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Rating: 4.5/5

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Yes, this is another amazing book series that I am several years late getting to. I know I know. But better late than never right? And I am sooooo glad I did. This book was amazing!

This year I have come to find myself really enjoying the fairy tale retellings and this one does not disappoint. The concept is so intriguing  and that is what makes it special. It is its own story, while being loosely based on Cinderella. It is an old story in an awesome futuristic setting. And to be honest I'm not always one for books set in a futuristic kind of dystopian time.

Once I picked the book up, it was really smooth sailing from there. I would look down and see that I have read so many more pages than I thought, in short amounts of time. The book flowed so well that it was hard to not keep reading the little masterpiece.

And the plot line that Meyer came up with! Cinderella definitely wasn't on the run from people living on the moon. And the ENDING! I did not see that coming! And it was hinted at just enough in case you were able to find out 

This is a great read and I'd highly recommend it. Now I need Scarlet! I want to have all of them done before Winter!

Rating 6/5 stars (yes I gave it a 6)

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

I finished this book during a TBR read-a-thon hosted by Wishful Endings

This book was so friggin amazing. There is no other way to say it but that. Phenomenal, superb, fantastic, just wow. Now let me tell you why

This book had m booked from the first page. I only put it down when I absolutely had to, like when teachers were staring at me for reading in class or it was 4 in the morning and I had three hours to sleep.

For one I would like to say I have never encountered a main character that goes through a name change in a book or series. But I felt it to be necessary due to Celaena finally accepting who she is and what she had to do. In this book, Celaena is bad ass as hell! You really get to see how cunning, ruthless, cut throat, and intelligent she is. Though we have seen all of these aspects from her in the previous books, it has only been in snippets. At this point, she is done playing games and she is out for blood. Also, it seems no matter what corner she is pushed into, she is always three steps ahead and all you can do is marvel at how well she is at predicting how things turn out and making them go in her favor.

This book was action packed from the beginning. Many parts had my heart racing and had me on the edge of my seat, trying to figure out the fate of Celaena and the friends we have come to know. And new friends we were introduced to as well. I just want to get off my chest, I HATE CHAOL IN THIS BOOK. There I said it. He pisses he off soooo much. I never thought I'd be able to say that. I have been on Team Chaol since ToG! He really started pissing me off in HoF but I hadn't pushed him away just yet. A few chapters in to this book I'm like fuck you Chaol! I stopped hating him toward the end of the book because he was not being a prick anymore, thank the gods (a very QoS like term). 

So we come to Manon Blackbeack. I love her so much. Is she a bloodthirsty witch that will kill a human without second thought because she can? Yeah. So? Though she is Wing Leader, based on her interactions in the last book, especially with Abraxos, we all know shes NOT her grandmother. So that's good. But happens when a crippled little human walks into her life? Well... you'll have to see for yourself.

The plot line to this book is so thick I could slice it with a knife. Sarah J. Maas is just a amazing as she weaves her story and captures us in it. But we willingly go. I won't say there are necessarily any huge plot twists in this book, but there is some really good information that he find out. This information puts us closer and closer to finding out how things are going to play out for our Assassin Queen and her court. 

If you haven't read the book, read it. If you haven't started the series, start it, like now. If you read this too and feel the same way, let me know below!

Rating: 5/5 stars

Celaena Sardothien has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak—but at an unspeakable cost. Now she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth...a truth about her heritage that could change her life—and her future—forever.

Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. To defeat them, Celaena must find the strength to not only fight her inner demons but to battle the evil that is about to be unleashed.

This book is amazing.

Okay now that I've gotten that out of the way. 

Sarah J. Maas has done it again! This book is quite the journey, literally and figuratively. Celaena has just traveled over the seas to Wendlyn on a job. But what the king does not realize is that this is the worst place he could have sent her, in his favor at least.

