Published: May 1, 2012 

Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books

Author: Veronica Roth

Pages: 525
Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Fantasy

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love. 

 Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so. 

Insurgent was an interesting sequel. 

I didn’t enjoy it much as I hoped I would. Don’t get me wrong – this is a fantastic book – it just wasn’t up to the standard of Divergent.

“Cruelty does not make a person dishonest, the same way bravery does not make a person kind.” 

Book Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Published: May 5, 2015 

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Pages: 416
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Fae

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore. 

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world. 

 As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it... or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever. 

 Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

First of all, if you still haven't heard of Sarah J. Maas or read something about and from her, I don't know where you must have been hiding. This lady has her shit together and you can judge that only by the fact that she takes the time to make maps for her books. She takes the time to map out fictional regions and that's when you know stuff is about to go down.

Book Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J.Maas (Throne of Glass #2)

Published: August 27, 2013 

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Author: Sarah J. Maas 

Pages: 418
Genres: Young Adult, High Fantasy, Romance

"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached. It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend." 

 From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil. 

 Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart. 

 Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

HOOOOOOOOOLY SHITTTT STUFF WENT DOWNNNNN. 

*this review includes a fair amount of gifs, beware

Book Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass #1)

Published: May 7, 2013 

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Pages: 404
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Fiction

 

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

I have a lot of thoughts on this book. Not all of them are positive. 

Book Review: End of Days by Susan Ee (Penryn & The End of Days #3)

Published: May 12, 2015 

Publisher: Skyscape

Author: Susan Ee

Pages: 344

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Dysopia, Romance

 

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other? 

First of all, I have a soft spot for Susan Ee's writing style, let's get this out of the way. I don't know what it is, I just know where I am in every single one of her books. I know the street and the trees and the smell and which movie I'm in. And this is something I am so impressed with! Everything flows so smoothly. 

Book Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Published: February 10, 2015 

Publisher: HarperTeen

Author: Victoria Aveyard

Pages: 400
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dystopia

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 to 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 . . . Power is a dangerous game...

FANTASTIC!

If you are looking for something unique, look elsewhere. The story has very similar elements to The Selection and other series. Nevertheless the story took a very different turn and transformed into something I have never read before.

I really enjoyed the plot. Never in a million years did I expect the ending, even though I had my suspicions. And normally in these types of stories, the endings are not all that hard to see in the middle of the book. So, bonus points to Victoria Aveyard (who is a total sweetheart, btw!).

The characters were well developed but at first I had some trouble connecting to them. The world building was very very good. It was not at all hard to imagine the situation, the people and what was happening to them. It was before my eyes for most of the time.

The romance (if I can call it that) needs, in my opinion, a bit of development because right now it appears to be more drama than anything else.

The final is what made it tons and tons better and I will definitely read the sequel, which is coming out in February 2016!

Overall feelings:

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Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth (Divergent #1)

Published: February 28, 2012 

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Author: Veronica Roth

Pages: 487
Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Fantasy

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). 

On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both.

So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself. During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. 

But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

This story is just full of action and has so much going on I absolutely loved it!

The plot is really good. I am a big fan of distopian novels and this was no different. I love this book so much! The world is so interesting, society is completely split up and in each of these factions you have to embody a certain element.

The characters are amazing!

I LOVE Tris. She is probably one of my favourite female characters! She is incredibly strong, she is selfless and very brave. I felt really connected to her as a character, I felt what she felt all throughout the story. I could really establish a connection with her emotions and I would feel them too.

And then there is Four. Oh, Four. He is delish. He is just this really mysterious guy and has this really hot exterior.. Eventually you learn who he really is, what he's really about, what his story is and I loved learning about Four as a character. His really in-depth character. He's had a pretty though history. He was an amazing, amazinnnngg character.

The romance in here was really good. It wasn't an instant thing, it was more gradual, but it did not take away from the story at all. It was a nice little side plug.

And then there's all the other people. Damn, these characters are freakin' awesome. Christina and Will especially, I loved them. 

"I have a theory that selflessness and bravery aren't all that

 different."

The dialogue in the story is just really good. There's a lot of light and humorous conversation. And just overall it was really well written, I was really impressed.
It's a fairly long book but I whizzed through this book, I seriously went through it so fast! It has a really nice pace, it keeps you turning the page, I just could not put this down! I would bring it to the restaurant and put it on my lap, reading. AND THAT'S SO RUDE, but I just couldn't.

Recommend this to:

Everyone.

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Book Review: The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Published: January 13, 2015

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Author: Holly Black

Pages: 336
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.

Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.

At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking. 

Until one day, he does… As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

THIS IS WHAT I CALL AN AMAZING STAND ALONE NOVEL! 

Honestly, this book surprised me! It's an  overused story but combines elements from the world now. It now simply ancient, it merges it with the mysterious and the modern, it's set in a normal little town.

It's an adventure packed book, it has drama elements and... well things you never imagined to happen.

It was a bit slow paced at the beginning, it took me quite some time to get to the middle of the book - BUT FROM THERE I read it in hours! It was so good! So don't get discouraged! Keep on reading. The plot was a little chaotic and left some things lacking their full potential.

There's a monster in our wood.

She'll get you if you're not good.

Drag you under leaves and sticks.

Punish you for all your tricks.

A nest of hair and gnawed bone.

You are never ever coming .... home

Holly Black's writing style was pretty good. The were a couple of moments when I was thinking: "OH, MAN! THAT SENTENCE IS PURE PERFECTION I WANT MORE!" I have never before read anything from Holly Black and/or anything fairy related (of you don't count the faeries in City of Bones, Ashes, Glass, can't remember anyway). So I'm impressed!

The characters had a really confident voice but sometimes whining and emotional which seemed real to me. The book didn't blow me away, but books don't have to blow you away to be entertaining. Especially when it moved from the fantasy feel to more of a darker tone. I love reading about fairy tales. 

This I believe is the first fantasy/paranormal standalone novel I have read. I love that Holly Black managed to tell "The Darkest Part of the Forest" in one book. And it didn't feel unfinished like most of the 3,4,5 books in a series out there.

Definitely recommend this to people who love dark YA fantasy.

Don't forget to watch the BEAUTIFUL trailer: 

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