Review: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Format: Hardcover
Source: Personal Signed Copy
Review by: Jenn

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

4 stars out of 5 stars

I loved going back into this world and learning what happened after the showdown at the end of Shadow and Bone. I was curious to see how Alina and Mal were faring and even my beloved Darkling.

• Leigh Bardugo and her world building, it's so captivating. I can easily picture the world of Ravka as she describes. 
• Alina and Mal. I was curious to see what Alina and Mal had gotten up to up since Shadow and Bone. With this book, I still wasn’t a huge fan of Mal. There were certain parts where I liked how he spoke up what he and Alina were thinking and avoiding to talk about. It made him the honest and good person he is supposed to be. But how he then acted towards Alina, as if it's her fault that she was the Sun Summoner and he was just a soldier, continue to turn me off of him. That’s not to say I liked how Alina reacted to his decision. 
• The new characters mentioned, the privateer and a certain prince, were some of my favorite part of the book. I’ll admit that I wasn’t sure we could trust them but I slowly turn to their side.
• The Darkling! For a second, I was worried for his fate and hoped he would be okay. Of course, reading that he got even more powerful sort of made me feel bad for Alina. I’m sad that I didn’t get more time with him, to be honest. All the time he is mentioned and who appears, I was salivating and eagerly reading. I am hooked on his story and I wanted more time with him. That showdown he had with Alina, I NEED to know what really happened and what happens next.

I think this reviews kind of shows you how much I really care about The Darkling and his story. While I like our protagonist, Alina, the way that Leigh Bardugo wrote this trilogy, I am more curious about what The Darkling will do and what he is thinking than what happens with Mal. And even at times with Alina. I don’t know if that was what Leigh was trying to accomplish, but I can’t help it. Time for Ruin and Rising.

Review: Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow & Bone (The Grisha #1)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Format: Hardcover
Source: Personal Signed Copy
Review by: Jenn

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

4 stars out of 5 stars

How can I have waited so long to start the Grishas Trilogy?! I have no one to blame but myself but still! I picked up Shadow and Bone because one of my reading goals this year was to read some of my “old” books from my shelves. And boy, am I excited I FINALLY picked it.

Leigh Bardugo created a world that reads so real and scary. The characters, complexed and three-dimensional. The villain! It been a while, since Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me series to be exact, that I found myself wanting to know and being intrigued by the villain, The Darkling. I liked Alina, our heroine, and I’m looking forward to seeing her embrace her powers and learn her own strength. I’m not sure how I feel about Mal, to be honest. I liked how he came through for her but I don’t feel like he’s the one for Alina.

I can’t wait to see what Alina will do next and what will be The Darkling’s next move. This series is shaping up to completely suck me in and at least the one good thing about waiting to read this series, is that all the books are out so no wait in between them.

Have you read this series? What do you think about The Darkling? Tell me down below!

Review: The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins

The Great Hunt (Eurona Duology #2)
Author: Wendy Higgins
Release Date: March 8, 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: eARC
Source: Edelweiss / HarperTeen
Review by: Jenn

Kill the beast. Win the girl.

A strange beast stirs fear in the kingdom of Lochlanach, terrorizing towns with its brutality and hunger. In an act of desperation, a proclamation is sent to all of Eurona—kill the creature and win the ultimate prize: the daughter of King Lochson’s hand in marriage.

Princess Aerity understands her duty to the kingdom though it pains her to imagine marrying a stranger. It would be foolish to set her sights on any particular man in the great hunt, but when a brooding local hunter, Paxton Seabolt, catches her attention, there’s no denying the unspoken lure between them…or his mysterious resentment.

Paxton is not keen on marriage. Nor does he care much for spoiled royals and their arcane laws. He’s determined to keep his focus on the task at hand—ridding the kingdom of the beast and protecting his family—yet Princess Aerity continues to challenge his notions with her unpredictability and charm. But as past secrets collide with present desires, dire choices threaten everything Paxton holds dear.

Inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ tale, “The Singing Bone,” New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins delivers a dark fantasy filled with rugged hunters, romantic tension, outlawed magic, and a princess willing to risk all to save her people.

3 stars out of 5 stars

*I received an eARC of this title from the publisher but it did not influence this review in any way.*

1- Good story. I like the plot of how a king who married for love and was going to do the same for his kids and had to go back on his word in order to save the kingdom because of beast going around killing people. I was curious to see where Wendy was going to take the story.

