Fantasy/SCI-FI Reviews
YOUNG ADULT FANTASY/SCI-FI NOVELS:
A Thousand Night by E.K Johnston.
Rating 4.5/5
A Thousand Nights by E.K Johnston is such a beautiful and exotic novel. I loved the writing so much, the plot line and just everything. The cover is gorgeous and the descriptions and visuals are simply amazing. Thank you to E.K Johnston for such a wonderful book! I couldn't put it down.
I have the UK hardcover edition of this novel and it is probably one of the most beautiful books designs I have ever seen. It is this rich and royal purple and gold lettering and the sides of the pages are inked with sparkly gold Arabic designs. When you take of the dust cover, the naked book is literally an artwork. It is hot pink with gold images of the characters and the Qsar and ever new chapter has the same Arabic design as the sides.
A beautiful and must read for all.
Rating 4.5/5
A Thousand Nights by E.K Johnston is such a beautiful and exotic novel. I loved the writing so much, the plot line and just everything. The cover is gorgeous and the descriptions and visuals are simply amazing. Thank you to E.K Johnston for such a wonderful book! I couldn't put it down.
I have the UK hardcover edition of this novel and it is probably one of the most beautiful books designs I have ever seen. It is this rich and royal purple and gold lettering and the sides of the pages are inked with sparkly gold Arabic designs. When you take of the dust cover, the naked book is literally an artwork. It is hot pink with gold images of the characters and the Qsar and ever new chapter has the same Arabic design as the sides.
A beautiful and must read for all.
The Ugly Princess (The Legend of the Winnow Wood)
by Henderson Smith.
Rating 5/5 Stars
Started: 24th May, 2016
Ended: 18th June, 2016
I was given this book to review and I am so glad it was The Ugly Princess as it is one of the best short stories I have ever read.
The message in the story is amazing and so valid in life that I feel as though all should know it. One does not need to be beautiful to find love.
I loved the characters and the plot line and would recommend this book to everyone due to its wonderful message though it would be great for teenagers to read. I feel as though Olive is such a great female hero and is really quite inspirational.
Emmaleah Xx
by Henderson Smith.
Rating 5/5 Stars
Started: 24th May, 2016
Ended: 18th June, 2016
I was given this book to review and I am so glad it was The Ugly Princess as it is one of the best short stories I have ever read.
The message in the story is amazing and so valid in life that I feel as though all should know it. One does not need to be beautiful to find love.
I loved the characters and the plot line and would recommend this book to everyone due to its wonderful message though it would be great for teenagers to read. I feel as though Olive is such a great female hero and is really quite inspirational.
Emmaleah Xx
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard.
Rating 2/5 Stars
Started: 18th June, 2016
Ended: 26th June, 2016
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard just didn't do it for me. I found myself skipping pages and reading other books while in the midst of reading this one. I just found it so boring and dull. I didn't like the characters and the world building was so hazy and slow. The characters didn't develop well and Safi and her "amazing" power just didn't interest me.
Don't get me wrong, I liked the plot line and the writing wasn't bad but the story just didn't interest me at all. I feel as though there was so much potential for this book. I am disappointed in this story after hearing so many good things about it. I most likely will not continue with this series.
Emmaleah Xx
Rating 2/5 Stars
Started: 18th June, 2016
Ended: 26th June, 2016
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard just didn't do it for me. I found myself skipping pages and reading other books while in the midst of reading this one. I just found it so boring and dull. I didn't like the characters and the world building was so hazy and slow. The characters didn't develop well and Safi and her "amazing" power just didn't interest me.
Don't get me wrong, I liked the plot line and the writing wasn't bad but the story just didn't interest me at all. I feel as though there was so much potential for this book. I am disappointed in this story after hearing so many good things about it. I most likely will not continue with this series.
Emmaleah Xx
Poison Study by Maria V Snyder.
