Showing posts with label book blogger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book blogger. Show all posts

Saturday, 6 August 2016

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas Book Review


“Tell me what you see.”
“A world divided in two.”

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.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW
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If the last book, A Court of Thorns and Roses was anything to go by, you'll know that this book will be a hell of a read. Love, heartbreak, comedic dialogue, steamy scenes, major action, magical moments and emotional flashbacks will have you rolling on the floor laughing and crying at the same time! If I could convince anyone to become a bookworm, I would immediately recommend this book. Even though it is a sequel and you wouldn't really understand much unless you read the first, this book would have to be the one I'd tell anyone to read first just because it's totally amazing and once you get in, you don't come back!

Let's come back to the fearless protagonist, Feyre. She is now blazing bright with all her high fae glory and argumentative comebacks, however this time around, the unforgettable memories of her rough time Under the Mountain has left an imminent mark on her mind and soul. As a former sufferer of depression I can understand her every struggle after having been ripped to shreds in every way possible by Amarantha. Thankfully, maybe not to Feyre's delight, Rhysand saves her just when she thinks she might make a big mistake and our world starts to open up with glorious opportunities when we finally get to see the Night Court in it's true habitat. In this instalment we also get to see the Summer Court and more of the human's side of the wall where Nesta, Elain and their father still reside. However, everyone is inevitably in way more danger than the first novel and for those hardcore fans who may be reading this, it may not be so hard to figure out who might be behind that evil cunning plan.

The plot couldn't have been structured anymore perfectly and if I were Sarah's best friend, I'd be asking her if I could sit quietly in a chair next to her while she writes so I can learn of the secret powers she has which helps her make her novels such masterpieces (as creepy as that sounds, I'm just a budding author who needs these secrets to make a living also). Everything that is written falls into place so well and with every turn, there is a twist, even if you don't realise it at the time. This is where I tell you that you'll be re-reading it a few thousand times after you finish your first round. The dialogue is witty, hilarious and well put together. The characters are all widely diverse which is another thing that I love and something that needs to be talked about, and practiced more, in YA literature. One main thing that was brought into this sequel was the idea of mates. Now this is a spoiler free review so I won't say who, but this absolutely hooked me because it's such a romantic and sexy thing––one of which I wish humans took more seriously––that honestly I couldn't bear to put the book down once I had read the scene where it was introduced. Love is such a massive theme in YA fiction these days, aside from the main plot it usually gives the characters more motivation to strive and work for what they want and who they want. As much as people may try to shoot good novels like this one down for tiny little things, they can't lie about the fact that this had to be one of the best books written since the Harry Potter series (braces for other-fandoms impact)! I honestly think that if it hadn't have been for Sarah's godly-literature skills and sexy chapter reads, I don't think I'd be doing any of this right now. I would probably just be moping around trying to find better inspiration for my book but failing epically because I wouldn't have such a talented person to look up to. Now I'm feeling like next time Sarah comes to New Zealand, I'll have to give her a massive hug for giving me the best guidance of my life (and for saving my life too)! 💜


✨  Things I LOVED about A Court of Mist and Fury

* Rhys has WAAAYY more of a storyline this time around and despite my first thoughts of him from ACOTAR, I've completely turned around since then. That being said, I am someone who always gives second chances! Go Rhysand! You have won my heart, High Lord.

* If you think there's any book that is written better than this, apart from the Throne of Glass series of course, then we're going to have a problem. Well not really, I don't like fighting over what series is better but I cannot accept that anyone would not like these books. Both of Sarah's book series are currently being adapted for the big screens! ACOTAR will be a movie trilogy and ToG will be a TV series! Nothing would be better to replace Game of Thrones and Divergent with than these two! Yup, I'm a happy chick!

* Feyre learns that she got a little extra mojo from all the High Lord's of Prythian than just her High Fae form! I mean (ACOTAR SPOILER COMING.....) being resurrected by each of the strongest High Fae's in the land doesn't come without a price. And if Feyre's going to have any bigger purpose in this novel, it's going to have to be this way and I'm not even disappointed in the slightest! But you could tell that already anyway so I'm just going to wait patiently for the movie of ACOTAR and TV show of ToG to come out!

* Could this novel have gotten any steamier? I mean I know Sarah mentioned that she had basically banned her family from reading it but that alone did not prepare me for what was to come! I don't usually like anything that resembles erotic fiction - however the content inside this book was actually bearable enough that I didn't put it down. Maybe it was just the love of the relationship and feels that came with it or maybe it was because I knew there was more to it than just the act. Either way it was the definition of #RelationshipGoals and that's what I loved most about it (This last part may or may not have made me want to cry because this relationship definitely wouldn't exist in real life because males don't seem to be as perfect as this one did unfortunately...).

