Title: A Court of Frost and Starlight
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Pages: 229
Publication date: 1st May 2018
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: fiction, fantasy
About the book
Hope warms the coldest night.
Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve.
Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated--scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.
Review
The ACOTAR series has fast become one of my all-time favourite series and if you've read my reviews on the first three full instalments, then you'll know that I absolutely loved each and every one, so when it came to picking up this 229 page novella, I really didn't know what to expect. This is a ~ c h o n k y ~ series and very action packed from the get go, and it left me wondering what, exactly, was Maas going to do with these characters with such a little book.
This is where this book was both a breathe of fresh air and a bit of a (and I HATE to say this) let down for me. I know, I know, but hear me out.
Nothing really happened in this book expect the lead up - and day of - Winter Solstice, which also happens to be Feyre's birthday. There's no major action scenes, there's no huge plot developments (well, there is the beginning of one but there's no spoilers here). This book is the most 'normal' we've seen these characters and I was kinda hoping that this little novella would end on a huge cliff hanger that would set up ACOSF, but we didn't get that, so that's where the disappointment lies for me. However, I feel like we just got to be with the characters in this book and I absolutely loved that. I loved that we got to spend just a little time with them when they're normal and happy and going about their daily lives. There were some really cute and domestic Feysand scenes and one of the highlights of this series for me, is the scenes with the Inner Circle, and the fact that this book has them all together again makes me so, so happy.
A Court of Wings and Ruin was so heavily action packed and so full-on, and so it was nice to just see these characters, that I've come to love so, so much, just be happy.
This book is more of a 3.5 star rating for me, but you can bet that I did not hesitate to round it up to 4 stars, because, despite there being no huge cliff-hanger that I was hoping for, it was a hug in a book and I got so spend a little bit more time with my favourite characters.
Verdict: ★★★★
Pages: 229
Publication date: 1st May 2018
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: fiction, fantasy
About the book
Hope warms the coldest night.
Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve.
Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated--scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.
Review
The ACOTAR series has fast become one of my all-time favourite series and if you've read my reviews on the first three full instalments, then you'll know that I absolutely loved each and every one, so when it came to picking up this 229 page novella, I really didn't know what to expect. This is a ~ c h o n k y ~ series and very action packed from the get go, and it left me wondering what, exactly, was Maas going to do with these characters with such a little book.
This is where this book was both a breathe of fresh air and a bit of a (and I HATE to say this) let down for me. I know, I know, but hear me out.
Nothing really happened in this book expect the lead up - and day of - Winter Solstice, which also happens to be Feyre's birthday. There's no major action scenes, there's no huge plot developments (well, there is the beginning of one but there's no spoilers here). This book is the most 'normal' we've seen these characters and I was kinda hoping that this little novella would end on a huge cliff hanger that would set up ACOSF, but we didn't get that, so that's where the disappointment lies for me. However, I feel like we just got to be with the characters in this book and I absolutely loved that. I loved that we got to spend just a little time with them when they're normal and happy and going about their daily lives. There were some really cute and domestic Feysand scenes and one of the highlights of this series for me, is the scenes with the Inner Circle, and the fact that this book has them all together again makes me so, so happy.
A Court of Wings and Ruin was so heavily action packed and so full-on, and so it was nice to just see these characters, that I've come to love so, so much, just be happy.
This book is more of a 3.5 star rating for me, but you can bet that I did not hesitate to round it up to 4 stars, because, despite there being no huge cliff-hanger that I was hoping for, it was a hug in a book and I got so spend a little bit more time with my favourite characters.
Verdict: ★★★★
Title: A Court of Wings and Ruin
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Pages: 705
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication date: May 2nd 2017
Genre: fiction
About the book
Feyre will bring vengeance.
She has left the Night Court - and her High Lord - and is playing a deadly game of deceit. In the Spring Court, Tamlin is making deals with the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees, and Feyre is determined to uncover his plans. But to do so she must weave a web of lies, and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.
As mighty armies grapple for power, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords - and hunt for allies in unexpected places.
But while war rages, it is her heart that will face the greatest battle.
Review (Spoilers for books one & two!)
If you've read my other reviews on books one and two in the ACOTAR series, you'll know that I have instantly become immersed in the world of Prythian and it's kinda taken over my life (dramatic, but true) and A Court of Mist and Fury (book #2) especially, became one of my all time favourite books and I knew, just knew, that nothing could top that in this series for me. So whilst I still loved A Court of Wings and Ruin, it didn't quite top ACOMAF, but it was still very, very good, nonetheless.
