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THRONE OF GLASS BY SARAH J. MAAS

30/9/2018

75 Comments

 
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The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those don't.

As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?


If you’re looking for the bigger picture with great story telling, gruesome action, and plot twists, then Empire of Storm has it all. - Abooktopia
I highly recommend reading The Assassin’s Blade before this book if you haven’t already as most of the characters and locations in this book actually originate from those short novellas, which provide you with some juicy back story and a better understanding.
 
First off, where do I even start? Empire of Storms was far better plotted than the last two books and moved at a much faster pace with drama and plot twists entangling you with all its perfect nastiness and wit. I swear this series just gets better and better and thicker and thicker. Also if you ever thought there was a love triangle at the beginning of this series, you were so very, very wrong, which is one of the many great reasons I love about this series. There’s a bigger picture when it comes to Throne of Glass and a thicker plot that you could ever have foretold. Sarah J. Maas has truly grown her book series into a tale that is richer, cleverer, more cunning, and more intriguing in ways that interlink the subplots together to unite the full story. The way this story has become something so much more than the first instalment is mind-blowing.
 
However, due to other POVs of other characters rather than your usual Aelin, can cause you to feel less connected with her character than in the previous books, but the reason behind why this is the case all comes together in the end and makes so much more sense. Seeing Celaena through other characters was something different but she is still the incredibly brave, determined, and selfless character you always knew her to be as her story gets even more complex and the writing style becomes more mature as Celaena becomes wiser.
 
All of the characters are absolutely amazing and have grown so much since the first book. The character development and secondary characters were satisfying to read and discover. I honestly don’t know how Maas does it, but she juggles and balances all of these characters perfectly for they are all just as equally important to one another with each character having their own personalities and stories to tell.
 
I understand how there has been a lot of debate about the steamy scenes in Storms of Fire and that many are calling it unnecessary, but it does add in something different and amusing to read and I do know of many who enjoy reading scenes such as them. Especially in an actual book, rather than some made up fanfiction. The sexual scenes in the book were tamer than A Court of Mist and Fury and it felt like Maas was trying to be as descriptive as she possibly could whilst managing to keep it as vague as possible for younger readers.
 
Overall, I am completely wrecked because of this book in the best possible way. It was astounding with so many amazing moments that wished to engulf me. If you want to ride one hell of an emotional rollercoaster, this book is the one for you as the plot and twists most definitely continue in this installment and only get more mind-blowing as the series continue.
***I received a copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***
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Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series (Queen of Shadows, Book 4, will be out in September 2015), as well as the A Court of Thorns and Roses series (out 5/5/15).

Sarah lives in Bucks County, PA, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much tea, and watches an ungodly amount of TV. When she's not busy writing, she can be found exploring the historic and beautiful Pennsylvania countryside with her husband and canine companion.



Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas:
BOOK 1: Throne of Glass
BOOK 2: Crown of Midnight
BOOK 3: Heir of Fire
BOOK 4: Queen of Shadows
BOOK 5: Empire of Storms
BOOK 6: Kingdom of Ash
75 Comments

A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES BY SARAH J. MAAS

15/7/2018

75 Comments

 
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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.

A Court of Thorns and Roses is a unique retelling of Beauty and the Beast, with its very own unique twist and faerie lore that diverts from its traditional tale. – Abooktopia
It is said that the fey are the greatest danger in the world to humans. The fey have no mercy when it comes to torturing their victims as they rip them from limb to limb. Shred to shred. These are the stories children have been told, ever since they could walk. Since the Great War between both fey and humans alike, the mortals have avoided all contact with the fey at necessary costs. Thousands of mortal’s died in the war, but peace was bought amongst them as the treaty was signed. The treaty was simple. Follow these three conditions, and the peace may be kept.

