Catching Fire

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2) by Suzanne Collins

My rating: four stars

Genre: YA, Dystopian

Edition: Audiobook

Goodreads Summary: SPARKS ARE IGNITING.

FLAMES ARE SPREADING.

AND THE CAPITAL WANTS REVENGE.

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol – a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest that she’s afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she’s not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol’s cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can’t prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying. Katniss is about to be tested as never before.

In preparation for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (the prequal to The Hunger Games), I am trying to re-read the whole Hunger Games trilogy. Catching Fire was my favorite movie, and though I don’t remember much about the book because it has been so long since I have read it, I am hoping it is as good as I remember.

Likes: I like how we get to see the “behind the scenes” of the games, in that we get to see Katniss and Peeta travel around on the Victory Tour. The first book only really showed the hunger games, and so I liked seeing another aspect to it. I also liked the arena in this book. It required strategy and planning, unlike the arena in the first book. The arena is fluid and dynamic, and I thought that was interesting to read about – all the different elements the Gamemakers can add to the arena. I also like all the new characters that are introduced. I don’t want to spoil anything, but there are a ton of new characters that add interesting elements to this story. They all have differing personalities, and it is interesting to learn how the games have affected them personally.

Dislikes: I did not care for the romance in the first book, and I still do not care for it in this book. Peeta is kept in the dark about so much it doesn’t make sense. If everyone would just be open and honest, there wouldn’t be so much drama. I don’t believe that people would keep Peeta in the dark, and I don’t believe he is as ignorant as they make him out to be. Another thing that I did not like was how long the beginning seemed to drag on. I did like seeing a different side to the games, however, it just seemed to drag on and on and it wasn’t that enjoyable to me.

Overall, I gave this book four out of five stars because, while I did enjoy it immensely, I did not like it as much as the first book which I gave five out of five stars. There were just too many secrets, too much unnecessary drama, and it seemed to drag on. I did still love the characters, the behind the scenes glimpse of the games, and the updated arena. The new characters were interesting and made the book intriguing. I would definitely recommend this book, it was a lot of fun to listen to, and the narrator was incredible!

Siege and Storm

Siege and Storm (Shadow and Bone, #2) by Leigh Bardugo

My rating: four stars

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Edition: Paperback

Goodreads Summary: Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her—or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

I am still trying to alternate between the Throne of Glass series and the Shadow and Bone series because finishing both is something that I want to accomplish in 2020 – especially since the show in this universe is in production! Though I don’t think I liked this book as much as the first one, it was still enjoyable to me and I look forward to the third one.

Likes: I am still wowed by this world and magic system. We start to see parts of Alina’s magic and others that we haven’t seen before which is exciting. Alina goes on some huge adventures in this book, so a lot more of the world is explored which was fascinating. While on these adventures she meets new characters that I came to love. The new characters were so intriguing and confusing, but in a good way. They were complex, and it was honestly hard to tell what the new characters were going to do and what side they are on because they were good actors. I love this complexity. I truly believe the best part of this book was the new characters that appeared.

Dislikes: The main character’s personality starts changing in a direction that I don’t enjoy or believe to be quite honest. The actions that she wants to take involve doing things that she has been against for the entire first book. It just isn’t believable that she would change so much, so quickly. I understand that power changes people, and she has been through some horrific things in her life. However, it is just hard to believe she would want to do the things she does. Also, I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I do not like how the author is trying to connect Alina and the Darkling in a romantic way. It just doesn’t make sense that she would see him in that way at all, and it honestly seems like Leigh is trying to please the readers who ship them.

Overall, I did like this book, and I do still love this series. However, there are just so many things that are hard for me to believe, which is why I had to deduct a star. It seems like some of the relationships and actions of the characters happen to either move the story along or to please the fans. It doesn’t seem realistic. I do still love the world, the magic system, and the new characters. I am still excited for the last book and can’t wait to read it! 

The Assassin’s Blade

The Assassin’s Blade (Throne of Glass, #0.1-0.5) by Sarah J. Maas

My rating: five stars

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Edition: Paperback

**DISCLAIMER: I read The Assassin’s Blade in the published order, so after Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight. So, if you have not read those two books, this review may contain slight spoilers**

Goodreads summary: 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 decided to read this book after Crown of Midnight because I usually prefer to read series’ in their publication order. This book contains five novellas, and to be honest I didn’t have the highest expectations. I have loved all the other Throne of Glass books, but the idea of a bunch of short stories didn’t appeal to me. However, this book blew me away. It is a hundred percent my favorite book in the series so far!