Rating 3.5/5 Stars
Started: 07th July, 2016
Ended: 08th July, 2016
Poison Study was my first novel read which was written by Maria V. Snyder. I have to say that at first it was a little hard to get into as the writing was new and completely different from any book I've read. I felt as though everything happened too fast and suddenly and this made me feel confused and bored. I didn't really see much character development and at times Yelena was quite annoying and somewhat dumb. It was halfway through the book that I found the novel more interesting as most of the action started.
Overall, I found many things about this book that I didn't like but also did like and I guess it may just be due to the new writing style and new author. I will continue on with this story as I see improvements through the future novels.
Rating 3.5/5 Stars
Started: 07th July, 2016
Ended: 08th July, 2016
Poison Study was my first novel read which was written by Maria V. Snyder. I have to say that at first it was a little hard to get into as the writing was new and completely different from any book I've read. I felt as though everything happened too fast and suddenly and this made me feel confused and bored. I didn't really see much character development and at times Yelena was quite annoying and somewhat dumb. It was halfway through the book that I found the novel more interesting as most of the action started.
Overall, I found many things about this book that I didn't like but also did like and I guess it may just be due to the new writing style and new author. I will continue on with this story as I see improvements through the future novels.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer.
Rating 3.5/5 Stars
Started: 01th July, 2016
Ended: 14th July, 2016
Ah Cinder, a book I have been waiting a realllllllly long time to read. Finally I have read it!
Well, Cinder was not what I expected...at all.
I loved the way Meyer included the Cinderella story into the modern setting and I loved every character. The development of the characters and the setting was really well done but I felt as though the ending of the novel was predictable.
Overall, I really enjoyed the novel and will continue with this series in the future.
Cover Love!!
Rating 3.5/5 Stars
Started: 01th July, 2016
Ended: 14th July, 2016
Ah Cinder, a book I have been waiting a realllllllly long time to read. Finally I have read it!
Well, Cinder was not what I expected...at all.
I loved the way Meyer included the Cinderella story into the modern setting and I loved every character. The development of the characters and the setting was really well done but I felt as though the ending of the novel was predictable.
Overall, I really enjoyed the novel and will continue with this series in the future.
Cover Love!!
YOUNG ADULT FANTASY/SCI-FI SERIES:
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Throne of Glass
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Falling Kingdoms
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Water Fire Saga
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Red Queen
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Snow Like Ashes
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A Court of Thorns and Roses
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The Illuminae Files
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The Infernal Devices
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An Ember in the Ashes
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Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Rating 4.5/5 Stars Started: 19th October, 2015 Ended: 30th October, 2015 One of my all time favorite books in an amazing series. This is the kind of book I dream about. A bit of fantasy, medieval times, assassins and a unsure decision between the prince and the guard. Lets not forget highly detailed descriptions of medieval dresses and glittering balls. A must read for everybody. Question: Do you prefer the UK covers or the US covers? Personally, I prefer the US covers because they are so colorful and give a personality to the story but hey...you can't judge a book by its cover! |
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Rating 4.5/5 Stars Started: 27th August, 2016 Ended: 30th August, 2016 Wow! Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas was a roller coaster of emotions for me. I loved everything that happen, my heart was broken (Dorian...) mended and broken just pages later. Oh my gosh, I cam so excited to read the Heir of Fire and see some more kick ass action and oooooooh, Empire of Storm!! I have to say, this series is one of my all time favorites and when it ends, I will cry for days. Sarah J. Mass, you have to be one of the greatest fantasy YA authors of all time and I absolutely lobe your characters and plots and everything! P.S Sorry I haven't done any reviews lately, I just recently did an extremely long and not personal review of a book I read for school and it put me off reviewing for a while. But I am coming back into the swing of things and you will see many reviews to come. |
