Thursday, November 5, 2015

Book Review | Shadow Sun by Lani Lenore

Shadow Sun by Lani Lenore
Published:  November 3, 2015
Format: Kindle eReader
Synopsis from Goodreads: The final book in the Nevermor trilogy, a dark fantasy based on the legend of Peter Pan.

As it began, so shall it end.

Time has passed since the Rifter went into the sun, and while Wren has missed him terribly, she does not doubt that he will come back. She has tried to shadow her grief as she travels across Nevermor with what is left of the Wolf Pack, attempting to heal the land and restore it to its former state. But that task is made more difficult by plummeting temperatures, and the fact that the sun seems to be slipping farther away.

When a different sort of darkness comes over the land, Wren discovers that not only may she be looking to preserve the world for Rifter’s return, but she may have to save it from him as well.

Shadow Sun is the epic finale to the Nevermor trilogy, a dark fantasy based on Peter Pan.
My Rating:

First off, thank you time a hundred to Lani Lenore for providing me with an eARC of her book in exchange for an honest review. I feel like I've been waiting for this book for the longest time. Forsaken Dreamscape was one of the first books I reviewed after I started my blog so I was so excited to have gotten an early look as the final book!

 
Shadow Sun starts off where Forsaken Dreamscape ended - the demon has been killed and Rifter went into the sun. Wren and the Wolf Pack are going from place to place using Wren's powers to try to heal the land. Even though the healing seemed to be working at first, now it's barely staying through the night. Though Wren still has full belief in Rifter's return, the Pack is torn between love of their world and varying degrees of contempt for what Rifter has let it become. The beautiful Nevermor that the trilogy began with is no more. It's no longer a sanctuary for dreamers with fairies and mermaids and magic. The land has been corrupted and nightmares have taken over in the demon's wake. Nevermor is changing without the Rifter to guide it and it slowly becomes colder and colder. Meanwhile, though it's true that Rifter survived going into the sun, he has to piece together his memory of who is he and how he got there. But, without Whisper to protect him from the pain of his past, Rifter has to survive reliving it alone. 

 
The book is written in third person but it shifts view points a few times. Mostly, the writing follows Wren and is written from her perspective. Every few chapters follows Rifter as he travels through the Shadow Downs trying to regain his memory. Towards the middle of the book, every member of the Wolf Pack gets a couple of chapters that detail their particular emotions and how they're handling the changes in their world. Just as with any book that skips around with points of view, I was interested in some of them much more than the others. But the writing itself is so descriptive and engaging that even the parts that were less interesting were actually really interesting.
"The snow would not speak, content to cover her up and send her to death without a word."
Really, guys, that is a freaking beautiful sentence. Don't even try to argue against it. 

The plot and the writing and the world building were completely on point in this book just as they have been in the past two books. However, I felt like there was less focus on the characters this time around which is weird because practically every character got a chapter dedicated to them. One of the things I enjoyed most about the first two books is the way the characters interacted with each other. I remember Finn being hilariously charming and Toss being all kinds of adorable. In my review for Forsaken Dreamscape I mentioned that each character had a very distinct personality and the banter between them all was my favorite part. This time around, I feel like a little of that was lost in favor of everything that needed to happen to get to the conclusion. At the same time, given everything that had happened, it makes sense that they'd be a little less chatty - I just sort of missed that part.

Without getting spoilery, Wren and the Rifter were the characters that had the most character development. We got to learn Rifter's backstory before he came to Nevermor and it was heartbreaking. Like, oh man though - those feels. They were not okay. No wonder Whisper kept them from his all this time. Wren's development was the most surprising though. Though she still loves Rifter and still believes in him, she had to face what her world had become and learn to accept it. I also loved that she stopped being so much of a damsel in distress and learned to fight for herself.


Obviously as this is the final book, SOOO many things happened that were crazy but obviously spoilers. Don't click unless you've finished Shadow Sun:

Seriously, guys, if you haven't read anything yet by Lani Lenore, you have to check her out. She's a wonderful indie author. She's been around for a long time now as a writer on sites like FictionPress.com, FanFiction.net, and more recently Wattpad. She's come such a long way since I first read her writing on those sites. Many of her books are available to download or purchase in paperback. You can read more about her and her Nevermor trilogy on her blog, Project Nevermor.

"Every boy must grow up to be a man, but what sort he will become is not entirely up to him."