Our favorite assassin has to face something she hasn't had to in ten years whether she likes it or not. For he time being, she cannot be Adarlan's Assassin or the King's Champion. She must be Aelin Galathynius. The heir to a once mighty and peaceful kingdom. Enter Rowan

Prince Rowan Whitethorn, the fierce warrior sworn to Queen Maeve of the Fae. A centuries old Fae that does not want to be bothered with spoiled Celaena and her mouth. He is given the duty of making sure that Aelin knows how to use her power properly. Now when Rowan is first introduced and you spend time with him, he is an asshole. But at the same time I understand he was put into a position he did not want to be in. So yet another book with intense training sessions.

Oh but this was so much more. Because Rowan pushed her to physical, emotional, and mental limits, even when he did not realize it. 

In Celaena's mind she has lost everyone there is to care for, whether it is through death or through betrayal. She is at an all time low, if that is even possible. We get to explore some more of her scarred past and we learn about events she'd rather die than relive. Which she ends up doing.

The king has some real twisted shit in his mind. Of course we know he is practically trying to conquer everything. Okay that's fine, but he i one of the most cut throat and evil people I have ever read about! You never how much or how little he actually knows, and that is the scary part. He has plans to cover all of his bases, and they are definitely twisted.

One of these plans include Manon Blackbeak. She is an Ironteeth witch much like Baba Yellowlegs, just rival clans. Though she is a ruthless witch, who is going to aid the King in bringing about misery in the lands, I cannot help but really like her. She is different in some way than the rest of her kind, especially from her wretched grandmother. But I cannot help but feel that even though they made a deal with the king, things will not go too well for them either.

In this book we get the chance to see the world from other eyes besides just Celaena's and it was a breath of fresh air. It was a great way for us to keep tabs on several different story lines that are all going to collide in Queen of Shadows without a doubt. Several chapter had me on the edge of my seat, not being able to wait getting to the next page or even paragraph. Toward the end, everything picks up and is flying by with such speed! The revelations! The feels! And so many things happen....

Read it. just read it. It is so worth it.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal other worldly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When beautiful, haunted Akiva fixes fiery eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

There are so many things to say about this book. This book first caught my attention because of the interesting cover art and the title of the book, In my opinion they are very different from most books and pretty unique. I also wanted to read this book because I wanted to know why sooo many people just loved the book and Laini Taylor.

From the synopsis alone, you aren't given too many clues as to what the book is really about. It could be considered confusing. So you almost go in with an open mind and not clued in to too many secrets. Actually no secrets at all. I typically start a book knowing a lot about the character and their personality because it is given. I will also know what the actual struggle of the book is or the entire problem. Here, you just get a glimpse, a sliver. But you have nooooo idea.

I would like to commend Laini Taylor. I heard she is a very prolific and poetic writer. That can be too much for me sometimes, but I have to say that I absolutely loved it. It did not come off as she was just trying to be poetic, it just flowed that way. Now I would also like to say WHAT THE HELL LAINI TAYLOR! Perhaps I'm just slow, and maybe I wasn't thinking ahead, but she gave such little foreshadowing that when shit hit the fan, I was scrambling around trying to guess what was going to happen AND I COULDN'T. I'm concocting these crazy ideas because I don't know enough, and then boooooommmm. But oh wait. She isn't finished. She gives you the answer to your huge question bit by bit, piece by piece. It's not just oh one sentence and life makes sense. No no no no no. Like 4 chapters and then you might have an idea. Just dropping bombs on us. Its refreshing not to be able guess the ending.

Now for her lovely characters. Karou, a very interesting name to say the least, is secretly special. Because none of the humans knows her family, or at least the ones that raised her. And lets face it, blue hair is cool. But she is a down to earth girl, for the most part, and I love that she's an artist. The location of the book is also interesting because most YA books are not set in Europe for the most part. Enter Akiva with his sexy, fiery, and tiger like eyes. No instalove, but there was a force or attraction between them that brought them together and made them feel a certain way toward each other. And believe me, there is a reason for that. So fret not. But I do like them together. Yeah they are very different and it has that typical forbidden love stamped on it, but it also has something else mixed in there that makes it even more interesting.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and it lived up to the hype in my opinion. The only reason it wasn't 5 stars was due to a section toward the end that kind of dragged for me and confused me a bit. But hey, its sooo worth it

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi pure bloods have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals--well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

I personally really like this book. It was action packed, it involved Greek gods (which I LOVE), and I liked the characters. There was just one very big problem that demoted it a star....IT WAS EXACTLY LIKE VAMPIRE ACADEMY! This was my first Jennifer L. Armentrout book and all I could say was "Really?" It was like when an old movie is redone with characters of different names, yet the same personality, and the plot is slightly different. So I really knew all that was coming before it even happened. Luckily I loved Vampire academy, it was just annoying to continually compare the two while reading.

