Tag: fantasybooks

The Alloy of Law Review

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Three hundred years after the events of the Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is now on the verge of modernity, with railroads to supplement the canals, electric lighting in the streets and the homes of the wealthy, and the first steel-framed skyscrapers racing for the clouds. Kelsier, Vin, Elend, Sazed, Spook, and the rest are now part of history—or religion. Yet even as science and technology are reaching new heights, the old magics of Allomancy and Feruchemy continue to play a role in this reborn world. Out in the frontier lands known as the Roughs, they are crucial tools for the brave men and women attempting to establish order and justice. One such is Waxillium Ladrian, a rare Twinborn who can Push on metals with his Allomancy and use Feruchemy to become lighter or heavier at will. After twenty years in the Roughs, Wax has been forced by family tragedy to return to the metropolis of Elendel. Now he must reluctantly put away his guns and assume the duties and dignity incumbent upon the head of a noble house. Or so he thinks, until he learns the hard way that the mansions and elegant tree-lined streets of the city can be even more dangerous than the dusty plains of the Roughs.

Check out my review!

May 2021 Wrap Up

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So, during the month of May I got awful tonsillitis which meant that I had no energy and some big changes was happening in my life which basically meant that I was battling a reading slump the entire month. I still managed to do ok but I had so many other books I wanted to read. As I write this now I am still trying to get out of the slump with the next book I’m reading but I will be honest, I have lost my rhythm.

  • I read 5 books this month.
  • I finished a re-read I started back in 2019.
  • Genre: 1 fantasy, 2 murder mystery, 1 contemporary and 1 historical fiction.
  • Gender of authors: 2 women and 3 men.
  • Race of authors: 2 white and 3 asian.
  • Age range: 3 adult, 1 YA and 1 middle grade.
  • Format: 2 paperback, 1 hardcover and 2 ebooks.

The Decagon House Murders – Yukito Ayatsuji (2 stars)

So, this was an average read for me to start off the month. I loved the plot but I felt that the writing wasn’t that engaging, I started losing interest in the novel itself and by the time the reveal rolled around I just wasn’t invested enough anymore.

Orange: The Complete Collection Vol.2 – Ichigo Takana (5 stars)

I read the first volume in April and thoroughly enjoyed it. I instantly went out and bought the second volume straight away. I really enjoyed this volume, the art was beautiful and the characters were great. I will be honest in the fact that I preferred the first volume, I felt the ending of the series was a bit too abrupt. I wish it was expanded a bit more but overall this was a beautiful and emotional story that I will re-read numerous times.

The review linked is a whole series review not just of volume 2.

The Mystery of Three Quarters – Sophie Hannah (3 stars)

This book sadly didn’t match up to my experience reading her second novel but book 3 just missed the mark on something. I thought the plot was interesting and Poirot was great as per usual but something felt missing. I felt that the other characters were quite flat and some plot points were left unresolved. It wasn’t a bad book but it didn’t match up sadly to the previous novel which was my favourite.

Delusion – Hongjacga (3 stars)

This was a web comic that I read for most of the month. The comic started off really strong but I felt it started wavering around the halfway mark and by the time it finished I was a bit confused on the story and the direction it went in. The art was beautiful and I was fully engaged in the story but I felt that the ending could have been better.

The Last Olympian – Rick Riordan (5 stars)

So, I started this re-read in August of 2019 after I decided to stop my Harry Potter re-read due to J.K Rowling’s transphobia. i was super nervous as this was one of my childhood faves well as you can tell by the rating of this book that I loved it. I felt this book was a perfect ending to a great series and I am super excited to start the Heroes of Olympus series next year!

The review linked is a look back on my re-read as a whole.

April 2021 Wrap Up

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A very mixed bag this month. I gave my first 1 star book of the year, some more 5 stars and another DNF. Plus some ARCs, some manga and a whole range of other things. I also have come to the conclusion that I will not be continuing the ONTD Reading Challenge as I have a whole load of books I want to prioritise more! More on that decision later next month.

  • I read 7 books this month.
  • I DNFed 1 book.
  • I didn’t complete my ONTD reading challenge this month.
  • Genre: 5 fantasy, 1 murder mystery and 1 romance.
  • Gender of authors: 4 women and 3 men.
  • Race of authors: 5 white, 1 black and 1 asian.
  • Age range: 5 adult, 1 YA and 1 middle grade.
  • Format: 3 paperback, 2 hardcover and 2 ebooks.

Shadow and Bone – Leigh Bardugo (2 stars)

This book was a major miss for me and I had read it in preparation for the Netflix show. I had heard mixed things about this trilogy before going in but I wanted to make opinions for myself and sadly I wasn’t a fan. I think it came down to execution for me, I loved the idea but I didn’t enjoy the writing. I have heard the show is great though.

