Month: October 2023

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1) by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Feyre lives in a world where the fae are beyond a wall that separates them from the mortal world. Years and years ago, according to the myths, a great war was fought and a boundary was drawn between the two races.

When Feyre shoots an enormous wolf that is more than what it appears, she is drawn into the world beyond the wall which operates under magic and an entirely different set of rules than the world she knows.

Will she survive?

Photo by Luna Lovegood on Pexels.com

I chose to read A Court of Thorns and Roses because of the millions of positive ratings it received on Goodreads. It is an engaging read, but I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as some other readers.

“… any bit of information might help, and if I showed interest in them, perhaps they would warm to me.” pg 79, ebook

I enjoyed the heroine’s discovery of the magical world. I really liked the different creatures and situations that she found there. The exploration part of the book was my favorite part.

I did not enjoy the romance portion of the book and felt like it slowed the action down to a crawl in the middle of the story. Also, this should not be rated as a young adult book. Some of the relationship and sexual elements mark it clearly as new adult, in my mind.

I get that this is a “Beauty and the Beast” re-telling, but there are very few similarities between the two stories. If you’re looking for a fairy tale re-telling, you might want to keep looking.

And, occasionally, I found the actions of the heroine to be infuriating. She made decisions based on no reasoning that I could understand- much like a spoiled teenager. I suppose some could argue that that is exactly what Feyre is, but it wasn’t much fun to read.

Recommended for any readers who are looking for a light fantasy mixed with a lot of romance. Thanks for reading!

The Empire of Gold (The Daevabad Trilogy, #3) by S.A. Chakraborty

The Empire of Gold (The Daevabad Trilogy, #3) by S.A. Chakraborty

Author S.A. Chakraborty brings her epic Daevabad Trilogy to an end with The Empire of Gold.

In the last book, we saw the fall of Daevabad and a new powerful leader, Manizheh, taking the throne with Dara, the ancient daeva, at her side.

“Dara was so sick of despairing over his fate, of guilt eating him alive. Now he was just furious. Furious at being used, at letting himself be used again and again.” pg 105, ebook

Photo by Anne McCarthy on Pexels.com

Meanwhile, Nahri and the prince Ali found themselves magically transported to the human realm of Cairo. Nahri knows they have to go back to the magical world to save not just their friends and family, but also the city of Daevabad itself. However, the charms of her old life make her want to stay and live as a healer.

She enjoys the peace while she can.

Ali is racked with guilt about the fall of his city and the loss of magic throughout the djinn’s world. He’s still struggling to learn how to control his strange new water magic. How can he use it to help save his people?

“How much of his life, all their lives and their histories, unraveled the more it was examined?” pg 392, ebook

Photo by Andre Moura on Pexels.com

I thought the conclusion to this series was magical. Chakraborty gives her huge cast of characters not only beautiful but fitting endings. She ties up every thread she’s woven through the story to give the reader a satisfactory experience.

I liked how the endings weren’t necessarily happy or perfect. Throughout her books, Chakraborty has painted a complex world where the characters aren’t all good or bad, but some mix of each. The conclusion stays with this method of storytelling and manages to feel somewhat real, despite all of the fantasy elements it contains.

“There is a time to fight, and you are all fierce warriors, students I am deeply proud of. But there is also a time to put down your weapons and make peace.” pg 701, ebook

Not only are these books morally complex, the cultures she’s created feel deep and true. In this book, readers get to enjoy the culture of Ali’s mother and learn much more about the prince’s special abilities.

I don’t want to say much more about it because discovering this storyline is so much fun. It was my favorite part of the book, which had so many wonderful moments to it.

Very highly recommended for fantasy readers. Thanks for reading!