I loved this book more than words can explain and for that I have to give it a 5 out of 5 stars! Not just because I seem to love ALL of Sarah's books and that is mostly so because of the fact that she is an amazing author and actually does slay the author game with every book she writes. (Plus I've been using her first name instead of her last name because I think once you've met the author, it's safe to say you've passed that stranger line "inserts cool emoji here"). Thanks for making my month yet again and I'm stoked that Empire of Storms is coming out in the next month because I'm going to need another massive dose of awesome feminist power from Aelin very, very soon!

Go add A Court of Mist and Fury to your Goodreads list HERE

Go buy it on MightyApe with 1 day delivery in New Zealand HERE
Buy it on Book Depository with free shipping world wide HERE

Are you suffering with a mental illness such as depression or anxiety? Here are some helpful links from BetterHelp that you can check out and find tips on how to live a happier life:

BetterHelp Advice - Anxiety
BetterHelp Advice - Depression
How To Deal with Depression: Tips, Techniques And Finding the Right Treatment

How Do I Find A Therapist Near Me?



Friday, 1 July 2016

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken Book Review



Passage, n.
i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.
ii. A journey by water; a voyage.
iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them—whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home... forever.


SPOILER FREE REVIEW
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Knowing about the hype this book had, I went into reading it with utterly high expectations. I had requested it specifically because I had heard how much everyone loved it and were recommending it. Unfortunately it did not have the same effect for me and I think having those expectations too high at the start may have been the reason I expected too much from it. Aside from the fact, it was a good book and I did want to keep reading. Maybe reading Desolation prior to this put me in a reading slump so maybe that's why I didn't seem to enjoy this book as much as I wanted to.

The main character, Etta Spencer, seemed like a typical girl who had a passion for a musical instrument, just like anyone else would. I loved how all she wanted to do was be the best she could be and how she found the beauty in playing - the way she could lose herself in the music and forget about the audience. As lovely as it is to see a character enjoy a normal hobby, this was definitely short-lived due to the unfortunate event of her being thrust into this new world without knowledge and then finding out later that it was her instrument that kick-started the action. I felt like she didn't have an amazing character development and the fact that she let herself be distracted by her love interest when she is meant to be trying to save the world (a constant trope that seems to be never-ending) was a bit of an annoying thing while reading. Yeah, the romance was cute and might have kept the storyline alive a little bit more, but that was what bothered me. I was hoping to see more action left with way more dramatic cliff-hangers and deaths (Sarah J Maas has seemingly set my bar way too high). Nicholas seemed like a real person, the way he spoke, acted and made decisions. He was more focused on the idea of getting what he wanted in terms of being free and that seemed to enhance the plot thankfully. I had really high hopes for Sophia but she just ruined her chances of being a likeable character - however she could possibly redeem herself in the next book.

I really loved the way the plot was laid out and the idea of time-travel through portals. There aren't many books like this and that's what I did like out of everything. I feel like time-travel is a difficult thing to write about without being too unrealistic or illogical and Alexandra did a on-point job of making it feel like it could be something that would make sense in the real world. However I had a hard time picturing what certain objects looked like, maybe because I was skipping through the book due to my inability to focus or maybe because it just wasn't really described that well. I have to say that I did enjoy it to a point which helped me continue reading and left me feeling like I wanted to see how the story continues in the next instalment. Having different families being against each other and wanting revenge sort of reminded me of the Game of Thrones series (bear in mind I have only seen the TV show but am planning on reading the books at some point). I haven't read Alexandra's other series, The Darkest Minds but I do want to try it out at some point.

My overall opinion of Passenger is that I did like it, but not enough to consider it one of my favourites. I'm hoping the sequel is better because that might be the turning point of the series and determine whether or not I might actually feel like fully recommending the series. Etta wasn't the type of heroine I was really rooting for and for me that's a big thing when it comes to enjoying a book. I feel like everyone is different and personally I am quite fussy with what I read. A LOT of people did love it and I think that you should just pick up the book and see if it suits your personal preference of literature. I gave this book a 2.5 out of 5 stars!

Things I loved about Passenger!:

* The chemistry between Etta and Nicholas was really cute! However the fact that there was a major instalove trope made me feel a bit off about the whole relationship.

* The book is all about time-travel with the pro's and con's that come with it. The way it was explained was really well done and I think it could potentially have an amazing sequel if written well, if not better!

* Etta has a hobby of playing the violin which weaves in with the main plot which I absolutely love! It has a purpose and isn't left to be something that is put to the side because of the character's quest and responsibilities.


Thank you HarperCollins New Zealand for the review copy! Go like their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Harpercollinsnz?fref=ts

Go add Passenger to your Goodreads list HERE


Go buy it on MightyApe with 1 day delivery in New Zealand HERE


Buy it on Book Depository with free shipping world wide HERE

Tuesday, 28 June 2016

Demon Road #2: Desolation by Derek Landy Book Review


THE EPIC NEW THRILLER CONTINUES.

