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Dana (24 KP) rated Crown of Midnight in Books

Mar 23, 2018  
Crown of Midnight
Crown of Midnight
Sarah J. Maas | 2013 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
9.1 (48 Ratings)
Book Rating
If I could, I would give this book more than five stars. I know I say this about a lot of books, but honestly, this was one of the best books I have read. As you know, I freaking loved the first book. When people say that it only gets better from there, they are not lying. A lot of times, second books fall flat, just place markers for the next book. This one far exceeds those. The characters are continuously evolving and reshaping their identities. The plot is very interesting and has almost no slow spots (which is really rare for books). The stuff that happens will make you sit on the edge of whatever seat you are reading this book on! Even though the book has a lot of pages, the pace is set so you don't even realize how fast you are reading it.

I am not going to lie, there are a lot of really intense moments in this book. You will have to be prepared for that. The emotion is very raw and it gets dark, but if you work through those dark places with the characters, you will not be disappointed! There are a lot of really cute and fluffy moments too that will make your heart very happy! (I know those moments made me have a lot of feels!!)

This is a great series to start fantasy with if you are not very acquainted with it. While there are quite a few magical elements to the story, there are a lot of really down to earth moments that go along with them. You never feel like there is too much going on at once with the fantastical things. It all blends very nicely together!

If you want my advice, pick up this series right now and start reading it. You will definitely not regret it.

Sarah J Maas, you did an awesome job with this and I can't wait to read the next one!!
  
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Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity, #1) in Books

Jan 30, 2019  
This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity, #1)
This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity, #1)
V.E. Schwab | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.0 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
I’m new to this whole world of YA Fantasy and to Victoria Schwab’s work. This Savage Song has been repeatedly brought up on different BookTube channels and consistently been listed as favorite books by many different people. Schwab has a strong presence in the world of YA. I couldn’t let these recommendations go to waste, so I promptly went to my local book retailer and purchased my copy of This Savage Song. As soon as I got it home I knew I would be reading it right away. I must tell you; this book DID NOT disappoint.
The dystopian elements along with the fantasy elements weave together to create an alternate version of our world for us to escape to. I love the way Schwab created new monsters for us and didn’t resort to the same old monsters of lore. Obviously the Sunai are my favorite of the monsters. The juxtaposition between monsters who were created out of something terrible happening but then essentially working with the humans to keep the peace is a thing of beauty. She provides a fresh perspective. Imagine a monster that only need sing to steal your soul and kill you, or with a couple of strokes of the bow on a violin, you’re done for. These ideas just blew my mind. A fresh idea to stand out among all the rest. The best part for me was the fact that Schwab didn’t feel the need to overload the book with needless killing just to prove how cool the Sunai were. You see some a couple of kills in the first half of the book, but she teases you throughout the second half of the book leaving you craving to see what happens when a Sunai goes dark.
It bears mentioning the other two monsters in this story the Malchai which are solitary predators that use blood as a form of sustenance. They are weakened by sunlight and to me are like a vampire’s second cousin. Then you have the Corsai which move in swarms like a massive shadow and feed on flesh and bone. They have a hive mentality and everything they do is driven by fear.
This book focuses on two main characters Kate and August. They are from opposing families. She is portrayed as hard and guarded. August, is a Sunai and just wants to be human. These two characters are shoved together under the worse of circumstances and they learn to trust and rely on each other. Many times, throughout this book I found myself comparing them to Romeo & Juliet; however, Schwab doesn’t play the romance card in this book. I thought I was going to be upset about that, but in the end, I think it was smart because it would have detracted from the deeper relationship formed and the story wouldn’t have meant as much, in my opinion. There are several supporting characters like Ilsa, Henry, and Emily that I hope to learn more about in the Our Dark Duet.
I can’t wait to read Our Dark Duet, and I will have it as part of my March reading list for sure. I’m a huge fan of Schwab’s writing style and the depth of her characters. I’ve also added Vicious to my TBR as well as her upcoming book City of Ghosts.
I would love to hear everyone else thoughts about this book, or Schwab’s other books.
  
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EmersonRose (320 KP) rated Hinterland Fortress (Conquest of The Evermore #1) in Books

Nov 20, 2019  
Hinterland Fortress (Conquest of The Evermore #1)
Hinterland Fortress (Conquest of The Evermore #1)
Ron Smorynksi | 2019
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
“Rhyal was sitting in a wagon. She wriggled her nose. The stench awoke her from her meditation. She opened her eyes to see Ender snoring away. She sensed and knew where she was now. She peered out of the canvas covering to see the dark mountains of Grund Morr. It would be the last known feature she’d see as they passed through the Evermire swampland.”

    Conquest of the Evermire: 1. Hinterland Fortress is the first book in the Conquest of the Evermire series by author Ron Smorynski, author of the series Alfred and Knight of the Dead. (See the end of this review for links to reviews of all of those books as well). The novella follows adoptive siblings Rhyal, an elf, and Ender, a human. The two are on a journey to see the world outside of the elven havens. They have heard the stories and myths connected to Evermire, of treasure and glory, and decided to see it for themselves.

The book combines together a lot of my favorite fantasy things. An exciting adventure, interesting renditions of classic magical beings, strong bonds of friendship or family, a well-built world, and a lot of fun and quirky side characters. I found myself very drawn to the connection between Rhyal and Ender, their close bond already formed at the beginning of the book is engaging. I also really appreciated that, while they are trained and talented fighters, they acknowledge the difference physically and mentally in fighting in real life vs. practice. This added some realism and made the fighting more interesting to follow. My favorite side character in the book was Ligo. He is a fun, quirky, snarky gone with very big dreams. He added the lightness that this book needed to balance the dark setting and fights to the death.

What this novella really does is serve as an exciting set-up to the adventure. The book allows us to get to know some of the characters, learn a bit about the Evermire, but perhaps most importantly plant the seeds of several intriguing questions. I know just want to learn more about Rhyal and Ender’s pasts, more about the magic system, what is really hidden in the depth of the Evermire… This was an exciting start to a fun adventure that I look forward to continuing in the sequel: Conquest of the Evermire: 2. The Church.

The book is great for young adults as it is not unnecessarily dark or gory. I thought that this book was really fun and I am excited to see where it goes next!