I love Alex's personality. She is all or nothing, do or die. When the going gets tough, he keeps on kicking and she doesn't not give up. She definitely is not weak. Despite this she does not have a problem admitting to herself when she is wrong or she screwed up, admitting it out loud is a different subject though. She went to hell and back without really complaining or whining. Some realities were hard to grasp but she would eventually get the message.

Aiden is bae to put it simply. He isn't too rigid,  not too carefree, but juuustttt right. I appreciated that he didn't come off as completely void of emotion when his actions spoke otherwise. If they did, it was because he had to force himself to do so. He is much like Alex in the aspect of having to bounce back quickly from his tragic childhood. The Pure turned Sentinel did what he had to do to keep his family going and to keep purpose in his life.

I could not help but enjoy this book. Anything with the Greek gods in it, I'm on board. I want to see how much of the series continues to mimic the Vampire Academy series. That does not mean this book/series is not worth the read! Because it really is, especially if you haven't even read VA. Just go in with an open mind and an understanding heart (or something like that). From what I've read from  J. Armentrout I have enjoyed. Give this one a try!

Rating: 3/5 stars

This heart-wrenching novel explores what it is like to be thrust into an unwanted marriage. Has Naila’s fate been written in the stars? Or can she still make her own destiny?
 
Naila’s conservative immigrant parents have always said the same thing: She may choose what to study, how to wear her hair, and what to be when she grows up—but they will choose her husband. Following their cultural tradition, they will plan an arranged marriage for her. And until then, dating—even friendship with a boy—is forbidden. When Naila breaks their rule by falling in love with Saif, her parents are livid. Convinced she has forgotten who she truly is, they travel to Pakistan to visit relatives and explore their roots. But Naila’s vacation turns into a nightmare when she learns that plans have changed—her parents have found her a husband and they want her to marry him, now! Despite her greatest efforts, Naila is aghast to find herself cut off from everything and everyone she once knew. Her only hope of escape is Saif . . . if he can find her before it’s too late.

The first thing that interested me about this book was the cover and the summary. I think the cover is just beautiful. It says so much, without being too much to process. This summer I finally got around to reading the Tiger's Curse Saga and I read the Wrath and the Dawn as well. Both of these series involve cultures I am not familiar with and they taught me a great deal when it came to customs, titles, and the overall languages. But those books were fantasy, and this book was clearly set set to be realistic. Also this stand alone would give me a chance to take a break from binging on series and losing my mind.

Now for the book itself...

I expected a lot more from this book. It is not as if this book was hyped up. I heard about it from BookTube and Goodreads, but not often. For one I wasn't sure how I felt about finishing it in less than a day. Yes, those easy reads are nice but for the past few weeks I had been reading books up to 500 pages. 277 pages was child's play at that point.

I felt that the book moved too quickly. This book would have easily almost hit 400 pages. Don't get me wrong, I appreciated that we jumped right into the plot right before everything went to hell.  But I'm sure we could suffered through just a little bit of plot. Too many things were happening all at once. Yes I suppose that could display the urgency of things but I did not take kindly to it.  But you're going through everything with Naila and then... SHIT GETS REAL.  I couldn't help but reread a few chapters. The book took a dark turn I sure as hell was not expecting. And it really got me thinking about the lengths one would go to if they felt in their hearts the were doing some good.

I also think that character development was minimal at best. I still don't even know the main character that well. Luckily I never found her as whiny. She was forced to do a lot of things and she used to submit. But then she took charge and decided she would rewrite her destiny. I did admire that about her. 