The second book in the mind-blowing new supernatural thriller from bestselling author DEREK LANDY, creator of international sensation Skulduggery Pleasant.

Reeling from their bloody encounter in New York City, Amber and Milo flee north. On their trail are the Hounds of Hell – five demonic bikers who will stop at nothing to drag their quarries back to their unholy master.

Amber and Milo’s only hope lies within Desolation Hill – a small town with a big secret; a town with a darkness to it, where evil seeps through the very floorboards. Until, on one night every year, it spills over onto the streets and all hell breaks loose.

And that night is coming.


SPOILER FREE REVIEW
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If you thought that Demon Road was the funniest and most thrilling book you'd ever read, well Desolation is going to comply wipe that title off of your favourites-list. The fact that most sequels don't seem to be able to live up to the first book in the series, it's literally an omen when a book like this, let alone a series like this, is brought into existence. Thank you, Derek Landy, for being utterly amazing at your job.

The first thing that really stuck out to me about this book is Amber's new love interest. Now I'm not going to go into too much detail as that would completely ruin the surprise. However, I will state that this book is diverse in so many ways. The fact that the author has gone way over the boundaries of what most writers would do when writing a novel is incredible because not many people will leave their comfort zone to explore different elements of life to add into a plot to make it way more realistic - go figure for a fantasy thriller novel! On that note, a bunch of new characters are added which keeps the story rolling smoothly and gives the book a more solid outlook with more point of views. An obvious fact is that Amber's parents return, along with their trusty - or not - sidekicks, Kirsty and Grant. Still hellbent on killing and eating Amber to gain her strength seems a little more complicated this time around than they had originally intended. However this does seem to be a little more darker and more brutal, believe it or not. 

Two older characters are introduced who are crazy funny and I think overall made the story more intriguing and gripping with their constant bickering and humour-filled lines. I love the idea that this book has included people of all ages from elementary school children to seniors who are just itching to have a big adventure and almost be young again. Not only does this sequel have even more characters involved but it has even more creatures involved! The Hounds of Hell come across as intimidating bikers who come across as mute pricks on wheels, but Amber and Milo still manage to make a joke out of them and manage to put them in their place a few times - demon to demon.

The whole story is fun-filled violence with gripping twists and laugh-out-loud humour that will make you choke on your coke. However it will immerse you into an even darker world with way more at stake and an even bigger enemy than the infamous Shining Demon. Overall I absolutely loved this book so much, I wished it didn't have to end as soon as it did. I am thoroughly upset at the fact that this series will only be a trilogy, however I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that the next book will send it off with a bang (and maybe a lot more blood and deaths involved)! I gave this a 4.5 out of 5 stars!

Things I loved about Demon Road: Desolation!

* Amber gets a new love interest with a surprising twist! Great romantic scenes too!

* Milo is finally able to show everyone why he is really the 'Ghost of the Highway' and why he is so feared by those who have heard his name!

* More characters are added and even a dog with an awesome personality!

* Another Shining Demon is in the mix and everything about that is explained!

* Hell Night is as crazy as it sounds and you don't want to decide whether or not to DNF it until you read that part! But I know you won't DNF it. It's too good.

I really hope that if you read Demon Road, you will go straight to the bookstore or library and get Desolation because it is definitely one of those rare novels that keep the fire alive in a series. Let me know if you decided to pick it up because of my review! If you've already read it, tell me what your thoughts were on it! 


Thank you HarperCollins New Zealand for the review copy! Go like their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Harpercollinsnz?fref=ts

Go add Desolation to your Goodreads list HERE


Go buy it on MightyApe with 1 day delivery in New Zealand HERE



Buy it on Book Depository with free shipping world wide HERE

Sunday, 27 September 2015

Ever wanted to join an awesome YA book club? Now is your chance!

Being a part of the Book Blogger/Booktube community, I've come across a few awesome things in my time being here. As far as book clubs go, I've never thought to join one or even visit one to see what it was like, mainly because of my anxiety and thinking how 'uncool' it sounded.

Until just recently, I found the coolest group on Facebook called the "Perth YA Book Club"! I'm a Kiwi (New Zealander) myself but I instantly found myself immersed in this page and wanting to be a part of it as I read more and more of what everyone was posting and realised how chill and cool it actually was. I feel like this book club is super awesome and everyone is so sweet! They all understand my love for books and authors and events and writing, so I wanted to share them with you all.







Please check both of these awesome links out and let me know what you think! I bet you that you'll fit right in just like I did!

Do you know of any other awesome Book Club or Book Reviewers pages? Let me know in the comments below!


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