Review: Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

Lair Of Dreams (The Diviners #2)

Goodreads | Link to Order | Libba Bray's Twitter

Rating: ⋆⋆⋆(3.5 though)

Published: 25th August (UK)

Official Synopsis: After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O'Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. Now that the world knows of her ability to "read" objects, and therefore, read the past, she has become a media darling, earning the title, "America's Sweetheart Seer." But not everyone is so accepting of the Diviners' abilities...

Meanwhile, mysterious deaths have been turning up in the city, victims of an unknown sleeping sickness. Can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld and catch a killer?

Review:

I loved The Diviners and I've always sung its praises to anyone who will listen, so naturally I was over the moon to receive Lair of Dreams when Netgalley was offering it to the first 500 requesters. I've speculated for (literally) years about what might happen in Lair of Dreams, pinned my hopes on certain things happening, and quietly rooted for characters whilst they were in Libba Bray's capable hands. I absolutely adore Libba Bray's writing – every book since the Gemma Doyle Trilogy.

But here we meet our problem. If I were to give this book a rating based on how much I respect and admire its author, it would receive the full five stars. It's therefore awful for me to rate this book with three and a half stars when in my imagination before reading, I was sure it would be another five stars as I gave to The Diviners. And don't get me wrong, the writing is consistently beautiful, the characters (all eight narrators!) are fully fleshed and individual and unique. But my problem was that I think there was just too many of them.

In Lair of Dreams we have Ling Chang, Henry, Theta, Evie, Sam, Jericho, Mabel, and Memphis narrating the story as well as POVs of mysterious unnamed people. Eight narrators is quite a feat, most of all because I find it's often books with so many narrators that tend to drag. With the individual subplots, it's hard to form an overview in my mind of Lair of Dreams as a whole with any clarity. The action was few and far between (which is a shame because Bray is very gifted at action sequences in particular) and most frustrating to me was that in my opinion, none of the problems left over in The Diviners were even half solved like I had hoped they might be. More information is given but overall, nothing I'd been eagerly anticipated really comes to a head.

The other problem with having eight narrators is that I have an absolute favourite one – Jericho, who I love endlessly – and he got so little page time that he can probably barely be listed as one of the eight narrators. My favourite moments in Lair of Dreams usually involved him – particularly his interactions with Sam (Sam sat up. "I'm trying to understand all this–" "Don't strain," Jericho muttered). Jericho has a subplot which barely reached a crescendo, and is left for the next book to be explored. So halfway through this book, despite enjoying the lavish descriptions of the dream world and getting to know our new character Ling, I just wasn't feeling it. Luckily, the last quarter of Lair of Dreams saved it from being a total write-off to me, but I was still left feeling disheartened. I experienced none of the buzz and feeling of this is unlike anything I've ever read before that I experienced when I turned the last page of The Diviners. Which is a real shame, but having said that, it is not a bad book. It is just a weaker book compared to its predecessor, and I do think that many things could have been removed for the sake of pacing.

Now, out of fear of making this all doom and gloom, I have to say that I loved the world building and the subtleties included. It's very clear that an extensive, incredible amount of research has gone into the creation of Lair of Dreams, and it shows. The time era, New York City, and real historical tensions and problems of the time are expertly woven into our characters' lives. It's because of this, and because of how absolutely enchanting Libba Bray's writing style is, that I am so regretful of not being able to rate this book higher. The stakes were just not high enough to make Lair of Dreams as interesting as I feel it could have been.

I realise there is an immense pressure in the YA industry to get books out a fast as possible–and Lair of Dreams was already pushed back–but I do think that books on this scale and size should be given as long as they can possibly be given to develop. In fact, the word count was so big that I suspect small nudges to the events of The Diviners were sacrificed. Considering the length of time between the two books and how large The Diviners is, I'm sure many readers will not have the time to have a quick re-read before reading Lair of Dreams, and the narration does not do much–if anything–to help jog the reader's memory as I would expect of a sequel. The suspense was lacking, the threat wasn't all that scary (until towards the end), and only the setting, historical and current issues (such as racism and human trafficking), and the already-loved characters were keeping me on board.