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Walk on Earth a Stranger Release Day Celebration Tour


I am so excited that WALK ON EARTH A STRANGER by Rae Carson releases today and that I get to share the news, along with an awesome giveaway!
If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful new series by Rae Carson, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a set of the GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS series (in paperback format). US only. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.



About The Book:


Title: WALK ON EARTH A STRANGER
Author: Rae Carson
Pub. Date: September 22, 2015
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pages: 448

The first book in a new trilogy from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Rae Carson. A young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold must flee her home, taking her on a sweeping and dangerous journey across Gold Rush–era America.

Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home—until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety? Rae Carson, author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, dazzles with this new fantasy that subverts both our own history and familiar fantasy tropes.

Walk on Earth a Stranger, the first book in this new trilogy, introduces—as only Rae Carson can—a strong heroine, a perilous road, a fantastical twist, and a slow-burning romance. Includes a map and author’s note on historical research. 




Read chapter 1 of WALK ON EARTH A STRANGER annotated by Rae Carson HERE!






About Rae:
Rae Carson is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy. Her next book, Walk On Earth A Stranger, will be available September 22, 2015. She lives in Arizona with her husband.












Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads




Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a set of the 3 GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS series (in paperback format). US Only.


Ends on September 30th at Midnight EST!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Queen of Shadows Book Tour Recap

Last week on September 8th, I got the amazing chance to go to one of the stops on Sarah J. Maas' Queen of Shadows Book Tour. I know the year isn't quite up yet but this has definitely been the year of Throne of Glass for me. Throne of Glass was the first book I read in January and I have been OBSESSED with the series and Sarah J. Mass' writing ever since. Seriously, my Throne of Glass Pinterest board is almost as big as my Harry Potter one. When one of my managers told me that SJM was going to do a signing at a nearby Barnes and Noble (not the one I work at, unfortunately, but that would have been EPIC if it had been. In the mean time, I'll continue to obsessively make sure any and all Sarah J. Maas titles are beautifully displayed on the shelves), I did everything I could to make sure I was off that day and it was so worth it.

Not having anyone as obsessed with the series as I am, I dragged my boyfriend to the event with me even though he hasn't finished Throne of Glass yet even though I told him to. It wasn't a huge event, but this particular BN had its own event room on the second floor so it was a nice little setting for it. There were maybe about 40ish people by the time we arrived at almost exactly 6pm (because rush hour and because traffic). We got a good spot towards the center where SJM and Claire Legrand (the moderating author for the talk) were going to sit.

Claire Legrand did a great job moderating the talk. She asked SJM about her writing process and a how the ToG series came to be. SJM was hilarious with her talk of her "Gollum" stage aka the stage of her writing where she holes up for days in her office at home just working on writing barely giving herself time to even shower and her little anecdote about how she's become the creepy neighbor peering out of her blinds. She even mentioned how one time, she got a little crazy and put a note in a ziplock bag under the windshield wiper of her neighbor's car because it was incorrectly parked for weeks near her house. My favorite part about the talk was when SJM talked about her choosing to be a writer. She said writing was literally the only thing she liked doing as a teenager and she knew that that's what she wanted to do as her career. She shared a story that she said almost always makes her cry and I could definitely understand why. She said her parents always wanted her to get a "real" job and didn't believe much in her making it as a writer. Never once did she accuse her parents of being bad parents - she knew they were just being parents looking out for the well being of their daughter in an economy that just crashed. But, she said when  Crown of Midnight hit the New York Times Bestsellers list, her mom pulled her aside and apologized for ever doubting her. I swear that story hit me in the feels just as much her actual books do.

After the talk, SJM and Claire Legrand played a few rounds of an SJM/Throne of Glass themed Headsup before opening the floor for audience questions. Some of her answers included her claim as a student of the "Rowling School of Writing" aka the details and characters that seemed minor when you first read about them will come back in big ways but at the same time, she promised she would not pull a Hedwig in her books and Fleetfoot would survive until the end. I felt a ridiculous amount of relief at that statement so I really hope it stays true. She also promised that Ansel and Yrene Towers from The Assassin's Blade would be coming back before the series ends and that we'd learn more about Nehemia and what exactly her secrets were. She also confirmed that Nehemia definitely knew who Celaena actually was which I sort of already assumed but it was never confirmed in the books.

We waited about an hour to get our books signed. Sarah was so so nice and she paused to talk to each of her fans. When we finally got to her, she recognized my ToG tote and asked me where I got it from. When I told her it was from Bookcon, she said that Bookcon was super overwhelming and joked that we were the normal ones for not waking up before dawn to line up for her morning signing. She said not even she had been up that early and sleep is a good thing.

