CRAFTY READERSHIP

REVIEW

PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE

BY SAMANTHA SHANNON

I’m writing this after it’s been a REALLY long time since I actually read the book. However, I had this saved in my drafts and the rating on here is 5/5. 

I believe I downloaded an e-copy to read and bought the physical book perhaps after? Or maybe I pre-ordered it but there was no way I was lugging around this beast, so e-copy it was.

I wanted this book since the moment I saw the cover unveiled on Instagram. And I have never read anything else by the author. But holy shit, this book truly lived to its genre of epic fantasy!

The characters were just amazing, all equally multi dimensional, often times mysterious and definitely bold and reckless like fantasy characters are supposed to be. Their story arcs intertwined in perfect synchronization and by the time I reached the final chapters, I was chomping at the bit for that epic battle sequence. 

The writing itself was deliciously sensational and made reading this wordy behemoth pleasantly tolerable.

REVIEW

RED RISING TRILOGY

BY PIERCE BROWN

I had heard so much about his series and always good things but it was honestly somewhere on the backburner of my TBR radar. I have so many books I have purchased and not read that I just don’t commit to anything anymore. But I was in a slump and looking for a sci-fi read...something along the lines of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe.

BUT HOLY SHIT.

“I would have lived in peace but my enemies brought me war.”

When I realized this was the opening line, I dived headfirst into the book because I just knew shit was gonna hit the fan in the most epic fashion...and I was not disappointed. Like, at all. 

I practically inhaled this series...took me all of 3-4 days and I only took breaks to sleep (if I absolutely had to, duh) or other moral obligations that could not be rescinded. It had been so long since I’d done that so this is now one of my favourite series to ever exist.

The writing? Brilliant. The plot? Fucking hell. The characters? I had palpitations constantly. This series went from high school Hunger Games to all out war over the course of three books and I loved every single moment. The characters each have their individual conflict but their relationships are so thoroughly intertwined at all times, it’s freaking amazing. The sequels have throwbacks to all kinds of moments. The worldbuilding is mind blowing. Side characters? Relevant and just as badass as the main characters. 

Basically Greek mythology with a huge dose of politics and a dash of heartbreak and treachery and strategy thrown in for good measure. I never knew I could love something so much.

REVIEW

A HEART SO FIERCE AND BROKEN

BY BRIGID KEMMERER

Grey was my favourite character and I totally called his background story so I was so stoked about this sequel. To be honest though, the writing in this one seemed rushed and the story really seemed to struggle in the first half plot-wise. But I loved the author’s initiative to make a seemingly powerless character like Lia Mara show strength through kindness. And the worldbuilding and introduction of other magical creatures was an awesome idea! Honestly didn’t care for Rhen until the very end. I’ll still be reading the third book though. Can’t abandon ship now. 

(I rated this book little higher than the sequel because even though I preferred the writing and plot of the first one, the characters in this one had a lot of heart and soul.)

REVIEW

A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY

BY BRIGID KEMMERER

A Beauty and the Beast retelling. This book was pretty hyped up and I even received a copy in a subscription box. Still smitten with the cover!

It turned out better than I thought it would...for the most part. The characters were tropey but well written and there were small twists here and there which ended up making this particular retelling unique. I’ll admit; reading retellings is a fairly new venture for me, I like to stick to the originals. However, the author did a fairly good job of establishing each character as individuals and not just their relationships with each other; the main character’s struggles with cerebral palsy, the prince’s struggles with the curse affecting his kingdom. My favourite character though was Grey and I was stoked to see his story being explored in the sequel!

REVIEW

THE THIRTEEN PROBLEMS

BY AGATHA CHRISTIE

I have been planning on reading Agatha Christie’s books in some sort of chronological order for each character but I can’t seem to find a decent list that could help me with that. However, I did discover that this title was one of the first published for Miss Marple, hence the purchase. I have a very vague recollection of reading Christie’s mysteries as a kid, so I have been hoping to cover more of her timeless bibliography as an adult.

I read The Thirteen Problems poolside while on vacation in January 2020 (which sounds like something that happened a lifetime ago). Not sure if that would be considered an ideal setting for this book, but I will remember that feeling of contentment for the rest of my life.

I loved that this book was basically friends swapping murder mysteries over tea! Miss Marple is regarded by her friends as a simple woman who lives a quiet village life and yet each time a member of their circle recounts a personal, mysterious experience for which the remaining members must then guess the answer, Miss Marple draws on her keen observations of people’s natures and affairs that she has witnessed through the lens of her life in the village and provides the correct answer! It is both classic and ridiculously charming, but for me Miss Marple gets away with being a know-it-all only because she is appears to be rather humble. Definitely a fine collection of stories to read through if you’re exploring Agatha Christie’s work.

REVIEW

THE GRAVEYARD BOOK

BY NEIL GAIMAN

I had heard nothing but praise about this particular venture by Mr. Gaiman and I’m pleased to say this ended up becoming a very special read for me as well. After getting married, I had to travel abroad a couple of times; I had never left the country before and was immensely anxious about flying!

Bod’s story and his quirky graveyard family kept me company on those tough flights & in foreign lands. It was like holding hands with a group of friends you could trust. Like taking your own family with you.

The characters were a rare treat. Humble little things that came alive on the page. Their lives intertwined in strange, every day ways. Bod was smart but very much still a lost child. The man in black was frightening. The vague nods to vampires and werewolves and ghosts and ghouls were delightful and eccentric. 