Likes: I loved learning about Celaena’s past. The first two Throne of Glass books left so many mysteries about her and a lot of them were answered in this book. It made Celaena seem much more human, more relatable. Each story was so interesting that I ended up reading one a day, I just couldn’t make myself stop reading them. Her relationship with Sam was heartwarming and heartbreaking. I am glad that we are finally able to see more into that side of her past that wasn’t mentioned often in the first books. This view of her past shows how different of a person she is in in the main Throne of Glass series because of all the things that have happened to her. I also loved the characters in these stories. There were some great friendships and loves, as well as betrayal and heartbreak. I love the unexpected twists and turns that come along with these characters. I honestly wish some of them were in the main series.

Dislikes: Ummmm… I honestly don’t know. This was just such a good book. I can’t think of any.

Overall, this story just blew me away. For sure my favorite book in the Throne of Glass series so far. I wish there were more of these short stories because I loved seeing different aspects of Celaena’s past. The characters were wonderful, the plot twists shocking, and the plots themselves were phenomenal. I had such a great time reading this and I would recommend to everyone who has read the first two Throne of Glass books. (I know some people like to read it chronologically but for this book I find it important to read this one after Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight. It creates an element of heartbreak and awe that I don’t think would be created if it was read first. Just my opinion though.)

Forest of Secrets

Forest of Secrets (Warriors, #3) by Erin Hunter

My rating: five stars

Genre: Middle grade

Edition: Paperback

Goodreads summary: Allegiances are shifting among the Clans of warrior cats that roam the forest. With tensions so delicately balanced, former friends can become enemies overnight, and some cats are willing to kill to get what they want.

Fireheart is determined to find out the truth about the mysterious death of brave ThunderClan warrior Redtail. But as he searches for answers, he uncovers secrets that some believe would be better left hidden.

Continuing with my goal to read one Warrior book a month, I am slightly ahead! I am still in love with this series and have noticed that I don’t remember as much about it as I thought I did. So much happened in this book! It was very fast paced the entire time, it seemed like something was always happening, which wasn’t a bad thing. I definitely enjoyed this one more than Fire and Ice.

Likes: Fireheart and Greystripe seemed to get over their issues with one another in the last book, and that made this book more enjoyable and believable. I love their friendship and loyalty towards each other, and this book continues to show this strong bond at work. There are a lot of secrets that are uncovered in this book, and they show why Bluestar acts like she does later. It doesn’t excuse how she acts, but the book delves into her past and I liked learning more about her. No spoilers, but the ending just made so much sense to me. I didn’t necessarily want it to happen, but I truly believe what happened was something the character would do.

Dislikes: I did like that we got to learn more about Bluestar but OH MY GOSH can she just believe Fireheart already?? He has an eye witness and everything! It just seems like there is so much proof and Bluestar just won’t believe him. I understand that Tigerclaw is an important person but COME ON. Ugh, that really annoyed me.

Overall, I did really enjoy this book. The friendship between Fireheart and Greystripe was back, the book started to delve into the backstories and secrets of different characters, and the ending made sense to me. Bluestar’s actions and inability to believe Fireheart has been annoying me for the past two books, but I didn’t deduct a star because I just like the story too much.

Shadow of the Fox

Shadow of the Fox (Shadow of the Fox, #1) by Julie Kagawa         

My rating: five stars

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Edition: Hardback

Goodreads Summary: One thousand years ago, the great Kami Dragon was summoned to grant a single terrible wish—and the land of Iwagoto was plunged into an age of darkness and chaos.

Now, for whoever holds the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers, a new wish will be granted. A new age is about to dawn.

Raised by monks in the isolated Silent Winds temple, Yumeko has trained all her life to hide her yokai nature. Half kitsune, half human, her skill with illusion is matched only by her penchant for mischief. Until the day her home is burned to the ground, her adoptive family is brutally slain and she is forced to flee for her life with the temple’s greatest treasure—one part of the ancient scroll.

There are many who would claim the dragon’s wish for their own. Kage Tatsumi, a mysterious samurai of the Shadow Clan, is one such hunter, under orders to retrieve the scroll…at any cost. Fate brings Kage and Yumeko together. With a promise to lead him to the scroll, an uneasy alliance is formed, offering Yumeko her best hope for survival. But he seeks what she has hidden away, and her deception could ultimately tear them both apart.

