Book Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Series: Throne of Glass (#2)
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Action, High Fantasy, Adventure, Paranormal, Mystery
Published: August 15th, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul 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. 

Review ~

By the Wyrd! I loved this. I think this was even better than Throne of Glass. Has anyone been on Team Chaol since the beginning? Because I have. And I probably always will be. I just don't know why I don't like Dorian. You know my nickname for him? DURIAN. If you don't know what durian is, I advise you to search it up. Stinky fruit. 

“The rest of the world quieted into nothing. In that moment, after ten long years, Celaena looked at Chaol and realized she was home.” 

Celaena was just AWESOME. She's kick-a** and bad-a**. People were underestimating her because she's a girl. Well they thought wrong. Chaol was just sweet and kind. I hope that Dorian will become a great king. I want the king dead. Crown of Midnight contained more action, betrayal, secrets and trust. I loved the romance and character development between Chaol and Celaena. I totally ship them. CHAOLAENA. And shoot, if you don't end up with him, I will gladly take him.

"And in that world... Celaena swallowed hard. She and Chaol would never be a normal boy and girl, but perhaps in that world they could make a life of their own. She wanted that life, Because even though he'd pretended nothing had happened after the dance they'd shared that night, something had. And maybe it had taken her this long to realize it, but this man ― she wanted that life with him."

MAJOR SPOILERS START HERE

There's one part I would like to talk about. So Crown of Midnight is split into two parts. When I read part two, it was just depressing when reading it. I hated how Celaena acted after the death of her beloved friend, Nehemia. She blamed and wanted to kill Chaol. I mean, I do agree that Chaol should have at least warned the guards about the anonymous threat to Nehemia. Nehemia saw it coming. She basically planned it out. Chaol just thought he was protecting you, while Nehemia had been lying to you about many, many things. "You will always be my enemy." do you know seeing how much Chaol was hurt hurt me. Her saying that kept coming up in his mind, The way she was acting afterwards, I was like, "Get it together, Celaena! Stop!" She was burning everything that he had touched. I mean come on, I'll take whatever he touched then.

“Why are you crying?"
"Because," she whispered, her voice shaking, "you remind me of what the world ought to be. What the world can be.”

One of my favorite parts was when it was the night of Chaol's birthday. Celaena had arranged a dinner in the greenhouse. And it was so sweet! Chaol had said he hadn't had something like that since he was little. I was just like, "Awwww~". And then they have this one discussion (which I'm not gonna say what since she basically tells him what she's been doing in the beginning) and then they make out and then they make love. <3 I love the scenes with Celaena and Chaol.

“And because she was young, and so damn clever and amusing and wonderful, wherever she made her home, there would be some man who would fall in love with her and who would make her his wife, and that would be the worst truth of all. It had snuck up on him, this pain and terror and rage at the thought of anyone else with her. Every look, every word from her... he didn't even know when it had started.”

We learn some things about Celaena towards the end of the book. I knew one of them because I saw a spoiler on Goodreads, you know, just one simple sentence reveals a lot and that was actually the last sentence of Crown of Midnight. And I was like, "Oh my god. All the possibilities." THE ENDING WAS JUST HEART-WRENCHING AND TEAR-JERKING. Oh, the tears came when Chaol made a deal with his father to discuss to the council or whatever to have Celaena shipped to Wendlyn (for a really heart-wrenching reason) and for that he would have to move back to Anielle. And when Celaena was boarding the ship to Wendlyn and Chaol didn't tell her that he would move back to Anielle and said he loves her, I just died. It just hurts thinking about it right now. Seriously.

There's a little something-something with the Wyrd keys and one of the competitors involved in the mystery. I'm not gonna go into that since either you've read it or you haven't yet.

I just recently found out that the third book is called HEIR OF FIRE. You know what that means right? By the Wyrd, we have to wait for 5 more months. Waiting for the cover reveal...

Book Review: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Series: Shatter Me (#3)
Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal
Published: February 4. 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

With Omega Point destroyed, Juliette doesn’t know if the rebels, her friends, or even Adam are alive. But that won’t keep her from trying to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. Now she must rely on Warner, the handsome commander of Sector 45. The one person she never thought she could trust. The same person who saved her life. He promises to help Juliette master her powers and save their dying world . . . but that’s not all he wants with her.