It amazes me every time what a gift Neil Gaiman has, to be able to give each story he writes its own voice and create something new. I believe the solemn way in which he addresses such mature themes like death and loss in this book are the reason that this story is so cherished by readers of all ages and backgrounds.

REVIEW

LITTLE PEOPLE, BIG DREAMS: MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

BY ISABEL SANCHES VEGARA

These books are always a delight to read. Such a wonderful yet concise way to introduce young souls to one of the greatest human beings of our time. The illustrations are eye-catching and the shadow details really make them pop out. I would love to gift this to a niece or nephew to inspire the young optimist in them.

REVIEW

LOVE & MISADVENTURE

BY LANG LEAV

I must have read most of this prose/poetry over the years while browsing the interwebs but I finally read this particular book in whole because I was in a bad place and need something non-committal to read. It served that function well while maintaining some substance.

REVIEW

FURYBORN

BY CLAIRE LE GRAND

Totally fell for the cover and had to have it! I don't do well with books set in alternate timelines but I muscled through the book anyhow. To be honest, the pace changes in places and the main characters mostly come across as unlikable. But the fantasy & mythological elements kept me hooked long enough to get to the good parts and I loved the book enough to read the sequel as well.

It takes patience, but the protagonists show development. Corien is an intriguing villain. Remy is an angel (pun intended). The descriptive writing may be a bit dragging but the author's overall style is frank and immersive. You just have to wait quite a bit for the mysterious bits to be revealed.

REVIEW

THE QUEEN OF NOTHING

BY HOLLY BLACK

The sequel was a tough act to follow and it shows just a little. There were a few bits of the story that were absolute bonkers but they managed to fit the overall feel of the series somehow. The character development was amazing and it was so refreshing to reach a conclusion that felt safe and attainable for more than just the main protagonists.

Holly Black has created an indomitable world of magic & chaos and left quite a few back doors open, in case we ever feel the need to go looking for trouble once more.

REVIEW

THE WICKED KING

BY HOLLY BLACK

I'm such a huge fan of sequels that don't let you down but this was a game changer. Elevated. Bloody brilliant. All the whimsy and theatrics of the first book but MORE dangerous, MORE emotional, MORE thrilling, just MORE!! Never in a million years would I have expected to fall in love with these characters this intensely but this book threw all my expectations out the window and I wasn't even bothered to complain.

In fact, the entirety of my experience with this particular book can be surmised by that one meme of Shawn Mendes asking someone to hold on a second.

REVIEW

THE CRUEL PRINCE

BY HOLLY BLACK

REVIEW

WAR

BY LAURA THALASSA

I read this book for a couple reasons; I read the first one which was decent enough and I'm into stories/plots borrowing from four horsemen mythology. And sometimes, you just need a book that reads like good old fashioned fanfiction. Therefore, I'm not going to get into the New Palestine angle or how there's no point to any references made to Islam or Muslims in this book. No one with a brain should be looking for religious inspiration/reference in a new adult romance. I certainly didn't pick it up for that reason. With that said, I enjoyed the second half better and really liked the ending. A lot of cool elements like necromancy and the camp relationships. The character development and the protagonist herself were better than the first book. I'll gladly read the third.

REVIEW

HEART OF THE FAE

BY EMMA HAMM

I'm catching up on my reviews and this is the first in line.

I wanted to read this from the first moment I glimpsed the cover and it was everything I wanted and more. I adore fantasy inspired by more uncommon veins of mythology and folklore so this was a treat. The characters were well-rounded and the story exists in a world that seems to lie just beyond the veil of reality. Nicely written, steadily paced and romantic without being cliched. The author is also one of my favorite people I follow on Instagram, so interactive with her readers and such a fun person to fangirl with about all sort of nerdy stuff!

REVIEW

FIERCE FAIRYTALES

BY NIKITA GILL

I tried waiting to write a review for this beauty but I can’t seem to find words magical enough or harsh enough or even words that are soft around the edges that could genuinely capture the essence of Gill’s ode to femininity.

She manages to weave syllables like rosary beads and teach girls how to pray for strength and to the monster within that can help them claim the world. She finds a new lens to look through at the many tales of damsels we’ve heard for millennia and shows us these were just women trying to conquer the beasts that the world kept sending to devour them whole. Her words are a manifesto of the power all women keep at bay just so the world isn’t scared to accept them.

Towards the end, her words encourage women to claw and chew and spit anyone or anything that wants to keep them down because they will be the stuff of fairytales no more.

REVIEW

A CLASSICAL EDUCATION

BY CAROLINE TAGGART

As a sixth-grader (well, since way before that actually), I was obsessed with world history & how so many words in the English language had Latin roots & the myths of the Greeks & the legends of the Romans. If you were too & feel like your adult life is lacking fun information on these subjects, I highly recommend picking up this title.

The book has a humorous overtone so it's really easy to get through & a great way to get a brief brush up on Greek & Roman history basics. There were quite a few things I remembered having read about but still more that made the nerdy twelve years old inside me giddy! The whole tally of Roman generals and their antics is basically a brilliant fiasco that everyone needs to read about.

My favourite bit was learning basics of Roman architecture. Architecture!!!

A COURT OF FROST AND STARLIGHT

BY SARAH J. MAAS

This book really took me a while to get through which a novella probably shouldn’t. I preferred the last third of the book over the rest with more characters from outside the immediate circle showing up. Excited for the new POVs we got. I’d say Maas’s writing is more suited for longer books or fast paced plots. I definitely enjoyed the way the character arcs are headed though so looking forward to an actual new series.