1.   Fey cannot keep the humans as their slaves.
2.   Fey cannot hunt the mortals for fun
3.   Fey cannot trespass into mortal land
 
When 19-year-old huntress Feyre treks deeper into the woods, closer to the wall where the fey lurk, she hopes to find a healthy catch to feed her starving family, who are dependent on her. When she spots a beautiful silent doe, Feyre can’t believe her luck! But she’s not the only one hunting the doe. There lurks a wolf. Allowing the wolf to hunt its prey, Feyre hopes that she can then later kill the wolf for its pelt. Though there’s something cunning in the way the wolves looks. It looks almost fey, but it can’t be. The wall has protected her people for years, keeping them out of their lands.

Later that night when all is well and peaceful, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for the death of the wolf that was killed by Feyre’s arrow. She is given two choices. Die a painful and miserable death or be dragged into a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends.

It is then she realises her fatal mistake. It was no wolf she killed, but fey. And the beast-like creature before her is not beast, but Tamlin – one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

The world building was immensely detailed throughout the book as we read from Feyre’s perspective, which helped us as readers connect with the protagonist. Feyre was just as witty and incredibly as she was strong headed with determination and stubbornness. To be honest, there are probably not enough adjectives in the eniglsh dictionary, let alone human language that could even begin to describe just how memorising this retelling of Beauty and the Beast is. I adore how it diverts from the traditional stories, and how it has so many deep and meaningful messages throughout the novel. I am beyond excited for the second novel, and cannot wait for it to be released into the world!
***I received a copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***
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Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series (Queen of Shadows, Book 4, will be out in September 2015), as well as the A Court of Thorns and Roses series (out 5/5/15).

Sarah lives in Bucks County, PA, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much tea, and watches an ungodly amount of TV. When she's not busy writing, she can be found exploring the historic and beautiful Pennsylvania countryside with her husband and canine companion.


A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas:
BOOK 1: A Court of Thorns and Roses
BOOK 2: A Court of Mist and Fury
BOOK 3: Untitled
75 Comments

THRONE OF GLASS BY SARAH J. MAAS

31/10/2016

41 Comments

 
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or the first time, fans of Sarah J. Maas's sweeping New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass saga can experience the vivid imagery of her expansive world. Celaena battling the ridderak in the catacombs, Chaol in the gardens of the glass castle, Manon riding her wyvern through the Crossing, and many other favorite moments, characters, and objects come to life as readers explore the vibrantly detailed realm of Throne of Glass. Stunning original black-and-white drawings will bring fans deeper into the series than ever before-making this a must-have companion to Sarah J. Maas's beloved books.

 The perfect remedy to a book-hangover from Empire of Storms – Abooktopia
If I wasn’t on board with the trend of adult colouring books, boy am I now. Especially since it has seeped its way into the book fandom community!
 
In all honesty, I had no clue that there was to be an adult colouring book for Throne of Glass, to be released alongside Empire of Storms, until it rocked up in my mailbox as a gift from Bloomsbury, which was a lovely surprise. You could say I flicked through the pages of this colouring book multiple times when I first got it and still continue to do so, every now and again. I adore how there are snippets of the story on the left hand of the pages to explain each scene that is drawn and what is happening in the picture and what part of the book it’s from.
 
Although I love this book, there is one problem… I DON’T KNOW WHAT COLOUR EACH OF THE PICTURES AUGHT TO BE. HELP ME. I NEED TO KNOW. But other than that… This colouring book is perfect and at least the little story snippets to the side do come in handy at times for colour guidance, which is what I, oh so desperately want and need. So in other words, you could say I won’t be colouring in this copy any time soon unless I purchase a second copy and some fancy colouring pencils. Probably watercoloured pencils or textures.
 
For those of you who have not yet finished reading Throne of Glass through to Empire of Storms, I recommend not reading the snippets as they do contain some major spoilers, so just bare that in mind if you are partway through the series.
 
