Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha #2
Pages: 435
Series: The Grisha #2
Pages: 435
Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.
The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.
The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.
The beginning was great! The book started quickly, beckoning me into its pages... I was really happy with this, because any book with a quick start, that isn't confusing, deserves an A+ from me! Not to mention there was a plot twist, and it happend quite quickly in my opinion! Despite the quick start, I felt as though things were starting to ease back down, but then... BAM! I will say no more, for the very few of you have not read this book.
As things progressed, they began to slow down Although the true action parts were no longer there, conflict was still around. Everything that happend was very stressful in my opinion. You could tell that each of the characters was in a state of constant fear. The threat of the Darkling was actually only one of Alina's problems. The middle was focused more on romance. Yes she was also making plans for her army, but thats not important... What was really being focused on was love. Her and Mal's relationship, was well... I don't really know how to feel about it. Let's just say... they aren't my OTP *cowers* Their relationship was a bit, well, rough in this book. Mal was not happy, it was quite clear. Although I am DYING to say more, I won't. Don't fear. In the end, I felt the middle was a bit weak, I could have used some more action.
The characters were very clearly, themselves I think Leigh Bardugo did a very good job of expressing each of the characters personalities! Everyone had their own uniqueness... Each characters was fully developed and everything about them was clearly linked to their past! Which is of course, fabulous, as backstories are my life.
Alina was... transforming Throughout the book she was having what I like to think of as a battle against herself. The power of.... I'm not sure if I can say it... I guess I won't... The power of this thing she got at the beginning of the book was really affecting her. It was controlling her. I think it actually helped her find her priorities, and understand herself better. It also had a strong affect on her and Mal's relationship.
How about the end? As you know, I wasn't the biggest fan of the middle, but I did enjoy the end. I liked the slight twist in the story, it made everything all the more exciting, without it, the book would have been quite boring. The twist was perfectly planned out, when I was starting get a little frustrated with all the romance and general boringness, it was there to save me! You know when your super hot and then you walk into an air conditioned room? Its like the best feeling ever, its just so nice. Thats what the ending felt like to me, perfect! Also it definitely makes a great transition into the next book!
Final Rating:
Series: Throne of Glass #2
Pages: 418
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.
I loved it. It is safe to say, I freaking loved it. The first book I didn't love so much. But this book. I loved it.
I couldn't put it down Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, everyone was sleeping, quiet like mice. But then in the darkness a sound was heard! A page being flipped once, twice. Young Maya was awake and devouring her book. This is the truth. The book was so good! I had to know everything! I needed to know what was happening at all times, it was impossible to stop reading.
It was action-packed I have said this in every single review; I LOVE ACTION. IT FUELS MY SOUL. EVERY SINGLE FLIPPING BOOK IN THE ENTIRE WORLD NEEDS ACTION. If you haven't heard me say these things, what are you doing? Go read all my reviews!(casual self promotion...) Anyhow, lets get back on track. Crown Of Midnight was stuffed with a thousand tons of beautiful, juicy, action. What more could you ask for in life? This of course means...
I couldn't put it down Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, everyone was sleeping, quiet like mice. But then in the darkness a sound was heard! A page being flipped once, twice. Young Maya was awake and devouring her book. This is the truth. The book was so good! I had to know everything! I needed to know what was happening at all times, it was impossible to stop reading.
My OTPPPPPPPPP was ugh, so beautiful so's as you know, the first book contained a love triangle. Yikes! Well I chose the man that was meant to be with her, and I shipped them with all the power in me. It happend. It also made me cry. Because other stuff happend. Stuff that wasn't good. Which reminds me the feels were so freaking powerful it made me cry!!! I am not exaggerating, usually when I cry in a book its because it is freaking amazing. All the books I cry in get 4 or 5 stars. which therefore means the book is super duper ultra amazing, because tears are also amazing...? Also can I point out the plot twists... damn.
Also my other favorite thing in this world other than action, Character depth. It was there, and it was glorious. In the first book we were introduced to each of the characters and given a backstory for each of them. The second book expanded on those glorious stories, taking them to whole new levels. I learned things about ALL the characters, that I hadn't known before, which lead me to a greater connection and understanding of them
The end? I gotta say it wasn't bad! I didn't like the ending, not because it was horrible or anything, it was just... I wish my OTP ran off into the sunset together... but they didn't :( *wails* The ending, although not what I wanted, is considered a good ending in the writing world. It allows a great transition into the next book, and definitely leaves me begging for more!
Final Rating:
Have you read the Throne of Glass series? Did you enjoy it?
I enjoyed this. Very much. Buuuutttt... It was slow *sobs* I need the fast pace, action packed, super crazy scenes everywhere. But they weren't. I loved this book, with a fiery passion, but one thing I crave is more action. This is my full review ------> here.
