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Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas: Book Review

"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

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

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

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

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

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Crown of Midnight just did it for me. It sealed the deal. I officially don't love any other author as much as I love Sarah J. Maas and her books. This second book in the Throne of Glass series was so good, especially towards the end, that I am literally going to die if I don't either have Queen of Shadows or Assassin's Blade by the time I am done reading Heir of Fire. To say that I absolutely loved this book is a massive understatement; the books just keep getting better and better! Not to mention that knowing this work of pure talent is just more reason for me to want to buy every version of the books in the future - paperback and hardback, normal covers and white covers. I don't doubt for a second that I will be one of Maas' biggest fans yet! With that, I might as well throw in that I also plan on buying Chaol's ring, the Eye of Elena necklace and the Damaris necklace as well from an awesome online store I discovered called Cadsawan. If you would like to as well, check it out here!:

CADSAWAN

This novel in particular had more in store for me than what the first did. Of course I absolutely loved Throne of Glass but the sequel held so much more in terms of betrayal, heartbreak and definitely magic! Nehemia has a bigger part in this instalment, where you will find out the truth about why she's really visiting the castle from Eyllwe and what she really knows about the wyrdmarks. Aside from the fact that the first novel was based on a violent competition, I feel like this book was more gruesome and violent than ToG and that makes it all the more interesting and gripping. At points I found myself mentally gasping over what had happened and wondering about what Celaena really went through while in the care of Arobynn Hamel; which pushes the fact that I still need to read Assassin's Blade with all the stories of Celaena's past. Even so, all the event's of which occurred in Crown of Midnight just made me love her more, no matter how messed up, lethal, or even feral she seemed to be.

In terms of relationship developments, there was a lot for Celaena to gain and a lot to lose, depending on who you're talking about. I feel sad about the fact that she decided not to be with Dorian from Throne of Glass as she felt it was a dangerous game to play whilst in the midst of the King of Adarlan, Celaena having any type of close relationship with the Crown Prince was doubtably something that the King would have any appreciation for. In the light of this, obviously Chaol felt the pressure lift a little and even though he knew he had major respect for Dorian, he couldn't help but feel drawn to Celaena's charming ways. Personally I don't feel like Celaena and Chaol match even though many of my Booktube friends seem to ship them together. I however feel like Celaena and Dorian are a better match, especially in light of the events which happen towards the end of this highly acclaimed novel. This book made me realise how much I love the theme of Faeries and magic. Originally I had first read ACOTAR so I didn't know yet that it was one of Maas' favourite things to write about. I had watched an interview with her and a Booktuber where she spoke of this love of hers for fairytales and writing her own versions, but I didn't realise how passionate she was about this particular subject until reading this novel. This is definitely one of the novels worth looking forward to reading ToG.

I feel like the development of Celaena's character and her personal preferences of what it will take to save Adarlan from the king and the whole of Erilea takes a turn for the best and she eventually realises what is right and who is the one to save it from destruction. Celaena really has come a long way in her eighteen years of life and I feel like she will never suffer enough with the King alive. The emotional destruction that she goes through moulds her and helps her realise what is most important in her life. With Queen Elena to occasionally appear and guide her in the right direction makes my heart warm. It wasn't until this novel that I realised the fact that Celaena never had a mother figure in her life (as far as I know - she could have had one while training with Arobynn but I highly doubt it) and I feel like Queen Elena, even being a spirit that can't be there 24/7 as it drains her power, is the best mother figure to Celaena and I really hope that she has more of a part in the following books - no matter whether she is spirit or not. If she was somehow resurrected from the dead, that would make my day and I bet it would make Celaena's too! Celaena needs more female figures in her life, and I'm sure there will be soon but I honestly wish that Elena could be more of a mother to her because if she deserves anything, it's the love of a mother who understands her pain, her struggle and her history.

Overall I have given this book a 5 out of 5 because it's too good not to read! I would read this over and over and never get bored (I would because I read Breaking Dawn eight times over and was still obsessed with it). I can't wait to get into Heir of Fire because I really want to find out what happens next in the rollercoaster of Celaena Sardothian's life and career as Adarlan's Assassin!