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Rating 4.5/5 Stars Started: 2nd September, 2016 Ended: 3rd September, 2016 Heir of Fire brought a whole new look to the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. I really the novel and especially loved how Celaena grew from seeing herself as not just Celaena Sardorthien to Aelin.I also like the character Rowan and enjoyed reading Celaena and Rowans parts the most. I found that I did ship Rowan and Celaena together but as friends rather than partners but I kind of want them to be partners at the same time? I had a love/hate relationship with Sorscha. At first she really annoyed me because I couldn't see Dorian being with another girl and I felt as though the relationship was too sudden and it annoyed me because as a reader, I knew nothing of Sorschas past other than the destruction of her village and family along with this, she just seemed like a love sick teenager who dreamed of being with the price. She also annoyed me because she seemed so weak. But towards the end, I did start to like her and was proud that Dorian had found the strength to move on from Celaena but then she went and lost her head and I was kind of glad yet sad. Manon was in interesting character because she was very independent and strong. I enjoyed reading her parts and was glad that I learnt more about the detail of the witch clans. Even though Manon was described to evil and soulless, I think that deep down inside, she cares for things and this really stood out to me. Oh my gosh, so much magic! Everybody has powers.... King of Adarlan, I hate you. |
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
Rating 4.3/5 Stars Started: 3rd September, 2016 Ended: 27th September, 2016 I have done it, I have read this massive book. Now I have to read the next book, which is bigger...which means more room for more awesomeness!Wow, I don't know where to start. This boooooooooook. So much action occurred in this book, so many people died in this book, so many people deserved to die in this book, I had many fangirl moments in this book. Just damn, this book in general. I REALLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO SAY... I loved every character except for those ones who you who they are. Such as the demons, the king, the duke, Arobyn and many more. I feel as though all the characters grew and developed so much in this novel that I have many new favorites and in all honesty, I am scared for Empire of Storms because so much did happen in this book. I just kept wondering "How is Sarah J. Maas going to pull this off?" Queen of Shadows is another amazing book to add to my all-time favorite series by my all-time favorite author and I cannot wait to get into Empire of Storms. |
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
Rating 3/5 Stars Started: 6th October, 2016 Ended: 20th October, 2016 RRP: $17.99 for a Paperback (Australia Dollar) This book took me forever to read...Practically a month and a half. I have to say, I just couldn't get into this book. Perhaps it was because of Queen of Shadows, perhaps because of School or maybe even the fact that this book is so imitating and large. For whatever reason, Empire of Storm just did not pull me in like the others did. For this, I had to take a break from it before I could continue to read it. I have to say that I haven't finished Empire of Storms yet. Mainly because I just cannot feel it. Because of this, I will be leaving Empire of Storms for a while and then re-reading it. Damn you Queen of Shadows, you left me with a bloody book hangover. So this review is a slight insight as to why I have taken forever to read it. I can comment on, however, the characters! I love the characters of this whole series and right now, I am totally shipping Manon and Dorian! I love how the characters have developed and it makes for a great and enjoyable series. I love Sarah J. Maas and her beautiful writing style. She is simply one of the greatest YA Fantasy authors out there, especially for new YA Fantasy fans. Also, sorry for the massive as paragraph! I would like to say a huge, huge, huge thank you to Allen and Unwin along with Bloomsbury for sending me an early copy of this book. I didn't think I would get a copy due to the fact that I am a new book blogger but when I came home from school to find a Bloomsbury package on my bed, I thought "No Way...it isn't it...it can't be it" But when I opened it and it was EOS, I squealed so loud that my Mumma came rushing in asking what was wrong! So thank you, you guys really warmed my heart! |
The Assassins Blade by Sarah J. Maas
Rating 4.5/5 Stars
Started: 21th May, 2016
Ended: 31th May, 2016
My mind is blown. I love you Sam and Celaenas Horse....
The Assassins Blade by Sarah J. Maas is a collection of five short stories that give an insight into Celaena Sardothien's life before her journey in the well known Throne of Glass series.
Each story captured my heart then like always, broke it a million times over. (Saraaaah, why??)
