{Review} A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J. Maas

Posted by Donna
Release Date: May 3rd, 2016 
Finished Date: August 24th, 2016

Publishers: Bloomsbury 
Genre: YA, Fantasy 
Source: Bought 
Format: Paperback

Pages: 624
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo 

 

Feyre is immortal.

After rescuing her lover Tamlin from a wicked Faerie Queen, she returns to the Spring Court possessing the powers of the High Fae. But Feyre cannot forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people - nor the bargain she made with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court.

As Feyre is drawn ever deeper into Rhysand's dark web of politics and passion, war is looming and an evil far greater than any queen threatens to destroy everything Feyre has fought for. She must confront her past, embrace her gifts and decide her fate.

She must surrender her heart to heal a world torn in two.

The Review: After reading A Court of Thorns and Roses last year like everyone else I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series A Court of Misty and Fury. However I started seeing early reviews of the book and it put me off. So I waited. Then I started hearing more things about the book and still I waited. I guess you want to know why I waited? Well I finished ACOTAR knowing that Feyre and Tamlin were together, safe and somewhat happy. I was excited to see what the next story would bring but hearing things about a possible break-up? I was so not happy! I refused to believe it and tried to hide from the book because at that point I was firmly Team Tamlin. But certain bookish friends kept feeding me pieces of the story and so, what can I say? Curiosity got the better of me and I finally felt ready to read ACOMAF. And my gosh I was honestly lost for words after. 

A Court of Mist and Fury is really Feyre realising she is more than she thinks she is. She was weak as a human and now she’s been turned into an immortal – fae like Tamlin and Rhysand, she’s no longer weak. Even though Tamlin tries to keep her that way. Tamlin still looks at her as unbreakable and will do anything to keep her safe even if that means keeping her from developing her gifts, trying to keep her busy with their upcoming wedding or even by the worst means possible, locking her inside the house so she cannot leave. I understand why Tamlin did the things he did but it doesn’t mean it was right. If only he’d listened to Feyre more or could really see that she was becoming a shell of a person after what happened with Amarantha under the mountain, then she wouldn’t have felt like she needed to leave. 
After Rhysand saved her at the end of ACOTAR and she now has to spend one week of the month with him. Through their magical link he created with Feyre he can connect with her at any time. So when Feyre simply can’t take no more at The Spring Court, without realising it, she calls out to Rhysand and he takes to The Night Court away from Tamlin. It’s there that Feyre starts to heal and starts to become a stronger person. Rhysand doesn’t make her hide away, he confines in her, lets her help him sort out problems with the upcoming war and more importantly he trusts her and includes her in things whether that be with his court, family or just normal day-to-day stuff. 
The main reason I was so adamant that I wasn’t going to read ACOMAF was because I’m really not a fan of relationship changes. But I really shouldn’t have doubted Sarah J Maas because Feyre and Rhysand’s relationship is developed over time and at times you don’t even realise what’s going on and before you know it you’re swooning over Rhys too. He creeps up on you and then it’s like Tamlin who? I could sit and talk about Rhys for hours and hours – the things he does in this book, the things he revels, the way he is, it’s honestly no wonder why Feyre and Rhysand belong together. 

ACOMAF isn’t just about Feyre and Rhys, although they are a huge part of it but it’s also about the upcoming war and developing the story more. There’s a lot going on and I can’t wait to see what happens next. And I definitely think my lesson is learned – never doubt Maas again!

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

Posted by Donna
Release Date: September 11th, 2014
Finished Date: May 20th, 2015

Publishers: Bloomsbury Children's Books
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 562
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

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.

The king's assassin takes on an even greater destiny and burns brighter than ever before in this follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Crown of Midnight.

The Review: I'm so glad I decided to read Heir of Fire straight after Crown of Midnight and I finished it just in time for Sarah's book signing in Birmingham - which was fantastic! It was so great meeting her and it's made me even more excited to get my hands on Queen of Shadows. 

After the ending in Crown of Midnight, Celaena is on a new journey for the King but once again realises she can not carry out the tasks he wishes and therefore she finds herself seeking out her long-lost aunt who rules the fae kingdom with hopes that Maeve can provide her the information she needs to destroy the Kings plans. But upon arrival Celaena is not given entry and instead must prove her fae heritage with a series of tasks set out by Rowan - one of Maeve's personal fae guards. But as Celaena tries to do what is asks, its hard for her because of the pain and guilt that still surrounds her and, in order to prove who she is, she needs to conquer her fears for once and for all.  

