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Ashley Wold (5 KP) rated A Court of Thorns and Roses in Books

Jan 31, 2018 (Updated Jan 31, 2018)  
A Court of Thorns and Roses
A Court of Thorns and Roses
Sarah J. Maas | 2015 | Young Adult (YA)
6
8.7 (107 Ratings)
Book Rating
World Building (1 more)
Complex characters
Slow pacing for most of the book (0 more)
I first heard about this series several months before the third book was released. I was interested because it is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I didn't know what to expect as I had never read a Maas book before; little did I know this would become one of my favourite book series!

Out of the three books, ACoTaR is my least fave, but I think it is still a good book. I couldn't put it down (despite lack of much action for most of the book), and started on the second book asap.

I wasn't very fond of the main character Feyre in this first book, and I didn't particularly like Tamlin. I was intrigued by Rhysand, and liked Lucien.

I am so glad I got into this series, and would recommend it.
  
BA
Batman: Arkham Origins
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Hmmm … what to make of this?

I picked this up on a whim when I spotted it on sale in a local 'Works' (basically, bargain books) shop, with fond memories of playing the game on which it is based.

I thought it would be, basically, a comic/graphic novel retelling the plot of that game.

I was wrong.

A few pages into this, I realised it's actually a 'Choose-your-own-adventure' style of story, set (as the name suggest) back at the very start of Batman's career as a vigilante crime-fighter, with little-to-no links to that console game.

It was interesting for a diversion, however it did only take a couple of attempts to reach the 'good' ending (and even that was not that great), after a few dead-ends.

An interesting experiment, maybe, but nothing to set the world alight.
  
Beholden (The Fairest Maiden #1)
Beholden (The Fairest Maiden #1)
Jody Hedlund | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Young Adult (YA)
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Have I mentioned how much I love Fairy Tales?

Well, I really do, especially clean, romantic, mentality stimulating, and engaging ones. Beholden hits all the right notes for me. The quote I shared above sums up and yet barely scratches the surface of the emotions and actions of the characters of this book. Vilmar and Gabrilella have such care for each other and the others around them, they are tested and grow visibly as characters throughout the book. I was sad to see the story end. You have no idea how much. But I am hoping the next book in the series keeps giving my glimpses of these two wonderful characters! And lets not even start on this amazing cover!

I could rave about this book all day, but Id rather you read it to! 5 out of 5 stars for this beautiful retelling of Cinderella’s Story.
  
Midnight Sun (Twilight, #5)
Midnight Sun (Twilight, #5)
Stephenie Meyer | 2020 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
9
7.2 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
Maturer writing style (0 more)
Chapter lengths (0 more)
Twiliked it a lot
Four days after beginning this epic journey reliving my very early 20s it came to a close this evening after 759 pages...

Fans of The Twilight Saga will know this story well, but the retelling from the POV of Edward, is actually very eye opening.

Previous works by Meyer were rough around the edges, and not very polished, the language used not conveying the nature of such a largely followed saga... Midnight Sun is very well written, the language and style more mature. However I did find that there were too many pages per chapter, thus making “breaktimes” seem too far off...

I enjoyed the novel humanising the Cullen clan a little more, whilst still showing off their obvious vampiric differences! Not to mention being inside the head of someone who is typically in everyone else’s heads...
  
The Legend of Tarzan (2016)
The Legend of Tarzan (2016)
2016 | Action
I was going to say this is a 2016 retelling of the Tarzan story, except it isn't really.

Instead of the 'usual' Tarzan origin tale, or even of his time in the jungle, this actually is set when he has returned to England and taken up the mantle of Lord Greystoke.

That is, before circumstances lead him to travelling back to the Congo, in the company of Jane (With plenty of flashbacks showing how they first met) and of the American George Williams (played by Samuel L. Jackson), who has his own motives for wanting to visit the Congo.

Yes, I'm well aware of the questionably problematic nature of the Tarzan tale.

it was written over a hundred years ago (exactly 120 as of me writing this, to be precise), however.

The movie does - to its credit - at least try to address some of those concerns.