Go add Crown Of Midnight to your Goodreads list HERE

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout: Book Review

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

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This was a novel I literally couldn't wait to get into! Not only had I found out about it through Sasha on Booktube, but I knew it was something that was fast-paced, sexy and had a whole bunch of romance, not to mention frustration (if you catch my drift!). The cover obviously gave a great first impression, other than what I already knew about the book. I felt like this was definitely going to be a novel that I would literally devourer and miss until I got my hands on the sequels. Thankfully I wasn't wrong and I delved into a whole new world where aliens are the new vampires and the threats are bigger than ever! I got through this book in a whole day - thanks to having all this time on my hands waiting for my partner in the car while he was at school. I got as comfortable as a could and dug into what could only be something I would never get out of. Let me just clarify, Jennifer L. Armentrout is now officially among the ranks of Sarah J. Maas in terms of literature hierarchy. I feel like she is definitely someone to consider as a goddess of all authors and in the humor department too. No matter how many jokes I came across or awkward, sexy scenes between Katy and Daemon, I could not help but crack up laughing at everything I read.

Katy is the type of girl that definitely reminded me of... well, me! Wearing tops that say, "My blog is better than your vlog"? Hell yeah she has just made it onto the epic team of "Ella's Favourite Female Heroines"! Katy is a laidback, cool and sophisticated chick who obviously can't help but realise that there are two totally gorgeous twins living next door to where she just moved to from Florida. No thanks to her mum, she is practically forced to go introduce herself to them but finds herself the target of the guy called Daemon who doesn't exactly seem to own a shirt. At all! Thankfully, his twin sister, Dee bumps into Katy at the supermarket and seems to amend the troubles that Daemon set into her head due to his rudeness. Katy definitely knows trouble when she sees it, the problem is that she doesn't see trouble when it is a supernatural matter. Because what human would, right? Apart from this I feel like she knows what she wants and she doesn't just want a quick fling with a guy that'll drop her at the sight of another good looking girl. Unfortunately she doesn't know exactly what type of guy Daemon is yet but she definitely can't resist his charming looks and his arrogance seems to set off a love/hate relationship between the two. To be honest, I don't know how I feel about Daemon. He seems to be a really understanding and caring guy one moment, and then the next he can turn straight into an unbearable asshole who will let another chick sit on his lap and let Katy be humiliated at school. I feel like Katy should have just ditched him at certain points but she did choose wisely to keep her distance emotionally until he started to realise how much he really couldn't live without her.

I absolutely loved Dee! She's the type of sister and best friend that everybody wants and needs in their life! She is positivity personified and the way that she tries to hook up Katy and Daemon is literally the cutest thing, much to her frustration when Daemon doesn't cooperate and ends up making things harder for all of them. Dee seemed to bring a smile to my face when she showed up and I always felt like she needed to be around to be everyone's personal light (no pun intended!). I really hope that in the future novels she will have a better relationship with whoever she's with and have more of a spotlight on her because I really enjoyed reading about her. If she had a spinoff series, I would definitely go buy it and read it!

The plot line kept to it's truth and never wavered or went off in a random tangent which sometimes books seem to do when there is a lot to say and sort out, especially having a lot of characters involved. The biology of how the aliens came to be, how their body chemistry worked and how they got from their home planet to Earth really stuck and sounded logical even for a fictional novel. I feel like this story was more likeable for an alien story as short little green things don't fulfil my interest as much as this novel did and I am truly grateful I read it!

Overall I have given this book a 4 out of 5 stars because it was a great novel. I wasn't as obsessed with it as I was with Throne of Glass or A Court of Thorns and Roses, but it was intriguing enough to make me love it almost as much as Sasha did. This was another novel I read for the Booktube-A-Thon and I'm grateful I sat down and read it as fast as I did.

Go add Obsidian to your Goodreads list HERE

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith

The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski: Book Review

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. 

Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. 