2- I liked the characters, to an extent. Aerity is naïve and Paxton is an ass. Paxton is mean and crude to Aerity just because he feels that everyone is kissing up to her. Aerity in turn, dislike how he speaks to her but find him attractive even after the fact. It really doesn’t compute for me, which it explains why I had such a hard time liking either of them. I also really didn’t see the attraction they both shared towards each other so I had a hard time picturing them together.

3- I am looking forward to the next book and learning how the story wraps up. Hopefully Paxton learns to be a bit nicer and Aerity grows more of a backbone and tells Paxton to shove it when he is crude to her.

Mini Review: The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead

The Ruby Circle
(Bloodlines #6)
Author: Richelle Mead
Release Date: February 10, 2015
Publisher: Razorbill
Format: E-book
Source: Personal copy
Review by: Nahomi

Their forbidden romance exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle Mead’s bestselling Bloodlines series.

When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, she and Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world and alter their lives forever.

4 stars out of 5 stars

        It’s bittersweet getting to the end of The Ruby Circle. I’m going to miss the characters, and all of their shenanigans. There is so much happening in this last installment of the Bloodline series; it made my head spin.

       I was glad to see Sydney recovering nicely after the all the trauma from in Silver Shadows. The pacing is a little slow in the beginning although it speeds fairly quickly. I have mixed feelings about everything that happened in this book. I was totally thrown for a loop with who ended up being the villain. I had many theories but I was way off.

      One of my favorite parts is that Sydney finally gets to kick ass. I am happy with her and Adrian’s ending. Although, I’m iffy about certain things that happened at the end, but I don’t want to give any spoilers. I will say though that I ship Eddie and Jill! I wish there was a story about these two! I’d read it in a heartbeat.

     After all was said and done The Ruby Circle was an enjoyable read. It was action packed and quick paced. Richelle Mead did a great job with this series.

Mini Review: Winter by Marissa Meyer

Winter 
(The Lunar Chronicles #4)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Release Date: November 10, 2015
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Source: Personal Copy
Review by: Nahomi

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars

Winter is the final installment of the Lunar Chronicles. After finishing Cress I was so anxious to get my hands on this story that I bought it immediately. Winter is the retelling of Snow White with a twist. In this tale Winter (Snow White) lives on the moon and is going insane with Lunar sickness. Marissa Meyer does an outstanding job with this retelling! There are enough elements from the original story that it’s noticeable that it’s Snow White, but the story is definitely different. Normally, I am afraid to read the final book in any series and have a number of unfinished series to prove it; but Winter was everything I look for in a final book and more. I love how all of the stories intertwined in this final book.

Winter is full of suspense and excitement. I was always on my toes not knowing what to expect next. Winter and Jason balance each other in a great way. Winter has a quiet strength to her that is admirable. Jason is stoic, but has a soft stop for Winter. I had fun getting to see all of the characters interacting with one another. I loved how all of the characters stories ended up. Winter is another great addition to an already amazing series!

Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Cress 
(The Lunar Chronicles #3)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Source: Library
Review by: Nahomi

Even in the future. there are damsels in distress...

In the third installment of the Lunar chronicles, Cress, having risked everything to warn Cinder of Queen Levana's evil plan, has a slight problem. She's been imprisoned on a satellite since childhood and has only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress a great hacker. Unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress involving Cinder, Captain Thorne, Scarlet, and Wolf goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes as a high price. Meanwhile, Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

5 stars out of 5 stars 

Cress is one of my absolute favorite books of this series to date! Every time I think that I can’t fall in love with this series anymore, I read the next book and I fall in love all over again. Cress follows the same format as the previous two books but adds the perspective of Cress a Lunar shell that has been locked away in a satellite in order to hack earthen systems and spy for Queen Lavana.

Cress is fast paced and more of an emotional rollercoaster than the previous two installments. There is so much happening in Cress that I couldn’t finish fast enough! Experiencing life through Cress’s eyes is great because she is experiencing everything for the first, and has a sense of wonder that isn’t often depicted in novels.

It was fun getting to know Carswell Thorne and Cress. Carswell reminds me of Flynn Ryder from the Disney movie Rapunzel.  He adds a lot of the comedic relief during some of the more serious moments of the novel. Cress is brave and really comes out of her shell as the story progresses. She goes through some major personal growth throughout the novel and comes out stronger at the end of it. There are some major plot twists thrown at us in Cress, which left me speechless. I need to get my hands on Winter ASAP!
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Review: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas

Queen of Shadows
(Throne of Glass #4)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Release Date: September 1, 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Source: Personal Copy
Review by: Jenn and Nahomi

Her destiny awaits. But first, vengeance…

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…
,
She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her to regain her throne. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

Jenn's rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars

Nahomi's rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars

Our Overall Rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars

Jenn:
Queen of Shadows was everything I was expecting in a Sarah J Maas' book. It was filled with a vivid world, some amazing and complex characters, and writing that captures a reader's attention and doesn't let go until the last page. It a book that left me satisfied as well as drained with how the story unraveled. This book was perfection.