Saeed writes a very real story. I believe it gives great insight into how modern day Pakistani immigrant couple would react to raising their children in America. You saw some favoritism toward Naila's younger brother. You could easily pick up on their fierce need to stick to their ways. I couldn't imagine how I would react if that were my life. You end up being happy with what freedoms you have and appreciating the knowledge you have gained

Rating: 5/5 stars

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for

Wow. What a sequel.

I think Sarah J. Maas is in danger of being sued for pain and suffering, emotional instability, and over all mind blowing content.

Celaena has easily become one of my favorite characters. She is such a bad ass! She is the friggin' Assassin of Adarlan and King's  Champion. And one with a conscious all of a sudden I might add. She has the Crown Prince and the Captain of the Guard, two of the most eligible bachelor's, eating out of her hands! Let's not even mention her love of books So much accomplished at eighteen. I'm behind compared to her. 

Now the King is scary and intimidating dude. He does what he wants to and does it well. I think the king and the Commandant would get along swimmingly. Celaena barely wants to cross him and we all know what's capable of. But we really see what she can do when she is royally pissed. WARNING: DO NOT PISS OFF A DEADLY ASSASSIN. Like how stupid are people really? 

Speaking of which JUSY WHHYYYY??!!! There is one part of this book that absolutely....ugh...If I were a crier I might have shed some tears. This book has one hundred and one plot twists that I did not see coming at all! Well Done Maas. Well done. Because some things are foreshadowed, but so subtlety that when it hits you, you're dumbfounded and caught off guard.

And the feeelsssss. The fangirlinggg. I have a new team now and I need a banner immediately to add to my collection. I' have been for this couple from the very beginning and HA I was right.

This is such a great read and highly recommend it. Yet another series to obsess over.

Rating: 4.5/5

With each passing day, Kelsea Glynn is growing into her new responsibilities as Queen of the Tearling. By stopping the shipments of slaves to the neighboring kingdom of Mortmesne, she crossed the Red Queen, a brutal ruler whose power derives from dark magic, who is sending her fearsome army into the Tearling to take what is hers. And nothing can stop the invasion.

But as the Mort army draws ever closer, Kelsea develops a mysterious connection to a time before the Crossing, and she finds herself relying on a strange and possibly dangerous ally: a woman named Lily, fighting for her life in a world where being female can feel like a crime. The fate of the Tearling —and that of Kelsea’s own soul—may rest with Lily and her story, but Kelsea may not have enough time to find out.

In this dazzling sequel, Erika Johansen brings back favorite characters, including the Mace and the Red Queen, and introduces unforgettable new players, adding exciting layers to her multidimensional tale of magic, mystery, and a fierce young heroine. 

I have to start by giving a shout out to Audible because I listened to both audio books from this series.  I preferred the first narrator to the second but it was still well done nonetheless.

So this book is a continuation of where we left the Tearling in the last book. War and siege is on the horizon and Kelsea has to evaluate the decisions she's made. Despite being only nineteen, she has to do a lot of growing up because she is the Queen of this place that is in utter shambles.

So Queen Kelsea does everything that she can to prove that she isn't her mother that sold away her people to a witch queen. But we also come to realize her mother may have not really had a choice. There is a slight possibility that Queen Elyssa knew giving away her citizens was the lesser of two evils. I felt bad for Kelsea because she is forced to realize that though she stopped the shipments with great intentions she is still the cause of the Mort coming to invade the Tearling. And she doesn't even have a clue that the Red Queen only did it because her citizens kept questioning her! She almost didn't give a damn.

I loved all the insight we got to the past Raleighs, the power of the Sapphires, and the friggin' Pre-Crossing! That was just awesome! How Johansen imagines America in the future is something I certainly don't look forward to. But I can certainly see it. It was so well thought out. It was almost as if it was two books in one.

