Review: The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: March 31, 2015
Pages: 384
Source: Won from Goodreads
Rating: 4.5 Stars

Brimming with heartfelt relationships and authentic high-school dynamics The Start of Me and You proves that it’s never too late for second chances.
It’s been a year since it happened—when Paige Hancock’s first boyfriend died in an accident. After shutting out the world for two years, Paige is finally ready for a second chance at high school . . . and she has a plan. First: Get her old crush, Ryan Chase, to date her—the perfect way to convince everyone she’s back to normal. Next: Join a club—simple, it’s high school after all. But when Ryan’s sweet, nerdy cousin, Max, moves to town and recruits Paige for the Quiz Bowl team (of all things!) her perfect plan is thrown for a serious loop. Will Paige be able to face her fears and finally open herself up to the life she was meant to live?

In short: The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord is a lovely read with relatable characters and relationships.

Let's back up a second: I actually read Emery Lord's debut, Open Road Summer, before delving into The Start of Me and You. I never reviewed Open Road Summer, but here's the short version: I really could not get past the protagonist's predilection for calling all girls "sluts." I'm normally all for flawed characters in books, but this one - albeit small - negative characteristic of the main character just turned me off of her completely for some reason, and I found I couldn't get past that.

So now here's the major difference in my feelings for Emery Lord's sophomore novel: I really liked Paige Hancock, the protagonist of The Start of Me and You. She was super relatable and even though she was still flawed - Emery Lord's characters tend to be nicely layered - she was still likeable. And it wasn't just Paige: I really appreciated the characterization of all members of Paige's friend group. Something else that Emery Lord seems to be able to do very well is to showcase really great friendships in addition to romance.

Those who know me know that romance is not my specialty and I tend to shy away from very romance-heavy novels. But for what it's worth: I thought the romance in The Start of Me and You was very well done. It was exactly the kind of romance I go for when I'm in the mood for a romance at all: a slow building relationship that sneaks up on you unexpectedly, but just FITS so perfectly that you wonder why you never saw it before.

Overall, I'm pleased I gave Emery Lord another shot despite not digging the protagonist from her debut novel. And honestly, it really was that one little thing that got stuck in my craw and I couldn't seem to get over; otherwise I'm sure I would have loved Open Road Summer as much as The Start of Me and You. Emery Lord really does have a fantastic talent at creating genuine and relatable characters, relationships, and stories.

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Review: Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: September 2, 2014
Pages: 562
Source: Bought
Rating: 5 Stars

She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.

Celaena Sardothien has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak—but at an unspeakable cost. Now she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth...a truth about her heritage that could change her life—and her future—forever.

Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. To defeat them, Celaena must find the strength to not only fight her inner demons but to battle the evil that is about to be unleashed.

In short: I loved every piece of Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas, just like I KNEW I would.

At this point, anything I say about the Throne of Glass Series is just going to be incredibly repetitive, I think. Because how many different ways can I write about how much I love fierce-yet-vulnerable Celaena and Sarah J. Maas' knack for writing intense heart-pounding action scenes and prose that puts me through an insane roller coaster of emotions? That's how it's been for all the previous books, that's how it was for Heir of Fire, and that's how it's going to be for every sequel to come, I'm sure.

So this review is going to be short. But I still feel the need to make it known: I loved every piece of Heir of Fire and Sarah J. Maas is a downright genius in my mind for continuing to pump out such completely engaging stories with some of the most memorable characters and the ability to evoke such a wide array of passionate feelings. What's more is, at no point will this ever feel repetitious because Sarah also brings MORE new mythology and heightened intensity and enigmatic characters to every subsequent book. Case in point: Rowan Whitethorn and Manon Blackbeak, as first introduced in Heir of Fire, are two of my most favourite characters of the series now (don't worry though, no one will ever replace Celaena).

So yes, I mean OF COURSE I loved Heir of Fire. There was never any doubt in my mind that I wouldn't love it as I've now reached the point where I really don't think Sarah J. Maas could do wrong in my mind. I am a Forever Fan of hers and the Throne of Glass Series now. And I'm so excited that I only have a few more months until I get to read Queen of Shadows!!

Previously, my reviews of The Assassin's Blade, Throne of Glass, and Crown of Midnight.

