Tag Archives: Book Review

That Time I Binge-Read The Raven Cycle

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I finally did it, guys. I finished reading The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater!

Back in the summer of 2016 I read the first two books of the series, The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves, but then my internship happened and graduating happened and I just didn’t get around to reading the rest of the series, even though I really wanted to.

A while back I decided it’d be a good idea to binge read the entire series. I figured it would be a much better experience to read the entire series without long breaks between the books. Plus, when I read The Dream Thieves I’d already started my internship, so I only read a couple of pages or a few short chapters at a time. Not my favourite way to read a book.

When Bout of Books 19 rolled around a few weeks ago I decided this was my chance! I would start my binge read. I read the first two books during that read-a-thon, and finished Blue Lily, Lily Blue and The Raven King when I was on holiday in France two weeks later.

I figured it be best to do one big review for the entire series, since I read them all in such a short period of time. Plus – it’s much easier for me. That does mean that this post features some spoilers, though, but only for the first book!

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Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass #5)

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This post contains spoilers for the first four books (here’s my review of the first book, though)!

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don’t.

As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

Aelin’s journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth installment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?

First published: 2016

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The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (The Raven Cycle #1)

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P1030953Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them–until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.

His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn’t believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

First published: 2012

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My (Spoiler Free) Thoughts on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

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Okay, so… Where do I even start?!

I really, really loved Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. And I know that many people are on the fence about it and some people are disappointed or don’t like it at all, but I’m not one of those people and in this (spoiler free!) post I am going to attempt to tell you why.

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Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass #4)

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queenofshadowsCelaena Sardothien is cloaked in her assassin’s hood once more. She is back in Rifthold, but this time she is no one’s slave. She must delve into her most painful memories and fight for her survival, while resisting a smouldering passion that might ver well consume her heart. And she will face her former master, the King of Assassins, again — to wreak revenge for a decade of pain . . .

First published: 2015

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The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials #3)

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theamperspyglassLost in a valley by the snow line lies Lyra Belacqua, sleeping a drugged sleep under the control of her doting, deceitful mother. While she sleeps, she dreams hateful images of her own act of betrayal, her childhood companion whispering her name, entreating her from the depths of a dark place.

Lyra has a task, a fate to fulfill, and already her partner in that burden is seeking her. Will, the boy from another world, is approaching her prison. Together they have a journey to make, in strange company, before they reach the battle they have long been destined to face…

First published: 2000

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Classics: Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

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sense and sensibilityJane Austen’s sardonic humour lays bare the stratagems, the hypocrisy and the poignancy inherent in the struggles of two very different sisters to achieve respectability.

Sense and Sensibility is a delightful comedy of manners in which the sisters Elinor and Marianne represent the two qualities. Elinor’s character is one of Augustan detachment, while Marianne, a fervent disciple of the Romantic Age, learns to curb her passionate nature in the interests of survival.

This book, the first of Austen’s novels to be published, remains as fresh a cautionary tale today as it ever was.

First published: 1811

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Winter by Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles #4)

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winterPrincess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend, the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters? 

First published: 2015

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Fairest by Marissa Meyer

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fairestIn this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

First published: 2015

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Mini-Reviews [2] – The YA Reread Edition

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I’ve reread a couple of books over the past few months, and while I didn’t want to devote a separate post for each one of them, I did think it would be fun to write a little something about my rereading experiences. Seemed like the perfect opportunity for another Mini-Reviews post to me, so here we go!

perksThe Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky  ★★★

When I read this the first time around, I was pretty underwhelmed, even though everyone around me was raving about how amazing it was. I attributed my reaction to the fact that I had just read The Fault in Our Stars and was blown away by that one, so it was only natural that I would be disappointed by anything I would read next. Turns out, I simply don’t love the book. I can see why some people do, but there were some things that bothered me (like the representation of girls) and others that just didn’t interest me enough. It was good, though, and defintely worth the reread. But will I reread it again? No, probably not.

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