WHO IS HER FATHER?!?!?! WTF! It better be in the first sentence of the third book. What is the huge secret if he was "a good man"? Also, Kelsea is do damned stupid for basically selling her soul to the devil! I realized everything that transpired with Kelsea and the Red Queen would have happened regardless because she remembered her FROM THE PORTRAIT! So all the fireplace dude did was slightly gear her in the right direction! Once she saw her she was going to say "Hey. I remember you. You're the sad looking Raleigh bastard child I saw a week ago." Then BAM she would have had her. So Frustrated. 

I loved this book and once again I'm going to hate waiting a year to find out what the fate of Kelsea, her sapphires, and her kingdom is. 

Rating: 5/5 stars

After experiencing the effects of a book hangover, it was so hard to start this book. Of course I knew it was going to be good but honestly, I was going through withdraws. But I had to push through it considering I am TOO far behind in this series.

The cover art is amazing to begin with. When I first saw it I immediately was faced with a fierce warrior that is capable of so much. Not to mention that outfit is on point. I wish I had a get up like that.

Now I don't come across characters like Celaena Sardothein often. Yes she is an assassin, but it is hard not to love her. She's not your typical strong female role. She is actually a person who kills for money, and she is the best of them all. I love it! She is shrouded in mystery. We still don't know her full backstory. But I'm guessing that's what several more books are for.

When I started to get the Hunger Games vibe, I will admit I became wary. But I did enjoy how the goal was not pick others off (at least you weren't supposed to), you just did your best not to fall behind and lose. I felt terrible knowing "Lillian" had to hold back and couldn't even be second rate, but average. 

And I love Celaena for capturing the hearts of everyone you she shouldn't have. The Crowned Prince, the Captain of the Guard, and the Princess of a land that is coming close to being conquered. To Chaol she was an assassin, to Dorian she was an escape from his father, and to Nehemia she was a false story. But nonetheless she ensnared them.

I saw the love triangle going south very quickly. But I felt that Chaol would win in the beginning but I knew Dorian would be there as interference. I stand against my call until the nezt books tel me other otherwise.

A great read that you won't be able to put down!

Rating: 4.8/5 stars

Okay, I get I'm an entire year late with this book and Invasion of the Tearling is already out.  But better late than never.

Instead of reading this book, I listened to the Audio version, performed by Katherine Kellgren.  She has done many other audio books. I loved  her performance!  A nature teller of tales. Sorry if I misspell  any names since I did not actually see them.

And I am so glad that I read (listened to this) book. I'll admit I was slightly wary when I first heard the description of the book somewhere on Youtube. The cover drew me in, my first indicator of a possible good book. But I knew I was going to give it a chance anyway.

This book is not like most books that I read. I at first thought it were a completely mundane book with no magic or anything like that. But that didn't stop me once I got further into reading the book. I thought it would be interesting to take the journey with Kelsey to see how she would learn to run a kingdom in shambles and try to live up to what her mother had been before dying. I will admit I was a little sad and somewhat shocked to find that Queen Elyssa had been short of a terrible queen. But I'm glad I was slightly shocked, that means there weren't too many hints dropped

But I did know that there was something fishy going on in the Tearling. And the shipment was not necessarily what I had in mind. But it did out a twist on things. 

I really do love Kelsea as a character. Though she knows her limitations, she still tries to do so much. A caring, yet fierce and formidable foe. Though proving to be the exact opposite from her mother is not her main drive, it is a strong one nonetheless. She quickly learns what it takes to demand the respect of those who doubt her or have little to no faith. I, like everyone else I'm sure, am dying to know ho her father is and if we've met him and he is hiding in plain sight. Jesus, please don't let it be the Fetch. That would be so weird. 

The use of magic in this books is very subtle. We know that the Queen of Mortmense is just reeking of magic, considering her age and youth. And we also know there are people like Andaline who can see some visions of the future. But the sapphire necklaces are a complete mystery. We just know that they are VERY powerful. And they are almost personified in a way. They guide Kelsey, make her stronger when she needs it, and they help her.

This world that Johansen created is almost dystopian, which I usually do not dabble in. Because I heard the audio, I herd the voices of the different characters, and it seems that Mortmense is what France or the French used to be, based upon the accents. And the Tear is New London just like it is said in the book. But being the book lover I am, I was just as sad as Kelsea when I found out that books were scare in the Tear. 

