Throne of Glass series- Sara J Maas ♥♥♥♥♥

Throne of Glass- Sara J Maas
Throne of Glass, 432 pages- ♥♥♥♥♥
Crown of Midnight, 432  pages- ♥♥♥♥♥
Heir of Fire, 576 pages- ♥♥♥♥♥

I love the structure of this series. The way the character relationships grow, change, and unfold, the way the world is built, and the voice that is shown. This is a quieter series than ACOTAR was. While ACOTAR was loud, in your face, and aggressive... TOG is subtle, fluid, and slow burn. It's a carefully cultivated dance of emotions that swirl around you until you are swept up in it. The first book was good. I liked it. I connected to it. The second book was better and I felt so much more connected to the people. But the third book... that third one so far is the best. It hits harder, it feels harder, and it's my favorite to date. I'm reading the fourth book right now. I'm sure I will forget to comment on it until after I've read several more books, but I have high hopes. 

I still have a lot of questions, there are still some things I am hesitant about when it comes to character relationships and trust, but, to me, that makes it better. It makes it feel real. I'm invested in these people. When I find a book that's good, like really good, the characters become real to me. Like friends I can surround myself with. Maas has achieved that here. 

Hitting this slower pace was like a balm to the chaos and aggression of ACOTAR (which I loved, but man I felt it so hard I didn't think I would be able to pick anything else up for a while). This one is still just as emotional and rollercoaster like, it just whispers to you instead of screaming. There are seven books total, and I'm ready to devour them. 

Overall 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:

♥♥♥♥♥