The thing that stood out for me the most in this book was the complexity of the plot and how Maas created a story that is both engaging and highly entertaining with twists and turns along the way. I stopped trying to guess what would happen throughout this book as Maas has a tendency to completely rip away all expectations and assumptions and instead throws in unpredictable plot twists that completely flips the story on it's head, in the most wonderful way.
The majority of this book focuses on the build up towards the final battle against Hybern and the preparations the Night Court, along with all the other courts, are undertaking to ready for the war. Let me be clear, this is a very war heavy story, which is something we have been anticipating throughout the series, especially in the second book, and A Court of Wings and Ruin completely exceeded all my expectations. The TENSION, my god. I loved the dialogue and the interaction between all the Courts and their High Lords. Each High Lord brought something different to the table in terms of personality and temperament which made it very easy to differentiate between them all, which is something I feared I would struggle with but it wasn't an issue whatsoever. Having all seven High Lords present within this book really did open my eyes to the fictional world of Prythian and made me fall in love with it even more so than I already was - plus, there were a few High Lords I'd be very interested in reading more about in the future!
The actual battle scenes were great too and very well written and even heartbreaking at times. Maas proves time and time again what a wonderful writer she is and how diverse she can be. This portion of the book was fast-paced and full of drama, which is exactly what I expected and hoped for and I was not let down a single bit throughout these scenes. I also want to say, AMREN HOLY SH*T, you go girl.
The ONE thing I feel like was missing from this book, was the focus on Feyre and Rhysand and the general lack of anything relationship driven between the two of them. Yes, there are plenty of scenes with them together as High Lord and High Lady of the Night Court, but not in the same way that the previous books showed them. I feel like books #1 and #2 focused heavily on the romance aspect as much as they did the plot, but the #Feysand scenes were a bit lacklustre in ACOWAR and this was my main frustration with this book. Maybe it's because there was just so, so much going on in this book and given that it's just over 700 pages, that's a LOT of action. But I'd have happily have read another 50 or so pages if it meant we got a deeper insight into Feyre and Rhysand's relationship because goddamit they are just such a dynamic duo when they're together and they bounce off each other so well, which makes me a little bit sad that we didn't get as much of that as I would have liked. Or maybe it's because Feyre and Rhysand are together now, that tension and that build up wasn't considered necessary, but heaven only knows I missed it when reading this book and is ultimately why I didn't enjoy this book as much as the others.
One thing that really shocked me throughout this book - in a good way - was how much I now like Nesta. I mentioned in one of my previous reviews how much she irritated me, and if I think back to the first book, she still does to some extent, but she's changed and matured but still has that unreadable, no-nonsense-says-it-how-it-is attitude that is very much Nesta. Not only that, but she now has new, unidentified powers which makes me SO exited for A Court of Silver Flames that's due out next month. Whilst Feyre is completely immersed in her new role and new life as High Lady, Nesta is stuck in a battle of wanting to protect Elain, but also fighting an inner urge within herself and you can see the beginnings of said internal battles play out throughout this book.
This is the first book in this series that I've had a little moan about, but I don't want to take away from the fact that this is still a very, very good book. Would I read it again? Absolutely. I've seen a lot of people moan about the lack of deaths in this series and this book especially, but that doesn't bother me. I loved this installment, perhaps not as much as the others, but I still very much enjoyed it and I'm excited to see what comes next for these characters.
Verdict: ★★★★
This post might be a little late, but better late than never, right? Lately, I've been really, REALLY into series. There's just something about spending so much time with characters and stories and different worlds. I never was one for series and it I used to always take breaks inbetween books, but lately, I just want to devour a whole book series in one go. There are some series on my shelves that I've yet to start, or series in which I've read the first book and not finished the rest of the series, so this year, I'm going to make it my mission to read as many series as possible!