I didn't think anything could be as good as Throne of Glass or Crown of Midnight but Heir of Fire brings some truly remarkable, emotional and heart-breaking times that made me love this book even more than the previous ones. Reading this was like watching the author pour her heart and soul over the pages so that she could reflect Celaena's emotions perfectly. A lot does happen but mainly it focuses on Celaena's self discovery and I truly loved it. I felt that it was time for Celaena to come to terms with who she really was and to try and let go of all the guilt that she carried out from the people she's lost. I loved that this felt like a more of a set up book - where the author focuses more on Celaena's personal journey while trying to set up everything for the next book. Don't let that put you off. There is enough action, secrets and romance to keep you going but it really leaves you wanting more. But overall, I was glad for the journey that Celaena takes because we definitely get to see a different side to her. She's almost broken where she's willing to give up everything and that was emotional because that's not the Celaena we've seen before. She really has to fight to become the person she was, to the person she is, by trying to merge the two together and finally become the person she is supposed to be. 

In this book we see our favourite characters - Celaena, Dorian and Chaol whom all have their own journey's to take so unfortunately they don't get much or no time together. But it also brings new characters forward such as Rowan, Aedion & Manon. All three of these new characters definitely add a spark to the story and don't slow it down one bit. If anything, they add to the excitement and depth of the story and I'm definitely looking for to reading more about them. Rowan definitely has to be my favourite from the new addition and you'll see why once you read the book for yourselves. 

Heir of Fire is without a doubt a fantastic read! It's one that will make you laugh and cry and really pull on your emotions but one that also leaves you breathless because it's full of epic details and you just know that the next three books aren't going to easy for your most beloved characters. I'm almost scared to read them but I know it's going to be worth it. 

Thank you to Bloomsbury Children's Books for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

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

Posted by Donna
Release Date: August 15th, 2013
Finished Date: May 16th, 2015

Publishers: Bloomsbury 
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 304
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Divided by Love.

Celaena Sardothien, royal assassin, is the King of Adarlan's deadliest weapon. 
She must win her freedom through his enemies' blood - but she cannot bear to kill for the crown. 
And every death Celaena fakes, every lie she tells, put those she loves at risk.

Torn between her two protectors - a captain and a prince - and battling a dark force far greater than the king, Celaena must decide what she will fight for: her liberty, her heart or the fate of a kingdom...

The Review: Crown of Midnight was one of my most anticipated reads but I tried to read it when it was first released but I had too much trouble remembering what had happened in Throne of Glass. So I put Crown of Midnight down and it’s only because I recently listened to Throne of Glass on audio that I’ve been able to finally dig in to this beauty of a book. I’m glad I did the re-read though because I definitely forgot a lot of important details.

Celeana Sardothien is the royal assassin to the King of Adarlan after she won the position where she much serve the King for next several year but will eventually gain her freedom. Now she must carry out the King’s deadly tasks and take down the people that threaten his position as King. But Celeana being Celeana – head strong, determined and feisty she will never follow the King and tries to stop his plans but by doing so, she risks all she loves. But her journey is far from over and the deeper she unravels the mysteries of the castle, the more she discovers about magic and the importance of her role.

Admittedly Crown of Midnight does have a slow start but because I’m so invested in the story and characters, it didn’t bother me. It was like catching up with old friends and I loved every minute of it. It’s once you hit the halfway mark that things seriously take a turn and the story becomes impossible to put down. Exciting, thrilling and so engaging this story doesn’t have a dull moment and the author really starts weaving in all the answers to the questions you’ve collected throughout the story. And the answers, the answers will simply blow you away! I wasn’t prepared for them but I’m in awe of the master piece that is this book and it shows you how talented Sarah J. Maas is!

Is there anyone more badass than Celeana? Seriously this woman is amazing! Is there anything she can’t do? She’s become stronger and stronger with every turn of the series and has continued to grow and become someone to admire with her determination and courage. It’s hard not to love her! But there’s definitely more to Celeana than meets the eye and this is the book where we really discover her secrets and it left me reeling. And the story wouldn’t be complete without the two leading guys – Dorian and Chaol – whom I love for both completely different reasons.

Crown of Midnight was definitely worth the wait but that ending, gosh, I’m so glad I have Heir of Fire at hand so I don’t have to wait to see what happens next. Amazing! Well done Sarah J. Maas for delivering a worthy sequel!

Thank you to Bloomsbury for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Review} A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Posted by Donna
Release Date: May 7th, 2015
Finished Date: January 27th, 2015

Publishers: Bloomsbury Children's
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 432

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

The breathtaking start to a seductive high-fantasy from New York Times bestselling author of Throne of Glass series.

Feyre’s survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price.

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre’s presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

The Review: Sarah J. Maas can simply do no wrong when it comes to writing fantastic fantasy stories because A Court of Thorns and Roses is a magical and deadly start to a brilliantly crafted new series. 

