Hi everyone! My name's Annabelle and I'm 24, Scottish, and a bookworm! Join me on my journey as I attempt to read *almost* every YA, fantasy and romance (mainly) novel ever written and share my views on them.
“To whatever end,” he whispered. Silver lined her eyes. “To whatever end.”
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas is the final instalment in the loooong, looong, loong, long storyline of Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius and her band of pals all trying to get her on the throne. Basically. It was, in so many ways, the conclusion we all wanted. In other ways, it was not. This is an absolute mammoth of a book. It is so, so long. Now, I don’t mind that, usually. When I do mind it, is when a book could have been a bit shorter with a bit more critical editing. And as much as I love the world S. J. Maas has built and the narrative she has grown here, it needed that critical editing. For starters – there were definitely some typos in my copy of the book…
All that being said, I did cry multiple times reading this, had a wee giggle and numerous gazing out the windows trying to imagine certain conversations/dialogue/moments between the characters. Don’t trick yourself, we all do it. As with the other S J Maas books, this one lacked some major diversity and ‘shaking things up’ in the way of romantic interests. WHY is everyone getting married at 18/19/20/21?! WHY can anyone who is not portrayed as heterosexual only be bisexual, rather than homosexual? Weird.
But, again, all that being said, I don’t think this actually requires a long review. If you have started the Throne of Glass series, it is well worth persevering and reading the entire thing. And you wouldn’t be picking up this book unless you had already come that far. Every loose end is tied up within this. The pages are teeming with emotion, tensions are high and expectations both built and shattered. Every hinted story throughout the previous books has lead somewhere, and the majority of those ‘somewheres’ are very satisfying.
Aelin/Celaena is a fantastic heroine and arguably my favourite of all time (YES – even better than Feyre… if you know, you know). Her coined ‘motto’ of “will not yield” is really just all-encompassing of the characterisation, and as a now 24 year old, I wish wish WISH I had discovered her earlier so my younger self could have looked to her and used her as inspiration for how I should be living my life. Although, 24 year old Annabelle also learned a major thing or two and I will probably carry them with me forever. The other female characters within this also make a very worthy statement in terms of powerful protagonists and heroines, and for that, I would highly recommend this book to any young women, or men, who are looking to feel inspired, challenged and empowered by a series.
Also – this. This is the quote.
Aelin walked forward. Took Yrene Westfall by the hand to guide her to the front. Then Manon Blackbeak. Elide Lochan. Lysandra. Evangeline. Nesryn Faliq. Borte and Hasar and Ansel of Briarcliff. All the women who had fought by her side, or from afar. Who had bled and sacrificed and never given up hope that this day might come. “Walk with me,” Aelin said to them, the men and males falling into step behind. “My friends.”
Again, a wee PSA for you all though – this final book, and the past 3 probably are not YA anymore. No shockers there, this has a lot of romance in it and all the other parts of relationships that come with that. Tastefully done.
A definite 4 out of 5. The only thing that would have made this stronger is, yep. You guessed it! A near 1000 page book does not excuse bad editing!
“A moment of kindness. From a young woman who ended lives to a young woman who saved them.”
3 stars. The world’s shortest review because I’ll confess, completely skim-read this to get to the finale. I am all here for Chaol but missed the other protagonists too much to care that much? I know this is supposed to be a reformative piece of writing where his character is involved but I am not a fan and will never be a fan. I think S J Maas did this on purpose. Other people love him?! HOW DO YOU DO IT?!
That being said, Chaol’s story deserved to be told but not my absolute fave. Fast-paced, gripping, I cried a bajillion times… The story of a man defying the odds to get back to a state of living. I love the messages S. J. Maas delivers in all of her stories. Yrene is a dream. The finale is going to end me.
So I have fallen off the face of the earth for about 10 months. But. I am back! I had to take some time to myself to accomodate house moving, job commitments and family things. Alongside those, we also had the whole Covid-19 thing going on too….. Fun times. Love it. This is an extremely review of the 5th instalment in the ToG series. It was in my drafts and I don’t want it to go to waste! The final two book reviews will also be published and then we have some new content for you! Still Young Adult, still fantasy, still romance. With some other bits and bobs thrown into the mix too. Missed ya’s.