Overall, this is series with astronomical potential which was sadly, in my opinion, not realised in this novel. Having said that, I hold bags of hope and faith for further books in The Diviners series to redeem it. And despite the cons to Lair of Dreams, I still maintain that anything Libba Bray ever writes is something I will be head over heels eager to read. There were points of absolute brilliance in the writing and witty dialogue, but on this occasion, as a whole, it did not hit the mark. However, I am confident there is plenty of time and room to salvage what was not achieved in this instalment.

"It was science and it was magic, a blend, like her, and it was more beautiful than anything."

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Review: An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember In The Ashes

Goodreads | Link to Order | Sabaa Tahir's Twitter

Rating: ⋆⋆⋆⋆(4.5, though)

Published: 4th June 2015 (UK)

Official Synopsis: Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Side note: I talk a little about Blackcliff which is an enclosed academy where they train the elite soldiers called Masks (where Elias is nearing graduation.) The discipline for deserting is a public death, and if you're suspected of sympathising with Scholars (the oppressed) you could be investigated and then whipped or killed. Even looking at the Commandant wrong (or at all!) is punishable by whipping. It's a delightful place.

Review:

I cannot remember the last time a book caused me so much STRESS. I had a love-hate relationship with the level of stress throughout the novel and well, I think in the end love won, because the characters in An Ember In The Ashes are now up there with some of my favourites (Elias Veturius, be still my beating heart!) Also, the cover is one of the most beautiful covers I've seen in a long time, especially so in hardback.

That aside, An Ember In The Ashes is a truly, truly stunning debut novel. The world Tahir weaves is vibrant and painful and beautiful. At first, I was a little worried about noticing some familiar dystopian kind of tropes (dead parents, orphan on a mission, evil overlords, an underground resistance group), but I soon totally forgot about them as the story's originality worked its magic on me.

The pacing is unreal in its ferocity, and the alternating points of view of Elias and Laia were so individually beautiful that I never found myself favouring either point of view more – they were both brilliant, and different. Even better, they are two diverse leads in a book which has reached #2 on the New York Times Bestsellers List (congrats, Sabaa!) This is HUGE for me, and for so many others who have campaigned for diverse books.

Back to the book, I woke up the morning after finishing AEITA (after also having a nightmare that I was in Blackcliff, seriously) and I realised that what makes Blackcliff Academy so terrifying (aside from children being trained to be soulless murdering soldiers and a Commandant who carves out her slaves eyes) is that in other books, there is usually a weakness to an institution – an overlooked gap in the armour. Not in Blackcliff. You can either be killed trying to escape, or risk your life on a cliff path they don't bother to patrol because people literally die trying to go down it. So, as you can tell, the stakes are HUGE in AEITA, and I think the reason I was so unbelievably stressed reading the book is that Tahir weaves her words so beautifully that when reading, you feel as trapped as Elias and Laia. Like them, you can't comprehend a way out. One of the things I loved most is that no one is safe from harm, and if something bad can happen, it probably will, but how the characters adapted and dealt with situations was what made this book so completely wonderful.

The characters all shine individually – Helene being the only girl in Blackcliff Academy, who is fierce and vicious and a force to be reckoned with, Elias being conflicted between what he wants and what will keep him alive, and Laia, an initially timid girl being forced into bravery with dangerous missions. The Commandant honestly scared me to death, Elias's grandfather added a great dynamic. I liked Keenan but I'd like to see more of him in order to warm to him more. Izzi is a standout character who I will protect to my last breath, and Cook – I liked her, but my biggest question is why does she stammer when speaking about certain things? I am losing my mind trying to figure it out.

