vicious — v.e. schwab

After trying– and failing — to read The Bone Witch I was faced with the never-ending story  of which book to read next. I have a bunch of books coming out in the spring, but right now we’re in a release lull. After reading the Darker Shade of Magic series, I though to myself, why mess with a good thing? So, out of V.E. Schwab’s other two works, I decided to go with Vicious. I mean, who doesn’t love a good ‘superhero’ story.

I am just so in love with V.E.’s writing style, she really has a unique and intelligent way of penning her works. It’s intelligent without being condescending or too dense were you need to read a sentence five times before you start to vaguely understand the meaning. She really just has a way with words that I really adore.

The premise of the book itself delves into the realm of good versus evil, hero versus villain, or rather what is it that makes a person a hero or a villain. The book switching time frames, between ten years ago and more towards the present was a brilliant decision. By the middle of the novel, you’re caught up to date with minimal flashbacks.  V.E. doesn’t bombarded with cause and effect, you’re slowly eased into the characters and the world they live in. The plots is gorgeously crafted and leaves you wanting more. I tend to read chapters at a time, never stopping in the middle. I can’t even count how many times I told myself– just one more chapter. Vicious is a thrilling read from start to finish! A different tone than V.E.’s A Darker Shade of Magic, but just as compelling!

This quote from Vicious sums up the novel almost perfectly — “Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human.”

RATING:

4.5/5

 

a court of thorns and roses series — sarah j. maas

I’m a huge fan of Sarah J. Maas as you could tell from my review of the Throne of Glass series. I originally wasn’t going to read this series because I saw someone had posted about a Beauty and the Beast retelling– but I was caught in the thrall of the story from the first page. I’m a sucker for fantasy, and a world with fae. It’s a great genre, and Sarah J. Maas is it’s current queen.

A Court of Thorns and Roses has another strong female lead, who kind of rubs you or at least me, in the wrong way from the get go. But like all of Maas’ characters, you get a lot of backstory and a reason for all of Feyre’s quirks. The mundane world is great, but the world of the fae and the Courts are amazing and complex. Their are certain rules and constraints for everything. Characters have their own agendas and their own reasons for their madness. It’s a great story, it is a little bit “Stockholm Syndrome” but that was what I was expecting, but that gets blown out of the water in the second installment.

A Court of Mist and Fury totally didn’t suffer from the sophomore slump. I loved this book way more than the first. It’s complex and the characters are more relatable and less, for lack of a better word, flat. The story is complex and everyone is after one goal, and they seem at odds with everyone. All the characters tend to be a little selfish, but as the novel goes on everyone seems to grown up and start caring about others. It was a great second album and so many things are set up to take place in A Court of Wings and Ruin. I am beyond excited to see where this goes!

RATINGS:

A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES — 3/5

A COURT OF MIST AND FURY — 4/5

throne of glass series — sarah j. maas

It’s been a while since I’ve done a reread of this series, the last time was before Empire of Storms was released. But I cannot say enough good things, or recommend this series enough! I’ve actually begged friends to read and had to make some deals, but everyone has loved it. Even my mom is currently reading the series!

I’m going to review and talk about this series as a whole, for the spaced out reading. The books in order, including the novella are- Assassin’s Blade, Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir of Fire, Queen of Shadows, Empire of Storms, and at least two other untitled novels are on the slate.

The world building of these novels is amazing and incredible. The characters are so rich and lovely, each relatable in their own way. I have a special place in my heart for badass female characters, especially when they’re fashionistas and love to read! The relationships between the characters is somewhat predictable, but in no way is that a bad thing in this novel. There are so many facets to each character, and even the evil are sympathic in their own unique ways.

Characters that were mentioned earlier on in the series, come back to play a huge role in the later novels. Sarah J. Maas goes above and beyond to plan ahead with her characters and it’s refreshing. You mainly see characters through the eyes of her protagonist Celaena. Everyone has a role to play even if they were not featured in the main novels, like Celaena’s first love.