After by Anna Todd
I love me some smut (don't judge me) and this one came highly recommended by a friend. This story follows Tessa, who is a very well-behaved and ambitious to do well in life. She also has a sweet, reliable boyfriend and a mother who is intent to keep her good ways about her. Tessa moves away to college and it's there that she meets bad boy Hardin and his crowd of friends and we follow Tessa as she struggles to accept what she really wants in life. The first two books have been adapted into films and I've seen the first one and whilst it was 'okay', I wasn't blown away by it, however, I've heard the books are so much better and I'm excited to see what all the fuss is about.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
I read the first book back in September 2019 and I really enjoyed it but never picked up the next two books for some unbeknownst reason to myself. We follow the story of Scarlett and Tella, who live on their tiny island with their abusive father. However, Scarlett dreams of seeing Caraval - the annual, magical performance where the audience participates in the show. The sisters run away to see Caraval, but it seems that this year, Caraval revolves around Tella, who is kidnapped as soon as they arrive and whoever finds her first is the winner. Scarlett has been warned that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate perfomance but nevertheless, she becomes completely immersed in a game of love, heartbreak and magic. I'm probably going to re-read the first book, as I remember it was very adventure heavy and there's probably some major plot points that I've forgotten, but I'm excited to get through this series as I know I loved the first book.
ACOTAR by Sarah J. Maas
This is a series that I've completely fallen in love with. I read the first book at the end of December and have just started A Court of Frost and Starlight (book #3.5). A Court of Silver Flames is due out this month and I'm so excited to continue with this series. I'm listening to the audio book throughout the working day too because I just CANNOT. GET. ENOUGH. This story follows Feyre, as she is is brought into the immortal lands of Prythian after killing a fearie. Her life is forever changed and we follow her adventures as she navigates through her new life. This is a retelling of Beauty & the Beast as well as the lesser known fairytale "Tam Lin" and it's honestly just so, so good and I'm kicking myself for not having picked it up sooner.
Scythe (Arc of a Scythe) by Neal Shusterman
Again, this is a series I started and never finished. I've read books one and two but will 100% re-read these again as SO much happens and the books are so action packed. I remember exactly how the 2nd book ended and it was such a cliff hanger and I honestly do not have a single reason as to why I haven't picked up the 3rd book yet. Scythe is set in a world with no hunger, no disease, no war, and no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control. Citra and Rowan are chosen to train to become a scythe under an apprenticeship —a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.
Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard) by Scott Lynch
I honestly haven't read too much into this series, all I know is that it follows the tales and adventures of Lock Lamora, who is a talented and infamous thief - and that's basically the extent of my knowledge. Immediately it sounds right up my street and I'm kinda glad I'm going in basically blind to the narrative because I think this is a series that will be highly entertaining and full of action and adventure! It's been sitting on my shelf for a while now and I'm eager to complete this series this year!
Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
I've read the first two books in this series and I recall enjoying them but not being blown away by them and so I'm just going to pick up the next instalment whenever it takes my fancy. This series follows Becky, who is comically bad with money, yet works as a financial advisor. It's your typical rom-com feel-good series that is entertaining and laugh-out-loud at times. If I'm blown away by a series, I will typically binge read them but this one is a 9 book series (which is a lot of books for one series!) and I don't feel the need to read them all in one go but instead take my time with them, so I'll be picking these books up throughout the year!
What series are you looking forward to reading this year?
Again, this is a series I started and never finished. I've read books one and two but will 100% re-read these again as SO much happens and the books are so action packed. I remember exactly how the 2nd book ended and it was such a cliff hanger and I honestly do not have a single reason as to why I haven't picked up the 3rd book yet. Scythe is set in a world with no hunger, no disease, no war, and no misery. Humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so, in order to keep the size of the population under control. Citra and Rowan are chosen to train to become a scythe under an apprenticeship —a role that neither wants. These teens must master the “art” of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.
Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard) by Scott Lynch
I honestly haven't read too much into this series, all I know is that it follows the tales and adventures of Lock Lamora, who is a talented and infamous thief - and that's basically the extent of my knowledge. Immediately it sounds right up my street and I'm kinda glad I'm going in basically blind to the narrative because I think this is a series that will be highly entertaining and full of action and adventure! It's been sitting on my shelf for a while now and I'm eager to complete this series this year!
Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
I've read the first two books in this series and I recall enjoying them but not being blown away by them and so I'm just going to pick up the next instalment whenever it takes my fancy. This series follows Becky, who is comically bad with money, yet works as a financial advisor. It's your typical rom-com feel-good series that is entertaining and laugh-out-loud at times. If I'm blown away by a series, I will typically binge read them but this one is a 9 book series (which is a lot of books for one series!) and I don't feel the need to read them all in one go but instead take my time with them, so I'll be picking these books up throughout the year!