The culture and small details are what bring AEITA vibrantly to life – the festival and the sand dunes and the trials and the attention to detail with scents and sounds. By the end of this novel, and all of the shocking moments towards the end, I felt like I'd aged 10 years due to stress, but a book which is so dark eventually left me feeling strangely uplifted. I think it goes to show how deeply I was invested in the characters and their fates. I'm glad that Tahir gave us enough without satisfying every of our wants for the characters – a victory was, more often that not, double-edged. The Augurs were a fantastic, interesting addition, as was the believable interwoven magic and supernatural creatures.

Now I've sung the highest praises (because AEITA is a favourite book of mine now) a few of the criticisms (though I hate to use that word because they're not intended to be as strong as to be criticism) are probably that sometimes the constant action was eventually draining as a reader. I had to put the book down multiple times for a breather and then return to it. I think there is such thing as an overload of action, but thankfully soon after I thought this, the Moon Festival scene came along and gave a good reprieve. I appreciate this is necessary for such an intense, awful situation, but I would have liked a few additional quieter moments just to give my poor emotions a rest. I felt like I was constantly preparing for the Commandant to appear, which shows how terrifying she is. (I guess this could be a pro because I cared so much!)
Also, a certain character kind of gives a "this was my whole evil plan" explanation towards the end which was a little underwhelming to me (mostly because I had a whole theory about Darin being free the whole time and involved in a spoilery plot point, which ended up being a really long and detailed theory haha!)

But really, the criticism is a tiny part of my overall feelings towards An Ember In The Ashes. I couldn't recommend a book more, and I really can't wait to see the fandom grow because Sabaa Tahir deserves to be up their with the big names of YA. And especially after that ending, I can't wait for book 2! There's so much more I want to say but it's either spoilery or will take me 5 pages to analyse and fangirl over. Also, I would be 100% down for novellas about Laia's parents, or Elias's earlier Blackcliff days, or the Commandant.

"There are two kinds of guilt. The kind that's a burden and the kind that gives you purpose. Let your guilt be your fuel. Let it remind you of who you want to be. Draw a line in your mind. Never cross it again. You have a soul. It's damaged but it's there. Don't let them take it from you."

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Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard (Spoiler free!)

(4 Stars)

Red Queen

Goodreads | Link to Pre-Order | Victoria's Twitter

Published: 12th February 2015 (UK)

Thank you to Orion on Netgalley for providing me with a copy for review purposes!

Official Synopsis: The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers. To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change. Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control. But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?

Review:

I have to admit, the hype surrounding this book on social media is what initially attracted me to it, because on the surface, Red Queen may come across as having the typical YA dystopian tropes – girl who comes from poverty discovers that she is different and possesses unheard of power, there is rebellion and multiple handsome boys. Up until around halfway through the novel, this is what I expected. Until everything was turned upside down with an ending more shocking than any I've read recently. 

If I'm honest, the second half of the novel saved Red Queen. The first half, I felt, was not different enough in storyline to truly be set apart from other books that I've read. Having said that, it was not  at all bad, by any stretch of the imagination. The writing was strong and fast-paced, even if I felt like more emphasis should have made been on the characterisation of Mare. For the most part, I liked her, but when I look back on reading Red Queen, she doesn't strike me as a  particularly memorable protagonist – although I do appreciate that it is a planned trilogy, and there is plenty of time for character development. What I did love about Mare was her ability to make hard choices and follow through to the end, trusting that the choices she made were made for the greater good.

The plot was strong, the focus of the book never disappearing, and while the romantic aspect did take centre stage for a while, it was relevant to the plot and especially to some major scenes at the end. I did enjoy the romantic aspects, even if Mare did yo-yo a little in which of her interests she preferred, but that is not to say that the romance overshadowed the whole plot, because to me it definitely didn't. I had hoped that Mare might make a female friend, but unfortunately the only other key female character at the palace was despised by Mare, and vice versa, so I have my fingers crossed for more female friendships in the next books! 

