn’t. I thought maybe he’d die trying or whatever, instead he “just walked over” the town line. I think this made for a pretty good cliffhanger, though! :)

Other books in the series

Rebel Belle #1 (My Review)

I'd like to know

Have you picked up the Rebel Belle series? What are your thoughts on the books so far? If you've read the third book, please don't spoil me! How do you go on with series where you didn't enjoy the first book all too much? I'd love to read your thoughts on this in the comments! :)

Graphic Novel Review: Mer

About the book

Title: Mer

Author: Joelle Sellner

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fantasy

Expected Publication: April 19th, 2017

Read: January 2017

My Copy

Publisher: Diamond Book Distributors

Edition: Kindle

Purchase Location: NetGalley
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review

My Rating:

Goodreads Summary

Twilight meets the legend of Atlantis in this gripping graphic novel from writer Joelle Sellner and artist Abby Boeh. After the death of her beloved mother, Aryn’s father has moved her family to a new town hoping for a fresh start. At first things seem to be going well—Aryn is making friends and has even caught the eye of one of the hottest guys in school. But there are dark forces moving under the surface that Aryn cannot see; and her new crush may not be … human.

My Review

The story captures your attention right from the beginning. With a brutal intro, I couldn’t stop reading on and enjoyed Mer very much. The story concept contains a very cute idea and the artwork was quite my taste. However, there wasn’t a natural flow between the change of sceneries and I missed the time & place stamps I’m so used to in comics. But bear in mind, I just read a non-final copy so here's hoping they’ll change that before the final edition.

In my opinion Joelle Sellner did a wonderful job writing this story and if you enjoy reading fast paced comics without having to wait too long for action scenes, then you should definitely pick up Mer!

Spoiler Alert! Proceed with caution.

There were two big plot twists. One, when it was first assumed that Julia was on the dark side, and two, when it was revealed that everything was just an act to save her friends. Although it was kind of an obvious plot line, I didn’t quite know if I should trust her character or not, which made it much more interesting and suspenseful.

I really liked the characters, and although the story was quite fast paced I think I got to know them quite well. There are still so many open questions, though, like did Arwyn’s dad also have feelings for Ophelia? Did she make it out alive? What’s happening in Atlantis? And is that Adrian in the end rising from the water? Hopefully, I’ll get my answers some day!

I'd like to know

Do you read Graphic Novels or comics in general? If so, what do you like to read? Do you think you'd pick up Mer? I would LOVE to talk to you more about comics in the comments! :)

Book Review: The Son Of Neptune

About the novel

Title: The Son Of Neptune

Series: The Heroes of Olympus #2

Author: Rick Riordan

Genres: Fantasy, Greek Mythology, Adventure, Young Adult, Middle Grade

Published: September 30th, 2011

Read: May 2016

My Rating: 4.5 ★

My Copy

Publisher: Puffin Books

Cover: Paperback

Purchase Location: Amazon, Online

Goodreads Summary

ONE CURSED DEMIGOD. TWO NEW HEROES. A QUEST TO UNLEASH THE GOD OF DEATH - Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, God of the Sea, has woken from a very deep sleep and come face to face with two snake-haired ladies who refuse to die. But they're the least of his problems. Because Percy finds himself at a camp for half-bloods, which doesn't ring any bells for him. There's just one name he remembers from his past. Annabeth. Only one thing is certain--Percy's questing days aren't over. He and fellow demigods Frank and Hazel must face the most important quest of all: The Prophecy of Seven. If they fail, it's not just their camp at risk. Percy's old life, the gods and the entire world might be destroyed...

Mini Book Review: The Lost Hero

Hello there guys! It's been a while and I'm so sorry about that, but it turns out that I didn't get to work less this month. That's why I decided to start posting mini book reviews, because I'm so behind on telling you about all the books I've read the past two months. These book reviews will not contain any spoilery-contents which will make them a lot smaller and quicker to read (and write...). I'm so sorry, but I just don't have the time at the moment to write any thorough reviews, although I'd really love to. Hope I'll be able to do that soon again! Hope you'll enjoy my review nonetheless!