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord: Rating 4.5/5
I really liked this one as it finally gave a full insight into Celaenas life as Arobynn top assassin. It follows her through her witty personality to the meeting of Sam (I will always remember you) I loved the action and the mention of characters to which play a major role in the following books in the TOG series. It gave a full insight to who Celaena really is in terms of her true personality. I loved everything about this novel and I just wish there could of been a bit more history to Sam and the Pirate Lord.
The Assassin and the Healer: Rating 3.5/5
The Assassin and the healer is the second novella and focuses on Celaena's journey to her punishment for what occurs during the Assassin and the Pirate Lord. Although this novella was good, it wasn't my favorite. I enjoyed Yrenes POV and how much her character gained in strength and along with that, I loved how compassionate Celaena was.
The Assassin and the Desert: Rating 5/5
By far my favorite novella out of the collection. I found this one more entertaining and thrilling and it really made me want more. It is kind of the standing point between the good and bad that occurs in the overall story and I really love the characters and the story line. This novella to me showed Celeana as her true self and explored her expectations and realities of friendships and betrayal. It was also the novella where Celaena learnt the most about life in general. I also love her horse quite a lot.
The Assassin and the Underworld: 4.5/5
The Assassin and the Underworld really was the beginning of the end that I knew was coming. It is here that the connection between Sam and Celaena steps up a notch and it is here that internally we learn as a reader that some real crap is going down.
The Assassin and the Empire: 4/5
I cried, a bit physically and a lot mentally. I even found myself staring at the wall for some time. Oh this was so sad and painful and hit me so hard even though I knew it was coming.
The Assassin and the Empire is the novella that made Celaena who she is now. A strong and confident but sensitive assassin.
There are so many people I would have killed if I were in this story.
So many...
I would have stolen back her horse. And killed its rider.
Overall, the Assassins Blade is beautifully written and expressed and I cannot wait for Empire of Storms. (Fangirling,EEEEEEEEEEEEE) I'm sorry if this review sounds weird but I am so baffled right now.
Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes.
Rating 3.5/5 Stars Started: 08th May, 2016 Ended: 21st May, 2016 Falling Kingdoms by Morgon Rhodes is a thrilling and exciting novel that will make you laugh, feel scared and cry, and cry some more. The story line was creative and details were in nothing more than extreme. I loved the characters but found myself with a strong dislike for some. Lucia in my option was arrogant. She just seemed so pathetic and I really didn't understand how everyone in the story loved her. And Aron, well, he was just Aron (This war wouldn't of started if it weren't for your dumb behavior!) Overall, the characters were great but there is so much room for improvement. I personally found the start slow and a little dis-interesting but in the end is was exciting and really quite heart breaking. I need the next book right now! |
Rebel Spring (Falling Kingdoms #2) by Morgon Rhodes.
Rating 5/5 Stars Started: 5th June, 2016 Ended: 6th June, 2016 Whooooooahhhh. I loved this book so much. I am kind of liking Lucia a bit more but she is still a bit annoying. So much killing!!! I just want Magnus and Cleo to be actually together, argh!! And Jonas!! I have nothing to say. Well, besides from I NEED THE NEXT BOOK RIGHT NOW!! Whoa |
Gathering Darkness (Falling Kingdoms #3) by Morgon Rhodes.
Rating 5/5 Stars Started: 7th June, 2016 Ended: 7th June, 2016 Okay, wow! I hate Amara. Oh my Magus and Cleo. Yesssssssss So much betrayal, but so good. Got this book a few hours ago and have already finished it. Argh!!! I love it. I see great great things for this series! |
Frozen Tides (Falling Kingdoms #4) by Morgon Rhodes.
Rating 5/5 Stars Started: 7th June, 2016 Ended: 8th June, 2016 Whooooooaaaaaaaaaa. I was Crystal Storms to come out right now. This was so good. I literally started this series last week and after finishing Falling Kingdoms, I wasn't sure if I should continue. But I'm damn glad I did because this series is one of my most absolute favourite series ever. Whoooooooaaaaaa. I don't know what to expect!! Such great character development for new characters and very detailed and intriguing plot and story line |
Crystal Storms (Falling Kingdoms #5) by Morgon Rhodes.