In the interest of keeping this spoiler free, I'll wrap this up by saying that Red Queen is not what you might expect. It initially follows dystopian tropes, but the ending had me staring at the words whispering "No ... NO?!" and turning to my sister to tell her I couldn't read on because everything was going to go drastically wrong and I couldn't bear to read through it. I actually really loved the ending, I thought it was so original and emotional, it was the closest I came to connecting with Mare and really rooting for her.

Overall, I expect Red Queen to be a very popular release this year in YA and the ending might just make it a game changer! With an ending like that, there is endless potential for the second in the trilogy and I can't wait to read it. I do recommend this book, and advise people to stick with it, not to write it off as typical dystopia, and give the characters a chance because the payoff is so worth it. Again, THAT ENDING! Red Queen is a great debut novel and hopefully is the beginning of much success for Victoria Aveyard.

Also, I think a little Lucas appreciation is in order because he was one of my top favourite characters:

"That's why they gave her to me. Because I'm dangerous." 

But Lucas shakes his head. "Lady Titanos, they gave her to you because your posture is terrible and you eat like a dog." 

I really look forward to the next two books in the trilogy and can't wait for people to get their hands on Red Queen!

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On the reviewing hiatus and more

Reviewing every book you read, as well as juggling everything else in life, is hard. I'm pretty sure anyone who says otherwise is either a) a higher form of being or b) lying. 

My aim was to review every book I read in 2014 and unfortunately, it just didn't happen. My most shameful moment was to have to take my Goodreads reading challenge down by 10 books (don't judge me!!) and I still actually haven't met it yet. However, I have written and edited my own book multiple times, so it hasn't been a complete loss.

As life ran away with me and assignments were due for university, reading became a struggle, especially when I was reading books for university that I didn't particularly enjoy and definitely didn't want to force myself to read. So my aim might have been to review every book of 2014, but I think that I might take my own challenge down a notch, and just stick to reviewing when I feel passionate and like I have something to say. Which is why I'm catching up with my reviews right now, while I have time over Christmas. I can't wait to review a couple of exciting books coming out in 2015.

I have a feeling next year is going to be an amazing year for YA lit :)

Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas

(5 full, beautiful stars)

Heir of Fire

Goodreads | Link To Buy | Sarah's Twitter |

Published: September 11th 2014 (UK) September 2nd (US) I was so lucky to get an early copy at a Sarah J Maas signing!

Synopsis from Goodreads: SPOILERS FOR PREVIOUS BOOKS AHEAD.

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?

Review: 

Before I start the actual review, I have to say that Heir of Fire is honestly one of the best books I have ever read. I ... don't even know where to start. But my 5 stars for this book are some of the most sincere 5 stars I have ever given. Due to the fact that the book isn't actually out yet, I will keep this review as spoiler-free as possible and more of a reaction, as well as breaking it down so that I don't just ramble into one big mess of emotion and sobbing. Holy mother of character and story development.

The plot

As the Throne of Glass series continues, the world opens up and expands, taking the characters in every direction. The plot is absolutely solid and has only gone from strength to strength. Heir of Fire takes the series firmly into the realm of high fantasy and the stakes have never been higher. Sub-plots are intricately woven throughout, taking the book to whole new levels of complicated – in the best way. As the story progresses, the level of planning that has been put into the series is apparent and just mind-blowing. Every time I finish one of the books in the series, I can't believe that things could get any crazier for the characters. Hint: they always can and always will! What I especially love about the series is that no gritty detail is left out. Every gross, gruesome detail is included and, as twisted as this sounds, it makes the books so much more real. Nothing is sugarcoated and, as a reader, that grittiness really appeals to me. It makes the story seem so truthful, nothing is glossed over in Celaena's narration just to uphold feminine ideals that our society perpetuates. Which is pretty badass.