With an army of demons at her heels and the unlikeliest of allies at her side, Yumeko’s secrets are more than a matter of life or death. They are the key to the fate of the world itself.

Shadow of the Fox was the pick for a book club that I am in, and I couldn’t have been happier. I have been interested in Japanese culture for most of my life, and so this book sounded so intriguing. I ended up really enjoying it and can’t wait to read the next two!

Likes: I love how Yumeko just connects with everyone that she comes across. She makes friendships so effortlessly and convinces people to help her easily. She is a truly likeable, though ignorant, character. I also liked all the other characters. They each had different personalities and backgrounds, and I loved learning about each and every one of them. The story itself was fun and adventurous. Yes, the reason that she must flee with the scroll is disturbing and sad, however, the adventure itself was fun for me to read about. Yumeko was sheltered in the temple her whole life, so to read about her experiencing all these new things was enjoyable. Not only were the main characters interesting, the villains were intriguing as well. There was so much mystery surrounding all of them, it left me wanting to keep reading to learn more.

Dislikes: There wasn’t really anything that I disliked. Yumeko’s ignorance could be annoying, however it was completely understandable since she had never stepped foot outside her temple. Another thing that didn’t make the most sense to me was why Tatsumi couldn’t see that Yumeko was a half kitsune. Some people could and it was explained why they could and that made sense. However, Tatsumi literally has a demon in him and is connected to that world quite literally, so I don’t understand why he wouldn’t have been able to see what she was.

Overall, I really liked this story. It takes place in a setting that I am extremely interested in, and a world that is so magical and yet seems like it could be real. I loved all the myths that the story delved in to, they were myths that I have read about in Japanese culture books, but to actually have them in a fantasy book fun. I loved all the characters, even the villains, and I loved the plot. The small couple dislikes I had with Yumeko’s ignorance and Tatsumi’s inability to see that Yumeko was a half kitsune were small annoyances and didn’t really take away from my love of this story. I gave it five stars and recommend it to everyone!  

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) by Suzanne Collins

My rating: five stars

Genre: YA, Dystopian

Edition: Audiobook

Goodreads Summary: WINNING MEANS FAME AND FORTUNE.LOSING MEANS CERTAIN DEATH.THE HUNGER GAMES HAVE BEGUN. . . .

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and once girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weight survival against humanity and life against love.

I have decided to try and re-read this series before the prequel, A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, comes out. I have watched the movies several times but only read the books once a long time ago, so I am excited to delve back into this world and see what I think now that I am older.

Likes: I know many people think that dystopian YA novels from around this time are overrated and overused, but I absolutely love them. I do like the plot of this story. The government that was created after the United States fell apart is interesting to read about and the lengths that Katniss goes to keep her family safe, that lead her into terrible situations, are inspiring. I like Suzanne’s writing style; it is descriptive without being over the top. The government and culture that she created is fascinating. It is horrid in too many ways to count, but the stark contrast between the Capital and the Districts is captivating to read about. I liked reading about how the Games work, along with their intricacies. There were so many factors that went along with the Games. It wasn’t just them going into an arena and fighting each other to their death. Katniss had to go through training, had a “test”, interviews, and so much more. This is the main thing that I like about this story, how intricate Suzanne went into creating this world. It could have been so simple, but I can tell that she worked hard to create a detailed world that the readers can immerse themselves in.

Dislikes: I did not care for the love story in this book. In the movies I was completely “team Gale”. I did not like Peeta at all, and felt little sympathy for him. However, I believe he was so much more flushed out in the stories and was actually given a personality. I was rooting for him, and I think that it was terrible how Katniss was using him. I understand that she was doing it to try and stay alive, but I do not believe that she would have kept it a secret from him and used him like that. It was like she did not have any faith that Peeta could keep a secret or act at all. It just didn’t make much sense to me that Katniss would do that, and I think it was very out of character for her. She is an open book usually about what she is feeling and about what is going on, and Peeta is there for her through all of her emotional break downs. It doesn’t make sense for her to not discuss things with him, and I disliked that unbelievability.

Overall, I did rate this book five stars because I did have a great time reading it. It was well paced, I loved the writing style, and the details in it were intriguing and kept me wanting to read more. Yes, I did not enjoy the romance or how Katniss treated Peeta at all, but I am not deducting a star because I still really liked this story. 

Artemis

Artemis by Andy Weir

My rating: five stars

Genre: Sci-fi

Edition: Audiobook

Goodreads Summary: Jazz Bashara is a criminal.

Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you’re not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you’ve got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent.

Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down. But pulling off the impossible is just the start of her problems, as she learns that she’s stepped square into a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself—and that now, her only chance at survival lies in a gambit even riskier than the first.

I started Artemis because my boyfriend had listened to the Audiobook and said he enjoyed it. I was also craving some sci-fi, and I am a huge mood reader, so I decided to pick this up. I decided to listen to the Audible version of this book and it was a really good Audiobook! I am slightly picky about what books I listen to, and this one did the book justice.

Likes: The main character is amazing. She is strong-willed, intelligent, and complex. So many people in her life bash her and think that she can do so much more with her life, but she stands up for herself and keeps doing what she wants. I am not saying what she does is good, but her ability to be so strong is admirable. Another thing I like about this book is how scientific it is. As an engineer, I enjoy how in-depth the author goes when describing things, while also making it to where I truly believe non-engineers will be able to understand what is happening. He goes in-depth but uses great descriptors to make it understandable. Another thing that I like is the complexity of the storyline. So many events are happening, and there are so many characters in play that it gets crazy. The story starts simple and it just blows up and becomes this big conspiracy and I love it. Props for an incredible storyline.

Dislikes: The only thing that I really disliked was a backstory that Jazz has with one of her ex-friends. I am not going to go into detail and spoil anything, but it just seems unrealistic that a best friend would betray her like he did. It was also bizarre that he was still trying to be friends with her and acted like what he did was completely fine. I don’t know, it was just weird.

Overall, even though I did not like the relationship with Jazz and her ex-friend, it was such a small part of the book that I am not deducting a point. I rated this story five stars because I thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked the main character, the story line, the complexity, and the different scientific aspects. I recommend this to anyone that likes sci-fi!

February 2020| Reading Wrap Up

Crown of Midnight
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★★

*** SPOILERS FOR THRONE OF GLASS (because this is the sequel)***

Crown of Midnight is the second book in the Throne of Glass series. In Throne of Glass Celaena becomes the King’s Champion. This book is about the experience that she has being the Champion. The struggles of having to kill for someone she hates, and all of the judgement she gets for it. The mysteries in this book were fascinating, and the addition of magic (that was seen at the end of Throne of Glass) into this story added another element to it that I loved. This books brings us closer to side characters and learning more about them was exciting to me. I loved all the side characters and hope that we continue to learn more! The main thing that I disliked with this story were all of the secrets between characters. Especially because I truly believe it goes against the character’s personalities and relationships. I don’t believe it is something that they would have done, it seems like the secrets were there to move the plot along. Some devastating things happen that could have been avoided if there weren’t so many secrets.

Pros: gained more information on side-characters, mysterious, magic system was interesting, wrenched my heart.
Cons: so many secrets that were unnecessary and unbelievable.
Full Review: https://classicsquidney.com/2020/05/05/crown-of-midnight/

Legend
Author: Marie Lu
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Rating: ★★★★

Legend takes place in what used to be western United States, but is now the Republic. It is a story of a girl named June – who is trying to become a top military leader – and a boy named Day – who is one of the most wanted criminals in the Republic. June’s brother is murdered and Day is the main suspect. This is a story full of mystery, hardship, relationships, and trust. One of the things that I love about this story is that it has so many themes, there isn’t just one main element to the story, there is a lot going on. What we are lead to believe at the beginning of the story quickly shifts and changes as the story progresses. I love this complex aspect of the book. It also has two wonderful main characters who both believe that they are doing good, even though some might see them as “bad guys”. I appreciate when books have complex characters that are morally gray. It leads to great morality discussions which I believe are important to grow. Though I did love the two main characters, I did not enjoy parts of their relationship that developed because it seemed too fast and unrealistic given the circumstances. It seemed forced to me.

Pros: complex story arc, morally gray characters, good pacing, full of surprises.
Cons: main character’s relationship seemed unnecessary and unrealistic.
Full Review: https://classicsquidney.com/2020/05/08/legend/

Strange the Dreamer
Author: Laini Taylor
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★★

Strange the Dreamer is about a boy named Lazlo Strange whose dream is to go to the lost city of Weep. He is a junior librarian who spends most – if not all – of his time in the library, so it seems like he will never fulfill that dream. However, one day a band of warriors from Weep show up requesting that people come with him to their city. This begins a huge journey for Lazlo, who wants more than anything to solve the mystery of Weep. I love Laini Taylor’s writing; Daughter of Smoke and Bone is one of my favorite series ever, and I was not disappointed with this story. The writing was just as beautiful, and the world building was complex and thorough. I loved the characters, as well as the relationships that evolve between them. The magic in this book was surprising and interesting, not what I was expecting at all. The only thing that I did not care for was that it was pretty slow in the beginning. I still liked what I was reading, it was just a little slow for my taste.