“It is not such a hard thing, is it – to die for your friends.”
Review – Spoiler Free
With intricate world-building, character and relationship development, Empire of Storms follows on from the previous 4 books in the series and gives and gives and GIVES. Now, am I right in thinking when originally released this was set to be the penultimate book but then SJMaas threw a curve ball and released a Chaol perspective-led read before the finale? You can tell that. Many of the plot lines within this book start to round up in a way that suggests the answers will be coming soon (as this is a re-read we all know, that is NOT the case!).
We get to see more of Rowan’s perspective at the forefront within this and understand how his and Aelin’s partnership is growing. We also spend more time with some new characters and delve deeper into the backstory of those we have been introduced to before. Alliances form in areas that are unexpected. New and old fuse together to propel the story and begin the final stages of Aelin’s quest to be queen.
Every character within this has experienced and explores trauma in different ways. All are relevant to the story line and fuse to create a well-rounded ‘court’ for Aelin as she gets closer and closer to taking back the throne. Dorian, as I’m sure many of you will know and will be happy about, progresses as a man and as a protagonist, witnessing his own setbacks and trauma but this is poised n such a way that it will also help him achieve and successfully continue his role as King/his journey to become one!
I know there has always been much discussion surrounding SJMaas’ writing and whether it is New Adult or Young Adult. I would argue that ToG is her closest to YA series she has written, however there is a heavy slice of smut in this that you should be wary of if you are not after sex.
If you have stuck around this far for Maas’ novels, then this book is a must and crucial to the Throne of Glass journey. I would argue this is my favourite book in the series so far.
HELLO! Things have been pretty quiet on the old blog front during the current global situation, if you’ve been living under a BOULDER, it’s Coronavirus. My line of work is within local government and as such, I’ve been pretty busy at the moment! Although reading has and always will be a refuge of sort for me, my non-working hours have been mainly focused on self-care in the forms of cooking with my wonderful boyfriend, eating, sleeping, taking too-long showers, and dissecting everyday with the rest of my family, all of whom are also key-workers. It’s a bit of a stress-pot household. That being said, I have been granted by the Annual Leave gods, a week off of work in June -hurrah!
This was initially planned as a trip to Vienna, bouncing to Budapest, and back to Scotland, but alas it is much safer to remain in rainy UK than venture out. And so, books will be binged. I’m excited. This is pretty extensive, and ambitious. See below my To Be Read list for June 2020:-
1. Red Queen; Glass Sword; King’s Cage; War Storm // Victoria Aveyard
Grouping these together for ease – the Red Queen series is one that I have previously devoured and loved. About 2 years ago, I delved into the world of Mare and The Scarlet Guard, and it quickly became an immediate recommendation from my bookshelf to others who were looking for a dystopian read. Romance, fantasy, drama and thriller, this novel encompasses many genres and delivers well on all. Excited to re-read.
Blurb: This is a world divided by blood – red or silver. The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change. That is until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power. Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime. But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart.
2. The Binding // Bridget Collins
Having sat on my bookshelf for MONTHS, I figure it is high time to give this book a read. Currently in the process of moving house, my bookshelf is in a state of boxes and tags, however The Binding had been earmarked in May as being a desired read for June/July. Alas, it is yet to be packed up, as I;m hoping I will get the chance to read it! Reviews of this are solid and it sounds like it holds a lot of elements that I seek from a good book.
Blurb: Books are dangerous things in Collins’s alternate universe, a place vaguely reminiscent of 19th-century England. It’s a world in which people visit book binders to rid themselves of painful or treacherous memories. Once their stories have been told and are bound between the pages of a book, the slate is wiped clean and their memories lose the power to hurt or haunt them. After having suffered some sort of mental collapse and no longer able to keep up with his farm chores, Emmett Farmer is sent to the workshop of one such binder to live and work as her apprentice. Leaving behind home and family, Emmett slowly regains his health while learning the binding trade. He is forbidden to enter the locked room where books are stored, so he spends many months marbling end pages, tooling leather book covers, and gilding edges. But his curiosity is piqued by the people who come and go from the inner sanctum, and the arrival of the lordly Lucian Darnay, with whom he senses a connection, changes everything.