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

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I have realised how far I've come in terms of knowing what I like in a book; what draws me to the storyline and characters. With "The Winner's Curse" I have discovered that the theme of olden day, victorian times where royalty are the hierarchy and live in mansions and castles. This book drew me in more so because I knew it was a love story and the layout of the hardcover with the bristled edges of the paper made it so much more intriguing that I had to borrow this particular story from the library. I heard about it mostly through people on Booktube and had seen it occasionally floating around Goodreads so I felt like it was worth getting, especially reading for the Booktube-A-Thon which was a definite challenge. I did manage to read the whole thing in two days and I was proud of myself for the achievement although I was quite sad to see it end so soon, particularly on the note of which it had ended on.

Kestrel, the protagonist of the novel, was a character I found hard to like. One thing I particularly did enjoy about her character was the fact that she loved music so much thanks to her mother, who had passed on prior to the current story, who had been the one to teach her how to play. Unfortunately, due to the war between the Valorian's and the Herrani, music had been reprimanded as a forbidden activity seeing as music was something Herrani highly appreciated; the war had ended up leaving the Herrani as slaves to the Valorian's and were basically not an equal in any way whatsoever to the hierarchy, including their hobbies. With Kestrel I felt like she had absolutely no reason whatsoever to buy Arin as a slave to bring home, other than the fact that he apparently could sing and was a great blacksmith. As Arin and Kestrel eventually got to know each other, their relationship (if you could call it that) was cute in a way with the fact that they seemed to have feelings for each other. However this did not resemble any sort of serious relationship material that I would have expected and I think I was a little disappointed in that aspect.

Arin seemed like he was a great leader among the Herrani and served him useful tactics later on in the novel. However I feel like at the beginning he could have been a little less cocky and more soft towards Kestrel. I don't at all expect him to feel sorry for Kestrel or relate to her in anyway due to his past, it just would have made a better plot twist later on in the novel. He could have been more sly and discreet in terms of his plans and the novel would have had more of a climax, therefore being less foreseeable for the outcome of the situation. I like how Arin was strong and he didn't let anyone tell him what to do if he didn't have to; he wasn't a push over like some of the Herrani were and reminded me a lot of the strong-hearted nature of Enai, hence why Kestrel must have fallen for him.

Some of the things that happened throughout the story didn't really have a good enough reason for why the characters acted a certain way. I feel like there wasn't enough of a reason for Kestrel to buy Arin in the first place, it was more of a impulse decision because he sounded useful - but obviously not useful enough to tell her father about or have him do anything for days on end when he was sent to her house. If anything, I feel like Lirah and Arin were a better couple as Kestrel and Arin were polar opposites and had nothing to connect them in terms of history or emotion. Don't get me wrong, I actually enjoyed this novel. I just feel like there could have been more effort put into how it was written to ensure that the reader was so hooked that they couldn't put it down. If I hadn't of read this book for Booktube-A-Thon, it probably would have taken me about a week to finish.

Overall it was a decent novel and I am intrigued to read the next two in the trilogy but I'm worried that I'll just be let down again in terms of how the characters treat each other and end up plot wise. I am giving this book a 3 out of 5 stars because even though it was an enjoyable read, it let me down and I wasn't as satisfied with the outcome as I had been hoping. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a basic, interesting read with characters that will always have inconceivable differences.

Go add The Winner's Curse to your Goodreads list HERE

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith

Darkened Shadows: The Call by A.L. Terry: Book Review

Cameron Evans never had a typical childhood with the death of her mother, her father leaving at a young age, and the disappearance of her older brother Abraham. Everyone knew about her life’s story and everyone gossiped about it even now. After the death of her mother her step-father, Richard, being the only living person eligible to keep her adopted her and thus raised her until the events during her senior year of High School. The summer before Cameron's last school year she joined her friend Kelsey to a party that was said to be the party of the year. Little did Cameron know that night would be the start of a very up and down spiral in her life. It had been years since she had nightmares about her brother Abraham and years since she had spoken to her ex-boyfriend Adam whom on the night of the party brings terror to Cameron at which introduces Sawyer a male who unknowingly to Cameron was sent to protect her against the unknown creatures that were coming after her.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