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Review: Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: August 27, 2013
Pages: 418
Source: Gifted
Rating: 5 Stars

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.
Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.
Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie...and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

In short: I loved Crown of Midnight to pieces. And it just about destroyed me...

I'm not sure there's much point to me writing a review for a book that has seen many MANY reviews already, especially when my thoughts don't differ from the consensus in the slightest and besides - other people can write much more eloquently than I could dream to anyways. But I guess, For The Record, just so that I remember this and everyone else knows this: I LOVED this book to PIECES. And it just about destroyed me...

I mean, of course I loved Throne of Glass when I first read it years ago, and then when I read the prequel novellas, I truly grew to love Celaena and this world that Sarah J. Maas has created. But then there was Crown of Midnight. And Crown of Midnight has all the fantastic elements of the first novels, but just takes everything to a WHOLE new level. There was more intensity, more action, more character development, more mythology, more of EVERYTHING.

And more emotions. I can't recall the last time a book brought me on such a rollercoaster of feelings. I alternated between feeling utterly ELATED to feeling wretchedly HEARTSICK in what was seemingly the space of a few pages. Scene after scene just flew by and though I was super busy at the time, my head and heart were fully consumed in the pages of Crown of Midnight even when I wasn't reading it.

It's kind of insane that I waited so long to read this considering I was pretty much chomping at the bit to read it when it was first released a few years ago. I am so glad to have finally read it now though. And this way, I still have Heir of Fire to enjoy (and I will be getting to that one SOON!) and then not too long to wait until Queen of Shadows!! Yup, I am SUPER stoked this!!

Previously, my reviews of The Assassin's Blade and Throne of Glass.

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Review: The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass #0.1-0.5) by Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: March 4, 2014
Pages: 448
Source: Bought
Rating: 5 Stars

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.

In short: The Assassin's Blade shows that Sarah J. Maas excels as a storyteller, even in novella format.

Now THIS is how novellas should be done. Too often when I read series novellas, the characters are underdeveloped, the story is superfluous, and I'm left thinking, "What is the point?"; I could easily read the series and skip the novellas and it would make absolutely no difference because the novellas are inessential and unimportant. But THESE Throne of Glass prequel novellas!! They are not only relevant and significant to the overall series story, but they are also each as strong and entertaining as an actual full-length novel.

I don't know how Sarah J. Maas does it, but somehow she is able to give the reader a feel for what Celaena is all about within the first few pages of the first novella, The Assassin and the Pirate Lord. Those who were turned off by Celaena's cockiness and inactivity in Throne of Glass should definitely give these novellas a read as Celaena demonstrates another side of herself as a gutsy and tenacious heroine with a heart of gold. And then there's Sam. Following Throne of Glass, I was firmly Team Chaol, but even I was swayed and swooned by Sam and his hate-turned-love relationship with Celaena.

Sarah J. Maas excels as a storyteller, not only when it comes to tension-ridden romances, but also no-holds-barred action scenes and gut-wrenching heartbreak and feels. And the fact that she is able to accomplish all this in short novella format when you would normally have to turn to novels to get this much depth? Well, that's just genius. My only regrets are a) that I didn't read these prequel novellas before reading Throne of Glass, and b) that I haven't read Crown of Midnight yet (seriously, what am I waiting for?!).

Previously, my review of Throne of Glass.

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Review: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: August 20, 2013
Pages: 480
Source: For Review from Bloomsbury/NetGalley
Rating: 3.5 Stars

It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing.
But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city—Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly—as soldiers in their army.
Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.

In short: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon has a highly ambitious and imaginative concept, but the execution of the world building was not up to par.

I am not one of those people who gets scared off from reading a book because of the immense buzz surrounding it. Quite the opposite: I am a total lemming and I become instantly curious in any book that receives massive amounts of hype. And with a seven-book six-figure deal, a nineteen-year-old debut author, film rights already optioned, and a ton of early buzz reviews, The Bone Season definitely fits the bill. I needed to involve myself in the hype of this book to see for myself what all the fuss is about.

And the result was that I was both impressed and disappointed by The Bone Season. The highly ambitious and complex world building in The Bone Season was somehow both its strength and its weakness. Samantha Shannon - at the tender age of nineteen, still a student at Oxford, when she wrote this book - has crafted one of the most original and visionary fantasy worlds I have ever come across. It was so unlike anything I have read that it was hard at first to even wrap my head around the concept. But it's hard not to appreciate such breadth and richness of imagination.