3. Circe // Madeline Miller
Ah, remember this? I feel like Circe has been raved about for an absolute age, and is a book I actually thought I had already pruchased. Turns out I hadn’t, and finding it on offer recently piqued my interest again and had me ordering before I had even really considered it. Once it arrived, I can sure wholeheartedly that I am EXTREMELY happy that I bought this. For appearances alone, this looks beautiful on my bookshelf. Although, yes, I am moving so said bookshelf is currently looking a bit worse for wear. Based on a story many of you will no doubt know if you have an understanding of greek mythology, romance, intrigue and character development are going to be the central focal points of this read.
Blurb:In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus. But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love
4. Three Dark Crowns; One Dark Throne; Two Dark Reigns; Five Dark Fates // Kendare Blake
Eek – caught out with this one. If you follow my bookstagram updates you may have seen my post regarding the Three Dark Crowns series MONTHS ago. Yep. I confess. Yet to start it. Three Dark Crowns has high reviews and is acclaimed, and from what I read when starting this series, for good reason! It’s definitely the young-adult genre, but a fantastical story of siblings vying for the kingdom/throne/power arc? Up my street.
Blurb:When kingdom come, there will be one. In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born—three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions. But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown.
5. The Five: The Lives of Jack the Ripper’s Women // Hallie Rubenhold
A book with a different tact – this is to be my only non-ficition read over these two months. I felt that my other books on this list are pretty fantasy heavy, and so needed something a bit more realistic to sink my teeth into. That being said, the subject matter of Rubenhold’s story isn’t the most pleasant I could have picked. I can recognise that, however I feel like it’s a story that need to be told, and thus deserves to be read. The legacy of Jack the Ripper is a bloody one; his victims are somewhat forgotten within the persona of who the killer was. A highly anticipated read.
Blurb:Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary-Jane are famous for the same thing, though they never met. They came from Fleet Street, Knightsbridge, Wolverhampton, Sweden and Wales. They wrote ballads, ran coffee houses, lived on country estates, they breathed ink-dust from printing presses and escaped people-traffickers. What they had in common was the year of their murders: 1888. The person responsible was never identified, but the character created by the press to fill that gap has become far more famous than any of these five women. For more than a century, newspapers have been keen to tell us that ‘the Ripper’ preyed on prostitutes. Not only is this untrue, as historian Hallie Rubenhold has discovered, it has prevented the real stories of these fascinating women from being told. Now, in this devastating narrative of five lives, Rubenhold finally sets the record straight, revealing a world not just of Dickens and Queen Victoria, but of poverty, homelessness and rampant misogyny. They died because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time – but their greatest misfortune was to be born a woman.
6. City of Bones; City of Ashes; City of Glass; City of Fallen Angels; City of Lost Souls; City of Heavenly Fire // Cassandra Clare
I decided to add The Mortal Instruments series into this as I have been itching to re-read it for a while. I feel like everyone who is part of the bookish community has read this at some point or another. The universe, and the characters, are worth every page. Much of the joy of Cassandra Clare’s writing (in hindsight) is the conenction between all of her novels. They’re all included within the same universe, following different timelines and locations. Almost every character from every book meets, either through direct contact or ancestral links. That is what makes these stories such a joy. If you haven’t read these already, you definitely should. And then tell me what you thought! [SPOILER?] For the sake of reading, and one of the only flaws in CC’s writing, do yourself a favour and add a couple of years to the ages of each character. Clary is not written like any 15 y/o I’ve ever met.
Blurb:When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know…
There you have it! My desire and stamina to read fluctuates a lot at the moments, the current state of affairs is pretty bleak. A lot of important things are happening right now. If you find enjoyment in reading then I would implore you to TRY to engage with reading and writing if you can. I do think it can help to give some reprieve. That being said, it is also important to engage with the resources and materials readily available via social media and the news. Educate yourself on COVID-19 and the ongoing implications and effects of it. Recognise and act alongside those others who are fronting the Black Lives Matter Movement. And keep reading both fiction and non-fiction.
