ACOTAR series- Sara J Maas- ♥♥♥♥♥

 Sara J Maas- ACOTAR series
A Court of Thorns and Roses, 419 pages- ♥♥♥♥♥
A Court of Mist and Fury, 624 pages- ♥♥♥♥♥
A Court of Wings and Ruin, 699 pages- ♥♥♥♥♥
A Court of Frost and Starlight, 272 pages- ♥♥♥♥♥
A Court of Silver Flame, 757 pages- ♥♥♥♥♥

Ok, I've gotten bad about writing a review for each book. I kinda can't help myself when I feel the need to read them all so fast. This series is SOUL. SHATTERING. in the best way possible. I loved it The whole thing. There is one character that I want to marry. I'm basically in love. It's fine. 

Every book is just as good as the one before it, but like ACOMAF is probably my favorite. I was hooked pretty fast, and then Maas just kept me there. I cannot recommend these books enough. Like, I hear music now and it reminds me of the characters. I have spam texted my sister (who was the one that dropped these on my coffee table and demanded I read them) about each book. She was getting emotional update after emotional update. Like... I HATE THIS BOOK, and then OMG IT'S JUST SO GOOD. It's a rollercoaster, strap yourself in. Just be forewarned... there is some graphic violence and very smutty sex scenes lol so, if you can handle that.. read these books immediately. 

Maas likes to torment you. Over and over again. I hate her. But I love her so much. There are supposed to be two more books. I need them in my life right now... 

Rating- ♥♥♥♥♥

Girls of Paper and Fire Series- Natasha Ngan

Girls of Paper and Fire Series- Natasha Ngan
1. Girls of Paper and Fire
2. Girls of Storm and Shadow
3. Girls of Fate and Fury

 

It’s been a while since I finished this series, but I honestly didn’t know how to write about it. A simple review felt wrong. To give them stars and make some comments about pacing and character development… it felt wrong.

This series touches on serious topics that cripple people in the real world. Sexual violence, domestic violence, and how to heal from it all. There are a lot of details that are hard to read. As an adult. As a survivor. As a woman. It was hard sometimes to read. I remember thinking, “omg, this is marketed as a YA series… wtf.”

I get it now, though. I do. It’s important, and it’s real, and as Ngan talks about in one of the notes to the reader… teenage years are usually how it starts. For some, it happens much younger. I didn’t know how to process anything then. I don’t think our brains are wired to. I think this is an important read. I’m not going to go as far as saying everyone should read it. I know people who couldn’t handle parts of the story because of triggers from their own trauma. I think it is an important read for anyone that is able. It shows how the mental damage last far longer than the physical damage. It shows how hard it is to move forward and how we shoulder guilt we shouldn’t have to.

Ngan gave a beautiful journey of the after. The recovery. She showed how everyone handles it in their own way but that you can recover from it. You can put yourself back together again. You can heal.

This doesn’t feel like a series I can just review, so I’m not going to. Picking it apart to talk about the moving pieces feels wrong. Instead, I will tell you her writing style is phenomenal. Her immersion in the world and in the places is fantastic. I will tell you that I highly recommend this book series if you are able to read it.

Jennifer Donnelly- Rogue Wave ♥♥♥♥♥

Jennifer Donnelly- Rogue Wave
Waterfire Saga
297 pages

I couldn't get a review up for the first book, Deep Blue, but my feelings on both books are very similar. This will serve as a sum of my feelings and impressions of both books. 

I fell in love with this series almost immediately. Sera was so easy to connect with and understand that I was with her 100% from the very beginning. Donnelly was able to invoke real emotions throughout. I can't really give any specifics, but there is a real emotional roller-coaster here! Authors that can do that have an exceptional place in my heart.

The pacing runs pretty smooth, but there won't be any definite conclusions to any of the story arks until the end from what I gather now. I have mixed feelings about that. At the end of both Deep Blue and Rogue Wave, it felt like it was over in the middle of things. There were some revelations, some minor conclusions, but felt a little abrupt to be over. I think the reason I'm not more upset about this is because I own all the books. I don't have to wait a year or more to see what will be happening. I know I can jump right into the next book without delay. I understand using cliffhangers and plot lines that run across multiple books, and I'm ok with that, but here it just seems like Donnelly had one really long story that she cut into 4 books. So it's not inherently bad; I'm just a little off-kilter with how we left things. 