It was the execution of the creation of such a unique world that I found issue. Notice how I have not even attempted a brief summary of the world in The Bone Season. There is just SO MUCH there and it's all very complicated, and I couldn't possibly adequately explain even the basis of it. The world building was not nearly as clear as I would have liked. It felt like a chore at times, keeping track of all the lingo and rules. There is a glossary in the back, which might have been helpful, except I wasn't aware of its existence until the end and it would have been a pain to flip to in ebook format anyway.

Perhaps I would have liked The Bone Season better if I had more patience. As it was, I didn't feel like trying to take in massive loads of complicated information and making sense out of this highly complex world. I actually really like complicated concepts and world building, but only if they seem effortless; this seemed laboured. If I were the type to DNF books, I probably would've ditched this one early on when the info dumps were numerous and the many details convoluted. But as it is, I am utterly unable to ditch books part way through, so I stuck it out. Thankfully, the story did get a bit easier to follow in time, and therefore way more enjoyable.

Don't get me wrong, The Bone Season was a good book that I liked and admired for its ambition and imagination. It is also a very fast-paced and exciting book once you get past the initial intro to the world. Characters were another highlight here; many were complex and enigmatic. There is the beginnings of a romance here and I have a feeling it's one that a lot of people will really love for its tension and intensity. So there was a lot of good in The Bone Season. I'm just not completely positive I am ready to commit to a seven-book series when I am still a bit fuzzy on the details of the world.

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Review: Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Published: August 7, 2012

Pages: 416

Source: For Review from Bloomsbury USA/NetGalley (Thank you!)

Rating: 4.5 Stars

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 kings 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 exhilirating. 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.

In short: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas was an absolutely absorbing read with numerous elements that will keep the reader riveted to the story.

It seems as though there has been a great influx of books in the historical high fantasy genre these days - presumably due to the popularity of Game of Thrones - and I'm loving it. I love the historical setting with the political intrigue combined with the incongruously fanciful elements of a fantasy. Last year, my obsession was with dystopian novels - I devoured every one that came my way. Now I have a new obsession: historical fantasies with expertly combat-trained female protagonists and enthralling romances. Yes, I'm thinking of course of Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers, and now Throne of Glass can join that group too.

Thankfully though, Throne of Glass wasn't exactly like Grave Mercy, despite having a few significant similarities. It was distinguishable enough in plot and characters that I didn't dwell on any likenesses. It certainly helps that books with trained assassins are super fun to read. Celaena and Ismae were both tough, life-hardened girls, but Celaena was more girlish. At times, I found her to be annoyingly cocky and lacking in common sense, but for the most part, I liked her and admired her spirit and mettle.

There is a love triangle in Throne of Glass and I was prepared to be annoyed by it, as I usually am with love triangles, but surprisingly I found that not to be the case. I feel like the romance was well done and definitely a compelling part of the story. Though I am solidly Team Chaol in the choice between the handsome and arrogant Prince Dorian and the serious and level-headed captain of the guard, Chaol Westfall, I can appreciate that the love triangle was definitely one that will leave the reader with conflicting feelings in support of either love interest. The chemistry between both pairings felt tangible, truly enticing and effective.

Overall, I think the thing that stood out the most to me about Throne of Glass was just how darn compelling it was. It was a definite page-turner and I was never bored. There are so many elements that make Throne of Glass a truly alluring read. Besides the likeable protagonist and the powerful chemistry between love interests that I already mentioned, an entertaining competition, riveting action scenes, interesting court intrigue, an enchanting masked ball, and a curious mystery, all kept me absolutely absorbed in the story. I cannot wait to read more from the Throne of Glass universe, including the four prequels already available as ebooks.

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Muggle Monday (14): Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

It's time for Muggle Monday, in which I post a quote, a video, or a significant piece of news from the Harry Potter franchise. This is somewhat inspired by the Mundane Monday posts by The Mundie Moms.

But let's be real as to why I made up this meme: I just want the opportunity to post something about Harry Potter.


This week, I'm posted my completely unbiased review of the final book in the Harry Potter Series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling.