About the novel

Title: The Lost Hero

Series: The Heroes of Olympus #1

Author: Rick Riordan

Genres: Fantasy, Greek Mythology, Adventure, Young Adult, Middle Grade

Published: October 12th, 2010

Read: May 2016

My Rating: ★★★★★

My Copy

Publisher: Puffin Books

Cover: Paperback

Purchase Location: Amazon, Online

Goodreads Summary

Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper, and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for “bad kids.” What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly? - Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare about his being in trouble. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits during the school trip, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out. - Leo has a way with tools. When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about, and some camper who;s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god. Does this have anything to do with Jason's amnesia, or the fact that Leo keeps seeing ghosts?

The Mortal Instruments: City of Ashes

Welcome to the official (very spontanious) Shadowhunters Week here on my blog. To start of I'd like to share with you my review of City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2) which I finished rereading last week. This book does not count as part of my readathon, but should inspire me (and maybe you) to read more in the series.

About the novel

Title: City of Ashes

Series: The Mortal Instruments #2

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Supernatural, Romance, Magic

Published: March 25th 2008

Read: Reread: April 2016, Read first: 2014

My Rating: ★★★★

My Copy

Publisher: Walker Books

Cover: Paperback

Purchase Location: Can't remember :(

Goodreads Summary

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father. To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father? In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

Book Review: Lady Midnight

About the novel

Title: Lady Midnight

Series: The Dark Artifices #1

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Supernatural, Romance, Magic, Angels

Published: March 8th 2016

Read: March 2016

My Rating: ★★★★★

My Copy

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Cover: Paperback

Purchase Location: Book Depository

Goodreads Summary

It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses. Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions… Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it? Glitz, glamours, and Shadowhunters abound in this heartrending opening to Cassandra Clare’s Dark Artifices series.

Book Review: Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods

About the book

Title: Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods

Series: PJ and the Olympians companion book

Author: Rick Riordan

Genres: Fantasy, Greek Mythology, Young Adult, Children, Adventure

Published: August 6th 2014

Read: February 2016

My Rating: ★★★★

My Copy

Publisher: Penguin Export

Cover: Paperback

Purchase Location: Kinokunyia, Singapore

Goodreads Summary

"If you like horror shows, blood baths, lying, stealing, backstabbing, and cannibalism, then read on... Who could tell the origin stories of the gods of Olympus better than a modern-day demigod? In this whirlwind tour of Greek mythology, Percy Jackson gives his personal take on the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece - and reveals the truth about how they came to rule the world.

Book Review: Rebel Belle

Title: Rebel Belle
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Series: Rebel Belle #1
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Supernatural, Paranormal, Romance, Mythology
Published: March 3rd 2015
Read: February 2016
Rating: 3.5 ★

My Copy

Publisher: Speak
Cover: Paperback
Purchase Location: Kinokunyia, Singapore

Goodreads Summary: Harper Price, peerless Southern belle, was born ready for a Homecoming tiara. But after a strange run-in at the dance imbues her with incredible abilities, Harper's destiny takes a turn for the seriously weird. She becomes a Paladin, one of an ancient line of guardians with agility, super strength and lethal fighting instincts. Just when life can't get any more disastrously crazy, Harper finds out who she's charged to protect: David Stark, school reporter, subject of a mysterious prophecy and possibly Harper's least favorite person. But things get complicated when Harper starts falling for him--and discovers that David's own fate could very well be to destroy Earth. With snappy banter, cotillion dresses, non-stop action and a touch of magic, this new young adult series from bestseller Rachel Hawkins is going to make y'all beg for more.

Other books in the series:

 

Miss Mayhem (#2) & Lady Renegades (#3)

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My Review

First of: this book was fun to read. It was fast-paced, interesting and you don't have to think a lot about possible plot twists because they'll happen without any foreshadowing. You get sucked directly into the plot from page one and it doesn't leave you any choice in the matter. Action from the very beginning and no end in sight. 

So this beauty queen gets involved in a life-and-death situation. Naturally she would scream, cry about her broken nails and run away, right? False. The protagonist Harper Price totally took me by surprise in acting very maturally in such a situation. Now this is the part I had the most problem comprehending. When you see your school janitor die in the girls bathroom and somehow manage to kill your history teacher in a matter of seconds, would you just go on with your life and think: Well, I guess I'm a superhero now. Gotta go and safe the world. Would you? I think not. But that's exactly what Harper did. Her whole coping with the situation seems very unbelievable about the story and bothered me throughout the entire book. Not even dystopian heroes think of themselves that highly and they have to worry about a lot worse enemies than another teenage girl with magic. 