All in all, it was an amazing event and it was so great to hear SJM talk about her characters and her writing. She is a beautiful person and truly an inspiration to aspiring young writers. If you ever have a chance to meet her, I highly suggest that you drop everything and jump at that opportunity to go. She is so sweet and I promise you won't regret it.

 

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Queen of Shadows Release Day Blitz + GIVEAWAY!!!



I am so excited that QUEEN OF SHADOWS by Sarah J. Maas releases today and that I get to share the news, along with an awesome giveaway!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful series by Sarah J. Maas, be sure to check out all the details below.


This blitz also includes a giveaway for a set of the first 3 books in the series (in paperback format). US only. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

About The book:

Title: QUEEN OF SHADOWS
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Pub. Date: September 1, 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Pages: 656

Sarah J. Maas's New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series reaches new heights in this sweeping fourth volume.

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 just to see her again. 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.





Read Chapters 1-5 of QUEEN OF SHADOWS HERE!



Sarah J. Maas is the author of the New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling Throne of Glass series–Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, and Heir of Fire, and the series’ prequel, The Assassin’s Blade–as well as the New York Times and USA Today bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses. She wrote the first incarnation of the Throne of Glass series when she was just sixteen, and it has now sold in twenty-three languages. Queen of Shadows, the fourth book in the Throne of Glass series, will release worldwide on September 1st, 2015.
A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hamilton College in 2008 with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in Religious Studies. 

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest | Instagram| Goodreads


Giveaway Details:
1 winner will receive the first 3 books (in paperback) in the THRONE OF GLASS Series. US Only.
Ends on September 11th at Midnight EST!

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Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone reread + Giveaway!!!


"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense."  - Chapter 1, page 1
Like I mentioned in my last post, it's been a long time since I reread Harry Potter - particularly the Sorcerer's Stone which might actually be the book I've reread the least. I actually forgot just how short this particular book was. Reading it again was like looking back at photo albums of when I was little. Harry, Ron, and Hermione (and Neville) are freaking adorable in their first year. By the way, did you ever notice that whenever Harry could he gave chocolate to people who were upset? He did this for Neville and Hagrid and this is pre-Professor Lupin and it's adorable.

(Side note which basically has nothing to do with anything: My copy of the Sorcerer's Stone - the same one I've had since I was eight - smells really good. That's weird, I know, and I'm not usually a book sniffer but for some unknown reason it smells like libraries with a hint of vanilla and coffee.)

Reading along with Pottermore was surprisingly more fun that I thought it would be. At first, the site basically confused me. I had no idea how to fill the progress bar at the bottom of every chapter and I could never find all the little hidden notes and clues in the pictures. They are seriously well hidden sometimes! Particularly in library scenes. But about a third of the way in, I got the hang of it and it became a lot of fun. I've earned a total or 74 house points for Ravenclaw just by following along and I collected a bunch of fun chocolate frog cards. I also learned a lot of random things about the series and characters that I didn't know before like the Sorting Hat originally belonged to Godric Gryffindor and is skilled at Legilimency (which makes sense, I just never put that together). Also, did you know that one of Professor Quirrell's hobbies (before he had Voldemort on the back of his head, of course) was pressing wild flowers? Like, what?! That was so random, it literally made me laugh out loud when I read it. Professor McGonagall's backstory was also really interesting to read about - sad, but really interesting. If you're an HP fan, I definitely suggest you fiddle around on Pottermore at some point. It's fun I promise.

 Now onto the fun stuff... like I promised in my last post:

I'm doing a giveaway!!

I'll be giving away one boxset of The Hogwarts Library Collection. It's the new(ish) boxset that includes the pretty, hardcover versions of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages and also The Tales of Beetle the Bard. So if you haven't had the chance to add these to your Harry Potter collection, now's your chance at doing so.

Unfortunately, I don't have the funds to cover international shipping so the giveaway is for US only

Good luck everyone!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, July 31, 2015

Happy Birthday to the Boy Who Lived!! + Pottermore Read-Along


 
Just like almost every other avid reader out there my age, Harry Potter is my favorite book series basically ever. I remember when I was about eight and my mom bought me Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. She bought it on a whim one day at our local Barnes and Noble just because she had heard some good things about it. I also remember not really wanting to read it but at the time it was a thing my mom and I did that she would read me a chapter out of a book every night until we finished it. We basically flew through books one and two and I remember going up to a bookseller and being wholly disappointed when she told me book three wasn't out yet. That was the start of my love for the world of Harry Potter. 