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From reading the description of this novel, I didn't quite know what to expect or what I was really getting myself into when I decided to read and review for my friend, A.L. Terry. At first, a mystery/thriller novel is what popped into my mind while reading the blurb and not one bit of a hint was given as to what else it could have in store. I was shocked to find that this was everything I was looking for in a dark fantasy read. For a debut novel, I feel overwhelmed after reading this as I have been given off an "experienced writer" vibe - this book has definitely been another of which has reminded me why I love reading so much and A.L. Terry has brought back the memories of when I first started to write stories for the love of a good plot and romance between two individuals in need of attention.

In terms of suspense and a gripping storyline, I felt like I was pulled in deep and I couldn't return, nor did I even want to (not to mention I read this book in the time frame of about 4 hours!). Thinking about how werewolves and vampires were a big topic a few short years ago, it's not hard to see the similarities and likabilities in this story. I feel like the two different species gives a sense of a side to choose and how hard it is to make a certain decision. In Cameron's case it's very clear that she is to become a Gathien due to her bloodline, but aspires to be as loving, caring and understanding as the werewolves. The development of the plot was well done as everything pieced itself together perfectly and no little details were left out. Everything in terms of powers, gifts or changing was explained in a way which I understood and made sense of for something that I have never actually read about before, specifically in terms of the Gathiens and their abilities.

Cameron is a very strong character and I like the way she is able to stand up for herself and not be the damsel-in-distress as almost every main female character seems to be; with the exception of Katniss Everdeen, Rose Hathaway, Celaena Sardothian, etc! Cameron knows how to handle things in a way that will deem her as someone who is smart but will sometimes make acts out of love and sacrifice which is another thing I like, although sometimes can lead her into trouble she could have avoided. Then again, who likes a story where there is no trouble?

The love for her brother seems to be stronger than what she has towards Sawyer and I appreciate that also as she knows where her loyalties lie and she will not go down without a fight knowing that there is a possibility that she can save him, even if it does cost her life. The relationship with Sawyer however I feel like I didn't see enough development with. I recall a passing time period where she stays at the mansion for a few weeks to stay safe but there wasn't enough times with them slowly getting used to each other for me to really see how they could have gained a good relationship with each other. I feel like the kiss on the head was moving a little too fast at first but either way, it still left a little tingle in my stomach. I don't not like how they ended up, in fact, I definitely ship Cameron and Sawyer! I just feel like there could have been a little more development between the two love birds.

Overall I really loved this book and I am itching to read the next one as the plot twist at the end gave me a shiver of excitement and confusion which I love! So I have give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars because I really couldn't see much I didn't like about it, if any and I actually got more into this novel than I originally thought I would. I feel like this will be a series that will stay with me for a long time to come! Don't forget to let me know if you buy this book too!

Go add Darkened Shadows: The Call to your Goodreads list HERE

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith

Booktube-A-Thon TBR 2015 on Booktube/Youtube!

Hey everyone!

Booktube-A-Thon 2015 has officially started and so far I've only started one book on my list, "The Winner's Curse" by Marie Rutkoski! I've filmed two video's for my channel as well and I am loving how much fun this challenge is becoming, even though I may not finish my entire list in the week due to how busy I am going to be. I wish I had every day free but unfortunately that won't be possible! Have you checked out my video's on my channel yet? I'll link them down below so you can go watch!

The first challenge was real fun to film but if I had of known about the rule change beforehand I would have put so much more effort into my domino formation. At least it was still a bit of a challenge seeing as spelling out my name with books seemed to be harder than I intended it to be! The next challenge for day 2 is going to be a scene reenactment and I am still trying to figure out what I want to do but I have a feeling it'll probably be something to do with one of Sarah J. Maas' books because why not be Feyre or Celaena for fun!

Let me know whether you are doing the Booktube-A-Thon and what your TBR list is in the comments! Happy reading!

Ella Fleming-Christie

Find more out about my writing career at:

http://ellafleming-christie.weebly.com

My YouTube Channel: FeathersandFaith