Who is my favorite author? JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT!!!! Her books are my life *breathes heavily* I love them. This book is by her, I love it. #1 its about greek gods, umm yes please!!! #2 I love the characters personalities. #3 love interest *grins*. #4 The writing is to die for! What's not to love???
Alright, alright, so I'm not technically finished yet. However I will be when January 1 comes around! Since I am posting this a teeny bit early, I thought I should include this. I am loving it! Sarah J. Maas has such beautiful writing! Lately I have been reading so many books written in first person, the change is SO nice and refreshing! Not to mention the love triangle, it's killing me. I ship her with Chaol so much. If she chooses Dorian. Somebody will die. Also ACTION, ACTION, ACTION! Like ummm yes please!
I am super excited to read all of these! I can't wait to read the 3 sequels I got because I am DYING to find out what happens next, in these fabulastastic(new word????) series! Also since I adore Percy Jackson(my one true love) I HAD to ask for Rick Riordan's new book! Can I just say, I have read one page, and it's hilarious. I recommend it to everyone, even though I have no clue what it is actually like.
I now present to you some pretty darn fabulous blog posts that you should check out:
Favorite Bookstagramers/by Twirling Pages/This post is super helpful when it comes to finding bookstagrams to stalk and enjoy
So I’m Crazy Excited For The 2016 Debuts/by Bookish Serendipity/ Wanna know what amazing books are coming out next year? This post is sure to help, with a nice list of some books you should be excited for!
Introducing Nellie And Co's 2016 Blog Planner/by Nellie and Co/ I love this planner! I am actually going to be using it to help me with my blog in 2016! It is amazing! Not to mention 100% freeeee so I totally recommend you check it out!
There was definitely tons more amazing blog posts I found this month! But here are just a few for you to enjoy!
"Nothing is a coincidence. Everything has a purpose. You were meant to come to this castle, just as you were meant to be an assassin."
When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle. She does not come to kill, but to win her freedom. If she can defeat twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition to find the greatest assassin in the land, she will become the King's Champion and be released from prison.
Her name is Celaena Sardothien.
The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her.
And a princess from a foreign land will become the one thing Celaena never thought she'd have again: a friend.
But something evil dwells in the castle—and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying, horribly, one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival—and a desperate quest to root out the source of the evil before it destroys her world.
Series: Throne Of Glass #1
Pages: 404
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Celaena has an awesome backstory
In case you didn't know, I adore backstories. No. I love backstories. They are what makes up a character, what shapes them into who they are, their personality, their actions, even what they look like has all been shaped because of backstories. Celaena is the perfect example! Her backstory is not only super interesting, but it is also connected to her(unlike in other books) It is very clear how her past effects her now. Which is fabulous for meee!
Celaena Is My Favorite Character
Her personality is perfection. I heard from other reviews and such, that she is a bad-ass. She is. But the nice thing is, she is also human. Usually when you hear about these bad-ass characters, you expect someone who is always strong and powerful, etc. etc. What I like about Celeana is that although she is super strong, brave, and smart. she also has her own human personality. I was scared she would show no emotion and honestly be a bit bland and boring, however that wasn't the case! I was still able to connect with her, and I loved reading about her! Also the backstory thing applies to her personality too!
There Is A Love Triangle But It's Still Small
So there definitely is a bit of a love triangle in the book, but it is still growing. Throughout the book you see how each of them begin to realize their feelings for each other. At the end of the book it gets stronger and it will definitely make up some of the second book, in this case it isn't a super big deal yet.
It Really Is An Introduction To The Series
In my opinion everything that happens is building up to the next book. In this book we spend time getting introduced to the characters and the setting, it helps you understand the relationships between the characters, and shows you everyone's roles in the story. Also I think everything that happens is all building up to the rest of the series. In other words this book is sort of like the introduction and rising action,whereas the next books will be more of the climax(or I could be horribly wrong and just rambling about lies) I think it is similar to the love triangle in that way.
The Ending Was The Best Part
In the ending there is tons of action, as expected. I love action, action is what keeps me going, it is my life(food is also my life) The ending has lots of it, which is great because it means the next books will also have lots of it. The very, very ending itself wasn't exactly action-packed, but it definitely promised some in the next book!
Final Rating:
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One problem every book lover is a victim of is, book prices. Why are they so high!!! But hold your horses because I have got two solutions, not one, two! I have only personally tried one of these options, and it worked very well! Although I haven't tried the second option, because I love new books, you might be willing to try it out!
Book outlet the books her are so cheap it will blow your mind!!!!
