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

A Kiss In The Dark by Cat Clarke

(4 Stars)

A Kiss In The Dark 

Goodreads | Link To Buy | Cat's Twitter |

Published: April 3rd 2014

Synopsis: When Alex meets Kate the attraction is instant. Alex is funny, good-looking, and a little shy – everything that Kate wants in a boyfriend. Alex can’t help falling for Kate, who is pretty, charming and maybe just a little naive… But one of them is hiding a secret, and as their love blossoms, it threatens to ruin not just their relationship, but their lives.

Review: 

This review might be slightly vague because I don't want to accidentally spoil the book. If you're unfamiliar with Cat Clarke's books (which I recommend you change immediately) you won't know that there comes a certain point in each book where you literally feel like you're watching a car crash happening with an awful sick fascination, unable to look away and cringing the whole time. A Kiss In The Dark was not an exception to this, and it was brilliant.

Many authors shy away from the grittiness that Cat Clarke puts in her books and I only wish I'd had them when I was a bit younger, when I was eager to find YA books that would not lie to me or sugarcoat the teenage experience. One of the things I absolutely love about Clarke's books is that they are so unbelievably real that it's unsettling – especially for British teenagers. 

A Kiss In The Dark was unlike anything I've ever read in YA. I'm not the hugest reader of Contemporary, but when I do read it it's usually quite fluffy and everything-ends-well. That's another thing about Cat Clarke's books, you literally have no idea how it will end. I can't even tell myself 'there's always a happy ending!' because there's not. I get a kind of adrenaline rush reaching those last pages, knowing it could all continue to fall apart, hoping that somehow there will be some kind of happiness at the end.

The topics dealt with in A Kiss In The Dark are not commonly written about, and they should be. I was at YALC this year where I attended the panel called I'm Too Sexy For This Book, where four authors  – Cat Clarke, Non Pratt, Beth Reekles & James Dawson – discussed issues of sex in YA books among other issues and, as well as it being absolutely hilarious, it was really inspiring to see that there are authors who will not shy away from real issues that teenagers deal with everyday. It was one of my favourite panels of the weekend!

I know this was a weirdly vague review but I don't want to say too much. All I will say is that if you're a fan of gritty stories, teenagers  in love, serious issues and some moments that will make you grin at paper, I'd recommend A Kiss In The Dark completely! It was nothing that I thought it would be but I finished it feeling sad, happy, and content with the ending. A Kiss In The Dark is a complete must-read for Cat Clarke fans, and basically everyone else in the world!

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Noble Conflict by Malorie Blackman

(4 stars)

Noble Conflict

| Goodreads | Buy it here | Malorie's Twitter |

Published: 2nd January 2014 (UK)

Synopsis: Years after a violent war destroyed much of the world, Kaspar has grown up in a society based on peace and harmony. But beyond the city walls, a vicious band of rebels are plotting to tear this peace apart. It is up to the Guardians - an elite peacekeeping force - to protect the city, without ever resorting to the brutal methods of their enemy.

When Kaspar joins the Guardians, he has a chance encounter with a rebel - a beautiful girl named Rhea. Haunted from that moment on by strange visions and memories - memories that could only belong to Rhea - he realises he hasn't been told the truth about what the rebels really want, and what he's really fighting for.

Review: *I received my copy from the publisher via Netgalley (thank you!)*

"Books and knowledge don't make for a safe world. Just the opposite. Books and knowledge are facets of the truth and the truth can be dangerous."

As a huge, huge fan of the Noughts & Crosses series by Malorie Blackman, I was so excited to receive Noble Conflict to review! I had heard of it before and so when I started reading it, I was so happy to get stuck into another book with Blackman's wit and humour, mixed in with all the serious stuff. I know a lot of people are getting tired of dystopia but personally, I still absolutely love it. I thought that the plot of Noble Conflict was really fresh and unlike other dystopia novels I've read recently.

Starting with our protagonist, I thought that Kaspar was really interesting. At first, I wasn't so sure whether I would like him but as the novel progressed I found myself really rooting for him to discover the truth behind all the lies he had been told. In one particular scene at the end of Noble Conflict, I really felt for him. He was a hero through and through, but had to realise that he could not save everyone as he struggled to choose the moral thing to do. Alongside him there was Mac, a girl who features heavily in the book and who I absolutely love! She was funny and engaging, and I always enjoyed the scenes she was in. I only wish I could read more about her and Kaspar's developing friendship and possible relationship, because they were such an entertaining team when they worked together. 