By the end of Heir of Fire, Celaena's has embraced her true identity and destiny. She knows she needs to return to Rifthold and face her past. When she returns to Rifthold in Queen of Shadows, Chaol has news to share with her and with it, set a crazy and risky plan in motion. What follows is Celaena/Aelin's usual badassery of taking charge of whatever situation.

Throughout the entirety of this book, I was one big ball of emotions. One page I was shaking my head at whatever Aelin had concocted, the next I was almost in tears and in fear for Dorian, then the following page I was worried about what Manon was getting herself into. The story telling in this series just amaze me with every book. The plot, the characters, their stories, they're so fascinating and mind blowing. Sarah manages to keep me surprised with how the plot plays out but every now and then, I learn something that had already been hinted at in a previous book. How Maas manage to keep all the plot points so intricately woven between each book, I'll never know. However, I love reading something and then seeing it come up later on and see how it comes into play in the bigger story arc.

This series hold some of my favorite characters and what I love about each and every one of them is how much growth and development they have all gone through. We meet Celaena in Throne of Glass and I found her to be selfish and scary but a badass. In Queen of Shadows, Aelin is still all those things but we've seen her grow up, be vulnerable, and learned her history. The same with Dorian, Chaol, Rowan, Manon, and Aedion. We are reintroduced to Lysandra and meet new characters like Nesryn and Elide. Each characters, we learn of their motivations and their secrets (some of them at least). Maas does character development so unbelievably well and in turn makes the reader all the more invested into the story.

Queen of Shadows was well worth stalking my mailman as well as ignoring the outside world while I read all 656 pages of its glory. Sarah J. Maas is queen and I will patiently await book five to be release.

Nahomi:
Let me begin by saying that Queen of Shadows spoke to me on so many different levels. The writing is superb and the plotting is unreal. I was speechless because Sarah J. Maas is a master of intricately weaving even the most minute detail into the storyline. I was completely immersed in this world and totally invested in all of the characters lives. By far this is definitely my favorite book of the series and overall one of my favorite books in general.

Ninety percent of the book is highlighted on my Kindle app because I love all of it! I don't want to get into details, but I will say that Queen of Shadows is incredibly fast paced. During certain parts of the story I was literally holding my breath because it was so suspenseful! Sarah J. Maas isn't afraid to put her characters through hell.  This in turn creates an honest portrayal of pain, angst, perseverance, and hope that is inspiring. I experienced the full range of emotions as I read the book and feel I came out the other side changed. I absolutely adore this book, series and its characters. I can't wait to see what Sarah J. Maas has in store for us next!

Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

   

Six of Crows
(Six of Crows #1)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Release Date: September 29, 2015
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Source: ARC (ALA AC2015)
Review by: Jenn

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price–and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone…
A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.
Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

        4 stars out of 5 stars

Six of Crows was an interesting read. First and foremost, I'll admit that I haven't read Leigh Bardugo's Grisha trilogy. So the beginning was difficult in trying to keep up with a world that had already been created and explained. I had difficulty in trying to keep up with everything being thrown at me which resulted in having a hard time in understanding what was happening. Another problem I had was that while I was intrigued, whenever I had to put it down, I had a hard time picking it up again. That's not to say that I wasn't enjoying the book, but I couldn't seem to connect or care about the characters. But that just could be that we have six (!) characters to get to know and no one is innocent. Thankfully, I did reach a point where I just needed to what would happen next and was unable to stop reading.

Six of Crows has some very interesting characters. Before picking this book up, I saw the buzz surrounding it and how some people were going crazy for either Kaz of Matthias. For me, I honestly don't see the romantic appeal but I do love their story lines. Actually, every character, Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Wylan, Matthias, and Nina, story line is amazing. Everyone's backstories is so heartbreaking and always left me wanting more information on them. Kaz's story is so completely sad and I can see why he is the way he is. Inej and Nina are my favorite, they get the job done with no problem and I hope we get to see if they end up having a friendship since both girls really need it.

Leigh Bardugo created such a vivid and incredible world and I can easily picture myself walking through Ketterdam (not that I would without Inej on my side). It is so well done and I'm really excited about starting the Grisha trilogy. I also love how the book ended because while I'm anxiously anticipating the next book, it wasn't left in a complete cliffhanger so I can breathe easy. Thanks for that, Leigh.