I loved the direction the story took in Heir of Fire, it was different to the first two books but in a good way. It opens the doors for so many new story lines, so many possibilities. Celaena's journey isn't easy and she has to dig deep and face her inner demons if she is ever to be a symbol of hope and a better future. We really see a different side to her in Heir of Fire and begin to truly see her past, and how she is the way she is. She isn't, by any means, perfect, but her struggle is so (ironically) human that it really strikes a chord. The witches, also, were a really interesting and fresh addition, they added to the intensity and foreshadowing of things yet to come. There were also moments of 'OH so that's why that was mentioned 2 books ago' which are some of my favourite moments.

The creatures are the stuff of nightmares and the suffering is deeper, but the hope that is hinted at is so powerful that I hope to eventually see the king of Adarlan tortured. Killing him would be far too kind after what he has done.

Setting

Throne of Glass was very much set in the focus of the glass castle, but Heir of Fire takes the characters all over the continent, and further. Sarah J Maas is incredible at world building, so good that you can almost smell the food and picture the vast scenery, particularly the beautiful forests. Sometimes, I find that setting outshines characters or that characters outshine their setting, but that is not at all the case with Heir of Fire. The characters are their setting, and the setting is the characters. It's beautiful and believable and, if it were a peaceful time, I would be on the first ship over there.  

New Characters

Aedion, Rowan, Manon, and Sorscha (it would feel wrong not to mention Emrys and Luca, too) are the key new characters brought into the story in Heir of Fire. All so vastly different, yet they each shine individually. When I met Sarah J Maas at a signing this month, she told me that I would definitely like Rowan, and she was one hundred percent right. I love him just as much as Celaena, Chaol, and Dorian. He just makes me all warm and fuzzy, which would probably make him scowl to hear. More than any of the other newcomers, I can't even explain all my emotions towards Rowan. I'm going to just love having him around in the series. I won't go into detail because huge spoilers, but readers have A LOT to look forward to in terms of new characters to fall in love with. Aedion adds a whole new, amazing dynamic to Celaena's storyline which has not been revealed until now. Manon is also a new favourite of mine and, despite everything, I would actually love to see a female friendship form between her and Celaena – if they didn't kill each other first. As for Sorscha, I'm going to choose to say nothing, but I love her and everything she is. 

Familiar Characters

Celaena is one of my all time favourite protagonists and she truly shone in Heir of Fire. I seriously just want to rescue her, Chaol, and Dorian, and give them a hot drink and a blanket and tell them to just sleep. They are such wonderful, complicated characters, never inherently wrong or right, and I love the fine balance they all experience between doing the best thing for themselves and doing what is right. Ugh, I just want to hug Dorian and tell him that he is brilliant and kind and forgiving and every bit the king Adarlan needs and then keep him safe forever.

Extras/ Jumbled thoughts

What I really loved, and what truly stands out, is a platonic male/female relationship in Heir of Fire. With barely a suggestion of romance, the friendship is the glue to the book and now, the series. I LOVE this friendship with all my heart. I can't wait to see where that goes and what trials it undergoes, because I'm guessing there will be plenty of trials. Ever hopeful of certain characters being reunited (hopefully soon) this new badass friendship will give a new weight to the strains already on that relationship and I can't wait to see how. Another thing is that usually I hate it when a couple is separated at the end of a book, but I think that Celaena and Chaol needed to take different paths if they are to be together as everything they are, and accepting of that. Vague, I know, but true. SO MUCH I WANT TO SAY BUT SPOILERS!

Summary

I don't even need to talk on and on about the writing because I'm convinced that Sarah J Maas is a (slightly evil) creative genius. Every word, every line, every letter feels necessary to the story. She writes on a level that I can't even hope to aspire to. This book is just a complete masterpiece.