The Plague Letters – V.L. Valentine (1 star)

My first one star of the year. I don’t normally give out one stars as I tend to just DNF the books I really don’t like but I had got so far and I did want some questions answered but it ended up being that I just skimmed it until the end. I felt that the characters were really under-developed, it took ages for the mystery to actually get going and so many other things that I just can’t list here. Read my review to find out more.

Ariadne – Jennifer Saint (4 stars)

This is when things started looking up. I love a greek mythology re-telling so I was super excited to get the chance to read this. I thought the writing was beautiful and Ariadne was a great character. But it did start to lose momentum in the last quarter of the book, I will be honest.

Orange: The Complete Collection Vol. 1 – Ichigo Takano (5 stars)

So, this was a pleasant surprise. I really liked the premise of this manga series and when it was on sale I decided to give it a go and I’m glad I did. It follows a young girl called Naho who receives a letter from her future self telling her to be-friend the new boy in school as he’s going through a tough time.

The friendships in this book are just so incredibly beautiful. The characters in this book couldn’t be any more different from one another but they stick by and support each other no matter what. The plot was super fun and I thought the art was beautiful. The author managed a great balance of funny moments with the more somber moments as well.

Beasts Made of Night – Tochi Onyebuchi (DNF)

Sadly, this book didn’t work out for me. This was another case of great idea, not the best execution. I wasn’t a massive fan of the writing style and the plot structure confused me a bit.

The Battle of the Labyrinth – Rick Riordan (5 stars)

This book still maintains the title of best book in the series for me. I enjoyed the blossoming relationship between Annabeth and Percy getting stronger, I loved how you can start to feel these characters get older as the end of the series arrives, Percy was, as per, a great protagonist and the ominous elements of the novel with the Big Bad trying to gain power was done really well.

What was super satisfying to me was re-reading this after so many years and still loving it just as much!

Breach of Peace – Daniel B. Greene (2 stars)

This was disappointing sadly. I am a massive fan of the author so I really wanted to like this book. I just felt that the novella, as a whole, was really under-developed. I needed more detail about the characters, the world and the plot.

Breach of Peace Review

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When an imperial family is found butchered, Officers of God are called to investigate. Evidence points to a rebel group trying to stab fear into the very heart of the empire. Inspector Khlid begins a harrowing hunt for those responsible, but when a larger conspiracy comes to light, she struggles to trust even the officers around her.

Shadow and Bone Review

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Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee. Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

March 2021 Wrap Up

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Started off the month a bit rocky as I DNFed my first book of the year. But I ended up ending on a good note. I also didn’t complete on of my challenges, this was the first time since I have started my blog. I always try to prioritise my challenges but I too many other books lined up that I wanted to read more of.

  • I read 5 books this month.
  • I DNFED my first book of the year this month.
  • I didn’t complete my ONTD challenge for the month.
  • Genre: I read 2 thrillers, 2 fantasy and 1 steampunk.
  • Gender of authors: 3 men and 2 women
  • Race of authors: 4 asian and 1 white.
  • Age range: I read 3 adult, 1 middle grade and 1 I was not sure of the age range.
  • Format: I read 3 paperbacks, 1 ebooks and 1 webcomic.

Bullet Train – Kotaro Isaka (DNF)

So, this was an ARC given to me by _ and personally it just didn’t capture me. If felt a little bit like a chore to pick up the book each time. Not much to say about this book.

City of Secrets – Victoria Ying (3 stars)

I am trying to venture more into graphic novels and such and I picked up this fun middle grade GN. I loved the art style and the characters in this book. I felt the setting and the friendships were really good as well. It did feel slightly rushed but it wasn’t a major factor in my enjoyment of the book.

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask and A Link to the Past Manga – Akira Himekawa (4 stars)

I preferred this book over the Ocarina of Time one I read in Feb. I felt that the first game (Majora’s Mask) was adapted super well but I wish that it was longer. I felt that the story itself was over too quickly. The ALttP game was my favourite, maybe it’s because I never played it so it was a fresh new story for me to read but I felt that the characters were great, there was some brilliant world building and as per the art was beautiful.

PIGPEN – Carnby Kim (4 stars)

So, I started this webcomic back in January and only got round to finishing it in March but it was sooooo good. It went to places I didn’t expect, the art was super creepy and I loved the colour pallet. I highly recommend it.

Red Seas Under Red Skies – Scott Lynch (4 stars)

This took me such a long time to finish but I really enjoyed it. I loved the world-building, the friendship between Locke and Jean, the female characters in it were so much better than the last book and I just enjoyed getting lost into the world and the story.