A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas | Review

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Publication Date: May 5, 2015
Genre: YA, New Adult, Fairy Tales, Retelling, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Pages: 416
Source: Purchased
First Line: "The forest had become a labyrinth of snow and ice."
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Goodreads Description

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 discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin 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.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

Favorite Quotes

"We need hope as much as we need bread and meat. We need hope, or else we cannot endure."

"Because your human joy fascinates me — the way you experience things, in your life span, so wildly and deeply and all at once, is . . . entrancing. I'm drawn to it, even when I know I shouldn't be, even when I try not to be."

"Be glad of your human heart, Feyre. Pity those who don't feel anything at all.”

(There are so many more but I don't want to have too many.)

My Thoughts

Just as a fair warning, this review is most likely going to contain spoilers! 

When I first started reading this I was a little scared that this was going to end up like my experience while reading Throne of Glass. I thought I was once again going to be in that group that thought this book was just okay while mostly everyone else loved it. The beginning was a bit of a slow start. I was interested in the life Feyre was living but I wasn't invested enough to really care. At the beginning of the book I was more worried about how much I didn't like her family. None of her family showed appreciation for Feyre basically keeping them all alive.

There were little parts that helped the plot more forward but for the most part the first half of the book was slow for me. I was interested in what was going on and the interactions between the characters but I was frustrated at the same time because I was trying to think of every reason why Tamlin might have kept Feyre alive. Not only did Tamlin keep her alive, he basically offered her a better life than the one she was living. However I enjoyed having the time to learn more about this new world and the people living in it.

I had mixed feelings about Tamlin sending Feyre home when they were so close to breaking the curse that had been put on the Spring Court. I understand why it had to happen but I didn't get why Feyre didn't put up more of a fight. I'm pretty sure at that point she knew she was in love with Tamlin but she just let it all go for what she thought was freedom. I was kinda happy that it happened though because I got the feeling Feyre wouldn't have realized how much better her life had become since she didn't have to worry about keeping her family alive because of some stupid promise she made to her mother.

I admit I did kind of spoil myself (by accident) for part of the ending. I was trying to see when the second book in the series was coming out and I started to read the synopsis. Knowing didn't take away much except for not being a little confused or surprised by the part where they drop the light on/in Feyre. Besides that I was happy with the ending and I was surprised by the reaction of some characters, mainly Rhysand.

I'm happy that there was no insta love with Feyre and Tamlin! They are both flawed characters and they had to learn to get along and eventually like each other regardless of their faults. I loved the slow progression of their relationship. Besides the 2 main characters, there were a few others I liked. One of my favorite characters so far is Lucien. I liked Lucien even before I found out his back story. Even though he made it clear that he didn't like Feyre, he was always helping her out and entertaining her, sometimes even being a buffer between her and Tamlin.

I also really liked Alis and Rhysand. I'm not really sure why I like Alis, I just do. I knew from the moment Rhysand was introduced he was going to be important. The more that was revealed about Rhysand the more I liked him. It's clear by the end of this book that Rhysand has developed feelings for Feyre, especially by the way he was fighting to help her, even though he gave an excuse for that. From the moment Feyre got to under the mountain, Rhysand had done everything he could to help her. I'm pretty sure this is going to end up being a love triangle. As of right now I'm team Tamlin. Although Nesta wasn't my favorite character, she redeemed herself a little later in the book. I would love to see how she would do living in Prythian with Feyre.

Overall I loved this book. I couldn't give it a full 5 stars because it was slow in the first half of the book for me. I'm excited to see where this story goes! I can't for A Court of Mist and Fury to come out. I will most likely be preordering it!

What are some of your thoughts about this first book? Are you looking forward to A Court of Mist and Fury?

(Just a side note, if you leave a comment please use commentluv. I have it set up because for some reason I can't respond to comments when using the default blogger comment system. I had to delete a comment already because I wasn't able to reply to it and the plugin wouldn't show up.)

Tormented Soul (Storm Trilogy #1) by Dylann Rhea | Review

Tormented Soul (Storm Trilogy #1) by Dylann Rhea
Publisher: Self Published
Publication Date: January 13, 2015
Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 307
Source: Won in a Goodreads Giveaway
Favorite Quote: "Everyone's heart is as fragile as glass. Some people can't help but lock theirs in an iron box for no one to see."
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Goodreads Description

Seattle is best known for its welcoming and diverse culture, but Kaden cannot seem to grasp the life it offers. When Megan, Kaden’s best friend, decides it’s time to hit the night life, it turns into a night they will never forget. Megan mysteriously disappears and Kaden is the only one invested in finding her. Along the way she meets an unusual ally, Finley, who reveals a world beyond the ordinary streets of Seattle. Kaden finds herself pulled into a dark world of fae as the two struggle to locate Megan before it’s too late.

My Thoughts

Whenever I decide to read a self published novel I always get a little worried. I usually think that there might not have been enough editing done or there might not be enough development with the characters and/or the world. This novel surprised me!

When I first started reading I immediately thought of Lost Girl, the TV show. That mainly had to do with the fae world, and there being two different sides (light and dark fae). It also reminded me of the beginning of City of Bones in a few areas throughout the book. I tried really hard not to compare plot points of Tormented Soul to Lost Girl but there were just so many moments that it was obvious that they were very similar. However this story is still unique. 

Looking at the characters, I couldn't say I loved them but I didn't dislike them. I didn't find myself connecting with any of the characters. I felt bad for Kaden when it came to her mom and was happy that she and her sister were so close. I liked Finley but he confused me. I didn't understand why he took interest in and helped Kaden. I get that he wanted to see what the dark fae were up to and stop them but he could have done that without getting involved with Kaden. Although it wasn't the focus of this book, there was a hint that there might be a romantic relationship between Kaden and Finley later on. I didn't have any strong feelings about Megan. She just seemed to be there to give an excuse for Kaden's introduction to the fae world.

I was a little disappointed with the way things ended with Megan. I was expecting that scene to be climactic but it just happened and then was over and nothing else could be done. At some point during the novel there's a flashback of Kaden and Megan, and to be honest it was kind of creepy. Megan gave Kaden some stone and when Kaden said something about liking it Megan said, "You won't." This lead me to believe that there was more to Megan and her family. I thought maybe they were part of the fae world and that was part of the reason she was taken. However, this was never brought up again and neither was Kaden's interest in collecting stones that was mentioned during that chapter. This could have been something to make the story and Megan more interesting. 

This book doesn't seem very long but so much happened. The most surprising thing is that, besides the flash backs, everything that happened took place over the course of over three days! Overall, this book was really enjoyable. There were some things I questioned or didn't like but those moments didn't take away too much from my enjoyment level. I'm interested in picking up the next book in the series and seeing how this story continues.

Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3) by Richelle Mead | Review

Shadow Kiss (Vampire Academy #3) by Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: November 13, 2008
Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Pages: 443
Source: Purchased
First Line: "His fingertips slid along my back , applying hardly any pressure, yet sending shock waves over my flesh."
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Goodreads Description

WHAT IF FOLLOWING HER HEART MEANS ROSE COULD LOSE HER BEST FRIEND FOREVER?

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest vampires - the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them.

Rose knows it is forbidden to love another guardian. Her best friend, Lissa - the last Dragomir princess - must always come first. Unfortunately, when it comes to gorgeous Dimitri Belikov, some rules are meant to be broken...

Then a strange darkness begins to grow in Rose's mind, and ghostly shadows warn of a terrible evil drawing nearer to the Academy's iron gates. The immortal undead are closing in, and they want vengeance for the lives Rose has stolen. In a heart-stopping battle to rival her worst nightmares, Rose will have to choose between life, love, and the two people who matter most... but will her choice mean that only one can survive?

My Thoughts

This review will be probably end up shorter than some of my others. I reread this book a few months ago so I will be going through a summary to share my thoughts. Since this is the third book in this series there will be spoilers.

In the opening of Shadow Kiss Rose is struggling with the death of Mason and not being able to be with Dimitri. While trying to seem like she isn't extremely affected by everything that's happened, Rose along with all the other novices are prepping for their qualifying exam. Throughout the book Rose has moments of seeing people who are dead. There are also moments of extreme, uncontrollable anger from Rose that can't be explained.

In this book I feel like the Strigoi were an even bigger threat then they have ever been. In Frostbite there was a glimpse into what the Strigoi were planning but I think in this book everything becomes more real and widespread. The end of this book was heartbreaking. The first time I read it I knew something was going to go wrong but I was hoping it would be something that I, and the main characters, could live with.

Shadow Kiss was a fast-paced read and another great installment to the series. I am really enjoying my reread of this series. 

Waiting on Wednesday | Winter by Marissa Meyer

Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer
Publisher:  Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: November 10th 2015
Pages: 832

Goodreads Description

Princess 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?

Why I'm Waiting

Even though by the time this post goes up this book will have already come out I decided to still use it for this week's Waiting on Wednesday. Can I truly be waiting on a book when I haven't read any books in the series? Yes! I have been wanting to read this series for about a year now. When I actually had access to Cinder, I didn't have the time to read it. Now that the series is ending, I want to start it even more. I don't really know too much about the story but I want to leave it that way. I don't want to start the series knowing too much.

Have any of you read the series so far? Are you looking forward to Winter?

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature created by Breaking The Spine.

Top Ten Tuesday #4

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted at Broke and Bookish. Each week there is a topic and we list off our top ten items based on that topic.

This week's theme:

Ten Bookish Things I Want to Quit Or Have Quit 

Some of these series I'm not sure if I'm going to completely quit some of these series. As of right now I'm not continuing on with these. These aren't listed in any specific order.
*All series linked to Goodreads page if you would like to check them out.

Fallen Series by Lauren Kate - I don't remember the actual story but I remember how I felt while I was reading it. I liked the overall concept and I really enjoyed the first but I felt like I had to force myself to finish certain sections and to even get through the beginning of the second book. I own the first 2 books in the series but I'm not exactly sure where they are right now. If I end of finding them or randomly getting the series (which I doubt I will) I might try to read the series.

Dream Catcher Series by Lisa McMann - I read the first book in the series, Wake, and overall I enjoyed it. I liked the concept but I was a bit disappointed because some of the big reveals were not as exciting as I would have liked them to been. This is a series I would be willing to finish.

House of Night Series by P.C Cast and Kristin Cast - This is another series I'm on the fence about. In a way I grew up with this series and read with a few of my classmates. I enjoyed it while I reading and the only reason I stopped was because I wasn't able to get the next book in the series at the time. I was so close to finishing and am considering rereading and finishing the series.

Luxe Series by Anna Godbersen - I tried beginning this series so many times but I just couldn't get into it. The beginning of the first book was so slow. I thought maybe I couldn't get into it because it was historical fiction but I realized I've read other historical fiction and enjoyed it. I even bought the second book in the series to try to force myself to get through the first one. That helped me get a little further in the book but I never did finish it. I may consider picking it up at some point but for now it just continues to sit on my bookshelf.

Matched Series by Ally Condie - I first picked this up from my school library. I was really intrigued by the concept but it was slow start so I wasn't pulled in like I wanted to be. After renewing the book for almost 3 months I decided that I wasn't going to get to it since I was busy with school work. I might consider picking it up later but since I heard so many mixed reviews I'm not sure.

Evernight Series by Claudia Gray - I actually enjoyed the first book. I don't really remember what it's about. All I remember is the main character being at a school full of vampires but she doesn't know she's a vampire, then a vampire hunter shows up at the school. I do know I enjoyed it enough to pick up the next 2 books in the series. I think there are 4 or 5 in total. I thought about picking this up again but since there are so many other books I would like to read that I'm just not sure I will.

Moon Series by Jeanette Battista - I found this series looking through Amazon for free books to put on my kindle. The story took a different approach to werewolves and other types of shapeshifters and it was a lot more exciting than I was expecting it to be. The obsession of the main character's brother was a creepy but it was still good. I bought the second book in the series but I'm not sure if I ever got around to reading it. The main reason I'm not as excited about the rest of the series is because they don't focus on the main characters I had grown to care for.

The Vampire Diaries Series by L.J. Smith - I'm not really sure what I was expecting going into this series. The first book wasn't terrible but it wasn't as exciting as I would have a like it to be. After watching the TV show, I would prefer to watch that than read the books.

The Fallen Series by Thomas E. Sniegoski - I think I was interested in reading more about angles after reading the Blue Bloods Series by Melissa de la Cruz and the Fallen Series by Lauren Kate. I picked up the book that had books 1 & 2. It was interesting so I picked up the next one which was books 3 & 4. It got put on the back burner since at the time there were other books that I was more interested in continuing. I may pick this up again in the future but I'm not sure.

Privilege Series by Kate Brian - I read Kate Brian's entire Private series and really enjoyed it while I was reading it so I decided I would check out her other series that revolved around a character from the first book in the Private series. I tried reading the first book but I couldn't really get into. I'm pretty sure that I will not be continuing on with the series.

Did any of these make your list of book series you quit or want to quit? What are some series or books you abandoned and why?

Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L Armentrout | Review

Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L Armentrout
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Publication Date: May 8th 2012
Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Sci-Fi
Pages: 335
Source: Purchased for Kindle
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Goodreads Description

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring… until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something… unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

My Thoughts

I already read this entire serious and I enjoyed it so much I was a bit on the fence about rereading and actually reviewing it. I figured it would be better to reread this then not have content up because I'm taking forever to read a new book. 

Going back into the beginning of the series, I forgot about how much I didn't like Daemon at first. He was extremely rude. Even when you could tell he was attracted to Katy, he acted like she had personally done something wrong to him and his family by moving in next door. There were moments when Daemon acted normally, which I was really grateful for. If those moments weren't there I might have had to stop reading the books. Once there was more backstory given on Daemon and Dee I understood why Daemon acted the way he did towards Katy but it was still excessive.

Daemon and Katy bantering were my favorite scenes. No matter what Daemon said Katy was right there with him. She wasn't some defenseless girl, hopelessly in love with this new guy who was nothing but rude to her. Although she was attracted to him, she didn't let that take over her she responded to him. Watching them go back and forth was often light, funny, and even steamy at times.

The actions scenes were another favorite. They were fast paced and exciting! As much as Daemon did to try to push Katy away from his family, he was always there to protect when needed. And as many times as he tried to give an excuse for the reason he saved her, it was obvious that it was because he didn't want anything to happen to her even if it wasn't his fault. The action scenes, as well as some of the scenes when Daemon opened up, helped to make the book more than Daemon being extremely moody and rude and Katy questioning what she ever did to him.

Overall I really liked the this book! Daemon's mood swings took away some of the enjoyment but I think this was still worth the read. This series gets so much better and I'm pretty sure we don't have to deal with too much more of the Daemon we were shown in this first book.

Top Ten Tuesday #3

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted at Broke and Bookish. Each week there is a topic and we list off our top ten items based on that topic.

Books/Series to Read If You Liked the Twilight Series (And If You Didn't!)

I'm pretty sure by now everyone has heard of the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer either by reading the books or watching the movies or both. A lot of people were on one extreme or the other when it came to this series but I was in the middle. It wasn't my favorite series but for the most part I still enjoyed it. As I check out more blogs, I realize that I haven't read that many books compared to some others, at least that I can remember, so I wanted to pick something that I remembered and that I was sure a lot of people were familiar with. If you liked the Twilight Series, and even if you didn't, here are some recommendations to other books or series you may enjoy. Just a precaution, I'm really bad at explaining what a book is about but I will try my best.

*Pictures link to book page on Goodreads

The Host by Stephenie Meyer - I hear a lot of people talking about the Twilight series but I don't hear too much about this one. I read this right after I finished the Twilight series and I loved it. This is basically about aliens who come to take over the earth by inserting themselves inside human bodies. For those who did not like the Twilight series I would still recommend you check this out.

Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout - I have been hearing about this series a lot more lately but I only discovered it within the last year. This series was so fun and action packed I got through each book in about 2 to 3 days. I loved this series so much that I would like to reread it, even though it hasn't been that long since I finished it! 

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - This is another popular vampire series and was one of my favorite series. I started this series when the first 2 or 3 books were out and the rest as they came out. This series took a different approach than the Twilight series. One group of vampires in this series is similar to Twilight series vampires while still having a more traditional form in the other group of vampires. The Moroi are the vampires that are alive and use dhampirs, like the narrator and our main heroine, for protection from the Strigoi, the undead vampires. This series kept me interested from the beginning to the end, and even when it ended I wanted more.

Blood of Eden by Julie Kagawa - This is a vampire series that I don't hear too many people talk about. Like the Vampire Academy series, there is a strong heroine. She claims to only be looking out for herself but she is always willing to help out others even if puts herself in danger. Her morals are even carried over when she becomes a vampire and has to fight her instincts. I haven't finished this series yet but I definitely recommend this, especially since I flew through the first two.

Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz - This was another series I grew up with but never actually finished. I think I actually have all the books now so I plan to reread and finish this series. This is another series about vampires but this one was different from all the others. One of the most interesting things is that the vampires were not made but came from the recycled bloodlines of fallen angles, the Blue Bloods. This series was full of certain family expectations and forbidden relationships. Honestly, I think I mostly stuck around for one of the main relationships. Although one of my favorite parts was the romance between certain characters the overall story that I read was entertaining.

A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest - I wondered if I should even include this series in this list. I wouldn't say this is my favorite series, not even my favorite about vampires. However, this series was fast, entertaining, and kinda addictive. I would finish one and since they were so cheap for the kindle I would just go get the next one and immediately start reading it. For the price I think it would be worth it to at least check at the first book in the series and make your own opinions from there.

These are the books/series that stick in my mind that readers that enjoyed the Twilight series might enjoy. Let me know if you have any recommendations of your own!