So I'm off to go get the Invasion of the Tearling. I would get the audio book but it is done but a different woman and I liked Katherine too much.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Wow. 

Now that we've got that out of the way. I noticed there is a recurring theme of retelling old tales with a new spin. Once I heard that this book was a spin of A Thousand and One nights and Aladdin, being the Disney fanatic that I am, I jumped at buying the book.

I do appreciate that Ahdieh jumps right to the tale. The decision to infiltrate Khalid's home had already been made. I can also appreciate the position of a girl willing to do anything for her best friend which is something I can relate to myself. Hell hath no fury like a girl on a mission for her best friend. 

Now from the prologue there is no mistake that there is a reason for the killing of the women. and that's what makes it great to read it because we know something that Shazi doesn't. And I was constantly wondering, when is she going to find out!? 

I will admit I never despised Khalid, or disliked him either. He was just a mystery to me. I just needed to know the reason. And I couldn't help but smile and chuckle as he slowly but quickly fell in love with his queen. I was concerned as to how she was going to keep delaying her impending doom with a mere tale. 

Reading Shazi's inner turmoil as her heart starts to belong to Khalid was so entertaining. I understand why she hated herself for it, but I'm glad she wasn't stupid enough to act as if it was not happening. She tried to doubt it at first but then  accepted it and tried to use it to her advantage. Manipulative, yet necessary from her view point. When she gave it all up and became his fully I breathed a sigh of relief. But I felt the happy ending wouldn't last long. I would like to note that Tahir was ehh to me. I felt like they "loved" each other out of obligation or because they thought it was right.

This was really a great read. Once I got to the last page I kept flipping back an forth as if more pages would magically appear somewhere. The one thing about reading great books soon after they are released is having to wait almost an entire year for the next! I cannot wait to see what Shazi's father is going to do and if she can save both her father and her beloved from dark forces and evil.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Just to start off, I thought this book was great. This book got a considerable amount of hype and I was pleased when it delivered. 

Everything about the book was appealing to me before I even read it, the cover, the summary, and especially the book trailer. I do love a good book trailer. The world that Tahir created is almost cliche with the slaves and those above them situation. But she puts a spin on it that makes it very unique

Laia is a scholar slave and Elias is apart of the school that produces soldiers.  These characters have several things to fight for such as their freedom and their lives. Neither of them expected to fall for each other in the lowest of all places. A slave and a soldier, meant to hate each other, that can't get each other off of the brain.

I also enjoy the character development. Laia is very weak in the beginning and she acknowledges that. She wishes to be stronger and not be so faint of heart. But considering the positions she has been put it, she has not choice but to have the heart of a warrior. Do or die. 

Elias is not the typical soldier at his school. He thinks slaves should be free and he thinks that he is trapped. I wonder how he would have turned out had be not been cast off to die in the dessert by him mother and raised by scholar slaves. And when it came time to be a soldier, he was the top of his class. Different from them and above them as well.

The world that Tahir created was fantastic. It was very easy to visualize and feel as though you were there. The maps in the book cover helped too haha. We were not babied in this book and had to face hard truths about humanity and how we treat each other. You also explore how far you would go for your freedom for for your loved one. This is an excellent book and I heard that it is confirmed this will NOT be a stand alone book thank goodness.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The poverty stricken Reds, 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 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?

After coming home from my first year of college and catching up with all my BookTubers, Red Queen was everywhere. The hype was real. So of course I immediately went to the bookstore and got a copy.
The concept of the book intrigued me and the beginning captured me. The main character, Mare, was a likable character. She was borderline super strong female main character. She did the typical I have to save someone or protect my family deal, which is just fine. But she wasn't afraid to admit her shortcomings either
I thought the book was good. It was well written, and the characters were alright. But this book did not WOW me. The plot twist was predictable and some elements of the ending were too. I will say that the ending did catch me off guard though. But I can easily see why some people are so in love with the book. A little too much foreshadowing for me.
A great read nonetheless!

Sequel to Red Queen! 2/9/2016