The blurb mentioned Rhea and so I honestly thought it would be a forbidden love type story between an Insurgent and a Guardian, but in reality Rhea did not really appear very much in the novel, and I felt like I never got chance to know her properly. She was a fascinating character with so much potential, and I would love to read more about her. 

Other characters worth mentioning are Voss, Dillon, and Janna. I loved the banter between Voss and Kaspar, they were some of the scenes that had me laughing out loud, especially when Kaspar took himself so seriously. Dillon as well, was so entertaining and really showed off everything I love about Malorie Blackman's writing style. Janna teasing Kaspar about Mac really added some comic relief to the serious aspects of the book, and I loved that her sexuality was not made to be the most important thing about her character.

The twists and turns throughout the novel were amazing. As the bits and pieces of clues scattered through the story finally started to make sense, it was pretty amusing to work some things out before Kaspar and then have him figure it out. Some of the twists, I honestly didn't see coming, which was  a lot of fun. Although the plot could be described as fairly typical of dystopia, I really thought that Noble Conflict brought some great new ideas to the table – especially with the way captured Insurgents were (really) treated. On the outside, the Alliance's treatment is almost frustratingly humane, but beneath the surface, their motives and actions are much, much more sinister and gruesome. 

Overall, I thought Noble Conflict was a brilliant book which was wonderfully written. I am such a huge fan of Malorie Blackman's writing style, and Noble Conflict really delivered. As always, I love how Blackman does not dumb down her literature when writing for Young Adults. There are truly gritty moments in her books which are often uncomfortable to read, but she never shies away from it. Growing up reading Noughts & Crosses in my early teens, I absolutely loved that about her books, and I still love it now as I enter my twenties. 

For fans of dystopia who love witty humour mixed in with serious issues relevant to our society today, lots of twists and turns and secrets, and entertaining characters,  I would absolutely recommend Noble Conflict! For as long as Malorie Blackman writes books, I'll be reading them.

Have you read Noble Conflict? What were your thoughts?

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Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

(5 Stars)

        

Dorothy Must Die

Published: July 3rd 2014 (UK)

Synopsis: 

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know? Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling. 

What happened? Dorothy.

 They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe. My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas. I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked. I've been trained to fight. 

And I have been given a mission: Remove the Tin Woodman's heart. Steal the Scarecrow's brain. Take the Lion's courage. And then – Dorothy must die.

Review: *I received Dorothy Must Die from Harper Collins at Harper360 and I'm so thankful!*

Dorothy Must Die was a rollercoaster from start to finish! I ended up procrastinating with reading it just because I didn't want it to be over. I never would have thought, before hearing about Dorothy Must Die, that I would go for a book revolving around The Wizard of Oz. But when I read the synopsis I just thought, how can I possibly reject reading a book about a wicked Dorothy and a dystopian Oz? It appeals to me in every way.

Our protagonist is Amy Gumm, a girl from Kansas who has not had the easiest of lives, growing up among snobby rich girls at school and having an alcoholic mother. She definitely would never put herself into the role of the heroine, until the tornado hits and she is forced into taking control of her life due to a once-kind Dorothy in Oz wreaking havoc in her greed for magic.

At first I wasn't sure whether I would warm to Amy, probably because she is such an unlikely hero and she really had no trust in herself to do what is right. As it turned out, I ended up adoring her character and I loved watching her grow throughout the novel. It was good to see the contest between the girl she was in Kansas, and the girl she becomes in Oz. I was completely swept along with the drama that unfolded around her and I immersed myself into the world of Oz right along with her. In so many books that I've read the protagonist just accepts mysterious half-answered questions, but Amy refuses to be kept in the dark. I also like that Amy didn't just go simply from naive Kansas girl to potential assassin. She realised her potential slowly, and a chain of events led up to her doing things she had never thought she was capable of. I can't wait for the next book because I want to read more about Amy!

As big as the book is in size, the pacing and the writing style was brilliant. I never felt bored at all, and the cast of characters, from witches to flying monkeys, were so vibrant and individual that they carried the story and made it come to life. All of the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked, and the caves, were so much fun to read about and I almost wanted to be right there with them, getting ready to take down Dorothy.  