The artwork is gorgeous and I’ve found it to be fairly easy to identify whom each of the characters drawn represent. Oh and did I forget to mention the quality of the pages? The colouring pages are quite thick with a nice smooth texture, easy for colouring in, and the thickness ensures that no colours seep through the back of the page and unto the other side or that rough bumpy indentations appear on the other side from the pressure of the pencils. Which is something I’m really happy about. But there is one thing I have observed, and that is the fact that some of the pictures in it don’t quite seem to fit in the rest as they lack a bit of detail and the drawings seem to be a bit larger in comparison to the rest of the artwork.
***I received a copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***
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Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series (Queen of Shadows, Book 4, will be out in September 2015), as well as the A Court of Thorns and Roses series (out 5/5/15).

Sarah lives in Bucks County, PA, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much tea, and watches an ungodly amount of TV. When she's not busy writing, she can be found exploring the historic and beautiful Pennsylvania countryside with her husband and canine companion.



Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas:
BOOK 1: Throne of Glass
BOOK 2: Crown of Midnight
BOOK 3: Heir of Fire
BOOK 4: Queen of Shadows
BOOK 5: Empire of Storms
BOOK 6: Untitled

41 Comments

FROM A DISTANT STAR BY KAREN MCQUESTION 

30/1/2016

54 Comments

 
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Seventeen-year-old Emma was the only one who hadn’t given up on her boyfriend, Lucas. Everyone else—his family, his friends, his doctors—believed that any moment could be his last. So when Lucas miraculously returns from the brink of death, Emma thinks her prayers have been answered.

As the surprised town rejoices, Emma begins to question whether Lucas is the same boy she’s always known. When she finds an unidentifiable object on his family’s farm—and government agents come to claim it—she begins to suspect that nothing is what it seems. Emma’s out-of-this-world discovery may be the key to setting things right, but only if she and Lucas can evade the agents who are after what they have. With all her hopes and dreams on the line, Emma sets out to save the boy she loves. And with a little help from a distant star, she might just have a chance at making those dreams come true.

Get ready to embark on a thrilling adventure of courage, humanity, and friendship.
- Abooktopia
Emma is determined to save her boyfriend Lucas from the brink of death, even when everyone else believes it’s only a matter of time before he passes away. Emma is willing to do anything if it means saving his life. When Emma visits the local “witch” in search for a cure, she is given a potion that is promised to heal her boyfriend, though he may be different than the person she once knew. On the same night she gives Lucas the potion, an alien from outer space crash-lands on her planet.

When Lucas makes a miraculous speedy recovery within the week, everyone is happy to have Lucas back from battling cancer, but Emma senses that something’s up. It turns out, an alien by the name Scout, has taken to inhabiting her boyfriend’s body; curing Lucas’s cancer in the process. Scout must take up residence in Lucas’s body if he wishes to survive on Earth and return to his home planet. If that wasn’t bad enough for Emma already, there are federal agents investigating the scene of the crash. Racing against time, Emma must help Scout return home before the agents get their hands on him for their experimentation, if she wishes to free Lucas’s body.

The character’s were well developed and were realistic. Karen McQuestion added a nice touch of humanity to her characters, making them all the more loveable, and easy to connect with. Scout had a loveable personality right from the start, and was really interesting to get an idea of how someone outside of our world may view Earth, and how he or she would experience their time here. I really loved how there were no insta-romances, let alone love-triangles in this novel, which was refreshing. There was only Emma trying to get her boyfriend back, and Scout wanting to return home to his loved ones.
***I received a personalised signed copy of this book in return***
***for an honest and unbiased review***

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Karen McQuestion is the bestselling author of books for all ages. Some of her titles include Hello Love, Life on Hold, The Long Way Home, and the Edgewood series. Her publishing story has been covered by the Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, and the national NPR show, The Story with Dick Gordon. She has also appeared on ABC’s World News Now and America This Morning. McQuestion lives with her husband and kids in Hartland, Wisconsin.