I've just come back from vacation at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida. If you're a Potter fan and you haven't been there, I highly recommend it. It was my first time going and it was so much fun to be able to walk into Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade. It literally felt like walking onto the movie set. We had lunch at The Leaky Cauldron on the first day and then at The Three Broomsticks the next. (Butterbeer is amazing, by the way.) Both the Escape from Gringotts and the Forbidden Journey rides are amazing and so so much fun. One of my favorite random tidbits was definitely when (as one generally has to do) I was in the bathroom in Hogsmeade and Moaning Myrtle's voice started talking over the stalls asking if anyone had seen Harry Potter.






After being back for a week, I'm still 100% on a Harry Potter kick. Not even the weekend long marathon on ABC Family satisfied me. Nor has practically doubling my Harry Potter related Pinterest boards. So for the month of August (starting as soon as I finish the book I'm currently reading) I'm going to be rereading all seven books. I've been wanting to reread the books for about a year now but I keep putting it off in favor of all the new books I've yet to read. I haven't reread the series since right before the last movie came out when I decided I needed to prepare myself for the last time ever and reread the entire series. But this time, I'm going to be doing it a little differently. I plan on reading each book side by side with the Pottermore extras. I never really took the time to thoroughly read through all the extra things J.K. Rowling has added to the books through Pottermore and I figure during a reread is the perfect time.

There's no set time frame for how I'm reading the books. I just plan on rereading them all through August. So, if you're in the mood for a Harry Potter reread even if it's just one or two of the books, feel free to join me in my Pottermore Read-along. Or if you don't have time to do a reread and you have a Pottermore account, add me on Pottermore. I sincerely have no idea what I'm doing there. I've been sorted into Ravenclaw (obviously. If I wasn't, Pottermore and I were going to have problems) and I recently won 5 house points by dueling. That is the full extent of what I know how to do. My mouthful of a randomly generated screen name is MoonstoneStorm31177.

I'm also considering doing a Harry Potter related giveaway but I haven't decided on what I want to giveaway just yet so more information on that to come soon. I hope some of you can join me in my long awaited reread but if not, I hope to see you on Pottermore and, of course:

Happy 35th Birthday to Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived.
Our little Harry is all grown up.

Monday, June 29, 2015

Mini June Wrap Up + Two Week Wizarding World Hiatus

 I am apparently in a massive reading slump. I've only read one book YET AGAIN this month! I fail at life obviously but I'm totally going to put the blame on the overwhelming amount of books I got during BookCon. Yup I blame that. Not really I just fail sometimes.

Anywho, this month I read Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen. It's pretty good but really slow at first. It took a long time for me to get into it and even then, there are a lot of long passages of back story back aren't too too interesting but at the same time essential to the main story. But even with all the back story, there are a lot of questions left unanswered. Mainly, what on earth happened that this is set in a future medieval-type dystopian world where Harry Potter exists and electronics are known but none of these things are around anymore. Like, I need to know what happened to have made the world regress so far. I still have about 50 pages to go until I actually finish the book but with the way things are going, I highly doubt that's going to be one of the questions that gets resolved by the end. Hopefully, in the sequel Invasion of the Tearling we'll get more answers. I won't lie - I totally wanted to read this strictly because Emma Watson is attached as playing Kelsea in the upcoming movie adaptation. She doesn't really look the part because she's gorgeous and there's constant emphasis on Kelsea's plainness but still, it's Emma Watson. She's amazing no matter what she's in.

Speaking of Emma Watson, I'm going on a two week hiatus starting tomorrow. Why? Because my family and I are going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!!

 
Harry Potter is my childhood!! I'm so excited!! I've never been there but I've been wanting to go ever since I heard that they were building it. I want to drink butterbeer and go to Ollivander's and Weasley Wizard Wheezes and just do all the Harry Potter things all while trying very hard not to go broke of which I'm sure there is a very high possibility. I'm not spending two full weeks in Florida but I'm leaving tomorrow (at the terrible hour of 3 am) for a week in North Carolina to visit relatives then we're driving down to Orlando for three days in Universal Studios and the Wizarding World and one day at Disney. We haven't bought the Disney tickets yet but I'm really feeling the need to visit the Magic Kingdom again. I haven't been there since I was little. So so excited!!


*Cue epic road trip music*


Friday, June 12, 2015

GIANT BookCon + Employee Appreciation Book Haul!!