For real though. I ordered from here once, and let me tell you the prices are amazing! I got Lux Beginnings for $3!!! How is that even possible?? Warning: There will continue to be an excess use of exclamation marks throughout this post, proceed cautiously. I have NEVER seen a book at full price here!!! hfvbdshgvfhsgv that is amazing!! Hold up though, we need to get down to business(stop distracting me, this is all you, I did nothing to get off track) Anyhow here is a list of fabulousssss things about Book Outlet!!
- Ships Internationally One problem many international book lovers have, is shipping. Many online stores are like, Nope! We won't ship to you! I feel your pain! I live in Canada, although most websites do ship here, select few, do not. Whyyyy???? But Book outlet has got your back, and will ship to you, wherever.
- Brand new books the prices make it seem as if the books are used. But oh no, they are fresh and new! Brand Spankin' new books at those prices! CRAZYYY!
- Shipping is fast Maybe I was lucky, but my order came pretty fast! I think it took inder a week, which is awesome! You won't have to wait forever to say hello to your new books!
- Cheapest prices I have found online Maybe there are cheaper places (if there are tell me IMMEDIATLY) but so far the prices here are the best! You have to see them for yourself, they will blow you away.
But although I definitely make it sound like the best website EVER, it is not. There is some p problems. They are pretty serious though
- There is very little variety sadly mos of the books are sold out, and I don't know when they restock. The popular books everyone wants to get there hands on are either too new to be in stock or sold out... this is bad. However you might be able to find what your looking for!
- Shipping costs more and more with every book you get When prices are that cheap you might be hunting down tons of books that you want. But warning, shipping costs $3.99 for the first two books and $0.50 cents for every book after that in the USA. $3.25 for shipping and $0.80 cents per item in Canada. So make sure to not go super crazy and count how much shipping will cost as well!
The Used Section In Amazon you might be thinking, ew used books Maya, that's gross! I feel you, but hold up, because this might change your mind!
If you can't spend tons of money on books, but you still want some, there is only one solution, used books. You have to face the facts. Although it might not seem appealing here are some awesome things about getting used books from Amazon
- You can check a sellers rating when purchasing used books there is tons to choose from. Some that are super cheap, and some that are almost full price! How do you know which to trust? Look at the sellers rating! Check to see if they have any negative reviews, and how many books have they sold in the past! Go for sellers offering books whose condition is marked "very good" or better, who have at least a 97% rating and who have been selling at least for a year or so. If they seem trustworthy, their books are most likely in good condition as well!
- They are just amazingly cheap you can't go wrong with getting cheap books! If your fine with the fact that they aren't 100% new, then your all set.
Don't get me wrong, here are some negatives too
- The seller might not be trustworthy you might be dealing with a liar, the book you get might not be exactly what you had in mind!
- The books can come in bad condition although the books was supposed to come in superb condition, you got a shriveled up mess.
- Shipping can be bad it can cost a whole bunch of precious money, or just take ages to ship! That ain't good! But once again this varies by seller!
So my *insert clever nickname here* Did you find this post helpful? I really hope you did! Make sure to check out both of those websites! They might be where you decide to buy all your delicious books!
Have you ever ordered from these places before? What were your
experiences with them?
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So I know a lot of people were making this list as their top 10 books that were released in 2015, but that's not how I roll. Mostly because I read like 1 new release... This year is really the year I got into the whole bookish community, so I wasn't really in the know on super amazing books. Therefore I decided to just include my overall favorites this year! Warning: This list probobly isn't the most accurate since I don't remember every book I have read.
This definatly was hard for me, and I dont even think I agree with evrything on the list, but whatever. I'm just gonna go for it! I hope you guys agree with some of these!!
Do you agree/disagree with any of my decisions? Also
got any post ideas for me?
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So I saw this tag on The Quiet People's blog, and it sounded super fun! I LOVE Christmas, with a passion, and I also love blogging, combining both is just... perfection! Also since I'm new to blogging, I thought it would be a good way for you to get to know me! So let the Christmas spirit flow!
What is your favorite thing about Christmas?
I can't explain it, but I want to say it's just the feeling you get when Christmas comes around. The Christmas spirit you could say. It just makes me really happy. I love seeing everybody's Christmas lights, it just makes things so bright and fun(not scaryyy and dark) I can't deny that I love presents as well. I'm not going to try and seem like a not so selfish person(I am your queen, if I don't get presents, no one does)
What is your favorite Christmas film?
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, as you can see by the gif above. This might seem like a children's movie, but I will love it no matter what. It's hilarious(and the Grinch is so, so beautiful).
Real or fake tree?
I prefer real trees, but being the incredibly busy(whoops I mean lazy) person I am, one year I just didn't feel like it. That year ruined everything. I thought I was 'too cool' to go to the Christmas tree farm(is that what it's called, I really don't know) Things just went downhill from there. Now we have a fake tree. Forever.
Giving presents or receiving them?