From a Distant Star by Karen McQuestion
54 Comments

FALLING IN SNOW BY MARY-ROSE MACCOLL

30/10/2015

49 Comments

 
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A vivid and compelling story of love, war and secrets, set against the backdrop of WWI France. 'In the beginning, it was the summers I remembered - long warm days under the palest blue skies, the cornflowers and forget-me-nots lining the road through the Lys forest, the buzz of insects going about their work, Violet telling me lies.' Iris is getting old. A widow, her days are spent living quietly and worrying about her granddaughter, Grace, a headstrong young doctor. It's a small sort of life. But one day an invitation comes for Iris through the post to a reunion in France, where she served in a hospital during WWI. Determined to go, Iris is overcome by the memories of the past, when as a shy, naive young woman she followed her fifteen-year-old brother, Tom, to France in 1914 intending to bring him home. On her way to find Tom, Iris comes across the charismatic Miss Ivens, who is setting up a field hospital in the old abbey of Royaumont, north of Paris. Putting her fears aside, Iris decides to stay at Royaumont, and it is there that she truly comes of age, finding her capability and her strength, discovering her passion for medicine, making friends with the vivacious Violet and falling in love. But war is a brutal thing, and when the ultimate tragedy happens, there is a terrible price that Iris has to pay, a price that will echo down the generations. A moving and uplifting novel about the small, unsung acts of heroism of which love makes us capable.

This novel takes you on a journey to the past in France and Australia during World War I, as you read from an Australian viewpoint.

Iris is a young Australian nurse who travels to World War I in France in hopes of returning home with her fifteen-year-old brother, who had run away to fight the war against his father’s wishes. During her journey to retrieve him, she comes across a young physician who convinces her to stay and lend a helping hand in the founding of an army hospitable entirely run by females. She decides to help, believing it would better her chances of finding her brother. Soon Iris finds herself caught up in all the commotion as she finds herself now a nurse and an administrator at the new hospitable. There she sees the consequences of war and the great impacts it afflicts.

Sixty years after the War, Iris receives an invitation inviting her to come back to France to celebrate their 60th anniversary As Iris reads through the letter, we follow her into a journey of the past as she relieves her time as a nurse and decides to go back, even though some painful memories await her. With her granddaughter Grace along her side, we as readers as see the dynamic contracts of both their lives, and what Iris will do to protect her family. Both their stories became intertwined in unexpected ways.

I enjoyed how the novel constantly shifted from the present to the past, as Iris recalls the past at the near end of her days. It was interesting to view what it was like during World War I for the women who served as nurses and doctors in the era of World War I. It was also just as intriguing to learn that during those times, there happened to be a hospitable run merely by women, out on the Western Front. The history and experiences were well written and made you want to find out more of what really happened back then.
***I received a copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***
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Mary-Rose MacColl is an Australian writer whose first novel, No Safe Place, was runner-up in the 1995 Australian Vogel literary award. Her first non-fiction book, The Birth Wars, was a finalist in the 2009 Walkley Awards. In Falling Snow (October 2012), Mary-Rose's fourth novel, tells the largely unknown story of a small group of Scottish women who ran a field hospital for France in World War I in an old abbey. MacColl holds degrees in journalism and creative writing and lives between Brisbane, Australia and Banff, Canada with her husband and son.


In Falling Snow by Mary-Rose MacColl
49 Comments

THRONE OF GLASS BY SARAH J. MAAS

15/8/2015

56 Comments

 
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After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another.

Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

I cannot express my love for this book! Not only were the characters engaging, but it also had an enthralling and rich plot. Throne of Glass was fast paced and an enjoyable read. This has to be one of the best books I have read this year, and to think Sarah J. Maas originally wrote this story when she was just sixteen! (What am I doing with my life?) I am so glad I picked up this phenomenal novel for it has met all of my high expectations, as I had previously fell in love with the five-prequel short novellas.

Celaena Sardothien is a badass eighteen-year-old assassin condemned to a life sentence in the dark, filthy mines of Endovier. She is suddenly requested by the young Captain Westfall Choal to represent the King’s son Dorian: as his champion. If she succeeds in becoming the Kings champion, she is to be granted her freedom after a few years of service.  But it’s not a simple as it sounds.

