Marissa Meyer

9th Mar 20209th Mar 2020 belleinpagesLeave a comment

I will beg you to think kindly on our wretched attempts to flatter one whose praises could only be spelled out in the poetry of ocean waves and the song of distant thunder.

Well, holy hell! My previous experience of Marissa Meyer was The Lunar Chronicles, which I just loved. I find that fairytale retellings are usually successful in my eyes and they end up being some of my favourite series; having been built upon an already known foundation it helps to appreciate a new interpretation and portrayal of the characters and storyline. I know Heartless is a couple of years old but I finally got round to reading this – and it was a 3 day wild ride! [spoilers ahead…]

Heartless by Marissa Meyer is a fairytale retelling of the Queen of Hearts from the internationally acclaimed and loved, Alice in Wonderland tales by Lewis Carroll. That was the first big tick for this book! The story offers a background to the Quene of Hearts, pre-Queen of Hearts, as Lady Catherine Pinkerton. Now, we all know the characterisation of the Queen of Hearts within Alice in Wonderland. She is a piece of work. This interpretation of her character gave me a totally new appreciation for her persona though, providing me with the opportunity of understanding how she became how she did.

I won’t lie – I found her character a bit annoying at first. 17 years old, nobility, EXTREMELY whiny and spoilt. But this was obviously an executive decision made by the author to give you a foundation to your understanding of her character development. Further into the book I found myself relating to her and almsot foreseeing what her next steps would be – in the sense that I had found the balance within the character profile and how her relationship with Jest, the main male love interest was progressing. That brings us to our next big character.

Ah, Jest. Absolute SWOON. I loved this character!!!!!! Total fave character. This was a perfectly rounded character and just, thank you Marissa Meyer for creating him. I wish I could have a romance with someone like the Joker. If you are having any doubts about reading this book, do it just for being introduced to a character like Jest.

Hatter also deserves a quick but notable mention – simply for the character-building shown by Meyer through the construction of his personality and idea. With a definite resemblence and basis off of the stereotypical Disney Mad Hatter that we have come to know and associate with Alice in Wonderland, Hatter presented a character in turmoil and desperation, trying to prevent what he viewed as his fate and a premonition bestowed on him through the knowledge of his familiy’s previous experiences and demises. I found his the hardest to read as it was so heartbreaking. He was sassy and cunning and definitely an anti-hero, but I felt myself caring for him all the same. Superb writing.

All in all, I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. It was magical and heart-wrenching, romantic and fantastical and I felt like I had been stabbed in the gut. I loved it. Definitely one for your To-Be-Read List, and and a reading experience not to be missed!

Book Reviews

Stepsister // Jennifer Donnelly

8th Mar 202027th Mar 2020 belleinpagesLeave a comment

Here are the things girls die of: hunger, disease, accidents, childbirth, and violence. It takes more than heartache to kill a girl. Girls are tough as rocks.

Well, well, well. What do we have here? A not so fairytale retelling? A slant on Cinderella that barely includes its namesake, Cinderella?

Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly gets 3/5 stars from me. Inventive, heartbreaking, romantic – it was a joy to read! I’ll be honest, in the beginning this was slightly slow and tricky to immerse myself within. I’m going to put that down to the fact that I had two very BIG and very high-profile YA fantasy books being released imminently when I picked this up…. I think I was just watching my time to make sure I could read them when they came out.

When I actially began to let myself enjoy this I REALLY enjoyed it. The messages within this novel are so much more than meets the eye – Isabelle is a symbol of not only overcoming the pigeon-holing and categorising that society has deemed for you (fitting that this is being posted on International Women’s Day 2020…) but also showing that, it’s okay to dream and want to achieve more for yourself. Books provide me with an escape, as I’m sure they provide most readers with, and that’s why I am consistently picking them up and delving into their pages. But another reason why the underlying themes of this book resonated so deeply with me were because I saw my own desires reflected in Isabelle – desperate to be liked (shamefully), but wanting to also not just conform to that which is expected of me to BE liked and wanted. This story features Fate and Chance as secondary characters and I thought this was a really clever idea to personify elements of the human condition and experience that are fantastical and mystical within themselves. It also helped to assign blame to the right people when it was due.

I would say that this book is more fantasy than historical fiction, and I would used that term extremely liberally. The author has obviously taken what she wants and what she doesn’t from the world she has created to resemble known historical facts on society and nationality within France. Cinderella and her Prince (The King and Queen of France) feature very little within this. That was one of the things I enjoyed most. I loved this alternative telling of the Cinderella story with the frame shifted to focus on the ugly stepsisters, and an offering of redemption for them through highlighting WHY they are so ‘ugly’. It became clear that this ‘ugliness’ was a reflection of their personality, rather than their looks (a theme that is apparent within the Disney and Grimm tales but is often accomponied by physical features that some associate with being unattractive). Because really, who is to say what is and isn’t ugly/pretty?