What series are you looking forward to reading this year?
Title: A Court of Mist and Fury
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Pages: 626
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication date: May 3rd 2016
Genre: fiction
About the book
Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.
Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.
Review
I'm flying through the ACOTAR series (I'm already about 400 pages into the third book, which is fast for me!) and it's no surprising that I loved this installment just as much - if not more - than the first book given that A Court of Mist and Fury is so, so action packed and full of adventure despite the fact that there was also a tonne of character development and slow-burning romance (which we'll get onto later!)
Let's start with Feyre though, shall we? I mentioned in my ACOTAR review that I really liked Feyre as a character but I loved her in ACOMAF. Like, SO much. Is it weird to be kinda proud of a character? Maybe, but that's the best way I can describe how I felt about her in this book. Without giving out too many spoilers, I was really heartbroken for her at the beginning of the book and my heart went out to her, but by the end, she was a completely different person (in the most wonderful way) and I'm HERE FOR IT. The events that unfolded in the first book truely tore her apart, but she finds her true self in ACOMAF and she becomes a fierce, wild and daring - but also compassionate and merciful - character who can hold her own and knows her own mind and it's one of the best examples of character development I've read in a long, long time.
I don't want to say too much about the other characters because spoilers would then be extremely obvious but let's just say this; A Court of Mist and Fury is a reality check. Feyre isn't the only character who had character development like no other, and characters from the first book are completely flipped on their head in ACOMAF and I'm one hundred percent here for exactly that. If you read my review on the first book, I mentioned how Tamlin was a disappointment towards the end of the book and how he kinda just sat on the sidelines during Feyre's very, very brutal trails and didn't even TRY to intervene whilst Rhysand, who is apparently Tamlin's enemy, fights more and does more for Feyre than Tamlin did during their time Under the Mountain. Again - trying not to give spoilers - but I'm so, so satisfied with how things turned out for Tamlin, Feyre and Rhysand. I kinda had a teeny inkling of what might happen in this book but Maas blew me away with how it was executed.
I also mentioned in my last review how I was glad there wasn't a tonne of characters. We are introduced to a lot more characters in ACOMAF but I'm not entirely mad at it. The main bulk of the new characters comes from Rhysand's Inner Circle and the dynamic between them was incredible. We have the beautiful and fierce Morrigan, the strange and not-quite-of-this-earth Amren (who was my personal favourite out of the Inner Circle), cocky and arrogant Cassian and finally, the quiet and watchful Azriel. The four of them, plus Rhysand, made for entertaining dialogue and they ALL served a purpose to the story. They ALL has an important role to play and none of them felt like they were there for the sake of bulking out characters. There was a real sense of family between them and we get to know each of their tragic backgrounds, which makes it very easy to root for all of them. Then we're introduced to the King of Hybern, the mortal queens, Tarquin and Ianthe - again, all characters that gave something to the story. Alongside these new characters, we still see some old faces besides the main characters; Feyre's sisters Elain and Nesta along with Tamlin's emissary Lucien all make regular appearances throughout.
Okay, enough about the characters, let's get into what the book is REALLY talked about for; the romance, which seems to be make or break on people's opinions on these books. There's no denying that the romance is heavy and Maas focus's equally on the romance aspect as well as the adventure and action side of things. I thought the romance was really, really well done but I can absolutely see why it would be too much for some people. There's a lot of it, and when it gets heavy, it gets HEAVY. Having said that, Feyre is in complete control the whole time and the romance is a healthy and lively portrayal of a relationship and I was completely consumed by it. There was a real sense of mutual respect and honesty for each other; one did not outweigh the other in terms of power and status and they were equals in every right and it was downright empowering. The tension is hot as hell but the hilarious banter, spark and chemistry between them is what got me truely hooked. However, like I previously mentioned, this book is heavy on the steaminess, so if that's not your thing, them you might just want to skim read a few select chapters because this book goes ALL out. If you've read ACOTAR and thought that was raunchy, you're WRONG. This book is ten times more erotic than the first, hands down.