“When you shatter the chains of this world and forge the next, remember that art is as vital as food to a kingdom. Without it, a kingdom is nothing, and will be forgotten by time. I have amassed enough money in my miserable life to not need any more—so you will understand me clearly when I say that wherever you set your throne, no matter how long it takes, I will come to you, and I will bring music and dancing.”
Queen of Shadows, the fourth instalment in the Throne of Glass series, is a bit of a whirlwind (final 50% of it, anyway). This sees our main protagonists back in Ardalan, conspiring and orchestrating a rebellion for for a king – literally. New characters are once again introduced, existing ones are tested to the limit (I swear that happens like, every book?!) and there is much more emotional turmoil experience by both readers and protagonists. It ends up being a bit like a big old party in Ardalan of a rag-tag band of mates but it is effective and propels the storyline forward so, I;m not really complaining.
Aelin has officially shed her Celaena namesake, and goes only by Aelin now (keep up!) It’s all a bit confusing. From here on out, the shifting perspectives are back and more mind-boggling than ever. Although I fully respect and appreciate the reasoning behind it, I find it tricky to read. Rowan and Aelin’s relationship develops romantically in this book and it is very cutesy if not slightly slow.
Elide and Manon have moved on somewhat from their Morath days and these storylines were probably my most favourite. Manon is still relatively new to the TOG universe in this book but I do find myself being drawn to her slightly more than Aelin… Anyone else find this? She is the opposite but also epitome of Aelin, dark to light, and this shines in a blend of characterisation; development and female empowerment.
I am always invested for that.
Again, a solid 3 (3 and a half?) stars out of 5. At no point did I feel like putting this book away and not picking it up again, no skim-reading, and definitely devoured it in about 4 days? Seeing as I was working full-time alongside that, I’d say that’s a solid effort really.
On a side note – I highly recommend looking up the artworks of Throne of Glass characters there are online. I’ve found this really helps me have a much more connected experience with a story, and can sometimes struggle to envision what characters look like beneath the flouncy description words.
“She would light up the darkness, so brightly that all who were lost or wounded or broken would find their way to it, a beacon for those who still dwelled in that abyss. It would not take a monster to destroy a monster—but light, light to drive out darkness.”
Heir of Fire presented us with the magical world of Wendlyn, Doranelle and Rowan Whitethorn’s angst. What a dreamboat. It’s pretty obvious, following the events of Crown of Midnight, that Rowan has been brought into the mix as Celaena’s complete mirror reflection. He’s the new male protagonist (although there are many) and matches her word for word, strength for strength, weakness for weakness.
A running theme in S. J. Maas’ characterisation – Rowan has his own demons and these dictate and guide his actions. As the audience, we are also all still reeling after THAT plot twist/name reveal at the end of the previous book, and this novel provides clarity and closure to that. Celaena’s development throughout the entire series so far is pretty impressive but this is the most personal and defining we have seen so far.
We receive continuous perspective changes throughout this which is effective but slightly confusing. You really need to focus for this one. New characters are introduced (Manon Blackbeak; Elide Lochan; Aedion Ashryver) and their movements in both Ardalan and a shiny (or should I say, bleak) new setting, Morath, are smattered throughout Celaena’s progressive transformation alongside Rowan in Wendlyn. Dorian and Chaol also have altered perspectives throughout this and you can really feel the tension beginning to build up in preparation for what is bound to be a big finale.
All in all, really enjoyable and a solid 3 stars (in comparison to the other books within the Throne of Glass series). My appetite has been wetted and I’m excited to see where these lot go next!
“When you do, I want you to remember that it wouldn’t have made any difference to me. It’s never made any difference to me when it came to you. I’d still pick you. I’ll always pick you.”