Celaena must fight against 23 other thieves and skilled fighters to win her place as the rightful champion. Unfortunately, the King has another Champion in mind... When an unbeknownst force mercilessly slaughters the champions one by one, Celaena must watch her back as she could be the next target of the killings. But these are no ordinary killings... As she continues her testing with the other champions and makes it to the next level, she finds that though magic has vanished from the land, someone is harnessing something stronger and far more powerful than anyone could have anticipated. The Dark Arts. As it turns out, her newfound friend, Princess Nehemia has a secret that she is willing to hide and concealed motives at the Palace. Unsure whether she can trust her, Celaena starts to doubt why Nehemia has come to the Palace.

As for the males, I fell in love with both their characters. Dorian is the swoony gorgeous crown prince that every girl would die for. I loved Dorian as he is nothing like his father for he is not arrogant, but has a fun and witty sense of humor and loves to spend his time reading. Choal has been best friends with Dorian since they were kids, and was given the position of the Captain of the Guards by the King. Though Choal is not as forward with Celaena as Dorian may be, he still cares for her. He tries to hide his emotions towards the young assassin as falling in love with her is the wrong move that could get you into trouble. I believe that Choal is hiding a secret about who he was and where he came from; just like Celaena.

Throne of Glass is an action packed novel that is a must read! After all, it has got to be the highest rating book series I have ever laid eyes upon!

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas:
BOOK 1: Throne of Glass
BOOK 2: Crown of Midnight
BOOK 3: Heir of Fire
BOOK 4: Queen of Shadows
BOOK 5: Empire of Storms
BOOK 6: Untitled

56 Comments

THRONE OF GLASS BY SARAH J. MAAS

30/6/2015

53 Comments

 
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Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas - together in one edition for the first time - Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.

I absolutely loved these short five novellas as they provided you the background story and events that lead up to Celaena being sent to Endovier and why she was known as Adarlan’s greatest assassin. I highly suggest reading this prequel before delving into Glass of Thrones. I really liked that the five novels were in chronological order, making it easy to read and purely enjoyable. The characters were well developed, with an intriguing plot and backstory.

The Pirate Lord

Celaena Sardothien and her accomplice Sam Cortland are sent on a job to collect a ‘debt’ from the Pirate King, only to find out they are actually there for a slave trade business. Enrage at being tricked, Celaena acts upon her feelings. It was really interesting to see the impacts of her actions, and the aftereffects.

The Healer

I would have to say, that this was my least favourable novel out of the five. The story didn’t appear to be of importance, but I suspect the new character Yrene will make an appearance in one of the later novels. This story takes place during the time Celaena was traveling to the deserts to work with the Silent Assassins, and happened to save a barmaid (named Yrene who wishes to become a healer one day) from an ambush. Afterwards, Celaena teaches the girl some basic self-defense moves and then leaves behinds a small fortune that will allow the healer to reach for her dreams.  

The Desert

Out of all the novellas, The Desert had to be the most action-packed of them all. Celaena is sent away to a desert to train with the Silent Assassins as her punishment for the consequence of what she did in The Pirate Lord. She must learn their ways and return with the Mute Master’s letter of approval. I loved the secrets and betrayal in this novel, showing that for some, revenge can sometimes become greater than anything else.

The Underworld

The purpose of The Underworld was to build-up Celaena and Sam’s budding romance. Their relationship drastically began to change after the effects of The Pirate Lord from their hateful relationship into something bigger, that they could no longer deny.

The Empire

I saw it coming, but still… The Empire was an interesting and heartbreaking read. As for the traitor who was involved in the trap… I hope Celaena gives you a very slow and merciless death.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas:
BOOK 1: The Assassin's Blade
BOOK 2: Throne of Glass
BOOK 3: Crown of Midnight
BOOK 4: Heir of Fire
BOOK 5: Queen of Shadows
BOOK 6: Empire of Storms
BOOK 7: Untitled

53 Comments

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