Monday 22 January 2018

"Throne of Glass" #1 by Sarah J. Mass

Title: Throne of Glass (#1)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Fantasy
Overall: 7/10



Synopsis:
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. He offers her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her ... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead, quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Jo's review:
I'm on some kind of marathon of Sarah J. Maas' books. I love her language, writing style and imagination. Although it's filled with action, mystery, likable characters and fun dialogue, it also has a few tacky and boring bits: love triangle and predictable plot twists. Because of that, I couldn't really get into this story but still - it's a really good fantasy book. I like Celaena for her wit, strength and never-ending love for books and sweets. It was a bit bothering that she was supposed to be 'world's greatest assassin' and yet her portrayal was more focused on how pretty she was. I'm definitely going to reach for the rest of the books in the series as the plot in "Throne of Glass" in quite undeveloped and I'm curious to see what happens next (and I'm hoping to see less love triangle drama). 

Favourite quotes (I can relate to all of them, honestly):
“Libraries were full of ideas—perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.” 

“I can survive well enough on my own— if given the proper reading material.” 

 He picked up the brown bag of candy on the table. "What's your . . ." He trailed off as he weighed the bag in his hands. "Didn't I give you three pounds of candy?"
She smiled impishly.
"You ate half the bag!"
"Was I supposed to save it?"
"I would have liked some!"
"You never told me that."
"Because I didn't expect you to consume all of it before breakfast!"
She snatched the bag from him and put it on the table. "Well, that just shows poor judgment on your part, doesn't it?

Wednesday 17 January 2018

"A Court of Mist and Fury" by Sarah J. Mass

Title: A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2)
Author: Sarah J. Mass
Genre: Fantasy
Overall: 11/10



Synopsis:
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.


Jo's review:
Okay. Okay. Okay. This was the last book I've read in 2017 and my favourite one of that year. And it was so much better than the first part of the series. Great writing, great aesthetics, great character portrayal. It shows how a toxic relationship slowly tears a person apart. How too many emotions can make someone emotionless. How blood is not always thicker than water. What I love the most is the fact that this story wasn't romanticized in a trivial way. Rhys and Feyre were equals in all aspects, she had just as much darkness as he had light. Perfect balance. Perfect equality. I'm faithful to the interpretation of Hades&Persephone myth claiming that she knew what she was doing, eating that pomegranate. She knew what she was doing when she became the Queen Of It All. She wasn't kidnapped by the lord of darkness, she was saved by him from the golden cage of the world of spring. That's exactly what happens in the myth and in this story. She fell in love with the prince of darkness which was a salvation from her own demons. How perfectly paradoxical. Oh, how perfectly perfect was this book.


Favourite quotes:

“There are different kinds of darkness. There is the darkness that frightens, the darkness that soothes, the darkness that is restful. There is the darkness of lovers, and the darkness of assassins. It becomes what the bearer wishes it to be, needs it to be. It is not wholly bad or good.” 

"The issue isn’t whether he loved you, it’s how much. Too much. Love can be a poison."




Saturday 13 January 2018

"Cruel Beauty" by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Cruel Beauty
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Genre: Fantasy
Overall: 7/10


Synopsis:
Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people. But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle—a shifting maze of magical rooms—enthralls her. As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

Jo's review:
I flew through this book, started in the morning and finished in the evening. The first half was really mysterious and intriguing, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough because of the promising plot. But here comes the disappointed. It turned out to be a swoony romance which is not exactly my kind of thing. The moments of revelations were weird and unexpected. But I did love the characters though. They were extremely flawed, not heroines with hearts of gold but true people who get selfish and who have moments of weakness. Nyx is strong but also a bit dark and vicious, she hurts people she loves and makes mistake after mistake. There are many elements of fairy tales and Greek mythology which I enjoyed. The book is very well-written as well. My main complaints are that it got overwhelmingly romantic a time and the ending was terrible. 