I’m going to keep this quick, because if I’m honest, this is my least favourite Throne of Glass book. That is for 2 reasons mainly. 1) The events of this are heartbreaking and painful, I cry every time I read it. That is testament to S. J. Maas’ writing, and the plot of this story. It is remarkable when you find a book that makes you feel so deeply that you cry, the emotions connecting with you on that level to result in a physical reaction. But, I digress. 2) In hindsight, it does contain many plot-moving elements but it’s also a little bit dull. We’re within a setting we have experienced already, with characters we have also experienced already, and each and every one is slightly… stale? They don’t seem to DO much, apart from live it up in the castle.
For that reason, this gets 2 stars. Celaena undertakes her role as The King’s Assasin with all the fervour you would imagine of a trained assassin, which was one of my favourite elements of this book. She develops further with her relationships and there is a sense of comraderie built up which you can definitely see forming into strong undercurrents throughout the rest of the series. We are also introduced to the initial foundations of a rebellion looking for a certain long-lost queen. Little do we know, as readers, that this long-lost queen reveals herself at the end of this book (not a spoiler as it’s pretty intrinsic to the whole franchise). Dorian is depicted as the ever-galavanting Prince but a discovery of flaws fleshing out his own storyline begins to form, alongside that of Chaol. I already know what happens, but this did spark excitement inside me and I can’t wait to see how this plays out (and who with…).
Ultimately, this final 20% were the most interesting moment of the whole book (sorry!) for me. Definitely got filler vibes and second-book syndrome from this, however not enough to totally nullify my interest and I will be picking up the third in the series.
Imagine me master of my own universe I am everything I ever dreamed of
Well. This is it. The final instalment. The end of an era. I think it’s probably wise to tell you my relationship with the Shatter Me series by Tareheh Mafi before I go into the review for this; as it made this reading all the more poignant. This is a v quick review because, I’ll be honest, I don’t want to make this too spoiler-heavy nor do I have that much to actually say about it.
I put off starting Shatter Me and the subsequent books for a long, long time. I think I fell victim to the negative Goodreads reviews and didn’t want to put myself through reading it. But then I read it and wished I had picked it up sooner. To fully appreciate Imagine Me, please PLEASE read the other books in this series beforehand. They all feed into each other; they are all necessary to get this as a final piece of written work for Juliette; Warner; Kenji and so on. I was sad to end my time with these characters; and was equally as sad and disappointed with this final instalment. (Eek! Controversial).
I think Imagine Me was always going to struggle to deliver the same way, emotionally, as the other books. Such a momentum had been built in the run up to this with the events of Ignite Me and Defy Me, that I do appreciate that it would have been tricky to keep the interest peaked. But it definitely felt like this was the nicey-nice round-off that Juliette and Warner deserved; but as readers – did we NEED it?!
Warner was virtually non-existent in this book. Dealing with the loss of Juliette, Warner slips into a depressive state and is the nasty piece of work he was depicted as in the first couple books. He was having a hard time. Juliette was also present in this but only ever-so-slightly more than Warner, having been kidnapped and basically altered scientifically to do dirty work for her enemies.
Kenji was the definite star of the show here – and the majority of the book was from his perspective. He came into his own and I was sad when the book finished, because I felt like in all the other books we had been a bit cheated of Kenji and he didn’t have enough pages-time.
All in all, I will give Imagine Me4 out of 5 stars, but I think at least one of those is just for nostalgic value and the emotions you feel when you realise you have officially closed the door on a set of characters that you have come to love. So it’s more likely a 3 star book. When the ending came, I was left feeling a bit – “That was it?!” It felt incredibly rushed and sort of as if not that much actually happened throughout the novel?
Warner and Juliette, as always, were pretty cutesy. But I wanted more PASSION.
Emmaline’s storyline made me cry.
Kenji is king.
Will definitely re-read this and wallow in Shatter Me memories though.
“You could rattle the stars,” she whispered. “You could do anything, if you only dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.”