The other minor thing potential readers should be aware of is the terminology. Some of it is a little jarring since there is no readily available explanation. You have to be willing to roll with it and not understand exactly what you read until later. I really like this style of writing because it's more immersive. You don't get pulled out of the story to see an explanation of how it works. It does require a little more patience, though. There is a glossary in the back. Be warned: the glossary is written on the assumption you've read the story. You may encounter mild spoilers if you go there before you are done reading. 

The way all the relationships are portrayed is sooo good. The depth and conflict feel very real. I really am in love with these characters! Two more books with them just doesn't seem like enough. These books aren't long, but they pack a punch with information. A lot happens, you feel like you've run the gauntlet, and then you realize it's only been 100 pages. It wasn't hard to give this book 5 hearts. It earned it. 

Rating:

♥♥♥♥♥

Alexandra Bracken- The Darkest Minds ♥♥♥♥♥

Alexandra Bracken- The Darkest Minds
488 pages

Reading this book was a little strange for me at first since the last series I finished and this one have a main character named Ruby... 

Anyway, this is one of those books that I will love rereading to find all the little nuances I missed the first time through. It was all so emotional, though. What this book lacked in action scenes it made up for in how quickly it could rip emotions out of you. The roller coaster was incredible, even if it did give me whiplash a few times. I really liked seeing things from Ruby's pov, but she was mildly infuriating. Yet all of it was understandable. You start to get emotional about her being an idiot and then run through all she's been through. It makes sense, and you just can't stay mad at her, not really anyway. 

Liam was pretty great too. His attitude, his emotions, his overall world view. I really loved him here. There is so much more I want to know, and so many questions I wish I could ask... I really can't wait to start the next book. There is just something about him. I really love him.

Chubs is my favorite, though. His realism mixed with a touch of pessimism, his distrust, and hesitance he plays off with dark humor. I really couldn't get enough of him. I also wanted to smack him upside the head. It was a complicated relationship. There is just so much here I want to say but will hold back. 

I still have a lot of questions swirling about the set up of the world. I think the answers will come in the next book, but I can't be sure just yet. Right now, I'm feeling ridiculously angry and confused. The ending was really well done, but I hate it. Emotionally speaking. It completely reinforced my opinions of the characters, though. It makes sense, but I still hate it. I need to know more, and I'm wishing I could start reading more immediately, but work is calling... so I have to wait a bit. 

Overall, I'm happy with the book. This series might end up getting bumped up into favorites, I haven't decided yet, but there is a really good chance of it. 

Rating:
♥♥♥♥♥

Elly Blake- Nightblood ♥♥♥♥♥

Elly Blake- Nightblood
437 pages

Be still my heart; I am in love! I came into this book with a lot of anticipation, and I wasn't disappointed! The level of emotions I had to fight through while reading this final installment in the Frostblood Sage was staggering. I bought this series on impulse. It caught my eye as I wandered through the bookstore, and I'm really happy that it did. Like the second book, this one definitely earned five stars. 

Ruby is such a compelling character. She's flawed, and she knows it, but she doesn't hide from it. She has grown so much and watching it happen made me happy. Like deep down inside warm and fuzzy. The way she handles challenges is inspiring, even if you aren't a fireblood. 

Arcus has grown on me so much. I think that was the point. I don't think you were supposed to love him right away. That would take the fun out of it all. Of all the books I've read and all the stories I've seen unfold, I'm just a little bit obsessed with how his character evolves throughout the series. Seeing all of that growth culminate here made me happy. 

Kia. I still don't know how to talk about Kia. He is one of those characters you just have to love. You can't help. I felt so connected to him this time around, and I was glad for it. His entire arch and his journey through this series carries so much purpose, and I just love him. 

When I was close to 100 pages from the end, I was getting very nervous I would hate the end of this book. I didn't want to hate a series I had come to love so much, but I had this sense of dread as I took in everything that was happening. I didn't hate it, though. I am a little torn about it, but I didn't hate it. I feel like everything was constructed so well that it wasn't really a slap in the face (which is what I was beginning to fear). I can accept it, though. I can understand all of it in a way that I didn't think I would. 

The lore was just as impressive here as it has been in the previous books. You really get to understand it all, which is something I thought would take forever. This book brings it all together and doesn't leave you wondering about much, just a little. 

Overall, I love this book and this series. I highly recommend it to anyone that is looking for something new to read. 

Rating:
♥♥♥♥♥

An in depth look at the series will be posted soon on my In Depth Review page

Elly Blake- Fireblood- ♥♥♥♥♥

Elly Blake- Fireblood
408 pages

At the beginning of my review for Frostblood, I talked about how a book that is a five star is just obvious. It just earns it, no questions. Fireblood definitely did that, and I'm in love with this book! From the very beginning, it grabbed me and pulled me along with it. 