In terms of the world-building and the writing; Maas has somehow managed to expand the boarders of everything we knew about Prythian from the first book. There is so much more depth and history to this book that it seems we only got a very, very small glint of this crazy and monstrous world that we were introduced to in ACOTAR. We get to see so much more of the feared and mysterious Night Court and it's a completely different and vivid experience compared to the Spring Court that the first book focused on. Don't get me wrong, the two were never going to be the same, but they might as well have been on completely different continents. I was blown away by the Night Court. I expected something dark and eerie and unearthly frightening, and whilst there are certainly elements of all of those things, there was also so much light and life and grace and charm that emanates from within the boarders of the Night Court. We are introduced the city of Valaris in the Night Court, which is just so, so stunning and echos all that is good in a Court that has such a disheartening reputation; both of the Court itself and its High Lord.
The plot isn't anything super fast paced in terms of actual happenings and it's more focused on the build-up to the inevitable war that's raging in Hybern, but given that these are chunky books with small font, I feel like there was enough happening to keep me fully gripped whilst knowing there's much, much more to come in the next book. I honestly did not see the ending coming but I'm living for it. Maas has this tendency to completely flip things on their head in the most wonderful way and it leaves you instantly craving more. I was gripped at every single word and I'm already contemplating how long is an acceptable time to re-read this book (and the whole series!) again. Maas has absolutely outdone herself and I can honestly say, that this book might just be one of my all-time favorite books, ever.
Verdict: ★★★★★
Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Pages: 419
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication date: May 5th 2015
Genre: fiction
About the book
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.
Review
This is one of those books (and series) that I've put off reading for so, so long because JESUS these books are loved by a lot of people. Whenever a book (or a series of books) are this hyped, I always put off reading them and usually wait for the hype to settle down. Well, the hype for these books seems to never be settling down, and to be completely honest, I'm a tad bored with reading Christmas romance novels (don't judge me) and I wanted something completely different and I was itching to pick up something from the fantasy genre, which I haven't done in a long, long time.
Going into ACOTAR, I knew that, besides having a massive fan base, it was based on Beauty & the Beast, which (if I'm honest) isn't my favourite story of all time. Having said that, I really, really enjoyed this book and was kinda taken aback by how much I instantly got sucked into the story. The world-building is imaginative and thoroughly well thought out; from the different Courts in Prythian, to the mortal/immortal divide, to the lesser faeries and High Fea - everything was so detailed and so vivid which, for me, is hugely important for creating a dramatic and memorable world to become completely immersed into.
Sarah J. Maas's writing truely is fascinating and expressive and I loved that about this book, however, one tiny little niggle that I have is that the pacing was a little off for me. The beginning and the ending were fast paced, dramatic and had me wanting to read chapter after chapter. The middle section of the book however, was much slower and didn't give me that omg-I-need-to-know-what-happens-next feeling. That's not to say it was bad - because it certainly wasn't - it was just that I wanted more. You could argue that the author took her time building the relationship between Feyre and Tamlin, which is never a bad thing, but there was just that little element of something missing that I didn't get from the middle section of the book.
Aside from that, I really can't fault this story. I loved all of the side characters and even the characters I didn't like (Amarantha, I'm looking at you) I still loved to hate. It's a true testament to an author's writing when you can hate a character so much but LOVE that you hate them. There actually weren't as many characters as I was expecting, which I personally prefer as my confused little brain struggles to keep up with a tonne of characters, but each character had their own solid storylines and they never felt like 'filler' characters. Each added something to the story and I think because the story wasn't overloaded with too many characters, the characters that were included were well formed and meaningful to the plot.
The story follows Feyre, and is told from her perspective. I really liked Feyre as a character; she was strong and knew her own mind and was willing to do anything to save the ones she loved, both before and during her time in Prythian. She was constantly mistreated by her father and sisters, yet still risked going into the woods each day to hunt for food. And then whilst in Prythian, events eventually lead up to her facing the trails of Amarantha. It's difficult to say more without giving spoilers, but Feyre proves time and time again just how much she is willing to sacrifice in order to save others and I loved that about her. I have to say though, that Tamlin was a bit of a disappointment. Again, I don't want to say too much and give the story away, but towards the end, he put very little effort into anything and kinda just watched from the sidelines (if you know, you know) and I didn't like that about him. It seemed as if the side characters had more will to fight than Tamlin did and whilst he wasn't a bad character, he was... frustrating towards the end.
As a first time Maas reader, I have to give credit where credit is due. I was completely sucked into this story and flew through it. Was is perfect? No. Do I care? Also no. I have fallen in love with this story and her writing and I'm desperate to continue with this series and see what comes of Feyre and where her journey will take her next.
Verdict: ★★★★★
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