Pros: plot twists, beautiful writing, interesting magic system, intriguing mystery.
Cons: pacing was slow in the beginning.
Full Review: https://classicsquidney.com/2020/05/13/strange-the-dreamer/

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

My rating: five stars

Genre: YA, mystery

Edition: e-book

Goodreads Summary: Everyone in Fairview knows the story.

Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.

But she can’t shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?

Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn’t want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.

This is the story of an investigation turned obsession, full of twists and turns and with an ending you’ll never expect.

This was the March Barnes and Noble YA Book Club pick. I honestly had never heard of it before now, but once I read the synopsis I was intrigued. I haven’t read many mysteries recently, but I tended to enjoy the ones that I have (as long as they weren’t too predictable). After listening to One of Us is Lying, I have been wanting to read another mystery and so this was a perfect pick.

Likes: Man, did this book surprise me! One reason that YA mystery books are not my favorite is usually because I can predict what is going to happen. However, I seriously had no clue during this entire book. The author somehow made me feel like I knew what was going on the entire time, and I was so confident, but it turns out I was so wrong it isn’t even funny. I have no clue how she did that, but I love it! I also like the main character quite a bit. Her enthusiasm and passion for her project is contagious and her “goodness” is refreshing. I am not going to talk about the other characters, even though I really want to, simply because I don’t want to give anything away. I will say that the pacing of this book was quite fast (which I like), and it always kept me on my toes.

Dislikes: Throughout this story I was frustrated with the main characters because they wouldn’t investigate events and other characters that I thought they should have. I was so sure of myself and that I knew what had happened. However, it turns out that I was being led in the wrong direction and that my frustrations at them were misplaced. So besides that, I did not dislike anything about the story, and even my dislike with the main characters was probably purposeful by the author to mislead me.

Overall, I did love this book. It was truly mysterious, misleading, fast-paced, and so much more. I did not have the highest hopes for this book but ended up really enjoying it. The ending wrapped up nicely and I was left satisfied with the events of the story. I would definitely recommend this book, it was a ton of fun!

Strange the Dreamer

Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer, #1) by Laini Taylor

My rating: five stars

Genre: YA, fantasy

Edition: paperback

Goodreads Summary: The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

Welcome to Weep.

I have been wanting to read this book for the longest time! Daughter of Smoke and Bone is one of my favorite series EVER and it made me curious to read this series. Chloe from bookswithchloe on YouTube had a read along and a liveshow where she talked about this book on her Patreon at the end of February. It was just so perfect that this book was chosen (as I read it in February and am just super behind on my blog posts)! I honestly wish I hadn’t waited this long because I LOVED it.

Likes: All the suspense and questions were beautifully worked into this story. I usually don’t care for not knowing things, but the way that it is done in this book makes it fun and like a game. I love the characters in this story so much. They each have their positives and negatives, but they have such rich backstories that explain why they are who they are. The only person I did not care for might be a spoiler, but I swear they are the worst. I get that bad things happened in their past, but that just doesn’t excuse the things they are doing in my eyes. There is so much beautiful imagery in this book. The descriptions of dreams and the different parts of the world are incredible. I truly love Laini Taylor’s writing. Something else besides her descriptions that I love are the plot twists and crazy surprises that are in her stories. She always makes mysteries that I think are the main big one that I am trying to solve throughout the book, and then, BAM, there was really a huge twist that comes that I didn’t see because I was so focused on the smaller mystery. It is insane how skilled she is to be able to do this, and it makes her stories powerful and unique.

Dislike: The book was a little slow in the beginning. It wasn’t to where I was bored or anything, it was just kind of dragging on. I don’t know how to explain it exactly. I was loving what I was reading, but I wasn’t enjoying the process of reading it because of the pacing. Another thing that I did not like was a huge spoiler at the beginning of the book. I won’t say any more about it except that it really made me enjoy later parts of the book less.

Overall, I was not disappointed in this story at all. I had high expectations because of how much I loved Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and this book lived up to them! I don’t think I liked it as much as that series, but I did truly love it and look forward to reading the next one!