Heir of Fire tore me apart and patched me back together, made me sob and laugh and cringe and want to throw it at a wall repeatedly (SERIOUSLY CHAPTERS 64 & 65? SERIOUSLY?!) but overall, I just want to jump into the book and fight along with all of the characters against the injustices they suffer. I was saying to my friends that I feel like I AM Celaena, I feel like I take on her pain when I read a Throne of Glass book, and that's probably the closest thing to magic in this world. I know I'm singing a lot of praises, but it's really like no other series I've read. One thing I am hoping for, among a million other things, is more female friendships in future books.

Just when you think you can't be shocked by a plot twist, you're TORN APART by a plot twist, which I really should've seen coming by now! Sarah J Maas doesn't hold back and absolutely nobody is safe, which makes me so afraid to love any character but I'm unable to help myself from adoring them. The fandom will be rocked by this instalment in the Throne of Glass series and I just hope that even more readers will discover the books and fall in love as I have. Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight gave me books which I loved, but Heir of Fire gave me a new favourite series. No praise I can give will ever truly express how much I loved this book and the characters within it.

Sarah J Maas is on the rise and I can't think of a lovelier, funnier person or a more deserving, brilliant writer to have that success. I can't wait for the next books in the series and I'll be right there every step of the way, attempting to rattle the stars.

"She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one." 

If you haven't read Throne of Glass, I cannot recommend it enough, if that isn't obvious by now! You won't regret reading it. 

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An Evening with Sarah J Maas & Leigh Bardugo

A bit of a different kind of post from me today!

Yesterday I drove 2 hours to Waterstones in Liverpool to attend a signing and Q & A session with authors Leigh Bardugo (author of The Grisha Trilogy) and Sarah J Maas (author of the Throne of Glass series).

I absolutely LOVE every book of theirs, and when I booked the tickets a month or so ago I went to my sister and said "I've booked two tickets, you're coming with me, READ THESE." Within days she had read the books and she was getting emotional over all the characters with me and demanded to know if anyone died before she finished them.

We were so excited on the drive there and going into Waterstones, especially because I had called earlier that morning and was told that yes, there would be copies of Heir of Fire available to buy. As soon as I had hung up I was pretty much like this all day:

I feel like I've been waiting for SO LONG for Heir of Fire, especially after THAT ending in Crown of Midnight! I've seen so many people getting early copies and I've been begging some of them to tell me how they got it! So I was beside myself with excitement by the time we got to Waterstones Liverpool yesterday evening. I was originally going to go to the Sarah J Maas singing in Leeds, since it's closer to me, but when I saw that she was doing a talk with Leigh Bardugo, too, I couldn't believe it. It's a fangirls dream.

Anyway, onto the actual event. Both Leigh and Sarah are hilarious, and together they're so entertaining, the audience were laughing for most of the talk as they discussed everything from writing advice to their writing process, and then did quick fire questions of things like chocolate or cheese and dogs or cats. A lot of fandom references were involved, including Sarah mentioning Henry Cavill's abs. So yeah, it was amazing. It was also then that we realised we had been pronouncing 'Chaol' completely wrong, we were saying something like "chay-ol" when in fact it is more like "kay-ol"! 

I was mad with myself for not making notes at the time of what they said because they were so inspiring. On the way home I wrote down what I could remember in my phone notes, so it's not word for word but as close to what I can remember!

A favourite writing quote from each of them:

Leigh Bardugo – "The most important thing to remember is that if you have a story to tell, someone will always want to listen, because people love stories."

Sarah J Maas – "At some stage, people will tell you that you can't do it. People will tell you to be realistic about your expectations, but you shouldn't listen to them."

Sarah also talked about blocking out the inner critic, which she described as the demon on her shoulder, and there were a lot of nodding heads, including mine. Their advice was a lot better than the generic "read a lot of books" advice that a lot of authors give, and it was honestly so helpful. 