The pacing was on point this time. It took me through ups and downs, lulls, and intensity. My only "complaint" is the lore is kind of hard to follow. There are so many players with affinities and ties to the land, it's a little hard to track. That isn't really a bad thing, though. It's something that makes you think about relevance, and it pushes you to connect dots and remember details. This is definitely the kind of series you have to come back to and read again to truly appreciate all the nods and inferences. I'm still really enjoying untangling all the threads. On top of all of that... the emotions were still so it-hurts-so-good. They were intense and fitting and beautiful and painful all at the same time. And I loved every second of it. 

Ruby has come so far since the beginning of the first book. Don't get me wrong, I was always rooting for her, but now I feel like I'm screaming my support for her. There is so much I want to say about her, but I don't want to give away too much. So, I'll put it like this: she is a refreshing version of a trope I am rather tired of. And I absolutely love her for it. 

I feel so much more connected to Arcus in this book. As I said in my last review... the type he was portrayed as feels so old to me, like I've seen it too many times and want to roll my eyes. However, here, there is a lot more to him. I felt like there was more depth than I gave him credit for. So this is my apology for that. 

Kia. I don't even know what to say about Kia. I hate him. But I love him. I feel like he is such a perfect addition in so many ways. He gives a complete balance to the books that I am feeling so hard. I didn't want to like him, to be honest, but I do like him. 

I also loved the way this story progressed. I like watching all these changes happen both within and without Ruby. This book one hundred percent is the set up of the next book, but it didn't feel like a 400-page intro. It felt complete. Contained, but a part of the whole. If that makes any sense. 

The way this book ended was so satisfying. It wasn't what I expected at all, which was really lovely. I read a lot of books, and it isn't very often I am taken off guard by an ending. It's something I very much appreciated! I sincerely can't wait to start the next book!

Rating:
♥♥♥♥♥

Elly Blake- Frostblood ♥♥♥♥

Elly Blake- Frostblood
371 pages

I was really torn about how to rate this one. I went back and forth between four and five. I settled on four because, to me, for a book to get a five-star rating, there should be no doubt; it's just that good. 

The pace of this book was too steady. The fight scenes didn't carry urgency, and the reprieve scenes didn't have a slow stillness to them. It was fast enough that I wanted more, but not fast enough to need the more right now. The emotions, though... Those were there in spades. The pain and longing, the sadness and lonely. The joy and the hope, the love and grace. The emotions were gut-wrenchingly well written. I've never encountered a story before that had problems with pacing but still packed an emotional punch. 

The last quarter of the book had much better pacing AND the it-hurts-so-good emotions. That was the only part of the book I really didn't think I could put down. I did really like it, though. I loved the world Blake created. The lore was fascinating, but a touch confusing at times. The was another book I was able to pull out the twist before it happened (sort of). I had it mostly right, so I was only half surprised. However, the way it was set up was really fantastic. There were enough crumbs for me to focus on and string together, but not enough to ruin the ending. 

Ruby is a very intriguing character. She went through a lot of growth during the course of the book, but it feels like she has a long way to go still. She has a few traits that annoyed me, but I feel like that's the sign of a strong, realistic, and relatable character. Arcus is equally compelling. I am a little weary when it comes to the strong, silent, haunted thing in main characters. I don't think it's going away anytime soon, though. 

The actual story was compelling, and it left a lot of questions swirling in my head. I don't want to say too much and spoil anything, so I'll just say this: Diving into the lore and untangling the threads will be fun. I really hope there is an opportunity to do that in the second book. 

Rating:
♥♥♥♥

Jennifer Estep- Protect the Prince ♥♥♥♥♥

Jennifer Estep- Protect the Prince
417 pages

I'm in love with Jennifer Estep's writing style. I found her through the Elemental Assassin series and fell madly in love. This series is just as wonderful, and I really like the small nods in the first book to Gin and everyone. 

I've really liked watching Evie figure herself out. She has grown a lot since the beginning of the first book. I am a little unhappy with the character development of Sully and Paloma, though. Don't get me wrong, I love them, but it feels like they are startlingly the same as when the series began. There have been some small changes, but it's not enough. Until the last couple of chapters. Almost as though the evolution of their characters was an afterthought. 

The storyline was really interesting, and the only problem I had with it was the level of foreshadowing. I knew the big twist almost immediately after the set up for the "end game" of the book. It would have been nice to have a little more guesswork involved. Maybe it was intentional, but it was frustrating to know, 100%, where things were headed, and to have Evie so oblivious. 

That being said, I'm really excited about Crush the King! There is still so much I want to know, and several questions I still have. This series very much so adds to the love I have of Jennifer Estep. (As a side note, her website is lovely, and she makes it so easy to identify what order her books and short stories should be read in. Something is that woefully underrated). 

♥♥♥♥♥

Domination- ♥♥♥♥

Jon S. Lewis- Domination

277 pages

Domination fit well as the conclusion to this series. Its pace felt better to me than the other two, and its ending is satisfying. Sure it would be nice to hear more from CHAOS, but I'm ok with where we left things.

Colt really came into his own here. You really get to see him round out as a character. Even though he is still young, he really starts to decide who he is and what his values are.

Dani was still a little disappointing to me, but she was better in Domination. I would have been happier to see more character progression from her. It almost feels like she was most put to the side and forgotten about after the first book.

Oz was lack luster in this one. The changes and trials I was expecting just weren't there. It bothered me quite a bit, but I still like him as a character. I felt like more could have been done with him in this book.

The hardest thing to deal with in this book was the resolution of the major ark. There was an awful lot of buildup and then it just... ends. More time should have been put into that resolution.

All in all I like the book and the series, and I would be very happy if at some point another book was released!

Rating:

♥♥♥♥

For a more detailed review (including spoilers), click here!

Alienation- ♥♥♥♥

Jon S. Lewis- Alienation

274 pages

Reading this book gave me some perspective on Invasion. I guess with Invasion I kept expecting to see other planets. That doesn't seem to be the goal of this series. This isn't about traveling around, it's about the impact those other places can have on Earth. I'm kind of disappointed, but the story is still good!

Alienation gives you a much broader understanding of CHAOS and their technology. Most of it was pretty interesting, some of it I couldn't understand. I don't really hold that against the book, more so against my understanding of STEM as a whole. It makes the world more appealing and definitely more dangerous.

I really like how Colt is developing as a person. He seems to be coming into his own and figuring out the kind of person he wants to be. He's starting to accept that some of the things done to him in childhood can't be changed now, and he's moving forward. This book was full of revelations for Colt, and it really pushed him to be better.

Danielle on the other hand... I'm not thrilled with her. She went from being this strong willed badass to practically cowering in the corner. Maybe the third book will change that. I really hope it does. While I understand having to give your characters flaws, they can't be perfect, that kind of personality change didn't really help move the story forward it just made me not like her so much (which is sad!).

Oz was just Oz. Throughout the course of the book he didn't really change much. It isn't a bad thing, he's kind of an awesome character. I would like to see him improve himself some in the next book, and I have a feeling he will go through the self-revelation process that Colt did in this book.

The plot was solid, though a few things didn't seem to add up. The third book might hold those answers (I'm still looking for some answers from the first book). The third book will be the last, and I feel like there is a lot of little mysteries that need to be cleared up. I wish there was a little more closure from this book, but I know why there wasn’t.

Rating

♥♥♥♥

For a more detailed review (including spoilers), click here!

Invasion- ♥♥♥♥

Jon S. Lewis-Invasion

336 pages

This book has a lot of great aspects, but I felt like the story progression was a bit slow. There were several times it just felt like too much filler was happening. This kind of books often requires a lot of set up, world building, and explaining, and all of that stuff is good with me, but there were just a few too many lulls for my taste.

All of that aside, I like Colt. He is an interesting character with an interesting history. The little stuff that bothered me about him just go to strength him as a character. It makes him more realistic and more relatable. They are human flaws not writing flaws.

Dani is also a really great character. She felt the most authentic to me out of all the people in this book, she could be a main in her own right. Her sense of humor is pretty fantastic too. Colt and Dani balance each other so well, and their dynamic was definitely refreshing to read.

I didn't want to like Oz, but I did. He's kind of an ass, but in the best possible way. He is able to be overly silly and weird (in a good way!) then turn around and be serious and kind of badass. I did end up liking what he brought to the table.

The plot is a little... lacking. It doesn't feel like there was that big of an ark, and I don't feel like it was resolved enough. Even though it is part of a series, and there are more books to read, it seems like more should've been accomplished.

Overall, I liked the book and have high hopes for the second book!

Rating:

♥♥♥♥

For a more detailed review, (including spoilers) click here!