As fun as the story is on the whole, the darker elements really brought out the serious side of the situation. Oz is not a happy, cheerful place. Magic is being taken for Dorothy's own use (for things such as making her skin perfect, seriously) and in turn, the whole of Oz has changed, including the Scarecrow, the Lion and the Tin Woodman. In Dorothy Must Die, their characters have taken a dark turn like Dorothy, and they are each terrifying in their own ways. The Scarecrow is going to horrific lengths to give himself more knowledge, the Tin Woodman is performing evil experiments, and the Lion is obsessed with taking fear to give himself ever more physical power. Some scenes involving them honestly made me cringe. I never thought I'd be scared of the main characters from The Wizard of Oz, but Danielle Paige more than achieved it.

In addition to that, Amy asks herself a lot of questions about the plan to kill Dorothy. It sounds easy in theory, but standing face to face with Dorothy, a young girl who has done terrible things, would Amy be able to do it? What if the sweet Dorothy from Kansas is still in there, fighting against the Wickedness which has taken over?  What if Amy is just being used by the people she considers friends and they're not telling her the real risks? Is it right to kill one person for the good of the many? All of these questions made Dorothy Must Die one of the most interesting reads I've had in a while, and I love books that can make me think like that, and make me work to figure out my own moral stance on the situation.

Personally, Dorothy's character left me extremely conflicted. I wanted to believe there was a reason for her turning power-hungry and, frankly, evil. I wanted to know exactly what went wrong between being a friendly, slightly naive farm girl, to becoming something terrifying and having the whole of Oz beneath her cruel control. With her character, deciding whether she would deserve reception is really hard question, which is just part of why I loved Dorothy Must Die.

AND THE ENDING, the ending was amazing and unexpected and so well-written. When I was almost done I had no idea how it was going to end because the story is constantly evolving, with new characters and new potential situations, and I absolutely loved the way it ended. One of my favourite quotes in the book was from Nox, who said, "You don't have to know every turn of the road to walk down it." With that in mind, I'm so excited for book two, I think Dorothy Must Die could very easily become one of my favourite series!

In her acknowledgements (I'm a total acknowledgements lover) Danielle Paige wrote, "I hope it has what I love in a book – takes you to another place, makes you think, makes you feel, and gives you a touch of magic." And honestly, it really did. I completely, one hundred percent, recommend Dorothy Must Die. I think it could be a book that takes people by surprise and is a huge hit. I'm glad I had to opportunity to read it and I'll join the other readers who are eagerly awaiting book two!

“Be brave. Be angry. Don't trust anyone.”

If you want to buy Dorothy Must Die (and I totally recommend you do) you can find it here: http://amzn.to/1p9DNuD. Also, if you're not convinced yet (which you really should be) check out the book trailer because it's amazing, and I rarely say that about book trailers – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbKJoaSWAFc and have a look at the Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/dorothymustdie. And last but not least, make sure to find Danielle Paige on twitter here: https://twitter.com/daniellempaige and Harper360 here: https://twitter.com/Harper360UK!

Thank you for reading! If you've read Dorothy Must Die let me know what you thought! If you haven't then put it on your to-read list immediately :)

Madly, Deeply by Erica Crouch

(4 Stars)

Madly, Deeply

*My copy was kindly provided by Patchwork Press via Netgalley in exchange for a review! (Thank you!)*

Published: June 17th 2014

Synopsis: It was many and many a year ago,

In a kingdom by the sea...

Annaleigh Wells and William Calloway had a love even the angels envied. It was as if the universe spun them toward one another, like the stars crafted their souls to fit perfectly together. With a wedding on the horizon, fate had a change of heart. Whispered warnings from phantoms and morbid nightmares darkened every night—but even visions of the future couldn’t save Annaleigh. Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem Annabel Lee, Crouch’s period romance Madly, Deeply tells the tale of love so great, it cannot be contained in just one life.

Review:

What first attracted me to Madly, Deeply is that it is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's poem Annabel Lee, a poem which I have always loved. It struck me as a really amazing idea to write a novel based on a such a vivid, dark poem and I couldn't wait to get stuck in and see how Erica Crouch would weave the themes of the poem into a novel.

Madly, Deeply centres around characters Annaleigh and William, who we meet at the very height of their relationship when they are deeply in love and desperate to get married. Of course, things do not quite work out as they had always planned. I loved all of their interactions as their dialogue always flowed well, and Crouch gave just enough backstory without dumping information on the reader. As we come into the story they are established as a couple, so I was glad that they knew each other so clearly that it was easier for me as a reader to get to know them both individually through each other's eyes. 