Rating 5/5 Stars Started: 07th January, 2017 Ended: 09th January, 2017 Overall Comment: I absolutely regret reading this book right away because that damn ending had me reeling and will have me reeling continuously throughout the many times a day that I look at that book on my shelf which means that I will be very upset for the many months until the next book comes out... I love this series so much. I bought this book with the 20 Singapore Changi Airport dollars I was kindly given by Singapore Airlines on my recent month long European holiday. I started reading it right away and when my flight home was delayed for three hours, I rejoiced while others looked very upset. The start was great, pulled me in straight away. The characters were fantastic as per usual and my favourite two characters, Magnus and Cleo, were amazing. The book was written fantastically and was action packed and was filled with surprises, turns and many wishes for a certain two to become a couple (L&J) The ending though was one that made me so mad yet made me so very eager for the next book. Tallulah, if you read this review, I cannot wait for your reaction to the ending! Crystal Storms was incredible once again and has now made the series my all time favourite series...ever. |
Deep Blue (Waterfire Saga #1) by Jennifer Donnelly
Rating 4/5 Started: 2nd June, 2016 Ended: 4th June, 2016 Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly was a nice quick read. Although the plot line was a bit childish, there were some scenes were it was for mature audiences with mature references. This story was action packed and had strong character development in the main character Serafina though sometimes she was annoying. I enjoyed all characters introduced and see good things for this series in the future. That cliff hanger ending... Oh! Cover love!! I think the cover is what pulled me into the novel in the first place. I want to be a mermaid. From Emmaleah Xx |
Rogue Wave (Waterfire Saga #2) by Jennifer Donnelly.
Rating 4.5/5 Stars Started: 9th June, 2016 Ended: 16th June, 2016 I really enjoyed this novel which is the second book in the Waterfire Sage by Jennifer Donnelly but I found the first half of the book rather slow and boring. It was for me, up until the middle where the novel started to become interesting and really quite good. I really enjoyed the action in this novel and the fact that Madhi was brought back made it 10 times better. I love relationship between Sarafina and her people and I love how Neela's character has grown so much. This book also had so many twists. When I first started this series, I thought it would be childish but boy I was wrong. There are some mature scenes in here, such as dog fish eating decaying mermaids... Holy plot twist.... Also, cover love to the max. I also may of judged the book by its cover. I can't help it. |
Dark Tide (Waterfire Saga #2) by Jennifer Donnelly.
Rating 4/5 Stars Started: 1st August, 2016 Ended: 14th August, 2016 Dark Tide was an exciting add to the Waterfire Saga by Jennifer Donnelly and was quite a pleasure to read. Although it took me some time to complete due to the events of school, the book was a good read that was overall quite exciting and enjoyable. Sera has improved a lot, she has become more mature and has become someone who has witnessed the good and bad of the world and from this, she has seemed to act more her age rather than a child spoil by the riches of royalty. All the other characters were just as enjoyable and fun to read. I also saw a great improvement and a welcome to a character mentioned in the first novel. It is through this that Astrid is seen to be a much weaker than she likes to show and through this, her character becomes much more relatable and enjoyable to read. Overall, Dark Tide was a great addition to the series and I cannot wait to read the next one. |
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard.
Rating 4/5 Stars Started: 2015 Ended: 2015 Red Queen was a sneaky, deceptive, heart breaking book that I really really enjoyed. Mare was a fantastic character and the whole plot and...events....was done brilliantly and were extremely clever. I loved both princes even if bad things happened and I loved the whole theme of deceiving people, countries, lives. So Good! I will be definitely continuing with this series and I am so excited to see what comes in the following books. |
Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard.