This first book reminded me a lot of Unearthly by Cynthia Hand. Although it has nothing to do with Angels the female protagonist becomes the protector of a young boy and doesn't know what she has to do or what lies ahead in her path. And of course she falls in love with the wrong boy (but I have to admit I'm still not sure about which guy I prefer).

Now I'm a big fan of conspiracy theories and I couldn't stop myself thinking that maybe Harper's boyfriend was the bad guy (back when you didn't know who belonged to the good side and who to the bad). I even started suspecting Mary Beth, Harper's best friend. But luckily, the author didn't have that much of a deceitful treacherous touch in mind. The worst case scenario at the end of the first book though makes me wonder why I didn't see it coming. And then again I wasn't that surprised. 

The biggest reason why I gave this novel such a 'low' rating was Harper's reaction to the whole thing. I was just bothered to much by the whole I'm-going-to-save-the-world-because-I've-been-a-superhero-for-five-minutes-now attitude. Otherwhise I quite enjoyed reading this book and definitely recommend it if you want some light-female-butt-kicking-action. 

Book Review: The Infinite Sea

Title: The Infinite Sea
Author: Rick Yancey
Series: The 5th Wave #2
Genres: YA, Dystopia, Sci-Fi, Post-Apocalyptic, Fantasy
Published: September 16th 2014
Read: November 2015
Rating: 4.5 ★ 


My Copy

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Cover: Paperback
Purchase Location: Casa del Libro, Madrid

Goodreads summary: The hugely anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestselling The 5th Wave, hailed by Justin Cronin as “wildly entertaining.” For Cassie Sullivan and the rest of Earth’s remaining human survivors, the situation was already desperate when the 5th Wave hit. It’s about to get worse. No one yet knows the depths to which Earth’s conquerors—the Others—will sink in order to rid the Earth of the human infestation, nor have they guessed the heights to which the human spirit can reach. Characters introduced in Book One will come to the fore—and others will face the ultimate test. Readers will watch in awe as the Others give their answer to Cassie’s defiance.

Other books in the series

 

The 5th Wave (#1) (review) & The Last Star (#3) (WoW)

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My Review

After being so impressed by the first book I was kind of scared of the second installment in the trilogy. But all worries were for nothing because the second book was just as good! The book was filled with suspense (that nearly killed me at times, I mean I just have to know if my favourite characters are alive or not and yes Evan, I'm talking about you). A major plot twist toward the end, although it wasn't the only one in the book just one that I really didn't see coming. It changes the entire perspective of the story and I need answers Rick! You better answer all of them in The Last Star. 

If your world would get invaded by aliens how would you react? And especially after losing so many people you love, wouldn't you seek revenge? I can imagine that every little bit of revenge I could get I would go after, even if it wouldn't change a thing. Now imagine falling in love with the enemy. What must that feel like? Although there are a lot of controversies about this subject I totally ship Evan and Cassie together. Yes, it's another dystopian bad-guy good-girl relationship with a lot of drama, but come on. I'm a sucker for these things. 

What I really like about this book is that there are so many characters. And at the same time, this is the thing that I dislike the most. I don't dislike the characters per se, but all the different point of view. Rick managed to change the pov every time things got interesting. When I wanted to know how Cassie handled a situation it would change to Ringer's perspective and then again back to Evan when Ringer was in an interesting situation and on and on. Also, it took too long to change from one person to the other, which made the book a little breath-holding and I wish that we could have read more about what Cassie and the gang were doing in the end of the book (not that Ringer's story wasn't worth telling, just that you didn't know what was going on on the other side of the country - okay, maybe not the other side of the country seeing that America is so large, but my geographical memory of the story isn't that great). 

Now I really need some answers. What will happen to Ringer? What does this huge plot twist at the end of the book really mean? How will the relationship between Evan and Cassie end? Will the world go under? And last but not least: Who are the real villains?