Before reading I wasn't entirely sure what the main themes in the novel would be exactly even though I had a good idea about it due to Annabel Lee. I was swept along with the well-paced flow of the story and I loved Crouch's writing, which was imaginative and beautifully descriptive. Reading some parts in the dark seriously gave me goosebumps. I loved the descriptions of the setting, the huge house and the eerie lake, the extravagant gowns and the grounds of the house. A favourite quote of mine was a description of William's sister Mary – "She was always glowing, as if she had stolen the stars from the night sky and swallowed them whole, wanting to shine from within."

My only criticism of the book is not really a criticism but just how I felt reading the second half. The story is extremely sad and heart-wrenching and at times it felt like there was no moments of breathing space from that. As the characters were consumed with grief, so was the novel. As I said, it's not really a criticism because of course sometimes there is no freedom from grief and Crouch did portray  the stages of grief very well, not romanticising loss but instead exploring ways for her characters to get through it – and the guilt that comes with getting through it. I especially loved this paragraph about grief:

"The anguish of grief, it turned out, did not lessen once acknowledged. It wasn't as easy as a scraped knee, where a good cry would distract from the pain until the weeping stopped and the cut was bandaged. Once you touched it, grief only grew. It took on more, swallowed you whole until that's all there was. Grief was an egotistical emotion, unsatisfied until it became the only thing a person knew, the only thing they could see."

I loved Madly, Deeply, especially the beautiful writing style and imagery, as well as the three main characters, Annaleigh, William, and Mary, who I liked individually for their own personalities. I also really enjoyed the supernatural elements and thought it brought an interesting next level for the grief suffered by the characters.

 I would definitely recommend Madly, Deeply for anyone, but especially for fans of darker emotional romances such as Wuthering Heights, and of course fans of Edgar Allan Poe!

Have you read Madly, Deeply? What were your thoughts?

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

(5 stars)

Ruin and Rising

Published: June 17th 2014

Synopsis from Goodreads: The capital has fallen. The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne. Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army. Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

Review: *Mostly Spoiler Free* (I'd read the previous two first though, if you haven't read them already!)

Every now and then, a book or series comes along and truly reminds me why I love to read. Every now and then I find a book or series that just takes my breath away and leaves me sobbing at midnight, holding onto my dog for moral support. Every now and then, a book or series leaves me filled with so many emotions at once that I can hardly handle it.

If it isn't obvious, Ruin & Rising was one of those books for me. To start with I was sceptical. Firstly because it has been a year since I read Siege & Storm, so I think the magic of the series was a little distant from me. Secondly because I saw posts on social media about some people for some reason not enjoying the ending. Of course, I wanted to decide for myself. Once I picked it up I finished it in just under two days, and I adored it.

There are so many series and trilogies where the ending falls flat. For me, The Grisha Trilogy only went from strength to strength. In Ruin & Rising, Alina is so different from the girl she was in Shadow & Bone, and yet the true essence of her remains – her kindness, her loyalty, her morals. She is not defined by the men around her. So many of them try to control her, collar her, try to shove her into the role of a perfect, softly-spoken little Saint, but in Ruin & Rising she shows that she makes her own choices, follows her own heart, and she will not be under anyone else's thumb.

In Ruin & Rising she truly comes into her own, being forced into ruthlessness and still being capable of forgiveness. She is not always likeable, not always strong, often tempted by power and murder, yet always desperate to do the right thing, and therefore one of my all-time favourite heroines in YA. She cannot simply be shoved into any one box. She is every bit the reluctant heroine and yet understanding of the fact that the situation is bigger than her own desires.

Mal has had a rocky time throughout the trilogy, and yet I think people are sometimes too quick to judge him, and too harsh when they do. His plot twist in Ruin & Rising I did not see coming at all, and I absolutely loved it! I feel like he finally grew up and saw the bigger picture in this book. He went from being a jealous, self-pitying boy, to being a man worthy of Alina's affections. He was never perfect but he is so human and real on the page, and I've always loved him for that.

As for the other characters, I loved their stories. Nikolai will always, always be a favourite of mine. We saw a different side to him (in a few ways) in this book, and he somehow always manages to break my heart while making a sarcastic comment. I could read whole books about him. There was a particular scene with Genya which stands out, of her confronting a previous abuser. It was just so powerful and brilliantly done. Other notable characters to mention are basically everyone in Team Sun Summoner; Zoya, David, Tamar, Tolya, Harshaw (& Oncat, of course), and obviously The Darkling. I've enjoyed his journey and in Ruin & Rising we learnt more about his story and background, which gave  a lot of reason (but not justification) to his actions. I won't say much about him due to spoilers, but I was overall content with the ending as it was.