Rating 4/5 Stars Started: 27th March, 2016 Ended: 31st March, 2016 I have no clue what to say, just nothing. I don't know what to expect next. This book was written so well and I'm just so puzzled. Aveyard and her endings...oh my gosh!! Also, so much cover love here! If only they sold hardcovers of this in Australian stores!! Emmaleah Xx |
Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard.
Rating 4/5 Stars Started: 7th April, 2016 Ended: 12th April, 2016 Much like Red Queen and Glass Sword, Cruel Crown has an absolutely gorgeous cover. And much like the Red Queen series, you either love Cruel Crown or you strongly dislike it. It consists of two short stories and they are Queens Song and Steel Scars. Queens Song: This is the first story in Cruel Crown and consists of around 54 pages. It tells the life story of Queen Coriane (Cal's Mother) and her downfall. I loved the story line and how powerful her cause of death was. The novel also introduced King Tiberias and Elara. Overall, I really enjoyed Queens Song and it really brought some light on the mysterious life and death of Cal's mother. Steel Scars: Steel Scars is the story of Captain Farley (Diana) and though this short story started off slow, it got better towards the end. It introduced some Glass Sword characters along with the more 'main' characters. By the end, I enjoyed it quite a lot and found the ending making me want to Re-read Red Queen. |
Snow like Ashes (Snow like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch.
Rating 5/5 Stars Staring: 4th May, 2016 Ended: 8th May, 2016 Oh my gosh! Where do I begin??? This book was incredible, it left me reeling, crying and wanting more and my mind is buzzing with excitement! I need the next one right now!! I love the plot, the writing, the everything. The characters Mather, Theron, Meirra, Sir, everyone!! |
Ice like Fire (Snow like Ashes #2) by Sara Raasch.
Rating 4/5 Stars Started: 9th June, 2016 Ended: 16th June, 2016 Ice like Fire by Sara Raasch was a somewhat quick read for me as I read it while driving to Sydney and while staying in Sydney and on the drive home so I got through it pretty quick as the drive was over 12 hours along with the 12 hour drive back. I really enjoyed this novel as it showed much character development for Meria and the others and it showed a lot more buildings. Although some parts of the novel were slow and boring I found the rest interesting and oh my gosh, that ending has me hating a lot of characters. Overall, a good squeal to an amazing book and hopefully an amazing series. |
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Rating 4/5 Stars So good!!! ACOTAR is beautiful twist on the well known classical story between a beauty and a beast. Heart gripping and magical. It was a brilliant twist between dark magic and light, love and death. I love everything about this book. About every Sarah J. Maas book for that matter. The way Maas writes and comes up with her novels plot lines is just beyond me because they are totally wild but so well done kind of like the thought of sweet and sour. Maas brings a whole new level to her novels and because of this, everyone has fallen in love with her stories and her characters. Oh, cover love as well... Read, Read, Read it!! |
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Rating 4.5/5 Started: 13th October, 2016 Ended: 18th October, 2016 Ah this book, it made me cry so much. I am even crying writing this! I never thought I would be so sad over an intelligent robot ship but the relationship between AIDAN and Kady was really touching for me. AIDAN was portrayed as such a cruel object but it was really quite human and emotional. For this, I loved the character of both Kady and AIDAN and I hope we see him again in the next story. Also, I listened to Mozart-requiem in D minor and it just made me more sad. I loved Ezras character as well. I never usually read space books because I find them hard to read and get into but this book was fantastic. I loved how they look like files and the details, so much detail. The story line was great and the ending with Kady and Ezra just made me cry more. I loved everything about this book and I would most definitely continue with this series in the future. |
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Rating 5/5 Started: 23rd November, 2016 Ended: 24th November, 2016 This book was fantastic and I have to say, I am so so so glad I finally read it. To tell you the truth, I actually read this book around two years ago when I was in Grade 8. Being the stupid kid I was, a kid with no common sense, I tried unsuccessfully to read this book during the time of the year which was busiest. In the third term where we have the most assessment. I have no clue why, but I tried to read it and failed miserably. From this, I found myself unable to read the book for literally two years. I tried once again earlier this year but nope. So when I finally started it yesterday, after the consistent push of Angie and Tallulah, I got into it straight away and I fell in love. I love the plot, the twists and turns, the characters and everything! It was so detailed and full that I understand how practically everyone love it. Although I did find it to drag a little, it is said that the next book gets better and better. I love Jem! From Emmy! Xx (Sorry I haven't posted in a while, this year has been hectic and due to all the assignments, I fell into a reading slum. But now that year 10 has finished, I will be on more often!) |