Once again I am not a good person, I am selfish, I love presents, I will not hide this. Presents are beautiful, wrapped, Gods. They can be evil and disgusting. Or they can can bless you with a thousand days of happiness. Honestly I'm fine with either because I get stuff(this is proof, I am selfish af) I do like wrapping presents, and picking them out(unless I have no clue what to get the person) Plus no matter how greedy I am, it's only fair that other people get presents as well.
Do you open presents on Christmas morning or evening?
I am Polish. Polish people celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. So Maya the lucky girl gets to roll around in wrapping paper and presents before anyone else hehehe. All my friends are waiting, dying to see what they got, but oh no. As soon as dinner is finished present time it is! I am actually such a child.
What tops your tree?
Were not your typical star family, oh no no no. An Angel is on ours. Currently the Angels kind of lopsided tho...
As a child, what was the one thing you always asked for but never received?
A puppy. This year it will also be a puppy. I will ask for a puppy until I die.
Handmade Christmas cards or bought?
I actually don't really give Christmas cards too much. If I do it's usually bought. I love art and crafting, but I'm not too into scrap booking and card making.
What is your favorite Christmas food?
I'm actually SUPER picky when it comes too food(my family hates it) So it's pretty easy for me. cake, cookies, and chocolate. Every year we(mostly me) bake chocolate cake for Christmas, my favorite! We do the same thing with cookies, and ohmygods those cookies are THE best!
Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?
Since we do celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve this is what we do; I spend the whole morning anticipating food and presents, and most likely reading. Later in the afternoon family comes over. When the first star comes out we eat dinner, however there is not meat allowed during dinner. After food we clean everything up! Then present time! After the most enjoyable part of the evening, we just hang out and admire what we got.
Now I tag all of you to do this as well! Comment below, and share your version of the Christmas tag with me!
I am currently rereading this book because it was so good!!! Honestly I have told my friends to read it about a hundred times... they just don't seem to understand my passion :( Usually when I reread a book i struggle with it! I just can't seem to get into it, and the book isn't as spectacular as before. That happens to many of us! No matter how amazing the book is, sometimes its just too hard! Honestly when I started to reread this book I didn't have very high expectations... But I was sucked back into the world of Lux and once again couldn't put it down!
Of course as soon I entered the world of Luxen again I was fangirling over everything... So I did my rounds again, telling all my friends to read it. The true perfection of the book was taking over my mind... I could read about my otp all over again... You guys probably don't understand the feels of this book. I started it Saturday afternoon and am VERY close to finishing already!
I will definitely be doing a review for this incredible book! As you can tell I am completely head-over-heels in love with this thrilling novel! It just makes me want to drop everything I'm doing and continue reading!
Review will be posted soon!!
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now. Juliette has to make a choice:Be a weapon. Or be warrior. Just from the synopsis you can tell that this book is amazing! I loved every part of it! I loved the plot, the characters, and especially the writing! This book has very few flaws in my opinion! The story is riveting, I couldn’t put it down! |
Tahereh Mafi’s writing is beautiful. Her use of metaphors and the way she described things was stunning! Her use of detail painted such a beautiful picture I my mind, and I really enjoyed her writing style throughout the book. Here are some examples of her beautiful way of describing things:
“I press my palm to the small pane of glass and feel cold clasp my hand in a familiar embrace. We are both alone, both existing as the absence of something else.”
“The sun is an arrogant thing, always leaving the world when it tires of us. The moon is a loyal companion”
These are just two examples of many. I know many people are not as amazed by her writing as I am. A lot of people find the use of so many metaphors and her powerful use of words annoying. I respect that, but personally I love the way she can take simple words and form them into a story so powerful and beautiful! Another thing that I find unique about the writing is how she crosses out certain words, to show that Juliette doesn’t want to think about that, or she knows she’s not supposed to feel that way and is covering it up. Throughout the book the amount of crossed out words fades away to show that her mental state is improving. Personally I find that amazing and very unique! Here are some examples.
“I know my parents never bothered to say goodbye. I know I didn’t cry as I was taken away.”
“Gorgeous. Dangerous. Terrifying. Horrible.”
My favorite character in the book was Juliette. I enjoyed how the author made Juliette believe that she wasn’t insane, however you could tell that slowly she was losing her sanity from being locked up for so long. This defiantly added to Juliette’s personality and throughout the book you could see her developing and becoming a little bit more human again. She wasn’t complaining or whining about anything which made the story much more enjoyable, along with the fact that she wasn’t extremely terrified of everything!
The only thing I found slightly frustrating was her romance with the boy. It was a little forced in some parts which was a bit annoying. In general it was okay, however a few parts got on my nerves a little bit.
Rating: 9/10
I loved it sooo much! If the romance was slightly less forced it definitely would have gotten a 10!