There are A LOT of books for this haul!! I'm finally getting around to my BookCon haul (only a week and a half late) but not only that, right after BookCon was employee appreciation week at work! That could only mean that I buy way more books than I need - not that I even don't need books - but with a bigger discount. Just one of the perks of working in a bookstore. I did try to be good and not buy all the books even though I was sincerely tempted to.

BookCon Haul

This first part are all the books that I either bought while at BookCon or snagged free ARC copies of. 


Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
The Lifeguard by Deborah Blumenthal
Jackaby by William Ritter
The Keeper by David Baldacci
Galactic Hot Dogs by Max Brailler
The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud
The Zodiac Legacy: Convergence by Stan Lee
The Summer I Found You by Jolene Perry
Mafia Girl by Deborah Blumenthal
Passenger by Alexandra Bracken *
The Opposite of Love by Sarah Lynn Scheerger
The Diary of a Mad Brownie by Bruce Coville
Demon Dentist by David Wallace
The Curious Cat Spy Club by Linda Joy Singleton
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff **

* I didn't actually get the Passenger ARC from BookCon. They weren't giving out ARCs of it there. One of my managers went to BEA and he got me the ARC from there because he knows that's what I read. I really, really, really want to read it!! But I heard it's a super early draft and Alex Bracken has made significant changes to it since then so I'm a little hesitant. 


** Illuminae aka the most beautiful ARC ever created.

This second part is all the books that I got signed by their authors.

Penny Dreadful and the Poisonberry Fortune by Carl Paolino
Hatter M: Far from Wonder Vol 1. by Frank Beddor
The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness *
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

 * Though I got this signed, I actually brought this copy from home and since I brought my own copy of one of his books, Patrick Ness signed and gave me a copy of The Knife of Never Letting Go too because he's awesome like that.


I got a bunch of chapter samplers too though I gave all of them away at work except for the Felicia Day one. I read it and I'm really excited for her book to come out later this year.


 Employee Appreciation Haul

Shadow of the Wolf by Tim Hall
Off the Page
by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
John Winchester's Journal by Alex Irvine *
The House of Shattered Wings by Aliette de Bodard **

* I saw this and the Supernatural fangirl in me needed it. There's also Bobby's Guide to Hunting that I want to pick up at some point too. 

** Another book that I didn't buy but got brought back from BEA by one of my managers. 


I admit to having had a minor crisis moment when I realized I had 27 new or ARC books to choose from. But I finally decided I'm going to start with Queen of the Tearling - partly because I've heard good things about it and partly because Emma Watson is supposed to be starring in the upcoming movie version. After that, The Wrath and the Dawn is definitely my next go to.

What books have you guys hauled recently?

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas


A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Published:  May 5, 2015
Format: Purchased Hardcover
Synopsis from Goodreads: 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!
My Rating:


I'm trying out a new reviewing style here. It might change a bit over the course of my next few reviews but I'm pretty sure I like it this way. However, let me know if any of the stickers are hard to read for you. I haven't done my own picture editing in a while now. Gotta dust off the skills. 

 
A Court of Thorns and Roses starts off with, the main character Feyre (Fay-ruh) out on a hunt. Her family was prosperous in the past but after their father gambled all of their money into an investment that went bad, they have fallen into poverty. Feyre's hunts are their main source of food and income. During this particular hunt, Feyre finds a small doe and a larger than normal wolf. When the wolf lunges for the doe, Feyre shoots it with an ash arrow - the only known weapon that could kill a fae. Days later, Feyre's suspicions about the wolf were proved true when a beast comes barging into their small cottage looking for the person who murdered his friend. It is then that Feyre is taken from her family and over the wall into the lands of the fae. 

ACOTAR is a re-imagining of the classic story of Beauty and the Beast (the original version, not the Disney version though there are some nods to both). SJM does such a fabulous job of weaving her story around the original story but at the same time, she makes so definitely her own that I forgot that this was a retelling at all.

 
The whole book is written in first person in Feyre's POV. This worked especially well because as readers, we are able to see how Feyre's mind works. In the beginning, we are able to feel and understand the prejudices Feyre has against the Fae but as the story moves on, we see her opinions changing little by little as she learns more about them first hand. 

Really, the only reason why I didn't give this book five stars (like I'm prone to do with all SJM books) is because the pacing was a bit strange. It started off rather slow with not much happening except Feyre being taken by Tamlin to the Spring Court. But then about three-fourths of the way through, there's just so much action all of a sudden that it's almost like you're reading a different book entirely. For most of the book, Amarantha didn't even feel like a reasonable threat not when things like the Naga or the Bogge where roaming about. Reading this sort of felt like watching one of those movies where halfway in you think it's going to end but then something else happens and it keeps going then an hour later, you think the end is coming again but something happens again. Not that I'm complaining really about it not ending whenever I thought it would because I'd live in Sarah J. Maas' writing if I could. It's just the pacing felt a little strange to me.