Hello! Okay, I admit it. I caved. With the current circumstances and international pandemic we are experiencing, I made a decision over the Easter Weekend. It had been coming for a while; with the release of Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood, my Maas appetite had been teased out. I first read the Throne of Glass series in early 2019 (so late to the game – I know?!) and soon after got through A Court of Thorns and Roses also. I think I got through all 10 books in about a month and a half? They were that good. I couldn’t believe I had gone so long having not discovered S. J. Maas or reading her work – however was also chuffed to bits that I had managed to wait long enough to binge all 7 books and then all 3 of ACOTAR. My confession here is this, though. I have a terrible habit of skim-reading books. I think it’s a skill I picked up throughout university and have unfortunately transferred it to my reading of books I actually enjoy!!!
From this, we hit the re-read desperation. 1 year on – I realise that I can’t remember HALF of what went down in ToG and ACOTAR because I skimmed them and read through so quickly! And so, here we are. The review series you never asked for, and hopefully never realised you wanted. Until you see what I have to say. Kicking us off – Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas.
Throne of Glass
You know what? The first time I read this book – I gave it 3 stars. I have now bumped that up to 4. This is a fantastic debut novel for the Throne of Glass series. I didn’t realise it the first time, but I’m acknowledging it now.
Celeana is an absolute fiend, is she not?! Just, impeccable powerful female protagonist writing. I wish I was as forward, assertive, sassy and down-right no bullshit in character as her. Half her statements make me laugh out loud with a “Sheesh – slayed.” vibes. She is also intrinsically good, the Robin Hood of her series and utterly relatable (Not her assassin tendencies, obviously, but her emotions, relationships, desire for justification and righteousness!
Now, I’m not going to spoil this, but since I have read this series before I do know what the outcome of her relationships with Chaol and Dorian are. What this re-reading gave me was a different perspective on both characters and wanting a different outcome for them both. As Tower of Dawn (6th instalment in series) has such a frontal focus on Chaol, it was really Dorian who I saw in a different light and he is just dreamy. So sweet and I feel his story is going to be a great one. And one which, I’ll confess, I skimmed over the first time.
I think that’s the true beauty of S. J. Maas’ writing, with both Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses, she introduces so many characters in depth, with enticing story-lines and traits that are both fundamentally flawed and desirable at the same time. As such, I want to read this story, and every other, over and over again to focus and hone in on different characters and portrayals.
So excited to read the next one again. Crown of Midnight coming up!
“Born to fly isn’t strictly true, of course. I’d been born, if anything, to be a very minor game piece in the interstellar games of houses and bloodlines, married to someone the Empire or my family deemed suitable or at least convenient. I’ve never been one for living under illusions. I can still hope however. My main hope is that I am just not that important.”
When I first began this book, I was elated and excited, I’ll confess. 99p on the Kindle store?! Royalty and a sci-fi vibe? An obvious romance and relationship development from the get go? A Powerful female protagonist? SIGN ME UP.
I devoured the first 50% of this book. It was fast-paced, engaging, and the world-building was magnificent. The characterisation left something to be desired, apart from Bel, I felt that the two main male love interests where a bit gappy and transparent – they held no real ‘content’?
I loved the transition of Bel’s character in line with the different settings she encountered. I LOVED the sci-fi element of this, and the notion of a warrior princess to be queen. She wants to be a soldier and won’t let anyone tell her no? YES?! This is the sort of female character I’m here for!!! (I’ll admit that this is a frequent character cocktail for ya fantasy and sci-fi, but Jessica Thorne did well with her female character.)
The second half of this book, though? Meh. What happened, you ask? Not much. There was some semblance of conflict, rebellious occupation, but nothing that made my heart race or blood boil! I didn’t really care that there had been an overthrowing by their rival race. And I should have. With a good book, you always should. The ending was also a bit… for want of a better word.. half-arsed? It felt rushed and a bit cliche. I saw every plot-turn coming from about 50 pages away.
As it was so cheap and not an overly coveted fan-favourite as of yet – I won’t overly complain. I’ll definitely give it another chance and re-read it, because it was good, but it just wasn’t GREAT! The 2nd book in this series, The Stone’s Heart, is already out and I’ll pick it up when I feel ready to engage in this story again. If it is of the same nature then it’ll be a worthwhile read, but not my most anticipated…
Interested to hear what others thought of this? A xo
belle in pages 