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Rating 4.5/5 Started: 9th January, 2017 Ended: 12th January, 2017 This book was incredible! I loved every bit of it. My first read by Sabaa Tahir was a wonderful experience due to the fact that her writing is unique and her characters are individual and so realistic. I was meaning to get into this series when I saw how popular it was becoming but for some reason, I wasn't bothered to actually pick the book up. So when my lovely Poppy bought me a beautiful hardcover of a Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2) from a shop in Singapore Airport when we were waiting to catch our flight to Milan, I knew that I had to read the first book because I felt the need to pick up the first book and show thanks to my Poppy. I tired to find a copy in Italy but they were all in Italian (Which I would love to learn!) So when we arrived home nearly a month later, I went to the library and picked up An Ember in the Ashes. Although, I got a large print version which I am not used to reading but anyway! So I jumped into the book straight away and here is my actual review... The characters were amazing. I loved them and hated them too. My favourite character was Elias. He was such a relatable character. I found myself being most attached to him mainly because I have felt the feeling of being pressured into being something I'm not and having to actually hide it from others, even those close to me. For this, I loved reading his views. Laia was just as great, although at first, she seemed weak and silly. But during the book, you could definitely see how she grew and matured which I loved. She really was a powerful person who self-doubted herself and for this, I could also feel a connection to her. I loved all the others including the other slaves, other soldiers, Laia's brother etc. I had a love/hate relationship with Helene because at first, I liked her due to her strong will and being the only female soldier at the academy. But during the book she began to seriously annoy me, then at the end, I liked her again. I hated Marcus and the commandment and a few others. The world building was great. One could definitely see the world as a visual when the places were described and this really helped to set the pillars of the story as there was quite a lot of movement. The novel was action packed as well so the details of everything around the characters was also great. Overall, An Ember in the Ashes was fantastic and I really recommend it to people who love action, girl power, realistic characters, fantasy etc. Love from Emmaleah Xx |
A Torch against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
Rating 4.8/5 Started: 12th January, 2017 Ended: 14th January, 2017 I love this series so much. My friend always raved about this series and how much she loved it. So I decided to borrow the first from the library as I had a hardcover of the second book at home. Sadly, I got a large print but never the less, I loved the first book so much I continued on to the next book straight away. A Torch Against the Night was fantastic. It was beautifully written and the characters were individual in their personalities and persona making each a pleasure to read. Elias is favourite as he is such a strong character. Built to be an emotionless warrior yet he is such a kind person inside. He is a character that everyone can relate to in some way and for this, he seem so real and lifelike. Laia is also amazing. She is strong and you can definitely see how she matures throughout both the books. In this novel, she definitely became a leader to all. She understands herself and for this, she becomes a stronger and more understanding character. I rather like Helene as well. In the first book I didn't like her. But now, she is also become a very relatable character. I also liked the others including Izzi (noooooo), Mamie, Afya, the soul catcher, Tas, Bee, Livvy and many others. I hated the commandment, The Warden, the night bringer, Keenan and of course, Marcus although he seems to have weaken.The settings were fantastic. It was continuous and in depth giving one a detail visual view of the worlds. The book was action packed, sad, beautiful, romantic, on edge and simply an emotion changer. I loved everything about the book, it was fantastic! A must read for all. |