Review ~

Here's the thing. About 50% of the readers disliked this book, or was disappointed. Me? I wasn't disappointed the least bit. I think it was the best out of the books. The only thing was the characters and their ranting and frustration and their arguments and stuff. It took a lot out from the book, I felt like it could've had more details and more plot twists instead of reading their dumb arguments between Adam and Juliette. A third of the readers can't hate Adam, and I understand. I totally do. However, I can't agree. Sad faces. I liked him...in Shatter Me and part of Unravel Me, but that's the thing. He changes. And the last sentence he speaks with Juliette was something I'm proud of him for...finally admitting it.

"Words, I think, are such unpredictable creatures. No gun, no sword, no army or king will ever be more powerful than a sentence. Swords may cut and kill, but words will stab and stay, burying themselves in our bones to become corpses we carry into the future, all the time digging and failing to rip their skeletons from our flesh.”

I am forever Team Warner. I mean, I guess he rarely has any humor (Especially when talking to a 10 year old) or at Kenji, but he was totally better than the "changed" Adam we now know. Besides, we get to know the true Warner, the side we never knew about him. And Kenji. Oh dear, Officially one of my favorite characters around. He was the funny one with the mask, the one everyone expects to be funny and to lure them out of their grief. But even he has his limits, and I think that's my favorite part. Ms. Mafi shows that Kenji can be real and someone one can relate to. And the mission? It wasn't Warner or Adam. It was Kenji. Oh...Kenji. Sweet, funny Kenji.

"I am no longer afraid of fear, and I will not let it rule me. Fear will learn to fear me."

The love triangle? It was an abnormal one. Obviously, you could place your team by the way Adam acted, but it was one where you just wanted the character you hate to just back up and leave. Like seriously? I know you're worried about lack of food and stuff, but if you're here to insult and not fall in love? Just back the fudgesicles up. And Juliette. She's changed, and Adam finally admits it. I do sincerely hope that he finds a new love life in the near future with Alia or Lily. Anyways, Juliette was the kick-ass heroine I've always wanted her to be. In Shatter Me and Unravel Me? You can tell from the cover. In Unravel Me, she's stuck frozen in her own mind to the point where she can't even change and stays the coward everyone hates for her to be. And in Ignite Me, it's all nature and flowers where you can tell she's obviously blooming. I love the covers for these books! I just couldn't tell what to expect in Shatter Me, because the cover is a girl in a white dress...

"Ignite, my love. Ignite."

Oh right. Warner. The King and Commander of Sector 45. Ahaha. He's amazing and perfect. Although in this book, I found he has no humor, but even he has the perfect closet every (most likely: fashion/beauty) girl wants. Oh my, it is huge. I can just imagine all his suits and clothes he has in there, and imagine if they were replaced with my clothes...I would be in HEAVEN. This book was certainly the best out of the whole trilogy if I may say so myself. It had all different kinds of aspects, and if I were to say the Love triangle did a good deed in this book, I will, because all though this book could've replaced the arguments with plot twists or more detailing, it played a magnificent role where readers can enjoy Juliette kicking Adam out of her life.

I think this is probably the only Dystopian book I've ever read that has a happy ending. Each Dystopian, is sad and tragic(The endings). Like Allegiant and Champion? Holyyy, you have no idea how much it hurts.

Book Review: Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier

Series: The Ruby Red Trilogy (#2)
Published: October 30, 2012
Publisher: Henry Holt
Genres: SciFi, Fantasy, Young Adult
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Gwen’s life has been a rollercoaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of their blood (gross!), she’s been trying to figure out what all the mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean.

At least Gwen has plenty of help. Her best friend Lesley follows every lead diligently on the Internet. James the ghost teaches Gwen how to fit in at an eighteenth century party. And Xemerius, the gargoyle demon who has been following Gwen since he caught her kissing Gideon in a church, offers advice on everything. Oh, yes. And of course there is Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he’s very warm indeed; the next he’s freezing cold. Gwen’s not sure what’s going on there, but she’s pretty much destined to find out.

Review ~ Random quotes throughout the review, doesn't relate to the paragraphs.

So, Sapphire Blue kind of picks up where Ruby Red leaves off, and there's not much of an intro, so it took me a while to kind of understand everything and grasp the concept again. But, after I got into it, It was amazing. I love the way it's written. When Gier writes the kiss/romance scenes, omg, I'm like, dying. It is so well written, I literally feel like I'm right there, watching them "make babies"...(creepy...)