SLM created an amazingly intricate world for this story. Just like with Throne of Glass, her world is filled with political intrigue, different lands, mortals and immortals, and so many kinds of magic and magical creatures that - ugh, it's just amazing. This first book takes place in the country (can it really be called a country?) of Prythian. Centuries ago, after a huge war between the humans and the Fae, a wall (very much like in Stardust by Neil Gaiman) was built to separate the different realms. The humans and Fae agreed long ago on a detailed treaty that outlined the reasons and outcomes that a human would crossover into the Faerie Realm or vice versa. Once over the wall, Prythian is divided into several courts, each ruled over by a High Fae. Each court has it's own unique kind of magic and then the magic varies in strength depending on if the character is a High Fae or a lesser Fae. Plus, there are magical creatures running amok creating havoc between the courts like the Naga or the Attor. SJM definitely covered all her bases when it came to writing this world. Everything it so detailed and vivid that it almost feels like the way Feyre feels when she sees colors and art that she wants to paint. 

During the panel at BookCon that SJM was a part of, she mentioned that one of the most common critiques she gets of Feyre is that she's a push over. I can see why some might think that but I wholeheartedly disagree. Feyre isn't as obviously kickass as Celaena but she's definitely strong in her own way. She took on basically the entire burden of supporting her family just because her dying mother asked her to. None of her sisters tried to help and their father blamed his bad leg for not being able to. After that, she is thrown into the Faery Realm where she is literally the weakest being there and almost everything can kill her with one look. But, she still uses whatever skills she has to survive much to the surprise of Tamlin and Lucien and later Amarantha and the rest of the faeries Under the Mountain. I also love that she loves to paint and that colors and art basically come alive for her. I also love that she can't read. That's just not a common trait you see in protagonists but it's interesting how it comes into play at varying times. Like when Tamlin found her list of words and made limericks out of them or later during her tasks.

Considering Tamlin is Feyre's main love interest, he was sort of the least interesting character to me. He's definitely got the powerful and handsome part going for him and he's definitely passionate and cares deeply about the welfare of his court regardless of the fact that he wasn't supposed to rule it. But I felt like he was almost too perfect. I definitely don't fault Feyre for falling in love with him though - good lord, it couldn't have been all that hard to. He kind of reminded me of Wolverine whenever he got angry and his claws came out.

Lucien and Rhysand were easily my favorite characters. Lucien is wonderfully sarcastic and sassy sometimes but he's also extremely loyal to Tamlin. Rhysand is possibly the most intriguing character in this whole book. The more you learn about him, the more questions you have. Not to mention the fact that he might have the coolest powers ever. he can blend into the darkness and travel through it. (Hah, a lot like Nico from the Percy Jackson series.) And he has awesome wings - which I definitely pictured like Castiel's.

Guess what? There is no love triangle in this book!! Refreshing for a YA novel, isn't it? I have a feeling though that it might not stay that way. For all of about two seconds, I thought maybe Lucien might make a triangle but I think he's way too loyal to Tamlin to even contemplate that. Plus, he knows all the details of Tamlin's curse. Feyre definitely falls pretty hard for Tamlin though it's a bit Stockholm-y. I know Tamlin doesn't actually imprison her nor does he treat her in any way that's remotely similar to being imprisoned but he knew she was his last hope of breaking his oh-so-specific curse. It kind of felt a bit like he did everything just so in order to make her fall in love with him. Alis even said that the girl had to meet all the prior criteria of the curse before she could be brought back to be "courted." But putting all of that aside, theirs was still a very steamy romance. I wasn't expecting it to get nearly as steamy as it did. Not that I'm complaining at all. All of it fit perfectly with the tone of the book. I'm pretty sure this is as close as you can get to bordering the YA vs New Adult line.



All in all, if you haven't yet, you definitely need to get yourself a copy of A Court of Thorns and Roses. It's an amazing fantasy read with a wonderfully detailed world and of course, it's Sarah J. Maas so the writing and descriptions are beyond gorgeous. It's a great start to her new series and I definitely can't wait for book two to come out next year.

For those of you who have read this already, I need to know:
Who do you ship? And what do you think happened to Rhys in the end??
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