The plots are great with some twists and turns, taking the view point of different characters along the way. Spanning across empires and different tiers of life. It’s amazing to see how all their stories weave together and make for an amazing story.

I am anxiously awaiting the next novel that has no release date or title as of yet. I’m sure Sarah J. Maas is hard at work on all her other novels as well as the next ToG.

RATINGS:

THE ASSASSIN’S BLADE — 5/5
THRONE OF GLASS –– 4.5/5
CROWN OF MIDNIGHT — 4/5
HEIR OF FIRE — 5/5
QUEEN OF SHADOWS –4/5
EMPIRE OF STORMS — 5/5

the gentleman bastard series — scott lynch

This series was mentioned to me by a friend that had seen it on Goodreads in relation to some authors that we both adore (Rick Riordan and George RR Martin). I was in a bit of a reading rut last month, and this was exactly the series I needed to snap me out of it.

The Lies of Locke Lamora was a wild ride from the first word to the last. Admittedly it did take me a bit to get invested, but once I was, I couldn’t get myself to put it down. I was  reading at work, while making dinner, any spare moment I had was spent engrossed in this book. The world building was phenomenal, taking it one scene at a time. It felt like Lynch went out of his way to make sure that you weren’t confused and introduced the settings as they were need. Of course other countries and cities in this fantasy-world were mentioned, but never gone into detail until you needed them to. The storyline goes from past to present in a way that makes you connect with the characters. You can feel their motivation and it helps build a lasting connection whether you love them, or hate them. The twists and turns in this book are amazing, and Scott Lynch is an absolute genius. You think you know what’s going to happen and then bam! the scenario takes three more unexpected turns. If you want a novel that keeps you guessing, but in a good way. I highly recommend The Lies of Locke Lamora. You can’t help but fall in love with a rogue thief, or at least I can’t!

Being a huge fan of the first novel, as a reader you always fear that sophomore slump. It’s that knot at your stomach when you start a second novel– anticipation with excitement, and a hint of worry. But Red Seas Under Red Skies did not disappoint. While I liked Lies better overall, this novel was not a sophomore slump by any means! Scott Lynch grips you from the first scheme to the last. He always makes me think I know what’s going to happen with one of Locke and Jean’s outlandish schemes, but there’s no telling where Lynch is going to take our heroes. The twists and turns in the book are definitely as captivating as the first, but sometimes you don’t know who you’re rooting for. The characters seem to grow in leaps and bounds, but their still stuck in old habits. It’s rare to see a character grow, yet stay the same and that’s what Scott Lynch achieves with Locke.

Republic of Thieves might be the most clever novel in the series (so far). The Republic of Thieves is a play, similar to how we would think of Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet, and the characters embark on a parallel story. The past and present collide in this novel, all to do with an election. Reading of Locke’s love, and how she seems to outwit him at every turn is so endearing, especially since he thinks he’s the best thief, or as he calls himself, falsefacer, around. The twists and turns are a lot of fun in this novel, it’s a contest that could have dire consequences, but with the characters trying to outwit each other at every turn, it’s a wild ride you can’t put down. Like LoLL and RSUS, the final chapters bring clarity and relief. You can’t help but feel a smidge smarter for having read these books.

All around an amazing series that I’m still surprised I hadn’t heard of. The fourth novel for this series was announced and given a title The Thorn of Emberlain, but so far no release date. I’m waiting impatiently for Scott Lynch’s next installment, and I’m sure there are tons of other readers who can’t wait to get their hands on this novel. One hell of a wild ride for anyone who fancies themselves as clever. You can’t help but find yourself rooting for the thieves as they steal their way across their empire, one clever scheme at a time!

RATINGS:

THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA — 4.5/5

RED SEAS UNDER RED SKIES — 4/5

REPUBLIC OF THIEVES — 5/5