Feyre's job has been to look after her family and when the winter months come, her skills are pushed to the limits because she needs to provide for her family otherwise, it means they starve. So when she sees a wolf in the forest going after a deer - a deer that she needs, it's there that she knows she needs to kill the distracted wolf, but doing so comes at a price. For killing the wolf she must forfeit her life and live in a magical kingdom with faeries - and her captor in particular is hiding more than he says. Feyre has a role to play, one where she must help break an ancient curse otherwise the faeries will lose everything they have. But can Feyre come to love the person who has taken her away from all she loves? 

As soon as I heard about A Court of Thorns and Roses I knew I wanted to read it. A retelling of my favourite Disney fairy tale but written by Sarah J. Maas? Who would want to miss out on this masterpiece? I just knew it would be amazing and of course, Sarah delivered in every way. Even with the slow start to the story, I just knew it would all be worth it in the end and it was. It really was. Because if you like a good retelling with strong minded role models, with an awesome plot and a touch of magic, then this is for you. 

Prythian is a scary place. If you're a human, you really don't want to be there. So I honestly felt for Feyre because how do you ever find peace when you always have to be on your guard? Prythian is full of nasty and scary creatures popping up whenever they like and it's truly dangerous. Not just for Feyre but for Tamlin and his workers to. Tamlin is always telling Feyre to not wonder. Stay indoors. But Feyre is curious and like I said before, very strong minded that her curiosity gets the best of her and it leads to some dangerous but exciting scenes which added the right mix to the story. I loved that Feyre wasn't a push over. She sticks up for herself. She hardly ever breaks down - even though I know I would have many of times. I admire her for this. She's not weak in any way form and once she starts to build that connection to Tamlin and Lucien, in my eyes, she only becomes stronger. 

Her connection to Tamlin is a slow one. It's one that comes with many frustrating times but added to the suspense to the story. There relationship grows and really blossoms and by the end, it's hard not to sigh when these two are together. You can see they still have a tough journey ahead of them but I'm looking forward to reading more. 

In all, A Court of Thorns and Roses is definitely a read you'll want to read this year because Sarah J. Maas will drag you in with her beautiful well written story and will capture your full attention leaving you wanting more.

Thank you to Bloomsbury for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Review} A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: May 7th, 2015
Finished Date: January 27th, 2015

Publishers: Bloomsbury Children's
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
Source: For Review
Format: eARC

Pages: 432

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

The breathtaking start to a seductive high-fantasy from New York Times bestselling author of Throne of Glass series.

Feyre’s survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price.

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre’s presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

The Review: WOW! I totally loved this! It had everything I could look for in a fantasy book. Feyre was the sort of character that can be admired, she was versatile and became who she had to be - depending on her circumstances. In the beginning she is the survivor, the hunter and the bread winner – she had to be, her family would not have survived without her and she came across as cold hearted but again - she had to be. Her world was based on survival, day to day just trying to get by and survive, love never entered her world, it never entered her heart until she killed the wolf and her world became something else. When Tamlin and Lucien enter her life we get to see a new side to her, of course when she is first taken she is full of hostility, she doesn’t want to be there and isn’t afraid to let them know it. She can feel the resentment of them both but Tamlin makes the effort with her and slowly she rises to the surface, who she would have been without needing to ensure her family is safe. As she begins to relax in their company and they in turn make the effort with her – she blossoms. When love is given to her, when she loves in return….. she becomes something she never thought she would be and that is a warrior, someone who would stop at nothing to save those who she loved. It was extremely satisfying to see her bloom into a woman, one who allowed love into her cold heart and someone who hated those who had enslaved the humans but came to see them as family. The relationship that developed between Feyre and Tamlin was so sweet and tentative, it took time and wasn’t insta love. I craved the moments between them, could feel every patter of her heart when he did something sweet for her and routed for them right up until the very end. I was glad that this was NA so that we got some steamier sexytime between them, it definitely added to the emotion of the book. The storyline was fab, it had a dystopian feel to it in the beginning with Feyre hunting and trying to keep her family fed, it’s a very bleak world that they live in and you can feel it through Feyre. When she is taken by Tamlin it becomes more fantasy as we enter the world of fairie. The world inhabited by Tamlin was beautiful, some of the descriptions of places and fae were lovely and like Feyre wanted to paint them, I wanted to see them. The first half of the book is very much devoted to getting to know the characters and the world and also seeing the relationship develop between Feyre & Tamlin. There are also threats that happen to her from more dangerous fae when she is shown just how scary they can be but we also get to see her changing opinion of them through these encounters. Tamlin’s estate becomes safe for her but we are always reminded of the dangers that can happen. We are aware that Tamlin’s court has a curse placed upon it but everyone is tight lipped about it and it’s up to Feyre to work things out, we are given hints but no one is ever forthcoming with information until Feyre’s existence and meaning to Tamlin is revealed – then it really hits the fan and Tamlin makes the ultimate sacrifice to keep her safe. Once we start to get information about what is truly going on in their world, the plot really quickens and becomes more action driven. We finally find out who is running the show and what that means for Tamlin. Feyre really comes into her own and realises just what he means to her, what she is willing to fight for and what she plans to do about it. She is put through her paces in quests that are designed to kill her, she must win to release Tamlin’s court and any hopes of a happy ever after. The action, plotting, fights…everything was brilliant here, the story had been so subdued to a certain point and then everything is flung on its head and it all rests on Feyre’s shoulders showing us just what she has become and creating a thrilling conclusion that had my heart beating so fast and breaking at the same time – it was just wonderful and I loved it! The world was beautiful, filled with fantastical beasts, fairies and the likes, there is a curse to be broken, love to be found and above all hope – hope that there was a better life to be had. I can’t fault this in anyway and I will be definitely waiting for the sequel. 

