pickA truly thrilling sequel! I‘m so glad this one didn‘t fall victim to ‘middle book syndrome‘ - instead, it was fully action packed and plot driven. The twists and turns and absolutely DEVASTATING reveals kept me entranced. I loved the new characters and especially delving deeper into Helene‘s mind and her own storyline.
pickwhat an exciting story! I was almost in tears right at the beginning and the action almost never slowed. I really enjoyed the dual perspectives and seeing the world from two vastly different upbringings. I‘m looking forward to starting the next one soon!
pickSorry I just spammed you all! I‘ve been forgetting to cross post my insta updates here, so I‘ve hurriedly posted the books I‘ve read! I‘m up to 16 so far this year!
Feel free to follow me over on IG @ midnightbookblog!
pickWhat a weird, wild story this was. It had such a strange feel to it that kept me feeling so unstable. The writing was well done and Alice‘s journey in the Hazel Wood had me completely thrown - unexpected turns left and right that lent a very good ‘other-worldly‘ feel to the novel. Which, obviously, was the point. I didn‘t think I‘d finish it in a day, but it was too intriguingly weird to put down!
pickWhat a breathtaking book! The story is so well done but so far from anything I‘ve ever read. Basing this fantasy in African lore made it all the more interesting for me because I‘ve never read anything like it. Zélie‘s heartbreak and sorrow are so incredibly real. I don‘t want to spoil anything too drastic but I absolutely adored this work and it is ESPECIALLY important to recognize its current political implications.
pickThis book was so close to my heart. I don‘t really have the words to describe how accurately this book portrayed a lot of things about coming out as a teenager in a public school in the South. Having gone through that exact experience myself, so much about this book hit home for me. I could feel all of Simon‘s anxiety and I remember his fears because they were mine. I loved it because it was SO real and I truly saw myself reflected in Simon‘s life
pickI adored this book. Truly a work about grief and its consequences, but built effortlessly into a world that seemed so natural to me. The world building was clear, and much of the prose wasn‘t devoted to explaining every detail of the magic. A large chunk of the book is about loss, but it never felt oppressive, or took too much away. One of my favorite things is fantasy that incorporate LGBT characters, and it was done so smoothly in this novel.
pickI liked this one much better than her first. It has a very powerful female message and the whole things reads like a social commentary through a ‘fairy tale‘ lens. I really liked that she took care to include women of color and trans women instead of making this ‘white girl central.‘ She encourages women to step up and defend themselves but also warns against burning everything down - ‘do not lose empathy.‘ Overall a good read.
pickTo be honest, I wasn‘t expecting much from this. The world building was a little confusing, trying to visualize how to turn ‘time‘ into ‘blood-iron‘ via some mysterious alchemical process that isn‘t fully explained. But MAN, the last few chapters had me hooked! The plot twists left and right and the revelations all overlapping into this frenzy of panic really pushed this book to a 4 star. I was floored by the ending!
bailed1/5 ⭐️
I‘m a dedicated completionist so I finished this book even though the first one didn‘t thrill me. And honestly, this one was even worse. I struuuuggled to finish and probably should have quit while I was ahead but I paid money for the damn thing, so I finished it. But I regret it. Just a horribly done story even though the idea is excellent. No basis for any of the magic, overdramatized love triangle, and bad cultural appropriation.
pan2/5 ⭐️
Poorly executed and underdeveloped. Gave it a go hoping for the best, but it didn‘t live up to my standards.
pickWhat an excellent sequel to #SixofCrows! Scheme after scheme that I could barely comprehend all the facets to - romance that didn‘t feel awkward or forced - utter surprises. I loved it. There are so many quotes from this book that I loved so I won‘t share them all. Constant twists and shocks and underhanded schemes that aren‘t evident until the last second - I read the whole thing in a day because I simply could not put it down!
pickThe beginning preamble to the real meat of the story was more drawn out than I would have liked. Once we got to the heist itself I finished the rest in a few hours. I wasn‘t expecting to care about a couple of thugs from the slums, but as I got to know the characters, my favorites emerged, as they always do. If you liked the #GrishaTrilogy you‘ll like this one as well - it‘s just a totally different perspective on the same world.
pick‘I am become a blade‘
‘I am not ruin. I am ruination.‘
An accurate depiction of war, with losses on both sides. The characters you love suffering deeply, the characters you can‘t stand growing into characters you love. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, I was wrong. Undeniably an excellent read. While the ending ripped my heart out and I feel a deep emptiness now, I know that it was what had to happen.
pickOkay this one was so much more thrilling than the first! Again, the first section was a blur - within three chapters the whole plot turned around and suddenly they‘re on the other side of the world. But the character development and the new plot were excellent in this. Alina is really growing on me, as are Nickolai and even Zoya. On to the final installment!
pickAfter the events of the first part, when things slowly began to be explained, I was caught. I love the world, I loved the idea. It‘s typical YA fantasy, but so? I‘m a sucker for it. It had a very familiar feel to it but I can‘t place why. The story telling was good - I liked the first person POV even though I don‘t usually read those. I‘m quite interested to see where the next book goes, even if I‘ve guessed the rest of the plot in my head already
pickI trudged through parts of this. Fortunately, now that I‘ve finished it, I honestly ended up loving it. This book is so much deeper than it seems at first, and the concept was super original. I loved the ideas behind it, and while I wasn‘t always 100% with the execution, it proved a point to me that really sunk in. The morale has really grabbed me and I am so glad I finished this book.
so-soNot my favorite poetry book of late, but not terrible. Felt a little simplistic in parts a la Milk and Honey, but deeply emotional in others. The sense of loss was very real for me but overall it seemed to lack a single direction or focus. There were a few sections where I wasn‘t sure if she was talking about her father or a lover. Maybe that was intentional. Who knows?
pickThis book was almost perfect. The storyline of the previous three books finally comes to a climax but with all these added elements of danger and surprise and the ever present looming threat of death. I found the slow build romance done well for the main couple, despite it being wildly predictable since book one. The magical elements enhanced the story enough that I wasn‘t constantly focused on the love story, which I very much appreciated.