"And if I may give you a piece of advice: a clever woman succeeds in concealing her jealousy. Otherwise we men always feel so sure of ourselves..."

You see, Sapphire Blue's main character, which is Gwen, is annoying. Like, she's too "free", I guess you can say, while she's traveling in time. She brings items she's not supposed to bring into the past just to show her best friend something, and she keeps breaking the rules. And Gideon. He's like, the more serious, non-rebellious bad boy..That doesn't make sense, but whatever. I don't really ship them, they don't really match each other.

"Come on, pull yourself together. My. George is right: love comes in at the window and common sense flies out."

Something I like about Gwyneth was the fact that she could see things other people can't(demons and ghosts), and I loved that aspect in the book. It brought more "oomph" to the novel.

So, today, I was talking to my friend in English class about stories having a moral. Yes, we were talking about that, because we had to write a 5 page story that have a lesson, which, I can't really think of any...I just read and rarely write books for entertainment, not for learning. Anyways, so yea, we were talking about stories having a moral, and I notice this novel doesn't have one. Which is totally fine. I just felt the need in pointing that out because it does not fail in entertaining us. My expectations for this book was fulfilled, but not exceeded, which is totally cool.

"Oh, do shut up for once, Charlotte," I said.

Something I want to point out is the Time Traveling aspect. Yes, that's what the whole trilogy revolves around, but it's very confusing. Like, she travels to like 1956 and then goes to 1959 the next day in present time, while it's 3 years later for the person she meets in 1956. Did you understand that? I mean, I understood it, it was just very difficult to process..Haha, maybe I'm just slow.

Book Review: Reborn by Jessica Miller

Series: The Wanderers (#2)
Published: October 25, 2013
Publisher: Amazon
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Ella finally knows what she is, but now she’s not so sure she knows who she is.

With Jack still on the loose her parents have her confined to the house leaving Ella to feel like she’s stuck in a prison. Coping with the loss of her best friend and the love of her life, Ella feels trapped in an endless cycle of torment. She feels she’s doomed to lose everyone she loves. In attempt to keep her safe and help her understand her new life her parents decide that what’s best for her is to go back to school, but not just any school.

Ella’s not alone though. The school is filled with students who are just like her, including her brother Dean. Her mission is to keep herself blended in the background and out of trouble, but unfortunately Ella isn’t that lucky. With the roommate from hell, her brother constantly breathing down her neck, and being pinned right away as the outcast, Ella wants nothing more than to just crawl under a rock for the rest of her life. Even the school’s sweetheart has it in for her.

Can she overcome her fear of the unknown? Will she ever learn to accept who she is? The most important thing Ella is concerned about is just surviving the semester at Hamilton Hill.

Review ~ 

I received a free copy from the author.

I wasn't sure if I was ready to read this after the tragic ending of The Wanderers. Again, this book picks up right where The Wanderers leaves us and I hadn't expected it to be so well written and interesting after what happened in the previous book. I felt like the author, herself, trapped herself in a corner and wasn't going to be able to right an awesome sequel. However, I was wrong. Obviously, this book was amazing.

The plot. I give it an A. Not an A+ or an A- but an A. So, Like, remember, in the first book? There was Kyle, who died so she moved onto Tristan. He died. So now she's moving onto Roman. (Spoiler Alert for the rest of the paragraph)And then she finds out Tristan is still alive, Kyle is an angel, and Roman is still her boyfriend...So, What I'm wondering is what Tristan will do when he finds out Ella is dating Roman? Or what will Ella do when she sees Tristan? What about Roman? There would be a love triangle, which I'm not so happy about, if Tristan were still alive.

The Characters! Oh, Jesus. So good. Outstandingly written. Very descriptive. I felt like I was literally there. And yea, the book was very unpredictable. Like the previous book. I hadn't expected Jack to attack until the near end of the book, I expected there to be many other attacks from him. What I didn't like was the fact that someone came and told Ella that an attack was coming from Jack. And I was like: "Seriously? Like, really?"

The story unfolded at a great pace. I loved it. It wasn't too slow or too fast. I just didn't like the fact that so much information was being told in one sitting. I wish it would've been more evenly spread out throughout the story where Ella learns more and more, instead of just getting everything thrown at her at once. Overall, I loved it. It was a great book. Definitely will read the 3rd book. So excited!