WARNING: I usually try my best to avoid spoilers in my reviews however, for this review, I made no such attempt. You should not read this review unless you've read every book in the Harry Potter Series (and if you haven't, then why the heck not?)!

Publisher: Raincoast Books

Published: July 21, 2007

Pages: 607

Source: Bought

Rating: 7 STARS

Harry is waiting in Privet Drive. The Order of the Phoenix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing if they can. But what will Harry do then? How can he fulfil the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Professor Dumbledore has left him with. In this final, seventh installment of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling unveils in spectactular fashion the answers to the many questions that have been so eagerly awaited. The spellbinding, richly woven narrative, which plunges, twists and turns at a breathtaking pace, confirms the author as a mistress of storytelling, whose books will be read, reread and read again.

I've been staring at the keyboard, wondering what to type for this review, for a very long time now. You see, even though I am a self-confessed Harry Potter Addict and built my blog around that theme, I never actually planned to write reviews of the Harry Potter books themselves. I never thought it was doable and I'm still not sure if I can complete this review. How do I review a book series that has meant the world to me? I simply can't. I could not possibly be able to put into words, put into even the most gushing praise, how I feel about this series and about this final installment. I can't do the books justice. But I will give it a go, I think.

As any self-respecting Potter Super Fan, I lined up to buy Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at one minute past midnight on July 21, 2007 and proceeded to devour it as soon as I received it. This is one heavy action book. It both starts and ends with intense and epic action sequences, perfectly put together by J.K. Rowling to induce heart-pumping fear for the lives of our favourite characters. Jo had previously stated that book seven was going to be a bloodbath and thus, I spent the entirety of the book more tense and prone to random bursts of crying than I've ever been when reading a book. My copy of this book still has stains from my tears from when Hedwig, Dobby, and Snape died. Though at no time was I more of a sobbing mess than when Harry is walking to his death in the most horribly and beautifully poignant scene in the series.

There were no really big surprises in this book for me. Again, like any self-respecting Potter Super Fan, there wasn't a day that passed from 2005 (when Half-Blood Prince was released) to 2007 when I wasn't pondering about what was going to go down in the final book. I correctly predicted that R.A.B. was Sirius' brother, that Slytherin's locket was the same one they found when cleaning Grimmauld Place in Order of the Phoenix, that Snape was ultimately Dumbledore's man and the two of them had planned Dumbledore's death together, that Snape was in love with Harry's mother, that Harry was a Horcrux that would need to be destroyed, and that ultimately, Harry would make it through the battle to marry Ginny, and Ron would marry Hermione.

But I admit I was taken by surprise by the reveal of Dumbledore's past. Of course I should have known better. J.K. Rowling excels at writing complex characters that do not fall under the too easy "good guy" and "bad guy" categories. I had been fooled once before into thinking James Potter was an all around good guy only to have been rudely awakened to the reality in Order of the Phoenix, so I feel dim that it didn't once occur to me that Dumbledore could be anything but the complete anti-Voldemort. But if anything, the realization that he is susceptible to the draw of power, and therefore not perfect, makes me love the character oh-so-much-more. With the inclusion of his flaws, he ironically becomes the perfect character in my view.

There are some amazing character moments in this final installment. Not only do we get to see the return of many characters that we hadn't seen for awhile, but our most beloved characters of the series receive shining moments to showcase their audacity and nerve one last time, one last hurrah, for the last book. Neville really comes into his own, becomes a badass, really, and leads the cause against the Death Eaters that have taken over Hogwarts. We see for the first time a man who could have been The Chosen One, as he truly might have been had Voldemort chose him as his equal instead of Harry. Molly Weasley also has one of the most brilliant showcases of badassery in her showdown with Bellatrix Lestrange. "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" will forever be one of my favourite lines of the series.

Jeez, I just looked up and realized how long-winded this review is. Sorry guys. I guess that's why it's good to plan out what you want to talk about in a review first before just writing willy-nilly all of your thoughts. I think I'll stop here even though I could probably go on for several more paragraphs. If you're interested, I wrote a guest post for The Book Addicted Girl talking about my Top 10 favourite moments from the second half of Deathly Hallows.

I guess I'll just say that in summary, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling is the perfect ending to the perfect series. But I think you all probably could have guessed that I would say as much.