Writing wise, Ruin & Rising was pretty much without fault. I was just in awe of the plot, the characters, the individual character arcs, as well as the actual writing. Every line felt necessary, the dialogue was entertaining, heartbreaking, and inspiring in equal measure. The amount of work which has obviously gone into this trilogy was extremely evident and I'm so in awe of Leigh's talent. 

I thought Ruin & Rising was a beautiful ending to the Grisha Trilogy and the characters each have a place in my heart, especially Alina. I finished the last page and unexpectedly burst into tears of happiness and sadness, almost like I was mourning the end of the series, as well as all of the loss the characters suffered. Also, I should add that THAT is how an epilogue is done – leaving me a blubbering overwhelmed mess of happy and sad tears. It was wonderful.

I'm so glad I discovered this trilogy, and I know I will come back to it countless times in the future. I'm  so sad it's over but like I said, content with how it ended. One hundred percent one of my favourites, I don't even have to say how much I would recommend it!

Two of my favourite quotes: "You are on your knees," I said. "We are not negotiating." & "I am not ruined. I am ruination." 

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

(4 stars)

City of Heavenly Fire

Published: May 27th 2014

Synopsis from Goodreads: Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell. The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons? When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...

The finale to The Mortal Instruments series was not only absolutely huge in size, but huge terms of how far the world has grown and developed since City of Bones. The stakes were the highest they've ever been before, and the characters we have grown to know and love are at the end of their tale.

It's hard to know where to start when reviewing this book because so much happened. I did like the plot of City of Heavenly Fire, it felt planned, shocking, and bittersweet. As an antagonist, Sebastian feels almost unbeatable, which really upped the tension throughout the add-on three books to the original three. 

I did enjoy the introduction of Emma Carstairs and her friends, although I did think it was very odd to include basically a whole new cast of characters in the final book in a series. I understand that these characters are going to feature in the next series, The Dark Artifices, but I'm not planning to read that series at this point. For that reason, it was a little bit tedious to have all of their backstory, but some parts were entertaining. I was more concerned about the original characters, and the book might have been half the size without their new characters having whole chapters. 

Stand out characters for me were Simon, Alec & Maia. I love all of the gang and I'll miss them all, including Jace, Clary, and Isabelle, but the first three have a special place in my heart. 

I have to be honest, the reason why I even read The Mortal Instruments anymore is pretty simple. SIMON LEWIS. Since City of Bones he's been my favourite character, I absolutely adore him. He had some wonderful moments in CoHF – drunk Simon being my favourite one. However, this book, I felt, completely failed him as a character. Yes, sacrifices are made in war, but WHY DO BAD THINGS HAVE TO HAPPEN TO SIMON? Honestly, that's most of the reason I ended up not enjoying this book as much, and why I'm not sure I want to read TDA.

I don't have much faith in endings when it comes to Cassandra Clare. I didn't particularly enjoy the ending of Clockwork Princess and now, I found myself a little disappointed with the ending of The Mortal Instruments. I genuinely think I would've preferred it to end with City of Glass. That was the last ending of Clare's I felt satisfied with. Having said that, I enjoying the character arcs and, as always, I absolutely love the witty, sarcastic banter between the gang. Some moments were laugh out loud hilarious, and a reason I do love the books. The plot twists were emotional and hard to stomach, the betrayal was shocking but not unbelievable. Also, it was slightly odd that this series does now spoil The Infernal Devices, unless read in order of publication.

As a conclusion to a pretty epic series, City of Heavenly Fire delivers as a complicated, enormous ending. The writing is solid, the loose ends are all (mostly) nicely tied up. I can't imagine the amount of planning and editing that went into a novel of this scale, and for that I am quite in awe of it. With a fandom as huge as The Mortal Instruments, inevitably some of the scenes felt kind of like fan-service, but that's mostly nitpicking. 

A bittersweet end to a huge series, City of Heavenly Fire definitely packs a punch. Despite devastating moments which did ruin some of the enjoyment for me, I'm relieved that it is over and pretty angry, kind of happy, but mostly relieved the characters can't be hurt further! (I hope!)

Have you read City of Heavenly Fire? Did you enjoy the finale?