Tuesday 9 January 2018

"The Great Gatsby" by F.Scott Fitzgerald

Title: The Great Gatsby
Author: Francis Scott Fitzgerald
Genre: Fiction
Overall: 5/10



Synopsis:
Jay Gatsby is the man who has everything. But one thing will always be out of his reach. Everybody who is anybody is seen at his glittering parties. Day and night his Long Island mansion buzzes with bright young things drinking, dancing, and debating his mysterious character. For Gatsby---young, handsome, and fabulously rich---always seems alone in the crowd, watching and waiting, though no one knows what for. Beneath the shimmering surface of his life he is hiding a secret: a silent longing that can never be fulfilled. And soon this destructive obsession will force his world to unravel

Jo's review:
If I hadn't watched the movie, If I hadn't already known how this story ends - I'd enjoy this book so much more. But unfortunately, because of the above - it was dragging for me. It's a fairly quick read but I couldn't finish it. Besides, I couldn't stop picturing Gatsby as Leonardo Dicaprio in my head. Fitzgerald's style of writing is delightful, full of metaphors, aesthetically pleasing comparisons and other linguistic ornaments. The portrayal of the main characters was equally amazing. Gatsby's complex and blind pursuit of love, of a dream, of a woman. And Daisy, extremely enigmatic and equally disappointing with her cynicism and shallowness. But I've made one discovery while reading this book, something that I couldn't quite understand in the movie. Why is Gatsby so great? Or why is he called great? The answer is very simple: the narrative. This story is told from the perspective of one man who admired Gatsby, his optimism, all his grand achievements, and perseverance. It's not only a story of an unfinished love but also a story of joys and pleasures associated with the 'American dream'.  Oh, I so wish I had read the book before I saw the movie.

Favourite quotes:
“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.

“Each night he added to the pattern of his fancies until drowsiness closed down upon some vivid scene with an oblivious embrace. For awhile these reveries provided an outlet for his imagination; they were a satisfactory hint of the unreality of reality, a promise that the rock of the world was founded securely on a fairy's wing.”

“In his blue gardens, men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.” 

And so, I have read 1/12 books of the Back to The Classics Challenge!



Saturday 6 January 2018

"A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses (#1 bok of the series)
Author: Sarah J. Mass
Genre: Fantasy
Overall: 9/10




Synopsis: 
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.

Jo's review:

Okay. Wow. I have spent an entire Boxing Day reading this book cozied up next to the Christmas Tree. I love how fast paced the storyline is, every chapter is exciting and thrilling. It's also a love story, that's true, but of a different kind. It feels right and at the same time - very disturbing. Like there's something wrong with this love but you're not exactly sure what. The main character is a girl who fell in love with a prince and lifted his curse- only to reveal his true nature. I especially adore the magical world that this book creates. There are seven courts that rule the land of Prythian.There are Seasonal Courts: Spring Court, Summer Court, Autumn Court, Winter Court and Solar Courts: Dawn Court, Day Court, Night Court. Each of the courts has very unique aesthetics that create the most amazing landscapes in your imagination. There are so many people saying that this is the retelling of Beauty and the Beast - and I disagree. Except for the fact she's captured, there are no other similarities or at least I don't see them. It's difficult for me to find a fantasy book that is not pathetic or cliché but this one is definitely very unique. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series!







I'm also super excited about the Back to The Classics Challenge hosted by Books and Chocolate!
Here's my list:

1.  A 19th century classic - 'The Black Tulip" by Alexander Dumas

2.  A 20th century classic - "The Great Gatsby" by F.Scott Fitzgerald

3.  A classic by a woman author - "Emma" by Jane Austen 

4.  A classic in translation - "Madame Bovary" by Gustave Flaubert


5. A children's classic - "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery


6.  A classic crime story, fiction or non-fiction - "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" by Arthur Conan Doyle


7. A classic travel or journey narrative, fiction or non-fiction - "Murder on The Orient Express" by Agatha Christie

8. A classic with a single-word title - "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley


9. A classic with a color in the title - "The Picture of Dorian Grey" by Oscar Wilde


10. A classic by an author that's new to you - "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" by Beatrix Potter


11. A classic that scares you - "Anna Karenina" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky


12. Re-read a favorite classic - "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen