Book Review: Queen of Shadows

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

Release Date: September 1st, 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children

Format of Novel: Hardcover

Rating:4.8/5 Stars

Summary (From good reads): The queen has returned.

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

She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

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

The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena's epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

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I had a difficult time reading this because lately I wasn't really in the mood to read really long books after a day from work. But, after taking my sweet time with this novel, I finally read this beast completely. Let me just say, you all probably have finished this before this review, but hell what a action-packed event huh? So many things occurred during this installment and they were fantastic. From the rescues, to the rebellion against the King of the Glass Kingdom, to Celaena/Aelin's upcoming reign as queen, to new chapters of Manon and the Thirteen. The fight scenes were on point and the drama between the cast of characters were executed

This book was in my opinion, the second best novel of Sarah J Maas (top one is ACOTAR). So much occurred that I can't say much since this review is spoiler-free. I will say that you will not be disappointed because we are learning how Aelin's court is finally rebelling against the Glass King with her old friends and new allies appearing in such an unexpected way that it makes you scream "What the hell!?" in a excited fan girl mode. And the characters, oh my god I just want to hug Carol and Dorian so freaking much right now. They are my babies and this book almost emotionally destroyed me with the changes these two made, especially Dorian. 'Cause, holy shit right in the end? (If you already read the book before me). Rowan and Aedion were great for this book because we see them becoming more developed as characters and I'm glad they're on Aelin's side because it would be more crazy if they weren't, yet at the same time, I sort of want to see them be cursed into being on the dark side or something I dunno.

What I also enjoyed was the Manon chapters. Compare to the third book to the series, I was finally able to understand more of her and her coven of thirteen. I was beginning to feel sorry for her when she learned the twisted secrets her grandmother hid from her throughout her life. But at the same time, since Aelin is the main protagonist of this epic series, I have a gut feeling that Manon is going to be the grand antagonist that we are all waiting for in the final two books.

Queen of Shadows overall was filled with great action, sass, and emotional outlooks that made my heart break, mend, break again, and cheering for the entire story to keep on going.. This story was an amazing installment to the series and I seriously cannot wait for more in the next year because I want to see how far Aelin is going to go as Queen. Is she going to keep kicking ass or did she start a new world war? Only time will tell..

Happy Howling fellow readers.

Book Review: A Court of Thorns & Roses

A Court of thorns & Roses: Written by Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: May 5th, 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury's Children USA

Format of Novel: ARC (from a giveaway)

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summary (from good reads): When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discover that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin-- one of the lethal, immortal faeires who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it.. or doom Tamlin--and his world--forever.

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Ahh a brand new book from one of my top faves. Isn't beautiful to the naked eye? Yeah I know, I'm late with this review, its been what seven months since its release and only a week since her new TOG series book came out? Oops. Haha. So I hope you peeps can forgive me and read my review on this book anyway okay? (o-o)

Moving on... This book was hands down one of the tops ones for my 2015 reads. I was so moved by how Sarah J. Maas took on the newer genre to her advantage and still managed to kick ass with it like the bad ass that she is. The characters were different compare to the TOG cast, they were more elegant and depressing, but still maintained a personality that brighten the plot in some shape or form. I loved Lucian more when it comes to him and Tamlin because he's snarky and will be blunt about everything Feyre will question once she moved into the castle. He reminded me of Hamlet from Shakespeare because of his 'tragic' past in the story. Tamlin was a interesting and lovable character. He had the elements that matched the Beast and a little bit something more to it as well (like the fae thing).

And Rhysand, holy crap I loved him to bits. He was a darker version of Lucian in my eyes and I was sort of rooting for him to get with Feyre already. And, after hearing about the theories of this story being based on Hades and Persephone's 'romance', I think its safe to say that it will happen, it will. How else are you going to explain their 'agreement' with the rest of the trilogy? I also loved Feyre, she was completely different from Maas's other protagonist, Celaena. She's more driven into her curiosity and her artistic abilities. I like the idea that even though she did match Belle in some shape or form, she does have qualities that are completely different. For example, the inability to read. I found that to be the most interesting part about her as a character. It created a flaw that I haven't seen in books in a while and I wanted to jump right into the book and teach her how to read, (and possibly hug her to death).. Anywho, let's discuss the climax and ending.

The scenes when Feyre entered the queen's castle were a mixture of meyhh and epic. Although I did enjoy the way the sinister the queen was and the trials were gripping with action. But, I didn't like the riddle, it felt to Disney for me. The book is suppose to be New Adult and the riddle's answer sort of took that away from me at the end.

Overall, this book was exciting and I'm glad Sarah J. Maas has another series for us to enjoy. What are your favorite books from this wonderful author? Tell me in the comments below and I'll be back soon with another post, happy howling!

Book Review: Heir of Fire

Heir of Fire (TOG #3) Written by: Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: 9/2/2014

Publisher: Bloomsbury's Children

Format of Novel: Hardcover
Rating: 4.8/5 stars

Summary (from good reads):

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

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.

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I know I'm super, super late with this review. Is work even a valid excuse for you guys? Probably not.. I know. But, when you're helping out with opening a Halloween store at a fast pace, you just can't help, but avoid the computer (or in my case, my mother's computer). So now I have a little bit of time, I shall review Heir of Fire.

So Heir of Fire, what a crazy load of a book right? I mean, you have Celaena recovering from the last bit from the last book. However, in this case, you get to explore Celaena's true history as a Fae and her family. To me personally, this book was more on the 'check point' level rather than the actual plot. I loved the characters that were introduced like Rowan. Rowan was a beautiful addition to the hotness of the gentlemen in the series. He felt perfect for Celaena with naturalness into him. You know what I mean? Sure he's older, but he's able to relate to Celaena on a more deeper level than both Carol and Dorian since after all he is a fae warrior. Speaking of which, let's discuss them now.

The prince and captain are rekindling their friendship after Dorian found out about the secrets Carol and Celaena were keeping from him. I didn't feel that they were that important to the book, but once the scenes between them kept going, I grew loved them a lot more because I started to root for them. It added on to them being loyal to Celaena and figuring out a way to stop the king on the down low. Plus the 'cliffhanger' before the final bits with Rowan and Celaena, holy shit I wanted to throw my book and cry in the corner. It was completely heartbreaking!

With the new character Manon, I felt that she wasn't necessary for the few chapters in the book, but at the same time I do. Its mixed I know, but hear me out. I think Manon is going to be a huge part for the last three books with her partner-in-crime. The idea of her becoming stronger is more aggressive unlike Celaena. It made me wonder if I was seeing a mirror version of our favorite heroine here. I don't know, that could just me rambling here, but you never know right? In a literary sense, the author did a good job creating the foreshadowing, but I wish I could've understand more about her other than her feeling the pressures of being the heir to her clan and her new rider.

All in all, this story was great like the rest of the series, slow but wonderfully written and exciting. I rated this 5 stars on good reads and just like the rest of you, I'm dying to get my hands on the next one. See you guys soon with a new review, happy howling!

Book Review: Crown of Midnight

Crown of Midnight (TOG#2) written by Sarah J. Maas

Release Date: August 27th, 2013

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Format of Novel: Hardcover

Summary (from good reads): From the Throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron & a sol 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 closet 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 on 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 & decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie.. and whom she is ultimately willingly to fight for.

(Minor spoilers in this review)

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Crown of Midnight started a little after the events of Throne of Glass with Celaena becoming the champion and carrying on her majesty's role to kill upon command. Let me tell you, I was in love with this book just like the first book and the prequel bind up "Assassin Blade" with all of the action packed fights, the growing characters, and the mystery of the far lore. The story was in my opinion the actual start of this epic six book series. The first book felt more like an intro novel by revealing the important players and the concept of the world Sarah J. Maas created for her debut.

 With this book, it was more plot driven with new mysteries and growing development. I was happily cheering when Celaena and Chaol got together. I thought their romance was sweet while it lasted and when the big climax moment happened, I was heartbroken. I was hoping that they would have a long relationship, but maybe they will reunite as mates in the next few books. The fact that we see Celaena becoming more vulnerable with her new friends, it was clear to see that she was human too instead of some powerful assassin that Maas portrays her to be throughout the book.


The other parts with Dorian and the witches were also a nice touch. I really wish I can say more about it, but I don't want to spoiler so much of this wonderful book. Especially the ending, it was a 'holy shit' moment, but it was a little noticeable if you do some close reading. Above all, this book was great just like the first one. Sarah J. Maas did a fantastic job in blending everything together and getting the ball rolling for the plot to thicken for Heir of Fire.

Book Review: Throne of Glass

 

Throne of Glass Written by: Sarah J. Maas
Release date: August 7th, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsburys USA Children's
Format of Novel: Hardcover
Summary *from goodreads*: In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The crown prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass-- and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

(Warning: There will be some fan-girling in this review)

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I'm in the middle of re-reading this entire series in perparation for the upcoming release of Queen of Shadows in September. I received this book in the original cover from the bf when it first came out, and I pretty much read this book like a speed demon. (Mainly due to the idea of having my foot fixed from surgery during the summer and I was bored). This book was a great start to the never-ending series. The reader was able to see Celaena develop from an arrogant and violent killer, to an actual beautiful and powerful warrior. I loved how she was such a balanced character. On one hand, you got a bad-ass, beautiful assassin out for revenge and freedom, and then on the other hand, you have this girly-girl who loves fashion and all things shiny. It was awesome with how Sarah J. Maas did that and it made me want to read more about Celaena's journey to freedom.

 

Not only was she was amazing, but the guys -fans self- are hot. I love Carol with a fiery passion. He is a hottie in my eyes and I support the fanbase of him and Celaena being together! Of course he's the strong silent type, but at the same time, he's gentle and holds loyalty in his heart for people he believes in. Yes I do agree about him being a idiot with social interactions, but he's still awesome. Plain and simple. Dorian was another cutie, but I felt as so he needed to wing himself out of the 'prince' role. He's a ladies man and yet, he does hold a certain type of innocence that makes you want to hug him to bits. In a personal opinion, I thought he was somewhat annoying and he didn't really shine as a major character in my eyes. Mostly because this was in fact the beginning novel of the six-book series.

Another thing I loved in this book was the friendship between Celaena and Princess Nehemia. I loved the loyalty the two had for one another with their common interests and their curiosity for the fae magic that disappeared from their world. Nehmia brought out the best out Celaena and I wished that she was more involved in the competition than she was in this book. In the sequel, Crown of Midnight, I know she's plays a major roles so I look forward to seeing their friendship grow stronger once again.

Sarah J. Maas brought her world to life with bits of information that was suitable for a debut that made you excited for more. She didn't go overboard with it and took her time with the flow within the pacing  The world building was executed nicely and the evolution of this story from a classic Cinderella re-telling to an epic fantasy was really well done.

If you are a fan of re-tellings or high fantasy stories like Game of Thrones, then I highly consider this book for you. Especially if you want a kick-ass female protagonist. See you guys in the next review. Happy Howling.

Book Review: The Assassin's Blade

The Assassin's Blade written by Sarah J. Maas
Release Date: March 4th, 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury's children
Format of Novel: Hardcover
Summary (From Goodreads.com): Contains all five novellas.
Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas - together in one edition for the first time - Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.

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I will like to make notice that the novellas are also sold as separate e-books for nooks/kindles for anyone that is on the look out for these stories. (Now on to the review).

I'm sure many people from the fiction press community have heard of Sarah J Maas and her epic tale of Celaena Sardothein right? Well, to be frank I never read the first ever draft of that story till her book came out right before my birthday, so reading Throne of Glass was a huge turn around for me back in 2012, and I will review that book tomorrow evening. Sarah J. Maas does not disappoint. For these particulars novellas, they were based on Celanea's time before the first book of the series takes place. From what I can tell with Celanea, she is a fresh character Young adult fiction needed to get back into the spin of literature. She is witty, girly, and a major bad ass to boot. Now I'm not going to spoil anything that is related to the story itself and Throne of Glass, so as a result to this review-- I will be focusing on the plot, pace, characters, and overall thought of the five novellas.

The pace of the story felt like it was dragging in a couple of areas within the novellas, but I can forgive the author for building up the tension to the right moments. I liked how she developed the plots, Sarah J Maas brought out different issues to get Celaena to act more human in a way instead of the cold-hearted assassin that she was trained to be. They tied to the titles of the novellas and she was able to deliver the emotional outcome right into a reader's heart. 

As for the characters, while I do like Celaena, my two favorite characters that continually popped out within the stories were Sam Courtland and Arobynn Hamel. The two men were very foiled with each other in terms of personality and sense of morale. I loved Sam because he brought out the softer and caring side of Celaena (even though she was a smart-ass at times) that made her wonder about having a life outside of the assassin guild. On the other hand, I loved Arobynn mainly because he brought out the fear into the story, and in a weird way-- I sorta noticed that he may of developed feelings for Celaena, but that could be me thinking of it. Either way, he was necessary for the five stories since he is the leader of the guild and he has raised Celaena for a while now.

Plot wise, all five stories were a excellent read. I enjoyed all of them, but my favorite one at the moment would have to be The Assassin and the Desert. This one in particular became my favorite since this is where I mostly saw Celaena grow as a character and we get to see pirates. Who the hell doesn't love some pirates and the silent assassins?! Any who, compare to the other stories, this one was a shiner for me. All in all, Sarah J. Maas is a fantastic writer, and if you guys want to read some prequels before the main series, pick up this book or get the books separate in e-book formats. :)