I highly recommend anyone to read this with an open mind and heart towards the characters and to be willing to view the renowned fairytale from the villian’s POV. It is definitely worth it.

P.s. Anyone else who has read this – did you not want more of Tavi??! She is an ultimate force to be reckoned with. I would read a second installment of this just to get her individual story too.

TOP 10

TOP 10 OTP’s

3rd Feb 202028th Mar 2020 belleinpagesLeave a comment

I couldn’t not kick this off with indulging in my romantic self, could I?! OTP’s, also known as ‘One True Pairing’ are a derivative of ‘ships’. They are crucial to a successful romance story. And often the reason why I keep going back to a book series for the next installment. See below for my Top 10 so far – in no particular order. (Potential spoilers and artist credits have been applied where possible).

Feyre & Rhysand

I mean, are we really surprised? Feyre and Rhysand from Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses series are the ultimate enemy-to-lovers paradigm. And I love it!

Warner and Juliette

Another classic enemy-to-lover story, Warner and Juliette from Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi are, quite frankly, stunning. Their relationship blossoms over the course of the Shatter Me storyline and is empirical to both Warner and Juliette’s character development.

Thomas Cresswell & Audrey-Rose Wadsworth

Ooft. The Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalo was definitely one that got me out of a reading slump and I think it is all down to these two. The whole series is fab and all the better for them being in it.

Cresswell and Wadsworth – *Morgana0anagrom*

Adam & Ronan

From the moment these two were introduced I knew there was more than meets the eye… and there was! Just love them. The perfect contrasting couple from the most FANTASTIC YA fantasy series – The Raven Cycle.

Aelin and Rowan

Another on SJM couple – are you shocked, yet? There may be a theme here… I love Aelin and Rowan. ULTIMATE power couple. Their love stroy is a bit less mature than that shown within ACOTAR, however nonetheless gorgeous. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, READ THRONE OF GLASS.

Lou Le Blanc & Reid Diggory

A pretty fresh one for me, but Lou and Reid were the OTP I never knew I wanted (or needed!) I feel like Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin is one of those new cult classics within the fantasy genre and Lou and Reid’s relationship is just, lovely.

Thorne and Cress

From Marissa Meyer’s fairytale retelling bonanza series The Lunar Chronicles Thorne and Cress were the all-reigning couple that stole my heart! There were a lot of relationships going on in this series, and I did enjoy the development of all, but I think they get the ticket. Also a sci-fi series rather than fantasy made a nice change – I’m trying to expand!

Cartier & Brienna

I feel like The Queen’s Rising series doesn’t have the attention it so, SO deserves…! Cartier and Brienna’s relationship is fantastic, and their character writing is truly stunning. Brienna is defo the sassy heroine we should all aspire to be more like!

Mare & Cal

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard was the first book I read post-uni; the first one I read for leisure rather than essays, anyway! Mare and Cal (and actually Mare and Maven)’s turbulent relationship(s) made for a wild ride, and their story was pretty intense…

Fitzwilliam Darcy & Elizabeth Bennett

My forever favourite novel and pairing – Darcy and Bennett from Pride & Prejudice are the romance I have always wished for and think I have now found! It was a slow start for them but they got there in the end and Austen’s writing makes it magical when they do get together.

That’s it! Who are your all-time favourite OTP’s? I’m almost looking for new stories and romances to dig my teeth into so let me know!

Annabelle xo

Book Reviews

Mageborn // Jessica Thorne

2nd Feb 20209th Mar 2020 belleinpagesLeave a comment

4/5 stars. WOWIE! This book took me on a wild ride. Thank you to the author and publishing company for giving me the opportunity to review this book as an ARC!

I’ll be honest, I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I would say this gave me definite Serpent & Dove vibes; if you enjoyed that, read this! I managed this in 2 days.

Mageborn is a fantasy surrounding magic and mystery, like all the best ones are! It has the perfect smattering of enemies to romance, smut and powerful protagonist portrayal you could hope for! The book follows a simialr thread to a lot of others within this genre, mystical kingdom is under threat by [X], powerful heroine needs to help save the kingdom from [X], along the way she either meets a dashing hero or has to SAVE said hero from [X]. This is the writing cocktail I adore, and so it was completely for me. Think Sarah J. Maas-esque creation. Superb.