Thank you to Bloomsbury for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

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

Posted by Melanie
Release Date: September 11th, 2014
Finished Date: August 17th, 2014

Publishers: Bloomsbury UK
Genre: YA Fantasy
Source: For Review
Format: eARC

Pages: 585

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy. 

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?

The Review: Heir of Fire is the stunning third book in the Throne of Glass series and like its predecessors – it was awesome!
This book felt like a game changer as Celaena takes on a voyage of true self discovery. She is a different person in this, rather broken and feeling like she has failed all of those people who believed in her. Nehemia’s sacrifice has opened up a lot of wounds and it seems like she can’t get past them. She sacrifices everything in the hopes that someone will have answers in Wendlyn on how to stop the King and his dark magic but what she finds is something different. She is forced to train, to embrace her Fae side, to prove that she is worthy of the knowledge she is trying to obtain – and because we’re talking about Celaena here – she will do it the hard way. We are introduced to Rowan, a fae prince under the rule of Maeve, the fae Queen and he is forced to see to Celaenas training – with not so great results – as they both clash. During this training they uncover some deadly secrets as the enemy seems to have followed Celaena with its own agenda bringing new and even more deadly foes in its wake leading to a massive battle that they just might not win.
Elsewhere, Chaol starts investigating in Adarlan in an effort not only to keep his charge Dorian safe but also Celaena – even if she is potentially their biggest threat. What he now knows about the king is something he isn’t comfortable with because of the threat it poses to Dorian and whilst Chaol has no love for the king, his fealty will forever be with the Prince – even if they aren’t the best of friends right now. What Chaol uncovers will really start to challenge his beliefs and I liked that he was open minded enough to try and take in the truth, that Celeana had opened his eyes and his heart to fight for what is right, even if he doesn’t know what that is yet. Dorian wasn’t in this as much but when we did see him, he was trying to quell his magic so that no one would find out and it’s also how he finds love. It was so gratifying to see him move onto someone following his feelings for Celaena, something sweet and untainted that gave him some hope. One thing for certain is that Celaena has certainly opened all of their eyes making them challenge everything and they ALL now know the true enemy.
As if that isn’t enough, we also have a new clan to meet and this clan may not be on our favourite characters team, in fact they are brutal, deadly and stone cold. They are also in the pocket of someone who can give them what they had lost long ago – which would make them a very formidable opponent indeed.
So, there are a lot of things going on in this book, told from at least 5 points of view that give a great & varied view into all that is going on across the kingdoms. The enemies seem to be piling up and the new ones introduced throughout are very scary indeed, if they can make our assassin quake then you know they’re trouble. The world is opened up a lot more too and we’re off to new shores, meeting new people, seeing new kinds of magic as well as keeping up with happenings in Adarlan through Chaol & Dorian. I mentioned that this feels like a game changer because you can feel the players taking their sides, swaying in direction or making solid alliances. We find that Celaena already has a following through rumours & hearsay about her true identity, that she is alive but it remains to be seen whether she will embrace that destiny and maybe that’s what the training is all about. There’s not so much in the romance department this time as only Dorian gets a little action and I did miss the three – Celaena, Chaol & Dorian – together, investigating the castle, legends & magic but I totally understand why the separation needed to happen and I’m seriously looking forward to the reunion. This was again filled with action, mystery, battles, magic, betrayal, acceptance and all of the things you would expect from this absolutely fantastic fantasy series and that ending? It’s a shocker! – I couldn’t recommend this series enough – simply stunning! 

Thank you to  Bloomsbury UK for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.