Their discussion about female characters was also a real highlight. They both gave their insights into how female characters are torn apart for having traits that male characters are worshipped for – like arrogance and vanity and being self-assured. Yet if they're weak or timid, they're torn apart for not being tough or self-assured enough. But, as Leigh pointed out, the moment people deem a female character to be "too perfect" and good at everything they do, they're called a Mary-Sue, and people will say they need flaws. It's a ridiculous, impossible expectation to meet. 

They have both created such amazing, flawed, dynamic female characters with Celaena Sardothien (Throne of Glass) and Alina Starkov (Shadow and Bone). Both characters have real fears and wants. Celaena can be arrogant and deadly but she loves pretty dresses, and Alina can be timid and scared, but she finds her voice to stand up for herself as her journey progresses. So because of their 'flaws', they're wonderful heroines to read about. As Leigh said, "People say about female characters, like 'WHY CAN'T SHE JUST GET OVER IT? SHE'S SO WHINY' when her whole family has just been killed!"

Once the talk was over, it was time to join the queue for the signing (which, thankfully wasn't too long or tedious, in fact it was more organised than any other singing I've been to!)

I loved that both Sarah and Leigh made such an effort to talk to every single person and ask questions to prompt us when we suddenly lost our voice, even though we had a million things to say! (I had a few favourite quotes I wanted to say I loved from both series but I only remembered as I walked away, both times!) 

I managed to get my hands on a Ruin & Rising tote bag which I absolutely love, and another badge which says 'Amplify' (I got the 'Steel is Earned' one from YALC earlier this year!) I was hugging Heir of Fire to my chest for most of the evening, amazed that I had it in my hands, yay!

Ruin and Rising tote, Grisha badges & Heir of Fire!

Another amazing thing they both did was that they signed the books with a quote relating to each book and I thought that was such a nice touch instead of just my name and then a signature, I'll cherish my copies even more. We told Leigh we are total Mal girls and that we had liked the Darkling briefly to start with not in the last two books. She just laughed and said, "All ships are welcome in this harbour!" Then my sister said a loud spoiler by accident, oops. I also told her I cried for like an hour after finishing Ruin & Rising and she was pretty happy with that! Here are the ones that Leigh  signed (my absolute favourite is 'Make yourself a reckoning'):

                                          

                     'Steel is earned'                   'Impossible. Improbable'           'Make yourself a reckoning.'

And the books signed by Sarah J Maas! We showed her a hilarious Henry Cavill page on my sisters phone that we follow and she nearly choked in surprise (sorry about that) and we decided Henry Cavill can play everyone, ever. Sarah said the films can be like Orphan Black but with Henry Cavill! playing everyone. I'd be so down for that! Haha! She said Henry could totally play a new character called Rowan in Heir of Fire with some make-up and costume, so I'm excited to meet him, as well as the other new characters! 

She also told me she liked my Deathly Hallows necklace and I signed her book, which is such a cool idea. Everyone she meets writes a little note in a hardback copy of Throne of Glass on the pages! I think I was shaking, I was nervous, so I can only make a good guess about what I actually wrote, and it's probably really messy. Anyway, the books!

              

                      'Rattle the stars'                      'Henry Cavill 4eva!' (yes!)            'Light up the darkness'

I just want to thank Leigh and Sarah so much for the effort they both put in with their fans, it made such a great change from some other signings I've been to in the past where authors glance up for a second after you've queued for four+ hours! My sister and I were going on and on about it on the way home and annoying the hell out of our parents. It was definitely the best author event and signing I've ever been to, so thank you as well to Liverpool Waterstones for the organisation involved. The queuing didn't take too long and it was just beyond words to meet two of my favourite authors in one night.

I also bought Isla & The Happily Ever After, another book I've been dying to read and I've already started Heir of Fire and it is amazing so far (of course!) If you haven't read Leigh and Sarah's books I could not recommend them more and if you're thinking of going to a signing of theirs, definitely do!

Isla and the Happily Ever After & Heir of Fire