I would say there are two main protagonists within this read, and their perspectives are split chapter-to-chapter. This, for me, enabled the build-up of the relationship that forms between the two to become all the more hard-hitting, as you get the chance to really see how one is feeling about the other. Likewise, the writing style really helped the world to come alive for me, and I was truly engrossed from start to finish. The overall storyline delivered enough adventure and action to keep me on my toes but allowed a real exploration into the developing burdens and implications faced by the characters.

Not to be missed – well worth the read!

Annabelle xo

Uncategorized

The New Year’s Resolutions Book Tag

26th Jan 202028th Mar 2020 belleinpagesLeave a comment

I’m a bit late with this one as it’s almost the end of January (WHERE has the time gone?!) but figured until it hits the 31st, it’s still valid to complete. Onto the post!

An Author You’d Like To Read That You’ve Never Read

I feel the list for this is pretty long actually… So I’ll select a top 3! My TBR list and bookshelf seems to be endless. I feel like Marie Lu is pretty coveted and I have her The Young Elites series waiting to be picked up; I would love to finally get round to reading the Legend series too. Kendare Blake’s Three Dark Queens series is another that is high up my list but am yet to read.. Been getting Red Queen // Victoria Aveyard vibes from the reviews – is it going to be like this and as good? And finally, Megan Whalen Turner and the Queen of Attolia series… My GOD I have heard good things and I cannot wait to see what the hype is about.

2. A Book You’d Like To Read

With the dawn of a new decade I feel it is only right to finally finish a book that has received countless renown and 5 * reviews over the past few years. Normal People by Sally Rooney defintely takes the ticket.

3. A Classic You’d Like To Read

For Christmas 2019 I received my long-desired Penguins Classics Edition of Pride and Prejudice. It. Is. Stunning. So I immediately dragged myself out to my local bookshop and purchased more Penguins Classics to add to my collection! Sense and Sensibility (Yes, I have seen the movie before reading the book – loved it) by Jane Austen is the next classic on the list. Also, after re-reading The Infernal Devices series by Cassandrs Clare last year, Will Herondale and Tessa Gray keep talking about A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens and so I feel I have to finally read this too.

4. A Book You’d Like To Re-Read

When it first came out – I read the Delirium by Lauren Oliver and the the other 2 books in the series subsequently. I loved it then but I feel like my reading style may have moved on since then, so I have it down to re-read in 2020? Is it still worth the read? I am definitely always into fantasy and dystopian YA so feel like it should still be my jam.

5. A Book You’ve Had For Ages and Want To Read

Ever since its 2017 release, I have had Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman sat in bedroom. It is so highly-raved about, I definitely need to read it this year. 3 years is long enough!

6. A Big Book You’d Like to Read

This is one I haven’t got a scooby for! A big book? What constitutes as ‘big’? I think I’ve been ruined by kindle books. I haven’t really got a clue what the size of books are all I do is download them…

7. An Author You’ve Previously Read and Would Like to Read More Of

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven rocked me to the core when I finished it, years ago. I haven’t read anything else by Jennifer Niven yet but her wiritng style was incredibly powerful and really, pure magic. Will definitely be reading more of her stuff this year.

8. A Book You Got For Christmas and Would Like To Read

I received for Christmas this year (at my own request), The King is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII by historian, Susannah Lipscomb. I have been fascinated with the Tudor period of British history ever since my undergraduate thesis and I find Henry VIII particualy interesting. Was he a tyrant? Was he misunderstood? With a background in theology, I can’t wait to dive into this!

9. A Series You Want to Read from Start to Finish

Good question…! How can I possibly choose?! The immediate one that springs to mind is the Fire and Thorns series by Rae Carson. I am very excited to finally get round to and and have high expecttaions. Will it live up to them, is the question?

10. A Series You Want To Finish That You’ve Already Started

I’ve got two for this one (Sorry! – too indecisive). The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski was a slow read for me initially, but now that I’ve finished it and had a few months to stew it over, I can’t stop thinking about it! I think I definitely need to read the next two installments to see what happens. Likewise, The Queen of Tearling by Erika Johansen had me hooked throughout but when I finished it I felt a bit…deflated? It took a lot to get through to the ending, so I wasn’t immediately pushed to pick up the next one. Now that some time has passed, it seems to have fuelled my appetite for the story again.

Do you have any book-base resolutions for 2020 and this new decade? I think my main one (not questioned) is to just embrace my reading and actually give myself the time to do so a bit more. I would love to hear your thoughts!

Annabelle xo